The Kahnawake Mohawks rallying for Angus Goodleaf before playing the Six Nations Rivermen a day after his heart stopped.
(DAVID TUAN BUI THE EASTERN DOOR)
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Several Six Nations National Lacrosse League (NLL) players can breathe sighs of relief after the first week of free agency.
Kahnawake’s Angus Goodleaf is the only homegrown Confederacy player to find a new home in the free agency pool. Doug Jamieson, Cody Jamieson and Brendan Bomberry were re-signed to their current teams with contract extensions this week.
Goodleaf signed a oneyear deal with the Philadelphia Wings, announced Wednesday evening.
The Kahnawake goaltender did not play during the 2020 season and has not played since August 27, 2019 during the President’s Cup. He collapsed after the first period against the rival Capital Region Axemen, where his heart stopped and had to be resuscitated by off-duty paramedics.
This will be his third NLL team since his rookie contract with the Buffalo Bandits from 2010-2012. He has played for the Rochester Knighthawks from 2013 until 2019.
“Big thank you to coach Paul Day for taking a chance on me,” said Goodleaf in a Tweet. “Very thankful for this opportunity.”
He will join goaltender Zach Higgins, who was traded from the Bandits in July last year.
Doug Jamieson was a restricted free agent and had an offer from the Halifax Thunderbirds for a three-year deal on Sunday. The New England Black Wolves had to match the offer within 72 hours or lose the Ohsweken netminder.
The latter opted to re-sign the goaltender on Monday to keep Doug on a three-year contract. He would have joined fellow Six Nations goaltender and the 2019 President’s Cup MVP Warren Hill if the Thunderbirds’ offer went through.
“That was pretty crazy that something like that could happen,” said Bomberry, “Doug deserves it and New England did the right thing to sign him back. He’s one of the best. Whatever team he’s on, they’ll be tough to beat.”
In 2019, Doug had an 8-3 record in 11 games with a save percentage of .826, giving him his first NLL goaltender of the year award.
Attacker Cody will stay with Halifax on a one-year deal announced Wednesday morning. He became the first captain in Thunderbirds’ history since their inauguration last year.
“It’s great to have him back,” said Hill. “Wouldn’t be the same without him there.”
The 2014 NLL MVP and former 2010 number one overall pick had 26 goals and 12 assists with a 2.17 goals-per-game average. He was on pace to pass his personal best regular-season record of 36 goals, which he did three times in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
Transition player Bomberry will stay with the Georgia Swarm on a two-year deal announced on Sunday, following his rookie contract signing in 2018.
The former Syracuse University alumnus became one of two re-signings from the Swarm in the first week of free agency, along with TJ Comizio.
“It’s an awesome feeling they want me as much as I want them,” said Bomberry. “There’s nothing more I want to be than with Georgia.”
Contract negotiations between the former first-round pick and Georgia were positive and they quickly agreed on their futures together, according to Bomberry.
COURTESY ANGUS GOODLEAF
Angus Goodleaf makes a save during his seven-year tenure with the Rochester Knighthawks of the NLL.
“I had some discussions with our owner and GM John Arlotta and we went over things the past few days,” he said. “We came to terms that he wanted to keep me there and did whatever it took. There wasn’t anywhere else that I wanted to be.”
Bomberry had eight goals, 17 assists and 105 loose-ball pickups during his first two years in the NLL. He was named to the 2019 NLL All-Rookie Team and was selected seventh overall in the 2018 NLL Entry Draft.
COURTESY BRENDAN BOMBERRY
Brendan Bomberry as a member of the Georgia Swarm in the NLL. He won the 2014 Minto Cup with the Six Nations Arrows and was a communications and rhetorical studies major at Syracuse University
The 2020 NLL Entry Draft will be held on September 17. It will be the first draft that will be done virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York Riptide currently hold the first overall pick.
sports@easterndoor.com
