Halifax Thunderbirds, Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Photo: Trevor MacMillan)

We did a deep dive into the National Lacrosse League’s recently announced 2022/23 regular-season schedule, looking at some key criteria for all 15 teams this year.

Here’s some of the data we diced:

Bye weeks: Pretty self-explanatory, right? A scheduled weekend off from action. It’s the stretch for coaches that lose the following week to say a break bit them in the ass, the post-bye winners acknowledging it let the lads heal up from a toll-taking season.

Longest break: We examined the longest stretch of days between games for teams, most teams maxing a two weeks, some as many as three or slightly more.

Average rest: The number of days on average a team gets to rest between games. Not surprising that in a league that plays most of its games on two specific days (see below), a lot of teams had identical data here, but not all.

2 in 1: Many in the NLL often refer to weekends where a team plays twice as a doubleheader, but it’s not really what the true definition of the term actually means (“two games played between the same two teams on the same day”). A back-to-back would be contests on consecutive days, which isn’t always the case here either. With that said, we looked at how many weekends teams will play two (games )in one (weekend) this year.

vs. non-playoff teams: Sure, one of the most active offseasons we’ve ever seen has changed the makeup of many teams this season, but we can only go by what’s been proven on paper (last year’s results). And yes, we’ve heard of parity, a lot. You don’t need to keep saying it, please.

vs. non-conference teams: Most teams play just two games outside of their own conference this year. We heard from a number of fans who were not in favour of so few against the other side of the standings. But, with most teams playing just twice against either the East or West, why not drop the deal altogether? Save some suspected coin in travel, go old-school MLB (current school Senior A) and keep the NLL Cup Final super special.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Monday games: 70% of the upcoming season will be played on Saturdays, 24% on Fridays, 5% Sunday and %1 on Monday.

Toronto Rock, FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton, Ontario (Photo: Ryan McCullough)

Albany FireWolves

The FireWolves have arguably the most lenient schedule this season. They have the fewest bye weeks (four), no double headers, plus more than half of their schedule includes games against last year’s non-playoff teams (only San Diego sees more at eleven).

Bye weeks: 4
Longest break: 21 days
Average rest: 8.65 days
2 in 1: 0 weekends
vs. non-playoff teams: 10 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 1
Saturday games: 16
Sunday games: 1
Monday games: 0

Buffalo Bandits

Most of their schedule metrics are pretty average in comparison to the rest of the league, except one pretty important one. Of Buffalo’s 18 games, twelve will be against last year’s post-season sides. Ten are against their East Conference foes, plus their two versus the West are a stacked San Diego & Cup-defending Colorado.

Bye weeks: 5
Longest break: 14 days
Average rest: 8.65 days
2 in 1: 1 weekend
vs. non-playoff teams: 6 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 5
Saturday games: 13
Sunday games: 0
Monday games: 0

Calgary Roughnecks

Not that it’s significant or overly suffocating, but Calgary has the fewest rest days in between games (7.76, league average is 8.49) of any team in the league this upcoming season. On paper, their five bye weeks could be problematic (for some), but one is Week 1 and the other Week 22, the first & final weekend of the regular season. Like Buffalo, their longest break stretches two full weeks, below the league average (19.27 days).

Bye weeks: 5
Longest break: 14 days
Average rest: 7.76 days
2 in 1: 1 weekend
vs. non-playoff teams: 10 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 10
Saturday games: 8
Sunday games: 0
Monday games: 0

Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado (Photo: Jack Dempsey)

Colorado Mammoth

The defending champs will see only eight post-season sides from a season ago. One of their two against the East will be against the Bandits, plus two of their final three will see them slugging it out with the Seals in what could certainly be a fight for first in the West. Otherwise, it’s a pretty standard schedule compared to team averages.

Bye weeks: 5
Longest break: 21 days
Average rest: 8.65 days
2 in 1: 1 weekend
vs. non-playoff teams: 10 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 game
Friday games: 6
Saturday games: 12
Sunday games: 0
Monday games: 0

Georgia Swarm

The Swarm’s regular season looks like it might be a bit tougher than most. Over the first nine weeks of the season, Georgia will play just four times, their sked loaded with bye weeks early on. Will that make it difficult to find game-day consistency? It might. A total of twelve of their games are against last year’s playoff teams, plus one of their two against the West are against the Cup-clinching Mammoth. And yes, our breakdown includes their recently already moved game against the FireWolves.

Bye weeks: 5
Longest break: 21 days
Average rest: 8.65 days
2 in 1: 1 weekend
vs. non-playoff teams: 6 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 3
Saturday games: 13
Sunday games: 2
Monday games: 0

Halifax Thunderbirds

Two of the Thunderbirds’ five byes happen in the first five weeks of their season – not ideal. Their lone double has them in Hamilton against the Rock on night two with Toronto only playing once that weekend. With that said, they’re one of the few teams to have a season-high break fewer than three weeks, plus Halifax have a higher-than-average amount of days to recoup too (8.71).

Bye weeks: 5
Longest break: 15 days
Average rest: 8.71 days
2 in 1: 1 weekend
vs. non-playoff teams: 8 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 6
Saturday games: 10
Sunday games: 2
Monday games: 0

Las Vegas Desert Dogs

The Desert Dogs are one of only two teams that will play as many as three games against their opposing conference (2022’s expansion entry, Panther City, is the other), plus play a higher-than-average amount of last year’s playoff teams too. A third of their schedule will be against PCLC & Vancouver.

Bye weeks: 4
Longest break: 21 days
Average rest: 8.29 days
2 in 1: 0 weekends
vs. non-playoff teams: 9 games
vs. other-conference teams: 3 games
Friday games: 7
Saturday games: 11
Sunday games: 0
Monday games: 0

New York Riptide

Two of New York’s four bye weeks happen in the first month-and-a-half of their regular season, plus they open against the restocked Seals in Week 1. The Riptide easily have the most games against last year’s post-season clubs (13), plus see the Swarm twice, who barely missed last year’s second season. It’s not an overly easy schedule, in fact, it’s probably one of the tougher ones in 2023.

Bye weeks: 4
Longest break: 21 days
Average rest: 8.65 days
2 in 1: 0 weekends
vs. non-playoff teams: 5 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 1
Saturday games: 15
Sunday games: 2
Monday games: 0

Panther City Lacrosse Club

They were in the same spot last year, but you’d have to think anything outside of a 2-0 start to the season with a pair against expansion Las Vegas won’t go over well in Fort Worth. They’ll play two against the East, who easily won the in-season series (just not the Cup) against the West last year, but thankfully avoid Buffalo & Toronto.

Bye weeks: 5
Longest break: 14 days
Average rest: 7.82 days
2 in 1: 1 weekend
vs. non-playoff teams: 9 games
vs. other-conference teams: 3 games
Friday games: 5
Saturday games: 13
Sunday games: 0
Monday games: 0

Philadelphia Wings

We’ve speculated about a few teams having the toughest schedule this year, but honestly, the Wings got it the worst. They got hit with six bye weeks, which is a bit much, even when you’re banged up. Over the first five weeks of the season, Philly will hit the floor just twice, making it difficult to build much momentum or chemistry early (although some of their new blood were 2022 summer-time teammates in Peterborough). They are the only team in 2023 that will play two 2-in-1s, even though their second on both occasions will be against another team playing their second too. Plus, they play on a Monday. Barf.

Bye weeks: 6
Longest break: 20 days
Average rest: 8.71 days
2 in 1: 2 weekends
vs. non-playoff teams: 9 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 3
Saturday games: 11
Sunday games: 3
Monday games: 1

Rochester Knighthawks

With Rochester looking to rebound from an incredibly unlucky 2022, their 2023 schedule should give them the space to succeed. Like most teams, the Knighthawks have one 21-day gap between games, but otherwise, it was spread out pretty nicely. Their two non-conference games are against the league’s most recent expansion entries, plus no double-duty weekends all season.

Bye weeks: 4
Longest break: 21 days
Average rest: 8.65 days
2 in 1: 0 weekends
vs. non-playoff teams: 7 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 2
Saturday games: 12
Sunday games: 4
Monday games: 0

San Diego Seals

No one sees fewer 2022 post-season teams than the Seals, although getting a rested Bandits bunch on night two in their lone double header will be a difficult game to overcome. In Week 5 & 7, Curtis Dickson will be in Calgary to tangle with his former team. No Philly though. No Toronto either, which is a shame, considering how heated their game in Hamilton was last year.

Bye weeks: 5
Longest break: 21 days
Average rest: 8.65 days
2 in 1: 1 weekend
vs. non-playoff teams: 11 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 7
Saturday games: 11
Sunday games: 0
Monday games: 0

Saskatchewan Rush

The 22 days the Rush will have off between Week 2 & 5 is the longest game-day drought of the season (tied with Vancouver). Outside of that, the Rush sked is pretty straightforward, although they only see their East Conference games starting in Week 19.

Bye weeks: 4
Longest break: 22 days
Average rest: 8.65 days
2 in 1: 0 weekends
vs. non-playoff teams: 8 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 5
Saturday games: 13
Sunday games: 0
Monday games: 0

Toronto Rock

Nothing too out of the ordinary with the Rock’s 18 games (outside of that one Monday match), playing almost their entire regular season on Saturday nights (#SaturdayNightLax). What does have a bunch of group chats going, however, is the team’s Guaranteed Win Night to open the season against the Vancouver Warriors, who likely didn’t need much added motivation heading into the Hammer. The small print on the Rock promo reads, “*if the Rock do not win on December 3, 2022, every fan that purchased a regular priced single game ticket to this game via Ticketmaster will receive a free ticket to any one remaining 22-23 regular season home game of their choice.”

Bye weeks: 5
Longest break: 21 days
Average rest: 8.24 days
2 in 1: 1 weekend
vs. non-playoff teams: 7 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 1
Saturday games: 16
Sunday games: 0
Monday games: 1

Vancouver Warriors

Most of Rochester’s schedule rundown applies here too, although they’d likely rather avoid high-scoring sides like Toronto & New York in their opposing-conference games. Their schedule is also slanted on a lot of away games to start, heavy at home to end. Like Saskatchewan, they’ve got that league-high lengthy 22-day game gap too.

Bye weeks: 4
Longest break: 22 days
Average rest: 8.65 days
2 in 1: 0 weekends
vs. non-playoff teams: 10 games
vs. other-conference teams: 2 games
Friday games: 4
Saturday games: 14
Sunday games: 0
Monday games: 0