PHILADELPHIA, Pa. and Bristol, Conn. October 26, 2021 – The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced the most extensive United States media rights agreement in its history, giving ESPN and ESPN+ exclusive rights in the U.S. and the rest of the world outside Canada for live NLL games. All NLL games will be carried on an ESPN network or platform. ESPN linear networks – with a minimum of 10 live games annually – and ESPN+ will combine to carry up to 139 games exclusively each year. It will be the largest number of live televised games in the history of the league.

“We are so proud, honored and excited to work with ESPN and ESPN+ in this unprecedented landmark announcement for the NLL.  Never before in the 35-year history of the league have fans, sponsors, teams and players had this type of access and exposure across the United States,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “While we, our sport and the industry continue to focus on digital native fans, we will also have the benefit of expanded reach through live distribution on ESPN linear networks.  We’ve been steadily building on our media strategy and towards this kind of distribution over the last few years and are excited about the momentum an announcement like this generates heading into NLL Faceoff Weekend, December 3-4.”

“We’re thrilled to reach this new multi-year rights agreement with the National Lacrosse League, adding to our already extensive commitment to the sport of lacrosse on ESPN platforms. The NLL features elite players competing in an exciting and fast-paced game that we look forward to showcasing across ESPN and ESPN+ in the years ahead,” said Dan Margulis, Senior Director, Programming & Acquisitions, ESPN.

The broadcast schedule for the 2021-22 season on ESPN’s linear networks will be announced in the coming weeks. The regular season begins with the Vancouver Warriors at San Diego Seals on Friday, December 3; and six games on Saturday December 4, including the debut of the expansion Panther City (TX) Lacrosse Club at the Philadelphia Wings and the 2019 NLL Championship Finals rematch between the Calgary Roughnecks and Buffalo Bandits in Buffalo.

The agreement with ESPN follows an earlier announcement for TSN in Canada for both linear television and live streaming coverage of NLL games, the first broadcast deal for the NLL in Canada since 2016.

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PHILADELPHIA, September 29, 2021 – The NLL, the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today revealed its full 2021-22 game schedule, beginning with Face Off Weekend, December 3-4. Early highlights of the slate include the standalone first contest featuring the Vancouver Warriors at San Diego Seals on Friday, December 3; a 2019 NLL Finals Rematch between the Calgary Roughnecks and Buffalo Bandits in Buffalo on Saturday, December 4; the first game played in Fort Worth, Texas (Dec. 10) and the return of the NLL to Hamilton, Ontario (Dec. 4) and Albany, New York (Dec. 18). 

Each team will play nine home and nine away contests during the season. TSN will broadcast a regular  season “Game of the Week” on linear television as well as distribute every regular season game on its  digital platforms, the TSN app or TSN.ca. Other broadcast networks and schedules will be announced  soon.

2021-22 NLL Schedule Highlights

In addition to the Warriors-Seals lid-lifter, Calgary-Buffalo rematch, and renewals of many classic rivalries, contests of note that NLL fans will be circling on their calendars include:

• Saturday, December 4, Albany FireWolves at Toronto Rock, first game at Hamilton’s FirstOntario  Centre since the Ontario Raiders in 1998 and first game for the relocated Albany franchise 

• Saturday, December 4, Panther City Lacrosse Club at Philadelphia Wings, inaugural contest for  expansion Panther City 

• Saturday, December 4, Saskatchewan Rush at Halifax Thunderbirds, a re-match of their classic  matchup from the 2019-20 season that ended in overtime with the Rush winning 16-15. 

• Friday, December 10, Vancouver Warriors at Panther City Lacrosse Club, first home game in Fort  Worth and first ever NLL game in Texas 

• Saturday, December 11, Calgary Roughnecks at Saskatchewan Rush and Buffalo Bandits at Rochester Knighthawks, in the first of three matchups through the season between these  division rivals 

• Friday, December 17, San Diego Seals at Calgary Roughnecks, return game for 13-year  Roughneck and former MVP Dane Dobbie with his new team

• Saturday, December 18, Rochester Knighthawks at Albany FireWolves, first game in Albany since  the Albany Attack in 2003 for the relocated FireWolves franchise 

• Saturday, February 5, and Saturday, March 19, Georgia Swarm at Albany FireWolves, return to  Albany with University at Albany standouts Miles Thompson and Lyle Thompson 

• Saturday, March 26, New York Riptide at Albany FireWolves, return of Callum Crawford to his  former franchise where he led the team in scoring the past two seasons and a league best .727- win percentage in the 2019-20 season 

• Saturday, April 2, Buffalo Bandits at Colorado Mammoth, features the matchup of the number  one and two ranked goaltenders (Matt Vinc and Dillon Ward) as voted by the NLLPA player poll 

• Week 22, the final week of the regular season from April 29-30, will see every team in action in  conference matchups with many potential playoff seeding positions on the line

“It’s great to be back playing lacrosse and a lot of work has gone into putting together the competition  schedule. We are all thrilled to welcome the League’s 14th expansion team, Panther City Lacrosse Club  in their inaugural season and all the new and exciting players joining the League over the last two Entry  Drafts. There are so many intriguing matchups, particularly early in the season and we can’t wait to get  started,” said Nick Sakiewicz, NLL Commissioner. “We know that fans have been anxious to see when their favorite teams will be returning to action so we worked extra hard to make sure all our teams play  on opening weekend and, we can’t wait to see NLL fans cheering on ‘Face Off Weekend’ beginning in a  just over two months.”  

Fans can view the entire 2021-22 schedule here.

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The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, will officially start its 35^th season with Face Off Weekend, December 3-4^th, 2021, with six games across North America, highlighting a series of exciting changes for 2021-22. A new two-Conference format, an extended playoff format, and the inaugural season of Panther City Lacrosse Club are among the changes in the upcoming NLL season. 

The NLL’s 14 teams competing this year will be aligned into two Conferences: East (Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, and Toronto Rock); and West (Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Panther City Lacrosse Club, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, and Vancouver Warriors).

The new alignment means a revised playoff format, with the top four teams in the East and top three in the West advancing to the playoffs. The eighth playoff slot will go to the team with the better record between the fifth place East and fourth place West teams, per NLL tiebreaker rules. The first round will be single elimination, while the second round and Finals will each be best-of-three series. 

The first matchup for the 2021-22 season will take place on Friday, December 3, when Colorado visits San Diego. On Saturday, December 4, there will be five matches, with Calgary visiting Buffalo, Philadelphia visiting Georgia, Rochester visiting New York, Saskatchewan visiting Halifax and Albany taking on Toronto in its new home in Hamilton, Ontario.  Two teams, Vancouver and expansion Panther City, will have byes the first weekend. 

“It’s very exciting to announce Face Off Weekend and returning to play,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “Face Off Weekend will mark a long-anticipated return to play for the NLL in a very big way with a new TSN Game of the Week partnership featuring 20+ games on linear television and the remaining match-ups streamed on TSN digital platforms.”

“Combined with our 14^th team, our Panther City Lacrosse Club in Fort Worth, Texas, a new conference alignment and expanded playoff format there will be more games, more access for fans, and more amazing NLL electricity and excitement,” Sakiewicz added. “With more announcements coming in the months and weeks ahead, this will truly be a season to remember for all.” 

The entire NLL schedule and game times, as well as national broadcast showings, will be announced in the coming weeks. Each team will have 9 home games during the regular season, followed by the playoffs and the league championship series. The Calgary Roughnecks, who defeated the Buffalo Bandits to win the 2019 NLL Title, are the league defending champions, since the 2019-20 NLL season was not completed due to the pandemic.

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PHILADELPHIA and TORONTO, July 8, 2021 – The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced a historic partnership with TSN, Canada’s Sports Leader, to bring games to Canadians across broadcast and live streaming platforms for the first time since 2016. The new agreement is the league’s most comprehensive Canadian broadcast partnership in its 35-year history, and marks the next in a series of major steps the league has taken in recent months as it moves towards returning to play on December 3, 2021.

The multi-year media rights partnership between the NLL and TSN includes exclusive rights to the regular season “NLL Game of the Week,” as well as comprehensive playoff action, including the NLL Championship Series. TSN also delivers NLL coverage to TSN and TSN Direct subscribers through live streaming on its digital platforms, TSN.ca and the TSN app. Schedule details and additional content information will be announced in the coming months. The 2021-22 NLL season begins the weekend of December 3 with 14 teams, five of which are based in Canada.

“As one of our new owners, Wayne Gretzky, reminded people a few weeks ago when we launched our new franchise in Las Vegas, box lacrosse is the national summertime sport of Canada, and we couldn’t be more pleased and eager to bring the NLL back to Canadian fans with TSN, the country’s premier sports network,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “This partnership will give us the ability to distribute NLL games to even more fans than ever before and showcase our amazing athletes, coaches, and action that so many Canadians love so dearly and have enjoyed in person.”

“Box lacrosse is an exciting, fast-paced sport, and we are very proud to partner with the NLL to grow the game and bring comprehensive live coverage to Canadian viewers throughout the season,” said Nathalie Cook, VP, TSN and RDS. “The NLL is a significant addition to our live sports schedule, one we know our fans will enjoy for years to come, and we’re excited to deliver expansive coverage, both on and off the floor, to spotlight the league’s talented players.”

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The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, announced today that the Priestner Sports Corporation has acquired the Saskatchewan Rush from owner Bruce Urban. The group, led by Mike Priestner, the owner of Go Auto, a Deloitte Best Managed Company that spans 47 car dealerships across Canada as well as the owner Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, takes over the club effective today, solidifying the Rush’s position in Saskatchewan for the long term. Colin Priestner will act as the team’s Governor while continuing his role as the GM/President of the Blades, while Jared Priestner will serve as Alternate Governor. All lacrosse operations will continue to be run by Rush GM Derek Keenan.

“This is a transitional and progressive day for our league and the sport of lacrosse, as we welcome Priestner Sports to the NLL and thank Bruce Urban and his team for years of hard work and success both in the community and on the field of play,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “The Rush have been, and will continue to be, a model franchise not just for the National Lacrosse league but for all of sports in North America, and are key to our continued growth and business success as we head toward our 2021-22 season this fall.”

“First and foremost, we must thank Mr. Bruce Urban for allowing us the privilege of carrying on the Rush legacy,” said Colin Priestner. “We recognize all he has done to bring the best lacrosse in the world to Saskatoon, while giving back to both the city and its surrounding areas. We welcome the challenge of maintaining the winning tradition he established here, while pushing ourselves to find new and interesting ways to grow the game and the Rush fanbase which, in our humble opinion, is already the best in the league.”

“I am pleased to transfer ownership of the Rush organization to Jared, Colin, and Mike Priestner,” said Bruce Urban. “The Priestners are experienced operators, who will continue to run this team with pride and professionalism. Cindy, Brandon and I will greatly miss the Rush fans, sponsors, media, and of course the players, coaches, and team staff. We will cherish the wonderful memories made over 10 seasons in Edmonton and 5 in Saskatchewan.”

The Rush have been one of the most successful franchises not just in the NLL but in all of North American sports, winning the NLL title in 2016 and 2018, and finishing as runner-up in 2017, all under head coach Derek Keenan. The team was 7-3 and again in first place in the NLL Western Division when the 2019-20 season ended due to the Pandemic. The Rush have averaged over 13,400 fans in their past five seasons in Saskatoon, the best in the NLL during that timeframe.

About The Priestner Sports Corporation

The Priestner Sports Corporation has owned and operated the Saskatoon Blades since 2013, a period in which the team’s record improved every season until the COVID-shortened 2019-2020 season. With a consistent track record of exceeding industry standards and producing winning results, the Priestner Sports Corporation has demonstrated the ability to recognize potential and effectively utilize the people and processes that are required to make each property a leader in its marketplace. The group looks forward to extending its track record of success with the Saskatchewan Rush of the NLL. For more information about the Saskatchewan Rush, tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and all team information, visit SaskRush.com.

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Plans for April Start Date Cancelled Amidst COVID-19 Uncertainties; Full Slate Now Planned for NLL 2021-22 Season

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced that plans for an abbreviated season this spring have been canceled due to uncertainties arising from the ongoing Pandemic. The league, with the full support of the NLL Board of Governors, will now move to start a traditional season in the fall of this year.

We have gone through many scenarios, including playing a bubble season in Canada in April, but the logistical challenges, including the recently announced tighter travel and quarantine restrictions across the Canadian border have required us to pivot. We have decided to focus on playing a full season in our markets, starting in the fall of this year. While many of the factors we can control were moving along well, those outside of our control, especially pertaining to obtaining government approval as far in advance as we would have needed, are no longer feasible. All the efforts and innovations we were planning will now go towards a full season starting this fall and into next year. We thank our players, teams, and Board of Governors, whose thoughts in this process were invaluable, and we now set our sights on getting lined up for a full NLL season starting in the fall. We also thank our fans for sticking with us – we will be back, and it will be even more exciting than ever before.

NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz

We appreciate the League’s extensive efforts to provide us the opportunity to play an abbreviated 2021 season in a safe and controlled environment throughout the changing landscape during this Pandemic.  While we are disappointed that it will not be possible to play this spring, we are even more excited and passionate about having a full NLL 2021-22 season and are eager to get back on the floor this fall.

Zach Currier, PLPA President

While the exact start date of a full season will be announced at a later date, which will include the debut of Panther City Lacrosse Club in Fort Worth, the NLL is planning to start in the fall playing a complete season into the spring of 2022. Additionally, exciting franchise announcements are coming very soon, as well as other initiatives that were being planned for the shortened 2021 season.

Details will be coming as they are finalized. For additional information, please visit @NLL YouTube to watch an interview with Commissioner Sakiewicz.

For the most up to date information and breaking news, sign up for the NLL newsletter at NLL.com. Also follow Deputy Commissioner Jessica Berman and Commissioner Sakiewicz on Twitter @JessicaBerman1 and @NLLcommish, respectively.

For more information on the NLL, visit NLL.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

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Players, coaches, and general managers from the National Lacrosse League’s (NLL) 13 franchises, spread across North America, assembled virtually Thursday night for the League’s 2020 Draft Selection Show. Unlike years past, they may not have been in the same room, but that didn’t stop the NLL Entry Draft from being the moment of a lifetime for over 90 players drafted across 6 rounds. Team “war rooms” and player Zoom “rooms” were connected in real-time to produce a world-class broadcast event that was simultaneously streamed on B/R Live, @NLL Facebook, and YouTube. The New York Riptide made their second consecutive first overall selection, taking Cornell forward Jeff Teat (Brampton, ON).

Vancouver, which had originally been slotted at No. 3, moved up one spot to No. 2, trading with Rochester to guarantee to get their man, Drexel defenseman Reid Bowering (Coquitlam, B.C.). Then Rochester, like New York having just completed its first NLL season as an expansion franchise, grabbed Robert Morris forward Ryan Smith (Burlington, ON) third. Rounding out the top five picks: San Diego snagged Ohio State forward Tre Leclaire (Surrey, B.C.), and Calgary chose forward Tanner Cook (Courtice, ON) of North Carolina.

“We may not have been together in the past at Xfinity Live in Philadelphia or other cities and locations before that, but it was another memorable Entry Draft with some great young talent moving to the next level,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “We are proud of the way NLL teams, players, and staff adjusted and produced such a top tier event that captured the excitement of the first major step towards the league’s 35th season.”

The first round continued with 16 total selections, as Georgia made the first of its four initial round picks at No. 6, grabbing University of Vermont transition Robert Hudson (Oakville, ON), then taking Ohio State defenseman Jeff Henrick (Orangeville, ON) at No. 8, Ethan Walker (Peterborough, ON) at No. 10 and Laine Hruska (Warman, SK.) at No. 13. Other first-rounders included forward Marshall Powless (Six Nations) at No. 7 and Connor McClelland (Brampton, ON) at No. 12 by Saskatchewan; Brad McCulley (Victoria, B.C.) at No. 9 by Buffalo; Ethan Riggs (Hamilton, ON) at No. 11 by Halifax; Harrison Matsuoka (Calgary, AB) at No. 11 by Calgary; Mac O’Keefe (Syosset, N.Y.) at No. 15 by San Diego; and Jackson Suboch (Toronto) at No. 16 completing the round by Philadelphia.

Watch the 2020 Draft

2020 NLL Draft Sortable List

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(Philadelphia, August 5, 2020) – The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the longest-running and most successful professional lacrosse league in the world, today announced that the 2020 Entry Draft will be held on September 17th at 7:00 ET. For the first time in league history, the Entry Draft will be done virtually.

Following the recent NFL, MLB, and WNBA Drafts, the NLL is just the fourth professional sports league to produce a fully live virtual draft. The NLL will transmit live feeds to B/R Live, NLL’s YouTube channel, and Facebook (@NLL). With real-time coverage expected from over 30 virtual contributors, the production will leverage a combination of technologies from vendors AviWest, VMix, TVU Anywhere, Zoom, and LTN. The production will also use the new Clearcom IP based intercom app called Agent IC to handle the complex communications required to execute a virtual live draft.

“As a league that always thinks digital-first, we are excited to be able to use state-of-the-art technology to hold the 2020 Draft online for all fans to watch and participate in,” said Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “As we continue to wade through the challenges, we are all facing today we would have liked to offer the newest rising stars a live experience. But we know that the entire event and team, player, and fan experience will be first-class.”

The NLL will be using Telescope Inc.’s interactive platform, CONNECT Live, to enable real-time on-air integration of Twitter fan comments and high capacity hashtag poll results powered by at-home users across the nation.

Commissioner Sakiewicz is scheduled to announce the first pick, which belongs to the New York Riptide. Returning from last year’s coverage that garnered hundreds of thousands of viewers, the broadcast team for the draft will include Devan Kaney (@DevanKaneyTV) as host, joined by Teddy Jenner (voice of Colorado Mammoth @OffTheCrosseBar), Stephen Stamp (NLL Draft Expert @StampLax), and Tabitha Turner, floor reporter for the Georgia Swarm (@TabTurnerTV1). Additional participants and contributors to the 2020 NLL Draft Selection Show will be announced at a later date. The 2020 Draft Selection Show will be produced by the NLL in association with Joel Kitay Productions, showrunners for the 2019 NLL Draft.

“We are all looking to the future and the start of the 35th season of the NLL and the Draft will be a great next step towards that point. The level of young talent coming into the league is unprecedented and The Draft will be the first time many of these athletes get a chance to be recognized on such a platform. It will be a great night for the players, the NLL, and our sport.” said Peter Schmitz, President, Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association (PLPA).

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NLL Announces 2019-20 NLL Award Winners

PHILADELPHIA, July 1, 2020 – The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the longest running and most successful professional lacrosse league in the world, officially announced the 2019-20 NLL Award winners. All awards are voted on by head coaches, general managers, and the League’s Board of Governors.

Like all major sports, the 2019-2020 season was interrupted, and ultimately cut short due to COVID-19. There was over 15 weeks of game play and much success for the players, teams, and fans of NLL’s 13 active franchises—including two competing for the first time this year. All three divisions featured tight races with three or more teams within two games of the lead, the launch of the Alterna Cup Series, and thrilling overtime victories.

“In an unusual year we congratulate such exceptional players coaches and executives,” said NLL Commissioner, Nick Sakiewicz. “At the end of each season we award top performers and they epitomize everything that is good about the game of lacrosse on and off the field. All our leaders and athletes participate in the top lacrosse league in the world, and this year’s winners have distinguished themselves as the best of the best. We look forward to the time when we can present these awards in person and honor each of them with their teammates in front of their home fans.”

Peter Schmitz, President, Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association (PLPA), also shared his praise,

“On behalf of the PLPA, I’d like to congratulate all the award winners for their excellence, commitment, and success. We wish to recognize the effort and talent that it takes to win these awards, especially among so many qualified candidates.”

The voting resulted in major award winners representing a wide array of squads, showcasing the competitive balance of talent and high-level competition in the NLL. Earning the Most Valuable Player Award was Shayne Jackson of the Georgia Swarm. Jackson finished the year with 31 goals and 42 assists totaling 73 points while leading the league in even strength assists with 36. Jackson also tied for the league lead in power play goals with 11 and collected 65 loose balls.

The Rookie of the Year was New York Riptide star, Tyson Gibson. Gibson was the first overall selection by the expansion franchise in the 2019 Entry Draft. Gibson scored 16 goals and had 27 assists for 43 points, which led the team in the Riptide’s inaugural season.

For the third year in a row, Georgia Swarm’s Lyle Thompson won the Sportsmanship Award. He is the only NLL player to ever win it three consecutive times since the award debuted in 2002. He continues to represent the sport of lacrosse to the highest degree and tallied 27 goals and 33 assists on the season.

Making it three consecutive seasons, Halifax Thunderbirds stalwart, Graeme Hossack took home Defensive Player of the Year honors. Hossack lead all defensemen in Time on Floor averaging 27:32 per game, over two minutes higher than the next best player, and finished in the top four amongst all defensemen in goals, points, loose balls, and caused turnovers.

Another back-to-back award winner, the Toronto Rock’s Challen Rogers was named Transition Player of the Year. In 11 games, Rogers scored 11 goals and recorded 14 assists while corralling 51 loose balls.

In his first full year as a full-time starter, New England Black Wolves goaltender, Doug Jamieson won the Goaltender of the Year Award. Jamieson led the league in Save Percentage (.829), which is a league record for save percentage, Goals Against Average (8.80) and tied for the league lead in wins with 8.

For the first time in NLL Awards history, the Teammate(s) of the Year honor was a tie to both Dan Dawson, Toronto Rock, and Mike Poulin, Georgia Swarm. Throughout the season, the players exhibited leadership, sportsmanship, and dedication to their teammates, communities and the sport.

Philadelphia Wings Head Coach and General Manager, Paul Day received dual honors, winning the Les Bartley Award for Coach of the Year and General Manager of the Year. Day led his squad to an 8-6 record after acquiring Goaltender of the Year finalist Zach Higgins and veteran forward Cory Vitarelli during the offseason, and overseeing the development of second-year stars, Trevor Baptiste and Matt Rambo. Day previously won the Les Bartley Award in 2004 when he helmed the Rochester Knighthawks.

The Tom Borrelli Award Media Member of the Year goes to Craig Rybczynski of the Rochester Knighthawks. As the longest-tenured broadcaster in NLL history, calling over 300 straight games, he provides strategic communications, develops community partnerships and interacts with local, regional and national media

John Catalano, of the Halifax Thunderbirds, was honored as the Executive of the Year, overseeing the day-to-day operations following the franchise’s relocation after a long, successful run in Rochester. John played an instrumental role in what was a successful inaugural season for the franchise, both on and off the floor. His guidance and expertise in sales, integrated marketing, game presentation, broadcast, and community relations have landed Halifax on the map as one of the newest staple franchises in the league.

The complete list of 2019-20 NLL Award winners are as follows:

Most Valuable Player: Shayne Jackson, Georgia
Rookie of the Year: Tyson Gibson, New York
Sportsmanship Award: Lyle Thompson, Georgia
Defensive Player of the Year: Graeme Hossack, Halifax
Transition Player of the Year: Challen Rogers, Toronto
Goaltender of the Year: Doug Jamieson, New England
Teammate of the Year: Dan Dawson, Toronto, AND Mike Poulin, Georgia (t)
Les Bartley Award Coach of the Year: Paul Day, Philadelphia
General Manager of the Year: Paul Day, Philadelphia
Tom Borrelli Award Media Member of the Year: Craig Rybczynski, Rochester
Executive of the Year: John Catalano, Halifax

Additionally, the 2019-20 NLL All-League and All-Rookie Teams have been announced. The teams are comprised of the top vote getters for the season awards.

All-League First Team

Doug Jamieson, New England, Goaltender
Graeme Hossack, Halifax, Defense
Kyle Rubisch, Saskatchewan, Defense
Challen Rogers, Toronto, Transition
Shayne Jackson, Georgia, Forward
Callum Crawford, New England, Forward

All-League Second Team

Dillon Ward, Colorado, Goaltender
Robert Hope, Colorado, Defense
Dan MacRae, New York, Defense
Kiel Matisz, Philadelphia, Transition
Rob Hellyer, Toronto, Forward
Cody Jamieson, Halifax, Forward

All-Rookie Team

Tyson Gibson, New York, Forward
Andrew Kew, New England, Forward
Connor Fields, San Diego, Forward
Clarke Peterson, Halifax, Forward
Ryland Rees, Rochester, Transition
Joe Nardella, New England, Defense

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National Lacrosse League Elects to Shift Attention to Next Season

Decision Made After Lengthy Discussions and Scenarios Considered

Philadelphia, June 4, 2020 – The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the longest running and most successful professional lacrosse league in the world, today announced that the League is focusing its attention and efforts on preparing for the next season and has decided not to complete the 2019-2020 season. The decision follows the cancellation of the regular season which was announced on April 6th after suspension of the regular season on March 12th due to COVID-19.

“After an exhaustive effort weighing all of the factors, including the health and safety of our players and staff, immigration challenges, and the resources required to execute a post-season tournament under the current circumstances, our senior leadership and Board have agreed to redirect our attention to planning for next season,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “We want to thank all those involved, especially our players, coaches, and league and team staff, and most importantly our fans and partners, for their continued support and engagement through this global pandemic. Communities are starting to open up, sports are beginning to return, and we look forward to our 35th season. We wish everyone continued health and safety as we navigate our way back to the game.”

“We appreciate all the work that Nick and the team at the NLL have put in during these challenging times, and wholeheartedly support this decision,” said Peter Schmitz, President, Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association (PLPA).

“The health and safety of our players is always paramount. The league office has kept us apprised of the efforts to try and find a reasonable solution and that the continued uncertainty of the many considerations needed to restart the season have made it virtually impossible to chart a course to a season finale. We regret that the players, fans and clubs won’t get to enjoy what was sure to be an exciting playoff series but in light of the current state of affairs, we agree a focus on next years’ season is the best use of the downtime. We are all are looking forward to resumption of play next season.”

The dates for the 2020 NLL Draft, as well as for the start of the 35th season of the NLL, will be announced this fall.

For the most up to date information and breaking news, sign up for the NLL newsletter at NLL.com. Also follow Deputy Commissioner Jessica Berman and Commissioner Sakiewicz on Twitter @JessicaBerman1 and @NLLcommish, respectively.

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EVERFI Launches EduCup Challenge for K-12 Students in U.S. and Canada with Six Major Sports Leagues and United Way Worldwide

Regional challenge brings together sports leagues to support student learning and engagement while schools are closed

Washington, D.C. – May 13, 2020 – EVERFI, Inc., the leading social impact education innovator, today announced that it is joining forces with six sports leagues to launch a first-of-its-kind education challenge for students who are homebound during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alongside Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, National Football League in partnership with United Way Worldwide, National Hockey League in partnership with the National Hockey League Players’ Association, National Lacrosse League, and the Premier League, EVERFI will be bringing the EduCup Challenge to K-12 students throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The EduCup Challenge is a two-week competition encouraging students to engage in learning and healthy habits as learned through EVERFI courses and showcased through daily social media challenges. Running May 18-29, students will have the opportunity to experience the digital courses co-created by EVERFI and the professional sports leagues and submit responses to a series of questions about the course(s) taken in order to be eligible to win an academic scholarship or other prizes.

The regional competition will feature courses that appeal to students from kindergarten to 12th grade and will highlight several courses that were developed directly with the leagues. Each league brings a uniquely developed, curriculum-aligned resource to students and parents that will be the foundation of the challenge.

Major League Baseball – Summer Slugger focuses on math and literacy skills for upper elementary school students
Major League Soccer – Actions Matter addresses leadership development and bullying prevention for middle and high school students
National Football League and United Way Worldwide – Character Playbook aims to build character education and foster healthy relationships for upper middle and high school students
National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association – Hockey Scholar teaches Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills for middle school students and Healthier Me educates upper elementary students on making smart health and wellness decisions
National Lacrosse League – NLL Digital Scholars includes digital citizenship for middle school students and mental wellness for high school students
Premier League – Premier League Primary Stars USA includes Ignition, a digital literacy curriculum for middle school students, as well as Compassion Project, a unique program that teaches empathy and compassion and Healthier Me – Elementary School Health Curriculum, both for elementary school students.

The EduCup Challenge will divide students by region based on their geographic location – north, east, south, and west. Students will be asked to complete as many of the league-sponsored programs as possible within the two-week Challenge period. Once they have taken a course, students will have the opportunity to answer questions related to their educational experience throughout the Challenge. During the competition, each region will seek to have the most students complete the educational programming.

In addition to completing courses, students are invited to participate in a social media challenge to share their progress. New challenges will be shared on Instagram and Twitter and the EduCup Challenge website daily, with each league having a specific day to present their challenge to students based on the program they sponsor through EVERFI. Students will respond to the social media challenges using predetermined EduCup Challenge hashtags.

To participate in the EduCup Challenge, students will visit www.educupchallenge.com, log in to their school, and complete the courses that are sponsored by the participating leagues. Students will also have the opportunity to compete for one of four $2,500 academic scholarships or a tablet or laptop computer. EVERFI will name one region as the EduCup Challenge winner, determined by which region has the most student participation. The winners of the scholarships and computers will be selected based on submissions to course questions from students from the winning region.

Supporting Quotes

Jon Chapman, founder and president, EVERFI

“Sports leagues have a long history of working with EVERFI to provide educational opportunities to students. As schools around the world began to close as a result of COVID-19, these leagues were leading from the front ensuring that students had access to important educational courses. The EduCup Challenge supports youth education and engages students in a little friendly competition to inspire and motivate them through online education.”

Melanie LeGrande, vice president of social responsibility, Major League Baseball

“At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked quickly with EVERFI to expand access to Summer Slugger and ensure that youth across the U.S. and Canada could utilize our math and literacy course during an unprecedented time of widespread remote learning. The EduCup Challenge is an exciting opportunity to work with our Clubs and the other leagues to challenge and motivate students to keep up the hard work. We wish the best to all students during the two-week stretch and beyond.”

Alexia Gallagher, vice president of philanthropy, National Football League and executive director, NFL Foundation

“When schools around the country first closed due to the pandemic, the NFL knew it was crucial to help youth and parents around the country by offering them digital learning and wellness resources alongside our partners. We worked closely with EVERFI and United Way to make sure Character Playbook resources were provided on our platforms. We’re proud to partner with EVERFI again to support the EduCup Challenge and help children continue to learn.”

Rob Knesaurek, group vice president of youth hockey and industry growth, National Hockey League

“We’re proud to have the NHL’s Hockey Scholar and Healthier Me programs included in the EduCup Challenge and thankful for EVERFI’s continued devotion to providing innovative and engaging educational resources. Supporting students, teachers, and parents who are challenged with navigating remote learning during this time remains a priority for us and we’re excited to provide this unique opportunity for participants to keep their minds sharp while also having educational fun at home.”

Rob Zepp, manager, Special Projects, National Hockey League Players’ Association

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for families who are now navigating through online schooling from home. Along with EVERFI and the NHL, we have worked together to make our educational materials available for families during these difficult times, and the EduCup Challenge is our latest initiative to help engage students in a unique way. We look forward to the ensuing competition and everyone will win with students engaging with our online education platform.”

Nick Sakiewicz, commissioner, National Lacrosse League

“We are honored and excited to be alongside such great global organizations working on the EduCup Challenge. This program really hits home for us not just because it ties to our social responsibility initiatives, but because we also have over 15 players, coaches, referees, and spouses who also happen to be teachers, and will benefit from the lessons that they can use as they all adjust to online learning.”

Tracey Holmes, NFL partnership director, United Way Worldwide

“United Way is proud to team up with the NFL and EVERFI to extend Character Playbook: Healthy Relationships and Mental Wellness Basics to teachers and families nationwide, particularly now that digital learning tools have become a critical component of the everyday learning experience. We believe that all children deserve a strong start, with a solid foundation for success in school and life, especially in this era of distance learning. We’re excited to be part of the EduCup Challenge and honored to be part of this effort to engage and inspire young people to stay connected while at home.”

About EVERFI, Inc.

EVERFI is an international technology company driving social change through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to prescription drug safety to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) community engagement platform and has reached more than 41 million learners globally. EVERFI powers community engagement in a sustained manner to empower individuals and organizations to make an impact within their communities. The Company also convenes Networks to bring together financial institutions, colleges and universities, and some of the largest corporations to leverage insights and connections to drive impact. Some of America’s leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, as well as Advance Publications, Rethink Education and Rethink Impact. To learn more about EVERFI visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter @EVERFI.

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The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the longest running and most successful professional lacrosse league in the world, today announced that the League will cancel the remainder of the regular season. League officials are looking at any number of scenarios to return to play when all stakeholders and health officials deem that possible. There is no timeline on when decisions will be made. The league suspended regular season play on March 12th due to COVID-19.

NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz said:

With three weekends left in the regular season and the uncertainty about resumption during that time, we decided it is in the best interests of our players, coaches, staff, partners and fans to remove any uncertainty. Our goal is to find the best, and safest, solution for resumption of play, but what that looks like, and when that occurs, cannot be determined today. Our primary focus is the long term health of all involved in the sport of lacrosse from a personal and a business standpoint, and we are consulting with our board, medical and municipal authorities, as well as leadership in other organizations across sports and entertainment, to determine when we will be able to effectively move forward. Whenever that is, we have plans in place that continue to evolve, and we will be ready to restart the process correctly and effectively.

Peter Schmitz, PLPA President, said:

We continue to be in regular contact with the NLL and support their recent decision to halt the regular season, while continuing to figure out what a next step looks like. Our primary focus remains the health and safety of our members and their input will be the deciding factor. We recognize the challenges that are presented with the unpredictability of the circumstances in which we find ourselves and will consider all options as presented by Nick and the NLL Leadership. We remain positive and optimistic for a return to the floor in the appropriate timeframe.

Those options will be outlined in more detail as the situation becomes clearer across North America in the coming weeks.

For the most up to date information and breaking news, sign up for the NLL newsletter at NLL.com. Also follow Deputy Commissioner Jessica Berman and Commissioner Sakiewicz on Twitter @JessicaBerman1 and @NLLcommish, respectively.

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Editor’s note: The National Lacrosse League released a special message from players today.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A message from our players to you, the fans.

A post shared by National Lacrosse League (@nll) on Mar 25, 2020 at 10:12am PDT

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Watch the top plays from Week 13 of 2020 NLL action, and let us know your favorite!

[jnews_block_5 first_title=”More NLL” include_category=”2313″]

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The National Lacrosse League (NLL) today announced a landmark partnership with Roar Digital — a joint venture between global gaming industry leaders MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings — making Roar’s sports betting brand, BetMGM, the official and exclusive gaming partner of the NLL. It is the first-ever gaming partnership for the sport of lacrosse in the United States.

“We are so proud to welcome BetMGM as yet another world-class brand to our family of national partners,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “The growth of our league as a sports and entertainment property and the amount of engagement we will be able to generate through this innovative partnership with MGM Resorts and Roar Digital will be very exciting and add tremendous value to avid, casual and new fans. The like-minded vision both our organizations share will continue to increase the relevance of the NLL and draw a wider audience of fans as we continue the momentum we enjoyed over the last four seasons.”

“Lacrosse is a fast-paced, high-scoring, growing sport that presents exciting sports betting opportunities. We are greatly impressed by the management and operations of the NLL as evidenced by its strong roster of team owners,” said Scott Butera, President of Interactive Gaming for MGM Resorts. “The NLL is an ideal partner for BetMGM in accessing a fast-growing lacrosse fan base.”

BetMGM will have commercial visibility and other promotional opportunities throughout the NLL regular season and playoffs. In addition, they will create weekly betting lines distributed across all NLL platforms and channels.

Accessible via desktop and mobile, BetMGM features GVC’s state-of-the-art betting engine and technology platform. Not only can users play the traditional casino and poker games they’ve come to love, but sports fans can place an expanded range of pre-match and in-play bets with more than 100 leagues, as well as individual sports, tours and events.

The NLL is the premier professional lacrosse league, ranking third in average attendance for pro indoor sports, with 13 teams in key markets across North America. The NLL experienced substantial growth last season with nearly a million total ticket sales, a 28 percent increase from 2017-18. Digital viewership also rose significantly through B/R Live the NLL’s streaming rights partner, showing substantial increases in total unit sales (+151 percent from last year), average unique viewers (+27 percent), and average minute audiences (+14 percent). Sponsorship revenues are projected at a 29 percent increase from 2018 into 2019.

For the most up to date information and breaking news, sign up for the NLL newsletter at NLL.com. Also follow Deputy Commissioner Jessica Berman and Commissioner Sakiewicz on Twitter @JessicaBerman1 and @NLLcommish, respectively.

About the National Lacrosse League       

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is the premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 13 franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England Black Wolves, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors. For more information, visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Roar Digital

Roar Digital LLC is the U.S. sports betting and online gaming venture, owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and GVC Holdings Plc (LSE: GVC). Based in New Jersey, the venture was established in July 2018 to create world-class sports betting and online gaming platform in the United States, in order to take advantage of the new opportunities created by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the U.S. federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Utilizing GVC’s U.S.-licensed, state-of-the-art proprietary technology platform, Roar Digital offers sports betting and online gaming via market-leading brands including BetMGM and PartyPoker. The venture has exclusive access to MGM’s U.S. land-based and online sports betting, major tournament poker, and online gaming businesses.

About MGM Resorts International 

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 29 unique hotel and destination gaming offerings including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. Expanding throughout the U.S. and around the world, the company recently acquired the operations of Empire City Casino in New York and Hard Rock Rocksino in Ohio, which was rebranded as MGM Northfield Park. In 2018, MGM Resorts opened MGM Springfield in Massachusetts, MGM COTAI in Macau, and the first Bellagio-branded hotel in Shanghai. The over 80,000 global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies®. For more information visit us at www.mgmresorts.com.

About GVC Holdings PLC

GVC Holdings PLC is one of the world’s largest sports betting and gaming groups, operating both online and in the retail sector. The Group owns a comprehensive portfolio of established brands; Sports Brands include bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds and Sportingbet; Games Brands include CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, PartyPoker and PartyCasino. The Group owns proprietary technology across all of its core product verticals and in addition to its B2C operations provides services to a number of third-party customers on a B2B basis. The Group has also entered into a joint venture with MGM Resorts to capitalize on the sports-betting and gaming opportunity in the U.S. The Group, incorporated in the Isle of Man, is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index and has licences in more than 20 countries, across five continents. For more information see the Group’s website: www.gvc-plc.com

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The NLL announces division realignment for the 2019-20 season, as well as playoff format and schedule type after the addition of two expansion teams and new market Halifax. The league will feature 13 teams in the upcoming season after fielding 11 last year.

To accommodate the addition of NLL expansion teams, the New York Riptide, Rochester Knighthawks and new market Halifax Thunderbirds, as well as maintaining an eye towards continued expansion, the NLL will shift to a three-division format in 2019-20.

“The league has had unprecedented expansion over the last three years. With two more teams coming in this year along with a new market in Halifax, we felt the need to reexamine conference alignments, schedule and playoff formats to prepare for future expansion. We also wanted to create exciting rivalries for the fans, the best travel scenarios for teams and players and competitive match-ups for our 13 franchises,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “I want to recognize the great collaborative work between the Competition Committee, Board of Governors and League office who worked very diligently in making these challenging decisions.”

The five teams that comprised the West Division in 2018-19 will remain as the West Division this season. The six franchises that made up the East Division in 2018-19, in addition to the two new expansion teams and new market team Halifax will be distributed among the East Division and the newly formed North Division. The new division realignment is as follows:

NLL Announces Division Realignment

The NLL has adopted a regular season schedule format in which each franchise will face the other 12 teams at least once during the 18-game season.

Each team in the West Division will play two division opponents twice and the other two division rivals three times, while facing each team in the North and East Divisions once. NLL teams located in the North and East Divisions will play the other three teams in its division three times, while facing non-divisional opponents once. The schedule format was approved by the league’s Board of Governors during the offseason.

Eight NLL teams will once again qualify for the playoffs. The three division winners will now automatically receive the top three seeds in the playoffs, based on their records and tiebreakers. The three second-place teams in each of the three divisions will receive the fourth through sixth seeds in the order of their records and tiebreakers. The seventh and eighth “wild card” seeds will be awarded to the next two best records from any division.

The first two rounds of the NLL playoffs will remain single-elimination and teams will not be re-seeded after the opening round. The championship round will remain as a best-of-three series. The highest remaining seed will host Game 1 and, if necessary, Game 3.

About the National Lacrosse League

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 13 franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England Black Wolves, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors. For more information, visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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The National Lacrosse League, the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced that Jessica Berman has been named Deputy Commissioner and EVP of Business Affairs. Berman joins the NLL from the National Hockey League, where she has spent the last 13 years, most recently as NHL Vice President, Community Development, Culture & Growth. She becomes the first woman to hold the title of Deputy Commissioner at any professional sports league in North America. Berman will oversee all of the league’s legal affairs and transactions, manage team services, and assist the Commissioner with the NLL’s overall growth strategy.

“It takes the brightest and best to build great leagues and teams and, we are very proud to welcome one of the brightest, best and most progressive minds in sports business to the National Lacrosse League,” Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz said. “Her wide-ranging background fits exactly with the growth trajectory we are on, and her addition to our veteran team is a perfect cultural fit and win for the league, our member clubs and for the sport of lacrosse.”

“Jessica Berman has been an invaluable member of the NHL league office for more than 13 years,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.  “As a colleague it is easy to recognize that she is whip-smart, enthusiastic and collaborative and we wish her all the best as she takes on this new role.”

“I would like to thank both Nick for this opportunity and Gary and the NHL for putting me in a position where I can help make a difference both with the NLL and the sport of lacrosse,” Berman said. “Lacrosse is constantly mentioned as ‘fast growing,’ and I am looking forward to helping accelerate that pace, especially given all the work that has gone into helping the NLL expand and increase market share under Nick’s tenure.”

Jessica Berman was an NHL Vice President, Community Development, Culture and Growth at the National Hockey League, as well as Executive Director of the NHL Foundation. In that role she participated in the design and execution of the League’s strategic corporate social responsibility goals, initiatives, policies and programs in the areas of importance to the League, the NHL Clubs, the NHL’s business partners and the hockey community generally, with a particular focus on ensuring the initiatives are properly aligned with the League’s overall objectives and strategy. Prior to that position, she was Vice President & Deputy General Counsel for the NHL. She was a member of the collective bargaining team for the 2012 NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, which involved crafting the League’s labor strategy, negotiating with the NHLPA  to draft the agreement, as well as analyzing the impact of the proposed changes. Prior to working for the NHL, Jessica was an Associate in the Labor & Employment Department at Proskauer Rose LLP. At Proskauer, she represented employers in collective bargaining, mediations, arbitrations and litigations.

Jessica graduated from Fordham University School of Law where she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Fordham Sports Law Forum and an Associate Editor of the Urban Law Journal. She graduated from the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology with an undergraduate degree in Sports Management and Communications with distinction. She was a 2014 member of Sports Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” class, and in 2015 she was presented with the Burke Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Board of Directors of the Burke Medical Research Institute and Burke Rehabilitation Hospital for her commitment to helping people with brain injuries.

The NLL is North America’s largest and most premier professional lacrosse league, ranking third in average attendance for pro indoor sports, with 13 teams in key markets across North America. The NLL experienced substantial growth last season with nearly a million total ticket sales, a 28-percent increase from 2017-18, and 60 percent of ticket sales were from people who never played lacrosse. Digital viewership also rose significantly through Turner and B/R Live, showing substantial increases in total unit sales (up 151 percent from last year), average unique viewers (+27 percent) and average minute audiences (+14 percent). Sponsorship revenues are projected at a 29-percent increase from 2018 to 2019. With the addition of Berman, the NLL will continue to focus on increasing its North American footprint through her strategic leadership.

For the most up to date information and breaking news, sign up for the NLL newsletter at NLL.com. Also follow Deputy Commissioner Berman and Commissioner Sakiewicz on Twitter @JessicaBerman1 and @NLLcommish, respectively.

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The National Lacrosse League (NLL) and the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) have officially announced a strategic partnership to help grow lacrosse.

As part of this historic collaboration, the NLL will partner at the IMLCA’s annual meeting in Baltimore Maryland and host an indoor pro-night where NLL coaches, executives and players will demonstrate indoor plays, strategy and skills to the coaches association.

Together, we will continue to strengthen the game as partners. With so much fragmentation in lacrosse, we feel that by creating strategic relationships like this, we can provide a stronger sport across all its verticals.

– NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz

In addition, the IMLCA will assist the NLL with an invite only box lacrosse combine on Sept. 7-8 at the Wings Training Center at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J., where graduating NCAA lacrosse athletes can try-out to potentially further their lacrosse careers by playing in the National Lacrosse League, the world’s largest indoor lacrosse league. Five players from last year’s combine, transitioned into the NLL, including Gowah Abrams, Liam Byrnes, Dave Emala, Jules Heningburg and Patrick Resch.

Heningburg was selected in the third round of the 2018 NLL Entry Draft by the San Diego Seals while the other four players earned their way onto a roster via free agency. Only Byrnes, a 2016 Georgia Swarm draft pick, had previous NLL experience. Abrams, Byrnes and Resch saw time with the Philadelphia Wings last year while Emala played seven games for the New England Black Wolves.

We are very excited about our partnership with the NLL. Our pro night has been extremely well received recently, and the NLL players and coaches have been integral in this growth of our convention.  Our college game has been using more and more concepts from the indoor game, and our coaches are excited to learn from the best that indoor lacrosse has to offer.

– J.B. Clarke, President of the IMLCA

Formed in 2004, the IMLCA teaches, promotes and maintains the growth of lacrosse to serve the intercollegiate men’s lacrosse coaches community.

As part of the deal, the NLL and IMLCA will have a strategic marketing relationship that will assist each organization with growing their base and strengthening their core, making lacrosse a more unified sport.

Brian Lemon, who serves as the NLL’s executive in charge of lacrosse operations, remarked:

Our coaches and players are eager to help foster a strong indoor environment and we are excited to work with some of the finest coaches in the world.

About the IMLCA

The IMLCA was formed in 2004 to serve the intercollegiate men’s lacrosse coaches community. To develop among intercollegiate coaches a deep sense of responsibility in teaching, promotion, and maintaining the growth of lacrosse in accordance with the highest ideals of fair play. To stimulate the development of quality leadership for lacrosse programs by recognizing professional contributions to the sport and keeping members informed of current coaching techniques and trends. To identify and pursue issues relevant to lacrosse coaches and to the sport of lacrosse; and to provide a forum for the discussion of matters of interest to members of the Association. To promote cooperative efforts with other professional organizations interested in the development of lacrosse and athletics in general. For more information on the IMLCA please go to imlcacoaches.com.

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The National Lacrosse League (NLL) announces the schedule for its 7^th Annual Junior NLL Tournament, a weekend-long competition featuring youth clubs representing their respective NLL teams from both the U.S. and Canada. Teams from three divisions will compete at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre and Glen Abbey Community Centre in Oakville, Ontario from Thursday, August 22 to Sunday, August 25.

“I’m thrilled with the growth of the Junior NLL Tournament which has coincided with the growth of the NLL,” said Rock Owner Jamie Dawick. “We are looking forward to hosting some of the best youth box lacrosse players from across Canada and the U.S. and three great days of competition and camaraderie.”

Players, coaches and staff from the NLL will take part in the weekend, which will kick off with an opening Junior NLL Skills Clinic on Thursday, August 22^nd available to all participating players in the tournament. The clinic will be hosted by the Toronto Rock and run by Challen Rogers and Nick Rose, and include goalie-specific instruction.

More details regarding the Junior NLL Tournament can be found below:

Location:

Toronto Rock Athletic Centre:  1132 Invicta Drive, Oakville, ON, L6H 6G1
Glen Abbey Community Centre: 1415 Third Line, Oakville, ON, L6M 3G2

Division breakdown by birth year:

• Peewee: Players Born in 2007 or 2008
• Bantam: Players Born in 2005 or 2006
• Midget:  Players Born in 2003 or 2004

Full tournament scores and statistics will be available on NLL.com.

About the National Lacrosse League

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 13 franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England Black Wolves, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors. For more information, visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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