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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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The NLL Unstrung: An American Perspective on the EPBLL

Welcome back to another edition of The NLL Unstrung! In the first article, The Start of a New Series, we discussed the birth of the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League, which today is known as the National Lacrosse League. The second article, The Start of an All-American League, discusses the league’s start with four teams made up solely of American born players.

Thanks again to Brian Shanahan, former NLL player and current NLL analyst, on sharing his perspective on the league, with his background growing up in Canada playing box lacrosse with his brothers and well-known players like John Tavares.


This article gives you firsthand stories from an American born field lacrosse player that played in the EPBLL in its early years.


I had the chance to talk to Todd Esposito, who shared some stories on his years playing for the New York Saints. Esposito grew up playing field lacrosse on Long Island before his All-American career at Nassau Community College and the University of Virginia.


Following graduation, Esposito said, “Some guys were called to a meeting to start an outdoor pro league. I played club for the Long Island squad, but it didn’t last long. There was not a whole lot of money to travel so everything was by bus. That league only lasted six games before going bankrupt. Teams didn’t even have enough money to pay players.”


There weren’t many playing opportunities in the 1980’s. Esposito has many stories of playing club ball because that is all that the guys knew at that time. “You’d go home from college and play in the league. Everyone knew each other because they had grown up together,” said Esposito.

That was the norm.

Players like Esposito were trying to figure out where to play after college graduation, but then box came around. Yes, at this time in 1986, the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League was being formed.

“I was in DC at the time and was going to play for the DC team, but the coaches knew I was going back to New York. They weren’t going to pay for me to travel back and forth so I played with the New York Saints,” said Esposito.

Let’s rewind. Remember in my last article, I told you how the league tried to get local players on each of its four original teams to cut down on expenses? Esposito was one of those local talents, and he spoke about his experiences firsthand.

Let’s talk salary, just to fully paint the picture for you. Esposito told me that each player got an estimated $350 per game during their first season, but that was only if you played. If you didn’t play, you didn’t get paid. Practice players played for the love of the game because they didn’t receive a paycheck.

He also said, “It was the same price for everyone that played. $350 for first year guys and then players got a $100-$200 raise every year after that. If players were in the league too long and started to get $1000-$1200 per game, the teams would only play you a couple of games so they did not have to pay you as much. Then they’d have a ‘special night’, which ended up being your final game in the league.”

In other words, when players salaries would reach four figures after being in the league for too long, the team would organize a special game honoring their last game in the league. That would be the end of their time playing in the EPBLL.

So at that time, between financial boundaries and injuries (which we will talk about more in a later article), players rarely stayed in the league for more than a few years.

This helps explain why teams could not afford to pay players to relocate to a new team or to fly in for games. Esposito claims this was all well known throughout the league. But the players didn’t care because everyone was playing for the love of the game, not for a check.

Esposito knew the general manager for the Saints, which is how he ended up joining the team. Esposito told me there was no draft back then. “Teams had open tryouts they invited everyone to, but they weren’t really for everyone. You knew who the coaches were and they knew you. They would call you and give you a roster spot, so some didn’t need to tryout,” said Esposito.

“Teams also needed practice players so unfortunately open tryouts were basically for practice players. They weren’t going to see the field but they just wanted to be part of the team.”

Since practice players weren’t paid, teams would pick up local guys to fill those spots.

“We played back then for the game, not the money,” said Esposito. “There were no summer club teams. Nobody thought of starting a summer team for fifth or sixth graders and make money through coaching like now. It was all about playing. We did it because we loved the game. We just wanted to play. You thought you were better than the guy next to you. Then afterwards everyone met up for a beer and were friends.”

Let’s take a look at practice. Back in 1986, teams didn’t have their own practice facility, so they had to share practice times with other local teams in different sports. The New York Cosmos, a professional men’s soccer team at the time, opened up an indoor soccer facility and were kind enough to let the Saints practice there twice a week. The hard part was that the indoor 5v5 soccer field was not the same size as the floor for a box game. So even though they were able to practice, they still couldn’t work on their offensive and defensive plays.

Esposito also shared a great story about traveling to games on little to no money. Back in the 80s, there was a low-cost airline called the People Express.“The flights were cheap so you could fly from New York to Dallas for $49 and they always overbooked so if you were willing to give up your seat you’d fly anywhere you want for free,” said Esposito. “Flights flew out every 90 minutes. So to travel we had a system. We would get tickets through People Express, go early to the airport, give up our seats, and then get tickets to fly to our game for free.

My jaw dropped when I first heard that story. I don’t know if you knew anything this airline, but I knew nothing about it.

More importantly, I hope this gives you a better sense of the start of the EPBLL. There was no funding back then like there is now. But it didn’t matter for the players – they just enjoyed playing lacrosse.

I have more stories including the adjustment to box after playing field, rules, injuries, and more but you will have to wait for the next edition of The NLL Unstrung for those.

Thanks to Jason for reaching out to me on Twitter about your uncle Esposito! I also have to give a shout out to Todd Esposito for sharing stories of his NLL playing days.  

Don’t forget you guys can message me on twitter @ReneePWash or tag me using #NLLUnstrung to share your stories with me. Let’s continue to uncover the history of the NLL one string at a time!

NLL