The Toronto Rock’s annual goal is simple – win the NLL Championship. After a thrilling 14-13 overtime win, the shorthanded Rock were swept in the Eastern Finals by perennial rivals, the Buffalo Bandits – both in one goal games. It’s very rare that the Rock make drastic moves in the offseason, even after a loss. But that’s just what General Manager Jamie Dawick did this offseason. Backup netminder Riley Hutchcraft…
Press Release: Toronto Rock relocating home games for 2023-24 season
Several Venues Under Consideration For Temporary Home Game Relocation During FirstOntario Centre Renovation Project Oakville, ON – On Friday, the Toronto Rock were officially informed by the Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG) of the estimated 20-month timeline for the renovation project that will transform Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre into a world-class sports and entertainment venue. The expanded budget and renovation timeline will mean the Toronto Rock will relocate their home…
ALL West: Black Fish, Grizzlies victorious during opening weekend
While one game was a high-scoring affair featuring a combined 31 goals with the Black Fish winning 16-15, the day’s second game saw the Grizzlies score the 11-7 victory over the Sea Spray on Sunday afternoon at Langley Events Centre as the Arena Lacrosse League West Division kicked off its second season. Black Fish 16 Shooting Eagles 15 For much of Sunday’s game between the Black Fish and Shooting Eagles,…
NLL: Bandits gearing up for another run at league title
The Buffalo Bandits started the 2021-22 season perfectly. Literally. They were 6-0 to start the year before suffering their first loss February 12th in Toronto. In that 6-1 stretch, Buffalo beat teams like Calgary, Rochester, Toronto and New York, which was an overtime thriller at Nassau Coliseum. Their offense was red hot, defense was stifling, oh, and they had one of best goalies in the world, in Matt Vinc. Following…
Ranking the NLL’s Uniforms
I am a fan of sports jerseys. I have an entire closet of them from most of the major sports and several of the minor ones as well. So when I started following the National Lacrosse League almost 20 years ago, I started paying attention to what the teams were wearing. There have been some fantastic uniforms in the NLL over the years. And some awful ones (does anyone still…
NLL: Philadelphia Wings look to improve middle-of-the-pack finish in 2022-23
As the Philadelphia Wings begin preparations for the 2022-23 season, let’s take a look back and the positives of the past season, and also some things management needs to iron out and adjust. Let’s get the obvious out of the way – the impact of Covid won’t be written about. Every team in the league dealt with it, and teams will continue to deal with it. The Wings had an up-and-down…
Mann Cup: Peterborough Lakers win fourth consecutive national title
The Mann Cup Canadian championship returned this year after a two-year Covid-19 absence, and it was a series for the ages. The Peterborough Lakers of Major Series Lacrosse – defending champs – and the Langley Thunder of the Western Lacrosse Association met in Peterborough in early September to battle for the national title. The hometown Lakers were victorious, winning the series in a nail biting seven-game series. The Lakers came…
President’s Cup: Ladner Pioneers win coveted Sr. B trophy
After a two-year hiatus, the President’s Cup tournament returned to Edmonton where seven teams from across Canada competed for the crown of top Senior B team in the nation. The Edmonton Miners – winners of the last three President’s Cup’s – played host at the 1,600 seat Bill Hunter Arena. The teams that qualified for the tournament were: Edmonton Miners (RMLL), Akwesasne Bucks (CanAm), Six Nations Rivermen (OLA), Capital Region…
PLL: Waterdogs, Chaos to meet in league finals
The semifinals of the PLL season were live on September 11 from Audi Field in Washington D.C. Two huge matchups were taking place, the first being Waterdogs and Whipsnakes. This would be the third time these two teams faced off against one another this season, with each team having one win apiece. This rubber match would be the most important. Oh, and to make it even sweeter, both of the…
NLL: Halifax Thunderbirds roster taking shape for 2022-23
At the end of the second quarter of their 2022 quarterfinal, the Halifax Thunderbirds appeared to be done. They were trailing the Toronto Rock 9-3, and it was all but certain that Toronto would move on. But the Thunderbirds turned it on in the second half and tied the game at 13 to send it to overtime. However, they couldn’t complete the comeback, and Challen Rogers scored to end the Thunderbirds’ season. …