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Breaking: League Adopts Unified Standings Format & Updated Playoff Structure for 2023-24 Season

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WK
1
Fri, Dec 1
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Halifax
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Albany
Las Vegas
Fri, Dec 1
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
Sat, Dec 2
19:00:00
Calgary
Rochester
Sat, Dec 2
19:30:00
Philadelphia
New York
WK
2
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Dec 9
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Dec 9
19:30:00
Colorado
Georgia
Sat, Dec 9
20:00:00
Rochester
Saskatchewan
Sat, Dec 9
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sun, Dec 10
16:00:00
Las Vegas
Panther City
WK
3
Fri, Dec 15
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
Sat, Dec 16
13:00:00
Albany
Philadelphia
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
Halifax
New York
Sat, Dec 16
19:30:00
San Diego
Buffalo
Sat, Dec 16
22:00:00
Georgia
Vancouver
WK
4
Fri, Dec 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Panther City
Fri, Dec 22
21:00:00
Georgia
Colorado
Sat, Dec 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Rochester
WK
5
Fri, Dec 29
18:30:00
Philadelphia
Halifax
Fri, Dec 29
19:30:00
Georgia
Buffalo
Fri, Dec 29
22:00:00
Rochester
San Diego
Sat, Dec 30
16:00:00
New York
Toronto
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Sat, Dec 30
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sun, Dec 31
20:00:00
Albany
Saskatchewan
WK
6
Sat, Jan 6
19:00:00
Halifax
Albany
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Panther City
Georgia
Sat, Jan 6
19:30:00
Colorado
Buffalo
Sun, Jan 7
15:00:00
New York
Philadelphia
WK
7
Fri, Jan 12
18:30:00
Toronto
Halifax
Fri, Jan 12
22:00:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Buffalo
Rochester
Sat, Jan 13
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Panther City
New York
Sat, Jan 13
19:30:00
Albany
Georgia
Sat, Jan 13
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Jan 13
22:00:00
Calgary
Vancouver
WK
8
Fri, Jan 19
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
Georgia
Toronto
Sat, Jan 20
19:00:00
San Diego
Albany
Sat, Jan 20
20:00:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sat, Jan 20
21:00:00
Calgary
Colorado
WK
9
Fri, Jan 26
22:00:00
Colorado
Vancouver
Sat, Jan 27
18:00:00
Rochester
Halifax
Sat, Jan 27
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
Georgia
New York
Sat, Jan 27
19:30:00
San Diego
Philadelphia
Sat, Jan 27
22:00:00
Panther City
Las Vegas
WK
10
Fri, Feb 2
19:00:00
Halifax
Philadelphia
Fri, Feb 2
19:30:00
Vancouver
Georgia
Fri, Feb 2
21:00:00
New York
Calgary
Sat, Feb 3
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Albany
Sat, Feb 3
19:30:00
Rochester
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 3
20:00:00
Panther City
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 3
21:00:00
Toronto
Calgary
Sun, Feb 4
18:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
WK
11
Fri, Feb 9
18:30:00
Las Vegas
Halifax
Fri, Feb 9
20:00:00
Colorado
Panther City
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Feb 10
19:00:00
Calgary
Toronto
Sat, Feb 10
19:30:00
San Diego
New York
Sat, Feb 10
22:00:00
Saskatchewan
Vancouver
WK
12
Fri, Feb 16
18:30:00
Buffalo
Halifax
Fri, Feb 16
22:00:00
Philadelphia
Las Vegas
Sat, Feb 17
19:00:00
Colorado
Albany
Sun, Feb 18
19:00:00
Halifax
Calgary
WK
13
Fri, Feb 23
21:00:00
New York
Colorado
Fri, Feb 23
22:00:00
Georgia
San Diego
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Las Vegas
Rochester
Sat, Feb 24
19:00:00
Vancouver
Toronto
Sat, Feb 24
19:30:00
Albany
Buffalo
Sat, Feb 24
20:00:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Feb 24
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Calgary
Sun, Feb 25
16:00:00
Georgia
Panther City
WK
14
Fri, Mar 1
19:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Fri, Mar 1
20:00:00
San Diego
Panther City
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Toronto
Las Vegas
Fri, Mar 1
22:00:00
Buffalo
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 2
13:00:00
Calgary
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 2
19:00:00
New York
Albany
Sat, Mar 2
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Colorado
Sat, Mar 2
22:00:00
Toronto
San Diego
Sun, Mar 3
16:00:00
Rochester
Panther City
WK
15
Fri, Mar 8
19:00:00
Vancouver
Albany
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Calgary
Georgia
Fri, Mar 8
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 9
17:00:00
Colorado
Toronto
Sat, Mar 9
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Mar 9
19:30:00
Las Vegas
New York
Sat, Mar 9
22:00:00
Halifax
San Diego
Sun, Mar 10
15:00:00
Panther City
Philadelphia
WK
16
Fri, Mar 15
18:30:00
Panther City
Halifax
Fri, Mar 15
21:00:00
San Diego
Calgary
Fri, Mar 15
22:00:00
Las Vegas
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Rochester
Albany
Sat, Mar 16
19:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Mar 16
19:30:00
Philadelphia
Georgia
Sat, Mar 16
20:30:00
New York
Saskatchewan
WK
17
Fri, Mar 22
20:00:00
Buffalo
Panther City
Fri, Mar 22
21:00:00
Albany
Calgary
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Halifax
Toronto
Sat, Mar 23
19:00:00
Vancouver
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 23
19:30:00
Saskatchewan
New York
Sat, Mar 23
21:00:00
Rochester
Colorado
Sat, Mar 23
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Mar 24
17:30:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
WK
18
Sat, Mar 30
13:00:00
Buffalo
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 30
19:00:00
Halifax
Rochester
Sat, Mar 30
19:30:00
Toronto
New York
Sat, Mar 30
22:00:00
Vancouver
Las Vegas
WK
19
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Saskatchewan
Calgary
Fri, Apr 5
21:00:00
Buffalo
Colorado
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Panther City
San Diego
Fri, Apr 5
22:00:00
Halifax
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
New York
Rochester
Sat, Apr 6
19:00:00
Toronto
Albany
Sat, Apr 6
19:30:00
Las Vegas
Georgia
Sat, Apr 6
20:00:00
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 7
16:00:00
Philadelphia
Panther City
WK
20
Fri, Apr 12
21:00:00
Philadelphia
Colorado
Sat, Apr 13
19:00:00
Rochester
Toronto
Sat, Apr 13
19:30:00
Calgary
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 13
20:00:00
San Diego
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
Colorado
Las Vegas
Sat, Apr 13
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sun, Apr 14
16:00:00
Albany
Panther City
WK
21
Fri, Apr 19
19:30:00
Rochester
Georgia
Fri, Apr 19
22:00:00
Vancouver
San Diego
Sat, Apr 20
18:00:00
Colorado
Halifax
Sat, Apr 20
19:30:00
Albany
New York
Sat, Apr 20
20:00:00
Toronto
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 20
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 20
22:00:00
Buffalo
Las Vegas
Sun, Apr 21
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
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Previewing the Alterna Cup

Hang on to your tuques action-starved box lacrosse fans because the all-Canadian, Alterna Cup is ready to take off eh.

North of the border boxla bragging rights are a big deal.

“There is always that extra level of excitement when we play another Canadian team,” says Saskatchewan Rush captain and transition/defender Chris Corbeil. “It adds another layer of motivation.”

The in-season competition between the five National Lacrosse League (NLL) franchises based in the Great White North starts tonight as the Rush visit the Halifax Thunderbirds at Scotiabank Centre as part of Face Off Weekend in what could also be an early preview of this season’s NLL Cup finals.

For the Thunderbirds, tonight’s tilt against the Rush is definitely a game that has been circled on the calendar.

“We do have a history between our clubs,” says Halifax captain and forward Cody Jamieson. “Over the past few years, they’ve definitely set the bar.”

The Alterna Cup was introduced during the 2019-20 season before it was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and included an instant classic between the Rush and Thunderbirds in Halifax on February 15, 2020 with Saskatchewan winning 16-15 in thrilling overtime fashion.

In that back-and-forth battle Jamieson held a hot hand offensively with a 9-point performance with 3 goals and 6 assists, while Corbeil played an outstanding two-way game collecting 1 goal, 2 assists and 7 loose balls.

Jamieson is also referring to the Rush’s near dominance of the NLL in recent seasons with three league championships in four seasons from 2015 to 2018, including Saskatchewan’s most recent title in 2018.

That 2018 win for the Rush came at the expense of the Thunderbirds franchise, who were then based in Rochester as the original Knighthawks. The two franchises also met in 2012 with the then Knighthawks beating the Rush, who at the time played in Edmonton. Rochester’s 2012 championship was the start of a three-peat dynasty, the only franchise in league history to claim that title.

So there’s some history between the two teams, as well as family-type feuds with and between the other three Canadian clubs: the Toronto Rock, Vancouver Warriors and 2019 NLL Champion Calgary Roughnecks.

“Our rivalries against Calgary and Halifax stand out the most to me,” says Corbeil. “Our longstanding rivalry with the Roughnecks dates back to the Rush’s time in Edmonton, and both teams have consistently found themselves at the top of the West Division for the last decade or so.

“Our rivalry with Halifax seems less obvious, but the Rush have played against the Thunderbirds franchise in two NLL championships. We also played against them in what many consider to be the game of the 2019-20 season.”

A new twist on the Alterna Cup competition this season is that every all-Canadian matchup will be available to watch on TSN, with 9 games featured as the NLL Game of the Week on TSN’s linear broadcast. This includes going head-to-head with the hockey on some Saturday nights as well.

Which is a real big deal north of the border.

“Playing a nationally broadcast game is something our players are very excited about,” says Corbeil. “The sport of lacrosse is so exciting and entertaining.

“Having pro lacrosse televised across the entire country provides exposure to a massive audience who otherwise wouldn’t be introduced to it, which grows the game and provides greater opportunity for the next generation of lacrosse players.”

Corbeil and the Rush are also looking forward to their first Alterna Cup home game later this month to show off SaskTel Centre and 12,000-plus rabid green-clad fans.

“The atmosphere at Rush home games is one of the best in all of professional sports,” says Corbeil, “and we’re excited to showcase that to the entire country.

For this season’s Alterna Cup winner it could be sweeter than a hot back-bacon ham and pineapple pizza drizzled with maple syrup. The other four squads? Left out in the cold like lonesome loons on a frozen lake.

Alterna Cup schedule for December (all games on TSN/ET):

Saturday, Dec. 4: Saskatchewan at Halifax, 6 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 10: Toronto at Halifax, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 11, Calgary at Saskatchewan, 8:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 17, Saskatchewan at Vancouver, 10:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 30, Halifax at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.

Alterna Cup facts:

The season-long competition is based on head-to-head games between the five Canadian clubs. The team with the best winning percentage from those games will be crowned the inaugural champion and receive the Alterna Cup trophy.

The Alterna Cup trophy:

The unique trophy design is based on a vertical geometric cup in the shape of a Canadian maple leaf and sits on an integrated hexagon base. The Cup is cast in bronze and features a golden patina with polished accents.

 

NLL