Preseason Criteria
Regular Season Criteria
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement in the National Lacrosse League has created an entirely new landscape to explore. It is FINALLY game week with four contests kicking off the 2025-26 slate. Players have switched teams via trade or free agency. There are new coaches on the bench guiding in their own ways. There’s even a team in a brand-new market. You think parity played a big role in last year’s standings? You haven’t seen anything yet. This is a league where any team can win on any given night. It’s a dynamic, living entity that must be seen to be believed.
So, come back each week to see if your favourite team made our Power Rankings, according to a complicated but in-depth formula.
2024-25 Result: Finished 11th in regular season; missed playoffs
Week 1 Opponent: vs Toronto (Friday, 7:30 p.m.)
The new kids on the block in Oshawa are youthful and driven to prove that their appearance in the 2023-24 NLL Finals wasn’t a fluke. Former Rookies of the Year Dyson Williams and Alex Simmons headline an attack rounded out by Tye Kurtz and Ethan Walker, with Taggart Clark joining under the guidance of his father, head coach Glenn Clark, whose fiery passion for the game was born and bred in the Durham Region. It’s no secret that Doug Jamieson can be the best goalie in the league any given night. The defence, which added veteran Kyle Rubisch in the offseason, can be a force in front of their netminder. You won’t find too many gaps in this club.
Seals vs. FireWolves, April 18, 2025 – Photo credit: Alexis Goeller
2024-25 Result: Finished 8th in regular season; lost in Quarter-Finals to Buffalo
Week 1 Opponent: @ Ottawa (Saturday, 7:00 p.m.)
The Seals barely slipped into the 2024–25 playoffs before bowing out to Buffalo in the first round. Their offseason brought major turnover: Kyle Rubisch and Ryan Benesch left in free agency, Rob Hellyer was traded, and longtime veterans Cam Holding and Mike Poulin retired. With so much experience walking out the door, San Diego now turns to its youth to fill the gaps. They’re not short on leadership, though. Captain Wes Berg is back, as is game-changer Zach Currier, who is arguably the most versatile player in the NLL and capable of filling almost any role on the floor. Emerging stars Tre Leclaire, Trent DiCicco and goaltender Chris Origlieri headline the next wave of talent. Meanwhile, 2025 first-round pick Ari Steenhuis arrives with big expectations and the pedigree to match his father, Mark. San Diego’s home-floor advantage at Pechanga Arena has been a consistent strength, and maintaining that dominance will be crucial as this retooled roster finds its identity.
2024-25 Result: Finished 13th in regular season; missed playoffs
Week 1 Opponent: @ Oshawa (Friday, 7:30 p.m.)
Last season was an aberration for a franchise as consistent as the Rock. A 6–12 campaign, a temporary home in Mississauga, and major injuries derailed everything. Nick Rose was traded at the deadline, Mark Matthews played only four games, and Tom Schreiber managed just nine before landing on IR. This year is a reset. Rose, the 2024 Goaltender of the Year, returned in free agency. Matthews is healthy. The team is back in Hamilton in a renovated arena where they are the main tenant. Schreiber remains on the IR after his PLL injury, but the offense has been infused with elite young talent: 2025 Tewaaraton winner CJ Kirst (1st overall) and Owen Hiltz (3rd overall) have already impressed in preseason. Defensively, long-term extensions for Latrell Harris and Elijah Gash ensure stability. Sam English also joins the roster after being drafted second overall a year ago. If the Rock stays healthy, they’re a candidate to rise quickly.
2024-25 Result: Finished 3rd in regular season; lost in Semi-Finals to Saskatchewan
Week 1 Opponent: Bye Week
Halifax continues to push for excellence under GM Curt Styres. Their fiery roster is intact, with offensive additions like Brendan Bomberry complementing veterans Cody Jamieson and Randy Staats, and first-rounder Will MacLeod supporting Thomas Hoggarth, Clark Petterson and Dawson Theede. Goaltending remains a point of focus, with Warren Hill and Drew Hutchison sharing duties. At least eight members of the Thunderbirds are coming off a summer championship with the Six Nations Chiefs, and that championship mentality could be contagious.
February 1, 2025: The Rochester Knighthawks vs Philadelphia Wings (Photo: Heather Barry)
2024-25 Result: Finished 5th in regular season; lost in Quarter-Finals to Vancouver
Week 1 Opponent: Bye Week
Rochester’s future looks bright after a fifth-place finish. League MVP Connor Fields, Ryan Lanchbury and Ryan Smith all return after finishing in the top 20 in scoring. The addition of Zed Williams strengthens the roster, and former first overall pick Thomas McConvey is poised for a breakout year. A big factor in how well Rochester does will be if Rylan Hartley can stay healthy: the starting goaltender has lost half of each of the last two seasons due to injury. Hartley brings a certain wow factor to the net, which the Knighthawks’ defence feeds off of. The Knighthawks didn’t have a first-round pick this year, having given it up for Williams, but they did add defender Adam Thistlethwaite in the second round, a do-it-all utility defender that can play at both ends of the floor when he’s called up from the practice roster.
The Knighthawks will anxiously watch the first two weeks of the season before hitting the road to San Diego on Sunday, December 14 for a 5:00 p.m. ET game against the Seals. Watch on ESPN2.
Vancouver Warriors’ Christian Del Bianco on March 29, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Vancouver Warriors @ Buffalo Bandits. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
2024-25 Result: Finished 4th in regular season; lost in Semi-Finals to Buffalo
Week 1 Opponent: vs Colorado (Saturday, 10:00 p.m.)
The Warriors are all in. After acquiring Christian Del Bianco last year and watching their playoff push take off, Vancouver doubled down with one of the most aggressive offseasons in League history. They added Curtis Dickson and Jesse King, both 100-point scorers, and they join Keegan Bal to create one of the most terrifying offensive trios in the NLL. Combined, they racked up 326 points last season alone. Defensively, Vancouver features one of the League’s most seasoned units, bolstered by the arrival of Reece Callies to complement Brett Mydske, Matt Beers and Ryan Dilks. Behind the bench, Curt Malawsky remains the ultimate X-factor. His championship pedigree and ability to attract top talent are central to Vancouver’s rise. This team will go to war for him, and the competition knows it.
Saskatchewan Rush on May 16, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Saskatchewan Rush @ Buffalo Bandits. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
2024-25 Result: Finished 2nd in regular season; fell to Buffalo in League Championship
Week 1 Opponent: Bye Week
Second-place Saskatchewan had an outstanding season, falling just short in Game 3 of the Finals to Buffalo. Good news for Rush fans, the team had the least amount of turnover during the offseason, only sending Mike Triolo to Buffalo. Their roster consistency has paid off with a team that works seamlessly and by committee. Their top four scorers finished with at least 72 points each. The Rush spread the offence around, making defences unable to focus on one shooter. Their transition is one of the fastest and most accurate in the League. They start the season with sophomore faceoff man Jake Naso on the IR, but the beast named Mike Messenger is quite capable of handling those duties and more in his absence.
Buffalo Bandits’ Steve Priolo on May 24, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Saskatchewan Rush @ Buffalo Bandits. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
2024-25 Result: Finished 1st in regular season; won 3rd consecutive NLL title
Week 1 Opponent: vs Georgia (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.)
They are the three-time defending champions. Dhane and Josh are back to lead the way, defensive stalwarts Steve Priolo and Paul Dawson provide a powerful back end, and Matt Vinc look to continue playing the best lacrosse of his life – or anyone’s life – even as the league’s eldest player. The Bandits lost two key forwards in Chase Fraser and Chris Cloutier, but they picked up Mike Triolo from the Rush and have 18-year veteran Ryan Benesch available to call up from the practice roster. Losing Fraser takes away some of the dynamism from the team and fans will miss his explosiveness, but this is a roster loaded with guys who can step up to fill that void. Buffalo opened last year’s campaign with a seven-game win streak. They start again when the championship banner is raised on Saturday at KeyBank Center vs Georgia.
