Going to the vice-principal’s office isn’t usually a good thing, except if you’re the vice-principal, and in the case of Curtis Hodgson it’s the Vancouver Stealth that is getting punished. Whether the New Westminster Salmonbellies do too, Hodgson has yet to determine.
The National Lacrosse League team announced the retirement of captain Curtis Hodgson on Monday because he has become a vice-principal at Burnaby South Secondary. Hodgson has been a member of the Stealth since December 2004. It is the only NLL team he’s played with.
“Although I am no longer able to commit to playing, I feel privileged to be able to remain with the organization,” said Hodgson in a Stealth press release. “I look forward to this new chapter and challenge in my career.”
Hodgson played in 211 games over 13 seasons for the Stealth, winning a league title in 2010 and appearing in the final three times. The defensive stalwart scored 35 goals and had 70 assists in his NLL career.
“Curtis has embodied everything that is good about our sport over his entire career,” said Stealth president and general manager Doug Locker in the release. “He has been an exceptional player on the floor and an unbelievable leader to a generation of players off the floor. He has always been a great ambassador of the game.
“As an organization we are very grateful to him for his years of loyalty, sacrifice, leadership and commitment. He is a very special person, and we are happy he will continue with the team in other capacities now that his playing career has concluded.”
He will remain with the Stealth in the front office in a player development role. The team expects to honour Hodgson at a home game in the upcoming season.
In an email reply to the Record, Hodgson said he hasn’t had time to determine whether or not he’ll return to the lineup of the 2017 Western Lacrosse Association champion Salmonbellies next summer.
