With the retirement of Gary Gait, a new era begins for the Colorado Mammoth. But the lineup won’t change dramatically, because the franchise’s best commuting players, all-star goalkeeper Gee Nash and all-star forward Gavin Prout, are committed to continuing their weekly journey from Toronto.
The Mammoth never reached its potential, fading to an 8-8 record and losing in the first round of the playoffs, 16-13 to the Arizona Sting.
The return of Nash and Prout give the Mammoth reason to be hopeful.
“I love playing in Denver in front of the crowds,” Nash said by phone from Ajax, Ontario, where he manages a hockey equipment manufacturing company. “There’s an exciting atmosphere that I love being part of. Maybe the travel is a little taxing and I had more responsibility with my job this year, but that is a small price to pay to be on this team.
“I definitely want to keep playing with the guys we have on this team. And I travel with coach (Jamie) Batley and Gavin every week; it would be different if I was by myself.”
Prout expressed similar sentiments and noted he has commuted his entire career.
Certainly, Prout is in transition. Billboards around the city tout him as Gait’s successor. Yet he’s a playmaker who can score, not a pure goal scorer like Gait.
“He’s the heir apparent,” general manager Steve Govett said of Prout. “We think he can make plays and score goals. We’re shifting from one superstar to quality talent that plays as a team. He’s an important cog in the wheel.”
Since the season-ending loss to Arizona, Prout has pondered where the season went wrong.
“If we knew the solution, we’d bottle it and sell it,” he said. “Definitely some players won’t be back, and that’s unfortunate because we’re all friends, but when you’re looking for a winning combination, you can’t keep a losing combination. So it’s up to Steve. That’s why he makes the big bucks.”
Nash said, “I’m pretty disappointed that I didn’t play better and I know some guys feel the same way.”
Footnotes
The deadline for NLL expansion is June 1. The league is considering adding two to four teams, yet three of the four newest markets continue to struggle to draw fans. Anaheim averaged 4,829, San Jose averaged 5,435 and Arizona averaged 6,568. Minnesota is the exception, drawing 10,315 in its first season. …
Arizona takes on defending NLL champion Calgary in the West Division semifinals Saturday. …
Rochester upset Buffalo 19-14 in the opening round of the East semifinals and will play Toronto tonight.