More NLL News /97






League Approves Deal As
Syracuse Trades for Gait 
             
Thursday September 18, 1997

(Buffalo)  With the help of National Lacrosse League Commissioner John 
Livsey,said a trade has been approved this evening which was agreed upon 
by the Rochester Knighthawks and Syracuse Smash in which star 
forward Paul Gait will don the latter teams jersey beginning with the 
upcoming 1998 Season.

In exchange for the 30-year old, the Knighthawks will receive: 

(1) The Smashs first pick in the Western Canadian phase of the NLLs 
Draft Day (Tuesday, September 23rd), 

(2) Any non-Western Canadian player off of Syracuses roster (though not 
Gait) following Tuesdays proceedings, 

(3) The choice next September of the Smashs first draft choice or a 
player off Syracuses 1998 roster, with the Smash reserving the right to 
protect five players first, should the Knighthawks choose that option, 

(4) Syracuses #1 draft choice in September, 1999 NLL draft.


The blockbuster deal comes on the heels of significant events for both 
franchises. Rochester won the World Championship in the Major Indoor 
Lacrosse League this past April, the third MILL club Gait won a 
league title with, and Syracuse was granted a franchise this summer that 
will begin play in the NLL this coming January.

Gait, along with his twin brother Gary (of the NLLs Philadelphia Wings), 
played his college lacrosse in Syracuse and was a three-time first team 
All-American.  The 62,215 pound Paul played 60 regular season games in 
his MILL career with the now-defunct Detroit Turbos as well as 
Philadelphia and Rochester, scoring an amazing 226 goals and adding 124 
assists for 350 points to go with 50 penalty minutes.  In the post-season 
he appeared in 11 games over those seven years,totaling 77 points on 
48 goals and 29 assists along with 8 penalty minutes.

The National Lacrosse League was formed this summer and is an new entity 
which combines the traditions of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League, 
the professional indoor lacrosse presence for the last 11 years, 
with two expansion teams and individual team ownership.





New Hamilton NLL Team

Saturday September 13, 1997

Look for the new Hamilton entry in the National Lacrosse winter
pro loop to be called the Ontario Raiders.





August 31, 1997

Timothy evans (bt829@webtv.net) writes:

 The following post is paraphrased from information in an article in the
 Buffalo News 8-31-97 under the by-line Tom Borelli, fair use only.

 **********************************************************************

 The Buffalo Bandits are expected to name five time  Mann Cup
 championship  Les Wakeling to replace Les Bartley as  head coach.
 Bartley is leaving the Bandits to coach the new Hamilton franchise.
 
 Kurt Silcott, Bandits director of lacrosse operations, plans to name
 Marty Cooper as general manager/assistant coach, with Ted Sawicki being
 names as associate coach.
 
 Les Wakeling coached the Six Nations Chiefs to  the last three
 consecutive Mann Cup titles, and  took the Brampton Excelsiors to the
 two championships befor that, in 1992 and 93. This year, however, the
 Chiefs lost players to the newly created Niagara Falls Gamblers, and
 were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
 
 Bandits all time leading scorer John Tavares says that Wakelings
 strenght as a coach is "geting the most from each and every player".
 Tavares also considers Wakeling a friend, and says Wakelings presence as
 head coach will make it more appealing to return to the Bandits. The Newly 
 formed Naional Lacrosse League will soon be announcing how many players 
 each team can put on its protected list.> 
 
 Marty Cooper has been an assistant coach with the Bandits since 1994,
 Tew Sawicki has coached the Bandits Goalltenders for the past two years.
 
 Durring Les Bartley's tenure in Buffalo, the Bandits won three
 championships, one with Bartley as assistant coach, two with him as head
 coach.





August 4, 1997


Timothy Evans (bt829@webtv.net) writes:

According to a report read on radio station WBEN in Buffalo, on
thursday, 9-4-97, the Natiional Lacrosse League has named a member of
the Buffalo Bills front office to be NLL commisisioner. The report was 
read by Chris Parker, a sports talk show host also known as "the
Bulldog". I did not hear the name of the person, but Parker said it was 
the Bills Director of Marketing. The Bills web site,
www.buffalobills.com lists the Bills Director of Marketing as John
Livsey. He is in his 4th year with the Bills, and spent 6 years before
that working for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. The
Sabres own the NLL Buffalo Bandits franchise. Livsey was born in
Jacksonvile Florida on 1-7-64. In 1986 he recieved a buisiness 
studies degree from Buffalo State College (where he played football), 
and got an MBA from Canisius College in Buffalo in 1996.

His wife's name is Andrea. 

I emphisise I did not hear Parker mention the new commissioners name. 
I have not seen any other information on this matter in the newspapers 
or on the internet, its not at the NLL page (still called www.millhome.com) 
nor is it at the Buffalo Bills page.