What's Next 2026: Boston Cannons

2026 Season Result: 7-5, lost in Semifinals

Draft Selections: 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5

Pending Free Agents:

Zach Goodrich, SSDM

JC Higginbotham, G

Graydon Hogg, A/M

Marcus Holman, A

Brian Kelly, A

Jack Kielty, D

Colin Kirst, G

Connor Kirst, M

Tye Kurtz, A/M

Michael Lampert, A/M

Remington Reynolds, D/LSM

Jeff Trainor, SSDM

SEASON RECAP

Early on, it was tough to get a read on Boston. They had the dreaded week one bye, which means the rest of the league had a game of experience under their belt while Boston did not. They lost the opener to Carolina, then bounced back a day later with a 19-5 drubbing of Philadelphia. It was a wildly puzzling two game start that had fans swinging between “we stink” and “title or bust”. They lost their next three games, two of which by seven goals, which brought fans to the “we actually might stink” side of things. The decision to bench, and eventually cut, MVP finalist Asher Nolting in favor of an unproven attackman in Brian Kelly fueled the fire of criticism, both of the team and the coaching staff. 

But Boston figured it out. They won six of their final seven games, the only loss coming in overtime. They closed the year with exceptional play in their homestand, including a late game comeback into overtime winner from Marcus Holman against Maryland. 

Kelly became a top weapon not just for Boston, but in the league. He posted a 30 point breakout campaign. Marcus Holman refuses to slow down with age, finishing second in the league in points and a finalist for league MVP. Their production helped offset serious injuries that Boston had to handle, as Matt Campbell missed significant time with injury and Ryan Drenner missed the entire year. 

Rookies were a major key for Boston as well. Will Donovan moved down low and showed an ability to cover the league’s elite attackmen, even though he was drafted as an LSM. Andrew McMeekin joined late as he finished his Princeton career with an NCAA title, but the splash was immediate. He had instant success in the league, and showed a real penchant for sparking offense and scoring points himself. Jack Regnery posted multiple points in six of his eight games, finishing with 18 on the season. His dodging prowess saw him start drawing poles within a game of his debut. 

Boston ultimately fell to the eventual league champion Waterdogs in the semifinals. Philadelphia continues to be a bugaboo for the Cannons. Boston’s season has ended against Philly in the semifinals twice in the last four years.

OFFSEASON PLAN

Offseasons in Boston have been pretty similar the past few years. The Cannons have a long list of players on one year deals, they bring back just about all of them, draft for positional need, and roll the team back out again. Their roster has consistently been in the postseason mix, they are rarely regarded as one of the league’s down teams. Even early this year when things weren’t going great, it wasn’t long for them to turn things around. In a sense, the expectation is to do that again.

But it’s also fair to ask the question, has this roster reached maximum potential? As much as they’re always in the mix as a good team, they have yet to even make it to a PLL title game since they joined the league. Their last big free agent signing was Garrett Epple. 

There were some changes this year that might suggest further tweaking is coming. Colin Kirst was moved to a backup role in favor of JC Higginbotham, both are free agents. Goalie is a position that could be evolving this offseason. Asher Nolting was let go in favor of Brian Kelly, who is a free agent. Kelly’s extremely productive season might bring suitors from around the league, though it’s hard to imagine him departing the team that gave him a chance to break into the league and now features him prominently in the offense.

Marcus Holman is listed as a free agent, but he has already said he plans on coming back on a new one year deal. Age doesn’t seem to apply to him, this will be his 15th season and he was an MVP finalist in year 14. Fully healthy seasons from Matt Campbell and Ryan Drenner will help the midfield, as will a full season of availability for Jack Regnery. A young defensive core of Donovan, Hunter Smith, and Owen Grant, along with LSM of the Year winner Ethan Rall, sounds tough to improve on. It sounds pretty good to just run it back, but how many more years can Boston run it back without breaking through before they start making larger changes?