Week 5 showed a lot of movement between lower-ranked teams that haven’t cracked the Top 8 yet, meaning there was little movement at the top. One win either way and these power rankings could look completely different. That’s what’s great about this League and the skill of the players in it. You never know who’s going to win – three games this week came down to the wire. And even when it looks obvious, don’t count on a team losing just because they’re down by eight goals.
The Desert Dogs are seeing their off-season moves come to fruition. Sure, they lost to Vancouver in their opener, but they still scored nine goals with a completely retooled roster (that didn’t even feature Chase Fraser that night). A 9-1 lead in their home opener might be the biggest lead the club has ever had. Goaltender Landon Kells had an excellent first half and went on to hold Jeff Teat to a single goal on his 20 shots during the game. Ottawa came back to tie the game, which is something the club will examine, but Mitch Jones’ hat-trick marker gave Vegas a thrilling home opener win. Fraser scored twice, Jonathan Donville scored twice, Chris Cloutier had five assists, and this week, they should have Jack Hannah back in the lineup.
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 20 :: Rochester Knighthawks v Philadelphia Wings :: December 20, 2025 in Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY, USA (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu)
Week 4 Result: Lost to Rochester 15-11
Week 5 Opponent: @ Ottawa (1-2)
Previous Ranking: N/A
The Wings are relentless. In their two games so far, they’ve shown they’ve got the grit and talent to rise up the standings. They beat Colorado, and though they fell to Rochester, they held their own against a title contender. They kept Saturday’s game close throughout, getting contributions from Joe Resetarits and Eric Fannell (five points each), a goal and five assists from Brennan O’Neill, and two goals each from Sam LeClair and defender Dustyn Birkhof. Nick Rowlett is averaging 68 per cent on faceoffs and the defence led by Chris Corbeil is playing well. Goaltender Nick Damude showed he’s willing to give the team a spark, whatever it takes, taking on Rylan Hartley in the game’s final minutes.
HAMILTON, CANADA – DECEMBER 13: 2025 NLL regular season game action between the Calgary Roughnecks and Toronto Rock at TD Coliseum on December 13, 2025 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Christian Bender/NLL)
Week 4 Result: Idle
Week 5 Opponent: vs. Las Vegas (1-1)
Previous Ranking: 8th
The Rock hasn’t been dominant in their two outings so far, both against teams of similar makeup to their own. They lost by one to Oshawa and won by one against Calgary. Their next test is against Las Vegas, another team hovering on the edge of the Top 8. The upside for Toronto is the play of rookies CJ Kirst, Owen Hiltz and Sam English. Hiltz and Kirst are tied for the team lead in points with eight each and English, a defender, has contributed in both games, scoring his first career goal against Calgary. The future has always looked bright for Toronto, and now that future is here.
San Diego, CA – December 14, 2025: San Diego Seals vs Rochester Knighthawks at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California (Photo by Alexis Goeller / National Lacrosse League)
Week 4 Result: Idle
Week 5 Opponent: Bye Week
Previous Ranking: 6th
The 1-1 Seals benefit from a double bye week after their loss to Rochester, in which they only scored seven times. Pat Kavanagh, who retained his rookie status after only playing once last season, led the team like a veteran with two goals and four assists in his season. As a team, the Seals didn’t play poorly – they lobbed 66 shots at Rylan Hartley, who had a career game. But they did play better on the road against Ottawa, so they need to take these two weeks to figure out their home-floor strategy before Calgary comes to town in Week 6.
Saskatchewan Rush at Ottawa Black Bears 12.12.25
Week 4 Result: Beat Georgia 7-4
Week 5 Opponent: @ Halifax (2-0)
Previous Ranking: 5th
Neither the Swarm nor the Rush wanted to give an inch against each other this weekend and ended up tying the League record with the lowest combined score in regular season history. After trading goals in the opening two minutes, the game became a slow, defensive battle. Saskatchewan scored the next four goals – but spread them out over three quarters. Georgia came within a goal in the fourth, but the Rush put it away with two goals in the final minute. They’ll need to pump themselves up this week and be prepared to play with more energy when they face a dynamic Halifax squad.
Week 4 Result: Beat Oshawa 8-6
Week 5 Opponent: Bye Week
Previous Ranking: 4th
In another low-scoring affair, Vancouver got their first road win despite trailing Oshawa early. They tied the game in the third and outscored the FireWolves 3-1 in the fourth for a narrow victory, bringing a little bit of drama to their game, snatching the win from a talented Oshawa squad in front of their home fans. Oshawa’s had trouble scoring goals, but in two out of their three games, so have the Warriors. They’re off for the next two weeks, so Curt Malawsky will put them through their paces as they look to get back the cohesion they had against Las Vegas.
Buffalo Bandits against the Halifax Thunderbirds on Dec. 13, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
Week 4 Result: Idle
Week 5 Opponent: @ Calgary (0-2)
Previous Ranking: 2nd
The Bandits didn’t play this week, but the team got together for a very good reason: their championship rings came in. The whole extended team celebrated with a banquet to relive their unforgettable win. They couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Fresh off their first loss of the season, the rings will remind the Bandits what they’re capable of. This week, they travel to Calgary to face the retooled Roughnecks, who, despite being 0-2, are playing a gritty and determined game.
Philadelphia Wings @ Rochester Knighthawks 12/20/25 (Credit: Jonathan Tenca/NLL)
Week 4 Result: Beat Philadelphia 15-11
Week 5 Opponent: Bye Week
Previous Ranking: 3rd
The Knighthawks might be the most dominant team in the League. Sure, the Wings held their own on Saturday, but the Knighthawks scored 4:07 into the game and never let their lead slip. They showed an incredible amount of control in their home opener and a precision-like ability to score. Rochester currently has the best goal differential in the League at +12 (30-18). Reigning MVP Connor Fields has nine of those goals. Ryan Lanchbury has 14 assists. Rylan Hartley has stopped 91 shots, has an 8.74 GAA and 84.3 save percentage, and can even win the odd fight. There’s no limit to what this team could achieve.
Dec 05: National Lacrosse League game between the Halifax Thunderbirds and Oshawa Firewolves at the Scotiabank Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Thunderbirds)
Week 4 Result: Idle
Week 5 Opponent: vs. Saskatchewan (2-1)
Previous Ranking: 1st
The Thunderbirds dominated Oshawa before beating the Bandits by a single goal in overtime. Their next test against Saskatchewan will be more akin to that Bandits game, and also a rematch of the 2025 Semifinals, which the Rush took 2-0. Despite that series being a sweep, it was exciting lacrosse with Game 2 coming down to overtime. Fans in the Nest will be wanting their team to avenge that loss.
