(Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Thunderbirds)
Back on the neon green at the SaskTel Centre, the Saskatchewan Rush are set to host the Halifax Thunderbirds for the second round of their two-game playoff rematch. On top of all the rematch excitement, the Rush are setting up the floor for their Creators Game Night, celebrating the roots of the Medicine Game and featuring halftime performances by Wanuskewin Dancers.
The Rush took the first game of the regular season rematch 10-9 at the Scotiabank Centre. They spent the entirety of their four quarters trading goals with the Thunderbirds, with neither squad scraping more than a single-goal lead. However, despite the back-and-forth, it was a night of highs for the individual players, as Saskatchewan sophomore defender Matt Acchione scored his first two NLL goals and Rush captain Ryan Keenan put up six points (2G, 4A) against Halifax. To finish it off, the former Thunderbird Austin Shanks called the game in the final minute, putting up his third point of the evening against his former team.
Week 5’s matchup was nothing short of a defensive showdown, and Week 6 will be nothing less. In last week’s meeting, the Rush and the Thunderbirds were neck and neck in loose balls and caused turnovers, with Saskatchewan scooping up 68 balls and causing 11 turnovers, while Halifax picked up 67 balls and caused eight turnovers. Though the Rush were more effective on the Power Play last weekend (4-8 on Halifax’s 16 minutes of penalty time), the Thunderbirds were still able to pick up two Power Play goals in the first and third quarters, preventing either squad from ever fully breaking away on the scoreboard.
After this Friday night, the Thunderbirds won’t have another chance to stick it to the Rush until the postseason.
Start your New Year with the NLL tonight at 8:00PM ET. Stream all the action on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Saskatchewan Rush at Ottawa Black Bears 12.12.25
After taking the weekend, the Oshawa FireWolves return to the Tribute Communities Centre for the deciding Battle of Ontario against the Ottawa Black Bears.
The FireWolves currently hold the lead in the race for Ontarian control, having taken the first win in the three-way conflict against the Toronto Rock in Week 1. Since then, however, Oshawa has been struggling to gain and maintain a lead. During their last outing in Week 4 against the Vancouver Warriors, the FireWolves got off to a hot start at home, finishing the first quarter up 4-1 on the Warriors. However, Oshawa was then held scoreless for the second quarter, and went 28 minutes without a goal in the second half, allowing Vancouver to close the gap and build a three-goal lead until the final seconds of the game.
To keep up with the Black Bears on the visiting bench, Oshawa will need to find and hold a lead early on, while keeping captain Jeff Teat and all-star newcomer Rob Hellyer from getting hot. In their Week 5 win against the Philadelphia Wings, Teat and Hellyer were responsible for six of the team’s 16 goals, with Teat also assisting nine of them. Additionally, the Black Bears went 4-4 on Power Plays against the Wings, and were able to keep their time spent in the penalty box under ten minutes—two notes that kept them out of the win column against San Diego in Week 1, and put them in the running against Saskatchewan in Week 3.
The Black Bears have a chance to make the Battle of Ontario miles closer before their matchup against Toronto in Week 10. Additionally, Oshawa and Ottawa will face off again in Week 14 in the Canadian Capital to settle the regular-season score. Until then, it’s anyone’s guess who dominates the competition and takes the province.
Watch this Battle of Ontario on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+ this Saturday, January 3, at 7:00PM ET.
Henderson, USA – Dec. 20, 2025: vs Las Vegas Desert Dogs at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, USA. (Photo by Candice Ward/National Lacrosse League)
It’s that time of year, the first game of the second-annual Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup is underway, honoring the life and legacy of Tucker Williams, who courageously battled Burkitt’s Lymphoma for 11 months before passing away in 2014. As part of the celebration, a “Mini Tucker Jersey Surprise” sale will be held pregame on the concourse, allowing Bandits and Vegas fans alike to purchase mini jerseys signed by a surprise Bandits player.
After finally getting over the hump to secure the team’s first plus-500 record in franchise history, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs are rolling the dice once again on what could be their third straight win of the season in Buffalo. Vegas took it to the house in their first TD Coliseum appearance, as Chase Fraser and Mitch Jones held up an early lead for the Desert Dogs in the first quarter, with Chris Cloutier and Sean Westley joining in on the fun to keep them in the lead heading into halftime. Second-year standouts Adam Poitras and Jackson Webster also found themselves on the giving end of the Desert Dogs’ 17-11 win in the second half.
With Las Vegas now on a franchise high, the stakes have never been higher. As the Desert Dogs gear up for their cross-country journey, this weekend’s hosts, the Buffalo Bandits, are patiently awaiting the arrival of their former teammates, Cloutier and Fraser. Now fresh off a 13-7 road win, the Bandits are not interested in giving up any more early-season games. Against the Roughnecks last week, Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne were only responsible for five of their 13 putbacks, but were credited for 12 direct and secondary assists. Additionally, the Bandits went 2-2 on the Power Play while the defense controlled the flow of the ground game in Calgary, picking up 70 loose balls.
If Fraser and Cloutier hope to stick it to their former squad, the Desert Dogs will need to shut down the assist lines from Byrne and Smith and keep Tehoka Nanticoke and Ian MacKay off the doorstep. Most importantly, draw control could keep Las Vegas in the running for the whole four quarters against Buffalo. In Toronto, the Desert Dogs’ Tyrell Hamer-Jackson won 23 of his 32 draws taken, while the Bandits’ Connor Farrel was shut out of faceoff dot, winning just eight of the 24 faceoffs against Calgary.
The little things are going to matter most this weekend at KeyBank Center, especially down low and in transition. Whoever can shut off each other’s quick scoring opportunities, pull the goalies off their mark, and control the flow from the faceoff whistle is sure to leave the weekend with a win.
Cloutier and Fraser Return to Banditland this Saturday, January 3, at 7:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Photo by Micheline Veluvolu)
Heavy is the head that wears the crown! The Rochester Knighthawks stand alone as the only remaining undefeated team of 2025. After taking the week off to enjoy the holiday while the rest of the League fought tooth and nail to stay above .500 heading into the new year, Rochester is finally ready for their next Rocky Mountain outing.
The Knighthawks are headed West for this weekend’s matchup against the Colorado Mammoth. In keeping with the week’s theme, more old friends become new foes as bright-eyed Knighthawk Zed Williams gets set to square off against his former team for the first time this season. Though they’ll be donning the same ol’ scarlet kits, the roster looks a little different ahead of this weekend. On top of resigning defender TJ Comizio this week, the Mammoth have also reactivated rookie Brian Simmons ahead of this weekend’s game. But the big story, of course, is the acquisition of Las Vegas forward Jack Hannah. In his last season with the Desert Dogs, Hannah led his team in goals (38G), and was short two points to overtake Jonathan Donville as point leader (Donville 84 PTS, Hannah 82 PTS). Hannah is expected to be a fast fit in the Mammoth system, and could dress out as early as this weekend.
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But even with their roster in order, the Knighthawks are no slouches. Despite getting beat out at the faceoff dot and spending nearly 30 minutes in the sin bin during their last bout with the Philadelphia Wings, Rochester is here to score goals and rack up points. While in Philly, the Knighthawks had eight players with at least two points contributed to their 15-11 win, three of which being Ryan Lanchbury (0G, 7A), 2024 MVP Connor Fields (5G, 6A), and Jacob Piseno (3G, 1A). The Knighthawks’ defense was nothing to scoff at either. On top of goaltender Ryan Hartley’s one assist, 36 saves, and one fight, Rochester’s d-line ended the night with eight caused turnovers.
Rochester has no plans to give up their golden goose egg in the loss column, but the Mammoth need the home win to start the New Year plus-500. With so many X-factors at play on both rosters, taking the forms of new rivalries and intense early-season lineup changes, Saturday night at the Loud House can only be one thing—exciting.
Catch Zed Williams’ Saturday night return to Ball Arena at 9:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
(Photo by Angela Burger/Calgary Roughnecks).
The Calgary Roughnecks are back to burn the midnight oil on ESPNU, taking the West Coast by storm against the San Diego Seals. With pride on the line, chips on shoulders, the Electric Factory is set to buzz all weekend long.
After their two-week hiatus from the early-season game schedule, the Seals are itching to get back on the turf. Though still sitting squarely in the middle of the current League standings, the 1-1 Seals began their holiday break on a sour note, falling 15-7 to the Rochester Knighthawks. Faceoff specialist Trevor Baptiste kept the Seals in the conversation, winning 24 of the 26 faceoffs taken that evening, bringing him 26 wins away from 1,700 career faceoff wins and just nine more loose balls to reach 1,000 career pickups. Now presented with an opportunity to start 2026 2-1 against the now 0-3 Roughnecks, the Seals are saddling up for what they hope to make a Country Night win.
The visiting Roughnecks, on the other hand, are more anxious than ever for a win. Following a difficult 13-7 loss to Buffalo in Week 5, Calgary now holds up the bottom of the rankings as the only team without a win in the 2025 season. Though Roughnecks goaltender Aden Walsh notched 41 saves against the Bandits, and Justin Inacio kept Calgary in control of the faceoff dot, winning 16 of their 24 draws, they were unable to find the back of the net against the Bandits. Now keeping up with West Coast timing, the Roughnecks will need to find every way possible to complement and support Walsh and Inacio’s efforts against the Seals’ star-studded offense.
The NLL hits ESPNU at 10:00PM ET this Saturday, January 3. Streaming is also available on NLL+ and TSN+.
