Everything You Need to Know Before NLL Face-Off Weekend
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© 2025 USA Lacrosse. All Rights Reserved.
© 2025 USA Lacrosse. All Rights Reserved.
A National Lacrosse League season that in times seemed to be in flux is very much alive and well. It’s officially Face-Off Weekend.
The dawn of another season inside the box means it’s time to get up to speed after an offseason that began with questions and ended with a flurry of player movement.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When: Fri., Nov. 28-Sat. Nov. 29
Watch: ESPN+, NLL+
The Toronto Rock and Oshawa FireWolves will kick off the 2025-26 season Friday night at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. There are two more games Saturday. The San Diego Seals play the Ottawa Black Bears at 7 p.m. Eastern, and the three-time defending champion Buffalo Bandits host the Georgia Swarm at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
The full-season schedule can be found here.
Rosters were due to the league office by Monday at noon. Check out each one linked below.
Following a standoff the stretched through the summer and into the early stages of the fall, and the NLL and the NLLPA finally agreed on a new collective-bargaining agreement on Oct. 20 that extends through the 2029-30 season. There is an opt-out after year four of the agreement.
The key provisions include:
Free agency was initially scheduled to begin August 1, but it was delayed in two-week increments while both parties negotiated.
In what was ironically an active offseason despite the labor dispute, one of the most notable moves was the relocation of the FireWolves. An upstart competitor in the league when it was introduced in Albany, they will now play in Oshawa.
The team will retain its name and branding for the upcoming season with no word on the future.
Also notable, and perhaps the biggest news outside the new CBA, was the sale of the Rochester Knighthawks to the Seneca Nation. The Knighthawks were on the cusp of being lost after the Pegula family divested ownership in late June. Terms of the sale were kept confidential.
Free agency moved so quickly that it was tough to keep up. Player movement seemed to be at an all-time high, and all moves can be tracked here.
While the Bandits re-upped some key stars after losing Chase Fraser and Chris Cloutier to Las Vegas in their quest for four in a row, the Vancouver Warriors were the talk of the offseason. They added stars in Curtis Dickson and Jesse King and also bolstered the defense with Shane Simpson and Reece Callies.
One thing to watch as the season begins to unfold is the status of Desert Dogs star Jack Hannah, who remains unsigned. Las Vegas doesn’t play its first game until December 13, so there seems to be ample time to figure things out.
The organization posted a statement on November 24 outlining the situation, explaining the negotiations are ongoing with the player who is “part of our team’s identity and success.”
No team has ever won four straight NLL titles. The Bandits appear well-positioned to go for history, with Matt Vinc back between the pipes and much of last year’s roster still together. It’s also easy to keep continuity with Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne leading the offense and Vinc anchoring the defense.
The Bandits’ roster is a veteran-laden group that has more postseason experience than any other team in the league.
Kenny DeJohn has been the Digital Content Editor at USA Lacrosse since 2019. First introduced to lacrosse in 2016 as a Newsday Sports reporter on Long Island (yes, ON Long Island), DeJohn specializes in women's game coverage. His search for New York quality pizza in Baltimore is ongoing.
