Peterborough Blogs
Former Peterborough Laker Shawn Evans Announces Retirement From the National Lacrosse League
/Former Peterborough Laker Shawn Evans has announced his retirement from the National Lacrosse League (NLL) after 17 seasons in the league, announced on Sunday.
Evans spent his last year with the Vancouver Warriors prior to retirement. Photo courtesy of the NLL.
Evans made a Facebook post announcing his retirement and had the following message:
“Today is the day I’m hanging them up and retiring from the NLL after 18 seasons. My dream as a kid turned into reality 19 years ago. Many memories made and friendships gained throughout my career. Truly grateful for the sport and what it has provided me and my family. My family and my health are most important as I step into my next chapter. Truly blessed by the support of the lacrosse community over the years. Thank you to my family, friends, teammates and fans for all the great memories. Looking forward to continuing to grow the game and the best sport around. #15”
The 37-year-old Peterborough native spent time with the Rochester Knighthawks, Calgary Roughnecks, New England Black Wolves, Buffalo Bandits, the new Rochester Knighthawks (founded in 2019) and the Vancouver Warriors during his NLL career.
In 270 regular-season games, he scored 479 goals and 879 assists for 1,358 points. In his 26 playoff games, he had 50 goals and 68 assists for 118 points. He won an NLL Championship with the Knighthawks in 2007. He was twice named the NLL MVP for 2013 and 2015 with the Roughnecks.
He reached a milestone in January, scoring his 1,300th point in the NLL.
He spent 20 years in the Major Series Lacrosse. As a Peterborough Laker, Evans won the Mann Cup Championship eight times and was a three-time Mann Cup MVP.
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Peterborough's Shawn Evans Scores His 1,300 Career NLL Point
/Peterborough and Vancouver Warriors’ Shawn Evans has reached his 1,300th career National Lacrosse League point after scoring five points against the San Diego Seals on Saturday.
File Photo.
He got his milestone point by assisting Keegan Bal’s goal 6:56 into the fourth period. He made the primary assist, leading Bal with a pass just in front of the crease. Bal was able to beat Christopher Origlieri over the top for Vancouver’s 10th goal of the game.
Evans’s had two goals and three assists for five points putting him exactly at 1,300 career NLL points. He is sixth in all-time NLL points scored with 459 goals (tied 9th all-time with Mark Steenhuis) and 841 assists (fifth all-time).
The Warriors were unable to seal a win, losing to San Diego 16-11.
Peterborough's Shawn Evans Traded to Halifax Thunderbirds For Draft Picks
/Lakers alumnus and Peterborough’s Shawn Evans has been traded to the Halifax Thunderbirds from the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League announced Wednesday.
The Halifax Thunderbirds made their league debut on Dec. 7, 2019, defeating the New York Riptide 12–4 Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Halifax is sending their second-round draft pick in the 2023 NLL Entry Draft and their top first-round compensation pick in the same draft for Evans.
The 35-year-old won a Champion’s Cup with the 2007 Knighthawks. He is a two-time National Lacrosse League MVP (2013 and 2015) and has been a four-time NLL All-Pro First Team member (2013-16) and an NLL All-Pro Second Team member (2012). He was also named to the 2006 NLL All-Rookie Team.
He was selected by the Rochester Knighthawks in the first round (second overall) of the 2005 NLL Entry Draft. The Knighthawks took Evans first overall in the 2019 NLL Expansion Draft.
“Shawn Evans’s career speaks for itself. Evy is a proven winner at all levels, from junior to the pros,” said Curt Styres, Thunderbirds owner and general manager. “Whenever you are able to add a player of Shawn’s calibre to your roster this late in the stretch, it is a no-brainer.”
Photo courtesy of the Halifax Thunderbirds.
After spending his first six seasons with the team, he spent the next four years with the Calgary Roughnecks, where Evans won both his MVPs and set then-records for most assists recorded in a single season (83) and points (130) in 2015.
The Peterborough, Ontario native has 1,277 points (453 goals and 824 assists). His 453 goals are the ninth most recorded by a player in NLL history, his 824 assists are the fifth-most in NLL history and his 1,277 points are the sixth-most in NLL history and the second-most amongst active NLL forwards. Evans also has the third-most penalty minutes in league history with 591 PIM.
The 5-foot-8, 175-pound right-hander led the Knighthawks in scoring and assists in their 10 games played this season. His best game of the season so far came on Feb. 12 against the Albany FireWolves, where he put up 10 points (1G, 9A) in the team’s 15-13 win against the Eastern Conference foe.
“Evans is a proven winner with championships and MVPs in multiple leagues,” said Mike Accursi, Thunderbirds head coach. “He brings grit and experience along with a tremendously high lacrosse IQ. I’m excited to see him work with our offense group.”
Evans spent part of the next three seasons with the New England Black Wolves before being traded to the Buffalo Bandits midway through the 2018 NLL season.
During the 2016 season, Evans recorded 118 points (50 goals, 68 assists), which is the third-highest single-season points total. He is the only player to hold multiple spots in the top 10 most points recorded in a single NLL season.
Over the last two seasons, Evans has 90 points (23G, 67A) in 19 games.
If the Thunderbirds do not receive a first-round compensation pick for the 2023 NLL Entry Draft, the Knighthawks will receive the team’s best first-round compensatory pick in the 2024 NLL Entry Draft.
If no first-round compensatory pick is awarded ahead of that draft, then it becomes the Thunderbirds’ best first-round compensation pick in the 2025 NLL Entry Draft.
If Halifax does not receive a compensatory pick in that instance, then Rochester receives their first-round selection in the 2025 NLL Entry Draft and Halifax receives Rochester’s second-round draft pick in that same draft in return.
“The next three weeks are defining moments for us. In the next 18 days, home floor advantage could be decided in the NLL,” said Styres. “Adding Shawn Evans will help our team, as we know COVID is always knocking on each team’s door.”
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Hometown PTBO: Shawn Evans On Reaching His Career Milestone of 800 Assists In the NLL
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This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday speaks with Shawn Evans of the NLL's Rochester Knights about reaching a milestone of 800 career assists in professional lacrosse.
Good Luck Charm Daughter Helps Lakers Fan Favourite Shawn Evans To Epic 14 Point Game
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Photo via PeterboroughLakers.ca
Lacrosse great Shawn Evans had a game for the ages Thursday night (August 20th), scoring 14 points—7 goals and 7 assists—in leading the Lakers to a 18-14 win over Six Nations Chiefs in Game 2 of the MLS Finals, and a 2-0 lead in the series.
The fan favourite had all 3,293 fans buzzing all night—and tweeting about his amazing performance.
The modest Evans raved about the fans and their support afterwards, but his good luck charm might well have been his 6-year-old daughter Paityn. Evans woke up to this yesterday and tweeted it out...
Beauty.
—by Scott Arnold
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PTBOCanada Featured Post: Nationwide Lacrosse
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The names Self and Evans are synonymous with sports in our great city that is known for producing some of the greatest athletes to ever step foot or skate inside of an arena. As current Senior Peterborough Lakers, both Brad Self and Shawn Evans are the epitome of what it is to be tremendous athletes both on and off of the floor.
Between the two of them, they have won almost too many medals and honours to count. Both Brad and Shawn are multiple time MLS Mann Cup Champions with the Senior Lakers. They have also both won National Lacrosse League Championships with their respective teams at different times. Individual awards abound as well with MVPs, Scoring Championships, Rookie of the Years, and Transition Player of the Years between them. Lacrosse aside, both Brad and Shawn were excellent hockey players with Brad suiting up in the OHL for the hometown Peterborough Petes as well as having the honour of being drafted to the NHL and playing pro hockey in Europe for years.
Shawn Evans instructing kids
In October of 2012, the two came together with the idea of providing the opportunity that both were afforded as youngsters in teaching kids the game they both love. This is when Nationwide Lacrosse was born. With the straightforward goal of introducing and growing our country’s national sport to kids in and around our sports mad community, they set off and haven’t looked back.
Happy campers at Nationwide Lacrosse
Over the past year, the two have done some extraordinary work. Along with a few volunteers when necessary, they have been able to bring the game of lacrosse to over 35 schools in and around our region. They have also created day camps of various lengths that have run in Cobourg, Curve Lake, at Trent University and at the Spiplex to name a few.
In school settings, Brad and Shawn have been bringing grassroots lacrosse to boys and girls of various ages and skill sets. Teaching up to 6 classes a day, they focus on fundamentals and always aim to bring a fun learning environment that all participate in regardless of skill. From trapping and scooping to passing and shooting, they emphasize on honing skills necessary to learn in order to grow and play. Using sticks and balls provided to the students by Under Armour, they always finish with a controlled scrimmage to allow the kids to try techniques in a game setting.
Brad and Shawn at one of their school visits
In their camps, the setting is the same but in a longer format that allows for more specific skills to be practiced in groups that are split up to have kids playing with others of the same skill level. As the days are longer, they are split up with time to focus on lacrosse but also other time set aside to play other games, swim if possible and also use the rock wall and row when at Trent University.
The guys want to make a difference to the kids they teach. On the floor, Shawn plays offense, while Brad plays defense and transition so between the two of them they cover pretty much everything there is to know. As current professionals, they know that teaching kids hands on at a younger age can be invaluable in building their love for the game and succeeding in the sport down the line.
Brad and Shawn are extremely dedicated to their Nationwide Lacrosse venture and aim to continue growing the business and run it year-round. They know that as lacrosse is only played in certain seasons, they can help prepare and keep players sharp during the downtimes and lead them into seasons being as fresh as possible.
Brad instructing at a course
They are looking to expand their school visits across the region, open up more camp opportunities—which are already filling up fast—with repeat camps happening, and bring more kids and associations in to learn about the game.
Their motto with Nationwide Lacrosse: Dream. Believe. Achieve.
Here is a list of their exciting upcoming camps—and winter league which is new this year:
WinterCamp: Trent University, Peterborough Jan 2nd-4th
WinterLeague: Trent University, Peterborough Jan 9th-Mar 6th
MarchBreak: Spiplex, Peterborough Mar 10th-14th
SummerCamp: Cobourg July 7th-10th
SummerCamp: Six Nations July 21st-24th
SummerCamp: Trent University, Peterborough Aug 5th-8th
SummerCamp: Trent University, Peterborough Aug 11th-14th
SummerCamp: Sundridge, Aug 24th-30th
Nationwide Co-Founders Brad Self (far left) and Shawn Evans (far right)
If you’re interested in signing up your boy or girl for any of these camps or the winter league, don’t hesitate to contact Brad and Shawn for more details!
For more info on Nationwide Lacrosse, go to:
Website: Nationwidelacrosse.ca
Facebook page: Nationwide Lacrosse
Twitter: @NationWideLax
YouTube channel
Email: nationwidelacrosse@gmail.com
Phone: Brad Self – 705-868-1811; Shawn Evans – 705-768-8828
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Here's Peterborough's Shawn Evans & Cory Vitarelli Behind TSN SportsCentre Desk
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Cory Vitarelli and Shawn "Shawny" Evans sat behind the TSN SportsCentre desk today (August 22nd), where they were there to do an interview for the Top 20 Lacrosse Plays of 2013 which will air on TSN in the Fall (late September/early October). They are both born and raised in Peterborough and both play for the Lakers. Cory also plays pro for the Rochester Knighthawks, where his team just won their second Champion's Cup in a row. Shawny plays for the Calgary Roughnecks, where last season he set the Roughnecks single season record with 112 points and was named the league's MVP. The coolest thing about Shawny right now though is what he's doing off the field; he and Lakers' teammate Brad Self co-founded Nationwide Lacrosse and they are currently travelling around teaching kids lacrosse at the grassroots level. Learn more at Nationwidelacrosse.ca.
—PTBOCanada's sports reporter Scott Arnold
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