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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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Stories/Op-Ed

The Knighthawks are Doubling Down on their Pursuit of a Bright, Youthful Future

This 2021-22 NLL season has been filled with more losses for the Rochester Knighthawks than they’d like. Nevertheless, this team understands that becoming a dominantly successful team takes patience and a desire to learn from past struggles.

Following a promising 2-1 start and then clawing their way to 3-5, these Knighthawks are now 3-11 and riding a 6-game losing streak – the longest losing streak in franchise history. That streak has positioned them in last place in the East Conference, and the team now has the worst record in the NLL.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, however, even if it may seem faint at the moment. No one is hanging their heads, no one is giving in. This is a team that is willing to put in the time and effort to creating a winning club and a winning culture in the city if Rochester, New York.

During this losing streak, the team has had to readjust its priorities and expectations. Rylan Hartely had gone down with an injury – he hasn’t played since March 4th  – and the team’s offense wasn’t producing the way the team had hoped; GM Dan Carey decided to make the first significant trade around the trade deadline.

The Friday before the deadline, Carey shipped Shawn Evans to the Halifax Thunderbirds for their top first-round compensatory pick in the 2022 NLL Draft and their 2023 second-round selection. Carey believes it will benefit the team in many ways this season and in the foreseeable future.

“From our standpoint, it was obviously beneficial to receive [those draft picks],” Carey said. “We get a 2023 second-round draft pick that we didn’t have because we traded that for Matt Gilray, so we get that back. Quite frankly, we have some younger guys with Ryan Smith and Thomas Hoggarth on the right side – Curtis Knight has been on that side for a long time, and we think he’ll be with us for the future. So, it gives those guys more of an opportunity to take more responsibility, which will help us for the rest of this year and next year.”

The draft picks bolster what is already a flush 2022 draft for the Knighthawks. The addition of those two picks gives the team two first-round picks this year on top of a second, third, and fourth-round pick and then a sixth-round selection.

“The impact that those future selections will ultimately make on this team is not lost on anyone,” coach Hasen said. “Not only do you have the potential to pick up a guy in the late rounds who can turn into a superstar – don’t forget Charlie Bertrand was undrafted – but you have a couple of very early picks that usually turn into everyday guys right away.”

“I think the future is very bright,” Hasen said. “There’s a good deep draft coming up, and we have our first-round draft picks, which translates to guys stepping on the floor as soon as they’re available.”

Assistant Coach Pat O’Toole added that according to the statistics, you can see how influential Evans was on the offensive side of the ball. With him out of the lineup, it will force younger players to step into roles that the coaching staff believes they can fill.

“Now we’re in an opportunity where [Knight] and [Smith] will have the ball more, and so will the rest of the guys on offense,” O’Toole said. “Now they’re going to learn to play with the ball, whereas if [Evans] was still on the team, he would be handling the ball, and he would be making the plays. If you look at [Evans] assists numbers this year, you see how much he was touching the ball, but now other guys are going to have to step up and lead. They’re going to have to have the ball, and they’ll have to make plays.”

We’ve already seen the incredible impact younger players such as Ryland Rees, Bertrand, Smith, Hoggarth, and others are making. Smith and Hoggarth alone have combined for 45 goals and 31 assists, while Rees leads the team with 90 loose balls and has accumulated the 3rd-most caused turnovers on the team with 11. Yet, now with Evans out of the lineup, those offensive positions will be run through the youth instead of the savvy veteran in Evans.

While this is one of the youngest teams in the league, Paul Dawson and Dan Coates are still holding down the backend. And, it appears that Dawson and Coates, who signed a two-year deal with the team prior to the season, are committed to helping the rest of the Knighthawks defense that is either in their early or mid-20s develop into a dynamic defensive force, says Carey.

“[Dawson] has indicated that he wants to be here, which says a lot about what he thinks we have as a team and what we believe we have as a team,” Carey said. “We’ve got a really young defensive core, and he’s a veteran guy that I think is very important for developing our younger players.”

Throwing younger players into the line of fire of NLL action can be a daunting experience, but this front office and this coaching staff believe they have the type of quality character guys that can step up to the occasion. Historically speaking, the older Knighthawks franchise at the beginning of the 2010s did that with Cody Jamieson and Sid Smith back when OToole was still playing for those Knighthawks, and he believes this team is full of guys who can produce just like those young talents.

“When Cody [Jamieson] and those guys were young back in the day, they came in and made a huge impact on our team by getting big goals in big moments,” O’Toole said. “He wasn’t sitting in the stands for a couple of years and getting ready to play; guys like him were getting thrown in and producing. I think at this time it’s the same thing. Our big guys are coming in getting big minutes, and they’re producing.”

Having the newest version of the long-term strategy in place is reassuring, but for fans, players, and even the front office staff, that doesnt mean that its not frustrating to be going through a prolonged winless spell. Hasen has emphasized to his players that its essential to focus on improving each game to eventually be able to play peak performance each and every game in the future.

“We’re always trying to stress to our guys to stick with the process, and that’s what good teams do; they stick with their game plan,” Hasen said. “We honestly believe that our effort is there for 60 minutes every night. We just need to learn to be consistent and not make the same mistakes week in and week out.”

Rome wasnt built in a day, and neither will the optimal Knighthawks roster, but that doesnt mean that glorious domination isnt on the horizon. With Carey, Hasen, and the crew focusing on developing their pieces while having a bounty of additional pieces coming shortly down the road, there is still plenty of hope and optimism regarding this franchises potential future successes.

Everything these players are going through now will only build more character and a greater desire to win. Losing will not defeat this team. Its only a matter of time until the plan comes to fruition. Everyone must remain patient and focused on the process.

NLL