Oshawa Opens Its Doors to Toronto for the team’s Inaugural StubHub NLL Faceoff
It’s finally time for NLL Friday Night on TSN! Opening up this season’s festivities, two of the most talked about teams in the League come head to head in previously uncharted Canadian waters. The newly christened Oshawa FireWolves make their League and official home debut at the Tribute Communities Centre, a move that has generated buzz not only around the League but throughout the Durham lacrosse world.
“We want fans to see the desire, the athleticism, and the grit of a young team that’s played together and loves our coaching staff,” said FireWolves partner and Hall of Famer Mike French. “We have great harmony and we want the fans to see how hard-working and athletic this team is. It’s going to be a real delight to watch us compete against Toronto in our first game, and I’m sure we’re going to fill the building.”
But it’s not just the front office or the fans that are eager to get to work this weekend. The players themselves have been parading tirelessly in the community to make good on their promises to ingrain the NLL into the Oshawa brickwork. With so many new expectations, it’s only natural that this young FireWolves squad would want to impress early on, closing their 2025 training camp days on a high note with an 8-7 overtime exhibition win against the Halifax Thunderbirds.
“My job, honestly, this year is going to be a little bit easier as the captain,” said returning Oshawa captain Colton Watkinson. “This team is young, and we know what we’re capable of. We went to the Finals not too long ago and with the same core and a few other pieces we’ve added, I know we can contend for a League Championship.”
On the opposing bench, the Toronto Rock are slated to enter the Tribute Communities Centre as the first visiting team of the FireWolves’ new chapter in Oshawa. The Rock have been the main subject of most box-related headlines since the 2025 Draft date was announced, as they held the first three picks this year. Since the start of training camp, the Rock’s latest additions have more than caught the attention of the League and lacrosse fans around North America.
After finishing the 2024-25 season with a decidedly disappointing record, Toronto has made clear steps forward to distance itself from last year’s lackluster performance. This new Rock squad picked up three straight wins during their exhibition matches, scoring at least ten goals in each matchup. Of their three wins, their first bout against the 2025 runner-up, the Saskatchewan Rush, turned heads almost immediately, as the 17-10 victory showcased not only a clear new direction for Toronto, but featured two impressive preseason debuts from the first and third overall picks, CJ Kirst and Owen Hiltz. Against Saskatchewan, the two both notched five points of their own, and have only continued to grow since.
“I think everyone came back with hunger; we’re hungry to be better,” said Rock captain Challen Rogers. “It was unacceptable last year how we performed, especially in some of those close games and just overall, but these young guys, when they came in, they brought a lot to the table.”
The Oshawa FireWolves face the Toronto Rock on November 28 at 7:30PM EST on NLL Friday Night on TSN. The season opener is also available to stream on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Saturday Night Lights in the Canadian Capital: Black Bears Host Seals at the Canadian Tire Centre
The call for claws up is just days away, as the Ottawa Black Bears bolster up for season two! After a near playoff miss following a few key losses in their inaugural season, the Black Bears have made several monumental moves in the offseason and are nothing if not hungry.
On the bench, the Black Bears have made a major move behind the clipboard, bringing in former Roughneck National Champ and New York Riptide inaugural captain Dan MacRae as the new head coach and general manager. In addition to captaining several members of his new Black Bears roster, MacRae has let his results behind the bench speak for themselves, guiding the Burlington Blaze in 2023 to the franchise’s first ever Ontario Jr. A championship over the Orangeville Northmen, ending a 15-year period dominated by Six Nations, Orangeville, and Whitby, as well as to a subsequent Minto Cup win.
“We’re going to be demanding when we’re on the floor and from our physical testing point of view, and just making sure that we’re holding everybody accountable,” said MacRae. “We’ll be looking to break some barriers, for sure.”
On the floor, however, in addition to resigning goaltender Zach Higgins, captain and record-breaking goal scorer Jeff Teat is back for another two years. Teat makes his return to Ottawa fresh off a PLL Championship with the New York Atlas and a Gold Medal performance with Team Canada at the World Sixes competition. Ottawa acquired forward Rob Hellyer from the San Diego Seals in October.
Originally drafted 30th overall in the 2010 NLL Draft by the Toronto Rock, Hellyer was traded to the Las Vegas Desert Dogs ahead of their inaugural 2022 season. In his first season away from the Rock, Hellyer led the Desert Dogs in points and assists (77P, 55A), before being signed to San Diego for the 2024 season. As a Seal, Hellyer stuck to his guns, once again leading his team in points and assists (93P, 64A). Now in Week 1 in his new home in Ottawa, Hellyer has the opportunity to remind his former teammates where those stats came from.
But the Black Bears aren’t the only squad with friendly fire on the table. Returning to the faceoff dot for the San Diego Seals, Trevor Baptiste already has the opportunity to head off against his summer teammate and fellow PLL champ turned NLL rival, Ottawa’s Jeff Teat. Also, once again donning the purple and gold with an equally jagged bone to pick is San Diego’s Zach Currier. Re-signed for another two years in San Diego, Currier spent his summer with the PLL’s Philadelphia Waterdogs, who fell to Teat’s New York Atlas in the semifinals. Now finally back on the West Coast, Currier is surely eager to get his payback for the summer letdown.
After an early playoff knockout to the would-be 2025 Champs, the Buffalo Bandits, the Seals have had a long offseason to stew over last year’s results, and have bolstered their lineup in kind. There are several major returners for the 2025-26 season, including captain Wes Berg, forward Tre Leclaire and defender Danny Logan, but the Seals’ new faces are taking lots of the attention.
Late draft entry turned first-round pick Ari Steenhuis will be making his League debut as a Seal this weekend at the Canadian Tire Centre, son of former Buffalo Bandit and three-time All-Star MVP Mark Steenhuis. Selected from the OJLL’s St. Catherine’s Jr. A squad, the 6’3”, 195-pound defenseman tallied 14 goals and 15 assists in 69 games played over the last three seasons.
Also joining the Seals via trades and free agency, former Rock forward Corey Small and Colorado’s Connor Robinson will be dressing in the royal purple. After his move to Colorado, Robinson tallied 38 points during the Mammoth’s 2022 Championship run and was a major contributor to their postseason success.
The Black Bears and the Seals start the NLL’s Saturday night action at 7:00PM on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Buffalo Hosts Swarm for Third-Straight Banner Raising Night
The Champs are back at Keybank Center this Saturday, opening their season with a third-straight Banner Raising Night! The Buffalo Bandits are set to host the Georgia Swarm for their home opener, featuring a pre-game ceremony that fans just don’t seem to get tired of and commemorative mini-banner giveaways for all fans in attendance.
Following their offseason victory lap, the Bandits have made several significant lineup changes since being handed the League trophy back in May. Buffalo has re-signed League standouts and team point leaders Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne, as well as Finals MVP Ian MacKay, returning captain Steve Priolo, and 8-time NLL Goaltender of the Year Matt Vinc. Additionally, defenseman Mitch de Snoo will also be making his return to Buffalo after being acquired from Philadelphia on November 26th.
Despite the multiple notable returners, Buffalo’s offense will be missing several key figures, as defenseman Justin Martin announced his retirement just two weeks before Opening Weekend, and the walking highlight reels, Chris Cloutier and Chase Fraser, made their way to Las Vegas for the 2025-26 season. With the orange and white confetti finally cleared from the stands, and the gravity of the three-peat now weighing heavily on their shoulders, the question now must be asked: do the Bandits dare go for a fourth?
“It’s not going to get any easier,” Smith said. “I know everybody’s talking about dynasties or four-peats or whatever it may be, and it’s gonna be a huge challenge. Every year it’s been that much harder, and this year is gonna be even bigger.”
For the visiting Swarm, the odds are just as interesting for this season’s early success. After a 14-11 home win over Buffalo in their last meeting, a win that clinched Georgia’s 2025 postseason appearance, the Swarm have made several drastic changes to their lineup.
Following the enactment of this season’s CBA, the Swarm acquired forward Connor Kelly and a conditional first-round selection in the 2026 Draft from the Colorado Mammoth, in exchange for forward Andrew Kew, their second-round pick in the 2026 Draft, and a conditional second-round pick in the 2028 Draft. In his two short seasons dressed for the Mammoth, Kelly amassed 125 points (69 goals, 56 assists) over the course of 29 games played, and is set to be an offensive force once he debuts.
Additionally, though the Gas South star Lyle Thompson will once again be wearing the number four for the Swarm, his brothers Miles and Jeremy Thompson will not be returning with him. Miles’ contract was not re-signed ahead of the 2025-26 season, and Jeremy has since been picked up by the Rochester Knighthawks.
With several of the Swarm’s biggest names either not returning or beginning a new chapter in another corner of the League, Georgia’ media team has still described this year’s roster as the “youngest, biggest, and most athletic supporting casts the Swarm has assembled in a decade.” Holding up the defensive end alongside returning goaltender Brett Dobson are several of the Swarm’s most recent 2025 draft materials and 2024 Hold Outs, most notably of which being defenders Ben Trumble and Jeremi Phoenix-Lefebvre, who spent their summers competing in the Major Series.
Also excitedly joining Thompson and sophomore standout Richie Connel on the offensive end is the 2024 third-overal draft pick Michael Grace. After using his final year of NCAA eligibility at Syracuse University, Grace was selected 22nd overall by the PLL’s New York Atlas in the 2025 College Draft, where he won a national title alongside Ottawa’s Jeff Teat and San Diego’s Trevor Baptiste.
As Georgia head Coach Ed Comeau explained, “We are retooling around a core that still features Lyle Thompson, Jordan MacIntosh, Shayne Jackson, Bryan Cole, Adam Wiedemann, Jeff Henrick, and Kason Tarbell,”
The Bandits return to the rafters of Keybank Center this Saturday, November 29th, at 7:30PM ET. Stream the Banner Raising Ceremony on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
New Faces in Familiar Places: Warriors Host Mammoth for Home Opener
The Vancouver rebuild continues with another evening in black and gold at the Rogers Arena, as the Warriors are set to host the Colorado Mammoth for their 2025 home opener. In keeping with the League-wide pattern, the Warriors have added several familiar faces to the roster, while still retaining the core lineup that clinched Vancouver their first playoff appearance in franchise history.
After securing fan favorites and key players, such as Keegan Bal, Owen Grant and now franchise goaltender Christian Del Bianco, Vancouver made it out of the free agency period with what is already being called the steal of the season. Joining a long list of West Coast Canadian stars and beginning their second tenure under head coach Curt Malawsky are forwards Curtis “Superman” Dickson and former Calgary captain Jessie King, and defenseman Reece Callies and Shane Simpson. The four new signees, alongside current Vancouver Warriors Del Bianco and Ryan Martel, played under Malawsky during his 2019 NLL Championship win as Calgary head coach.
The Warriors are on the warpath this season, hungrier than ever to build on the 2024 season’s successes. Even with all the firepower now present on the offensive end through trades and free agents, all eyes are still on Keegan Bal. Entering his ninth season in the League, Bal tallied 112 points (43G, 69A) last year, a personal and franchise record. Now with Dickson and King backing him up on the attacking side, the Warriors have never looked tougher.
On the visiting side, the Mammoth took the opposite approach in their roster reconfiguration. After losing several pieces of their transition game and offensive presence, most notably Eli McLaughlin and Zed Williams, the Colorado bench has taken an especially sharp turn towards their defensive block, resigning the majority of their low bench and signing several more.
Joining captain and defensive star Robert Hope under Andrew McBride’s new tenure as Defensive Coordinator are 2024 Hold Out Dylan Hess, who spent his summer with the PLL’s Waterdogs after completing his final year of NCAA eligibility at Georgetown University, and the 2025 10th overall pick Connor Nock. In addition to his back-to-back Minto Cups with Burlington and Coquitlam in 2023 and 2024, respectively, Nock has been described as the Swiss army knife of any defensive line he’s on.
But the fun doesn’t stop there– Nock will also be sharing his League debut with fellow first-rounder and the 2025 fifth-overall pick, forward Braedon Saris. During his days in the OJLL, Saris was constantly called upon in clutch moments and was known for his unrivaled intensity during playoffs. Alongside Colorado’s offensive returners like Will Malcom and Thomas Vela, as well as newly minted forwards Andrew Kew and Dylan McIntosh, who were received from Georgia and Vancouver, respectively, Saris could very well be the extra spark Colorado has been looking for to reignite their postseason frequency.
The Colorado Mammoth will close out Opening Weekend against the Vancouver Warriors at 10:00PM ET on Saturday, November 29th. Catch all the action on ESPN+, NLL+ and TSN+.
Previously published by the NLL.
Rob Lucchesi 
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