2024-2025 marked a seminal period in the history of the Vancouver Warriors. Since relocating to British Columbia in 2014, the club had never once eclipsed the .500 mark, with a 9-9 showing in 2017 serving as the high point in franchise history. But in the blink of an eye, the fortunes of Canada’s westward-most NLL organization experienced a complete about-face.
In the wake of the Warriors lurching to a 5-7 start to the recently completed campaign, the arrival of all-world goaltender Christian Del Bianco completely catapulted the team to new heights, with Vancouver finishing the remainder of the regular season on a six-game win streak.
The Warriors then tied a nice shiny bow to their regular season bounty when defeating the equally scorching Rochester Knighthawks in the opening round of postseason play. A 2-0 sweep at the hands of the now three-time defending champion Buffalo Bandits lowered the curtain on Vancouver’s magic carpet ride, but what a seven-game journey it turned out to be.
“I think the biggest part is now we get an opportunity to play the champs, and that’s a big hill to climb.”
🗣️ General Manager and Head Coach Curt Malawsky on the Warriors win over Rochester and securing a spot in the semifinals.
Presented by UB Media. pic.twitter.com/ZUeowCyvtr
— Vancouver Warriors (@VanWarriors) April 27, 2025
With last season’s exploits now firmly in the rearview, we caught up with Warriors General Manager & Head Coach Curt Malawsky. The legendary NLL figure just completed his second season on Canada’s Pacific Coast, after a stellar coaching career in Calgary, highlighted by the Roughnecks’ 2019 NLL championship run.
Several weeks removed from the final buzzer of the Warriors’ regular and postseason adventure, the championship-winning coach/player looks back at what was accomplished with a tremendous sense of gratification.
“I think the biggest thing that comes to my mind is the word proud,” exclaims Malawsky.
“I’m super proud of the guys for how hard they competed all year long, and super proud of how they conducted themselves on and off the floor, and super proud of the fans that came out and supported us. We struggled there for a while, and they still had our back. I just think overall, just for the city of Vancouver and the province of British Columbia, it was a proud moment for the organization to make great strides. I’m looking forward to next season.”
While the inimitable sideline general beams with satisfaction when reminiscing about the giant headways achieved during the course of last season, Malawsky is not remotely resting on his laurels when looking ahead at the mighty obstacles that will no doubt accompany his team’s return to the field.
CALGARY, AB – DECEMBER 28, 2024: The Calgary Roughnecks against the Vancouver Warriors at Scotiabank Saddledome. (Photo by Jenn Pierce/NLL)
“You have to be very careful in the National Lacrosse League,” opines the 55-year-old bench boss. “The fact that you have past success doesn’t guarantee your future success. Getting into the playoffs, getting a home game and then winning a home game, that is invaluable experience, for sure. But, you need to have the ability to realize that it’s a whole different season and everybody’s going to get better. We will definitely lean on the experience of the regular season finish, getting that playoff win and getting into Buffalo twice in front of 18,000 people. I think that stuff is really going to bode well for our young guys and keep the veterans coming back hungry for a chance to be successful. You can’t buy that type of experience. We put it in the bank and hopefully can capitalize on that next season.”
With 2025-2026 resolutely at the top of mind, Malawsky has swapped his whistle, dry erase board and all the other tools of the coach’s toolbox for a cell phone and contractual documentation, as he focuses on the team construction aspect of his dual head coach/general manager role. From a player acquisition perspective, the undisputed leader of the Warriors lacrosse operation is prepared to leave no stone unturned in an effort to enhance his club’s ability to put the ball in the net.
Vancouver finished the regular season in the back half of the league in the category of goals scored. Improvement in that all-important area is of paramount importance.
“Putting my general manager hat on, I think we have to be very aggressive in free agency,” notes Malawsky. “I’d like to improve a little bit on the front end. Not to say the guys that we had were not great all season long, but I think we’re going to try to add to our front end. We built a team from the goaltender out, and we kind of had to flip it when we first started, going from the defense out, then adding the goaltender, and now we’d like to add a little bit more offense.”
“I think we could probably improve a little bit on our power play,” strategizes Malawsky. “I’d like to improve on the right-handed transition side of things. I think that’s important for us to get up and down the floor. I think we need to utilize Del Bianco’s stick and his rebound control, the ability to get the ball up the floor really quick. I wouldn’t refer to them as easy goals, but the odd-number goals, transitional goals, I think it’s something that we’d like to improve on.”
Identical to the other 13 NLL organizations that concluded the season void of a championship celebration, Malawsky and the Warriors are quite obviously laser-focused on devising a method to finally knock the three-time champion Bandits away from their long-held trophy-raising pedestal.
While working diligently to build an operation capable of achieving such a feat, the man tasked with assembling the Vancouver roster provides his counterpart in Buffalo (Steve Dietrich) with the highest levels of respect and admiration. Dietrich serves as both general manager and assistant coach for the Western New York juggernaut.
“I think Steve is the best general manager in the National Lacrosse League,” proclaims Malawsky. “He put that team together. He drafted Dhane Smith, Josh Byrne and Chase Fraser, to name a few. He’s done a really good job of putting those pieces together. When Buffalo had the lean years, they drafted very well. He’s also able to go out in free agency and sign Matt Vinc. Steve has a great template, a great model to be successful in the National Lacrosse League. And he’s an excellent defensive coach.”
CALGARY, AB – DECEMBER 28, 2024: The Calgary Roughnecks against the Vancouver Warriors at Scotiabank Saddledome. (Photo by Jenn Pierce/NLL)
Similar to how the Bandits and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres maneuver in tandem with one-another, the very same can be said for the Warriors and Vancouver Canucks. Both clubs function under the Aquilini Investment Group umbrella, while simultaneously calling downtown Vancouver’s Rogers Arena home. Entering season three with the NLL tentpole of the company, Malawsky could not be happier with the degree of reverence shown by both the powers that be and the high-profile co-tenants of British Columbia’s premiere sports and entertainment facility.
“The Aquilini Group and the Aquilini family treat the players top notch,” glows Malawsky. “The respect and family atmosphere around the organization is something that the Warriors strive to have. It’s all-inclusive. We’re in the same tunnel downstairs as the Canucks. We’re seeing them walk by when we’re practicing in the big rink. We’re getting opportunities to get priority in there if we have a big game. It doesn’t seem like there’s a pecking order. Running into former head coach Rick Tocchet or current head coach Adam Foote, they want to have a conversation. It’s so special to truly be a part of a family atmosphere that’s so hard working and dedicated to success.”
With the organizational structure secured and the Warriors coming off their best season in history, Malawsky has his sights steadfastly cemented on the ultimate reward for all of the tremendous efforts being put forth.
