There will be a sixth Canadian franchise in the National Lacrosse League in 2024/25. On Wednesday, like this Prince Albert Now, The New York Riptide are moving to Ottawa. The new National Lacrosse League franchise in Canada’s capital is the Ottawa Black Bears.
The Black Bears join the Calgary Roughnecks, Toronto Rock, Halifax Thunderbirds, Saskatchewan Rush and Vancouver Warriors. It should be noted that Toronto Rock are playing in Hamilton.
This is the third time in National Lacrosse League history that a team from the United States has moved to Canada. In 2014, Washington Stealth, based in Everett, Washington, moved to Vancouver. The franchise was known as the Vancouver Stealth until the 2019 season, when it changed its name to the Warriors. The Vancouver franchise also played in Albany from 2000 to 2003 and in San Jose from 2004 to 2009. The Halifax Thunderbirds, meanwhile, played in Rochester and were known as the Knighthawks from 1995 to 2019.
The Riptide are currently in seventh place in the NLL standings with a record of four wins and four losses. In 2024 there will be a new table format. All 15 teams in the NLL are in one major division rather than split into two conferences. The eight best teams in the league reach the playoffs. The Rock are currently in first place with a record of six wins and one loss.
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