The Calgary Roughnecks today announced that they have placed the Franchise Tag on goaltender Christian Del Bianco ahead of the 2024 National Lacrosse League free agency period.
The 26-year-old Coquitlam native has played 8 seasons in Calgary and was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
In addition, the club has provided Qualifying Offer Plus sheets to three pending restricted free agents – defenceman Reece Callies, forward Tyler Pace and forward Thomas Hoggarth. The qualifying offers remove the three players from the free agency pool.
Callies and Pace are entering their 6th and 7th year with the Roughnecks, respectively. Hoggarth enters his second season with the Roughnecks having joined the club at the start of the 2023-24 season from Rochester.
The National Lacrosse League also announced today that the start of free agency is August 29.
The league’s statement is as follows:
“The National Lacrosse League announced today it is moving the start of free agency from Thursday, August 1 to Thursday, August 29. As means of additional clarity surrounding this calendar shift and its accompanying considerations: (1) The deadline for Qualifying Offers (QO & QO+) and Franchise Player designations shall remain July 31; (2) Beginning August 1, Clubs may not contact or communicate with RFA’s or UFA’s, and trades shall not be permitted; (3) Clubs may sign their own players who are ineligible for free agency (including those who received a QO+); (4) The Free Agency period shall begin August 29 at 12:00 AM ET and the resumption of permitted trades shall also be August 29 at 12:00 AM ET.”