NLL: Goalies 'Flat,' Calgary Makes Moves
from press releases
CALGARY, AB and DENVER– Calgary Roughnecks
President and General Manager Brad Banister announced today that
the club has acquired goaltender Mike Poulin from the Boston
Blazers in exchange for Calgary’s first round draft pick in
the 2011 NLL Entry Draft.
Banister also announced that Roughnecks goaltender Chris Levis
will now be suiting up for the Colorado Mammoth after being traded
for Colorado’s second round pick in the 2011 NLL Entry Draft.
Levis spent four games in the 2010 season with the Roughnecks after
being acquired from the Edmonton Rush.
Terms of both deals were not disclosed and are subject to league
approval.
“After last week’s game in Edmonton, it was evident
that our goaltenders needed to challenge each other,” said
Banister.
“Our goalies were a little flat last weekend. We decided to
move Chris Levis back to Colorado, and we were fortunate to get a
second round pick for him.”
Poulin, who spent the last two seasons with the Boston Blazers,
logged 71 minutes, posting a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 13.54.
The 215-pound, 25-year old netminder spent two seasons with the
Toronto Rock before moving to Boston. He was named the Major Series
Lacrosse Most Valuable Player in 2008.
“We not only get a great goaltender, we also get a great
goaltender with youth behind him,” said Banister.
“He’s a legend in our league, and it was a good move
for him to come to Calgary.”
According to Banister, Poulin wasn’t going to get much
playing time in Boston with Anthony Cosmo there.
“He’ll play an important role with Matt King,”
added Banister. “A great starting tandem, not unlike the
tandem we had last year with Patty Campbell.”
Colorado has also signed veteran forward Chris Gill.
Levis and Gill are no strangers to Denver, having each played for
the Mammoth in past seasons. Following a year with the Edmonton
Rush, Levis stayed in Alberta and began this season with
Calgary.
“Familiarity played a big role in him coming here,”
said Steve Govett, the Mammoth’s president, general manager
and interim head coach. “I know him well and he knows the
team well. Any time you make a mid-season trade like this, it
helps when you don’t have to go through introducing him to a
new team and a new system.”
The left-handed goalie from Windsor, Ontario will look to shore up
a goaltending tandem with current Mammoth goalie Andrew Leyshon, as
a young Mammoth squad works to better position itself in the West
Division standings.
“Chris brings a more veteran presence on the
bench,” explained Govett. “In the goal, he plays a
different style than Andy Leyshon, so it will help in showing
opposing offenses a different look when switching goalies.
Chris’s experience is the number one strength that he brings
to this team.”
In 2009, Levis logged 596 minutes between the pipes for the Rush
with an 11.27 goals against average and a 775 save percentage.
Gill replaced injured captain John Gallant on the 23-man
roster. The Mammoth has placed Gallant on the injured reserve
list following successful surgery to repair the broken bone in his
hand. Gill, who played for the Mammoth in three of the last
four seasons including the 2009 campaign, has scored 337 goals and
recorded 219 assists in his NLL career.
Govett feels that Colorado has a good amount of young defensive
depth, which allowed the Mammoth to replace a defenseman with a
forward on the roster.
Levis and Gill will be suiting up as members of the Mammoth this
Friday night as Colorado hosts the Orlando Titans at Pepsi Center.
