Defenseman Adam Perroni signs a 1-year deal with Rochester.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Knighthawks announced today that they have signed the second member of their 2017 Draft Class, after agreeing to a one-year deal with defenseman Adam Perroni.
For the past two weeks, Perroni has been living out a childhood dream. It all started on Sept. 18 when he was selected with the 14th overall pick and it continued today when he signed his first professional contract.
“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “I am just excited to get the opportunity to try out.”
Perroni recalled the excitement of the NLL Draft and his surprise when he heard his name called so early that evening. After the NLL Mock Draft had him going at the end of the third round, he never imaged getting picked in the second round.
“I wasn’t expecting to go that high,” said the Whitby, Ontario native. “It was certainly a nice little surprise.”
It was at the NLL Combine where the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Perroni improved his draft value. The 21-year-old finished in the Top 10 among defensemen in the medicine ball toss (second), agility (fourth overall), the 40-yard sprint (eighth), and the 300-yard shuttle (eighth). He also showcased his toughness and athletic ability during the scrimmage games.
“He interviewed well and his conditioning at the Combine really impressed us,” said Knighthawks VP of Player Personnel Jody Gage. “The upside on Adam is huge; he has speed, size, and athleticism and looked like a good fit for us.”
Perroni’s testing results and his play during the 2017 season prompted the Knighthawks to take him with their fourth selection in the draft.
“We like Adam’s size and grit,” said Knighthawks head scout Stuart Brown on draft night. “We think he can develop into a solid defender in the NLL.”
“He is a big, strong defender,” added Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. “He is a hard-working stay-at-home ‘D’ guy.”
In 2017, Perroni played in 19 games with the Junior “A” Whitby Warriors and notched five goals and five assists. During his career, he spent two seasons in Whitby and four (2013-16) with the Junior “B” Clarington Green Gaels. More importantly, Perroni was called up by the Brooklin Redmen this summer for three Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) games, where he collected one assist and 21 penalty minutes.
With the Redmen, he got a small taste of what it’s like at the pro level, playing with and against NLL players. It’s definitely something to build on for the youngster who said he cannot wait to hit the turf in November at Knighthawks training camp.
“It’s going to be pretty exciting,” said Perroni. “I am just looking forward to the opportunity. I’m going to get to play with some pretty amazing players.”