The last time the Vancouver Stealth franchise missed the post-season, it was not a very long stay on the outside looking in.
In 2012, the National Lacrosse League squad missed the playoffs, but the team did rebound nicely, returning to the post-season dance before ultimately falling in the Champion’s Cup.
And the team is hoping that is the case in 2015, albeit with them hoisting the Cup.
“Last year was a tough year, we just feel some of the guys had off years,” admitted Dan Perreault, who begins his first season as the Stealth head coach. He previously was the team’s offensive coach and he takes over for Chris Hall, the NLL Hall of Famer, who stepped down after last season.
Hall passed away in December after a four-year fight with cancer and the team will honour their former coach with a patch on their jerseys and a ‘CH’ decal on the side of their helmets for the 2015 season.
“Some of the returning guys are hungry, you can see it in their eyes,” Perreault said.
“They came into camp in great shape and have been working hard.”
To make sure the Stealth do not miss the post-season a second consecutive year, the team did some re-tooling, with nine new faces in the line-up.
Among the new acquisitions are Johnny Powless and Joel McCready, who came over from the NLL champion Rochester Knighthhawks in a draft-day trade.
The duo add some offensive depth for the Stealth on both sides of the floor.
Vancouver’s four leading scorers in 2014 are all back and the quartet of Rhys Duch (36 goals, 80 points), Tyler Digby (22 goals, 58 points), Lewis Ratcliff (23 goals, 55 points) and Cliff Smith (19 goals, 45 points) combined for an average of 3.4 points per game. By comparison, Powless (30 goals, 53 points) and McCready (14 goals, 29 points) had 44 goals and 82 points in 28 games, averaging just a half point combined less per game.
The transition position will see three returnees and three newcomers while the defence adds two new faces to a returning trio.
Of course, the new additions are not short on experience as Rory Smith and Tyler Burton enter their eighth and fifth seasons in the NLL, respectively.
“A lot of the new guys, they do have experience,” Perreault said of his line-up which has just one rookie and three players entering their sophomore seasons.
“But it is a matter of making sure we are on the right page.”
The team will also have a new captain with Curtis Hodgson set to wear the ‘C’.
He enters his 11th season in the league and has played the most games ever for the Stealth franchise.
“I have a lot of pride in this organization,” he said. “I have been through a lot of ups and downs … and this is a great opportunity to turn this ship around.”
Tyler Richards returns as the No. 1 goaltender.
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Five of the team’s 18 games — including the season opener in Calgary on Jan. 3 — will be aired on national TV.
Also airing nationally will be the team’s home opener at the Langley Events Centre on Jan. 10 against the Toronto Rock (TSN2).
Fans can also access live streaming and on demand viewing of the network’s total NLL package through the TSN GO app.
And all nine of the Stealth’s home games can be heard on TSN Radio Vancouver 1410.
In addition, the team will have seven games broadcast on ESPN platforms and three times on the Universal Sports Network.
