The National Lacrosse League announced on Tuesday evening that Joey Cupido has been named the league’s 2015 Transition Player of the Year. An impact player for the Colorado Mammoth this past season, the 25-year-old Ontario native received the honor at the NLL Season Awards & Hall of Fame Ceremony in his home province.
Cupido led the league in 2015 with 40 cause turnovers. Officially a defenseman, Cupido scored 16 goals, twice as many as any other back-end player. His 31 points were also tops among players of his position, and his .372 shooting percentage led the league among all players who scored 10-plus goals. He scored two hat tricks this past season, and forced a career-high seven turnovers in the home opener against the Roughnecks.
“It’s a tremendous honor to receive the award,” said Cupido. “The other two finalists (Toronto’s Brodie Merrill and Calgary’s Karsen Leung) are unbelievable lacrosse players… I really think this is a team award. I can’t thank my coaches and teammates enough, and everyone involved in the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse organization for putting me in a position where I was able to be so successful and allowing me to have a chance with the franchise.”
Cupido is the first Mammoth player since 2012 to take home a league award (other than All-Pro or All-Rookie Team honors). That season, John Grant Jr. was named the league’s Most Valuable Player and Adam Jones was the Rookie of the Year.
“Joey had one of those seasons that Mammoth fans will always remember,” said team president & general manager Steve Govett. “We knew he was a steal in the fifth round when we drafted him four years ago, and he proved it as an all-rookie performer. This past season, Joey really came into his own and showed that he’s a threat at both ends of the floor.”
Aptly nicknamed ‘Lightning’, Cupido struck fear in opponents as he routinely forced turnovers and ran the floor. He is the first Mammoth player to win the award.