Four Sign on Canadian Thanksgiving

October 13, 2014

Today, Canadians celebrate their Thanksgiving. I figure they double dip in November also, but its not against the law. While taking a day of rest, the Swarm signed up four of their 2014 Draft picks all to two-year contracts.

The Swarm signed the following player to an two-year contracts:

• F - Shane MacDonald was selected fifth overall in the draft. MacDonald, no relation to our goaltender Brodie, is coming off a successful junior career which saw him play for Elora in junior B, and Orangeville and Brampton in junior A. The lefty forward finished his junior career last summer with Brampton as he had 27g and 28a in 17 games.

• F - Joe Haodais Maracle was selected tenth overall in the second round in this year's draft. The Six Nations Arrow lefty forward finished up this summer with a Minto Cup scoring 14 goals and 35 assists. Maracle still has a year of junior lacrosse to go as he entered the draft early and will be looking to a repeat Minto Cup championship after a rookie season with the Swarm

• T - Eric Guiltinan was selected 29th overall in the fourth round of this year's draft. He just finished his junior career with the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves where he had 5 goals and 7 assists in 20 games. He is currently getting in lacrosse shape by playing running back for the Wilfrid Laurier he has 12 carries for 48 yards in five games this year

• D - Patrick Miles was selected 38th overall in the fifth round of this year's draft. The defender out of Brampton, Ontario just finished his first year of Major Series Lacrosse ball with the Oakville Rock with 2 goals and 5 assists in 14 games.

The Swarm still have two 2014 draftees to sign in third overall pick Miles Thompson and 40th overall pick Paxton Leroux. My guess is the Swarm will make a separate announcement later this week about signing Thompson with a bit of extra gravitas befitting his notoriety and talent. I think the Swarm would like to get him signed for at least three years. Leroux may be still trying to make a minor league hockey team somewhere this season and will sign with the Swarm depending on how that goes.

The Swarm have still not signed Mike Grimes, Corbyn Tao and Dominique Alexander. Grimes was acquired in the August trade from Vancouver for Tyler Hass and Dane Stevens. The Stealth offered Grimes a qualifying offer to prevent Grimes from going to restricted free agency, so the Swarm must meet that obligation. Grimes has moved back East for work this season which is why he was traded and hopefully with the Swarm announcing today that he will wear #23, that Grimes will be signing very soon as he believes Minnesota is east enough for him. Tao signed when training camp started last season and it looks like the same this season. Alexander is still on the Swarm's roster page but finished last season on the practice roster which means he became an unrestricted free agent at years end. He now is assigned #22 with Grimes joining the team and I would expect that Alexander will be signed sometime before camp.