Chris Corbeil has played 11 seasons in the National Lacrosse League, winning three championships and earning two All-Pro selections. But even with that resumé, he’s expecting to feel some rookie jitters when he finally gets back on the floor.
“It’s sort of the same way you fell when you come back from an injury, right? Where, OK, do I still remember how to do this, is my body still gonna react the same way,” Corbeil explained.
The NLL’s decision to abandon its plans to stage an abbreviated season this spring in favour of returning to action with a more traditional season in the fall means most players will have gone at least 20 months between games by the time the league resumes play.
“That’s a lot of time to be away from the sport and I can do all the P90-X workouts I want at home, there’s nothing that replicates actually being out on the floor and playing games,” Corbeil said.
Saskatchewan Rush forward Josh Currier was acquired in a trade last July while he was in the midst of an abbreviated field lacrosse season with Archers Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League.
The three weeks Currier spent in the PLL “bubble” in Salt Lake City, Utah, represent the sum total of his playing time since the NLL suspended play in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m a little bit deprived of my lacrosse. I’ve been playing almost all year-round for years now, I can’t even remember how long, but since before college basically so it’s very odd (to not be playing),” he said.
While players ponder how much rust they’ll have to shake off next season, they’re also wondering how the layoff will affect their contracts, which were signed with the belief that there would be a 2020-21 season in some form.
“We want that to burn a year off the contracts obviously. If you can earn another year towards free agency that’s always in your best interest,” said Corbeil, who signed a one-year agreement with the Rush last summer.
“Obviously the general managers want the opposite. They’ve got guys that they expected to have for the (2020-21) season that may have contracts expiring and they feel that’s pretty unfair that they wouldn’t even get a year of service from that player.”
The contract situation will be a big part of any return-to-play discussions but in the meantime most players are just looking forward to having lacrosse back in the lives, even if it means waiting even longer than they initially expected.
“I miss playing obviously, I miss the camaraderie with my teammates and the guys and the coaching staff but a huge chunk of it is I miss playing in front of the fans,” Corbeil said.
As for Currier, he’s trying to stay patient for his long-awaited Rush debut.
“I’ve really just got my fingers crossed for a normal season and I guess it’s not too, too far away but it can’t come soon enough,” he said.
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