The top 30 stories of 2024
Over the past two years, NLL Cup-winning performances by the Colorado Mammoth in 2022 and the Buffalo Bandits a year ago ranked #1 in The Lax Mag’s Top 30 stories feature.
Who’ll take the top spot this year?
The Lax Mag examined our overall impressions on both TheLaxMag.com and our social media, plus the impact this year’s most talked about teams, players, events and otherwise had in person and online to order 2024’s top 30 box lacrosse stories.
U17 Jr. Rock, 2024 Jr. NLL Tournament (Photo: Ryan McCullough)
30. Jr. Rock sweep Jr. NLL Tournament at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre
For the third time in the tournament’s history, the Jr. Rock swept the U13, U15 and U17 divisions, taking gold in all three Jr. NLL age groups this past August. Most of the league’s 14 current cities take part in the event which is hosted at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, Ontario. The Jr. Rock are selected exclusively from the TRAC Athletics’ Rock Stars program – rep-like teams (14 teams in total with over 300 top players from across the province taking part) that train and compete regularly in box, field and sixes lacrosse while being coached by past and present NLL players.
29. Colorado Mammoth power forward Zed Williams attends Buffalo Bills camp
From ColoradoMammoth.com:
Sometimes when the world zigs, it’s good to zag. Exactly what Mammoth forward Zed Williams did when he accepted a training camp invite from the National Football League’s (NFL) Buffalo Bills this spring … Read More
Read: Bills trying out MVP-winning professional lacrosse player at 2024 rookie minicamp (SI.com)
Read: Bills trying out lacrosse star Zed Williams at linebacker in rookie minicamp (CBSSports.com)
Read: “I know there’s a lot of talent there. I just hope kids can see that there’s a lot more than the reservation and they can go past that.” (WGRZ.com)
28. Hawkeyes snap Royals NCBS Cup streak, win USCBLL’s first collegiate box title
The US Box Lacrosse Association’s National Collegiate Box Series national championship had recently been dominated by the San Diego-based Royals, who were title winners the previous three summers. Well, the mighty Royals made the NCBS final again, but fell to Rochester’s Hawkeyes, who stunned the Cali club 14-13 in OT. The national victory was the first for a team from the Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (owned and operated by the NLL’s Buffalo Bandits and Rochester Knighthawks), California (Royals, 2021-2023) and Ohio-based (Rivermen, 2019) clubs the event’s only other winners.
Watch: 2024 NCBS National Championship, Hawkeyes vs. Rivermen (NLL YouTube channel)
Read: Hawkeyes capture NCBS Cup in overtime thriller (NLL.com)
Read: The Americans are here, featuring Princeton University’s Marquez White (The Lax Mag)
27. Toronto Rock have rough start to 2024-25 NLL season while dealing with significant injury issues
In Game 1 of the current season, the Toronto Rock were without captain Challen Rogers (IR), Brad Kri (PUP) and TD Ierlan (IR), but would quickly lose Latrell Harris (IR), Tom Schreiber (IR) and Chris Corbeil (IR) too. While Kri and Corbeil are back, the team has struggled severely to start the current NLL season. With losses to Albany, Georgia and two to Ottawa, Toronto’s 0-4 start is one of the worst in franchise history. Their first game in the New Year? They’ll be away to the undefeated Buffalo Bandits, who’ve eliminated the Rock over the past four playoffs and are already selling out Banditland barely a month into the season.
Jake Withers, Halifax Thunderbirds (Photo: Trevor MacMillan)
26. Jake Withers wins Transition Player of the Year, sets new single-season loose balls record
The last player to combine the same multi-faceted skillset as Jake Withers was likely should-be HOFer Geoff Snider, both players excelling immensely at the face-off circle, playing critical minutes defensively, and also not afraid to get their hands dirty when things get physical…(Read More in The Lax Mag’s NLL Top 100)
Read: 2024 NLL Player Rankings Transition Player of the Year (The Lax Mag)
Elora Mohawks, 2024 Founders Cup Champions (Photo: OLA)
25. Elora Mohawks win Founders Cup
They went 17-2-1 during the regular season. Swept four straight series in Ontario during the playoffs (12-0). Then went undefeated during the Founder Cups in Hamilton, Elora winning the title with relative ease against Canada’s best Junior B clubs. In fact, the team won their final 27 games, a stupendous winning streak that started on May 19 and ended on August 25, the day they hoisted the Founders.
Read: Elora Mohawks go undefeated to win national championship (WellingtonAdvertister.com)
Read: Elora Mohawks win national championship, take home Founders Cup (GuelphToday.com)
Read: “Due to changes within the organization, many longstanding members of the Elora Mohawks have decided not return for the 2025 season.” (@eloramohawksjrb)
Owen Williams, Elora Mohawks (Photo: OLA)
24. Brodie Merrill comes out of retirement, fails to win first NLL Cup
On September 13, 2023, Brodie Merrill let fans know he’d officially be hanging ‘em up. 184 days later, Merrill was back, re-added to the San Diego Seals rosters just over a month before the playoffs. Registering his 305th NLL game (regular season + playoffs combined) earlier this year, Merrill and the Seals failed to capture the 2024 NLL Cup, leaving the legendary Merrill still without an NLL ring. Although not presently on San Diego’s roster, there was no official announcement or league transaction indicating that Merrill had re-retired.
Read: Top 25 most games played without winning an NLL Cup (The Lax Mag)
Read: Brodie Merrill returns to Seals active roster (NLL.com)
23. Okotoks Raiders stun RMLL, make Minto Cup as youngest entry ever
Trading a flurry of final-year players leading into last summer, most in Alberta had written the Raiders off of, well, doing much of anything in 2024. The super-young squad shocked the league by eliminating the Edmonton Miners in the RMLL Final, and then went on to impress at the Minto Cup too. Virtually everyone is back in 2025, and Raiders GM Andrew McBride is already securing additional top talent, like Brinley Wilson from Elora, for next year. Will the Raiders finally get the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League their first-ever Minto? Stay tuned.
Okotoks Raideres (Photo: Jesse Ott)
22. Albany FireWolves have one of the most significant season-to-season turnarounds in league history
In 2023, after a significant roster shakeup and dedication to the draft, the Albany FireWolves came very close to owning one of the worst winning percentages in NLL history (3-6, .167%). A season later, the franchise would come a regular-season win away from matching the biggest W column swing ever recorded (they added eight wins last year), while also forcing their way to the NLL Cup Finals against the Buffalo Bandits.
Read: The most improved regular seasons in National Lacrosse League history (The Lax Mag)
Read: 2024 NLL Playoff Previewpalooza (The Lax Mag)
Read: 2024 NLL Playoffs Semifinal Series Preview (The Lax Mag)
Read: 2024 NLL Finals Preview: Albany FireWolves vs. Buffalo Bandits (The Lax Mag)
Read: 2024 NLL Player Rankings Rookie of the Year, featuring Alex Simmons & Tye Kurtz (The Lax Mag)
Read: Glenn Clark voted Coach & General Manager of the Year (NLL.com)
21. Paul Day steps down as Philadelphia Wings head coach, promotes Ian Rubel, hires Tracey Kelusky
Missing the playoffs the past two seasons and last year owning their worst regular-season record since their expansion season in 2019, the Philadelphia Wings needed to switch things up. Serving as both the team’s Head Coach and GM, Paul Day would step down as Philadelphia’s bench boss, later upgrading Ian Rubel from assistant to main man, and even adding former NLL Coach of the Year and HOFer Tracey Kelusky soon after the Panther City Lacrosse Club folded. Will the moves make the Wings better? Philadelphia currently sits 3-1 and have looked impressive during the early goings of the 2024-25 season.
Read: Wings announce coaching change for the 2024-25 season (WingsLax.com)
Read: Ian Rubel hired as Wings head coach (WingsLax.com)
Read: Wings hired NLL Hall of Famer Pat McCready as Assistant Coach (WingsLax.com)
Read: Philadelphia adds Tracey Kelusky as Associate Head Coach (@nllwings)
20. Ladner Pioneers win third consecutive Presidents Cup
The Ladner Pioneers won their third straight national Senior B men’s title with a 9-2 win over the Edmonton Miners to bring a highly successful conclusion to the week-long President’s Cup tournament…Goalie Christian Del Bianco was stellar in the championship final stopping 44 of 46 shots. He was named tournament MVP…(Read More on the Delta-Optimist.com)
Nick Rose, Toronto Rock (Photo: Ryan McCullough)
19. Nick Rose wins first NLL Goalie of the Year Award, almost lands rare MVP netminder nod too
From The Lax Mag’s NLL Top 100:
“We analyzed Nick Rose’s season to death last year, and came up with a pretty concrete conclusion based on how this league has voted in the past. Not only were Rose’s full-season numbers worthy of easily being named the NLL’s top netminder, historical voting trends and a helluva lot of netminding number crunching told us Rose should have also been last year’s MVP, his 2024 totals stacking up to and more often surpassing what goalie MVPs Steve Dietrich and Christian Del Bianco did during their most valuable campaigns. While social media experts quickly faulted Rose for not doing enough to finally get the Rock back to the NLL Finals, the team again eliminated by the Buffalo Bandits in the semis, Rose’s playoff stats were actually even stronger than what he did during the regular season.”
Read: 2024 NLL Player Rankings Goalie of the Year (The Lax Mag)
Read: 2024 NLL Player Rankings: Most Valuable Player (The Lax Mag)
Austin Staats, San Diego Seals (Photo: Kalea Vizmanos)
18. Austin Staats suspended for on-floor actions, also facing serious criminal charges in unrelated incident
“Austin Staats, 26, has been charged with assault, assault with choking, threatening death/bodily harm, forcible confinement, failure to comply with probation and failure to comply with a release order…At the conclusion of this past NLL season, Staats was at the centre of another controversy. In the final moments of his team’s playoff elimination loss to Albany, Staats was involved in an incident with an opponent that resulted in a seven-game suspension that he’ll have to serve to start the 2024-25 NLL season.” (BrantfordExpositor.ca)
Due to his arrest, Staats missed competing (and winning) a Mann Cup with the Six Nations Chiefs this past September, and was also unable to represent the Haudenosaunee Nationals at the World Lacrosse Box Championships in Utica, New York.
17. Dhane Smith sets new single-season assists record, again
For the third straight season, Dhane Smith rewrote the record books by again bettering his single-season assists number, this time adding another five to his previous all-time total and becoming the first player in NLL history to register 100+ helpers in one year. Smith also still holds the record for most points (137) and goals (72) in a single season. This is mid-80’s Wayne Gretzky-level statistical shit, and not talked about nearly enough for a sport that should be constantly celebrating this level of success versus simply sidebaring or hitting snooze on it.
Season - Player (Team) Assists in a single season
2024 - Dhane Smith (Buffalo) 101
2023 - Dhane Smith (Buffalo) 96
2022 - Dhane Smith (Buffalo) 94
2022 - Ryan Lee (Colorado) 85
2018 - Mark Matthews (Saskatchewan) 84
2015 - Shawn Evans (Calgary) 83
2015 - Josh Sanderson (Toronto) 83
2016 - Callum Crawford (Colorado) 83
2012 - Garrett Billings (Toronto) 82
2023 - Mitch Jones (Philadelphia) 82
2024 - Josh Byrne (Buffalo) 82
16. Joey Spallina has an absurd summer with Northmen and Team USA, ranked #1 in The Lax Mag’s Top 50
From The Lax Mag’s Top 50 Junior A Players:
“We’re going to be fully transparent here and admit that prior to this year’s playoffs, Willem Firth was our obvious #1. Even if Toronto tanked in the first round, how could he not be? Well, Joey Spallina statistically skewered that plan after having an all-time playoff performance for the Orangeville Northmen, which included an opening round series sweep of Firth’s Beaches. After Orangeville’s Game 7 win in the OJLL Finals, there was no debate, Spallina would have to be pushed up to our top spot. Left off the league’s regular season all-star selections (as voted by OJLL team reps), not even apparently worthy of a second-team spot, Spallina’s 86 points in 13 playoff games and coming soon first (and only) appearance at the magnificent Minto Cup, was a middle finger flip for the ages. Spallina has a howitzer like few others, has fantastic footwork, a darting change of direction, and is both clinical and creative with the ball in his twig. His passport may make him an American, but from mid-May to late-August, Spallina is about as Canadian as you can get.” See the full Top 50 here.
Read: How does Joey Spallina stack up against the Minto Cup’s all-time point producers? (The Lax Mag)
Read: Joey Spallina hopes his varied lacrosse background will make a difference in his United States national team debut in Utica (WorldLacrosse.sport)
Read: Joey Spallina leads veteran United States team to opening win over Haudenosaunee
Joey Spallina, Team USA (Photo: Reuben Polansky-Shapiro)
15. Calgary Roughnecks trade Zach Currier to San Diego in blockbuster
Considered one of the most complete and pound-for-pound perfect players in the pro game today, the Calgary Roughnecks sent Zach Currier to the San Diego Seals in an offseason blockbuster deal that would also put Curtis Dickson back in a Riggers jersey. The exact trade, as written in the league’s transaction log, reads…
“The Calgary Roughnecks have traded the negotiating rights to Zach Currier, the 14th overall selection in the 2024 Entry Draft, and Calgary’s Second Round selection in the 2026 Entry Draft to the San Diego Seals in exchange for Curtis Dickson and San Diego’s Fourth Round Selection in the 2024 Entry Draft.”
Zach Currier, San Diego Seals (Photo: Kalea Vizmanos)
Soon after the deal, San Diego placed a franchise tag on Currier, who officially signed with the team on a one-year contract a few months later.
Calgary would also trade 2024 Transition Player of the Year Finalist Shane Simpson to Las Vegas, Thomas Hoggarth to Halifax, and not re-sign vets like Logan Schuss, Josh Currier and others. They would only ink hold-out Tyler Pace after the start of the season, and of course are at a significant standoff with former MVP & GOTY Christian Del Bianco, but more on that later. In addition to reacquiring Dickson, Calgary also brought back Dane Dobbie, who had left the team via free agency a few seasons ago to… San Diego.
Read: 2024 National Lacrosse League Rosters In & Out (The Lax Mag)
Read: Seals pull off offseason blockbuster, acquire Canada’s Zach Currier (SanDiegoUnionTribune.com)
Read: 'Superman' Dickson returns to Roughnecks (CalgaryHerald.com)
Read: “We are excited to have Dane back in a Roughnecks jersey” - Josh Sanderson (CalgaryRoughnecks.com)
Read: How ‘prodigal sons’ Dane Dobbie and Curtis Dickson have revived Roughnecks (CalgaryHerald.com)
Six Nations Chiefs, 2024 Mann Cup Champions (Photo: OLA)
14. Six Nations Chiefs win back-to-back Mann Cups
Ontario’s dominance over British Columbia continued at this year’s Mann Cup, the Six Nations Chiefs capturing back-to-back titles after a one-sided 4-1 series victory over the Victoria Shamrocks (ON’s seventh straight Cup win and 16th Mann over the last 17 series). The national Senior A championship was marred in a massive misunderstanding of a rule that would seemingly allow the Western Lacrosse Association representative to add as many as three players from other teams from their league leading into the Mann Cup series. See The Lax Mag’s X posts below to try and keep up with one of the most confusing Manns ever…
13. American Brennan O’Neill drafted first overall in 2024 NLL Entry Draft
Americans that have gone first overall in the NLL Entry Draft (@TheLaxMag)
Year - Player (School) Picked By
1988 - David Desko (Syracuse) New England
1989 - Brendan Kelly (Johns Hopkins) Pittsburgh
1992 - Jim Buczek (North Carolina) Pittsburgh
1993 - John Webster (North Carolina) Philadelphia
1995 - Brian Piccola (Johns Hopkins) New York
1996 - Tim Langton (Towson) New York
1998 - Casey Powell (Syracuse) Rochester
2024 - Brennan O’Neill (Duke) Philadelphia
Brennan O’Neill, Philadelphia Wings (Photo: M. Tyrell)
While there is still a lot of season to go, after last weekend’s four-goal effort from Bay Shore, New York’s Brennan O’Neill, the Philadelphia Wings’ prized first overall pick is most definitely a frontrunner for 2025’s NLL Rookie of the Year. If O’Neill ends up winning the award, he would become just the sixth American in league history (since 1987) to be voted ROTY, joining an elite group that includes… (@TheLaxMag)
Year - Player (From) Team
1995 - Charlie Lockwood (Syracuse, NY) New York Saints
1999 - Jesse Hubbard (Washington, DC) Baltimore Thunder
2003 - Brian Langtry (Massapequa, NY) Colorado Mammoth
2005 - Ryan Boyle (Hunt Valley, MD) San Jose Stealth
2017 - Tom Schreiber (East Meadow, NY) Toronto Rock
Read: The 2024 NLL trade deadline, dissecting the deals that got done (The Lax Mag)
Read: 2024 NLL Draft Presented by Castore (NLL.com)
Toronto Beaches, Ted Reeve Arena (Photo: C. Smith/OJLL)
12. Toronto Beaches punished for violating OLA’s direct-release rule, plus other transaction infractions in Canadian lacrosse
From The Lax Mag (June 19, 2024):
The Ontario Lacrosse Association has handed down stiff discipline against the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League’s Toronto Beaches for violating the direct-release rule within the OLA’s Rules & Regulations the Junior A league announced today.
After last night’s 13-7 win over the Kitchener-Waterloo Lacrosse Club, the Beaches led the OJLL with a perfect 12-0 record, which has now been reduced to 4-8 as a result of the OLA’s decision to subtract results as part of the disciplinary measures. Wins over St. Catharines (May 22 and May 30), Burlington (May 24 and June 5), Peterborough (May 27), Six Nations (June 3), Brampton (June 6) and Orangeville (June 9) have been overturned, the opposition obtaining two points from each of those games…(Read More)
What followed was one of the longest and almost impossible to keep up with (from the outside looking in at least) appeals and review processes there’s ever been, with an eventual final ruling confirming that what was issued originally still stood.
While the Beaches brouhaha received the most attention, the Tier 1 Junior B Nanaimo Timbermen also got busted for use of ineglible players this summer, seeing most of their results gassed as a result, the team tumbling from near the top of the standings to ninth and out of the provincial playoff mix.
The Lax Mag has also recently learned that the trade that sent Cody Malawsky from the Langley Thunder to the eventual Minto Cup-winning Coquitlam Adanacs was flawed. Here’s how the trade was submitted to the BCJALL and later approved…
Coquitlam receives: Junior A playing rights to Cody Malawsky for the remainder of the 2024 BCJALL season (Malawsky’s Junior A playing rights return to the Langley Thunder at the conclusion of the 2024 Minto Cup), Langley’s third-round selection in the 2026 Entry Draft, and fourth-round selection in the 2025 Entry Draft.
Langley receives: Coquitlam’s first-round selection in the 2028 Entry Draft and second-round selection in the 2025 Entry Draft, Delta’s first-round selection in both the 2025 and 2026 Entry Drafts, both previously acquired by Coquitlam in January 2023 (considered part of future considerations), plus cash considerations.
The issue? While only confirmed after this year’s Minto Cup, Coquitlam apparently was not in ownership of the 2025 second rounder they sent to Langley. Their punishment? Well, first Langley received a compensatory second-round selection for their trade-related troubles, while Coquitlam were forced to forfeit a fourth rounder, so less than what they previously parted with.
Tyson Bell, Halifax Thunderbirds (Photo: Trevor MacMillan)
11. Tyson Bell assaults fan, suspended by team while league continues to investigate
Only occurring in recent weeks, Halifax Thunderbirds defensemen Tyson Bell has been suspended (seemingly indefinitely) by the team after a physical altercation with fans when the team played a Week 4 date in Denver against the Colorado Mammoth. Video of the incident, which can be seen below, was not only shared on social media within our box lacrosse bubble, but went mainstream too. As of the morning of Dec. 31, Barstool’s post of the altercation on X alone has been viewed 4.7 million times. The incident has been mentioned on television and online by many of Canada’s most-read media sources. Bell has since been charged with assault and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 22. The NLL has confirmed they’re conducting their own investigation into the incident as well.
The Lax Mag has learned from several sources that what the fan allegedly said and showed Bell was extremely personal in nature, and was well over the line of what would be considered acceptable even in a pro-sports setting like where this took place. It might be worth hearing the whole story before condemning Bell for clocking two clowns that seemingly had it coming.
Read: Halifax Thunderbirds player cited for assault, suspended after incident in Colorado (CBC)
Read: Halifax Thunderbirds player Tyson Bell suspended, cited for assault in Colorado (CTV)
Read: If you show up to a box lacrosse game to talk shit to the players, there's a chance you end up taking a stick to the face (Barstool Sports)
10. Dane Dobbie scores seven record-setting goals in fourth quarter, adds an absurd eighth in OT
From The Lax Mag’s Clutch Kings report:
Down 9-5 seconds into the fourth quarter and looking likely to lose to the FireWolves in Albany, Dobbie, who had been held scoreless to that point, would net an absurd seven goals in the fourth quarter (three of which tied the scoreline, all massively high marks in Clutch Kings), and an additional eighth a buck 39 into overtime for one of the craziest late comebacks in NLL history.
Dobbie was the lone Calgary scorer in the fourth quarter, his seven in a single period a new NLL record, previously owned by both Zack Greer and Adam Jones at six apiece in a 15-minute frame. He was just two goals shy of matching Paul (March 26, 1994) and Gary Gait (January 9, 1999), both of whom have had ten in one night…(Read More)
Team Canada, 2024 WLBC Champions (Photo: Candice Ward)
9. Team Canada Men win sixth (of six) World Lacrosse Box Championship gold medal
They were heavy favourites to finish first yet again, and although many felt this year’s tournament was arguably their toughest test yet (2007 in Halifax couldn’t have been much tighter, needing OT to beat the Haudenosaunee in the final), the Team Canada Men won World Box gold for a sixth straight time this past September. In fact, they’ve still yet to drop a single result at the Word Lacrosse Box Championships, now sitting at 34-0 after six tournaments.
Read: 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships Preview (The Lax Mag)
Visit: 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships in Utica, NY Official Website
Ottawa Black Bears, Canadian Tire Centre (Photo: Andrea Cardin)
8. New York Riptide relocate to Ottawa, rebranded as Black Bears
After struggling in the standings and most definitely the turnstile during their four seasons playing out of Uniondale’s Nassau Coliseum - a spot that has not experienced any indoor lacrosse success for decades - the New York Riptide uprooted themselves and ended up in Ottawa, now known as the Black Bears. A unique partnership with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, the main tenants in Kanata’s Canadian Tire Centre, makes the move all that more intriguing. For their highly anticipated season opener back on Nov. 29 against the Toronto Rock, the team had nearly 7K in the stands. Although approximately 1,700 fewer fans showed up for Game 2, the vibe is still a positive one for the Black Bears, who sit 2-1 as they try tremendously to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Read: Can Ottawa-bound Riptide, soon-to-be Black Bears, make it work in Canada's capital? (The Lax Mag)
Read: Everything you need to know about Ottawa's new men's lacrosse team (Ottawa Citizen)
Read: The franchise set a new home attendance record after one night in Ottawa (@TheLaxMag)
Christian Del Bianco (Photo: Jenn Pierce)
7. Christian Del Bianco requests trade to Vancouver, unlikely to play in NLL this season
From The Lax Mag’s NLL Player Poll:
For those unaware of the situation… Calgary goalie Christian Del Bianco told the team he’d like to be traded closer to home (he’s getting hitched) and work (runs his own reno business) in Vancouver, later sharing a message on social media with fans letting them know he’d no longer be playing for the Roughnecks. While Calgary have dealt Zach Currier, Shane Simpson and Thomas Hoggarth over the offseason, a blockbuster sending Del Bianco to the Warriors obviously hasn’t materialized. The former NLL Cup winner, GOTY and MVP isn’t feeling too optimistic.
Since then, the Calgary Herald reported that the team and player have talked about a two-year deal, but again, the two sides have been unable to come to an agreement with post-contract free-agent status the apparent sticking point. In the meantime, Del Bianco continues to wait in the meme-worthy wings.
Josh Byrne, Buffalo Bandits (Photo: Jonathan Tenca)
6. Josh Byrne voted NLL Most Valuable Player, later named NLL Cup MVP too
From The Lax Mag’s weekly NLL player analysis:
We had him #1 going into Week 10, he returned to the top spot several weeks later and has not given up that high-ranking hold since, which now makes six weeks total at the top. Josh Byrne is officially The Lax Mag’s season-ending #1 ranked player and our clear pick as 2024’s NLL MVP. Why? (Read More)
Read: Josh Byrne ends regular season as NLL’s most money goal scorer (The Lax Mag)
Read: 2024 NLL Player Rankings Most Valuable Player (The Lax Mag)
Read: 2024 NLL Playoffs, Everything you need to know (The Lax Mag)
Read: The Top 100 NLL Players (The Lax Mag)
Nick Damude, formerly of the Panther City Lacrosse Club
5. Panther City Lacrosse Club folds
We asked Google’s AI what and where Panther City was, and got two responses:
1. A song by Leon Bridges from his 2024 album Leon. The song is in the R&B/Soul genre.
2. A professional lacrosse team that played in Fort Worth, Texas. The team was awarded an expansion franchise by the National Lacrosse League (NLL) in 2020 and began play in 2021. The team's name came from Fort Worth's nickname, "Panther City", which originated from a 1875 article in the Dallas Herald. The team ceased operations after more than three years, with the NLL citing an "untimely withdrawal of Panther City's membership" as the reason.
Either way, while PCLC was a formidable force on the floor, the endless sea of empty grey seats at Dickies Arena wasn’t fooling anyone. No matter how deep their pockets, if turning a even just a tiny profit was a goal at some point, there was no way this club could continue in its current state. While NLL Commissioner Brett Frood worked tirelessly trying to find a new ownership group and likely new destination, it was not to be, many teams benefitting significantly from a high-talent Panther City Dispersal Draft on September 2.
Read: Are you worried about the stability of any current franchise(s)? (The Lax Mag’s NLL Player Poll)
Joe Resetarits, Team USA (Photo: Reuben Polansky-Shapiro)
4. Team USA Men secure silver at WBLC in Utica, complete best-ever finish at the international tournament
Bronze (2003), bronze (2007), bronze (2011), bronze (2015) and bronze (2019). Even though the Americans hold a win over Canada in an international exhibition game (2002 Heritage Cup, 21-16W), Team USA could do no better than bronze at every edition of the World Lacrosse Box Championships. With Tom Schreiber sidelined and some others also absent, leading into 2024’s WLBC in Utica, outside of a miracle, the red, white and blue felt like third place finishers again. Well, fuck the miracle, because the American men took home silver while twice topping the Haudenosaunee Nationals (they had never beaten them before), and luck had nothing to do with it. The Team USA Men secured silver because they played gritty, athletic, skilled and incredibly clutch lacrosse from start to finish, even hanging around against Canada in at least half of the gold medal game. It was their biggest and most memorable result since 2002. A miracle? Nah, they were just money.
3. Buffalo Bandits win back-to-back NLL Cups
“At one point we were 5-6 and fighting for a playoff spot, so that makes it extra special. The guys never gave up. We believe in ourselves…We found ways to win.”
- Buffalo Head Coach John Tavares after the Bandits went undefeated during the 2024 NLL Playoffs to capture their second straight NLL Cup
2. Coquitlam Adanacs first non-Ontario Minto Cup winners since 2018, host all-time tournament at the Palace on Poirier
They dominated the BCJALL regular season and then playoffs. They then went on to finish first during the opening round of the national Junior A tournament. After dropping a round-robin result to the Orangeville Northmen, they were pure perfection against Ontario’s Horn Heads in the Finals, sweeping the series in front of one of the most mental Minto crowds in Cup history. They are the Coquitlam Adanacs, your 2024 Minto Cup champions, British Columbia’s first since 2018 and the only BCJALL club to win the title over the past two decades.
Ty Banks, Coquitlam Adanacs (Photo: Shelly Fey)
Watch: Road to the Minto Cup documentary series (Junior Adanac TV)
Read: 2024 Minto Cup schedule, scores and more (The Lax Mag)
Read: Coquitlam Adanacs breaking Ontario's grip on Minto Cup provides salute to club's past, too (The Province)
Read: Champions! Coquitlam Jr. Adanacs lock down fourth Minto Cup (Tri-City News)
Read: 2024 Minto Cup Final Preview Coquitlam Adanacs vs. Orangeville Northmen (The Lax Mag)
Read: Adanacs’ Minto Cup title awakens local lacrosse community (Tri-Cities Dispatch)
Read: Adanacs place an elite eight players in The Lax Mag’s Top 50 (The Lax Mag)
Read: Road to the Minto Cup seeds, series, schedules and scores (The Lax Mag)
Team USA, 2024 WLBC Champions (Photo: Reuben Polansky-Shapiro)
1. Team USA Women upset Canada to capture inaugural women’s gold on home soil at record-setting WLBC
A year or so ago, when the American women first started assembling for various training camps ahead of the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships in Utica, New York, you could easily argue few if any of their females were proven box lacrosse players. Most had played zero minutes inside an actual rink, their collegiate and pro careers spent entirely under the sun competing in field and later sixes lacrosse.
Today, the 20+ players that represented Team USA at the first-ever women’s tournament at the WLBC, are not only proven box lacrosse players, the gold medals around their necks confirm they are the world’s best.
Team USA, 2024 WLBC Champions (Photo: Reuben Polansky-Shapiro)
Make no mistake, the Americans were loaded with unbelievable talent that have excelled everywhere they’ve played, but unlike Team Canada, box lacrosse was a foreign form of the sport to them and a year or so to catch up to the Canadians seemed unlikely if not impossible.
Both nations stormed their way to the final. It was a heavyweight affair. The score was seemingly never too far out of reach, first Canada battling back after being down 0-2 and struggling to solve American keeper Ingrid Boyum, the Americans chipping away at the Canadians in an epic international encounter. It wasn’t until a furious late fourth quarter comeback that Team USA pulled ahead and never looked back. History was made, just not like most had thought it would be.
The Americans have arrived, and at least for the next four years, they own the women’s box game at the highest level. We see you Team USA, and you are hands down The Lax Mag’s #1 story for the year 2024.