CALGARY, AB – FEBRUARY 28, 2026: The Calgary Roughnecks against the Halifax Thunderbirds at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday. (Photo by Jenn Pierce/NLL)
The March to May carries on this weekend in the City of Brotherly Love, as the Halifax Thunderbirds get set for a brief roost at the XFinity Mobile Arena. Their hosts, the Philadelphia Wings, though recently eliminated from playoff contention after their 11-6 loss to Oshawa in Week 16, are still major threats to the Thunderbirds’ race to eighth place.
Halifax got off to a slow start in Week 17’s contest with the Georgia Swarm, quickly collecting a six-goal deficit by the end of the first quarter. Despite the early offensive efforts of Mike Robinson and Cody Jamieson, the Thunderbirds spent the majority of regulation trailing by at least six goals. However, their 10-goal final bracket, spearheaded by Clarke Petterson (4G, 6A) and Stephen Keogh (4G, 1A), not only closed the scoring gap but also tied the game in the final minute at 16-16. Georgia captain Jordan MacIntosh would eventually seal the Swarm’s victory with 18 seconds remaining, but the Thunderbirds’ sixty-minute effort reiterated to the League and their upcoming opponents that they are not to be looked past.
Though the Thunderbirds came out of last weekend’s tight game against Georgia without the outcome they were hoping for, they’re not out of the playoff picture just yet. At 5-9, Halifax is only a single loss behind the 5-8 Rochester Knighthawks, who take on the FireWolves this Saturday. While they’re in no immediate danger of early playoff elimination, they’re still several wins away from the closest postseason seat, currently held by the 6-7 Las Vegas Desert Dogs. With only a few short weeks left in the regular season, the Thunderbirds need a win this weekend more than ever to keep their playoff odds.
The Thunderbirds take on the Wings this Friday on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+ at 7:00PM ET.
For Week 18’s first elite eight matchup, the #4 Georgia Swarm are shipping up to the Canadian Capitol for a primetime matchup against the #7 Ottawa Black Bears. Now nearing their 10th win at 9-5, the Swarm are not looking to play nice this weekend, leaving the Black Bears to hastily prepare for an aggressive road effort from their stateside visitors.
The Swarm snuck away with their ninth win against the Thunderbirds by the skin of their teeth last weekend, giving up a nine-goal lead in the fourth quarter due to defensive miscues and personnel changes between the pipes, keeping the outcome of Week 17’s competition in the air down to the final minute. But even though they’re now potentially a single win away from clinching their playoff berth with a tenth win at the Canadian Tire Centre, the Swarm are in no position to ease up off the gas at this stage in the March to May. With the 9-5 Toronto Rock still eyeing up the fourth seat behind them, and the revitalized Buffalo Bandits hastily climbing the League rankings, the Swarm need to punch their ticket early to avoid the race to eighth place in the final weeks of the regular season.
Ottawa has been narrowly holding onto its pole position over the last several weeks, with its key four-game win streak starting in Week 11 keeping it floating just above the danger line. Although their franchise-record streak has earned them a mainstay above the elimination line, their recent losses may jeopardize their sophomore success. In their last two matchups against Calgary in Week 16 and Vancouver in Week 17, the Black Bears have fallen victim to two instances of low-scoring, slow starts, resulting in unsuccessful last-minute efforts in the final bracket.
Against Calgary, the Black Bears found themselves down by a single goal in the first quarter, followed by an unrecovered five-goal deficit headed into the second half. Similarly, though not as drastically against Vancouver, Ottawa held the Warriors to a prolonged tie game at the end of the first, which devolved into a three-goal deficit early in the second half. Though the Black Bears were able to retie the score in the fourth quarter, the Warriors were already well in control of the flow of the game, with Ottawa flat on their heels against the Vancouver offensive battery. While once again, the Black Bears aren’t in immediate danger, as the Desert Dogs are still two wins behind in the eighth seat, the playoff landscape could shift rapidly and out of the Black Bears’ favor in the final weeks of competition.
The Black Bears open their doors to the Swarm this Saturday at 7:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
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Sharing the primetime broadcast slot with Georgia-Ottawa, the Rochester Knighthawks are packing the bus once again for a cross-border matchup with the Oshawa FireWolves. Ahead of their weekend matchup, the Tribute Communities Centre is inviting home and road fans alike to dress in their favorite Marvel super suit and join them for Marvel Super Hero Night!
Heading into the weekend, the Knighthawks are still struggling to find their sixth win, having fallen to the tenth seat in the League following their two consecutive losses to Las Vegas in Weeks 16 and 17. Though their record doesn’t presently reflect it, Rochester’s individual player performances, as well as several key upsets in earlier weeks, have kept them in the late playoff conversation. In their two-game series against Las Vegas, the Knighthawks not only scored at least ten goals during each outing, but also featured multiple five-plus point performances from Ryan Lanchbury, Ryan Smith, and Connor Fields. Additionally, the Knighthawks have put up at least 10 goals on each of the top three teams in the League, and were the third team to stain the #1 Saskatchewan Rush’s near-perfect record.
However, despite those successes, the Knighthawks are still on a three-game losing streak, leaving them in dire need of a win. Similarly, their hosts, the Oshawa FireWolves, are in an even more precarious situation given their own standings. Following their 11-6 win over the Philadelphia Wings in Week 16, the FireWolves were able to stave off an early elimination with their fourth win of the season. Now at 4-10 and still hanging on in the thirteenth seat, it’s do-or-die for the FireWolves’ postseason hopes. Without a win this weekend, continued victories through the final weeks, as well as key losses around the League in favor of the FireWolves, Oshawa may be the next team out early.
The first whistle blows in Oshawa this Saturday at 7:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Buffalo Bandits vs Saskatchewan Rush, May 24, 2025 at KeyBank Center.
Just when the March to May couldn’t get any more hectic, the 2024 Championship is once again rehashing itself for your viewing pleasure. This Saturday night, the #6 Buffalo Bandits ship back to Saskatoon to take on the #1 Saskatchewan Rush in the second championship rematch of the season.
The Bandits have been on an undeniable run since the opening of the March to May, rocketing up the leaderboard with a four-game win streak– a streak that began with their 11-10 overtime win over Saskatchewan in the first weekend of the M2M. Their last four wins have also been not only hard fought but hard won, lining up against four Top 8 teams, including Toronto, Colorado and San Diego.
Conversely, the Rush are 1-3 in their last four games, falling to Buffalo and Rochester in their Week 14 doubleheader, and most recently to Toronto in Week 17. While they were able to split up these losses with a 10-9 win over San Diego in Week 16 to become the first team to punch their ticket to the postseason, the Rush are beginning to feel the heat of a potential postseason rerun with Buffalo and Saskatchewan on opposite sides of the playoff bracket.
Depending on the results of the Georgia-Ottawa game earlier in the evening, a Buffalo loss may not drop from the sixth seat, but a win would bring them a step closer to the Top 4 and could prematurely alter the early postseason landscape. Additionally, a Saskatchewan loss would bring the Rush down to the second seat, further altering the playoff picture.
Watch the 2025 Championship re-rematch this Saturday at 9:00PM ET on TSN
Closing out Saturday night of Week 18, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs return for a third straight week of March to May Madness! Lee’s Family Forum is opening up its doors this weekend for Heroes Night, celebrating all local law enforcement, active-duty military, veterans, and first responders in true Desert Dogs fashion– a halftime dodgeball game.
But before the main event at halftime, the Desert Dogs take to the turf against the Calgary Roughnecks, who are toeing the line between early playoff elimination. Their win against Ottawa in Week 16 was enough to keep their loss to Colorado last weekend from dropping them out of contention, but at 4-10 and holding up the twelfth seat, the Roughnecks are a bad day away from an early out. Despite the gravity of this weekend’s competition, Calgary is still proving itself a force to be reckoned with, holding the #2 Colorado Mammoth to two goals in Week 17, and scoring at least ten goals in each of their last three outings. Tyler Pace’s nine points (5G, 4A) and Tanner Cook’s five points (2G, 3A) kept the Roughnecks’ offense in the mix despite a three-goal lead by the Mammoth headed into the second half, and an admirable 36-save effort by goaltender Aden Walsh, as well as a clutch save by relief keeper Colby Bowman, helped cut Colorado’s lead to a single goal in the final minutes.
However, opposite the Roughnecks on the home bench, the Desert Dogs are back in the playoff conversation, inching closer and closer to the franchise’s first playoff appearance. With their two-game sweep against the Rochester Knighthawks in Weeks 16 and 17, the Desert Dogs have risen to 6-7 and have reclaimed their temporary title as the eighth seed in the League rankings. While a win would certainly give them a bit of breathing room, with only three more weeks of competition left in the regular season, the Desert Dogs are left to defend the rankings’ most volatile position. Though it may not raise them up out of eighth immediately, snagging a seventh win this weekend would not only shorten the gap between them and the #7 Black Bears, but would also drop the Roughnecks from contention.
Lee’s Family Forum lights up this Saturday at 10:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Halifax, Nova Scotia – Mar 13: National Lacrosse League game between the Halifax Thunderbirds and Toronto Rock on March 13 2026 at the Scotiabank Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Thunderbirds)
Welcome back to another installment of the NLL Sunday Matinee in the City of Brotherly Love! Though the Wings are the first team to be handed an early elimination, they still have the opportunity to block the competition’s postseason odds, or at best, alter their standings. This weekend’s willing victims– the Toronto Rock.
The Rock’s youth movement has led their team to an Ontario box renaissance, trading in last year’s 6-12 season for a sparkling new record, toppling the #1 Saskatchewan Rush in a 13-9 upset win to climb to 9-5. Toronto’s CJ Kirst notched seven points (3G, 4A) against the 2024 runner-ups, with Chris Boushy and fellow rookie Owen Hiltz trailing him in scoring with their respective three and two goals. Additionally, rookie defender Sam English led the charge in the low game, leading his squad in loose balls that evening with his ten pickups, while goaltender Nick Rose’s 42 saves against Saskatchewan helped stretch the Rock’s to four goals in the final bracket.
Following last weekend’s win, the Rock have nestled themselves into the fifth seat on the NLL leaderboard, tying the #4 Georgia Swarm’s win-loss record. With three additional weeks of regular season play following this weekend’s matchup, the Rock have an opportunity similar to the Swarm to clinch their postseason appearance with a tenth win. Though a loss this weekend wouldn’t drop them from contention, it would open up a potential avenue for the Bandits and Black Bears below them to secure a better position in the playoff bracket.
Close out the weekend this Sunday afternoon at 1:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
