As a sports fan with rather extensive and diverse tastes, the past week has been rather historic.
In terms of all of my sport interests I am devoutly Canadian. I cheer for Canadian-based teams and Canadian participants first and foremost.
So when I chanced upon the Major Arena Soccer League a couple of years ago I was disappointed there were no Canadian franchises. The sport, unlike its outdoor cousin, is exciting with lots of scoring. I was hooked and fortunately found Ian Bennett was Canadian and starting in Milwaukee with the Wave.
I have watched the Wave the past two seasons – MASL games are all live on YouTube – but now my allegiance to the league can come back to this side of the 49th parallel.
Last Wednesday, after months of rumour, it was officially announced the Mississauga MetroStars will begin play in the MASL in December.
The fledgling team should be entertaining, if not playoff bound in season one.
At the age of 40, Canadian soccer legend Dwayne De Rosario has been unveiled as the marquee player. He might be past his prime, but gives the team some immediate profile. He had 33 goals for Toronto FC and another 22 for the Canadian men’s national team, and is joined on the MetroStars by fellow TFC alumnus Adrian Cann. Anthony Osorio, younger brother of current Red Jonathan, was also revealed as a team member.
Mississauga will play in the MASL’s Eastern Division, along with Utica City FC, Harrisburg Heat, and Baltimore Blast, the Blast being the defending league champs.
It will be great to watch the Mets, and I hope their online presence is a good one.
NLL news
I am also a huge lacrosse fan, made more staunch by the arrival of the Rush to Saskatoon a couple of years back.
So I was thrilled last Thursday when the National Lacrosse League announced a strange little franchise juggle which in the end is great news for Canadian fans.
The NLL announced it awarded a franchise, under the ownership of Curt Styres, to the city of Halifax. Styres is the current owner and general manager of the Rochester Knighthawks.
Styres, who was named NLL’s 2017-18 General Manager of the Year, applied to relocate his team and received approval from the NLL Board of Governors.
“We are very proud to welcome the great city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, as a National Lacrosse League franchise. Known as a great events city with a passionate, loyal, and hungry fan base for major league sports, Halifax proved to be an ideal location for our league’s expansion in Canada,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz in a release. “Curt Styres is one of our longest standing and most passionate owners and I am sure he will bring his knack for winning to this great City just as he has in Rochester. This marks yet another exciting step towards the execution of our five-year plan.”
The Halifax franchise will begin play during the 2019-20 season at Scotiabank Centre, with many of the players on the current Knighthawks’ roster, though there is speculation some players may stay in Rochester.
Yes Rochester will remain in the NLL, too.
The same day the NLL announced the sale of the Rochester franchise, inclusive of the brand, to Terry and Kim Pegula starting with the 2019-20 season. The Pegula’s will operate the Knighthawks as an expansion franchise.
Yes, it is a touch wonky in terms of team juggling, but it solidifies both franchises moving forward.
In terms of Halifax, the rumours are the team will be called the Privateers.
The NLL will start the 2018-19 season with 11 teams, San Diego and Philadelphia being expansion franchises.
Since coming on-board as NLL commissioner Sakiewicz has been vocal in citing a desire to expand to 16 teams in the short term, and that appears a plan that is moving forward quickly. There is speculation San Francisco, under the same ownership as the NBA Warriors, New York, and Boston (supposedly the Shamrocks) will be announced shortly.
That would leave one spot to hit 16, and hopefully Edmonton gets on board for that one.
