For the article on the former MILL team, see Boston Blazers (1992-1997) The Boston Blazers are an indoor lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The Blazers are based in Boston, Massachusetts, and are scheduled to begin play in the 2009 NLL season. The team is owned by Tim Armstrong, President of Advertising and Commerce for Google. [1] NLL veteran Tom Ryan will serve as the team's first head coach. On April 7, 2008, the Blazers named veteran New England marketing executive Doug Reffue to the position of team president. The team is not associated with the former Boston Blazers, who played in the MILL (predecessor to the NLL) from 1992 to 1997. However, the name was chosen "in part due to the popularity and nostalgia associated with the former Boston Blazers franchise". [2]

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2008 season

The Blazers were originally scheduled to begin play in the 2008 NLL season. On July 31, 2007 the league held an expansion draft and the Blazers selected a number of players. ^[3] In preparation for the season, the team also made a number of trades. ^{[4] [5] [6]} On October 16, 2007, the NLL announced that the 2008 season had been cancelled due to the failure of the league and the Professional Lacrosse Players' Association to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. ^[7] However, the negotiations continued, and on October 25, the league announced that a new seven-year agreement had been reached, and that the season would be played. ^[8] A new schedule was announced on November 2, 2007, but only included 12 of the expected 14 teams; the Blazers and the Arizona Sting had been removed. ^[9] The reasons that the Blazers and Sting opted out of the season were not given, just that it was "due to a number of business issues", and that both teams would return in 2009. A dispersal draft was held on November 5, 2007. ^[10]

Inaugural season

The 2009 NLL season will be the new Boston Blazers' first season playing in the league. In order to field a team for the season, the Blazers will participate in the three separate drafts: the Arizona Sting dispersal draft, the expansion draft on July 24, and the entry draft in September.

On June 30, in the Arizona Sting dispersal draft, the Blazers selected Dan Dawson first overall and forward Peter Veltman with the first pick of the second round. ^[11] On July 24 the team picked 12 additional players for their roster in the 2008 expansion draft, including goaltender Mike Poulin with the first overall selection. ^[12]

Player	Original Club	Position
Mike Poulin	Toronto Rock	Goaltender
Mitch Belisle	New York Titans	Defenseman
Matt Lyons	Rochester Knighthawks	Forward
Kyle Laverty	Buffalo Bandits	Defenseman
John Gallant	Colorado Mammoth	Defenseman
Jake Bergey	Philadelphia Wings	Forward
Devan Wray	Calgary Roughnecks	Defenseman
Kyle Ross	Minnesota Swarm	Defenseman
Tom Johnson	San Jose Stealth	Forward
Matt Holman	Chicago Shamrox	Forward
Michael Kilby	Portland LumberJax	Defenseman
Cam Bergman	Edmonton Rush	Transition

Shorty after the draft concluded, the Blazers traded Cam Bergman back to the Edmonton Rush for F Brenden Thenhaus and G Kurtis Wagar. ^[13]

On July 29, the Blazers and Rochester Knighthawks swapped defenders, with Kyle Laverty going to Rochester in exchange for University of Massachusetts alum Jack Reid. ^[14]

On July 30, the Blazers, San Jose Stealth, and Calgary Roughnecks completed a 3-way trade that sent Tom Johnson, Travis Gillespie, and Boston's 3rd-round pick in the 2009 NLL Entry Draft to San Jose, Devan Wray to Calgary, and forward Sean Morris (another UMass alum and Marshfield, MA native), defenseman Steve Panarelli, Calgary's 3rd-round pick in the 2009 NLL Entry Draft, and San Jose's 2nd-round pick in the 2010 NLL Entry Draft to Boston. ^[15]

Only weeks before the season began, the Chicago Shamrox suspended operations, and another dispersal draft was held. The Blazers had the first overall pick, and chose former Goaltender of the Year Anthony Cosmo. ^[16]

Roster

Active (23-man) roster				Inactive roster		Coaches
Goaltenders -- Anthony Cosmo (lacrosse) -- Mike Miron -- Mike Poulin Defensemen -- Mitch Belisle -- Dave Campbell -- Paul Dawson -- Anthony Kelly (lacrosse) -- Mike Kilby -- Jack Reid -- Kyle Ross -- Steve Panarelli		Forwards -- Jake Bergey -- Gary Bining -- Jason Bloom -- Jordan Cornfield -- Dan Dawson -- Greg Downing -- Matt Holman -- Matt Lyons -- Sean Morris -- Daryl Veltman Transition -- Jay Thorimbert				Head Coach Tom Ryan Assistant Coaches Todd Francis Randy Fraser Corey Hallman ---- ;Legend: * Suspended list (C) Captain (A) Alternate captain † Franchised player ‡ Unrestricted free agent ---- updated 2008-10-24

All time Record

Season	Division	W-L	Finish	Home	Road	GF	GA	Coach	Playoffs
2009	Eastern	10-6	1st	4-4	6-2	181	168	Tom Ryan	Lost in division semi-final
Total	1 season	10-6		4-4	6-2	181	168

Playoff Results

Season	Game	Visiting	Home
2009	Division Semifinal	Boston 8	Buffalo 13

See also

• National Lacrosse League
• Box lacrosse
• Lacrosse
• Boston Blazers (1992-1997)
• New England Blazers
• Boston Cannons