2007 NLL season
 | This article documents a current sporting event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. Initial news reports, scores, or statistics may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
The 2007 National Lacrosse League season began on December 30, 2006 and will conclude with the championship game during the weekend of May 11-13, 2007. This marks the second straight season beginning on December 30.
The season began with a blockbuster trade just three days before the first game, as the Toronto Rock traded star forward and 2005 MVP Colin Doyle along with Darren Halls and a draft pick to the San Jose Stealth for 1st round draft selection Ryan Benesch, Kevin Fines, Chad Thompson, and two draft picks. Doyle scored nine assists in San Jose's second game of the season, a 17-16 OT win over the Calgary Roughnecks.
Standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, GB = Games Behind Division Leader, PCT = Winning Percentage, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against
| East Division | ||||||||
| Team | W | L | GB | PCT | GF | GA | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Shamrox | 3 | 1 | - | .750 | 46 | 43 | ||
| Rochester Knighthawks | 4 | 2 | - | .667 | 90 | 81 | ||
| Philadelphia Wings | 3 | 2 | .5 | .600 | 59 | 55 | ||
| Buffalo Bandits | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | .400 | 68 | 63 | ||
| Minnesota Swarm | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | .400 | 59 | 66 | ||
| Toronto Rock | 1 | 3 | 2 | .250 | 44 | 49 | ||
| New York Titans | 1 | 5 | 3 | .167 | 81 | 94 | ||
| West Division | ||||||||
| Team | W | L | GB | PCT | GF | GA | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Mammoth | 5 | 1 | - | .833 | 85 | 68 | ||
| Arizona Sting | 4 | 1 | .5 | .800 | 59 | 49 | ||
| Calgary Roughnecks | 3 | 1 | 1 | .750 | 61 | 56 | ||
| Portland LumberJax | 2 | 4 | 3 | .333 | 57 | 71 | ||
| Edmonton Rush | 1 | 2 | 2.5 | .333 | 34 | 41 | ||
| San Jose Stealth | 1 | 4 | 3.5 | .200 | 57 | 64 | ||
Standings updated on January 27, 2007.
Team Movement
The 2007 season features two new expansion teams, both in the East Division: the Chicago Shamrox and the New York Titans.
Rule Changes
A number of rule changes were made for the 2007 season[1]. The main changes are:
- Cross-checks to the head are more severely punished
- Cross-checking a player without the ball is now illegal
- Scoring from behind the net is now allowed, provided there is no contact between the ball and the goalie or his equipment (this effectively allows the "Air Gait" move invented by Gary Gait)
- When a penalty shot is awarded, the coach can choose any player on the team to take the shot
Milestones
- January 6:
- Chicago and New York played their first ever games
- Chicago recorded its first win and first home win
- New York's first goal was scored by Gewas Schindler
- Chicago's first goal was scored by Jason Clark
- Edmonton won its first ever home game, defeating the Philadelphia Wings 13-12
- January 12: San Jose beat Calgary 17-16 in overtime in the longest game in NLL history.[2] The game lasted 71 minutes and 42 seconds before Luke Wiles scored at 11:42 of overtime, narrowly beating the old record of 70:45 during an Arizona-Anaheim game in 2004.
- January 20: New York records its first win and first home win at Madison Square Garden with a 11-9 victory over the Chicago Shamrox. The game is also the first loss for the Shamrox.
- January 26: New York plays their first game at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, losing 16-11 to the Philadelphia Wings. The New York Titans will split their home games between the Coliseum and Madison Square Garden.
- January 27: Rochester Knighthawk star John Grant Jr. sets a new NLL record for points in a single game with 15 (9 goals, 6 assists) in a 22-18 defeat of the New York Titans.[3]
All Star Game
The 2007 All-Star Game will be held at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon on March 10, 2007.
Awards
Weekly Awards
The NLL gives out awards weekly for the best overall player, best offensive player, best transition player (new for 2007), best defensive player, and best rookie.
| Week | Overall | Offensive | Defensive | Transition | Rookie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brian Langtry | Brian Langtry | Dallas Eliuk | Josh Sims | Jed Prossner |
| 2 | Gee Nash | Chris Gill | Brandon Miller | Josh Sims | Bill McGlone |
| 3 | Pat O'Toole | Jeff Zywicki | Pat O'Toole | Brodie Merrill | Kyle Wailes |
| 4 | Rob Blasdell | John Tavares | Rob Blasdell | Mark Steenhuis | Ryan Benesch |
| 5 | John Grant, Jr. | John Grant, Jr. | Brandon Miller | Geoff Snider | Athan Iannucci |
Monthly Awards
Awards are also given out monthly for the best overall player and best rookie.
| Month | Overall | Rookie |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | Rob Blasdell | Geoff Snider |
Game Log
December
| # | Date | Time | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Arena | |
| 1 | December 30 | 9:00 PM | Rochester | 15 - 20 | Colorado | Pepsi Center | ||
| 2 | December 30 | 10:00 PM | Buffalo | 10 - 11 | Portland | 0:41 | Rose Garden |
January
| # | Date | Time | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Arena | |
| 3 | January 5 | 9:30 PM | Colorado | 10 - 6 | Arizona | Jobing.com | ||
| 4 | January 5 | 10:30 PM | Rochester | 14 - 11 | San Jose | HP Pavilion | ||
| 5 | January 6 | 8:30 PM | New York | 12 - 15 | Chicago | Sears Centre | ||
| 6 | January 6 | 9:00 PM | Philadelphia | 12 - 13 | Edmonton | Rexall Place | ||
| 7 | January 12 | 7:30 PM | New York | 14 - 16 | Buffalo | HSBC Arena | ||
| 8 | January 12 | 9:30 PM | San Jose | 17 - 16 | Calgary | 11:42 | Saddledome | |
| 9 | January 13 | 7:30 PM | Portland | 14 - 12 | Philadelphia | Wachovia Center | ||
| 10 | January 13 | 7:35 PM | Toronto | 6 - 10 | Rochester | Blue Cross Arena | ||
| 11 | January 13 | 8:00 PM | Chicago | 11 - 10 | Minnesota | XCel Energy Center | ||
| 12 | January 13 | 9:00 PM | Calgary | 13 - 12 | Edmonton | Rexall Place | ||
| 13 | January 13 | 9:00 PM | Buffalo | 10 - 11 | Colorado | 4:17 | Pepsi Center | |
| 14 | January 13 | 10:30 PM | Arizona | 14 - 11 | San Jose | HP Pavilion | ||
| 15 | January 19 | 8:00 PM | Rochester | 10 - 11 | Minnesota | XCel Energy Center | ||
| 16 | January 19 | 9:00 PM | Colorado | 16 - 9 | Edmonton | Rexall Place | ||
| 17 | January 19 | 9:30 PM | Portland | 4 - 11 | Arizona | Jobing.com | ||
| 18 | January 20 | 7:30 PM | San Jose | 8 - 9 | Philadelphia | Wachovia Center | ||
| 19 | January 20 | 7:30 PM | Rochester | 19 - 15 | Toronto | Air Canada Centre | ||
| 20 | January 20 | 7:30 PM | Minnesota | 13 - 22 | Buffalo | HSBC Arena | ||
| 21 | January 20 | 8:00 PM | Chicago | 9 - 11 | New York | Madison Square Garden | ||
| 22 | January 20 | 9:30 PM | Colorado | 13 - 17 | Calgary | Saddledome | ||
| 23 | January 20 | 10:00 PM | Arizona | 12 - 9 | Portland | Rose Garden | ||
| 24 | January 25 | 9:00 PM | Portland | 11 - 15 | Colorado | Pepsi Center | ||
| 25 | January 26 | 7:30 PM | Philadelphia | 11 - 15 | New York | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | ||
| 26 | January 26 | 10:30 PM | Chicago | 11 - 10 | San Jose | HP Pavilion | ||
| 27 | January 27 | 7:30 PM | Toronto | 9 - 10 | Philadelphia | Wachovia Center | ||
| 28 | January 27 | 8:05 PM | New York | 18 - 22 | Rochester | Blue Cross Arena | ||
| 29 | January 27 | 9:30 PM | Minnesota | 14 - 15 | Calgary | HP Pavilion |
February
| # | Date | Time | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Arena | |
| 30 | February 2 | 7:30 PM | Toronto | 14 - 10 | Buffalo | HSBC Arena | ||
| 31 | February 2 | 9:30 PM | New York | 15 - 16 | Arizona | Jobing.com | ||
| 32 | February 2 | 10:00 PM | Minnesota | 11 - 8 | Portland | Rose Garden |
See also
References
- ^ "NLL Announces Rule Changes For 2007". NLL.com. December 12, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Weekend Recap: NLL News & Notes". NLL.com. January 15, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "K-Hawks Outscore Titans in Shootout". NLL.com. 2007-01-27. Retrieved 2007-01-27.