NLL labour dispute puts Warriors camp on hold
The Vancouver Warriors, like the rest of the National Lacrosse League, are on hold.
The Warriors were slated to open training camp on Friday at the Langley Events Centre, but that’s been postponed due to the league’s players and owners failing to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement.
Regular season games are slated to begin on Dec. 1. Vancouver is scheduled to kick off its 18 league games on Dec. 8 by hosting the Toronto Rock at Rogers Arena.
In June, the Vancouver Canucks bought the Vancouver Stealth and shifted them downtown from the Langley Events Centre, where they had spent five years after moving up from Everett. They created new uniforms and rebranded the team as the Warriors in September.
The Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association said Wednesday on Twitter: “The players remain united in their quest for a fair CBA. Dialogue in proposal exchanges are continuing. The players have pledged to not attend training camps until they are satisfied a fair memorandum of understanding is reached and ratified by the players.”
As well on Wednesday, the NLL issued this statement: “National Lacrosse League training camps are open. We are continuing the good faith negotiations with the PLPA. We welcome the players’ attendance. We aren’t locking out the players, however we will be postponing camps in the necessary markets this weekend due to lack of participation.”
The NLL moved from a nine-team league to an 11-team circuit this off-season with the addition of the San Diego Seals and the Philadelphia Wings. There will be a team in Halifax beginning next season, and there have been rumours about the Golden State Warriors purchasing a team in the near future.
Last year, NLL teams had 20-man active rosters and team salary caps of $400,000.
The league and players signed a seven-year deal in late 2013, but as Evan Schemenauer points out in a blog about the CBA, there was an opt-out clause that either side could initiate after four years, with one year’s notice. The players opted out early last season.
The NLL last season averaged crowds of 9,411 during the regular season. The Stealth had the league’s lowest attendance at 3,507 per game. The Saskatchewan Rush, who are based in Saskatoon, led the way at 14,639, and were one of four teams drawing over 10,000 fans per game.
The Stealth (2-16) finished last in the standings, as well.
The Canucks brought in Dan Richardson as general manager and Chris Gill as head coach after purchasing the team. Richardson has held the same post with the New Westminster Salmonbellies of the Western Lacrosse Association. Gill was an assistant coach with the NLL’s Colorado Mammoth, and was both a player and assistant coach under Richardson with the Salmonbellies.
He’s also a former member of the Vancouver Ravens, the NLL team that played out Rogers Arena from 2002-04 before folding due to money troubles.