Shawn Williams (born June 20, 1974 in Scarborough, Ontario) is the inaugural General Manager and Head Coach of the Las Vegas Desert Dogs in the National Lacrosse League (NLL).[1] He is a former Canadian lacrosse player who played for the Ontario Raiders, Toronto Rock, Buffalo Bandits, Rochester Knighthawks and Edmonton Rush of the NLL and the Hamilton Nationals of Major League Lacrosse. He was also previously a scout for the Buffalo Bandits and assistant coach with the Colorado Mammoth. He was inducted to the NLL Hall of Fame in 2021 as a first ballot nominee.[2]
 | |
| Born | June 20, 1974 Scarborough, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 200 pounds (91 kg) |
| Shoots | Left |
| Position | Forward |
| NLL teams | Edmonton Rush Rochester Knighthawks Buffalo Bandits Toronto Rock Ontario Raiders |
| MLL teams | Hamilton Nationals |
| MSL team | Brooklin Redmen |
| Pro career | 1998–2014 |
| Nickname | Willie |
| NLL Hall of Fame, 2021 | |
NLL career
editWilliams started his NLL career in 1998 with the Ontario Raiders. The Raiders moved to Toronto the next year, becoming the Toronto Rock. Following the 1999 season, Williams was traded to the Buffalo Bandits for a draft pick, and played two seasons in Buffalo. On May 18, 2001, Williams was traded again, this time to the Rochester Knighthawks as part of a seven player blockbuster deal.
Williams played his best season in 2004. When Knighthawk star John Grant, Jr. went down with a season-ending knee injury, Williams picked up the slack, finishing 8th in the league in points with 81, 3rd in goals with 45, and was named to the first All-Pro team. He was named Overall Player of the Week three times — all in the last four weeks of the season — and Offensive Player of the Week five times.
Williams has played in six NLL All-Star games, in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 scoring the overtime winning goal in the 2008 game.[3][4]
After ten seasons in Rochester, Williams was traded in October 2011 along with Aaron Bold to the Edmonton Rush for Ryan Cousins, Alex Kedoh Hill, and Andy Secore.[5]
Williams was traded from Edmonton to Minnesota for two second round picks in the 2013 NLL Entry Draft. Minnesota then sent him to Buffalo with Brendon Doran, a 2012 first round pick, and two 2012 second round picks for the third overall pick in 2012.[6]
MSL / WLA Career
editWilliams has been a member of the Brooklin Redmen of the MSL since 1996, other than 2003, when he played one year in the WLA for the Coquitlam Adanacs. He was a member of the Mann Cup-winning Redmen in 2000. He has won the Bucko McDonald Memorial Trophy as the top scorer in the MSL three times, in 1999, 2001 (co-winner with Josh Sanderson), and again in 2004. Williams also holds the MSL record for most points in a game — 21, set on July 26, 1999 against the Ohsweken Wolves.
Field lacrosse
editWilliams is also an accomplished field lacrosse player, and has been a member of Team Canada at the last two World Lacrosse Championships. He also served as the coach for Brock University. On June 9, 2009, Williams was inducted into the Brock Badgers Hall of Fame.[7]
Statistics
editNLL
editReference:[8]
| Shawn Williams | Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | LB | PIM | Pts/GP | LB/GP | PIM/GP | GP | G | A | Pts | LB | PIM | Pts/GP | LB/GP | PIM/GP |
| 1998 | Ontario Raiders | 12 | 15 | 21 | 36 | 38 | 12 | 3.00 | 3.17 | 1.00 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1999 | Toronto Rock | 11 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 26 | 15 | 1.45 | 2.36 | 1.36 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 |
| 2000 | Buffalo Bandits | 10 | 21 | 19 | 40 | 68 | 4 | 4.00 | 6.80 | 0.40 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.00 | 6.00 | 0.00 |
| 2001 | Buffalo Bandits | 14 | 46 | 31 | 77 | 100 | 0 | 5.50 | 7.14 | 0.00 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2002 | Rochester Knighthawks | 16 | 40 | 35 | 75 | 68 | 4 | 4.69 | 4.25 | 0.25 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 3.00 | 4.00 | 0.00 |
| 2003 | Rochester Knighthawks | 16 | 27 | 45 | 72 | 83 | 4 | 4.50 | 5.19 | 0.25 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 3.50 | 4.50 | 0.00 |
| 2004 | Rochester Knighthawks | 16 | 45 | 36 | 81 | 91 | 24 | 5.06 | 5.69 | 1.50 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3.00 | 4.00 | 2.00 |
| 2005 | Rochester Knighthawks | 16 | 33 | 50 | 83 | 74 | 12 | 5.19 | 4.63 | 0.75 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 0.00 |
| 2006 | Rochester Knighthawks | 16 | 31 | 49 | 80 | 68 | 14 | 5.00 | 4.25 | 0.88 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 3.00 | 2.50 | 0.00 |
| 2007 | Rochester Knighthawks | 16 | 36 | 55 | 91 | 69 | 8 | 5.69 | 4.31 | 0.50 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 2 | 6.33 | 6.00 | 0.67 |
| 2008 | Rochester Knighthawks | 16 | 25 | 55 | 80 | 64 | 2 | 5.00 | 4.00 | 0.13 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2009 | Rochester Knighthawks | 16 | 26 | 67 | 93 | 85 | 4 | 5.81 | 5.31 | 0.25 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 6.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 |
| 2010 | Rochester Knighthawks | 16 | 23 | 46 | 69 | 76 | 4 | 4.31 | 4.75 | 0.25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2011 | Rochester Knighthawks | 16 | 23 | 54 | 77 | 64 | 2 | 4.81 | 4.00 | 0.13 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 4.00 | 5.00 | 0.00 |
| 2012 | Edmonton Rush | 16 | 16 | 52 | 68 | 41 | 8 | 4.25 | 2.56 | 0.50 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 4.33 | 2.33 | 1.33 |
| 2013 | Buffalo Bandits | 16 | 19 | 46 | 65 | 42 | 6 | 4.06 | 2.63 | 0.38 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2014 | Buffalo Bandits | 18 | 13 | 36 | 49 | 44 | 8 | 2.72 | 2.44 | 0.44 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 1.67 | 2.33 | 0.67 |
| 257 | 444 | 708 | 1,152 | 1,101 | 131 | 4.48 | 4.28 | 0.51 | 23 | 25 | 53 | 78 | 84 | 10 | 3.39 | 3.65 | 0.43 | ||
| Career Total: | 280 | 469 | 761 | 1,230 | 1,185 | 141 | 4.39 | 4.23 | 0.50 | ||||||||||
GP–Games played; G–Goals; A–Assists; Pts–Points; LB–Loose balls; PIM–Penalty minutes; Pts/GP–Points per games played; LB/GP–Loose balls per games played; PIM/GP–Penalty minutes per games played.
Canadian Lacrosse Association
edit| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1990 | Scarborough | OLA Jr B | 14 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1991 | Scarborough | OLA Jr B | 18 | 70 | 25 | 95 | 55 | 11 | 22 | 15 | 37 | 47 | ||
| 1992 | Scarborough | OLA Jr B | 18 | 79 | 44 | 123 | 40 | 12 | 28 | 24 | 52 | 18 | ||
| 1992 | Brampton | OLA Jr A | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1993 | Scarborough | OLA Jr A | 19 | 47 | 45 | 92 | 18 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1994 | Scarborough | OLA Jr A | 22 | 62 | 67 | 129 | 66 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1994 | Owen Sound | MSL | 6 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 9 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1995 | Brampton | OLA Jr A | 20 | 45 | 33 | 78 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 10 | ||
| 1996 | Brooklin | MSL | 19 | 34 | 15 | 49 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 1997 | Brooklin | MSL | 20 | 25 | 30 | 55 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2 | ||
| 1998 | Brooklin | MSL | 18 | 33 | 37 | 70 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 0 | ||
| 1999 | Brooklin | MSL | 16 | 41 | 49 | 90 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 10 | ||
| 2000 | Brooklin | MSL | 18 | 45 | 51 | 96 | 17 | 15 | 29 | 18 | 47 | 12 | ||
| 2001 | Brooklin | MSL | 18 | 57 | 36 | 93 | 2 | 10 | 27 | 28 | 55 | 10 | ||
| 2002 | Brooklin | MSL | 10 | 27 | 28 | 55 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 36 | 4 | ||
| 2003 | Coquitlam | WLA | 14 | 24 | 32 | 56 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 23 | 34 | 17 | ||
| 2004 | Brooklin | MSL | 18 | 46 | 78 | 124 | 11 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 4 | ||
| 2005 | Brooklin | MSL | 16 | 33 | 51 | 84 | 10 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Junior A Totals | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||||
| Junior B Totals | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||||
| Senior A Totals | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||||
Awards
editReferences
edit- ^ Tutka, Paul (2022-04-26). "Las Vegas Desert Dogs: Newly named franchise hires Williams as GM & coach". The Lax Mag. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
- ^ Kirk, Alexander (2021-06-03). "John Grant Jr among 4 from Mammoth elected into NLL Hall of Fame". KUSA.com. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
- ^ "East All-Stars Win In Overtime, 17-16". NLL.com. March 16, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
- ^ "All-Star reserves announced". NLL.com. February 19, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
- ^ Jenner, Teddy (October 9, 2011). "Rush and Knighthawks make Thanksgiving day swap". ILIndoor.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ mnswarm.com (July 27, 2012). "Swarm acquire third overall pick in 2012 Draft". mnswarm.com. Retrieved 2012-07-27.
- ^ "Brock Athletics announces 2009 Hall of Fame Inductees". Brock University web site. April 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
- ^ "Player National Lacrosse League". NLL.com. Retrieved March 9, 2020.