Stonehenge is dropping from the rafters, and the tightest spandex pants you’ve ever seen have been dusted off; the Halifax Thunderbirds are first to kick the post-holiday weekend into overdrive for Rock ‘n Roll Night. It’s time to get loud and put the Christmas ham down, because the Saskatchewan Rush are dancing into town for Game 1 of their two-week series at the Scotiabank Centre.
As one of the two remaining undefeated teams in the League, Halifax is headed into the weekend well-rested off its Week 4 bye, and with a win over the reigning champs to boot. The Thunderbirds took the W home in Week 3 in overtime, with forward Clarke Petterson calling the 9-8 game less than thirty seconds into the extra minutes. Jake Withers also became the fifth player in League history to take 3,000 career faceoff attempts. Of the five players to reach the milestone, Withers holds the best career face-off win percentage (71.9 FO%). Joining Withers in the 3,000 Club against the Bandits, goaltender Warren Hill made his 3,000th save just a week after tying Matt Vinc and Bob Watson for the NLL Goals Allowed record (2GA) against Oshawa.
Despite the Nova Scotian lossless excitement, the 2-1 Saskatchewan Rush don’t plan to make their entrance gently. After their unexpected loss to Ottawa in Week 3, the Rush hosted the Georgia Swarm last weekend for a defensive-won 7-4 home victory, as goaltender Frank Scigliano’s 38-save night and the defensive line’s seven caused turnovers held the Swarm scoreless for the game’s middle quarters. The Big Green’s offensive stars kept the scoreboard lit and the goal horn on against the Swarm’s Brett Dobson, with forward Austin Shanks tallying two of the Rush’s seven goals, and Robert Church assisting four of them, including both of Shanks’.
The two last met in the 2024 NLL Semifinals hosted by the Thunderbirds, a 16-7 road win for the Rush that pitted them against the would-be three-time champs. Halifax’s early undefeated status has drawn a moving target across their backs, and the Rush are anxious to shoot them out of the stormy skies to take home the first win of their Nova Scotian residency.
The Thunderbrids take on the Rush this Saturday, December 27 at 6:00PM ET on ESPNU. Also available to stream on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Saskatchewan Rush at Ottawa Black Bears 12.12.25
Who says the festivities ever have to end? According to the Black Bears, the holidays aren’t over until they say they’re over! Ottawa is opening the doors to the Canadian Tire Centre for a Boxing Day (or as close as we can get to the day of) bout with the Philadelphia Wings. What are the Black Bears hoping to find on discount this weekend? Just small things– goals, highlights, and a home win in the Canadian Capital.
Ottawa’s big holiday dreams are built atop a hard-fought loss in Las Vegas last weekend, falling just short of the Desert Dogs after Mitch Jones, assisted by Chris Cloutier, sealed the deal for Las Vegas in the final minutes of their home opener. The 10-9 nailbiter nearly fell in Ottawa’s favor, as Rob Hellyer and Jeff Teat’s respective six and five-point performances helped the Black Bears rack eight straight goals, tied the ballgame on two consecutive power plays in the fourth quarter, and kept the Desert Dogs scoreless for the entirety of the third. Additionally, the Black Bears’ 76 total loose balls kept them in control of the ground game and generated several repeat possessions.
But with the Wings making their way north for the weekend, the Black Bears will need to keep their heads up and the ball in the air. As stated by second-year forward Brennan O’Neill, as well as backed by the team’s early performance, the Wings are making good on their promise to stay gritty in the loose ball battles and find any opportunity to shoot. Despite falling to the Rochester Knighthawks last weekend 15-11, the Wings tied the Black Bears for 76 loose ball pick-ups and hammered 51 shots on goal, compared to Ottawa’s 56 shots. The healthy return of Philly faceoff specialist Nick Rowlett, who won 23 of his 31 draws against Rochester, as well as Joe Resetarits and O’Neill’s five and six-point games, has begun to lay the foundation for Philadelphia’s offensive dominance.
Both squads will be watching the floor carefully this Saturday, looking for every extra possession they can get and any opportunity available to shake the net. Though fans might not be able to catch another Damude VS Hartley-level match, they can sleep soundly this Christmas Eve with a stocking full of I.O.U.H.’s (I Owe You Highlights).
The Wings take on the Black Bears in the Canadian Capital this Saturday, December 27 at 7:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Toronto Rock @ Oshawa Firewolves, 20251128, Tribute Communities Centre – Latrell Harris
Zip up your red puffer vests and gas up the DeLorean, the Toronto Rock are taking the League back in time for Retro Rewind Night at TD Coliseum! With the promise of throwback vibes and fast-paced lacrosse, the Rock are set to host the Las Vegas Desert Dogs for the first time ever. Though the two have faced off in previous seasons, the Rock have thus far exclusively played Las Vegas on the road, picking up the win in the 2023 season and falling just short to the Dogs last year.
The Rock and the Desert Dogs have both found themselves in the middle of the League rankings during these early matchups. Both hanging onto a 1-1 record, their Week 5 matchup could stand to kickstart the beginnings of a winning streak for either squad. After their offseason roster shakeup and a Vancouver road loss to start the year, Las Vegas looks to finally be putting their offensive and defensive pieces together. In last weekend’s 10-9 home win against the Ottawa Black Bears, Desert Dogs goaltender Landon Kells’ 47 saves kept the visiting squad scoreless for the first quarter, while Chris Cloutier, Jonathan Donville and Mitch Jones’ combined 17 points put Las Vegas ahead early.
On the home bench, however, the Rock’s wide range of experience has made them one of the most exciting teams to watch this season, but the rookies have cemented themselves as Ontario’s people of interest. In last weekend’s head-to-head in Calgary, Toronto’s Sam English, Owen Hiltz and CJ Kirst racked 12 of the 31 points accounted for against the Roughnecks, as well as 20 of their 53 shots on goal and a quarter of the loose balls picked up by the Rock. On top of his own one goal and three assists, Kirst also stripped two Roughnecks for two confirmed caused turnovers last weekend.
Backed by League vets like Latrell Harris and Nick Rose, as well as captain Challen Rogers, Toronto is not a team to be taken lightly at home. The Desert Dogs will need to find every extra possession they can to scrape out their second straight victory of the season. Additionally, if Las Vegas wins this weekend, it will be their first two-game win streak since their inaugural season, as well as their first above .500 record in franchise history.
The Toronto Rock take the Desert Dogs back in time this Saturday, December 27, at 7:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
The Loud House is about to get louder! After taking the week off following their trip to Philadelphia, the Colorado Mammoth are making their return to Ball Arena for their home opener. The Mammoth have kept busy since their road bout with the Wings in Week 3, celebrating birthdays, adjusting birthdays and getting their holiday practices in to prepare for the arrival of the Georgia Swarm.
The 1-1 Colorado Mammoth are currently joined by five other teams in the .500 Club in the current League standings, needing a win after their extended break to snag their spot in the upper third of the rankings alongside Saskatchewan and Vancouver. Though they were unable to lock in their second win of the season against the Wings, the Mammoth are sending shots to the cage and keeping the ball off the ground. In Week 3, Colorado took 60 shots on goal, half of which were taken by Will Malcom, Dylan McIntosh and Ryan Lee, and collected 68 loose balls. The defense’s 10 combined caused turnovers also kept the heat off goaltender Dillon Ward, who ended the night with 35 saves. With just two games played so far, Ward is currently ninth in the League for saves (74 SV, 83% SV%).
In last weekend’s road loss to Saskatchewan, the Swarm, despite being held scoreless through the second and third quarters, were still able to hold the Rush under ten goals. A three-goal push from Jordan MacIntosh, Jacob Hickey and Nolan Byrne in the fourth quarter cut the gap to a single-goal game, but the Rush’s two scores during the final minutes of play were enough to put their second win of the season to bed. However, though the final score might not have reflected it, the Swarm defensive unit was and has been running on all cylinders since Week 1. Against the Rush, Georgia came up with 63 loose balls and caused nine turnovers, and is currently averaging 9.67 CTOs a game.
Despite their strong play on both ends of the ball, the Mammoth and Swarm are still both a step away from complete roster health. As of Monday, December 22, the Mammoth will still be missing forward Andrew Kew, who will miss his first chance to square off against his former squad. The Swarm will still be without defenseman Adam Wiedemann for the fourth straight week. It’s going to come down to saves and big defensive plays at the Loud House this Saturday, as neither squad is willing to give an inch in these key holiday weeks.
Watch the Rocky Mountain action unfold on ESPNU this Saturday, December 27, at 9:00PM ET. Georgia vs Colorado is also available to stream on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Saskatchewan, Canada – December 6, 2025: Calgary Roughnecks vs Saskatchewan Rush at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatchewan, Canada (Photo by Jeff Crawford/National Lacrosse League)
The holiday action doesn’t stop just because Saturday’s over! The Roughnecks are storming the turf at WestJet Field for their home opener against the champs, the Buffalo Bandits, for the Return of the Red. You, the fans, voiced it, Calgary listened– the Rigger Red jerseys are back for the 2025 season, and just in time for their ESPN2 close-up!
Despite their flashy return to form in the jersey department, the Roughnecks have had a tough start to their season. Calgary currently sits at the base of the League rankings as the only team without a win after conceding the first Battle of the Prairies of the season to Saskatchewan in Week 2 and a skin-of-their-teeth loss to Toronto in Week 3.
Though the Roughnecks are averaging 50 SOG per game heading into Week 5, they’re lagging behind defensively, despite a 42-save evening from freshly minted goaltender Aden Walsh against the Rock. However, the Roughnecks are finding success in the low game. Faceoff specialist Justin Inacio is currently second in the League for faceoffs and loose balls, having won 46 of his 58 draws taken (79% FO%) and has totalled 35 loose balls in his two games played. Now lining up against the Bandits’ Connor Farrell, Inacio will be integral to the Roughnecks’ post-holiday success.
The Bandits, though also currently a middling .500 team, have had a comparatively less stressful bye week. In Week 4, the 2024 champs were presented with their third set of championship rings, a sparkling new set of inspiration and motivation for the rest of the coming season. After their first early-season overtime loss to Halifax last weekend, called less than 30 seconds into extra minutes by Thunderbirds forward Clarke Petterson, the Bandits are in need of a late-December win to put themselves back in the top half of the League rankings.
While the Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith Show can be expected to account for at least half of the Bandits’ goals this weekend– the two were responsible for six of Buffalo’s eight goals against Halifax and six of the 15 goals against Georgia in Week 1– the Bandits’ will need a more all-encompassing offensive pressure to account for the three-peated target on this backs this season.
The Roughnecks host the Bandits on ESPN2 this Sunday, December 28, at 8:00PM ET. Streaming is also available on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
