Sask. Rush aims to end playoff drought as training camp begins
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The final weekend of training camp is set for Nov. 22-24 back in Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Rush has traded the man its general manager called “the best player in franchise history.”
The National Lacrosse League team announced Monday it had traded forward Mark Matthews to the Toronto Rock for forward Zach Manns, defender Adam Jay and a 2023 first-round draft pick. The deal is pending league approval.
Matthews was selected by the Rush with the first pick overall in the 2012 NLL draft. He was named the league’s rookie of the year in 2013 and its most valuable player in 2018.
Now 33, the product of Oshawa, Ont., played 170 career regular-season games with the Rush franchise (in Edmonton and Saskatchewan) and recorded 343 goals and 606 assists. He added 38 goals and 76 assists in 20 playoff games.
Matthews won three championships with the Rush.
“I’ve been doing this job for a long time and difficult decisions are often made, but this one is on a whole different level,” Rush general manager Derek Keenan said in a media release. “Mark Matthews is the best player in franchise history, period.
“The decision to trade Mark is multilayered. Firstly; what is best for Mark? I think this is a great fit for Mark, for many reasons. I think Toronto had a need and he fits that need well. I think logistically it works well for Mark.”
The first-round draft pick Saskatchewan acquired is the 12th overall; the team now holds three picks in each of the first and second rounds.
Manns is entering his fourth NLL season, having recorded 116 points in 48 regular-season and playoff games. Jay is heading into his fifth NLL season.
“From a Saskatchewan Rush team perspective, the players and draft pick we have acquired are a move forward to getting back to the level our fans are more accustomed to,” Keenan said in the release.
“Zach Manns is a young, strong, athletic lefty forward with experience in a great program and huge upside. Adam Jay is a solid, athletic defender we’ve liked for sometime. The 12th pick in this year’s draft is a valuable asset to help continue to build the team going forward.”