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| John Grant Jr is back for one more season with the Peterborough Lakers. (Photo: Tom Prothero) |
Hard on the heels of that news, though, Peterborough announced that John Grant Jr. will be back for a farewell season with the team. While Grant doesn't help take up the slack on the right side with Dickson sidelined, he's certainly another big stick to help with the power play. Grant is also one of the great clutch shooters in lacrosse, besides of course being simply one of the best to ever play the game.
Below are Peterborough's releases about the two players.
Curtis Dickson out
Century 21 Lakers and star forward Curtis Dickson received some bad news when an MRI in Calgary revealed a suspected sports hernia which may keep him out of the Lakers’ lineup for the season.Dickson had an injury during the National Lacrosse Season and during recent workouts felt it getting worse. The MRI confirmed the seriousness of the injury on Friday. He doesn’t yet know if surgery will be required.Dickson is very disappointed. He said he was so looking forward to returning to the Lakers after spending his first season in Peterborough last year. He was told the injury would require three to four months to heal. He won’t know until tomorrow if surgery is required.
Dickson said “Obviously I’m upset I most likely won't get a chance to play this summer. The team is looking great so far and have a great shot at getting back to the Mann.
“As for any chance of me playing it will all depend on the final diagnosis and whatever the doc tells me. Obviously I would love to get out there and battle with the boys but I need to make the smart decision and not risk further injury and take time off.
“I'm just going to be spending my time coaching out in Calgary this summer, hopefully I can make my way out east to catch a game or two and cheer the boys on,” he said.
Dickson joined the Lakers after general manager Paul Day was able to get his rights from the western lacrosse association. Dickson came second in scoring behind Shawn Evans with 75 points in 18 games including a team leading 37 goals in the regular season. He was also second in playoff scoring with 49 points including the team leading 24 goals in the Major Series League playoffs.
The two time all American who has earned the nickname Superman for his high flying across the crease goals with the Lakers and the NLL Calgary Roughnecks, thinks the Lakers have a good chance of getting back to the Mann Cup and wanted to be part of that journey and to experience a Mann Cup championship series in Peterborough.
General Manager Paul Day says Dickson’s loss will be a big hole to fill.
“We have Mark Steenhuis back this year, we will move on, this will give everyone a chance to improve and provide some young players with an opportunity to continue the positive play we have seen for the first four games."
The Dickson injury is just one of a list of Lakers injuries to key players including Brock Sorensen, Mark Farthing, and Andrew Suitor.
Junior graduates have been playing well and filling in the holes as they learn the team systems.
General manager Paul Day says “We were working with Curtis and the Calgary doctors, to determine the injury, it never came to light until week one of our season. It is very unfortunate for our team and the fans, but Curtis is very disappointed and his health is the number one priority.”
Lakers coach Mike Hasen said: “Not having Dickson in our line-up is a big loss. He is such a dynamic player that we as a group will have to work to fill the void. “It’s not up to one player to do what Dickson does, because no one can; the onus is going to be on the guys we dress for each particular game and as a group we will take advantage of the opportunities that present itself.”
John Grant Jr in
The Century 21 Lakers will have John Grant Jr., one of the world’s best lacrosse players back in their lineup this Thursday.
Grant has been trying to work out his Denver commitments to join the team this season in their pursuit to get to the Mann Cup and host it in his hometown of Peterborough.
Grant has been playing for the Lakers system since he was four years old and couldn’t play last year because of work commitments in his new home in Denver Colorado where he plays for the National Lacrosse League and professional field lacrosse team.
It will be a sweet and bitter return, a hello and goodbye. This will be his final season for the MSL and Lakers.
"I am extremely excited to have another opportunity to step back on the floor for the Lakeshow this summer,” he said
“This will be my last season playing for our Lakers and I will give everything that I have left to help this team win lacrosse games. I want to thank the organization for giving me the honor to represent my beloved home town one last time and I will cherish every last moment."
General Manager Paul Day and coach Mike Hasen are excited about the new addition. “This has been in the works since our (Rochester where he and Hasen work for the Knighthawks in the NLL) home opener vs the Mammoth (where Grant plays in Colorado) in January 2016,” said Day. “Originally he wasn't going to be able to get into a home game until the June 30 game, but he had to move up the date. We are excited to add Junior and he will improve our power play and his chemistry with
Adam Jones (he also plays for the Mammoth) the past few seasons has been very special.
“We are glad to able to add to our offense and bring Junior back for his final summer season, it is special for his family, our
organization and the community," said Hasen.
Grant is one of the top snipers in the history of the game in both the NLL and MSL and says he can’t wait to get back to his hometown rink the Memorial Centre this Thursday. Grant has worked out a schedule with his school where he coaches
lacrosse to make sure he could commit enough games to the Lakers this season.
The 6’2” 224 pound, 41-year-old Grant is regarded as one of the all time great indoor and field lacrosse players. He is second in all time NLL scoring in league history and the only player to average 6.18 points per game. He set the record for points in an NLL season in 2012, which stood until 2014 when Lakers Shawn Evans broke it.
He has represented Canada in many world championships in both field and box championships.
His father John was also a star for the Lakers and in the NLL. He will be wearing his familiar #24. He began playing full time for the Lakers in 1996 after an excellent junior career. With the Lakers he scored 422 goals, 438 assists for 869 points in only 179 regular season games. He was the league rookie of the year and four years later was named MVP. He won five Mann Cups while with Peterborough and was named MVP twice in those championships. In 169 playoff games he has 337
goals and 338 assists for 725 points.
Grant will also continue to play field lacrosse this summer for Denver. His first game back begins at 8 p.m. against the Cobourg Kodiaks at the Memorial Centre. Fans are reminded it is also Kawartha Food Share
night and are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for a bin in front of the Memorial Centre.
Grant has been trying to work out his Denver commitments to join the team this season in their pursuit to get to the Mann Cup and host it in his hometown of Peterborough.
Grant has been playing for the Lakers system since he was four years old and couldn’t play last year because of work commitments in his new home in Denver Colorado where he plays for the National Lacrosse League and professional field lacrosse team.
It will be a sweet and bitter return, a hello and goodbye. This will be his final season for the MSL and Lakers.
"I am extremely excited to have another opportunity to step back on the floor for the Lakeshow this summer,” he said
“This will be my last season playing for our Lakers and I will give everything that I have left to help this team win lacrosse games. I want to thank the organization for giving me the honor to represent my beloved home town one last time and I will cherish every last moment."
General Manager Paul Day and coach Mike Hasen are excited about the new addition. “This has been in the works since our (Rochester where he and Hasen work for the Knighthawks in the NLL) home opener vs the Mammoth (where Grant plays in Colorado) in January 2016,” said Day. “Originally he wasn't going to be able to get into a home game until the June 30 game, but he had to move up the date. We are excited to add Junior and he will improve our power play and his chemistry with
Adam Jones (he also plays for the Mammoth) the past few seasons has been very special.
“We are glad to able to add to our offense and bring Junior back for his final summer season, it is special for his family, our
organization and the community," said Hasen.
Grant is one of the top snipers in the history of the game in both the NLL and MSL and says he can’t wait to get back to his hometown rink the Memorial Centre this Thursday. Grant has worked out a schedule with his school where he coaches
lacrosse to make sure he could commit enough games to the Lakers this season.
The 6’2” 224 pound, 41-year-old Grant is regarded as one of the all time great indoor and field lacrosse players. He is second in all time NLL scoring in league history and the only player to average 6.18 points per game. He set the record for points in an NLL season in 2012, which stood until 2014 when Lakers Shawn Evans broke it.
He has represented Canada in many world championships in both field and box championships.
His father John was also a star for the Lakers and in the NLL. He will be wearing his familiar #24. He began playing full time for the Lakers in 1996 after an excellent junior career. With the Lakers he scored 422 goals, 438 assists for 869 points in only 179 regular season games. He was the league rookie of the year and four years later was named MVP. He won five Mann Cups while with Peterborough and was named MVP twice in those championships. In 169 playoff games he has 337
goals and 338 assists for 725 points.
Grant will also continue to play field lacrosse this summer for Denver. His first game back begins at 8 p.m. against the Cobourg Kodiaks at the Memorial Centre. Fans are reminded it is also Kawartha Food Share
night and are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for a bin in front of the Memorial Centre.
