Riptide to relocate to Ottawa, become Black Bears
A bit more than 20 years ago, professional lacrosse came into the nation’s capital with a bang and, after three unsuccessful seasons, the Ottawa Rebel was gone with a thud.
Pro lacrosse in Ottawa died quickly.
This time, they insist, it will be different.
The National Lacrosse League, in partnership with GF Sports and Entertainment and Senators Sports and Entertainment, announced Wednesday the New York Riptide will relocate to Ottawa and will be renamed the Black Bears. The team will begin play for the 2024-25 NLL season.
The Black Bears will become the 15-team NLL’S sixth Canadian franchise, joining the Halifax Thunderbirds, Calgary Roughnecks, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock and Vancouver Warriors.
GF Sports and Entertainment will maintain ownership and operation of the franchise, which will play all nine regular-season home games at Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata.
“It’s a very different time for our league,” said Erik Baker of GF Sports and Entertainment. “Ontario’s kind of the home of the indoor game and I think we’re in a fantastic place to succeed. If you look at our league, there are plenty of examples where you have partnerships with NHL and NBA teams and they’re quite successful.”
“If you look at the evolution, the maturity of the NLL, there’s been strong growth and they’ve got strong broadcast partnerships across North America,” said Erin Crowe, COO and CFO of Senators Sports and Entertainment. “It’s a really good fit for us. And it really brings a new dimension to the Ottawa sports landscape when you look at lacrosse versus the other sports we have.”
The Buffalo Bandits regularly draw more than 16,000 fans per game. Expectations for Ottawa would be to fill most of the lower bowl and, at least initially, draw around 8,000 fans.
Riptide goalie Will Johnston, who grew up in Barrhaven, Ont., was caught off guard, but excited when he found out he could be playing games in his home town.
“I was pretty overwhelmed (when I found out the team was moving),” said Johnston, who was selected by the Riptide in the third round of the 2021 NLL Draft. “I wouldn’t have dreamed in a million years I’d have an opportunity to play professional lacrosse in Ottawa. When I got drafted, that alone was a dream come true. But I wouldn’t have thought, even if Ottawa got a team, I’d have the opportunity to play here.”
There’s optimism for a game and a league that’s changed a lot since the Rebel flopped.
“Ottawa is an incredible market, with an established fan base, and a major-league arena,” said NLL commissioner Brett Frood. “It’s a region where sports is ingrained in the culture. Ontario is really the hotbed of box lacrosse.”
The team will continue to operate as the Riptide through the conclusion of this season. So far, the team has five wins and five losses.
Ottawa will inherit a roster that’s headlined by league scoring leader and 2020 NLL firstoverall pick Jeff Teat.