The Saskatchewan Rush only arrived in the province in 2015.
Prior to the team’s arrival box lacrosse was barely known in Saskatchewan, but a pair of championship wins by the Rush in 2016 and 2018 have elevated the sport’s profile.
And now, a scant five years after arriving, the Rush have selected a Saskatchewan player in the recent National Lacrosse League draft selecting Estevan’s Wyatt Haux in the sixth round, 92nd overall.
The Rush website notes; “Haux wasn’t picked just because he’s from down the road in Estevan. He stands 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, is willing to get physical at both ends of the floor, and has a solid resume that includes two stints with
Team Canada at the World Juniors, a trip to Czech Republic for the European Box Invitational, and a good run with the Saskatchewan Swat. He was scheduled to play Junior ‘A’ in St. Catharines until the pandemic hit, but he’ll come to camp and then likely look for a spot to play Senior ‘A’.”
Haux said the draft was one of mixed emotions.
“Definitely I was excited to hear my name,” he said in a recent interview, but then added there was “some disappointment” that it was not called until the sixth round.
“I kind of expected to go a bit higher.”
That expectation seems warranted considering Haux’s resume.
He won gold for Team Canada at the World Junior Lacrosse Championships in 2018 and 2019, and captained Canada’s entry in 2019. He spent 2019 with the Saskatoon Swat junior program.
Haux however said the late selection is something he plans to use as motivation.
“I want to prove to some coaches they were wrong (in not selecting him),” he said, then reiterating “at the same time I’m happy to moving up.”
As for going to the Rush, Haux said it was Saskatchewan or Calgary he hoped to be selected by, the Roughnecks because he attends school in the Alberta city.
With the Rush though “it will be nice to play in front of family and friends,” he said.
Haux is in many ways still a newcomer to the sport, having started in Grade 8 or 9, playing in the Estevan Lacrosse Association, he recalled. He immediately loved the sport.
“I kept on wanting to play at the highest level,” he said, adding that eventually had him trying out for Team Saskatchewan, spending summers in Saskatoon to hone his skills, and ultimately making Team Canada.
The Team Canada experiences are easy highlights of his lacrosse to-date.
“Seeing the Canada logo on your chest means a lot,” he said.
It was also a learning experience, including not to expect wins.
“You can tell Canada is a bit ahead of some countries like the U.S, and Australia,” admitted Haux.
But, then you go into a gold medal game against the Iroquois Nation in 2018, and find yourself down 6-0 before clawing back to win.
“You realize nothing is going to be handed to you,” said Haux.
Being on Team Canada also started Haux believing he could be in the NLL one day.
“It’s always been a dream,” said Haux, but making the national squad made him think he was “not that far from it being a reality.”
That said Haux knows he has a big step still to take.
In self-analyzing his game Haux sad his strength is an asset “being a physical player who can play both sides of the floor,” and play at pace too.
But players in the NLL will be bigger, stronger, faster, and Haux said he will need to grow into the pro game.
Haux, 21, said the obvious goal is to make the Rush, but “the reality is to make the practice roster.” Then he said by year-three he wants to be in a position “to play regularly.”
The process will start at the next Rush camp and Haux said the team has told him to come in the best shape of his life to be ready. In preparation he said, ‘I just want to find time to keep a stick in my hands,” awaiting his chance to start showing he was a steal in the sixth round of the draft.
