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Johnny Powless strutting his stuff in Vancouver Stealth garb. (Dan Brodie photo.)
The Vancouver Stealth had ace trade pick-up Johnny Powless at their Langley Events Centre digs on Thursday, putting him through various photos and videos as they prep for 2015 National Lacrosse League season.
Here’s some notes from the visit.
*Why does Powless wear jersey No. 93? It’s his birth year. He was also a fan of Doug Gilmour when he was captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
*Among Powless relatives is former Toronto Rock sniper Kim Squire, a cousin.
*Powless was an off-ball guy largely with the Rochester Knighthawks, helping them win three straight NLL titles. He says that he wants to pack the ball more and work as an offensive quarterback, much like one of his heroes, Toronto Rock star Colin Doyle. “He wants to be like Doyle? He can be Doyle,” said Stealth general manager Doug Locker, massive grin coming to his face.
*Stealth coach Dan Perreault says “the ball will be in his stick quite a bit. He distributes the ball very well.” He says he likes the idea of Powless being more than just a finisher. “He’s not selfish with the ball. I think the guys will enjoy playing with him,” said Perreault.
*Perreault says the first time he saw Powless play was years ago at the Pee Wee nationals, when he was coaching Team B.C. and Powless was playing for Team Iroquois. “His stick skills were so good,” said Perreault. Perreault’s team that tournament included Stealth transition stalwart Tyler Garrison.
*Perreault’s take on Powless leaving a powerhouse Rochester team? “He’s probably looking at this as a new challenge. It’s an opportunity for him to step up and be the go-to guy. Saying that, he understands that we have some pretty good players, like Duchie (Rhys Duch).”
*Perreault didn’t seem overly concerned about putting so much pressure on a 21-year-old. Powless is going to become the face of the franchise in many ways. “He’s the type of guy, having played three years in the league already, that understands pressure and handles pressure. His style of play, he looks very calm. His nature is that he doesn’t get too rattled.”
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Stealth captain Kyle Sorensen is slated to have knee surgery later this month and will miss the 2015 season. (Larry Palumbo photo)
*The news for the Stealth isn’t all good. Locker admitted that team captain Kyle Sorensen, a defender, will undergo knee surgery later this month and will miss the entire 2015 season. Sorensen’s knee problems have been chronic. He was in and out of the line-up last season because of injuries. The Stealth are also waiting to hear if defender Matt Beers gets hired by a Lower Mainland fire department this off-season. If that happens, he would sit out the NLL season. No word from Locker on who the captain might be.
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