With lacrosse being Canada’s National summer sport the game continues to gain recognition throughout the province and now we are hearing that the Vancouver Canucks have purchased the National Lacrosse League’s Vancouver Stealth.

The approval of the sale was approved by the board of governors and it’s interesting to note that the Vancouver Stealth will commence play at Rogers Arena beginning in the upcoming 2018-19 season.

NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz mentioned “First and foremost, I would like to thank Denise Watkins for her many years of passion and commitment at the helm of the organization, which included bringing a championship to the franchise in 2010.”

He continued “This is another pivotal moment for the League and we are honoured and thrilled to have the Aquilini family and Canucks Sports & Entertainment leading our Vancouver franchise in one of the most relevant lacrosse communities in North America.”

Jeff Stipec, COO, Canucks Sports & Entertainment mentioned “We are very excited to welcome the National Lacrosse League to Rogers Arena and I would like to thank Denise Watkins and the Stealth staff for all they have done to establish and develop the NLL in Greater Vancouver.”

He (Stipec) continued “British Columbia has a rich lacrosse history and people from across the country and around the world know how important this market is to the game and we look forward to continuing to grow the game, both on the floor and in the community. We can’t wait to get to work.”

Over the coming months, the Vancouver lacrosse franchise will undergo a transformation, including a new name, brand and logo.

A special event will be held in the coming months to unveil more details.

The Vancouver Stealth have played at the Langley Events Centre for the past five years.

The NLL 18-game regular season begins in December 2018 and runs through April 2019.

Games are primarily scheduled on weekend’s with playoffs beginning in May and conclude in June with the NLL championship Finals.

I for one am hoping that Doug Locker stays with the organization as he was great to deal with. Here’s hoping??

Fans interested in priority access to tickets for the upcoming 2018-19 season at Rogers Arena are invited to call 604-899-GOAL.

Or by visiting www.canucks.com/lacrosse for more information.

One can expect to have major changes in all areas – let’s hope so!!