(Rochester, NY)… Rochester Knighthawks President and General Manager Dan Carey announced today that the team has signed defenseman Luc Magnan to a one-year deal, pending league approval.
“Luc Magnan gives us a solid veteran presence on the roster,” said Carey. “He brings great leadership, a high lacrosse IQ, and a wealth of experience that will be valuable for our group. He’s the type of player who makes everyone around him better.”
The Knighthawks selected the Pine Falls, Manitoba, native with the 39th overall pick in Tuesday’s National Lacrosse League Dispersal Draft. Magnan enters his 11th year in the NLL after earning league Teammate of the Year honors. The 34-year-old returns to Rochester, where he played three seasons for the original Knighthawks (2016-19).
“Having the opportunity to come back to Rochester is really special,” said Magnan. “I really enjoyed my time playing here earlier in my career, and I’ve always had a great appreciation for the rich lacrosse roots and amazing fans in this community. This is exactly where I wanted to be. It’s a great group of guys, and I’m eager to get started, earn my spot, and help the team however I can.”
During his time in Rochester, he had his finest seasons in 2018 and 2019. Magnan tallied 18 points and scooped up 83 loose-ball recoveries in 2018, helping Rochester advance to the NLL Finals. The next year he caused 11 turnovers and scooped up 108 loose balls while also notching seven points.
Besides Rochester, Magnan has made stops in Toronto, Halifax, and Ottawa. In two seasons in Ottawa (2024-26), he tallied 113 loose-ball recoveries, 18 caused turnovers, and 16 blocked shots in 35 games. The Toronto Rock originally selected Magnan 17th overall in the 2015 NLL Entry Draft. In his career, he has played 141 games, posting 39 points (5+34), 517 loose-ball recoveries, 73 caused turnovers, and 31 blocked shots.
During the summer, Magnan spent the early part of his career playing for the Major Series Lacrosse Brampton Excelsiors, but has been behind the bench since 2021, first serving as defensive coordinator for the Junior “A” Toronto Beaches. In 2025, he took an assistant coaching position with the Snake Island Muskies, helping the team hoist the Presidents Cup that summer and reach the final in 2026.
Before being drafted, Magnan played four seasons at Robert Morris University. He finished his time as a Colonial in 2015 and left ranked fifth all-time in caused turnovers with 43. Before college, he spent his Junior “A” career with the Toronto Beaches and the Six Nations Arrows. In 2013, he joined the Arrows in a late-season trade and helped the Arrows finish first overall. In the postseason, he appeared in 15 games as Six Nations advanced to the Ontario Finals. Magnan also had a brief stint with the Junior “B” Manitoba Gryphons.