Minnesota Swarm 23-Man Roster for 2012

Announced December 22, 2011

The Minnesota Swarm announced their 23-man active roster for the upcoming 2012 season. Twelve players are new from the 2011 Swarm active roster at the end of last year.

• 8 - Greg Downing - Selected with the 9th pick in the Blazers Dispersal Draft
• 23 - Brendon Doran - Signed as a free agent from tryout camp
• 24 - Jordan MacIntosh - Selected with the 4th pick overall in the 2011 Entry Draft - Rookie
• 30 - Tyler Carlson - Signed as a free agent - Rookie
• 35 - Evan Kirk - Selected with the 6th pick overall in the 2011 Entry Draft - Rookie
• 39 - Dan Ball - Signed as a free agent from tryout camp - Rookie
• 43 - Jeff Gilbert - Acquired in a trade from Toronto
• 77 - Jay Card - Selected with the 19th pick overall in the 2011 Entry Draft - Rookie
• 79 - Nik Bilic - Signed as a free agent - Rookie
• 84 - Corbyn Tao - Selected with the 12th pick overall in the 2011 Entry Draft - Rookie
• 85 - Mitch Belisle - Selected with the 13th pick in the Blazers Dispersal Draft
• 94 - Joel Henry - Signed as a free agent - Rookie

Matt Kelly will wear #13 this year as Belisle will wear #85, which Kelly wore in his rookie season in 2011. Nick Patterson is the only remaining player who was with the team prior to John Arlotta acquiring the team prior to the 2009 season. This is the first season since 2005 that the Swarm will start the season with three goaltenders on the active roster. Eight rookies join the team. 55 years of experience just with the Swarm was moved out and only 11 years of NLL esperience was acquired. Four draft picks made the team and four rookie free agents. Two players who attended the November 24th tryout camp made the team.

Jersey numbers to make their Swarm regular season debut this year - 13, 30, 35, 79 & 94.

NLL scoring champion Ryan Benesch leads the returning players. Callum Crawford, Kevin Ross and Jamie Shewchuk return on offense. Transition returns with expected captain Andrew Suitor, Andrew Watt, Richard Morgan and Tyler Hass. Kelly and Joe Cinosky are the only retuning defenders from last year. Patterson returns as staring goaltender for a team record eight seasons. He assumed full-time starting status in 2006.

Marty O'Neill was replaced as general manager on June 12, 2011 after serving in that capacity for the first seven years of the franchise, presumbly to save costs. Owner John Arlotta assumed general manager duties and named assistant coach Joe Sullivan as associate general manager. Bobby Keast was also hired as an assistant coach. Mike Lines remains as head coach and Aime Caines returns as an assistant.

Twelve players who were on the 2011 Swarm active roster at the end of last year are not on the active roster to start this year:

• 10 - Aaron Wilson - Traded to Edmonton
• 12 - Eric Pacey - Released - Original
• 15 - Shayne Bennett - Released
• 16 - Noah Talbot - Released
• 17 - Sean Pollock - Traded to Colorado - Original
• 23 - Jon Sullivan - Traded to Colorado - Original
• 24 - Rory Smith - Traded to Colorado
• 27 - Mat Giles - Traded to Buffalo
• 31 - Kevin Croswell - Traded to Edmonton
• 34 - Nick Inch - Traded to Toronto
• 47 - Travis Hill - Released and signed with Rochester - Original
• 50 - Ryan Cousins - Traded to Edmonton then Rochester = Original

Five players moved out were original 2005 Swarm players. Talbot had played in a team record 75 straight games. Pollock leaves as the Swarm's all-time leading scorer.

The follwoing players were cut on December 22 and signed to the practice roster:

• 25 - Joe Wasson
• 27 - Pat Smith
• 42 - Todd Baxter