| Current season or competition: 2011 NLL season |
|
NLL logo |
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| Sport | Indoor lacrosse |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1986 |
| Inaugural season | 1987 |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Country(ies) | Canada United States |
| Most recent champion(s) | Toronto Rock |
| Most titles |
Toronto Rock (6) and Philadelphia Wings (6) |
| TV partner(s) | CBS Sports Network |
| Official website | NLL.com |
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the Champion's Cup. Historically, the league has averaged about 10,000 fans per game.[1]
The version of lacrosse played in the NLL is indoor lacrosse, slightly different from box lacrosse, which is played on a hard floor, usually in the summer, and has 4 periods instead of 3. The NLL plays four quarters of fifteen minutes each, with two-minute breaks between the first and second quarters and between the third and fourth quarters, and a twelve-minute break between the second and third (called half-time).[2] The clock does not run when play is stopped.
The team that has scored the most goals at the end of regulation time is declared the winner. If the game is tied after four quarters have been played, the teams begin sudden death overtime; the team that scores first wins the game. Overtime periods are fifteen minutes long, with two-minute breaks between overtime periods.[2] Prior to the 2005 NLL season, overtime periods were 5 minutes each.[3]
Each team dresses twenty players, of whom two are goaltenders; the remaining eighteen are called runners, and may be either forwards or defensemen. There are also players, frequently defensemen, who specialize in the transition from defense to offense.
The team in possession of the ball has ten seconds to move the ball over the center line, and thirty seconds to take a shot on net. If either of these time periods expires, the whistle is blown, and the opposing team is given possession. In the NLL, the shot clock runs while a team that is killing a penalty has possession of the ball; this is not the case in all box lacrosse leagues (e.g. Major Series Lacrosse, Western Lacrosse Association).
Each team in the NLL plays sixteen games during the regular season, eight at home and eight away.[4] The teams are divided into two divisions, the Eastern division and the Western division. Each team plays at least twelve of its sixteen regular season games against division opponents.
The regular season begins in late December and ends in April. At the end the regular season, the top three teams in the Eastern Division and the top four teams in the Western division make the playoffs. Either the fourth-placed Eastern division team or the fifth-placed Western division team, based upon regular season record, also makes the playoffs. [5] The playoffs consist of three single-game elimination rounds. In the first round (the Division Semi-finals), each division winner hosts a fourth-seeded team, and the second-place team hosts the third-place team. In the second round (the Division Finals), the two remaining teams in each division play; the higher-seeded team hosts the game. Two weeks after the Division Finals, the division winners face off for the Champion's Cup.
All NLL games are played on weekends, save for the occasional Friday night game.[6] Most NLL players have full-time jobs off the floor; notable examples include Toronto's Dan Ladouceur, a Durham Region police officer,[7] and Buffalo's John Tavares, a high school teacher in Mississauga, Ontario.[8]
The rebirth of major professional box lacrosse in the United States came on March 13, 1986, with the formation of the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League (EPBLL), which was incorporated by Russ Cline and Chris Fritz.[9] As background, in 1985 box lacrosse sponsored an event played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. The USA/Canada Superseries was an eight-game series, seen as a pre-cursor to the Major Indoor Lacrosse League. The league began play for the 1987 season, opening with two games on January 10, 1987: the Philadelphia Wings at the New Jersey Saints and the Washington Wave hosting the Baltimore Thunder.
The League announces that Darrell Russell has been named Commissioner of the League.
The first game in the League features Philadelphia at New Jersey in which the Saints defeat the Wings by the score of 11-8.
The Philadelphia Wings defeat the New Jersey Saints 17-11 at the Spectrum before a crowd of 14,903, the largest of 1987. Those four teams contested a six-game regular season before a postseason which saw all four teams qualify for a single knockout tournament, which ended with the Baltimore Thunder crowned the EPBLL's first champion.[9] The Baltimore Thunder, coached by Bob Griebe, defeat the Washington Wave by a score of 11-10 to capture the first League Championship.
The League announces a total of 124,536 fans attend Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League games in its first year. Those same four teams played in the second season of the EPBLL.[9] The teams expanded to an eight-game schedule, and set up a three-team playoff with the regular season winner claiming a bye to the title game.
The League begins its second year with each of the four teams playing an eight-game schedule. The league becomes known as the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL).
The New Jersey Saints become the second League champions by defeating the Washington Wave, 17-16 before 8,125 fans at the Capital Centre. For the Wave, it was the second time in as many years they reached the championship game, only to come away on the short end of a one-goal game.
The league then announced that the Saints will relocate to the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island beginning in the 1989 season. The team name will be changed to the New York Saints to reflect their new home. The MILL announces that it will award expansion teams to Detroit and Boston. The teams will begin play in the 1989 season. The Detroit team was named the Turbos, and began play in the Joe Louis Arena. Their team colors were announced to be purple, silver and black. The Boston entry were called the New England Blazers and they played their home games at the Worcester Centrum. The Blazers used green, orange, and white as their team colors.
The league prepared to open its third season with six teams—the Baltimore Thunder, Detroit Turbos, New England Blazers, New York Saints, Philadelphia Wings and Washington Wave. Each of the six teams played an eight-game schedule in 1989, with an even four home and road games. In its first ever regular season game, 12,171 Detroit fans watched the expansion Turbos defeat the Washington Wave, 11-9, in the debut of the 1989 season. As the season went on, regular season attendance figures for the league totaled at 230,724 for 24 regular season games, which made an average of 9,614 people in the stands per game. When adding the postseason, the numbers grew to 255,088 total and an average of 9,811 a game.
Later that year, the Philadelphia Wings captured the league championship in front of a record postseason crowd of 16,042 at the Spectrum, defeating the New York Saints, 11-10. After the championship game, the league announced the expansion into Pittsburgh, a team later to be called the Bulls, who played at the Civic Arena, sporting the traditional Pittsburgh colors of black and gold, like the Steelers.
| National Lacrosse League Progression | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Teams | Games Played |
| 1987 | 4 teams | 6 games |
| 1988 | 8 games | |
| 1989 | 6 teams | |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | 10 games | |
| 1992 | 7 teams | 8 games |
| 1993 | ||
| 1994 | 6 teams | |
| 1995 | ||
| 1996 | 7 teams | 10 games |
| 1997 | 6 teams | |
| 1998 | 7 teams | 12 games |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | 8 teams | |
| 2001 | 9 teams | 14 games |
| 2002 | 13 teams | 16 games |
| 2003 | 12 teams | |
| 2004 | 10 teams | |
| 2005 | ||
| 2006 | 11 teams | |
| 2007 | 13 teams | |
| 2008 | 12 teams | |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | 11 teams | |
| 2011 | 10 teams | |
| 2012 | 9 teams | 16 games |
In 1990, the MILL prepared to open its fourth season with six teams: the Baltimore Thunder, Detroit Turbos, New England Blazers, New York Saints, Philadelphia Wings and Pittsburgh Bulls. Each of the six teams played an eight-game schedule over the 1990 season. During the near of the end of the season, the New York Saints defeated the Philadelphia Wings, 8-5, before the first sellout and largest crowd in league history: 17,177 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. The Saints' victory forced a rematch the next week in the playoffs. However, the Wings won that game, and later went on to become the first team to win two league championship games, defeating the New England Blazers, 17-7 in front of 11,479 fans.
The Major Indoor Lacrosse League later announced that the attendance for twenty-six total games during the season was 287,585, which was a huge boost, increasing the average attendance a game to 11,060. After the season, the MILL announced the signing of twin brothers, Paul Gait and Gary Gait, three-time All-Americans at Syracuse to the Detroit Turbos after being drafted. The two won national championships with the Orange in 1988, 1989, and 1990.
The League prepares to open season number five with the same six teams. However, this season the schedule is increased from eight games to ten, with each team playing five games at home and on the road.
In the first game of the regular season, the debut of Detroit rookie twin brothers Paul and Gary Gait was successful, as they paced the Turbos to a 20-16 victory over the Baltimore Thunder.
The 1991 season was definitely a record-breaking year, especially in Detroit. Rookie twin Turbos, Paul and Gary Gait, set new standards in most offensive categories. Paul scored a record 47 goals, while Gary was second in the league with 32. Gary established new records with 36 assists and 68 points. As a team, Detroit set records for goals scored with 184, assists with 227 and total points with 411.
The Detroit Turbos defeat the Baltimore Thunder, 14-12, to claim the League's fifth title and the Turbos first. The World Championship Game was attended by 10,814 at the Baltimore Arena.
The League announces that Buffalo has been named as an expansion team for League play in the 1992 season. The team will be named the Bandits, wear the colors black, orange, and white and will play in Memorial Auditorium. The League will promote the team in conjunction with the Buffalo Sabres.
Final League attendance numbers for the 1991 season reach 287,654.
On April 20, the National Division All-Stars defeat the American Division All-Stars, 25-20, in the inaugural League All-Star Game at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.
The League opens season number six with the largest lineup of teams ever, seven. Each of the seven teams will play an eight game schedule, with four home games and four road games.
The Buffalo Bandits defeat the Philadelphia Wings, 20-11, in their first ever sellout of 16,325 in Memorial Auditorium. It marks the second sellout in League history. The Buffalo Bandits defeat the Baltimore Thunder in front of their second sellout crowd of the season at the Memorial Auditorium, 16,325. It marks the first time a team has sold out two games in the same season.
The expansion Buffalo Bandits advance to the League Championship Game by defeating the Detroit Turbos and the Gait brothers, 19-16, to win the National Division crown. The Philadelphia Wings defeat the Saints, 8-6, to capture the American Division Championship.
For the first time, an expansion team wins the League's World Championship, as the Buffalo Bandits defeat the Philadelphia Wings, 11-10, in overtime.
Buffalo wins their second consecutive League Championship with a 13-12 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Wings before 16,325 in sold out Memorial Auditorium. The Bandits keep their 18 game winning streak alive, the longest in professional sports. Buffalo joins the Wings as the only team in League history to win back-to-back championships.
The League and the Players Association announce a three-year contract agreement.
League signs a six-year agreement with ESPN.
ESPN2's first Monday night broadcast features the Detroit Turbos against the Baltimore Thunder.
The Philadelphia Wings deny the Buffalo Bandits a third consecutive World Championship by defeating the Bandits, 26-15, in front of a sellout crowd of 16,284 at Memorial Auditorium. The win gives the Wings its third League Championship in their history, the most of any League team. ESPN broadcasts the game live from Buffalo, marking the first live telecast by ESPN of a League game.
The League announces Rochester, NY has been awarded an expansion team for the 1995 season.
The expansion Rochester Knighthawks won their inaugural game, 12-8, against the New York Saints in the War Memorial.
Philadelphia breaks the League's attendance record as 17,380 fans witness the Wings defeat of the Baltimore Thunder in the regular season finale.
For the first time in League history, Paul Gait (Rochester) played against his twin brother Gary Gait (Philadelphia).
The Philadelphia Wings win back-to-back championships by defeating the Rochester Knighthawks, 15-14, in a thrilling overtime game. The Wings have won four League titles in their nine-year history.
Before the beginning of the 1996 season, the second-to-last season that the NLL would be known as the Major Indoor Lacrosse League, it was announced that the season would be expanded to ten games. In addition, the Boston Blazers announced their new home in the Fleet Center for 1996. Another big crowd, the fourth largest in league history, of 16,818 watched the Wings defeat the Charlotte Cobras at CoreStates Spectrum in Philadelphia. The Wings advanced to their fifth consecutive league championship game by defeating the Boston Blazers, 10-8, a week before. That was the final MILL game to be played in the historic arena.
However, the Buffalo Bandits would play spoiler to the Wings, as they denied them a third conseucitve league championship, as Buffalo beat Philadelphia, 15-10 in the 1996 league championship game, in front of a sold-out Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo. The Bandits picked up their third championship win, as they said goodbye to their own arena, at the culmination of the season, as well.
The eleventh season opened with three games, including Rochester playing Buffalo at the Bandits' new home, the Marine Midland Arena, in front of a new league record crowd of 18,595 fans. The Knighthawks of Rochester, coached by Barry Powless, later claimed their first MILL championship title in 1997, in front of the second largest crowd in MILL history, 18,055, a game also played at the Marine Midland Arena.
A new entity, combining the tradition of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League with two expansion teams and individual team ownership is announced - the National Lacrosse League. Syracuse, New York (nicknamed Smash and playing at the Onondaga County War Memorial) and Hamilton, Ontario (nicknamed Raiders and playing at Copps Coliseum) are the new professional indoor lacrosse entries. The NLL unveils its new league logo.
John Livsey, Jr. is named as Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League.
A three-year collective bargaining agreement between the NLL and the Professional Lacrosse Players Association (PLPA) is announced.
The 1998 regular season schedule is announced, with teams now playing 12 games (six at home and six on the road) and facing their six opponents twice each (once at home and once on the road). In addition, the playoff format will see a best-of-three championship series with semifinal playoff action to still take place in a single-game elimination format, though sites of all post-season games will be based on regular season record.
A blockbuster trade sees seven-time All-Pro Paul Gait go to the expansion Syracuse Smash in exchange for draft picks and player compensation.
Reigning league MVP Gary Gait is sent to Baltimore in a blockbuster trade involving player and cash compensation.
The Philadelphia Wings sweep the best-of-three Championship Series with a 17-12 win over the Thunder after having won 16-12 two days earlier. Game Two marks the first title game appearance by Baltimore since 1991 and the win is Philadelphia's fifth in franchise history. Wings goaltender Dallas Eliuk is named Championship Series MVP.
The Toronto Rock finish the season with a perfect home record, going a combined 8-0 (regular season and playoffs) after a 13-10 win over the Rochester Knighthawks in the Championship Game before a sellout crowd of 15,691 in Maple Leaf Gardens. The game is televised throughout Canada by CTV SportsNet, and in the United States on ESPN2.
18,911 fans pack the First Union Center in Philadelphia to watch the Philadelphia Wings battle the Pittsburgh CrosseFire. Pittsburgh wins the game, 14-8. At the time, this was the largest single-game crowd to ever see a professional indoor lacrosse game.
Kaleb Toth beats K-Hawks goaltender Pat O'Toole with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation time to give the Toronto Rock a 14-13 victory, and their second straight championship. Dubbed the "Greatest Professional Indoor Lacrosse Game of All-Time", the 2000 Final is the last sporting event to be held in the historic Maple Leaf Gardens.
The city of Columbus, Ohio is granted an expansion team. Former League Commissioner John Livsey will head the Landsharks.
At a press conference at the ESPNZone in New York City, Jim Jennings is named the new Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League. Jennings announces that League Headquarters will be relocated from Buffalo, New York to Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Commissioner Jim Jennings appoints George Daniel to the position of Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel for the NLL.
In front of the league's largest crowd in history, the Philadelphia Wings win their sixth League Championship Title with a 9-8 win over the Toronto Rock at the Air Canada Centre in front of 19,409 fans. Wings goaltender Dallas Eliuk is named Most Valuable Player.
The league announces expansion franchises are awarded to Montreal, New Jersey, Calgary and Vancouver for the following season.
The Vancouver Ravens play their inaugural home game at General Motors Place in Vancouver. The Ravens give the crowd of 13,772 much to cheer about, beating the Toronto Rock 13-12. The crowd makes history as the largest ever to attend the first home game of an expansion franchise.
The Albany Attack host the Toronto Rock in the 2002 Final. The Rock defeat the Attack by a score of 13-12 to capture their third title, all won in the past four seasons. 9,289 fans watch the game at the Pepsi Arena in Albany. Toronto forward Colin Doyle was voted Championship Game MVP, scoring three goals and one assist.
The League announces the sale and relocation of the Washington Power franchise to the city of Denver, Colorado. The franchise will play its home games at the Pepsi Center. The team is now owned by Kroenke Sports Enterprises, whose holdings include the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets and Pepsi Center. The new team marks the League's first United States team west of the Mississippi River.
The Colorado Mammoth play their inaugural home game at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The Mammoth treated the home crowd of 16,121 fans to a thrilling 13-12 win in double overtime against the Toronto Rock. The crowd broke the previous record for an inaugural home game attendance, previously held by the Vancouver Ravens (13,772 in 2001).
In front of a sellout crowd of 18,207 at the Pepsi Center, the Colorado Mammoth defeat the New York Saints by a score of 19-13. The crowd was the first of two sellout crowds the Mammoth would host during their first season.
The Rochester Knighthawks host the Toronto Rock in the 2003 Champion's Cup Final. The Rock defeated the Knighthawks by a score of 8-6 to capture their fourth title, all won in the past five seasons. 11,051 fans attend the game at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. Toronto goalie Bob Watson earns Championship Game MVP honors with his 40 saves.
A new divisional format is announced for the regular season. The first ever Western Division will consist of Anaheim, Arizona, Calgary, Colorado, San Jose and Vancouver. The East will consist of Buffalo, Philadelphia, Rochester and Toronto. The top three teams in each division shall earn playoff berths, with the division champions receiving byes. The second and third place finishers shall face each other in the opening round with the winners facing their respective division champions in the semi-final round. The semi-final winners (East vs. West) shall meet in the 2004 Champions' Cup Final with the higher seed hosting.
Fox Sports Net becomes the league's new national broadcast partner in the United States. Fox Sports Net will carry nine regular season game broadcasts, spread across the schedule to over 50 million homes. Fox Sports Net will feature the 2004 All-Star Game on Feb. 22. The Arizona Sting play their inaugural home game at the Glendale Arena in Arizona. The game becomes the first event ever held inside the new arena. The Sting defeats the Vancouver Ravens by the score of 16-12 in front of 12,789 fans.
The Colorado Mammoth host a sellout crowd of 18,305 at Pepsi Center in a 14-13 loss to the Calgary Roughnecks. The Mammoth went on to record five sellout crowds on the season.
The 2004 All-Star Game was played in front of 16,742 fans at Pepsi Center in Denver, home of the Colorado Mammoth. The crowd was the largest All-Star Game crowd in league history. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars by a score of 19-15.
The Calgary Roughnecks won their first ever Champion's Cup by defeating the Buffalo Bandits 14-11 at Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary. The game was played in front of 19,289 fans. The sellout crowd is the largest in Roughnecks history and the second highest single game attendance total in NLL history.
The National Lacrosse League reached a new three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Professional Lacrosse Player's Association (PLPA). The agreement covers the league's 2005, 2006 and 2007 seasons.
The league announces the placement of a franchise in Minnesota. The new team will be owned and operated by Minnesota Sports and Entertainment, owners of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League. The Minnesota team will enter the league for the 2005 season and play its home games at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
A new pre-season attendance record is set as 14,084 fans come to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for the first home exhibition game of the expansion Minnesota Swarm. The game marks the first professional lacrosse game ever played in the state of Minnesota.
The National Lacrosse League All-Star Game aired live on NBC at 2pm Eastern. The game became the first live broadcast of lacrosse on national U.S. network television. The game was also televised in Canada on The Score, and internationally via CNBC International, CNBC Asia and on Armed Forces Network. The East Division (Buffalo, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Rochester, Toronto) defeated the West Division (Anaheim, Arizona, Calgary, Colorado, San Jose) 11-10 in overtime in front of 11,511 fans at Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary.
Legendary lacrosse superstars and twin brothers Paul and Gary Gait were reunited when Paul ended his retirement signing with the Colorado Mammoth. Paul Gait would join his brother, Mammoth captain Gary, for the remaining four games of the regular season and the team's playoff run. He would make his Mammoth debut on April 1 at Minnesota and then returned to Denver for the team's final regular-season home game on April 2 against the Anaheim Storm at Pepsi Center.
The 2005 Edge NLL Championship Game is played in front of an NLL record 19,432 fans at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and in front of a national network television audience in the US on NBC and in Canada on the Score. The Toronto Rock defeated the Arizona Sting 19-13 capturing their fifth title in seven seasons. Colin Doyle was named MVP of the game after leading the Rock with five goals and three assists.
Legendary coach Les Bartley passes away after an 18 month battle with colon cancer. Bartley served as Head Coach and General Manager of the Toronto Rock between 1999 and 2003. He posted a 51-19 regular season record and 9-1 post-season record in five seasons. He also led the team to a 37-5 regular season home record in the same time. Bartley began his coaching career in 1991 and would go on to lead his teams to eleven Championship games, winning seven League Championships. Four of those seven were with the Rock; back-to-back titles in 1999/2000 and 2002/2003. Prior to coming to Toronto, Bartley coached the Bandits to titles in 1992, 1993 and 1996.
The NLL announces that the league will consist of eleven teams for the 2006 season. The eleven-team league will include expansion teams in Edmonton, Alberta and Portland, Oregon.
The league announces the establishment of the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame opens with five charter members who have made immeasurable contributions to the league and the sport of lacrosse. The five charter members are league founders Russ Cline and Chris Fritz; legendary lacrosse stars Gary Gait and Paul Gait, and the late Les Bartley, the winningest coach in league history.
The NLL and Reebok announce a multi-year exclusive partnership in which all NLL players will use Reebok equipment and will be exclusively outfitted in the brand's footwear and apparel. The partnership makes the brand the official equipment, uniform and footwear provider of the league. The agreement makes Reebok the exclusive licensee of official NLL apparel including authentic and replica jerseys, caps, shirts and additional clothing.
The Edmonton Rush play their inaugural game and home opener in front of 11,385 fans at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta. The Rush lost 10-9 in overtime to the San Jose Stealth. The game was only the second time in league history that an expansion team forced overtime in their inaugural game.
The 2006 National Lacrosse League All-Star Game is held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, home of the Toronto Rock. The West Division (Arizona Sting, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Edmonton Rush, Portland LumberJax, San Jose Stealth) defeated the East Division (Buffalo Bandits, Minnesota Swarm, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, Toronto Rock) by a score of 14-13 in front of 15,924 fans. Calgary Roughnecks forward Lewis Ratcliff scores the game-winning goal with 4.4 seconds remaining. Ratcliff was named the Game MVP.
The National Lacrosse League finishes its 20th season by setting an all-time single season attendance mark, reaching a total of 1,037,147 fans for the 2006 season, including 88 regular-season games, six playoff games, the 2006 All-Star Game in Toronto, and the 2006 RBK NLL Championship Game presented by Edge Active Care. The league season average attendance is 10,804.
The Colorado Mammoth defeat the Buffalo Bandits 16-9 in front of 16,104 fans at HSBC Arena in Buffalo to secure the first championship in Colorado Mammoth history. Mammoth forward Gavin Prout is named game MVP, scoring four goals and adding three assists for seven points in the win.
The National Lacrosse League announces the awarding of a franchise to New York City for the 2007 season. The official announcement is made during a press conference at East River Park in Manhattan by the honorable Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City and National Lacrosse League Commissioner Jim Jennings. The New York team becomes the league's thirteenth franchise and will play its games at Madison Square Garden.
The expansion New York Titans play their home opener at Madison Square Garden in the first ever professional lacrosse game at the World's Most Famous Arena. The Titans defeated the expansion Chicago Shamrox 11-9 in front of 13,127 fans.
The Eastern Division defeats the Western Division 20-16 in front of 12,856 fans at Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, home of the Portland LumberJax, in the 2007 National Lacrosse League All-Star Game. Buffalo Bandits forward Mark Steenhuis was named the game's Most Valuable Player, becoming the first player in NLL history to win two All-Star Game MVP honors. Steenhuis also won the award in 2004.
The NLL reaches a milestone as the league plays its 1,000th regular season game. The Minnesota Swarm hosted the Colorado Mammoth at Xcel Energy Center in Minneapolis/St Paul in the historic game. The Mammoth beat the Swarm 11-9.
The Rochester Knighthawks defeated the Arizona Sting, 13-11, in the 2007 NLL Championship presented by Edge Active Care at Jobing.com Arena. John Grant was named Championship Game MVP with a three goal, five assist performance. The victory marks the first time Rochester has won the title since 1997.
The NLL reaches a new seven-year agreement with the players' union.
The league announces the divisional alignments for the 2008 regular season. The expansion Boston franchise will join the Eastern Division, which expands to eight teams (Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Minnesota, New York, Philadelphia, Rochester, Toronto). The Western Division remains the same as in 2007 (Arizona, Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Portland, San Jose).
John Tavares breaks Gary Gait's all-time goal scoring record. Tavares, who had already captured the all-time points and assists records, notched his record-breaking 597th career goal in the third quarter of Buffalo's 17-13 victory over New York.
Philadelphia Forward Athan Iannucci breaks Gary Gait's single season scoring record of 61 goals. He went on to finish the season with 71 goals.
The Buffalo Bandits defeat the Portland Lumberjax by the score of 14–13 in the 2008 Edge NLL Championship game at HSBC Arena. The event, which aired nationally on ESPN2, drew a sellout crowd of 18,690 fans. Mark Steenhuis captures the game's MVP honors with five goals and one assist.
The league announces the addition of instant replay for officials to review disputed goals and crease violations during games.
George Daniel is appointed Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League.
Calgary wins its second championship, defeating New York 12–10 in front of 13,042 at Pengrowth Saddledome. Josh Sanderson was named Championship Game MVP, finishing with two goals and three assists.
On August 30, 2011, the Boston Blazers announced that the team will temporarily suspend operations for the 2012 season as it seeks a new home facility for the 2013 season.[10]
| Team | Championships |
|---|---|
| Toronto Rock | 6 |
| Philadelphia Wings | 6 |
| Buffalo Bandits | 4 |
| Calgary Roughnecks | 2 |
| Rochester Knighthawks | 2 |
| Baltimore Thunder/Colorado Mammoth | 2 |
| Detroit Turbos | 1 |
| New Jersey Saints | 1 |
| Washington Stealth | 1 |
| Commissioner | Years |
|---|---|
| Darrel Russell | 1987–1997 |
| John Livsey Jr | 1997–2000 |
| Jim Jennings | 2000–2009 |
| George Daniel[11] | 2009-present |
The National Lacrosse League currently plays a 16 game regular season, with 4 teams from each division qualifying for postseason play. The 1st and 4th seed in each division meet in a divisional semifinal game, while the 2nd and 3rd seeds meet in the other. The next round are the Eastern Division and Western Division champions. The divisional champions then meet in the Champions Cup final for the league title.
Each year, the league holds a mid-season All Star Game between two teams representing the Eastern and Western divisions.
As of 2007, the average salary in the league was just $14,000, with most players holding down second jobs.[12]
| Division | Team | City/Area | Arena | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | ||||||
| Buffalo Bandits | Buffalo, NY | First Niagara Center | 1991 | 1992 | Darris Kilgour | |
| Philadelphia Wings | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center | 1986 | 1987 | John Tucker | |
| Rochester Knighthawks | Rochester, NY | Blue Cross Arena | 1995 | Mike Hasen | ||
| Toronto Rock | Toronto, ON | Air Canada Centre | 1998 | Troy Cordingley | ||
| Western | Calgary Roughnecks | Calgary, AB | Scotiabank Saddledome | 2001 | Dave Pym | |
| Colorado Mammoth | Denver, CO | Pepsi Center | 2003 | 2004 | Bob Hamley | |
| Edmonton Rush | Edmonton, AB | Rexall Place | 2005 | 2006 | Derek Keenan | |
| Minnesota Swarm | St. Paul, MN | Xcel Energy Center | 2004 | 2005 | Mike Lines | |
| Washington Stealth | Everett, WA | Comcast Arena | 2000 | 2010 | Chris Hall | |
In July 2007, the Vancouver Ravens were conditionally approved for a 2008 return; the conditions included selling at least 2,500 season tickets and finding a suitable arena lease by July 19, 2007.[13] On July 16, 2007, the Vancouver Ravens announced an agreement with Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment to make GM Place (now Rogers Arena) the home venue of the Ravens, if they are able to meet the season ticket sales requirement.[14] However, just a few days later, the NLL announced that the Ravens would not play in the 2008 season.[15] Although a local tabloid made mention of a potential return in 2011 for the team, Commissioner Daniel announced that there would be no expansion in 2011.
A number of cities and potential ownership groups have expressed interest in expansion franchises:
On June 17, 2009, the San Jose Stealth announced their relocation to Everett, Washington, north of Seattle, for the 2010 season. The newly renamed Washington Stealth [17] play their home games at the Comcast Arena at Everett.[1] In their first season in Everett the Stealth won the league title.
On August 10, 2009, the New York Titans announced the team's move to Orlando, Florida, to become the Orlando Titans.[18]
Commissioner George Daniel announced on March 31, 2010, that there would be no expansion for the 2011 season.[19]
In July, 2010 the Orlando Titans announced that they would not participate in the 2011 season due to ownership restructuring.[20]
In 2007, the NLL had a regularly scheduled "Game of the Week" on Versus, the network formerly known as OLN and home of the Indycar Series, NHL, Tour de France, and PBR. For the 2008 season, due to dispute between the Professional Lacrosse Players' Association and the NLL owners in completing the collective bargaining agreement, the "Game of the Week" on Versus was cancelled.[21] Previously, the NLL has had its All-Star Games and Championship games on NBC in 2005 and ESPN2 in 2006. In the early 2000s, CNN Sports Illustrated aired NLL games regularly. For the 2011 season, the NLL would return to Versus, beginning with coverage of the 2011 All-Star Game, followed by 6 weekly games, and two playoff games, one of these being the championship game.[22] Beginning with the 2012 NLL season, U.S. broadcast rights will shift to CBS Sports Network, which will carry eight regular season games, all of them live.[23] In Canada, TSN2 also airs NLL games, however their game coverage is primarily focused on the Toronto Rock.
Also in 2007, the NLL signed an agreement with Sirius Satellite Radio, who has been named "Official Satellite Radio Partner". The pact includes a "Game of the Week" as well as weekly highlight show.[24]
Since the 2009 season, all NLL games have been carried on the streaming video platform and web site Livestream[25]
In May 2001, Blast Lacrosse, a video game based on the NLL, was released. It was the first lacrosse video game ever and included all nine teams of their 15th season, including mascots.
On February 15, 2005, the NLL announced that Activision would produce a new video game. The game was slated to be released for the 2007 season.[26] In an online chat held on NLL.com with commissioner Jim Jennings, it was noted that the game would be out in 2009,[27] however the game was never released.
On March 31, 2010, the NLL announced it had partnered with Crosse Studio and Triple B Games to develop NLL Lacrosse 2010 presented by Reebok Lacrosse. The game was released exclusively on the Xbox 360 as an Indie Game on April 23, 2010.[19] Crosse Studio and Triple B Games developed Inside Lacrosse's College Lacrosse 2010 in 2009 before approaching the NLL to license their next game.[28] The NLL game won Kotaku's Indie Sports video game of the year for 2010.
Although six of the league's nine teams are based in the United States, over 75% of the players are Canadian. Approximately half of the league's players originate within 75 miles (125 km) of Toronto.[29]
The remainder of the players are either American or Iroquois, with a select few Europeans and Australians.
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