The third year of the PLL did not disappoint. It has everything a fan could ask for: an expansion team, elite rookies, full access to MLL players, and finally a new champion (congrats, Chaos!). The Premier Lacrosse League campaign offered plenty of unforgettable moments that defined the season that was, so let’s review what happened in the league in 2021.
These are some of my favorite moments from the past PLL season. Can’t wait to do it all again for round four in 2022!
2021 Premier Lacrosse League Season Review
Expansion
With a growth in popularity, profit, and viewership comes the excitement of expansion. While the team wasn’t technically new to lacrosse, it was new to the PLL. Cannons LC became the league’s eighth competitor in the offseason before the first faceoff of 2021, with familiar MLL face Sean Quirk at the helm as head coach.
MLL Players Move Over
With full access to what was the MLL player pool, we were able to see some faces that had been missing from the PLL. Some notable ones who played major roles this year included Lyle Thompson, Brian Phipps, CJ Costabile, Liam Byrnes, Max Adler, Mikie Schlosser, and Nick Marrocco, to name a few. We also finally got to see Dylan Molloy, and he proved to be as advertised.
Hossack is Back
Graeme Hossack hadn’t played field lacrosse since the 2018 World Championship. When he entered his name into the entry draft, he immediately became the top defender – that’s how good he is. He’s also so good that in his first season of field lacrosse in years, he became the 2021 Dave Pietramala Defensive Player of the Year.
Rookies Shine
The long-awaited arrival of rookies Jeff Teat and TD Ierlan did not disappoint. Both earned spots in the All-Star Game, and Teat eventually won PLL Rookie of the Year. Both were even in the MVP conversation at one point in the season.
I can’t forget to mention another rookie, Danny Logan, who immediately became one of the best players in the league and took home the 2021 George Bioardi Hard Hat Award.
Rabil and Harrison Retire
Two friends, former teammates, and proud Hopkins alums – Paul Rabil and Kyle Harrison decided to hang it up at the conclusion of the 2021 PLL season. The contributions they have both made to the game of lacrosse have been massively impactful in a variety of ways.
The game will miss them both on the field, but I have a feeling they will be even better stewards of the game off of it.
Chaos become Champions
Three-[eats are cool and all, but seriously, who didn’t want the Chaos to win Sunday (other than Whips fans, that is)? Make all of the NLL, Bandits, and Canadian jokes you want, because they’re all true, and the Chaos have earned the last laugh in 2021.
What Will 2022 Have in Store?
Will expansion continue? How will the Whipsnakes respond to their first-ever playoff defeat? Will the Chaos use this as fuel to do it again or be less hungry now that the mountaintop has been reached? Can one of the other contenders join the elite club of PLL-winning teams and now includes two? Will rookie have the same impact next season as they did in this one?
All that and then some will be answered in 2022, but for now, we can look back at the answers we did get in 2021 with this PLL season in review.
