Tracey Kelusky

Tracey Kelusky enters his second season as the Head Coach of the Panther City Lacrosse Club after one of the most successful seasons ever for an expansion club in NLL history. Panther City won seven games, which was more wins than the previous two expansion teams combined and also oversaw a five-game winning streak and had the team in the playoff hunt up until the final weekend of the season.

For his work, Kelusky was awarded the 2021-22 Les Bartley NLL Head Coach of the Year Award. Kelusky is the first head coach of an expansion team to win Coach of the Year honors since Derek Keenan won the award for the Portland

In 2021-22, Kelusky adjusted mid-season to make Panther City one of the NLL’s most potent offenses, especially on the man advantage, as the team finished in the top half in the league on the power play and on the penalty kill. Kelusky’s offense also recorded the highest scoring output in the NLL in 2021-22 as they team recorded 20 goals against the eventual 2021-22 NLL Champions, the Colorado Mammoth.

Kelusky is a long-standing NLL veteran from Peterborough, Ontario, compiling 383 goals, 440 assists and 823 points during his illustrious 14-year career. After announcing his retirement from the NLL, he joined the coaching ranks of the New England Blackwolves before moving on to the Philadelphia Wings to serve as their offensive coach.

In addition to his work with the NLL, Kelusky has served as an assistant coach with the Peterborough Lakers of Major Series Lacrosse, and he was also an assistant coach with Finland during the FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championships in 2015.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 NLL Entry Draft, Kelusky was the Rookie of the Year in 2001, and went on to become a five-time NLL All Star, the All-Star MVP in 2005 and a NLL Sportsman- ship Award winner in 2007. Kelusky also has considerable postseason experience, netting 37 goals, 30 assists and 67 points over the course of 16 playoff games. His 37 playoff goals rank ninth all time in NLL history and helped lead Calgary to NLL Championships in 2004 and 2009. In September of 2016, Kelusky was inducted into the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame during his second stint on the ballot for his extraordinary contributions.

In addition to NLL success, Kelusky also displayed dominance internationally and in other la- crosse organizations. He racked up 499 points in 159 regular season games with Major Series Lacrosse and Western Lacrosse Association teams from 1993-2013 and was a member of the Canadian team that won the 2003 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championship. He also captured gold indoors with Team Canada in 2007 and 2011 and Silver at the 2002 World Lacrosse Championships.

A former University of Hartford standout, Kelusky still holds the program record for goals in a season (59 in 2000, goals per game in a season (4.21 in 2000), the top mark for points per game in a season (5.93 in 2000) and stands second in all-time career goals (139), points (209) and single season point total (83 in 2000). He was inducted into the University of Hartford Alumni Hall of Fame in 2006.

Kelusky, who owns Evolve Elite Lacrosse, lives in Peterborough, Ontario with his wife Emily and son Kellar.