When you think about the Vancouver Warriors, you probably think about head coach and general manager Curt Malawsky. Who could blame you? He’s a Hall of Famer for a reason. Some players who might come to mind are Keegan Bal, Adam Charlambides, or maybe newly acquired goaltender Christian Del Bianco, and rightfully so. All these players have contributed a ton to the Warriors recent success, but a large part of their success this season is because of the defence. The defence has some studs, namely Matt Beers, Reid Bowering, and Jeff Cornwall, just to name a few. But the anchor is Ryan Dilks.
Dilks is a two-time National Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Year. He won his first in 2015-16 as a member of the Saskatchewan Rush, and the second last year in Vancouver. It’s the highest honour in the league that a defender can receive. Even though Dilks is 34, he is still playing at an elite level. He feels that getting up in age made the accolade mean more.
“It was pretty important, I’d rather obviously (have) won the championship with the boys, but it was important for me just (because I’m) getting older and near the end of my career. I was not losing confidence, but it was nice to (get),show the ability that I can still play at the highest level and still be one of the best players out there. It really helped my confidence level and showed I still got some gas in the tank.”
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Obviously, the goal that every player has at the start of the season is to win a championship, but it’s great to be acknowledged with an individual award. Dilks feels no different.
“The goal is to always win the last game of the year and win the cup, but in doing so that kind of results (winning an award) in when you’re trying so hard to win every game that like if you get an independent award out of it and it’s kind of a bonus, but more importantly I wish we could have done better in the regular season.”
Dilks has played in the NLL for 13 years. He spent the first four years in Edmonton and the next seven in Saskatchewan. He won three NLL championships in Saskatchewan but decided to come to Vancouver before the 2023-24 season. Dilks explained how the Warriors hiring Malawsky made his decision to come to the West Coast an easy one.
“I was always interested in Vancouver. One, it’s an amazing city, (two), they have great fan support here and then when the team made the move to pick up Malawsky, that was really the icing on the cake for me. It made the decision really easy once you have the right people in the right place. It’s just altered things after that and you can see the result of it so far already.”
Malawsky’s resume speaks for itself as he’s won championships as a player and as a coach. He’s in the Hall of Fame and knows what it takes to have success in the NLL. He has also helped Dilks grow as a player.
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“He’s been awesome, his communication is incredible. He tells you how it is, and he gives me confidence. The most important thing is he supports me and my family, which allows me to come and do what I do here the best, so he’s really helped me along the way. I’m happy to be able to play under him so far.”
The NLL is a unique league where all players have jobs outside of playing. Dilks is able to balance his family and work life, all while playing lacrosse at an elite level.
“It’s a unique league where I wish this was a full-time league but it is what it is, so it’s all about balance. Since I’ve had two amazing children, it’s become a little more complex, but like I said, you’ve (got to) find the balance and as long as they’re happy. Coach Curt does an amazing job to make sure that everything’s good at home and supports me there so that I’m comfortable, in a good mood, and happy to perform well at my highest level.”
Dilks is highly regarded in the locker room among his teammates and coaches. Everyone around the organization speaks very highly of him, and rightfully so. He is a true professional in every way and has earned that respect. But how does he describe himself as a leader?
“I’m a good mix of lead by example on the floor and vocally off the floor. I’ve been so fortunate to play with some great leaders all the way from Colin Doyle, Dan Dawson, Jimmy Quinlan and even guys like Curt. All I can do is learn from those guys what they’ve taught me and then do my best to teach the young guys and let them learn from my experience as well.”
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One of the things that separates Dilks from the rest of the players is his work ethic. You can’t have a lengthy career without working hard. Dilks is serious about his preparation as he gets ready to perform his best each game.
“Every week is a little different, but I usually watch a lot of game film during the week and then take care of the family, that’s the most important part. Then when I fly out here (to Vancouver), it’s all business. I start physically preparing, hydrating, eating right and then we go through a lot of practice and a lot of prep work for each team and then I cross my fingers, and hope (for) the best that I have another good game.”
When a team has a lot of good players, practices are usually intense. The Warriors are no different. For Dilks, practicing with great players helps him get better. Just like what they say, iron sharpens iron.
“That’s what good teams do. They push each other, they push each other (on) both sides of the ball in practice. It’s hard if you’re not at the top of your game in practice. Sometimes I still get burned by those guys, so it’s good to be against the best and it’s even better when we’re on the same team.”
The Warriors are in the thick of a playoff race, but with a great player and leader like Ryan Dilks – someone who knows what it takes to win at the highest level – there’s a great chance of doing something special.