National Lacrosse League Unveils 2026 Playoff Schedule and Quarterfinal Matchups

Philadelphia (April 19, 2026) – The National Lacrosse League (NLL) has announced the schedule for the 2026 NLL Playoffs, which will begin on Friday, April 24th when the Vancouver Warriors host the Halifax Thunderbirds at 10 pm ET. The Warriors clinched the top overall seed in the eight-team playoff format and will have home-floor advantage throughout the postseason.

Playoff Format

The NLL adopted a single-table format ahead of the 2023-24 season, eliminating its previous divisional structure. Under this format, the League’s top eight teams qualify for the playoffs regardless of geographic alignment, ensuring the strongest teams compete for the championship.

In the single-elimination quarterfinal round, the higher seed will host each matchup: No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6, and No. 4 vs. No. 5. Full matchup details are listed below.

Quarterfinal winners advance to the best-of-three semifinal round, set to begin the weekend of April 30th.

2026 NLL Playoffs Schedule

Quarterfinals (Single Elimination)

Friday, April 24 – Saturday, April 25

• (8) Halifax at (1) Vancouver – Friday, April 24 | 10 pm ET
• (7) San Diego at (2) Colorado – Saturday, April 25 | 9 pm ET
• (6) Toronto at (3) Saskatchewan – Saturday, April 25 | 9 pm ET
• (5) Buffalo at (4) Georgia – Saturday, April 25 | 7:30 pm ET

Semifinals (Best-of-Three)

• Thursday, April 30 – Sunday, May 3
• Thursday, May 7 – Sunday, May 10 (if necessary)

2026 NLL Finals (Best-of-Three)

• Thursday, May 14 – Sunday, May 17*
• Thursday, May 21 – Monday, May 25 (if necessary)

*If both semifinals are sweeps, the NLL Finals may begin as early as the weekend of May 7-10.

Broadcast Information

Fans can catch every playoff game live on ESPN+, TSN+, and NLL+ (territory restrictions apply). Complete broadcast information, including the TSN and ESPN network schedules, will be announced on Tuesday.

About the National Lacrosse League

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s largest professional lacrosse league and welcomed more than 1 million fans for the fourth consecutive year during the 2025-26 season. Founded in 1986, the NLL is comprised of 14 franchises across Canada and the United States, and recently unveiled its largest brand campaign ever, “Welcome to The Next Major League™” and introduced its comprehensive grassroots initiative, NLL UnBOXed™, that will expand the League’s footprint to 60 communities across North America by 2028. For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok. Games are available live and streaming on TSN, TSN+, ESPN, and NLL+.