Jamie Lincoln, congratulating John Grant, Jr., during his time with the Mammoth. (NLL photo.)
Jamie Lincoln is the latest guy to get a chance to help jumpstart the Vancouver Stealth’s offence.
The Stealth, sitting at 3-7 and in the midst of a three-week break from National Lacrosse League action, inked left-hander Lincoln, 27, a former B.C. Junior A league scoring champion, as a free agent on Tuesday. It was part of several roster moves for the Langley Events Centre squad, who have been to the league final three of the past four seasons.
Vancouver coach Chris Hall has been critical of the play of the offensive lefties all season. They could use a passer in the ilk of former Stealth standout Cam Sedgwick, in large part to work in conjunction with veteran sniper Lewis Ratcliff. Ratcliff is off to a slow start by his standards with 12 goals. Ratcilff had scored 30 or more goals in the NLL’s 16-game regular seasons the previous 10 seasons.
Lincoln is more shooter than passer, though. He’s known for a deft touch in tight. He’s played with some high-end offensive players in the past, including John Grant. Jr., both in the NLL with the Colorado Mammoth and in the summer with the Peterborough Lakers, the Ontario club powerhouse.
Lincoln had 15 goals and 25 points in 14 games in the NLL regular season last year with Colorado.
“The Stealth wanted to make some changes and I was willing to come back and play,” said the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Lincoln, a St. Catharines, Ont., native who is living in the Denver area. “I’m hoping to score a lot of goals.
“I’ve never been a No. 1 guy but I’ve played with a lot of really talented go-to guys. I want to contribute to the team. I’ll pass. I’ll score goals. I’ll do what it takes.”
Lincoln knows the team well. In his various lacrosse stops, he’s played with Ilija Gajic, Cliff Smith, Mike Grimes and Brad Richardson, a defender Vancouver also inked on Tuesday as a free agent.
He’s also played in the LEC. Lincoln was a member of their major summer tenant, the Langley Thunder, in 2011. He helped them win the Western Lacrosse Association and earn a spot in the Mann Cup Senior A club national championship, picking up 12 goals and 25 points in 15 playoff games. He won Mann Cups with Grant and the Lakers in 2010 and 2012.
He had 244 points in 83 Junior A regular season games, including a league-best 87 points, highlighted by 63 goals, in 20 games with Burnaby in 2007.
Richardson, 27, was also a part of that Burnaby team. He’s a 6-foot-2, 215 pounder who’s become a stalwart in the WLA with the Coquitlam Adanacs.
Stealth star Rhys Duch, who plays summers with the Victoria Shamrocks, talked up signing Richardson to Vancouver brass.
It’ll be interesting to see what other moves the Stealth might make before they resume this 18-game regular season with a March 8 visit to the Edmonton Rush.
Defenders Kyle Sorensen (lower body) and Chris O’Dougherty (lower body) both will undergo surgeries this week and will be out of action from four to six weeks.
Vancouver also signed former Toronto Rock draft pick Bradley Kri, another defender, to their practice roster on Tuesday.
To open up a spot, they released Sean Lundstrom, a rookie lefty forward.
