Craig Conn

Craig Conn (born November 16, 1983 in St. Catharines, Ontario) is a lacrosse player for the Toronto Rock in the National Lacrosse League and the New Westminster Salmonbellies of the Western Lacrosse Association.

High School career

Conn attended Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in St. Catharines, Ontario from 1997 to 2001. During those years, he teamed up with fellow NLL players Matt Vinc, Billy Dee Smith, Kyle Neufeld and Sean Greenhalgh to win two OFSAA field lacrosse championships in 1999 and 2001. This would also begin a dynasty and a tradition for most of the top lacrosse players in St. Catharines to come to Holy Cross to play.

College career

Conn played for the University of Massachusetts in 2002 and 2003. However, he would renounce his remaining two years of eligibility to enter the NLL entry draft.

NLL career

Conn was originally drafted by the Vancouver Ravens in the first round (4th overall) of the 2003 NLL Entry Draft. In the 2004 season, he was 4th in team scoring with 39 points and was named to 2004 NLL All-Rookie Team. When the Ravens were removed from the 2005 schedule, a dispersal draft was held, and Conn was taken 1st overall by the Minnesota Swarm.

After only playing half a season with Minnesota, Conn was dealt at the trade deadline to the Arizona Sting for their first round draft picks in 2006 & 2007. Conn led Arizona in scoring with 19 points during their playoff run to the 2005 Championship game. Conn also helped lead Arizona to the 2007 Championship game, before losing to the Rochester Knighthawks.

Prior to the 2008 season, the Sting announced that they would not play in 2008, and another dispersal draft was held. Conn was selected by the Buffalo Bandits despite suffering a major knee injury during the summer that sidelined him for the entire 2008 season. The Sting would have retained Conn's rights if they returned in the 2009 season. However, the Sting ceased operations and Conn was again put into National Lacrosse League dispersal draft pool. This time, Conn was selected fourth overall by the Toronto Rock.

Canadian Box Career

Conn made headlines in 1998 when he played 4 games with the St. Catharines Jr. B Spartan Warriors at only the age of 14 (the team's head coach was also his father, Morris Conn). He played 72 games for the St. Catharines Jr. A Athletics in the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League from 1999 to 2003 and won two Minto Cups with them, in 2001 and 2003. He was also a member of the 2004 Minto Cup Champions, the Burnaby Lakers of the BCJALL. In the WLA draft, Conn was selected 2nd overall by the New Westminster Salmonbellies.

During the 2007 season, Conn sufferered a major knee injury while playing with the Salmonbellies during the Western Lacrosse Association's playoffs.

Statistics

NLL

			Regular Season							Playoffs
Season	Team		GP	G	A	Pts	LB	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	LB	PIM
2004	Vancouver		13	19	20	39	60	17		--	--	--	--	--	--
2005	Minnesota		8	14	17	31	78	17		--	--	--	--	--	--
	Arizona		5	6	5	11	33	6		3	12	7	19	13	4
2006	Arizona		15	44	23	67	91	42		2	6	5	11	15	4
2007	Arizona		16	21	55	76	106	35		3	7	12	19	21	4
NLL Totals			57	104	120	224	368	117		8	25	24	49	49	12

CLA

Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1998	Spartan	JR B	4	4	4	8	2
1999	St. Catharines	JR A	17	33	21	54	50
2000	St. Catharines	JR A	8	7	13	20	33
2001	St. Catharines	JR A	15	26	30	56	61
2002	St. Catharines	JR A	10	18	16	34	81
2003	St. Catharines	JR A	4	1	4	5	74
2004	Burnaby	JR A	18	28	44	72	67
2005	New Westminster	WLA	16	21	29	50	34
2006	New Westminster	WLA	16	29	32	61	20
2007	New Westminster	WLA	15	22	41	63	60
CLA Totals			119	185	230	415	480

References