Calgary Roughnecks forward Dane Dobbie has been named the National Lacrosse League MVP for the 2019 season, becoming just the fourth player in NLL history to win championship and league MVP honors in the same season.
Dobbie, the NLL’s leading scorer this season with 115 points (47 goals, 68 assists), led the Roughnecks to their first title in a decade. Calgary swept Buffalo in the finals, with Dobbie compiling 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the two wins.
Dobbie, who was a rookie when the Roughnecks last won the championship in 2009. Finished with 26 points in the playoffs to add onto his regular season haul.
“Whereas back in ’09 I followed a lot of the older players, now I hope the young guys follow me,” Dobbie, 32, said in an article posted Friday on the team’s website. “And I like to think I embraced the added responsibility. I know I enjoyed it. So, my best season? Overall? Yeah. I’d say so.”
Lyle Thompson (2017), John Grant Jr. (2007) and Colin Doyle (2005) are the only other players to accomplish the NLL championship and league MVP double dip.
The NLL also announced Friday that San Diego Seals forward Austin Staats, whose first season in the league was cut short by a knee injury, won the Rookie of the Year award. Staats, the No. 1 overall draft pick, led all rookies in goals (32), assists (29) and points (61) despite missing the last four games due to a torn ACL in his right knee.
NLL Award Winners
Teammate of the Year
John Ranagan – Georgia Swarm
Sportsmanship Award
Lyle Thompson – Georgia Swarm
Defensive Player of the Year
Graeme Hossack – Rochester Knighthawks
Transition Player of the Year
Challen Rogers – Toronto Rock
Goaltender of the Year
Matt Vinc – Buffalo Bandits
Rookie of the Year
Austin Staats – San Diego Seals
Most Valuable Player
Dane Dobbie – Calgary Roughnecks
Head Coach of the Year (Les Bartley Award)
John Tavares & Rich Kilgour – Buffalo Bandits
General Manager of the Year
Steve Dietrich – Buffalo Bandits
Executive of the Year
Terri Giberson – Toronto Rock
Media Person of the Year (Tom Borrelli Award)
Tyson Geick – Lacrosse Flash
NLL All-Pro Teams
First Team
Dane Dobbie - Calgary Roughnecks – Forward
Lyle Thompson – Georgia Swarm – Forward
Challen Rogers – Toronto Rock – Transition
Graeme Hossack – Rochester Knighthawks – Defense
Kyle Rubsich – Saskatchewan Rush – Defense
Matt Vinc – Buffalo Bandits – Goaltender
Second Team
Eli McLaughlin – Colorado Mammoth - Forward
Callum Crawford – New England Black Wolves - Forward
Zach Currier – Calgary Roughnecks - Transition
Steve Priolo – Buffalo Bandits - Defense
Brodie Merrill – San Diego Seals - Defense
Christian Del Bianco – Calgary Roughnecks - Goaltender
NLL All-Rookie Team
Austin Staats – San Diego Seals – Forward
Ian MacKay – Buffalo Bandits – Transition
Matt Rambo – Philadelphia Wings – Forward
Kyle Killen – Colorado Mammoth – Forward
Trevor Baptiste – Philadelphia Wings – Transition
Brendan Bomberry – Georgia Swarm – Transition