WLA Announces 2021 Schedule

Ten months after cancelling its 2020 season, the Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) announced it will hold a shortened, 12-game regular season for its teams starting at the end of June and running through the end of July, with playoffs scheduled for August.

As well, although plans are being reviewed on an ongoing basis in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and nation-wide vaccine rollout, the WLA and its Ontario counterpart, Major Series Lacrosse (MSL), are tentatively planning to hold the 2021 Mann Cup national championship in Ontario starting Sept. 10.

“The health and safety of all participants in the B.C. lacrosse community is of the utmost importance to the WLA and we will be carefully following all applicable public health orders and best practices as we move toward the 2021 season,” said WLA commissioner Paul Dal Monte.

For the complete regular season schedule, visit WLALacrosse.com; the seven teams of the WLA will host their home openers as follows:

• June 23: Langley vs. Coquitlam at Langley Events Centre;

• June 24: New Westminster vs. Nanaimo at Queen’s Park Arena;

• June 25: Victoria vs. New West at The Q Centre;

• June 25: Nanaimo vs. Maple Ridge at Frank Crane Arena;

• June 26: Coquitlam vs. Burnaby at Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex;

• June 29: Maple Ridge vs. Nanaimo at Cam Neely Arena;

• July 2: Burnaby vs. Coquitlam at Bill Copeland Arena;

WLA teams and staff continue to prepare for the league’s 52nd season and look forward to bringing back box lacrosse when it is safe and reasonable to do so. As always, the league extends its thanks and appreciation to front-line and essential services workers for their efforts to keep our communities healthy and running as smoothly as possible amidst the pandemic.

In May 2020, both the WLA and MSL cancelled their regular seasons as well as the Mann Cup. The last WLA champions in 2019 were the Victoria Shamrocks and the last Mann Cup champions were the Peterborough (Ont.) Lakers.