Shognosh drafted in NLL first round by Buffalo

Waukiigan Shognosh

The National Lacrosse League’s Buffalo Bandits selected Walpole Island’s Waukiigan Shognosh in the first round of the NLL draft on Saturday, 14th overall.

Shognosh, who is only 18 years old, played Ontario Junior A lacrosse this past season for the Peterborough Junior Lakers. He won the Sanderson Memorial Award as the OJLL goaltender of the year.

Drafted by the Lakers second second overall in the 2024 Ontario Junior A Lacrosse League draft, Shognosh spent his first year of junior playing Junior B lacrosse with his hometown Wallaceburg Red Devils and was named the Junior B league’s rookie-of-the-year.

Shognosh also won two gold medals with Team Ontario at the 2023 Canadian under-17 boys’ box lacrosse championship and the North American Indigenous Games.

The Bandits currently have Matt Vinc as their primary goaltender. Vinc, 43, has won eight NLL goaltender of the year awards in his career and is one of the best (if not the best) box lacrosse goalies ever. Vinc made his NLL debut in 2006, a year before Shognosh was born.