THE CANADIAN PRESS
Professional lacrosse will return to arenas across North American before the end of the year.
The National Lacrosse League announced its 2008 schedule Friday, with the Colorado Mammoth hosting the Calgary Roughnecks in the season opener on Dec. 29.
NLL commissioner Jim Jennings originally announced the cancellation of the 2008 season Oct. 16 when the Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association and the leagues’ governors couldn’t agree on a new collective bargaining agreement by the Oct. 15 deadline. The season was cancelled the next day, but negotiations were revived shortly after when the governors urged Jennings to renew talks.
One week later, the two sides salvaged the season after agreeing to a seven-year collective bargaining deal. The league also said it would create a new schedule, subject to available dates at each team’s home arena, that would resemble the original schedule.
The season was originally set to begin Dec. 27.
"When we announced that the NLL was going to play in 2008, we advised everyone that there were going to be some challenges in creating the schedule," league commissioner Jim Jennings said Friday in a statement.
The leagues’ two other Canadian franchises begin their season in early January.
The Toronto Rock open on the road Jan. 5 against the Chicago Shamrox and play their first home game at Air Canada Centre on Jan. 11 against the Minnesota Swarm.
On Jan. 12, the Edmonton Rush take on the Mammoth in Denver in its season opener before returning to the Alberta capital for its home opener on Jan. 19 against the Rock.
Calgary faces the San Jose Stealth in its home opener at Pengrowth Saddledome on Jan. 12.
The new regular season will last eighteen weeks and conclude on April 26th with the 2008 all-star game taking place in Edmonton on March 16th. Twelve teams will each play a 16-game regular season schedule.
The Arizona Sting and expansion Boston Blazers chose not to play in 2008, opting to resolve business issues, but will resume play in 2009. A dispersal draft to distribute players from the two franchises will be held next week.