Finn Thomson, Joey Spallina and Dante Bowen were selected from Syracuse in the first round of the 2026 National Lacrosse League draft: Thomson went first overall to Rochester, Spallina fifth to Calgary and Bowen sixth to Buffalo.
Thomson led Syracuse with 45 goals last season and scored seven goals on 11 shots in nine games for the California Redwoods in the PLL. Calgary traded up from the 10th pick to select Spallina, who was named PLL Rookie of the Year after recording 36 points in 10 games with the Maryland Whipsnakes. Bowen also played for the Redwoods in the PLL.
The NLL season begins in late November, with games streaming on ESPN+ and TSN+. Buffalo, Bowen’s new team, won three consecutive NLL titles from 2023 through 2025. Syracuse alum Sam English was MVP of last year’s NLL championship series.
