Colorado Mammoth fan favorite Brian Langtry belonged to the National Lacrosse League’s expansion Boston franchise briefly Tuesday before he was traded back to Colorado.
“It does seem weird. Some of my friends are calling me about it,” Langtry said by phone from his Parker home.
“I don’t know, they’ve got their ways of doing things. I’m not that schooled in the expansion draft. (Mammoth general manager) Steve (Govett) knows what he’s doing,” Langtry said.
Govett allowed Langtry, the team’s third-leading scorer, to be exposed in the expansion draft, going on the assumption that Boston would not select Langtry because he refuses to play outside of Denver because of his teaching job at The Challenge School in the Cherry Creek district.
But Boston coach Tom Ryan chose Langtry to gain leverage for a trade. With the 12th pick in the expansion draft, Ryan selected Langtry, then traded him to Colorado for Sean Morris and Casey Cittadino, two 2006 entry draft picks who did not play for the Mammoth last season and have never played indoor lacrosse.
The deal was nearly a year in the works, according to Govett, who drafted Morris, a Boston native, with an eye to a future transaction once Boston entered the league.
“We’re happy,” Govett said. “We kept our roster intact.”
Morris excelled at the outdoor field game, earning All-American honors at the University of Massachusetts. He began his pro career with the Chicago Machine of Major League Lacrosse.
Cittadino, a former Towson (Md.) University standout, plays for the Denver Outlaws of the MLL.
Ryan said both players can learn the indoor game.
“We want Sean because he’s local and he has a lot of promise and Casey is excited to come to Boston,” Ryan said.
Boston chose Toronto defenseman Patrick Merrill with its first selection and Edmonton goalkeeper Pat Campbell with its second pick.
Former Mammoth player Gewas Schindler was taken from New York with the third selection.
More Mammoth moves
Govett was not finished wheeling and dealing, acquiring right-handed forward Jason Wulder from Edmonton on Tuesday afternoon.
Wulder, a 13-year veteran, was essentially traded straight up for Ben Prepchuk, who played the last four seasons with the Mammoth.
In recent years, Govett had tried to fulfill Prepchuk’s desire to play near his Sherwood Park, Alberta, hometown, but no agreement could be reached until July 18, when Colorado traded the 28-year-old to the Edmonton Rush for a second-round pick in this year’s entry draft.
After today’s expansion draft was completed, Govett traded the second-round pick back to the Rush for Wulder, 36.
“He’s a great player, we’re thrilled,” Govett said. “He’s a great scorer and a great leader.”
Wulder set a career high with 68 points for Calgary in 2002 and scored a career-high 24 goals in 2006. Last season with Edmonton, he scored 10 goals and made 35 assists.
The 2007 NLL entry draft takes place Sept. 1 at the Pepsi Center.
A list of the players chosen by NLL expansion team Boston:
1. Patrick Merrill (D), Toronto
2. Pat Campbell (G), Edmonton
3. Gewas Schindler (F), New York
4. Ryan Avery (G), Calgary
5. Jed Prossner (F), Portland
6. Jake Bergey (F), Philadelphia
7. Brenden Thenhaus (F), Buffalo
8. Darren Halls (D), San Jose
9. Scott Stewart (F), Minnesota
10. Jon Harasym (F), Chicago
11. Mike Grimes (D), Arizona
12. Brian Langtry (F), Colorado (traded back to Colorado)
13. Brian Croswell (F), Rochester
