With Week 10 in the books, we’re essentially halfway through the season, and the league’s true leaders are starting to emerge. Some teams are exactly where we expected them to be — Saskatchewan and Vancouver continue to set the pace. Others, like Colorado and Georgia, are surging up the standings and turning heads. Then there are teams such as Buffalo and Halifax, who’ve had slower starts but still have the talent and drive to change the narrative in the second half. Add in four teams sitting deadlocked at 4–3, and the middle of the table is anything but settled.
Denver, Colorado – January 31, 2025: Buffalo Bandits at Colorado Mammoth at the Ball Arena in Denver Colorado, United States. (Photo by John Matthew Harrison/National Lacrosse League)
Tehoka Nanticoke #1 of the Buffalo Bandits
The last time the Buffalo Bandits gave up 20 goals was December 30, 2017, against Toronto, in a season they missed the playoffs. After seven games this season, the Bandits are 3-4 and on a three-game losing streak. Did anybody expect this? Probably not, but you can’t blame other teams for building up their rosters to compete with the defending champs. It’s not that Buffalo played badly: the Mammoth jumped on them early and often, looking a lot like the team that beat Buffalo in the 2022 championship. Will the Bandits rebound? Probably, because the worst thing you can say about this team is that they’re human, and every team has those moments.
HAMILTON, CANADA – JANUARY 31: 2025 NLL regular season game action between the Ottawa Black Bear and Toronto Rock at TD Coliseum on January 31, 2026 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NLL)
Week 10 Result: Beat Ottawa 17-10
Week 11 Opponent: vs. Oshawa (2-7)
Previous Ranking: N/A
Toronto’s up-and-down season is in the middle of an upswing after a dominant win over Ottawa. The Rock has relied on its quartet of rookies for a lot so far, but it was the veterans who stepped in to lead during Week 10. Mark Matthews had an 11-point game, scoring twice and showing off his playmaking abilities while assisting on nine others. Chris Boushy scored a season-high 5 goals and Challen Rogers had a season-high 7 points (4G/3A). The Rock bested the Black Bears in nearly every category: more shots on goal, more loose balls, more blocked shots and more caused turnovers. It was a pivotal moment for young Troy Holowchuk, who made 37 saves as he started in place of the injured Nick Rose.
San Diego, CA – January 30, 2026: San Diego Seals vs Philadelphia Wings at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California (Photo by Alexis Goeller / National Lacrosse League)
Week 10 Result: Beat Philadelphia 13-7
Week 11 Opponent: vs. Saskatchewan (7-1)
Previous Ranking: N/A
The Seals capped off their home-and-home series with another win over Philadelphia, their third win in a row and their first victory at Pechanga Arena this season. Like Georgia, San Diego took a few weeks to find their groove, but is now playing with control as they learn to pass the ball from side to side. Ben McIntosh has put up 10 points since coming off the IR last week, Connor Robinson broke out with his biggest game (3G/3A) since joining the Seals. Chris Origlieri and the defence held the Wings scoreless for 34 minutes between the end of the first and the beginning of the fourth. Things are just working in San Diego, but the true test of how much they’ve grown will come against Saskatchewan next week.
Week 10 Result: Beat Oshawa 16-13
Week 11 Opponent: at Georgia (5-3)
Previous Ranking: 7th
On a two-game win streak, the Desert Dogs are one of four teams tied at 4-3. They’re right in the mix with some very good teams, and in the best position they’ve been in since the team debuted in the league. They did lose Chase Fraser early in the game to injury, and it remains to be seen if it’s serious enough to keep him out for a while, but even without him, the Dogs got past a desperate Oshawa team. It was a back-and-forth game, but Las Vegas stayed even-keeled and never let the FireWolves take more than a two-goal lead. Their ability to stay calm will serve them well as they go forward.
Vancouver Warriors @ Rochester Knighthawks 01/31/26 (Credit: Jonathan Tenca/NLL)
Week 10 Result: Lost to Vancouver 16-6
Week 11 Opponent: at Vancouver (5-2)
Previous Ranking: 3rd
Now on a two-game losing streak, the stats have the Knighthawks holding on to the eighth playoff spot. Saturday’s loss to Vancouver was rough. Tied 1-1 just nine minutes into the first, goaltender Rylan Hartley made an illegal bodycheck on Steph Charbonneau and was ejected with a match penalty. It knocked the wind right out of the Knighthawks – Vancouver scored twice on the power play, then put together runs of four and eight to cruise to an easy win. The team was shaken and unprepared to respond to the situation they faced. Call their next game – against Vancouver again – a must-win for the Knighthawks to regain some confidence.
Georgia vs Halifax 01-31-2026
Week 10 Result: Beat Halifax 11-7
Week 11 Opponent: vs. Las Vegas (4-3)
Previous Ranking: 8th
A huge jump for the Swarm from eighth to fourth this week after a third consecutive win solidified them as the real deal. It took them a few weeks, but they found their groove and figured out how their rookies mix with their veterans on both sides of the ball. Against Halifax, Nolan Byrne (4G) and Shayne Jackson (3G/2A) led the team in scoring. Jackson recorded the game winner, and Byrne added 2 insurance markers in the fourth as Halifax was pressing; the Thunderbirds fired 15 shots at Brett Dobson in the final frame, and he stopped 14 of them (47 overall) to continue his stellar season. Next week, the Swarm hosts the surging Desert Dogs in what should be an exciting contest.
Vancouver Warriors @ Rochester Knighthawks 01/31/26 (Credit: Jonathan Tenca/NLL)
Week 10 Result: Beat Rochester 16-6
Week 11 Opponent: vs. Rochester (4-3)
Previous Ranking: 4th
Finally, a dominating, exciting win for the Warriors, who took the first game of a home-and-home series over the Knighthawks. Keegan Bal scored twice but mostly concentrated on swinging the ball around, finishing the game with 11 assists. Jesse King (5G/3A) and Curtis Dickson (4G/4A) played like they had something to prove. Whereas last week the Warriors were stymied in the second half, putting up only a pair of goals in 30 minutes, this week they outscored Rochester 7-0 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. As the weeks pass, the Warriors make more noise with every win.
CALGARY, AB – JANUARY 30, 2026: The Calgary Roughnecks against the Saskatoon Rush at Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday. (Photo by Jenn Pierce/NLL)
Week 10 Result: Beat Calgary 14-8
Week 11 Opponent: at San Diego (4-3)
Previous Ranking: 1st
Another week, another Rush win as their streak moves to six games. This time, Saskatchewan took out its Canadian prairie rivals from Calgary. Despite falling behind 3-0 early, the Rush rallied to score the next seven goals. Austin Shanks and Zach Manns each had four goals with five and three assists, respectively. The Rush continue to be the most consistent offence in the league, with Robert Church contributing eight points and Ryan Keenan seven. They outshot Calgary 63-34 and defensively, picked up 78 loose balls to the Roughnecks’ 50. They aren’t always flashy, but they’re confident, and that makes them dangerous.
Denver, Colorado – January 31, 2025: Buffalo Bandits at Colorado Mammoth at the Ball Arena in Denver Colorado, United States. (Photo by John Matthew Harrison/National Lacrosse League)
Jack Hannah #33 of the Colorado Mammoth
Week 10 Result: Beat Buffalo 20-9
Week 11 Opponent: Bye Week
Previous Ranking: 2nd
Here’s why the Mammoth takes top spot this week over Saskatchewan: the absence of Ryan Lee and Will Malcom. Even without those two key offensive players, Colorado won their fifth game in a row and put up 20 goals on the defending champions. Andrew Kew achieved a new career high with 11 points (7G/4A). Dylan McIntosh also set career highs in goals (4) and points (5), as did rookie Braedon Saris, who scored his first hat trick. Dillon Ward made 30 saves in 45 minutes and was playing so well the Mammoth were comfortable giving Nathan Whittom the reins in the fourth for some needed reps. It’s almost disappointing they’re heading into a bye week, because they’ve been playing such an exciting game.
View this post on Instagram
