Kicking off Week 9’s short schedule, the San Diego Seals once again pack the bus for another action-packed weekend on the road. San Diego is headed east to take on the Philadelphia Wings after getting back in the win column after the team’s run-in with Vancouver in week 8.
Their 11-9 upset was made possible by an early lead put together in the first half, putting Vancouver on the catch-up well into the fourth quarter. With the San Diego defense back at full strength following goaltender Chris Origlieri’s return to the active roster, the Seals held the Warriors to three scores in the second half, keeping them at a two-goal deficit until the final whistle. Additionally, hot off his fourth career perfect game, Baptiste’s continued dominance at the faceoff dot kept the Seals in control of the game’s momentum, pulling out 19 of the 24 faceoffs during regulation.
The home bench, however, has found itself out in the cold in its last several matchups. The 1-4 Philadelphia Wings are one loss away from holding up the bottom of the League totem pole after emerging 0-2 in their last two outings. They spent the weekend in Sin City taking on the Desert Dogs in Week 8, running into an early deficit against the Las Vegas’ hungry rookie Dogs. Faceoff specialist Nick Rowlett kept the Wings in control of transition early on, winning 16 of his 21 faceoffs, but several misread passes in open space, as well as unattacked rebounds, gave the Desert Dogs multiple extra looks in transition and in their settled formation.
While both squads are in danger of falling in the standings as we inch ever closer to the season midpoint, the Wings need a win to keep themselves in the playoffs conversation. A third win for the Seals will hold them over through their Week 10 bye week. But until then, it’s anyone’s game!
The Seals blow into XFinity Mobile Arena this Friday, January 23rd at 7:00PM ET o ESPN+, NLL+ and ESPN+.
The Ottawa midseason renaissance is upon us! After an intense, hard-fought win in Buffalo in Week 8, the Black Bears are a win away from the upper third of the League rankings. Now, with their next shot at the Canadian competition on the docket, there’s no better way to spend your Friday Night than on NLL Friday Night on TSN.
The Black Bears took it to the former champs last weekend, leaving KeyBank Center with a 10-9 win, due to career performances by the entire Ottawa unit. Goaltender Zach Higgins hit the bus out of Buffalo with 45 saves in his back pocket, alongside a hard-nosed defensive line that caused 12 turnovers and ate up 68 loose balls. Ottawa defender Callum Jones’ four confirmed turnovers against Buffalo gave him his 20th of the season, enough to put him atop the leaderboard by eight whole steals. Additionally, Jeff Teat and Rob Hellyer’s mirrored statlines (Teat 5G, 2A, Hellyer 2G, 5A) left the Bandits little to no breathing room on the scoreboard. Of their combined 12 points, Teat and Hellyer picked up seven of them to win the game in the fourth quarter.
While the home team is riding high, the visiting Vancouver Warriors look bloodthirstier than ever. After a three-game win streak pushed them into the way-too-early postseason conversation, the San Diego Seals pulled into town to spoil the fun. Though Goaltender Christian Del Bianco stuffed the Seals 46 times before the final whistle, Vancouver’s newly acquired faceoff man, Max Adler, was only able to pull out five of his 24 runs at the dot, giving the Seals multiple quick in’s to Vancouver territory. Though the Warriors heard the final buzzer with two goals still needed to tie the game, they still left the arena having played a complete, disciplined game.
In accordance with Vancouver mythos, however, the Warriors never give up a loss for free. With the sting already felt, the Warriors are pulling into the Canadian Capitol ready to take home a win by any means necessary.
The Black Bears fend off the Warriors this NLL Friday Night on TSN. The whistle blows January 23rd at 7:30PM ET, with streaming available on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Edmonton was fun, but now the Georgia Swarm continues their tour of the Canadian Provinces with a cross-country stop at TD Coliseum to take on the Toronto Rock.
The 3-3 Swarm have been trading wins and losses for the last several weeks, but if last week’s results are anything to consider, they look to be about done with their on-and-off record. Georgia lined up against the Calgary Roughnecks in the NLL’s return to Edmonton, picking up a 19-9 win in the UnBOXed Showcase. The Swarm were up by 12 headed into the fourth quarter thanks to multiple five-point or higher performances from the offensive line, including Bryan Cole’s eight points (3G, 5A) and Lyle Thompson’s ten (4G, 6A); the season high for the franchise player.
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But there’ll be no easy runs for the Swarm in Toronto. The Rock have forced their way back into the conversation by way of a two-game win streak, taking out San Diego in Week 7, and picking up an unexpected 11-10 win in Rochester last weekend. While forward CJ Kirst has been kicking up the dust and finding his way under the spotlight thanks to his nine goals against San Diego and Las Vegas, his fellow rookie teammates were the stars of the show against Rochester. Forward Owen Hiltz led Toronto in scoring against the Knighthawks, racking up three goals and an assist, while defender Sam English filled every column he could, tallying a caused turnover, a block, and eight loose balls, as well as a goal and an assist of his own.
While the Toronto offense has only picked up speed as the weeks have gone by, the Rock defense took an enormous hit. Following last week’s contest, Toronto goaltender Nick Rose suffered a lower-body injury after Rochester’s Graydon Hogg was checked into him by Rock defender Brad Kri. Rose was moved to Injured Reserve following the game, and Toronto has acquired goalie Steve Orleman from the Buffalo Bandits to take his place. Orleman was originally drafted 19th overall in the 2019 NLL Draft by the Georgia Swarm and will suit up in his first game in Toronto against his former team.
Toronto is a win away from securing its fourth, but so is Georgia. Both squads look to climb the League ladder late in the first half of the season and avoid the mad dash in the second. Though postseason implications have yet to present themselves, these middle weeks could once again prove to be difference makers.
The Rock takes on the Swarm at TD Coliseum January 24th at 7:00PM ET on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Saskatchewan, Canada – January 17th, 2026: Oshawa Firewolves vs Saskatchewan Rush at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatchewan, Canada (Photo by Jeff Crawford/National Lacrosse League)
Closing out the short weekend, it’s second from the top versus third from the bottom, as the Colorado Mammoth welcome the Oshawa FireWolves for what could be a top-down takedown.
On the visitors’ bench, the FireWolves have been navigating more than their fair share of adversity this season. Currently sitting at 2–5, Oshawa has shown steady improvement, even if the results haven’t always followed, pushing several of the League’s top teams along the way. After their Week 7 victory against Halifax, the FireWolves headed to SaskTel Centre to take on the 6–1 Saskatchewan Rush, resulting in a 15–10 road loss. While the final score didn’t swing their way, Oshawa stayed competitive throughout, trimming the Rush’s lead to three by the end of the third quarter and pulling within two in the final five minutes of regulation. The FireWolves also converted on four of their seven power-play opportunities, keeping the pressure on late. This week, Oshawa also added veteran experience to the lineup, acquiring Halifax defender Dawson Theede as they continue to build toward consistency.
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Even with another double-digit offensive showing from the FireWolves offering promise for what’s ahead, the 4–2 Colorado Mammoth are looking tougher than ever. Following their Week 5 home loss to Georgia, Colorado has responded with a three-game win streak that has pushed them to the top of the standings.
Behind goaltender Doug Jamieson’s 50-save performance and a dominant outing from captain Robert Hope on the back end (11 loose balls, three blocks, one caused turnover), the Mammoth offense continued to operate as a high-powered, interchangeable unit against Halifax in Week 8. Will Malcom led the way with nine points (3G, 6A), while his production opened the door for recent addition Jack Hannah and newly cleared Andrew Kew, who each recorded five points in the win.
While the standings gap may suggest a foregone conclusion, the FireWolves have shown there’s still plenty of fight left in them. With Jamieson anchoring the back end, Oshawa’s defense has played physical and unafraid, willing to step up and finish checks. Colorado will need to stay disciplined and alert to ensure they leave the weekend with the result they’re after.
Catch the weekend’s end at the Loud House this Saturday, January 24th at 9:00PM ET. Streaming available on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
