New league plans to be a training ground for NLL
Arena Lacrosse League set to launch in January
By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
With the recent news of the demise of the Canadian Lacrosse League after five seasons, it seems fans of the defunct Durham Turfdogs don’t have long to wait to see more lacrosse at the Generals Motors Centre.
Announced on Oct. 24, the Arena Lacrosse League (ALL) will be launching in the new year with a complement of six teams, one of which will call Oshawa and the GM Centre home.
Along with the Oshawa club (name to be determined by fan vote at a later date), teams from Peterborough, Paris, Six Nations, St. Catharines and Toronto will round out the new league.
“We are excited to be able to provide a well-structured league for players to play winter lacrosse. It will give many players in opportunity to showcase their skills and develop their talent with hopes of advancing to the next level in the sport” states Lance Winn, the league’s VP of media and public relations, in a news release. “We have begun informal discussions with the NLL with hopes the ALL will eventually be recognized as their official minor league in the near future, but those talks are still in the infancy stage.”
Along with those talks, the new league is also in the process of securing arena spaces for the new teams, with confirmed spots at the GM Centre, Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Hagersville and the Syl Apps Community Centre in Paris. Talks are underway for securing Peterborough’s Memorial Centre.
According to a press release, the ALL will follow National Lacrosse League (NLL) rules and interested players over the age of 18 are encouraged to visit the league website (arenalacrossleague.ca) for information on how to be registered for the draft slated for late November.
The launch on Jan. 7 will open at 9 a.m. with a series of lacrosse clinics before a triple header with games featuring St. Catharines vs. Peterborough, Six Nations vs. Peterborough and finally Oshawa vs. Toronto.