Entering their second season in the epicenter of Canadian government, the Black Bears possess a weapon that stands alone in the beautiful universe of box lacrosse. That armament is, of course, the otherworldly Jeff Teat. The Cornell alum posted yet another spectacular season in 2024-2025, tallying 56 goals and 55 assists for an Ottawa squad that once again finished the 18-game regular season schedule a hair short of elevating to postseason play. Is this finally the year that Teat’s genius pilots the plane to a top-eight finish?
Gary Gait ✅
John Grant Jr ✅
Jeff Teat ✅Good company with 3+ 50-goal seasons 🙌 pic.twitter.com/y9wXJtSXjf
— NLL (@NLL) April 13, 2025
In order for Ottawa to be the backdrop of a perennial playoff team, Teat needs some help from his friends. Connor Kearnan served as the second most productive Black Bear, finishing a distant 39th in total points accrued, with no other OTT player even cracking the top 65. But when a roster has the name Jeff Teat listed in bold print, a club’s ability to soar becomes significantly more attainable. Keep an eye on the Black Bears in the months and years ahead.
The NLL’s most sun-soaked franchise presents the unique combination of veteran laden offensive contributors and a young goalie with a tremendously bright present and future. Seals stalwart Wesley Berg, along with newer to Southern California transplants Rob Hellyer, Ryan Benesch, Ben McIntosh, Kyle Rubisch, Trevor Baptiste and Zach Currier, represent an experienced faction of lacrosse players dead set on chasing championship glory.
Patrick Merrill’s division of elder statesmen are bookended by 22-year-old whippersnapper Christopher Origlieri, who is looking to parlay a strong start to his career into the championship ring that has been long sought by the always solid San Diegans, notably the above list of savvy vets.
Last season was a step back in time for the franchise that represents the state capital of the Empire State. After a miraculous run to the finals, a mere one season prior, Albany struggled to find their footing despite the presence of the best young core in the league. With Alex Simmons, Tye Kurtz, Ethan Walker and reigning rookie of the year Dyson Williams poised for a return to prominence, the FireWolves should be well-rested and ready to prove the naysayers wrong come next winter.
Congratulations to Albany FireWolves forward Dyson Williams on being named the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year! pic.twitter.com/lzulKHiphZ
— NLL (@NLL) May 16, 2025
The possibility of an Albany revival also hinges on the play of Doug Jamieson, one of the most skilled and respected goalies in the sport. With all the above pieces pulling their collective weight, Glenn Clark’s team should be back in the championship race for many years to come.
Last season, Nova Scotia was the locale for an extremely entertaining brand of lacrosse played amidst one of the absolute best atmospheres in all of sports. The Thunderbirds finished second in goals scored and fourth in goals against. A visit to The Nest or catching a glimpse of HFX on the road meant the constant visual of a lamp lighting up an arena. The T-Birds’ memorable 2024-2025 effort culminated in an opening weekend playoff win over the Roughnecks, followed by a decisive loss at the hands of the eventual runner-up Rush.
Halifax is perfectly poised to build on all that was accomplished, with Randy Staats, Clarke Petterson, Thomas Hoggarth and the great Cody Jamieson leading the highly daunted offensive charge. The defensive stability of Graeme Hossack and the faceoff wizardry of Jake Withers punctuate how truly deep this roster runs.
Mike Hasen’s team was an offensive behemoth in 2024-2025, scoring 228 regular season goals, led by the dynamic duo of Connor Fields and Ryan Lanchbury, who tabulated 122 and 116 points respectively, with Mr. Fields walking away with NLL MVP honors now added to the very top of his resume. When factoring in the talents of Ryan Smith and Thomas McConvey, the Western New Yorkers bring to the fight a four-headed monster that on any given night is capable of keeping scoreboard operators incredibly busy.
Connor Fields is YOUR 2024-25 NLL MVP 🏆 pic.twitter.com/8bGikEtLbX
— NLL (@NLL) May 16, 2025
Rochester concluded a roller-coaster of a regular season, winners of six of their final seven games, before running into an equally hot Warriors club in the opening round of the postseason. If the Knighthawks are able to fortify the defensive side of the field, while simultaneously getting off to a stronger start, this collection of offensive talent can go stride-for-stride with anyone the NLL has to offer.
The recently completed season was a magical ride on the prairies of Saskatoon. With three consecutive 8-10 efforts now firmly in the rearview, the Rush rode the wave all the way to a highly competitive NLL Finals loss to the Buffalo Bandits. Derek Keenan’s master plan of adding talents Austin Shanks, Zach Manns, Frank Scigliano and the re-acquired Matt Hossack to an existing cadre that features veterans Robert Church, Ryan Keenan and Mike Messenger, along with developing stars Jake Boudreau and Jake Naso, came to perfect fruition.
The inhabitants of SaskTel Centre gaze into a future that includes a well-rounded, highly versatile alliance of players, who are now playoff-tested and understand all that is involved with winning a championship. Jimmy Quinlan’s gang enters next season’s schedule knowing that all the pieces are in place to play late into the month of May.
During the course of the last several seasons, the boys from British Columbia were a middling group, working hard to establish an identity. Curt Malawsky’s arrival before the 2023-2024 season set the tone for a complete overhaul in culture, with the 2024-2025 midseason entrance of former NLL MVP Christian Del Bianco immediately advancing the Warriors from searchers to title contenders. The all-world goalkeeper’s presence morphed the squad into a defensive juggernaut, allowing Vancouver to conclude the regular season on a six-game win streak, while propelling the organization to a playoff victory over the Rochester Knighthawks.
6 games, 6 wins for Christian Del Bianco. The goaltender doesn’t miss. pic.twitter.com/Q2JRq7uWEc
— NLL (@NLL) April 20, 2025
During the seven-game unbeaten stretch, CDB corralled 285 saves, alongside an 8.9 GAA and 82 percent save percentage. With the goalie position now ranked at the very top of the league, Owen Grant will anchor the netminder’s last line of defense, with the likes of Keegan Bal and Adam Charalambides tasked with delivering clutch goal after clutch goal, for a roster that does need to score in bunches to win games. The Warriors are a team to be reckoned with.
Heading into the 2025-2026 campaign, the now three-time defending kings of the box lacrosse universe undoubtedly remain the franchise that everyone else is feverishly chasing. The seven-time champs have participated in the deciding round of the playoffs, during every season, dating all the way back to 2019, while continuing to boast of perhaps the greatest offensive duo in the history of the sport. Last season, 2016/2022 NLL MVP Dhane Smith and 2024 NLL MVP Josh Byrne tied for the league lead with an astonishing 134 points. And these living legends appear to have a whole lot of lacrosse left in the tank.
42-year-old Matt Vinc still barricades the net like a man half his age, with the surrounding nucleus of Ian MacKay, Kyle Buchanan, Chris Cloutier, Tehoka Nanticoke, Chase Fraser, Paul Dawson and Nick Weiss firmly enshrined within the prime periods of their respective careers. Thanks to a deep and loaded roster, combined with the unsurpassed atmosphere of Banditland, John Tavares’ team is the undisputed gold standard of the Creator’s Game.
Tonight’s forecast: 100% CHANCE OF SHOWERS! 🍾#LetsGoBandits | @NLL pic.twitter.com/GD2ipoBJFW
— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) May 25, 2025
