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Western Lacrosse Association faces loss of star players

The Western Lacrosse Association and Major Series Lacrosse Ontario, faced with the loss of many of its star players, have issued an extraordinary joint statement decrying a mandate from the U.S.
Photo - Victoria Shamrocks
The Victoria Shamrocks are a member franchise of the seven-team WLA. TIMES COLONIST FILE PHOTO

The Western Lacrosse Association and Major Series Lacrosse Ontario, faced with the loss of many of its star players, have issued an extraordinary joint statement decrying a mandate from the U.S.-based professional field Premier Lacrosse League prohibiting its players from playing in any other leagues.

The PLL season overlaps the WLA and MSL box seasons during the summer, so the new mandate could deny both the WLA and MSL of many of its top players, who would otherwise play in both versions of the game.

Last season, about 50 Canadian players doubled in both the PLL and WLA/MSL. Many top Canadian box players have played NCAA Div. 1 university field lacrosse in the United States and are comfortable in both versions of the sport.

But the PLL has now added a provision to its standard player agreements that prohibits its players from competing in non-PLL lacrosse leagues during the PLL season.

The eight-team PLL, founded in 2019, has a U.S. national TV deal with ESPN/ABC and pays its players an average salary of about $35,000 US for a season running June to September. That is far more than the WLA and MSL, leagues which can best be described as ranging from amateur to semi-pro, can afford.

The Victoria Shamrocks and Nanaimo Timbermen are member franchises of the seven-team WLA.

“Unfortunately, a lot of elite players will be forced into making a choice,” said Shamrocks general manager Chris Welch.

“This is a unilateral attack on Canadian lacrosse by the PLL, which has taken a stance against Canadian leagues. And there’s not much we can do about it.”

The Canadian leagues have taken to persuasion with the release of the joint statement.

“Major Series Lacrosse and the Western Lacrosse Association respectfully ask that PLL leadership to engage in good-faith discussions with its Canadian players and our leagues to find a solution to this situation that is preventing Canadian players from playing with their hometown amateur teams and competing for the Mann Cup, one of the most iconic and prestigious championships in all of Canadian sports,” the WLA/MSL joint statement said.

If the PLL doesn’t relent, the WLA and MSL seasons leading to the Mann Cup, could lose much of its star-player wattage. Both Canadian leagues would have to make do in a tough situation.

Trying to find a bright spot, Welch said: “It will give lots of opportunities for new guys, the recent draft picks, to step right into our league. The Shamrocks have been here 70 years and faced a lot of challenges in that time. This is just another one of those.”

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com