Rochester Knighthawks General Manager and Vice President of Lacrosse Operations Dan Carey announced today that the team has acquired forwards Thomas Hoggarth and Dallas Bridle as well as a second-round pick and an additional third-round pick in the 2020 NLL Entry Draft from the Buffalo Bandits in exchange for forward Dan Lintner, transition man Frank Brown and a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NLL Entry Draft.
“Thomas is a welcome addition to our team,” said Carey. “At this point in the season, we felt we could not pass up the opportunity to add his type of talent to our roster, understanding he will play a contributing role in our future success beginning next season. Getting through the first half of the season has revealed areas of strength and areas we feel we need to improve upon. Thomas fits into our plans really well, and will add scoring, size and depth to our offense when the time comes for him to step on the floor and play his first game in a Knighthawks uniform.”
Hoggarth, 25, is coming off a banner year in 2019 that saw him produce career-highs in goals (29), assists (32) and points (61) in 17 games with the Bandits. He finished the season third on the team in goals and fourth in points before adding three assists in two postseason appearance while helping Buffalo advance to the NLL Finals. Hoggarth remains on the physically unable to perform list and is not expected to be available for the remainder of the current season.
A native of Lakefield, Ontario, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward has totaled 77 points on 40 goals and 37 assists in 50 career NLL games with Buffalo and Vancouver.
“Dallas will fit into our offense with his size and strength,” added Carey. “He is a player we think can contribute, given the right opportunity. We are excited to see what Dallas can do with the Rochester Knighthawks. Acquiring an additional second-round pick will also give us an opportunity to build upon our already strong core group of young players.”
Bridle, 25, joins the Knighthawks after recording 10 points (1+9) and eight loose ball recoveries in four games this season for Buffalo. He made his professional debut last season with the Bandits, recording two assists in one game.
Bridle, a native of Orangeville, Ontario, was Buffalo’s third-round selection (33rd overall) in the 2017 NLL Entry Draft. He played collegiate lacrosse at High Point University, where he earned All-SoCon Second Team honors as a junior. The 6-foot-2, 194-pound forward also played two seasons at Denver University, leading the Pioneers to an NCAA National Championship title in 2015.
The Knighthawks return home on Saturday, Feb. 29 when they welcome the only visit of the season from the New York Riptide. The 7:00 p.m. matchup will be the only meeting of the season between the NLL’s two expansion franchises and can be heard live on 107.3 FM The Bull as well as B/R Live. Fans can stay up to date all season long with the latest Knighthawks news, stories and notes at www.rochesterknighthawks.com.