Brodie Merrill Retires from Lacrosse

Brodie Merrill, widely considered the greatest long-stick midfielder of all time, announced on social media that he is retiring from lacrosse.

The 41-year-old’s name is littered across professional lacrosse record books. He is the all-time leader in games played in outdoor lacrosse (200) and is tied with Greg Gurenlian for the most ground balls won (1,120). He won six straight defensive player of the year honors in Major League Lacrosse (2006-11) and won three MLL championships (2005, 2008, 2009).

pic.twitter.com/88AwnX0Yur

— Brodie Merrill (@BrodieMerrill_) September 13, 2023

He is the National Lacrosse League’s all-time leader in loose balls (2,778) and ranks in the top five forced turnovers (third, 257), games played (276) and penalty minutes (fifth, 583). He was the league’s No. 1 pick in 2005.

Merrill played on five Canadian national teams, winning gold medals in 2006 and 2014 and silver medals in 2010, 2018 and 2023. Merrill also coached Canada’s men’s Sixes team during its gold medal showing at The World Games 2023 in Birmingham, Ala.

“This game is better because of you,” the Premier Lacrosse League wrote on his Instagram post.

Merrill redefined the LSM position while at Georgetown (2002-05). The Schmeisser Award winner in 2005, Merrill brought eyes to the position with his style and ability to impact the game. His game was so impactful and his eventual career so fruitful that the PLL named its annual LSM award after him while he was still an active player.

After beginning his professional career in 2005, the 6-4 lefty made an imprint on generations of teammates along his many stops. He played for five NLL teams, four MLL teams and three PLL teams. Merrill did not play in the PLL this season, as he was placed on the holdout list by the Cannons. He played in 17 games for the San Diego Seals and recorded 116 loose balls.

As the head coach at The Hill Academy (Ont.), Merrill built the program into a lacrosse factory known for producing some of the world’s top talent. He played in the pros and with the Canadian national team for so long that he eventually called several of his former players teammates.