After Week 13’s short-lived set of matchups, the first weekend of the NLL March to May promises three straight days of the highest level of competition, with each square-off holding massive potential playoff implications. Kicking off the first look at the March to May, the Philadelphia Wings are set to head off the weekend at home for the first round of their two-game series against the Georgia Swarm.
With their last win, a 13-11 road victory over the Buffalo Bandits, now three weeks back in the rearview, the 2-8 Wings have found themselves back on a losing streak. Though their Upstate upset shocked Buffalo fans and delighted would-be championship contenders, their two subsequent losses to Calgary in Week 12 and Saskatchewan in Week 13 have dropped them nearly completely from the playoff picture. With their postseason hopes teetering over the edge, the Wings have had to shake up their game day lineups over the last several weeks due to injuries, reactivations, and recent trades.
Ahead of this weekend’s matchup, and with the League trade deadline rapidly approaching, the Wings have traded faceoff specialist Nicholas Rowlett to the Toronto Rock in exchange for Toronto’s fourth-round selection in the 2026 NLL Entry Draft. With Rowlett headed off to Hamilton to support Toronto’s Josh Jubenville at the dot, the Wings are left without their dedicated faceoff specialist and are likely to turn to rookie defender Bo Columbus. The 15th overall pick has won 33 of his 96 faceoffs taken in his four games played so far this season. Additionally, the Wings have opted to bolster their defense ahead of the trade deadline, picking up Dylan Hutchison from the Las Vegas Desert Dogs.
Conversely, the visiting Swarm are playing with a full deck and a five-game winning streak. After their 11-6 victory in their Week 12 rematch against Calgary, the Swarm have reported no injuries, no trades and no roster moves as of Wednesday, February 25, and will be stepping onto the turf at Xfinity Mobile Arena clear-eyed and well-rested after their Week 13 bye week.
The March to May begins in Philly this Friday at 7:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Buffalo Bandits vs Saskatchewan Rush, May 24, 2025 at KeyBank Center.
In the interest of keeping the hype train moving, this week’s entry of NLL Friday Night on TSN is pulling out all the stops to present a top-down championship rematch between the Saskatchewan Rush and the Buffalo Bandits. Mirroring Game 3 of the monumental 2024 Championship Series, the 4-6 Bandits are set to host what could be their chance to put a second blight on the Rush’s 10-1 winning record.
Having held the number one seed for now the majority of the season, it’s no secret that Saskatchewan is at the top of its game. Following their 14-6 win over the Philadelphia Wings in Week 13, the Rush now boasts a nine-game win streak, the longest currently-held record in the League, and just four wins shy of the 13-game record set by the Edmonton Rush during the 2013-14 season. With their frontend led by captain Ryan Keenan and bolstered by multiple offensive weapons, including Zach Manns, Austin Shanks and Robert Church, the Rush have maintained offensive dominance through patient, physical offense, as well as quick transition goals spearheaded by fan-voted Midseason Transition Player of the Year, Mike Messenger. They’re a 60-minute squad fueled by the sting of last season’s postseason outcome, and when faced with the cause of that sting, they’re sure to be a dangerous opponent.
The hosts in Buffalo, however, have been having continued troubles this season. As made evident in their previous weekly matchups, the Bandits are struggling to consistently convert without several of their missing offensive pieces. Though the scoring gaps have kept to a largely one or two-goal deficit, the Bandits are quickly beginning to feel the weight of their current record. In last weekend’s road game against the Warriors, Buffalo’s single-goal first quarter and scoreless third ultimately gave the Warriors the edge despite standout defensive performances from Paul Dawson and Cam Wyers.
Saskatchewan is currently in no danger of falling from its gold medal position, but the Bandits could potentially drop further down the rankings with a seventh loss on the team’s record. While this weekend’s rematch will certainly light a previously unseen fire underneath both squads, the Rush are likely to be the favorite leading up to the first whistle.
The current champs take on the could-be postseason favorites for Friday Night on TSN at 7:30PM ET. Streaming is also available on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Denver, Colorado – February 14, 2025: Toronto Rock at Colorado Mammoth at the Ball Arena in Denver Colorado, United States. (Photo by John Matthew Harrison/National Lacrosse League)
Andrew Kew #42 of the Colorado Mammoth
Heading West, the Colorado Mammoth make their return to Ball Arena for the first Top 8 matchup of the March to May. The Loud House is scheduled to open its doors to the San Diego Seals, who are now quickly snaking their way up the rankings after their last two wins.
Colorado, while still comfortably in the second seed on the League leaderboard at 8-3, is eager to re-extend the win gap between second and third place. After holding a seven-game win streak heading into Week 13, the Mammoth are now stricken by a third loss following last weekend’s run-in with the Toronto Rock. Their hosts in Hamilton had been quietly stacking wins for several weeks, but it’s safe to assume no one but the Rock expected the game’s 13-9 turnout. The Mammoth were leading by two heading into the second half, but a four-goal effort by the Rock offense, which included two Power Play goals, tied the competition heading into the final bracket. Though Colorado appeared to have grasped the upper hand with their ninth goal of the evening well into the fourth, five unanswered goals by Toronto, including a fourth Rock Power Play from Mark Matthews and an empty-netter by CJ Kirst, sealed the deal.
With the bitter sting of a loss hitting the Mammoth dressing room for the first time in eight weeks, they’ll be more fired up than ever to once again secure their place atop the rankings. But as fans and analysts have noticed over the last season, the Seals always arrive when you least expect or desire them. With two straight wins, Oshawa in Week 12 and Halifax in Week 13, the 6-4 San Diego Seals have climbed their way into the sixth seat on the NLL team rankings. Most recently against Halifax, a 9-8 home victory, the Seals put their depth of talent on full display, racking up 52 shots on goal, three power-play goals, and 10 blocked shots, as well as nine caused turnovers. Though there are still several weeks time before the March to May comes to a close, the Seals are clearly on a mission to prove that last season’s last-minute playoff appearance was not just a fluke.
The Seals migrate to Denver this Friday at 9:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Vancouver Warriors’ Kevin Crowley on May 2, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Vancouver Warriors @ Buffalo Bandits. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
Vancouver is back on the scoreboard headed into this weekend’s second sighting of the Las Vegas Desert Dogs after taking it to the Buffalo Bandits in their 11-9 semifinal rematch victory. With their seventh win on the books, the 7-3 Warriors are now poised to snatch the second seat out from underneath the Colorado Mammoth, the second-place team they’ve been chasing for weeks now. Depending on the outcome of the Colorado/San Diego, a Warriors win over the Las Vegas Desert Dogs this weekend could finally bring them over the hump.
However, standing in their way are not the same Desert Dogs they met in Week 3. Since their last meeting, which ended in a 15-9 Warriors win, Las Vegas has steadily racked up a 4-5 record, which although is not technically a winning record, has still bumped them into the eighth seat in the League rankings, and by virtue, the current postseason conversation. Having spent Week 13 on a bye, Las Vegas is currently 2-2 in its last four outings, with its two wins found at home at the Desert Dogs’ own Lee’s Family Forum.
But the big news out of Sin City is the new face making his Vegas debut. After a shocking lack of contractual obligations at the beginning of the 2025 season, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs announced the signing of former Vancouver forward “The Big Cat” Kevin Crowley to a one-year contract on February 24th. Over the course of his 14-year career in the NLL, Crowley has amassed 398 goals on 932 points, and his 36 goals during the 2012 season made him the highest-scoring rookie in his first year with the Philadelphia Wings. In his last two seasons with the Warriors, Crowley notched 47 goals and 111 points, as well as four goals and eight points in the Warriors’ first ride to the NLL Playoffs during the 2024-25 season.
With Crowley filling in the hole on the Desert Dogs’ right side while Chase Fraser remains on IR, the Desert Dogs are making clear steps down the path to the postseason. The Warriors will need to stay locked and noncomplacent to keep their third seed above the Georgia Swarm.
The Warriors’ second look at the Desert Dogs kicks off on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+ this Friday at 10:30PM ET.
Ottawa Black Bears @ Rochester Knighthawks 02/14/26 (Credit: Jonathan Tenca/NLL)
With the March to May comes several unsettled scores, and once again, even more familiar matchups. The Oshawa FireWolves and the Ottawa Black Bears are lined up against each other once again in the second-to-last run-in of the three-way Battle of Ontario.
The pivotal two-week scratch against the now 2-1 Toronto Rock singlehandedly dropped Oshawa out of the running for provincial supremacy, with their 17-10 loss to the Rock dropping them 1-2 in the regional race. Though the now 1-1 Black Bears would be a step closer to taking home Ontarian gold with a second win this weekend against the FireWolves and then sneaking out a get-back victory over Toronto in Week 20, the Rock still leads the series and leads the Ontario teams on the League leaderboards.
The Black Bears, however, are inching their way closer to their first franchise playoff berth as the seventh seed in the NLL rankings. Their Week 12 win over the Rochester Knighthawks put them back in the early postseason conversation with their sixth win, their second straight following their home win over Calgary in Week 11, but their fifth loss to Toronto in Week 10 still haunts them on the scoreboard. Their Toronto loss would have put them in the fifth seat on the leaderboard (provided all other subsequent Leaguewide games shook out accordingly).
Oshawa, on the other hand, still find themselves holding up the base of the League totem pole, with Week 12’s 13-7 fall to San Diego giving the FireWolves their ninth loss ahead of their much-needed bye week. Though the Black Bears got the better of them in their previous meeting in Week 6, Ottawa has not yet lined up against Oshawa with their new offensive pieces, Emerson Clark and Dawson Theede. Saturday’s match against Ottawa will be a much-needed start should the FireWolves emerge victorious, but they’ll still need to win out for the remainder of the season for a chance at the eighth seed in the NLL Playoffs.
Catch the near-end of the Battle of Ontario this Saturday at 7:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Rochester Knighthawks at Vancouver Warriors – 02.07.26 (Jaclyn McKee)
There’s no better time for new faces than 15 weeks into the regular season! Also in the Saturday night primetime slot, the Saskatchewan Rush are set up for a second weekend road match against the Rochester Knighthawks. Despite the Knighthawks’ brief stint in the League’s top three, the two teams have narrowly avoided each other ahead of this weekend.
The now 4-5 Knighthawks have been nothing short of an exciting team to watch over the last several weeks, even though they’ve spent that time on a four-game losing streak. Starting with their loss to Toronto in Week 9, Rochester then gave up two more to Vancouver in Weeks 10 and 11, before their pre-bye loss to Ottawa in Week 12. Though the Knighthawks kept a one-goal lead on the Black Bears through the majority of regulation, two consecutive goals early in the fourth quarter gave Ottawa their first lead of the night and put the Knighthawks into panic mode. Consequently, an ill-timed roughing penalty against Rochester forward Ryan Smith would give the Black Bears the Power Play they needed to reclaim the lead and secure the win
For Rochester to cut their current losing streak off and rejoin the top eight teams in the League rankings, they’ll need to showcase the dominant offensive powers they’ve been synonymous with in the past and keep itself out of the penalty box during crucial points in the game.
Catch the Knighthawks and the Rush on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+ this Saturday at 7:00PM ET.
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)
Can’t get enough NLL Friday Night on TSN? Fret not, ye loyal Buffalo– the Bandits are back for a second night in a row for a special Saturday edition of NLL Friday Night on TSN! After the previous evening’s TSN championship rematch against the Saskatchewan Rush, Buffalo is bound for Hamilton, Ontario, for a run-in against the League leaderboard’s rising stars, the Toronto Rock.
The Rock’s path to the fifth seat in the League rankings has been an entertaining watch for US and Canadian fans alike, as Toronto’s status as one of the most storied teams in the League’s history has been flipped on its head thanks to the rookie revitalization of the franchise. The Rock’s offensive youth movement, backed by their more than impressive veteran presence has brought the team wins after win in largely considered unfavorable matchups. In last weekend’s bout against the Colorado Mammoth, their second outing in a two-week series, the Rock repaid the Mammoth for their Week 12 loss with a 13- 9 home victory in Week 13. Heading into Week 14, the Rock have now not only secured their sixth win, but have also yet to lose a consecutive game, with their last two defeats being separated by two wins each.
Toronto is eager to stick to their winning pattern and then some, but the Bandits are not ready to go quietly. With Saskatchewan on the books early in the weekend, followed by a Rock squad that has only gotten better with each passing week, Buffalo is in for a rough ride if it has any hope of reigniting the fanbase’s postseason hopes. The Bandits’ next two wins are crucial to bringing the team back above a .500 record and dropping their contenders from the upper ranks.
The Bandits continue their TSN tenure against the Toronto Rock this Saturday at 7:00PM ET.
Philadelphia Wings forward Sam LeClair (92)
The Wings and the Swarm swap home arenas for the second round of their doubleheader series against one another. Should the Swarm secure the first win of the weekend, they’ll climb to 8-3, reclaiming their number three seat on the League rankings. A second win would raise them to 9-3, potentially tying or surpassing the #2 Colorado Mammoth, depending on the results of their Friday night bout with San Diego.
If the Wings take Game 1 and/or 2, they might not climb as high as they’d like on the first try, but a clean sweep could drop the Swarm as far down as seventh place in the League rankings, depending on other League wins. Additionally, with two more wins, they would rise to 4-8, which has the potential to keep them closer to the race for eighth place should they continue winning thereafter.
The Georgia-Philadelphia series comes to a close this Saturday at 7:30PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Halifax, Nova Scotia – Jan 16: National Lacrosse League game between the Halifax Thunderbirds and Colorado Mammoth on January 16 2026 at the Scotiabank Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Thunderbirds)
The second night of the March to May’s opening ceremonies continues on in the winding Alberta prairies, as the Calgary Roughnecks extend a late-night invitation to the Halifax Thunderbirds. It’s been a long, tough road for the Roughnecks and the Thunderbirds this season, but there’s still hope yet for these two struggling squads.
Halifax spent the better part of their early matchups treading water above .500, even holding a top-three seat with their two straight season-opening wins. However, with the exception of their Week 7 reprieve against the Ottawa Black Bears, the Thunderbirds have been on the receiving end of several disappointing final scores and have not dropped their last five games. Despite a 43-save evening by Warren Hill, as well as two massive defensive performances by Jake Withers and Tyson Bell in Week 13’s matchup against the San Diego Seals, a 9-8 road defeat, the Thunderbirds have been unable to fully capitalize on settled offensive opportunities or convert on the Power Play. In their last four defeats, Halifax was only able to convert on 12 of their 28 Power Play opportunities, six of which were scored during Week 7’s run-in with Colorado, and the last three were individually scored across three games.
But thanks to their third win against Ottawa, the Thunderbirds are still a step closer to the eight-seat than the 2-8 Roughnecks. Thanks to the goal differential, Calgary is still a step above the similarly successful Philadelphia Wings in 13th, but the run-up to the postseason through the March to May has begun to look less than promising. In their Week 12 Edmonton rematch against the Georgia Swarm, the Roughnecks found themselves off to another slow start, trailing by two goals headed into the second half. A three-goal run by the Roughnecks in the third quarter, which included a transition goal by Brayden Mayea assisted by goaltender Aden Walsh, was enough to tie to the game at six, but the Roughnecks looked to have run out of steam in the final bracket, scoring zero goals of their own while letting up five.
However, historically speaking, the Roughnecks have found past success against the Thunderbirds, and are currently 3-0 against Halifax in their last three regular season run-ins. But the question still remains– will Calgary’s past successes be enough to lead them to their third win? Or will Halifax’s fourth win kickstart their March to May?
The Thunderbirds are set to roose at the Saddledome this Saturday at 9:00PM ET. Catch all the action on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
January 23, 2026: The San Diego Seals vs Philadelphia Wings at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA.
Don’t tell us you’re tired of seeing the same teams this weekend! We’ve got another doubleheader in store to round your weekend off right. After a short Saturday break for both squads, the San Diego Seals and the Vancouver Warriors will reconvene for a West Coast Sunday matinee game (or an early-evening East Coast rendezvous, if you prefer).
The two are both already scheduled for competition on Friday, February 27th, with the Seals ditching their bus to Colorado for a Sunday evening at home, while the Warriors are stuck on the road, bouncing across state lines from Nevada to California. Additionally, this is not these teams’ first time meeting, as their first run-in during Week 8 ended in an 11-9 victory for San Diego thanks to an early fourth-quarter goal by Zach Currier to stretch the Seals’ lead to three goals, with the nail in the coffin hammered in by Eli Gobrecht with four seconds remaining on the clock. Now with several weeks and wins between then and now, the stage is set for a barnburner with major postseason implications as we dive further into the March to May.
Sunday’s lineup between the #3 Warriors and the #6 Seals has the potential to swap the landscape of the top eight depending on the rest of the weekend’s outcomes, as well as the results of both San Diego and Vancouver’s Friday night games. A San Diego win(s) could tie the two teams’ records and potentially drop the Warriors from the Top 3, while a potential Vancouver win(s) could finally propel them above the #2 Colorado Mammoth.
The Seals and Warriors end their doubleheader weekends at Pechanga Arena this Sunday at 6:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
