PHILADELPHIA — The National Lacrosse League has cancelled plans for an abbreviated 2020-21 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The league said in a statement it will now focus on starting a full season this fall.
The NLL had said in October it was targeting the weekend of April 9-11 to begin a 2020-21 campaign. The season has traditionally started in December or January.
The NLL suspended its 2019-20 in March due to the global pandemic. It was eventually cancelled.
The NLL has five Canadian teams — the Halifax Thunderbirds, Toronto Rock, Saskatchewan Rush, Calgary Roughnecks and Vancouver Warriors — and eight American teams. A new team, Panther City Lacrosse Club in Fort Worth, Texas, is expected to join the league when it resumes.
“We have gone through many scenarios, including playing a bubble season in Canada in April, but the logistical challenges, including the recently announced tighter travel and quarantine restrictions across the Canadian border have required us to pivot," NLL commissioner Nick Sakiewicz said in a release.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2021.
The Canadian Press