Sports This Week: Aaron Bold: 'Feeling wanted by a team is special'

YORKTON - When the Saskatchewan Rush arrived in Saskatoon in 2016 they found immediate success and large raucous crowds.

At the time the team was backstopped by goaltender Aaron Bold who quickly became a fan-favourite who cheered each save by ‘Stone Cold’ a nickname given the veteran cage guard.

Bold, who began his NLL career in 2006 with long defunct Portland, played in 18 regular season and four playoff games with the Rush as they won the NLL crown. He followed that with a 17 game effort in 2017.

He recalls his Rush days fondly.

“Saskatchewan was awesome,” he said, adding when he includes time in Edmonton “I’ve spent the majority of my career with that organization.

In addition to the back-to-back NLL championships in 2015 and 2016, Bold also appeared on a world champion Team Canada roster in 2015, and has won the Mann Cup, and Minto Cup.

But after two years in Saskatoon Bold left, and has been something of an NLL gypsy since, spending time in Vancouver, then Halifax where Bold saw action down the stretch in the 2021-22 Thunderbirds season, finishing the regular season with 204:25 min. played, a 2-1 win-loss record, 12.33 GAA, and .698 save percentage.

But, just ahead of the current season the Thunderbirds released Bold.

However, the already long career was not yet over as Bold recently re-upped with the Warriors.

“It wasn’t too long a hiatus,” Bold told Yorkton This Week.

Bold admitted the Halifax decision was a tough one coming as it did just before the start of the season, limiting his options to sign on with another club for the season, but he was pragmatic about the Thunderbird decision.

“I think more than anything, as you get a little bit later in your career reactions change,” he said.

That includes understanding the business side of the game, calling the Halifax decision “the nature of the beast.”

In that regard the call from the Warriors also came as just the way the game works.

“It wasn’t too big a surprise,” said Bold, who said he’d simply concentrated on his business staying ready should a team call.

Bold did add it is gratifying he was called though.

“Feeling wanted by a team is something that makes you feel good,” he said.

While Bold will likely see time on the floor, it’s also pretty clear he is on-board as a mentor to 22-year-old netminder Aden Walsh and Chase Cosgrove, 21, who appear the future of Vancouver netminding.

Bold said he appreciates the Warriors see him as someone who can help the young goalies grow into the NLL.

“It’s special they have confidence in who I am to have a little bit more of a mentorship role,” he said.

Bold said it’s a big step to play net in the NLL, adding it’s often about developing the right mindset to be successful.

At the same time Bold would relish time in net himself. He said he has told Walsh he plans to challenge for playing time and if he does get to play he expects push back from the young goalie.

“I told him, ‘I want you to push me if I’m in net and vice versa,” he said.

Bold did note it is getting harder to be a goaltender in the NLL, which is such an offensive league.

“Everybody can score now,” he said, adding he is amazed at the talent every young player brings to the league in terms of offence.

So will mentoring with the Warriors be a springboard to coaching one day for Bold?

“I think lacrosse is always going to be in my blood,” he said, adding he can see himself in a role as a goaltender coach, or maybe analyzing film.

“I watch the game really well. I can see plays develop,” he said, adding it comes from all the years with a goaltender’s view of the game.