New York and Toronto Set to Face Off in NLL Game Hosted in Quebec
By Merrick Parnell
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) will take their show on turf to Quebec, Canada, next weekend.
On February 16, the New York Riptide will take on the Toronto Rock inside a new venue, the Place Bell, (the American Hockey League Home of the Laval Rocket) in Laval, Quebec.
The game results from the league's efforts desiring a unique event to expose the NLL brand and game to a different market. The game also aligns with the launch of the league's grassroots "Unboxed Program," which aims to spread box lacrosse across North America in communities that do not have an NLL franchise. The Montreal area is one of those communities selected for “Unboxed,” and the game has been growing in the province rapidly.
New York and Montreal in the NLL game in Quebec
Photo: New York Riptide
The greater Montreal area has had some interest in bringing the NLL back. The area has had two professional box lacrosse franchises, with Montréal Quebecois in 1974 and 1975 in the original NLL, followed by the Express in 2002. The game at Place Bell will be the first regular season game played in the Montreal area since 2002. (Several NLL pre-season games have been played there in recent years.) "
Toronto is excited to be the Canadian representative in the game and looks forward to playing in Quebec. The Rock also represents Canada’s and the NLL’s largest Canadian media market.
“The Toronto Rock are extremely excited to have the opportunity to play a regular season game in Quebec, one of the great box lacrosse communities in Canada. The presence of professional lacrosse in a market like Montreal will only help to grow the game,” said Toronto’s Director of Communications & Lacrosse Operations Mike Hancock.
“It’s an important game for both teams, so the competition level will be at its highest. We are looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans,” he added.
Currently, the Rock are in first place in the NLL at 6-1 (at the time of this article) with the Riptide trying to battle past .500 at 4-4. The teams met earlier this season, back on December 30th, in a game where the Rock won 14-8 . Goalie Nick Rose was solid in net, turning away 41 shots in the game.
Hancock also added that he thinks that Quebec is one of the one of the great box lacrosse communities in Canada. "The presence of professional lacrosse in a market like Montreal will only help to grow the game.
The New York Riptide in an NLL game
Photo: New York Riptide
The New York Riptide will represent one of the NLL’s largest markets in the contests and sees the game as a way to expose new fans to the NLL.
"For someone who might have never seen the NLL before, you can expect non-stop NLL regular season action. This isn't an exhibition or pre-season game; this is a regular-season game with significant meaning for both teams. This game will be a lot of fun," said Riptide General Manager and Executive Vice President Rich Lisk.
After all, Rocker Bret Michaels once tweeted that the NLL is:
"Like a rock concert, UFC, and hockey had a bad a** child."
Regarding having the NLL return to Quebec, Lisk is excited about that potential.
"I think having the NLL expand to Quebec would be great. The game is viral in Canada; the more we expose it in different parts of Canada, the bigger the plus."
The New York Riptide and the Toronto Rock will play in Laval next Friday (February 16) with a 7 PM (EST) start time. Those who cannot make it to the game can view it on ESPN and TSN+.
Tickets are available here. More information on the two clubs playing in the event can be found on the Rock and Riptide websites.
