Brodie Merrill (born November 5, 1981) is a Canadian professional lacrosse player. Merrill is recognized by the Premier Lacrosse League as having revolutionized the LSM position, and is the namesake for the Brodie Merrill LSM of the Year Award, being the only active PLL player to have an award named after them. Merrill is widely regarded as one of the greatest defensemen in lacrosse history, in both the indoor and outdoor game.[1]
Merrill was born in Montreal to Peter and Patricia, where he grew up playing hockey, soccer, and baseball. He has an older brother, Patrick, and a younger sister Tory. His family moved to Orangeville at the age of eight, in part due to the Quebec seccession movement.[2][3]
Merrill attended the Salisbury School in Connecticut. While attending Salisbury, he was a standout lacrosse player, and was named the New England Defensive Player of the Year, was selected to the All-New England team, and was selected as a First Team High School All-American.
Merrill attended Georgetown University from 2002 to 2005. During his final two years, he was a First-team All-American, and won the Schmeisser Award in his senior year for defensive player of the year. During his final two seasons, Merrill was a Tewaaraton Award finalist, first team All-American and All-ECAC player, and won the William Corcoran Memorial Trophy for team MVP. Additionally, he was the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 and finished his collegiate career with 250 ground balls, a Georgetown record for non-faceoff specialists.[4]
Merrill was the first player taken overall in the 2005 National Lacrosse League Draft by the Portland LumberJax, and in 2006 was named both the NLL's Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. During the 2009 NLL season, he was named a starter to the All-Star Game.[5]
When the LumberJax left Portland at the end of the 2009 season, the league held a dispersal draft. Merrill was selected with the first overall pick in the draft by the Edmonton Rush.
On August 9, 2011, he was traded to the Philadelphia Wings, along with Rush forwards Dean Hill, Mike McLellan, and Edmonton's 41st selection in the 2011 entry draft, and the 4th round selection in 2013. In return, Philadelphia sent Athan Iannucci with teammates Alex Turner and Brodie McDonald, along with Philadelphia's first round draft picks in 2012, 2013 and 2014.[6]
On November 29, 2018, Brodie was signed by the San Diego Seals where he was named captain. He played under his brother, head coach Patrick Merrill.
On February 22, 2020, Merrill became the NLL's all time loose ball leader.[7]
Merrill announced his retirement from professional lacrosse on September 13, 2023.[8] Merrill's number 17 jersey was retired by the Seals in a halftime ceremony during their opening game of the 2023-24 season.[9] However, on March 15, 2024 it was announced that Merrill would be returning to the active roster, and plans to finish the remainder of the 2024 season on the Seals.[10]
Merrill was the MLL Rookie of the Year in 2005 as a member of the Baltimore Bayhawks. From 2006 to 2007, he played for the Rochester Rattlers. For four consecutive years he was awarded the Major League Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year Awards.[11] He then helped the Toronto Nationals win their first MLL championship in their inaugural season, and won the defensive player of the year award for a record fourth consecutive year. Merrill is the all-time ground ball leader in the MLL.[12]
In 2019, Merrill joined Paul Rabil’s new Premier Lacrosse League as a member of the Chaos Lacrosse Club.
On March 11, 2021, Merrill was selected first overall by Cannons Lacrosse Club, the reincarnation of the Boston Cannons, in the PLL Expansion Draft.[13]
Merrill played in his 200th professional field lacrosse game on August 21, 2021, the most of any player in history. [14]
Merrill played his junior lacrosse with the Orangeville Northmen of the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League. In 2000, Merrill lead the Northmen to a league championship. In 2001, Merrill was awarded the "John McCauley Award" for Best Defensive Player, and shared the "B.W. Evans Award" for Top Graduating Player with Dan Bowman the following year.[15]
Merrill began his senior career with the Coquitlam Adanacs of the Western Lacrosse Association, and later the Brampton Excelsiors of Major Series Lacrosse, winning two consecutive Mann Cup championships (2008–2009). Merrill is currently playing for the Kahnawake Mohawks in the Quebec Senior Lacrosse League.
In 2006, he helped the Canadian national lacrosse team to an historic win at the World Lacrosse Championship in London, Ontario. He had an outstanding tournament, being named Best Defender and earning All-World honours.
Brodie and his brother Patrick were a member of the Toronto Rock. Both Brodie and Patrick are members of the Brampton Excelsiors in the Major Series Lacrosse and both were members the Hamilton Nationals of Major League Lacrosse. Additionally, Patrick currently coaches Brodie with the San Diego Seals. He was named by Inside Lacrosse as "The Best Player in the World."-Inside Lacrosse.[16] He is also the Dean of Students and head men's lacrosse coach at The Hill Academy in Caledon, Ontario. At a very young age, he was best friends with lacrosse player Kyle Miller. Both loved the game and chose to play together at the Salisbury School, a prep school in Connecticut, but went on to different colleges. Kyle and Brodie were reunited as teammates on the Canadian roster for the 2006 World Lacrosse Championships. Kyle was diagnosed in 2011 as having Osteosarcoma. He died on June 8, 2013. Brodie is the main editor for the online lacrosse magazine, Brodie Merrill Lacrosse.[17]
Merrill is a fan of the Montreal Canadiens.[18]
Merrill is regarded as one of the best players in the history of lacrosse. He is the NLL's all-time leader in loose balls with 2,778, and is tied with Greg Gurenlian for the most ground balls in the history of professional outdoor lacrosse with 1,120. His 200 games between MLL and PLL are also a record for a field lacrosse player. Additionally, Merrill is the highest scoring long stick in professional field lacrosse history, tallying 146 career points in MLL and PLL. He won the NLL Transition Player of the Year Award a record setting 3 times, and the MLL Defensive Player of the Year a record setting 6 times, all consecutive. Merrill revolutionized the LSM position with his offensive abilities, with the Premier Lacrosse League naming their award for the top LSM in the league after him.[19]
Reference:[20]
GP–Games played; G–Goals; A–Assists; Pts–Points; LB–Loose balls; PIM–Penalty minutes; Pts/GP–Points per games played; LB/GP–Loose balls per games played; PIM/GP–Penalty minutes per games played.
|season18_games_played= |season18_goals= |season18_assists= |season18_loose_balls= |season18_penalty_minutes= |season18_playoff_games_played= |season18_playoff_loose_balls=
GP–Games played; G–Goals; 2PG–2-point goals; A–Assists; Pts–Points; Sh–Shots; GB–Ground balls; Pen–Penalties; PIM–Penalty minutes; FOW–Faceoffs won; FOA–Faceoffs attempted
GP–Games played; G–Goals; 2PG–2-point goals; A–Assists; Pts–Points; Sh–Shots; GB–Ground balls; Pen–Penalties; PIM–Penalty minutes; FOW–Faceoffs won; FOA–Faceoffs attempted