YORKTON - Matt Hossack will be a member of the Saskatchewan Rush through the 2026-27 season, after recently signing a contract extension.
“This was something Keenan (Rush GM Derek Keenan) mentioned to me a little while ago. I think both of us wanted to get it done,” Hossack said in a recent Yorkton This Week, adding staying with the franchise was a good fit for him. “I was happy with the organization and team we have in Sask. I really enjoy it with this group. It’s something that worked well for both.”
“Matt Hossack has been a major piece in our success so far this season. His play has been exceptionally impactful in many areas,” commented GM Keenan in a release after signing the former Whitby Warrior star to a two-year extension. “We are very pleased to have him on board for an additional two seasons as we continue to strive toward our ultimate goal.”
Hossack, from Port Perry, Ontario, won a 2018 NLL Championship with the Rush and is currently putting up Defender Of The Year numbers this season with a league leading 29 caused turnovers, 97 loose balls, 20 blocked shots and 15 points in 14 games. He is one of the league’s premier defenders returned to the green machine this summer after being selected with the sixth overall pick in the NLL's dispersal draft of Panther City Lacrosse Club.
He was originally taken by the Rush in the second round, 14th overall, of the 2016 NLL Draft out of Rochester Institute of Technology.
Hossack, now an NLL veteran, said he likes the way the Rush have come together this season after a few years of flirting near .500 and missing the playoffs. He said they have been more consistent for the most part this season.’
“I think part of that is retooling,” he said, adding the current roster has a lot of young players, and it can take time for young players “to figure it out” in terms of what it takes at the NLL level to be consistently solid.
That is part of where a player such as Hossack plays a role that is bigger than just in-game skills. Through 116 pro games, the 30-year-old right-handed defenceman has scooped up 644 loose balls, caused 157 turnovers, scored 22 goals and added 61 assists, and that all adds up to him being a veteran young players can look to.
Hossack said obviously the team looks to veterans “to make big plays at key moments of the game” but added younger guys need to find the place too “the same way I had to when I was a younger player in the league.”
With the current roster Hossack said he likes the way the younger players are contributing; “the passion the guys have for doing their job. The guys put a lot of work in and hold themselves accountable throughout the week.”
The Rush have settled into second place in the NLL and appear poised for a return to the playoffs, and from there Hossack said anything is possible.
“I think we’re right there with this group,” said Hossack, adding even in losses against top teams like Buffalo, the Rush are close.
“It comes down to a play or two, here or there. . . A single shot or two. . .
“I don’t think we have to change a whole lot.”
Hossack said, “it’s the way I’m wired,” to believe in his team every season, but this year he really likes “what we have in the locker room.”
