THE CANADIAN PRESS
High-scoring Shawn Williams has agreed to a five-year contract with the Rochester Knighthawks that is the longest in National Lacrosse League history.
The 33-year-old native of Toronto is entering his 11th pro season.
"We are excited to have a superstar player like Shawn Williams make a long-term commitment to the organization by signing a five-year deal," GM Jody Gage said Friday. "Shawn was a big part of our run to the championship last year.
"We all know what an outstanding player he is but the key is he brings great leadership to the locker room."
Williams finished fifth in the league scoring race last season with a career-best 91 points and was named to the all-pro second team. He also tied for the league lead with 19 playoff points as Rochester won the Champions Cup. He also was on the 1999 championship Toronto Rock roster.
Maximum veteran player compensation for 2008 will be $22,359. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, pay goes to $23,477 in 2009, $24,650 in 2010, $25,883 in 2011 and $27,177 in 2012. It is believed that Williams is the first to sign an NLL player contract with a value in excess of $100,000.
In regular-season NLL history, Williams is eighth in assists with 352 and ninth in goals with 299.
He has been an alternate Knighthawks captain since 2005. In the club record book, he is second in points with 482 including 212 goals. In post-season club records, he’s tied for fourth in goals with 19 he’s tied for second in points with 48.
After breaking into the league with Toronto, Williams played for Buffalo in 2000 and 2001 before being acquired by Rochester on May 18, 2001, in a seven-player deal with the Bandits.
The Knighthawks open a new season on Jan. 11 at Buffalo. On Jan. 12, they’ll raise their championship banner prior to facing the Bandits at the Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, the Rock announced the retirement of forward Matt Shearer.
Shearer, 34, played in 115 career games over 10 years in the NLL and spent the last four seasons with Toronto including the 2005 championship season. The native of Whitby, Ont., is general manager at Under Armour, a lacrosse equipment and apparel supplier. He and his wife, Liz, welcomed their first child, daughter Sophie, almost a month ago.
"Not having lacrosse on the calendar will definitely be something that will take getting used to," said Shearer. "I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to move back to Canada a few years ago and play with the guys in Toronto.
"Playing with the Rock in front of friends and family has been an honour and I really thank the organization for the opportunity. Everyone involved with the club is truly first class."
Toronto will play the Minnesota Swarm in a pre-season game at Oshawa’s General Motors Centre at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 15.