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Seals Take Down Bandits; Teat Comes Alive in Valentine's Day Weekend Showdowns; Sunday Finale on Deck Full Schedule for Valentine's Day Weekend

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Scores / Schedule
Stories/Op-Ed

Key Games to Watch During the 2024-25 Season

This week, the NLL announced the full NLL on TSN Schedule for the 2024-25 season, which has us counting down the days until Faceoff Weekend. Here’s a look at seven of the games that NLL.com writers are looking forward to the most during the upcoming season.

 

The First Battle of Ontario

Friday, November 29 at 7 p.m.

Toronto Rock @ Ottawa Black Bears

The Battle of Ontario between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators is a rivalry that has spanned decades in the NHL. Now, lacrosse has its own version of this inter-provincial clash. The first installment will be on Faceoff Weekend when the Ottawa Black Bears debut at home, at the Canadian Tire Centre against the Toronto Rock.

The uninitiated might need a quick geography lesson. Let’s break it down:

  • The Rock call the Greater Toronto & Hamilton area home, practicing in Oakville at the TRAC where the team has their business operations. This season, they’ll play out of the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga. This is considered Southern Ontario.
  • The Black Bears will play at Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, which is on the outskirts of Ottawa. This is considered Eastern Ontario.
  • Both are capital cities. Toronto is the provincial capital, while Ottawa is the federal capital.

Four and a half hours separates Oakville and Kanata, but Ontarians are used to the drive up Highway 401 and if the large number of Leaf fans in attendance at Senators games is any indication, the Rock can expect their fair share of cheers at CTC as well. Look to the rivalry between Buffalo and Rochester as well, and though they’re further apart, Saskatchewan and Calgary sharing the prairie region brings a lot of visiting fans to each arena.

Toronto vs. Ottawa is expected to be a heated rivalry that grows over the years. Don’t miss their first clash.

WATCH IT ON: TSN, TSN+, ESPN+

 

NLL Cup Rematch

Saturday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Albany FireWolves @ Buffalo Bandits

Last season, the upstart Albany FireWolves stunned the NLL with their turnaround, finishing third overall and making it to the championship, where they fell to the Buffalo Bandits in two close games. They return to face the Bandits at KeyBank Center on February 1.

Every game in Banditland is a big one when you have 15,000+ fans cheering you on. Add in an interstate rival in a championship rematch, and you have the potential for an explosive game.

The FireWolves beat the Bandits twice in the 2023-24 regular season, and they’ll be even stronger this season with the addition of Dyson Williams. As clutch as the Bandits were in the playoffs, last season is the past, and the FireWolves want to prove they’re the future.

WATCH IT ON: TSN+, ESPN+

 

Rivalry Night Doubleheader

Friday, February 14

Buffalo Bandits @ Toronto Rock, 7 p.m.

Saskatchewan Rush @ Calgary Roughnecks, 9:30 p.m.

It’s like a love letter to the fans. In what will be one of the most anticipated nights of lacrosse this season, we’ll see the Buffalo Bandits visit the Toronto Rock, and the Saskatchewan Rush visit the Calgary Roughnecks on Valentine’s Day in a TSN doubleheader.

Buffalo and Toronto have long been fierce rivals, with playoff matchups in the last four seasons that playoffs have occurred.

Buffalo won all of those, but regular season wins have gone both ways. Regardless of the winner, fans will be treated two of the most dynamic teams going head-to-head, and it’s always entertaining to watch Matt Vinc battle Nick Rose save-for-save in goal. 

After Buffalo and Toronto duke it out, the Battle of the Prairies begins with Saskatchewan visiting their closest rival in Calgary. Over six hours separates Saskatoon from Alberta’s capital, but they’re the closest teams to each other, geographically speaking. There’s a lot of wide open space in the Canadian prairies, and a lot of time to kill in the car if you’re a fan making the trek for an away game. In a double header last April, Calgary took game one at the Saddledome 12-10, and Saskatchewan won game two 12-9 at SaskTel Centre. No matter how their seasons are going, this will be a game every player will be hyped for.

WATCH IT ON: TSN, TSN+, ESPN+

  

Lyle Thompson in Canada

Friday, February 28 at 7 p.m.

Georgia Swarm @ Ottawa Black Bears

The importance of Lyle Thompson playing his first game in Canada’s capital, on national TV, cannot be overstated. Not only do capital region citizens get to see one of the most talented players in the league (playing against their own Jeff Teat), but Ottawa is also situated near three significant Indigenous reserves: Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Akwesasne and Kahnawake are all within a couple of hours of the capital region.

This gives the local Indigenous community a chance to see the lacrosse stars they look up to, play professional lacrosse close to their home.

Thompson, one of the game’s best ambassadors, leads a Swarm team that features a number of talented Indigenous stars like Brendan Bomberry, Seth Oakes, Zach Miller, and Kason Tarbell, not to mention Thompson’s own brothers Miles and Jeremy. The Swarm have demonstrated a commitment to acknowledging and celebrating the Indigenous roots of the game in all of their actions, and playing in Ottawa gets the players in front of their community members.

WATCH IT ON: TSN, TSN+, ESPN

 

#1 Pick vs. #1 Pick

Saturday, March 8 at 7 p.m.

Albany FireWolves @ Philadelphia Wings

2023 1st overall pick Dyson Williams and the Albany FireWolves will visit a revamped Philadelphia Wings squad featuring 2024 first overall pick Brennan O’Neill. First overall picks have played against each other many times – but this might be the first time that two rookie 1st overall picks are facing each other.

With the COVID-year allowance, Williams took an extra season in the NCAA after being drafted into the NLL. Both players are highly touted, dynamic forwards and their debuts are expected to come with a lot of fanfare. It’s actually too bad that they play the same position and will rarely be on the floor at the same time, but they will be competing on the scoresheet to do the best for their respective teams.

*Another notable game will occur when Las Vegas visits Albany on Saturday, January 4. Desert Dogs’ head coach Shawn Williams will be on the visitors bench, with his son Dyson on the home side.

WATCH IT ON: TSN+, ESPN+

  

Superstar Swap

Saturday, March 22 at 7 p.m.

San Diego Seals @ Calgary Roughnecks

Over the years, a number of Calgary Roughnecks have made their way to sunny San Diego, either through trade or free agency. We’re talking about Wes Berg, Frank Scigliano (now with Saskatchewan), Dane Dobbie and Curtis Dickson. Mike Poulin and Kellen Leclair also both played in Calgary, then made brief stops elsewhere before joining the Seals. The pipeline between the two is undeniable.

Zach Currier is the latest former Roughneck to join the Seals after a trade in July for Dickson. Yes, Superman is back in Calgary where he earned his nickname. Early in October, Dobbie followed his good buddy back to Cowtown.

Each time the Seals visited Calgary after acquiring Dickson and Dobbie, the atmosphere at Scotiabank Saddledome was charged. As a fan, it can be incredibly weird and unsettling to see an important player that helped you win a title (2019) on the other side. And unsurprisingly, sentiment online about the pair returning to the Roughnecks’ fold has been mixed after they walked away the first time on their own terms. But things in Calgary have changed, with a lot of new personnel coming in this offseason, and Josh Sanderson entering his second year behind the bench.

While Calgary’s home opener will tell the tale of how the Saddledome faithful welcome back Dickson and Dobbie, when San Diego visits on March 27, it will be the first time Currier is facing the Calgary crowd. Expect a warm reception for the two-time transition player of the year. Currier made a home in Calgary, with the Roughnecks the only team he had played for in his six-year career.

WATCH IT ON: TSN+, ESPN+

 

 

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