Major League Lacrosse is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2020. Some of the best lacrosse players in the world have suited up in the league, and with careful consideration, we are revealing the top 20 players in league history through the end of this week.
Today, we unveil the final five players. Follow along and join in on the discussion on Twitter (@uslacrossemag).
Note: All-Star appearances include appearances with Team U.S.A. when the setup was the U.S. national team vs. MLL All-Stars.
MLL All-Time 20
5. Gary Gait
The icon played in MLL’s inaugural season at the age of 34. That season, he scored 30 goals and helped the Lizards win the first league championship. For the next four seasons, he acted as a player-coach for the Bayhawks, winning two more championships, including during the 2005 season in which he was both MLL MVP and championship game MVP. He scored six goals in the final game.
4. Brodie Merrill
A ground ball machine, Merrill collected nearly 1,000 ground balls over his 14-year MLL career. He won six consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards (2006-11), played in seven All-Star Games and won three championships.
3. Casey Powell
In his last MLL game in 2016, Powell scored two goals and added an assist to sit first in league history in career points (527), though that record would quickly be broken. John Grant Jr. now sits first in career points. At the time, it was just one more accomplishment for Powell, who was a three-time league champion, MLL MVP (2014) and two-time Offensive Player of the Year — an astonishing nine seasons apart (2005, 2014).
2. Paul Rabil
He was the face of the league during his 12-year career, and he is the owner of a long list of accolades. He is a two-time MVP (2009, 2011), three-time Offensive Player of the Year (2009, 2011, 2012), eight-time All-Star, and two-time league champion. In 2018, he broke the record for most career-points, finishing his MLL career with 571. He is now second in points behind Grant Jr.
1. John Grant Jr.
At 44, he came out of retirement and broke the league’s all-time scoring record. He also was Denver’s third-leading scorer (21 goals, 18 assists). Throughout his 14-year career, he has two MVP awards (2007, 2008), three Offensive Player of the Year awards (2001, 2007, 2008), and helped his teams win five MLL championships.
Check back to USLaxMagazine.com later this afternoon for a feature on John Grant Jr. by Kenny DeJohn, commemorating his standing at No. 1 in Major League Lacrosse history and looking ahead to his future as the offensive coordinator at Johns Hopkins.