Portland Lumberjax
Encyclopedia
The Portland LumberJax (sometimes referred to as the Jax) were a professional lacrosse
team in the National Lacrosse League
(NLL), which started playing in the 2006 season
and ended operations after the 2009 season
. Announced by the NLL on May 11, 2005, the LumberJax played their home games at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon
. The team was owned by Angela Batinovich
, who at the age of 24 entered the league as the youngest owner of a professional sports franchise. It was announced on May 4, 2009 that the team would be leaving Portland after four seasons of play and on July 7, 2009 the NLL held a dispersal draft for the Lumberjax players.
, but later turned their season around and made it to the playoffs with an 11-5 record. The LumberJax finished first in their division, becoming the only expansion team to win their division in the 20-year history of the NLL. The LumberJax season ended with a loss in the opening round of the playoffs to the Arizona Sting
.
The LumberJax were less successful in their sophomore season
, finishing last in the West Division with a 4-12 record.
In their third year
, the LumberJax finished with a sub-500 record for the second straight year (6-10), but were able to enter the playoffs as the fourth-seed in the West.
The LumberJax won their first playoff game in franchise history on May 4, 2008, an 18-16 victory over the San Jose Stealth
at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California
. Dan Dawson
scored 7 goals and added 5 assists for a total of 12 points, all team playoff records. They then defeated the Calgary Roughnecks
in the Western Division Final 16-12, to earn their first ever trip to the Champion's Cup
, which took place Saturday, May 17, 2008 at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York
against the Buffalo Bandits
at 7:30 PM Eastern. The LumberJax lost 14-13.
On May 4, 2009 the team announced it would be leaving Portland after four seasons of play due to financial concerns. Future options were said to be moving the franchise to another city or selling it to new owners; however on July 7, 2009, a dispersal draft was held for Portland's players, essentially shutting down the franchise.
Portland LumberJax players
Box lacrosse
Box lacrosse, also known as indoor lacrosse and sometimes shortened to boxla, LAX or simply box, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. The game originated in Canada, where it is the most popular version of the game played in contrast to the traditional field lacrosse game...
team in the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
(NLL), which started playing in the 2006 season
2006 NLL season
-All-Star game:The 2006 All-Star Game was held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario on February 25, 2006. The West Division defeated the East Division 14-13. The MVP of the game was Lewis Ratcliff of the Calgary Roughnecks, who scored 4 goals, including the game winner...
and ended operations after the 2009 season
2009 NLL season
-Pre-season:* August 19, 2008: The NLL announced that the Minnesota Swarm would be moving from the East division to the West division, giving the West six teams to the East's seven....
. Announced by the NLL on May 11, 2005, the LumberJax played their home games at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. The team was owned by Angela Batinovich
Angela Batinovich
Angela Batinovich is an American businesswoman. She is the creator of "Bat's Daughter", a successful line of women's clothing, and the founder of AMBLA, INC., a company that invests in small start-up fashion lines...
, who at the age of 24 entered the league as the youngest owner of a professional sports franchise. It was announced on May 4, 2009 that the team would be leaving Portland after four seasons of play and on July 7, 2009 the NLL held a dispersal draft for the Lumberjax players.
Franchise history
The expansion LumberJax got off to a slow start in their first year2006 NLL season
-All-Star game:The 2006 All-Star Game was held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario on February 25, 2006. The West Division defeated the East Division 14-13. The MVP of the game was Lewis Ratcliff of the Calgary Roughnecks, who scored 4 goals, including the game winner...
, but later turned their season around and made it to the playoffs with an 11-5 record. The LumberJax finished first in their division, becoming the only expansion team to win their division in the 20-year history of the NLL. The LumberJax season ended with a loss in the opening round of the playoffs to the Arizona Sting
Arizona Sting
The Arizona Sting was a member of the National Lacrosse League from 2004 to 2007. They played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, from 2001 to 2003 as the Columbus Landsharks. On August 28, 2003, it was announced that the team was relocating to Glendale, Arizona...
.
The LumberJax were less successful in their sophomore season
2007 NLL season
The Knighthawks had the overall top seed in the playoffs, but were unable to host the Championship game due to a scheduling conflict at the Blue Cross Arena.-Team Movement:...
, finishing last in the West Division with a 4-12 record.
In their third year
2008 NLL season
The 2008 National Lacrosse League season, the 22nd in the history of the NLL, began on December 29, 2007 and concluded with the Buffalo Bandits winning the championship game over the Portland LumberJax on May 17, 2008....
, the LumberJax finished with a sub-500 record for the second straight year (6-10), but were able to enter the playoffs as the fourth-seed in the West.
The LumberJax won their first playoff game in franchise history on May 4, 2008, an 18-16 victory over the San Jose Stealth
San Jose Stealth
The San Jose Stealth were a member of the National Lacrosse League, the professional box lacrosse league of North America from 2004 until 2009. They played at the HP Pavilion at San Jose, which is also the home of the NHL's San Jose Sharks and the AFL's San Jose SaberCats. They relocated to San...
at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. Dan Dawson
Dan Dawson
Dan Dawson is a Canadian lacrosse player who plays for the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League and formerly of the Hamilton Nationals of Major League Lacrosse.-NLL career:...
scored 7 goals and added 5 assists for a total of 12 points, all team playoff records. They then defeated the Calgary Roughnecks
Calgary Roughnecks
The Calgary Roughnecks are a professional box lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League and play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The team name is derived from the roughnecks who work drilling rigs in...
in the Western Division Final 16-12, to earn their first ever trip to the Champion's Cup
Champion's Cup
The Champion's Cup is the trophy awarded to the playoff winners in the National Lacrosse League.-Winners:-Most Valuable Players:-Champion's Cup appearances:Only currently active teams are listed.-All-time Champion's Cup wins:...
, which took place Saturday, May 17, 2008 at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
against the Buffalo Bandits
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, until the MILL turned into the NLL in 1998....
at 7:30 PM Eastern. The LumberJax lost 14-13.
On May 4, 2009 the team announced it would be leaving Portland after four seasons of play due to financial concerns. Future options were said to be moving the franchise to another city or selling it to new owners; however on July 7, 2009, a dispersal draft was held for Portland's players, essentially shutting down the franchise.
Awards & honors
| Year | Player | Award |
| 2006 2006 NLL season -All-Star game:The 2006 All-Star Game was held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario on February 25, 2006. The West Division defeated the East Division 14-13. The MVP of the game was Lewis Ratcliff of the Calgary Roughnecks, who scored 4 goals, including the game winner... |
Brodie Merrill Brodie Merrill Brodie Merrill is a Canadian lacrosse player. He currently plays in the National Lacrosse League for the Philadelphia Wings and Major League Lacrosse for the Hamilton Nationals.-High school career:... |
Rookie of the Year |
| Brodie Merrill | Defensive Player of the Year | |
| Derek Keenan Derek Keenan Derek Keenan is a former lacrosse player, and current head coach and General Manager of the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League.After a long amateur career, , and appearances with the Canadian National Field team at several... |
Les Bartley Award Les Bartley Award The Les Bartley Award is given annually to the National Lacrosse League head coach of the year. The award was simply called the Head Coach of the Year award until 2004, when the award was renamed in honour of Les Bartley, the winningest coach in NLL history.... |
|
| Derek Keenan | GM of the Year National Lacrosse League GM of the Year Award The General Manager of the Year Award is given annually to the National Lacrosse League general manager who has done the best job of ensuring his team's success.-Past winners:... |
|
| Angela Batinovich Angela Batinovich Angela Batinovich is an American businesswoman. She is the creator of "Bat's Daughter", a successful line of women's clothing, and the founder of AMBLA, INC., a company that invests in small start-up fashion lines... |
Executive of the Year National Lacrosse League Executive of the Year Award The Executive of the Year Award is given annually to the National Lacrosse League executive who is chosen as having the most positive impact on his or her team.-Past winners:... |
Roster
All time Record
| Season | Division | W-L | Finish | Home | Road | GF | GA | Coach | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 2006 NLL season -All-Star game:The 2006 All-Star Game was held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario on February 25, 2006. The West Division defeated the East Division 14-13. The MVP of the game was Lewis Ratcliff of the Calgary Roughnecks, who scored 4 goals, including the game winner... |
Western | 11-5 | 1st | 5-3 | 6-2 | 188 | 177 | Derek Keenan Derek Keenan Derek Keenan is a former lacrosse player, and current head coach and General Manager of the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League.After a long amateur career, , and appearances with the Canadian National Field team at several... |
Lost in Division semifinals |
| 2007 2007 NLL season The Knighthawks had the overall top seed in the playoffs, but were unable to host the Championship game due to a scheduling conflict at the Blue Cross Arena.-Team Movement:... |
Western | 4-12 | 6th | 3-5 | 1-7 | 153 | 199 | Derek Keenan Derek Keenan Derek Keenan is a former lacrosse player, and current head coach and General Manager of the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League.After a long amateur career, , and appearances with the Canadian National Field team at several... |
Missed Playoffs |
| 2008 2008 NLL season The 2008 National Lacrosse League season, the 22nd in the history of the NLL, began on December 29, 2007 and concluded with the Buffalo Bandits winning the championship game over the Portland LumberJax on May 17, 2008.... |
Western | 6-10 | 4th | 3-5 | 3-5 | 179 | 194 | Derek Keenan Derek Keenan Derek Keenan is a former lacrosse player, and current head coach and General Manager of the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League.After a long amateur career, , and appearances with the Canadian National Field team at several... |
Lost in Championship Game |
| 2009 2009 NLL season -Pre-season:* August 19, 2008: The NLL announced that the Minnesota Swarm would be moving from the East division to the West division, giving the West six teams to the East's seven.... |
Western | 9-7 | 2nd | 5-3 | 4-4 | 181 | 177 | Derek Keenan Derek Keenan Derek Keenan is a former lacrosse player, and current head coach and General Manager of the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League.After a long amateur career, , and appearances with the Canadian National Field team at several... |
Lost in Division semifinals |
| Total | 4 seasons | 30-34 | 16-16 | 14-18 | 701 | 747 | |||
| Playoff Totals | 2-3 | 0-2 | 2-1 | 61 | 62 |
Playoff Results
| Season | Game | Visiting | Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 2006 NLL season -All-Star game:The 2006 All-Star Game was held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario on February 25, 2006. The West Division defeated the East Division 14-13. The MVP of the game was Lewis Ratcliff of the Calgary Roughnecks, who scored 4 goals, including the game winner... |
Division Semifinals | Arizona 14 | Portland 11 |
| 2008 2008 NLL season The 2008 National Lacrosse League season, the 22nd in the history of the NLL, began on December 29, 2007 and concluded with the Buffalo Bandits winning the championship game over the Portland LumberJax on May 17, 2008.... |
Division Semifinal | Portland 18 | San Jose 16 |
| Division Final | Portland 16 | Calgary 12 | |
| Championship | Portland 13 | Buffalo 14 | |
| 2009 2009 NLL season -Pre-season:* August 19, 2008: The NLL announced that the Minnesota Swarm would be moving from the East division to the West division, giving the West six teams to the East's seven.... |
Division Semifinal | San Jose 20 | Portland 16 |
See also
Portland LumberJax seasonsPortland LumberJax players