The Toronto Rock
Before the 2004 season began, Toronto Rock head coach and GM Les Bartley announced that he would not be behind the bench for the upcoming season due to his battle with colon cancer, and assistant coaches Ed Comeau and Derek Keenan were promoted to interim head coach and GM respectively. However, after beginning the season 2-4, Comeau and Keenan were fired, and Terry Sanderson was hired as the new GM and head coach. Sanderson turned the Rock around, guiding them to a 10-6 record and first place in the Eastern Division. They lost to Buffalo 19-10 in the division finals.
During the off-season, Sanderson made a blockbuster trade with GM Johnny Mouradian of the San Jose Stealth (himself a former Rock GM), acquiring his son Josh, nephew Phil, and Rusty Kruger for fan favourite Steve Toll, Darryl Gibson, two draft picks, and a player to be named later, who ended up being goaltender Anthony Cosmo. Any cries of "nepotism" were silenced during the next season, as Josh set a new single-season assists record with 71, and the Rock finished 12-4 and in first place in the Eastern division for the seventh straight year. They defeated the Rochester Knighthawks in the division finals, and then beat the Arizona Sting in the Championship game, held in Toronto, to win their fifth NLL championship in seven years. Former coach and GM Les Bartley died the day after the Championship game.
2006 was a disappointing season for the Rock, finishing with their worst record ever, 8-8, and losing to Rochester in the division semi-finals. Less than two weeks after the end of the regular season, Sanderson was fired.
Read more about this topic: Terry Sanderson (lacrosse)
Famous quotes containing the word rock:
“The acorn’s not yet
Fallen from the tree
That’s to grow the wood,
That’s to make the cradle,
That’s to rock the bairn,
That’s to grow a man,
That’s to lay me.”
—Unknown. The Cauld Lad of Hilton or, The Wandering Spectre (l. 2–8)