Rochester owns 2 first-round picks in Monday’s NLL draft.
There was no offseason this summer for the Rochester Knighthawks’ scouting department, as they traveled around the U.S. and Canada identifying future impact players. On Monday, Sept. 26, the Knighthawks will add five players to their roster at the 2016 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft. The six-round draft will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, Ontario.
Rochester will kick off the draft by making two selections in the first round; the Knighthawks currently own the sixth and seventh overall picks. It will mark the second straight year that the team has had two first-round choices. In 2015, the Knighthawks drafted Graeme Hossack with the second overall pick and selected Brad Gilles in the ninth spot. Rochester will conclude the draft after welcoming players to the organization in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds.
If you can’t make it to the TRAC to take in the festivities, here is a guide to following the 2016 NLL Entry Draft:
VIEWING
Fans can watch the draft live at 7:00 p.m. on NLL.com.
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Knighthawks fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at the draft and hear from the draftees and Rochester head coach Mike Hasen by following us on social media. The Knighthawks Draft Day hashtag is #NextManUp.
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KNIGHTHAWKS DRAFT NOTES:
Knighthawks First Round History: In the past 22 years, the Knighthawks have drafted players in the first round 27 times. The honor of going first belongs to Cam Bomberry. The former Six Nations and Nazareth College star was Rochester’s first ever first-round pick, going first overall in the 1995 Entry Draft. He was the first of five first overall picks by Rochester. The Knighthawks also scored big by selecting Cody Jamieson, Sid Smith, John Grant Jr. and Casey Powell with the top pick in the draft. Other First Round Winners: Rochester has consistently built through the draft, choosing future stars like Shawn and Scott Evans, Stephen Keogh, Cory Bomberry, Curt Malawsky, Gillies and Hossack in the first round.
Diamonds in the Rough: Getting picked in the first round, however, does not guarantee you success in the NLL. That was certainly true for several diamonds in the rough that were drafted by the Knighthawks. The most recent late-round pick who has had a major impact is Cory Vitarelli. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 NLL Entry Draft, Vitarelli is on his way to becoming a Knighthawks Hall of Famer. Not only has he won three Cups in Rochester, but he has posted 130 goals and 84 assists in 76 career games. The final two players are both enshrined in the team’s Hall of Fame. Jeremy Hollenbeck played for 10 seasons in Rochester and helped the Knighthawks win their first Cup in 1997. During his career, the former fourth-round pick registered 64 goals, 118 assists and 486 loose balls in 111 games. Pat Cougevan was tabbed in the fifth round by the Knighthawks and developed into one of the best defensemen of franchise history. He played in 11 seasons in Rochester and was a member of the 2007 Champion’s Cup team.