What a Rush: Father drafts son No. 1 overall in draft

OAKVILLE, Ont. - It was a unique and touching moment.

Derek Keenan handed his son Ryan Keenan a Saskatchewan Rush sweater after making him the No. 1 pick in the 2016 National Lacrosse League entry draft.

“It’s exciting, it really is - big day for him, big day for the family,” said Derek Keenan, the Rush's general manager and coach.

The Rush won the NLL championship for a second year in a row in June and were able to enter this draft with the first and third picks thanks to trades made in previous years. Lefty forward Ryan Keenan was the consensus choice as best player available, yet his dad had to struggle with the reality of the situation.

Toronto owned the No. 2 pick, and in dire need of left-side scorers following the retirement of Josh Sanderson. Derek Keenan knew that his son would have a better shot at a full-time roster spot with the Rock, since the Rush already have superstars Mark Matthews and Adam Jones on the left side of their attack. And his son grew up a Rock fan, which was easy to do since his dad was helping coach that team when Ryan was playing minor lacrosse in Whitby. As well, Rock star Brodie Merrill coached him through the high school years at The Hill Academy north of Toronto.

As usual, Derek Keenan put team first. He told his son during the weekend that he would be joining the Rush.

“We figured if we didn’t take him then Toronto would take him for sure,” the GM-coach explained. “Left handed offensive players are the hottest commodity right now because there are a lot more righties than there are lefties so we just didn’t want to let him slip past us.

“He’s a good character kid who fits in well with the rest of our group. He’s a heck of a player, too. He’s continuously got better and has worked extremely hard to get to the level he’s at. He’ll continue to do that.”

Thus, a team that has twice won the ultimate pro indoor lacrosse trophy under the guidance of an astute manager-inspirational coach will go for another with a second Keenan in the fold. In accepting the challenge, Ryan, 22, has only one regret, and that was that he was unable to give his mom a hug after pulling on the Rush sweater. Cancer claimed Wendy Keenan at the start of the 2015 NLL season. She was 51.

“She was my No. 1 supporter,” Ryan says. “I know she’s here with a big smile on her face.”

Ryan was three going on four when his parents registered him to play lacrosse in Whitby, Ont.

“He got his first stick when he was maybe one,” Derek recalls. “We’d throw a ball around. Then we got him into the junior paperweight house league. I coached him all the way up.”

Ryan was on Whitby junior teams that won Canadian championships. Derek was the coach. Ryan played summer ball with the Brooklin Redmen this year. Derek was an assistant coach.

“I treat him just like the other guys,” he says of coaching Ryan. “I’ve always tried to do that, especially at the rink at practices. He’s no different than anybody else. He’s still not tired of me yet, I don’t think.”

Says Ryan: “It’s good. We’ve built a good understanding of how to work together. He knows what to expect from me. I think the experience we have together is going to help me with the transition to the next level.”

Derek was NLL rookie of the year in 1992, before Ryan was born.

“I’ve just seen videos,” he says. “I was just a baby when he was done.”

Ryan understands how difficult it might be to gain playing time on the left side of the Rush attack where Matthews and Jones will be front and centre.

“Hopefully I can work hard enough to get a spot in the lineup and learn a lot from those guys,” he says.

Matthews, Curtis Knight and Adrian Sorichetti are Rush players who were Ryan’s former Whitby teammates.

“It’s good to be going in (to the NLL) with a base of buddies.”

He’s never been to an NLL game in Saskatoon.

“I’m looking forward to it. Watching games (being streamed) last season and keep track on social media, it looks pretty wild. It’s an amazing fan base.”

He describes himself as a player this way: “I do a bit of everything. I consider myself a well-balanced player. I don’t rely on one specific thing. I’m able to play on all and off ball, all facets of the game.”

He’s smart, too. He has completed four years at Connecticut’s Quinnipiac University where he played NCAA field lacrosse with the Bobcats and he is on his way to a masters business degree.

The Rush got defencemen Mike Messenger out of the West Coast summer league’s New Westminster Salmonbellies and Ryan’s 2016 Brooklin teammate Matt Hossack with the third and 14^th picks to strengthen a defence that was best in the NLL last season.

Meanwhile, Toronto was happy to get Challen Rogers in the No. 2 slot. The B.C.-bred defenceman played summer ball for the Oakville Rock in the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre where the draft was conducted Monday night.