Eric Law is Denver. From Arapahoe High School to Denver University to the original Denver Outlaws, Law has spent his career embodying and helping grow lacrosse in Colorado. Now, he’ll once again represent the team he grew up loving.

Law was claimed by the Outlaws on Tuesday after his release from the New York Atlas. After an injury sidelined him for the first half of the season, he’ll suit up for the first time with a new squad after the All-Star break. But it’s not a new jersey for Law.

The former Denver Pioneer was drafted by the hometown Outlaws in 2013 and spent the first six years of his career with the franchise in the MLL. He’s the first player from the original Outlaws to join the new PLL squad.

“I was pumped to see that the name was back,” Law said. “Now I'm hoping I can help bring that same Outlaws standard and Outlaws culture that made the organization so successful for so long in the MLL over to the PLL.”

Denver head coach Tim Soudan had his eye on Law as a potential addition to the team all season. A trade never really made sense for Denver, but when Law became available this week, it was hard not to bring in an Outlaws legend.

Soudan – who coached against Law for years in both the MLL and PLL – had always been impressed with the attackman’s game.

“You gotta keep an eye on him,” Soudan said. “At the end of the game, you're like, ‘Well, what happened?’ You see that he had three goals and two assists.”

Denver won a lot during Law’s first run with the team. The Outlaws won championships in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Law, a four-time MLL All-Star, played a key role in those title runs and was named MLL Player of the Year in 2017.

He hopes to bring the lessons from those winning teams to Denver's young core.

“[Former Outlaws and Denver Broncos owner Pat] Bowlen’s philosophy was always ‘championship or bust,’ and that culture is built around people doing the little things for the greater good of the team,” Law said. “[I’m] hoping to kind of bring that culture back into it.”

Law also brings needed experience to Denver’s attack. Logan Wisnauskas, who’s been on the PUP list since Week 2, is the most seasoned attackman on the roster, and he’s only in his fourth season. Law is now in Year 12.

Playing alongside rookies like Brennan O’Neill and Josh Zawada, Law will bring a stabilizing presence. 

“I think he's going to be able to be a quarterback on the field and slow these guys down and just kind of organize them more,” Soudan said.

Law played a similar role with the Atlas. He started between rookies Jake Carraway and Jeff Teat in 2021, and he played between Teat and rookie Chris Gray the next season. Law knows how to help young attackmen adjust, and he’s looking to bring that to the Outlaws.

“I've got a lot of experience of playing for a while in the league that I've kind of almost seen every scenario,” Law said. “I’m just trying to help voice that and be as encouraging as I can, and kind of be that person that uplifts people.”

Law is more than just a homecoming story or a veteran leader, though. He’s still here to play and compete at the highest level.

Last season, he scored 22 goals — his most since 2018 — for the Atlas. He’s topped 20 points in each of the last three seasons. Xander Dickson’s emergence would’ve kept Law off the field for New York, but now a healthy Law has a chance to continue playing.

“It's tough to be sitting at home and watching the games on your couch as a casual fan,” Law said.

The PLL will return to Denver in August. For Law, representing the new iteration of the Outlaws in the city that means so much to him would be an honor.

“Anytime we get to play in Denver, it's always circled on my calendar, and just means just a little bit more,” Law said. “Getting the opportunity to wear that Denver jersey across my chest in Denver with a bunch of people I know in the stands would be kind of the icing on the cake.”