Curtis Dickson has been here before.
The mixed emotions he’s feeling ahead of his return to the Rough House on Friday night are much the same as the ones he had when making the difficult decision to leave the Calgary Roughnecks last off-season for the San Diego Seals.
Where he’s never been, however, is in the visitors room ahead of a game at Scotiabank Saddledome.
“I’m feeling excited, little bit nervous,” admitted Dickson, on the eve of his first game back in Calgary after electing not to re-sign with the only National Lacrosse League franchise with which he’d ever played. “It’s going to be very strange walking into that building and heading into the visiting dressing room.
“A lot of great moments in that arena, so it will be emotional, for sure.”
Those moments included many of the club-high 521 goals he scored throughout his 10-year career — all with the Roughnecks until inking with the Seals via free agency — and the celebrated clinch of the 2019 NLL championship.
Whether this one’s great Friday on WestJet Field at the Dome (7 p.m., TSN) remains to be seen after he rejected a lucrative deal to stay with the Roughnecks, opting instead to follow former Riggers superstar and good-buddy Dane Dobbie, who left the previous off-season to sign on down south with the same Seals.
“I think — I hope — I will get a warm welcome back,” said Dickson, who became affectionately known at the Rough House as ‘Superman’ because of all his heroics. “I know Dane did last year. Calgary has some of the most passionate and knowledgeable fans in the league. Pre-game, they will show their appreciation, but once that ball drops, it’s friends off — and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
“As for the players, I’m still in touch with a lot of the guys and trained with a few in the off-season,” continued Dickson, a 34-year-old native of Port Coquitlam, B.C. “I think the same can be said for them as the fans. Pre-game, we will be hugging it out and shaking hands, but once that ball drops, they’ll want to put me through the turf just like any other guy with a Seals jersey on.”
That was the case last year with former captain Dobbie.
The Roughnecks didn’t give him much room and punished the legend at every possible turn.
And this year’s Riggers crew seems even more dedicated to that kind of defence no matter the enemy.
Their recent commitment to their own end was made necessary partly because of the decisions by Dickson and Dobbie to depart Calgary but also due to the veteran personnel back there and the young talent joining the defensive lineup.
They’ve shown immense defence so far by allowing just 13 goals in their first two games of the season — both wins over the Vancouver Warriors (0-3), including
And at home against the Rush, ‘Superman’ put on his cape — as he did so often with the Roughnecks — and rallied the Seals back from a seven-goal deficit in the third quarter for a 13-12 overtime triumph. Dickson dropped home the OT winner, taking a pass from another former Roughnecks star, Wes Berg, and scored in tight on Rush goalkeeper Eric Penney before crashing into an official near the end-boards.
That capped a four-goal, eight-point game for Dickson, who sits second in NLL goals with nine and third among league scorers with 16 points.
Meanwhile, Dobbie had a second-straight one-goal, five-assist affair for the Seals.
So the Roughnecks know they will have to bring the offence against a pair of familiar faces.
“Curtis spent a lot of time with the organization,” said Roughnecks GM Mike Board. “He has a lot of friends who are still on the team. I am sure it will feel different for them facing Curtis as an opponent rather than having him as a teammate. And it will likely be the same for Curtis. Certainly there will likely be some emotions on both sides. But once the ball drops, it’s game on.
“It’s about getting a win.”
QUICK STICKS
Dickson is closing in on an assist milestone, needing just six to reach 400 all-time … Teammate Austin Staats, another offensive weapon — with a team-high 37 goals and 79 points last year — for the Seals, returns to the lineup from being on the suspended list for Friday’s game … Meanwhile, it’s status quo for the winning Roughnecks, who expect to go with the same lineup they did in wrecking the Warriors two weeks ago … Week 5 of the NLL also features a second Friday tilt between the Halifax Thunderbirds (2-0) and the Buffalo Bandits (1-1) and a Saturday square-off pitting the Rush at home against Panther City Lacrosse Club (2-1).
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