Looking back at the best trade in lacrosse history

On the eve of the 2011 National Lacrosse League championship game this Sunday between Toronto and Washington, it’s worth wondering if a trade that once reeked of desperation could turn out to be the best two-way deal in the history of the league.

The December, 2009 trade that saw Colin Doyle return to Toronto in return for Lewis Ratcliff came when Ratcliff needed a spark , the Stealth needed to get over a hump, and the Toronto Rock needed to pretend the last three seasons had never happened.

The deal

2009: Toronto trades Tyler Codron, Joel Dalgarno, Lewis Ratcliff to Washington for Colin Doyle and a 2012 2^nd-round pick

History

Doyle was one of Toronto’s cornerstones for almost a decade. He was dealt in 2006, along with Darren Halls and a 2007 first-round pick, for #1 overall pick Ryan Benesch, Kevin Fines, Chad Thompson, and the Stealth's 2008 and 2009 first round entry draft selections. The trade was the first step in the dismantling of a once-proud organization that didn’t end until new owner Jamie Dawick and general manager Terry Sanderson took over in 2009. Benesch was shipped off to Edmonton for draft picks after only two seasons; he led the NLL in scoring this season. Thompson and Fines were out of the Rock organization within two years. With the picks, after other trades the Rock ended up with Kasey Beirnes and Cam Woods and other draft picks that extended into 2009.

Ratcliff came to Toronto in a mid-2008 deal that sent Josh Sanderson to Calgary. If the Doyle trade was the beginning of the end, the Sanderson trade finished it. Doyle and Sanderson were two of the Rock’s three leading scorers in 2005, the last time the club won a championship. In 2009, they finished #1 and #3 overall in scoring for San Jose and Calgary respectively, and Sanderson’s Roughnecks won the Champion’s Cup.

Before the trade

Toronto was 6-10 in 2009; Washington (then based in San Jose) was 7-9. Ratcliff was Toronto’s second- leading scorer with 34 goals and 68 points, but his total was the second-lowest of his career. Meanwhile, in San Jose, Doyle had one of his best seasons, with 111 points.

After the trade

Doyle’s offensive numbers have dropped significantly, tallying 84 points in 2010 and 70 this year. But he’s also helped breakout stars Garrett Billings and Stephan Leblanc take over the scoring role in Toronto, while Doyle’s become the team’s unquestioned heart and soul – something the Rock had been sorely missing since former captain Jim Veltman retired.

While Doyle was gone, the Rock went 19-30, missing the playoffs twice. Since Doyle’s return, the Rock are 23-15, with two consecutive appearances in the championship game.

The deal’s paid off immensely for the Stealth organization too. With the team relocating to Everett, WA after the 2009 season, B.C.-area players were in high demand, and Ratcliff, who lives in Victoria, fit the bill. He’s bounced back to his pre-Toronto form, with 97 and 92 points the last two years. He was also the MVP of last year’s Champion’s Cup final win over Toronto. In addition, this season the Stealth swapped Codron for Ian Hawksbee, then dealt both Hawksbee and Dalgarno to Colorado for Cliff Smith - who scored the game-winning goal in last week’s Western final win over Calgary.

The aftermath

Whether the Rock win or lose Sunday, interest in the franchise has been revitalized after the dark years of 2007-2009. Both franchises, which had been struggling for on-floor relevance for years, have ended up in back-to-back finals. Washington continues to struggle at the gate, but it’s hard to argue with the on-floor success; after only winning two playoff games during their San Jose tenure, the Stealth could walk away as the first back-to-back champs since the Rock did it in 2002-03.

The verdict

There may be better player-for-player deals, or deals that meant more to one team, but for name recognition, balance and achievement, Ratcliff/Doyle should go down as the best trade the NLL’s ever seen.

For more NLL Champion's Cup coverage all week, follow Andrew McKay on Twitter @apmckay