When it comes to the sport of lacrosse on the men’s side, Canada has always been at the top when it comes to Box Lacrosse, while the Americans have primarily owned the field game. Since the beginning of professional box lacrosse in North America back in 1987, most players have been Canadian and have dominated the league. The rest of the players are of Indigenous descent or from the U.S. Of the fragment of players that are American, there are two National Lacrosse League players who are in their first and second years in the league with the Toronto Rock this season. Brian Cameron and Elijah Gash have already drummed up a mass amount of buzz within the Rock locker room.
“Gasher is a beast. When you look at his physicality and stature, it’s better than probably anyone in the league,” Cameron said to describe Gash.
“Cameron is a workhorse, one of the best. One thing you hear about Americans is they just work, and they work hard, and he definitely does that,” Gash explained when talking about Cameron.
Brian was born and raised in Bedford, New Hampshire while Elijah grew up in South Lyon, Michigan. It’s where each of them learned the game of lacrosse at a young age.
“My dad played in the MILL back in the day,” Cameron said of his father Chris who played for the original Boston Blazers franchise in the early 90s. “I’ve always been a fan of the NLL and following the league. Going to lacrosse tournaments there would be booths and vendors there asking questions like, ‘Who’s the NLL MVP from last season?’ and I’d be like ‘Dan Dawson’, so I love lacrosse.”
The 6’4” forward began his collegiate career at the University of North Carolina where he became one of their top players, even as a freshman. Cameron finished his freshman season in 2019 with 12 goals and five assists in 15 games for the Tar Heels. He spent the next two seasons at UNC before transferring to Rutgers University for his Senior year. In that year, Cameron really started to think about his lacrosse future and decided to declare for the NLL draft, and that’s where he got some very strong guidance from Rock forward, and American born player, Tom Schreiber.
“I was working with Tom a little bit before the draft, so he helped connect me with the coaching staff here, so I’ll forever be grateful for that connection,” said Cameron when looking back at his draft year. “[Tom] was also my roommate in Ottawa, so picking his brain on little things, but just being with him and everyone knows he’s the best player in the world, and has been for the last five, six years, that was a really special weekend for myself.”
After a very successful training camp and good performances in the Rock’s preseason games, Cameron found himself suiting up for the Rock on opening night on the road against the Ottawa Black Bears and was rewarded with this very first National Lacrosse League goal. Cameron used his wealth of field lacrosse knowledge to split dodge past his defender and he found the back of the net.
“It was a surreal moment,” Cameron said with joy after scoring his first NLL goal. “It was great for me, and I received lots of messages and congratulatory texts from family, friends, and the players that I coach so that was cool.
Cameron was also thankful to experience his first NLL game with some fellow Americans, including Elijah Gash who caught the eye of Cameron in his first game with the Rock.
“I think the biggest thing about Gash is he’s in the facility every time I come here and the sky’s the limit for him,” Cameron commented. “He’s athletic, physical, and he’s certainly improved since the beginning of training camp. He also played great in Ottawa and he’s just the kind of guy that raises the level of everyone around him, so it’ll be fun to watch and work with him this season.”
For Gash, he had to make some major adjustments to his playing after coming into the NLL as solely a field lacrosse defender and learning all his defensive techniques with a long pole.
“I hadn’t picked up a short stick until the night I got drafted by Georgia,” Gash said. “But I was excited to learn more about the box game and defending in it as well.”
Gash was drafted by the Georgia Swarm in the 2022 NLL Draft only to find out that the pick was voided. He was ruled ineligible due to his remaining active NCAA eligibility that hadn’t been waived prior to the draft. The hulking defender didn’t know what to do about his lacrosse career. He thought he was going to have to move back to Michigan from Albany and find a full-time job. But in the 2023 NLL draft, Gash heard his name called in the third round by the Panther City Lacrosse Club. During his time with PCLC, Gash appreciated the approach of the coaching staff and how Tracey Kelusky and Rock alumni Steve Toll helped him learn the box game.
“They allowed me to travel every single weekend after camp because everyone lived out of market which was very helpful for me as a young player and I was blessed for having that opportunity,” Gash explained. “Another thing that both Toll and Tracey did for me was they took their time with me, because I was super, super green, so them being able to take a breath and teach me things was very helpful and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Gash found his way into the lineup with PCLC for a total of four games last season and enjoyed every shift he had in the NLL. Especially once there was some speculation around whether PCLC would exist next year, and unfortunately the league would indeed make an announcement that the Fort Worth, Texas based franchise would cease operations on August 30th, 2024.
“I didn’t think I was going to play lacrosse again. I was looking at getting a regular job and there were a lot of questions and unknowns floating around in my head.”
Once the league announced that PCLC would close its doors and that a dispersal draft would be held, Gash was nervous, unsure if any team would acquire his rights, and once Toronto selected him, Gash was ecstatic.
“It was a whirlwind,” Gash chuckled. “Not only did I find out they drafted me, I learned very quickly that I was going to be moving here. So, it was a lot of emotions, really, really fast, but all good ones. I’m thankful that the team and organization took a shot on me and that I’m here.”
While at the University of Albany, Gash’s roommate was Graydon Hogg who is a member of the Rochester Knighthawks and grew up in Courtice, ON playing the box game. Gash credits Hogg’s willingness to share his knowledge of the box game to his own success and being able to make an NLL roster.
“Just being around Graydon every single day,” Gash said with excitement when talking about his college roommate. “It also wasn’t just living with Hogg; it was just being around Canadians and the culture. It’s different up in Canada and they’re so nice and polite so if I ever had questions, Hogger would help break it down for me and walk me through it. So, it was always cool to pick his brain and see what he knows.”
When Elijah headed north, he moved into a Greater Toronto Area house with Rock teammates Nick Rose, Latrell Harris, and Tyler Hendrycks, and Gash has loved every second of it enjoying the adjustment to playing professionally.
“The wealth of knowledge the three of them have is incredible,” Gash said, praising his roommates. “Having a place like the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre [TRAC], I can come and workout for hours on end and pick people’s brains. The team has also been super welcoming and have been really patient with me, so I’m super grateful for that.”
With the 2024-25 Home Opener approaching, both Cameron and Gash are eager to experience what Toronto Rock fans are like and are looking forward to soaking it all in.
“I’m ready for it,” Gash blurted out thinking about the home opener. “Even the exhibition games here were packed and it felt like a real game so I’m looking forward to being out on the floor and surrounded by Toronto fans and familiarize myself with just kind of how they do business on a game day. I also want to show the fans and aspiring players that I will run through a brick wall for them.” For Cameron, he’s been to NLL games in the U.S., but now he’s ready to experience what Canadian fans can bring. “I’m expecting a packed house,” Cameron said eagerly. “I saw what the facility is like on media day and the arena so I’m hoping it’s going to be loud in there and I’m excited to be out on our home floor.”
Cameron, Gash and the rest of the Rock organization are gearing up for the home opener on December 7 at Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga against the Albany FireWolves at 7PM ET. Fans can watch the game on TSN, TSN+ and NLL+.
For more information on Toronto Rock tickets, please contact a Toronto Rock account executive by phone at 416-596-3075, by email at tickets@torontorock.com or visit torontorock.com.
