DENVER – Yeah, we just bragged him up as the Mammoth’s Teammate of the Year.
Yes, he was nominated as a finalist for the NLL’s Teammate of the Year, just the same.
Yep, he paced the team with a career-high 160 loose balls while setting a new personal-high point total at 14 points (1g, 13a) across yet another impactful season leading the charge for the Burgundy Boys.
He’s been in the new a lot lately, rightfully so.
And even though he’s been in the spotlight the past few weeks, it’s hard not to start offseason recaps with the squad’s captain and defensive anchor, so here we are.
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Every man sets out to make his surname and related family history proud at some point in his life. For a man wielding the crest of “Hope,” he surely hasn’t disappointed, once again delivering a standout campaign top to bottom as the team’s vocal leader and on-floor commander.
He’s never afraid to shed some light on the team, even throughout the organization’s dark two-season stretch of missing playoffs. And, naturally, he was the same force who led the team out of said muddied waters, with the team going on to establish a 12-6 record and bringing playoff lacrosse back to Ball Arena this spring.
Ending his eleventh season, all of which he’s played with the Mammoth, with new career-high totals in points and loose balls (which ranked fifth-most in the NLL) was merely the beginning of his stellar season, as Hope tied his personal-best blocked shot total (28) just the same, which served as the fourth-most amongst all players this season.
Tying rookie defenseman Connor Nock with a squad-best 14 caused turnovers, he was a menace defensively despite being one of the older guys on the turf for a majority of his sets. With age comes wisdom, and Hope has plenty of it, evident each time he graces the floor.
He rarely needs to convince guys around the locker room to buy in, as anybody who’s spent a year, season, game, practice or even a shift in Hope’s vicinity knows 110% effort is expected when representing the Mammoth organization. And for the Peterborough, Ontario native, it’s honestly evident trickling down throughout his summer ball action with the Lakers, time on the bench and even throughout his weekdays interacting with Ontario’s education community.
At 34 years of age, the long, lanky “Hopey” won’t be playing the game forever. But, knowing his passion for the game and established coaching presence makes him quite the candidate to earn a look at coaching circles throughout North America once his playing days come to an end.
However, despite the talented pace-setter set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, there’s a good chance he’s back donning his burgundy and black threads when the league’s 2026-27 slate rolls around.
Mammoth fans can stay tuned to coloradomammoth.com and Colorado Mammoth social media channels for the latest news, transactions and beyond!
