This past weekend was a big one in terms of my particular interests in sport.
The National Lacrosse League season finally got under way, something that was only a few weeks ago in jeopardy of happening at all as the league and its players were embroiled in contract negotiations which led to the first two weeks of the season being cancelled.
When a new five-year deal was hammered out the league revamped its schedule to ensure a full 18-game run, with the action starting Saturday.
The new schedule does make for some strange occurrences such as our Saskatchewan Rush not hitting the floor until Dec. 28, when they are on the road in New England.
And the Rush home opener won鈥檛 be until Jan. 5, when the fledgling San Diego Seals visit.
While Rush fans are hoping for a third league championship in four years of play in Saskatoon this season is most notable for the arrival of the Seals and the Philadelphia Wings, the first two of what will be at least seven new teams in the immediate future as the league has targeted growth to 16 teams in the short-term.
The Seals and Wings are interesting arrivals because they can both be looked at as 鈥榩roof of concept鈥� franchises for future NLL growth.
The Wings, who kicked off the NLL season Saturday hosting Buffalo, are really a rebirth in terms of a franchise in the city. The Wings existed in Philly from 1987 through to 2014, when a decline in fans saw the team sold and moved to become the New England Black Wolves.
Sometimes in the world of sports fans don鈥檛 realize what they have until it鈥檚 gone. The Winnipeg Jets resurrected in the National Hockey League to filled seats. The Minnesota Wild back-filled after the move of the North Stars, and have found success.
With the new Wings having the same owners as the NHL Flyers, there should be success ahead, and if they can return to Philly and find fans, it surely sends a message to places such as Edmonton and Minnesota where NLL teams left because of arena disputes more than a lack of fans. The message should be solid ownership can return a team to such markets and find success.
So while eyes are on the Wings from former NLL cities, the Seals take the game to a fledgling area. The owner in San Diego has deep pockets that may be needed to build a lacrosse 鈥榖rand鈥� in 麻豆视频ern California, although some 5000 at a preseason team scrimmage is encouraging.
San Diego is only one of those fair-sized cities that has neither and NHL or a National Basketball Association franchise. If lacrosse can be the pro sport in the city, it could be in other cities that are without a top professional level league 鈥� cities such as Cincinnati, Austin, Omaha, Albuquerque, and Quebec City.
The NLL of course is not waiting on the success of the Wings and Seals to foster additional growth.
A team has already been announced to arrive in Halifax for the start of the 2019-20 season, and last week the league鈥檚 13th team was announced for the New York market under the ownership of live events and sports media entertainment company GF Sports and its affiliates (鈥淕F Sports鈥�). The team will call the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum home.
鈥淲e are thrilled to welcome GF Sports, New York, and the great Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (NYCB LIVE) on Long Island to the National Lacrosse League. As our 13th franchise, New York and the entire Metropolitan region represents our biggest market to date. Lacrosse is no stranger to this area, and we are very excited that this ownership and franchise will fuel the growth opportunity we know already exists here,鈥� said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz in a release.
Having New York in the league of course is big in terms of exposure.
As a huge NLL fan I am of course liking what is happening and am curious where teams 14-16 will go, although the rumours suggest San Francisco, Boston and Dallas, all positive spots in my books.
