National Lacrosse League

As teams around the league prepare for the upcoming season with training camps and preseason exhibitions, the countdown to the games that count has begun. The 2013 NLL regular season, the 27th year of professional indoor lacrosse, officially kicks off when the Rochester Knighthawks begin their title defense on the road against the Washington Stealth on Jan. 5 at Comcast Arena in Everett, WA.

Because the regular season standings dictate home field advantage throughout the playoffs (the home team has won the last five NLL titles), each and every game is crucial for teams with championship dreams. For the world's best lacrosse players, the road to the Champion's Cup starts here:

Home opener dates
Buffalo Bandits:  Jan. 12 vs. Minnesota
Calgary Roughnecks:  Jan. 12 vs. Toronto
Colorado Mammoth:  Jan. 12 vs. Washington
Edmonton Rush:  Jan. 13 vs. Toronto
Minnesota Swarm:  Jan. 26 vs. Washington
Philadelphia Wings:  Jan. 11 vs. Buffalo
Rochester Knighthawks:  Jan. 19 vs. Buffalo
Toronto Rock:  Jan. 19 vs. Philadelphia
Washington Stealth:  Jan. 5 vs. Rochester