Week 3 of the 2025 season heats up early this NLL Friday Night on TSN as the Ottawa Black Bears host Saskatchewan. The Black Bears opened their season against San Diego, falling 16–13 in a hard-fought matchup. Though captain Jeff Teat put up an admirable five-point effort against the Seals (2G, 3A), and the newly minted Black Bear Rob Hellyer notched a staggering eight points against his former team (3G, 5A), a scoreless first quarter and slow start defensively made for a harsh catch-up game that Ottawa couldn’t quite recover from.
From Saskatoon, the Rush hosted the Calgary Roughnecks for their home and season opener, paying their cross-plains rivals back for their 10-11 exhibition loss and securing the first win of the 2025-26 Battle of the Prairies. Of their 16 goals scored, there were six Rush players with at least three points in their first outing of the season, including Zach Manns (3G, 2A), Saskatchewan captain Ryan Keenan (2G, 4A), and Austin Shanks (3G, 4A). In addition to their offensive dominance, the Rush also once again put their harsh transition game on display, with breakout transition star Jake Boudreau reminding the Roughnecks of his cross-midline threat level.
The Rush last hosted the Black Bears in the final week of the 2024 regular season, with their first and only meeting resulting in a 16-7 Rush home win. The loss, combined with other wins around the League, barred the Black Bears from what would have been their first franchise playoff appearance. With a thus far healthy roster and the 2025 55th overall draft pick Cole Begley making his defensive debut in place of Jay Thorimbert, the Black Bears are set on big stops and a bigger defensive presence as they look for their first win of the season against Saskatchewan.
NLL Friday Night on TSN starts at 7:30PM ET. Also available to stream on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
East Coast finally meets West as the 1-0 Colorado Mammoth march into the City of Brotherly Love for the first Saturday Matinee Match of the season. After a hot start road win against the Vancouver Warriors in Week 1, the Mammoth is itching to get back to work against the Philadelphia Wings.
During what could be considered the most exciting game of the year so far, the Mammoth offense muscled through Rogers Arena like bulls on parade, with the new hires especially making themselves known to the Vancouver crowd. On the right side, the fresh-faced forward Dylan McIntosh notched a goal and an assist in his debut against his former teammates, while on the lefty side, Andrew Kew stacked seven points (2G, 5A) in his first outing. But even with the high-powered newcomers working to take the spotlight, lefty forward Will Malcom simply couldn’t contain himself in his season opener against his hometown team, notching the game-high eight points and his third career sock trick.
On the home bench, the local hosts are just eager to open the doors to the Xfinity Mobile Arena for their home and season opener. While the Wings will be welcoming back Philly fan favorites like forwards Joe Resetarits and rookie phenom Brennan O’Neill, the lead-up to Game 1 has not been kind to their lineup. By the second week of training camp, the Wings had moved defenseman Evan Messenger and forward Blaze Riorden to the Physically Unable to Perform list, and in Week 1, moved forward Michael Sowers to the Injured Reserve.
With Riorden out for the foreseeable future, defenseman Chris Corbeil has been named as Wings captain, with Resetarits and fellow defender Ryan Wagner backing him up on the Philly leadership team.
With so many uncontrollables dangling in front of their facemasks, the Wings will have a lot on their plate on the defensive end come game time, but even more to prove once the faceoff whistle blows.
Toronto Rock @ Oshawa Firewolves, 20251128, Tribute Communities Centre – CJ Kirst Kirst first NLL goal
It’s a big night for Toronto fans, as the Rock make their return to Hamilton for their home opener in the newly renovated and reopened TD Coliseum. The Rock is set to host the Calgary Roughnecks as their first opponent in the shiny new arena.
Calgary and Toronto have both seen several intense changes made to both sides of their roster, but the moves made in either city presented themselves as near mirror images of each other. While Toronto was able to sign several of the box world’s biggest budding stars, by way of Sam English, Owen Hiltz and CJ Kirst, the Roughnecks saw the departure of many of their key offensive players, as Curtis Dickson and former captain Jessie King made their way to Vancouver in the Free Agency.
However, this opening on Calgary’s close-side door has paved the way for Haiden Dickson and Tyler Pace to become the Roughnecks’ offensive leaders– both scored seven points against the Rush last week– as well as for the Alberta newcomers to enjoy a bit of the limelight. In his rookie debut, the 2025 ninth overall pick, Noah Manning, put two shots past Rush goaltender Frank Scigliano and picked up a helper in the second half for a three-point outing.
The Rock and the Roughnecks are two teams each without a win, looking to stamp each other out and bring their early record back up to .500. However, while Toronto has had a whole two weeks to stew over their tight Opening Night loss against the Oshawa Firewolves, the Roughnecks are fresh off their season-opening loss to longtime rivals, the Saskatchewan Rush. Tensions will be high, and hits will be higher.
Buffalo Bandits against the Georgia Swarm on Nov. 29, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
It’s a happy holiday at KeyBank Center this weekend, as the Buffalo Bandits gear up to celebrate their second straight home game with their first theme night of the season, Home For The Holidays! Saturday night is said to be chock full of holiday cheer and activities, but the only thing players and fans alike are hoping to find wrapped under their orange and white tinsel tree is another Bandits home win.
After putting the worries regarding the Bandits’ 2025 lineup changes to rest in Week 1, the Bandits are back at home to pick up another chip on their next Championship bingo card. In their season opener, the Upstate Stars were front and center on the scoring front, as forwards Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith found the back of the net early on for a combined 14 points at the final buzzer, with Tehoka Nanticoke close behind with three points of his own (2G, 1A) and a highlight reel take-and-taunt worthy of the #1. Supported by goaltender Matt Vinc’s 31-save performance and Buffalo returner Mitch “Dr. D” de Snoo’s two points and 11 loose balls, Buffalo is pushing at full-strength out of both doors.
Unluckily for Buffalo, the Thunderbirds’ defense has never looked more solid. In just one outing, Halifax goalkeeper Warren Hill shot up the leaderboard with his 49 saves on 51 shots on goal against the Oshawa Firewolves. Between his stonewalled win in net and faceoff specialist Jake Withers’s dominance on the draw, winning 15 of his 17 faceoffs taken, the Thunderbirds look to capitalize on quick defensive pushes in transition and control the loose ball battle at KeyBank.
Halifax last saw the Buffalo in Week 20 of the 2024 regular season, with the Bandits shooting down the Thunderbirds in a 15-12 win at KeyBank Center. However, a win over Saskatchewan in last season’s semifinals would have pitted them against the Bandits in the NLL Finals. Now, with a new campaign off to a hot start and another chance to put a win up against the once again reigning champs, the Thunderbirds are raring to go.
Buffalo Bandits against the Georgia Swarm on Nov. 29, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
After an up-and-down two weeks, the Oshawa Firewolves are on the road to Duluth, Georgia and hungrier than ever to prove their might. After an electric Week 1 home win over the new Toronto Rock, the Firewolves took to the coast in Week 2, leaving Nova Scotia with their first franchise loss to the Halifax Thunderbirds.
Despite Tye Kurtz’s two-goal efforts in the first quarter, the Firewolves were unable to keep themselves out of the penalty box or capitalize on power play opportunities. They kept control of the loose ball battle in the second and third quarters, but were unable to get past Thunderbirds tendy Warren Hill. Oshawa will need to find every opportunity they can this weekend to get past the Swarm’s Brett Dobson and his supporting defensive unit.
On the home bench, the Georgia Swarm are readily preparing for their 10th home opener in Gwinnett County. After a hard-fought loss to Buffalo on the road in Week 1, the Swarm have had two weeks of downtime to regroup and re-ready their bright-eyed squad. The rookies were the talk of the town in their first game, with Syracuse Hold Out defender Michael Grace handing out four helpers in his League debut, and sophomore forward Kaleb Benedict handing out three assists and scoring two of his own. However, the vets weren’t letting the young bucks have all the fun at KeyBank. Duluth returner Shayne Jackson put the young Swarm on his back in Week 1, racking up six points (4G, 2A) against the reigning champs, while franchise star Lyle Thompson notched an assist and 13 loose balls. Despite activating their youngest roster to date, dubbed the “New-Look Swarm,” Georgia has no inclination that they’ll shy away from competition on either side of the ball.
The Gas South 10th Anniversary festivities are set to kick off in the early afternoon, featuring magnetic schedule giveaways for all fans in attendance, as well as an NABLL exhibition match between the local Atlanta ATLiens and the Nashville Ignite.
It’s West Coast gone North to round out a full Saturday of NLL action! The Vancouver Warriors are set to host the Las Vegas Desert Dogs for their second straight home game—with a twist. For their first official theme night of the season, the Warriors are doubling up, hosting Warriors fans at Rogers Arena for First Nations Night, honoring the past and traditional roots of lacrosse, and paying homage to the Creator’s Game, complemented by the inaugural Vancouver Teddy Bear Toss.
Warriors fans are invited to bring their own teddy bears or purchase one in the arena concourse to toss over the glass after the Warriors’ first goals of the second half. All donated teddy bears and proceeds from bear sales on the concourse, will go directly to the Vancouver Venture for Diversity Society to support Indigenous families. Donation bins will also be available throughout the third and fourth quarters for fans who miss the big toss.
Though fans can expect a fun night and a warm sense of community, Vancouver is looking to put the cherry on top with a home win. After a harsh loss to the visiting Colorado Mammoth in Week 1, the Warriors are returning to the Rogers Arena with a healthy bench and a lit flame ready to take on the visiting Dogs.
From Sin City, the dynamic duo is finally making their season debut on black and gold Canadian turf. The former Buffalo forwards Chris Cloutier and Chase Fraser will finally don the Vegas black and white after a two-week break between their exhibition match and the season opener. During their last three regular seasons with the Bandits, the two amassed a combined 260 points.
Alongside the newly minted Desert Dogs, defender Rhys Blake will also be playing his first game with Las Vegas, while alternate captain Connor Kirst has been moved to the Injured Reserve List just days before the start of the season.
It’s been a wild ride for the Rochester Knighthawks this summer– changes in ownership, roster changes, MVP wins, etc—but the fruits of their labor are finally ripening. It’s finally game week for the 2024 MVP Connor Fields and his Knighthawks, as they start the season with a cross-map road trip to Pechanga Arena to take on the San Diego Seals.
In their last meeting during the 2024 season, the Knighthawks hosted the Seals in Week 18 for what would become a narrow Rochester home win, with forward Ryan Smith sealing the 14-13 victory in the final ten seconds of the game. Though Rochester was first to clinch, the two teams were placed on the same side of last season’s postseason bracket, but both were unfortunately knocked out of the running in the first round.
San Diego has already had the opportunity to notch a win in their purple and gold belts this season, with a Week 1 win in Ottawa, debuting their new pieces and dusting the returners off for a 14-13 road victory. While we’re still in the early days of the new season, the past numbers show that San Diego has been statistically one of the toughest teams to beat at home. Since their inaugural season, the Seals are 4-2 all-time in their home openers, went 6-3 at home last season and have won nine of their last 12 regular-season games. All that and still boasting the current faceoff leader, Trevor Baptiste (85% FO%) and the offensive monsters that are captain Wesley Berg (1G, 4A against Ottawa) and Tre Leclaire (5G, 4A against Ottawa), the Seals are cementing themselves as a team you do not want breathing down your back this season.
Ahead of their first game under new Seneca Nation ownership, the Knighthawks have made several notable additions to their 2025-26 Active Roster by way of trades and Free Agency. During training camp, Rochester signed former Georgia Swarm transition and faceoff specialist Jeremy Thompson to a one-year deal, a move that the Knighthawks front office is expecting high returns from.
“He just competes,” President and General Manager Dan Carey said after Thompson’s preseason game. “He’s all over ground balls, he’s a pretty active player, and one we’re excited to add to our roster. He’s a veteran guy with great leadership skills, and he’s going to bring a lot to our locker room as well as on the floor.”
Also making his debut alongside Thompson, as well as playing under his home nation, is former Colorado forward Zed Williams, who was acquired in a landmark trade with the Mammoth over the summer in exchange for several future early-round draft selections. Williams was highly sought after by the Knighthawks organization for his dynamic playstyle, physicality and scoring abilities, as well as his connections to the Seneca Nation, having grown up on the Cattaraugus Territory and being a member of the Seneca Nation’s Wolf Clan. In his last four seasons with the Mammoth before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury during the 2024-25 campaign, Williams amassed 204 regular-season points and won a National Championship in his first season in Colorado.
