6 for #6

For those of you who have been following along since the beginning of this little bloggy you know that the sports I follow are hockey and indoor lacrosse. Yesterday, was the season opener for my team, the Colorado Mammoth!!!

It was also the retirement ceremony for Brian Langtry. One of the greats of Lacrosse history. His number 6 jersey was raised to the rafters to forever be immortalized in the Mammoth history.

This is what the Mammoth site had to say about Langtry _Source:

The Colorado Mammoth retired the #6 jersey of Brian Langtry and raised it to the Pepsi Center rafters on Saturday evening in an Opening Night pregame ceremony. Langtry joins lacrosse legend Gary Gait as the only two Mammoth players to have their jerseys retired by the franchise.

The Massapequa, New York native played for the Mammoth from 2003-2011 and retired in October as the team’s all-time leader in goals scored. He is also second in franchise history in assists and total points. But, said Mammoth President & General Manager Steve Govett in his address, what he appreciated about the pesky right-hander above all else extended well beyond his scoring marks.

“It’s Brian’s passion that I admire the most. There are no secrets with Brian; he would rip his heart from his chest to play the game of lacrosse.”

Langtry, 35, was joined on stage by his wife, children, mother and brothers. On the field for the ceremony were students and faculty from Challenge School, the school in the Cherry Creek district where the retired lacrosse player teaches.

Shortly after the Washington (D.C.) Power franchise relocated to Denver in the summer of 2002 and became the Colorado Mammoth, Langtry earned a spot on the roster when he wowed coaches and front-office staff at an open tryout. Following the team’s inaugural season in 2003, Langtry was named the National Lacrosse League’s Rookie of the Year.

In 2006, he scored 10 points and five goals in three playoff games, culminating with a Champion’s Cup victory and the organization’s lone NLL title. He holds franchise single-game records for goals (9) and points (13), which the forward achieved in a March, 2008 game in Portland. The 2009 campaign was the best of Langtry’s career, as he led the team with 38 goals and 79 points.

Nine months ago, in a must-win in Edmonton, the team’s vocal leader joined an exclusive club as he reached the 500 career-point plateau. His bronze medal-winning performance at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships last May would be the last box lacrosse game Langtry would ever play. The Mammoth announced Langtry’s retirement in October; on Saturday night, the organization immortalized the star.

“You people, I played for you, I love the fans of Colorado,” said Langtry.

To the great pleasure of the fans at the Pepsi center, the Mammoth kicked the Swarm’s butt by a nice 6 points! How ironic that on the night we honor one of our amazing players, we win by exactly the number he proudly wore on his jersey for 9 years!