Major Series Lacrosse, a senior-A box lacrosse league based in Ontario, announced Thursday that it has postponed the start of its regular season.
In a statement, commissioner Doug Luey said the “financial risk brought on by potential litigation is just too great to overcome by both our privately and community operated teams.”
The league did not provide details on the potential litigation. The MSL, which is sanctioned by the Ontario Lacrosse Association, had originally planned to start its season Saturday with the Six Nations Chiefs playing at Owen Sound.
“We will continue to work toward a resolution to bring our teams, players, officials and in particular our fans back to the floor as soon as the risk is minimized,” Luey said.
The league also includes teams based in Oakville, Peterborough, Cobourg and Brooklin, Ont. However, the OLA still lists the Brampton Excelsiors on its website despite the team’s apparent move to Owen Sound.
Owen Sound owner Joe Norton, who purchased the Brampton team in 2018 and later moved the franchise Owen Sound, claims to own the trademark for the Excelsiors name.
A pre-season game Tuesday between Six Nations and Brooklin was delayed, the MSL said, due to the OLA not assigning officials to the game because of the dispute between the two sides.
The MSL and the other top senior league in Canada, the B.C.-based Western Lacrosse Association, cancelled their respective 2020 and 2021 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The league winners square off each year for the Mann Cup. The Canadian national senior-A indoor lacrosse championship dates back to 1910.