08/10/04 - The National Lacrosse League Comes to Minnesota
National Lacrosse League Commissioner Jim Jennings announced today in St. Paul that the league is granting Minnesota an NLL expansion
franchise to begin in the 2005 season. The owner of the team is Bob Naegele of Minnesota Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the Minnesota
Wild and the Xcel Energy Center, where the new team will play beginning in January.
Minnesota will be the eleventh team in the league and will be in the East Division along with:
- Minnesota Lacrosse
- Buffalo Bandits
- Philadelphia Wings
- Rochester Knighthawks
- Toronto Rock
The West Division will have:
- Anaheim Storm
- Arizona Sting
- Calgary Roughnecks
- Colorado Mammoth
- San Jose Stealth
- Vancouver Ravens
There are sixteen regular season games and the top three teams in each division will advance to the playoffs. The schedule will be released at
a later date.
The team will be known as Minnesota Lacrosse for the time being and will hold an "Name The Team Contest" and when that contest is done, a
logo will be designed with the winning nickname and released. The team is taking seat deposits for $25.00 already.
