Other Stories from the NLL Hold Out List

As we have all heard, Anthony Cosmo was placed on the Minnesota Swarm's holdout list and is unlikely to play for the Swarm. The holdout list is used more often in the NLL than some of us realize, though not all of the cases are as publicized as this one. I did some digging and found a few other cases from previous years.

Richard Lachance, Rochester Knighthawks – Lachance played four years with the Knighthawks and decided to sit out rather than accept a contract extension for the same money he was making before. He demanded a raise to the league maximum or he wouldn't play. They offered him a choice – the extension at the salary he was making before, or a new contract at the league maximum but he had to buy the team a box of donuts after every game. Lachance eventually did the math and took the extension.

Steve Becker, Buffalo Bandits – Steve was a lacrosse prodigy and excelled in every level he played in. He made the Bandits in 2006, but training camp didn't go very well for him and Bandits GM/Head Coach Darris Kilgour told him he was in danger of being cut. Becker wasn't used to this kind of treatment and after one practice he allegedly went up to Kilgour, poked him in the chest and said "You need me on this team. I'm telling you Kilgour, if you cut me, it'll be a huge mistake that you will regret." Kilgour said nothing and just calmly watched him walk away.

If you have any information on Becker's current whereabouts, you are urged to call Buffalo Police, as the case is growing cold.

Terry Rutherford, Toronto Rock – Rutherford was one of the first players traded to the Rock shortly after they moved from Hamilton. He refused to report, saying that he didn't want to play for some lousy expansion team that was probably going to suck for years, and demanded to be traded. After two months on the holdout list, he was traded to the Bandits. After a 4-8 season in Buffalo, he made the same demand again and was sent to the New York Saints. After the Saints went 3-9 in 2000, he retired from lacrosse and bought a video store specializing in videodiscs and Beta video tapes. He is currently a project manager in the TouchPad group at HP.

Frank Marchenko, Philadelphia Wings – Marchenko was a star goaltender with the Wings but sat out over a contract dispute. He wanted more money than the Wings were willing to give him, so he refused to play. The Wings decide to let him stay on the holdout list and take a chance on a young goalie named Dallas Eliuk. As far as anyone knows, Marchenko is still on the holdout list.

Teddy Jenner, Rochester Knighthawks – Jenner played one year with the Knighthawks and then demanded a trade to the Vancouver Ravens, since they were the closest team to his home town of Victoria, BC. When no trade happened, he sat out the beginning of the next season. He finally withdrew his trade demand and agreed to play after the Knighthawks admitted that they kinda forgot he was on the team in the first place.