Think of a sport in which the world’s best players compete right outside your doorstep within Metro Vancouver.
Where games are about $30 or an entire season’s ticket pass costs less than a night on the town.
Where you get the perfect blend of family-friendly entertainment alongside a college night atmosphere.
This is Canada’s official summertime sport - this is Vancouver Warriors lacrosse - and the ball drops on a new season in just a few short weeks.
Perhaps you’re new to the sport. For starters, the Warriors compete in the nine-team National Lacrosse League (NLL), which is the top flight of lacrosse anywhere in the world. Simply put, the best of the best play here.
The Warriors’ game-day experience lands somewhere between the lightning speed of an NHL game and the interactive nature of a courtside NBA offering. Music is played during the contest, big hits are laid on the regular and $5 beers are offered throughout.
“There’s lots and lots of action and there are some big, big hits,” says Warriors chief business officer Colby Fackler. “Our guys are all in their mid-to-late 20s, so these are grown men. They’re laying big licks out there, but the skill level is also pretty ridiculous.”
The Vancouver Warriors gets you in the door to watch the world’s best lacrosse for $225 – and that’s not per game, but rather an entire season’s worth of tickets offered as part of the Warriors Club membership.
And for kids under 12, you can knock that price down to $135.
Indeed, membership in the Warriors Club has its benefits: seating is situated in the lower bowl at centre court; members get access to exclusive events such as player meet-and-greet sessions; right of first refusal for concert tickets at Rogers Arena; discounted fares for Canucks games and a free jersey worth $150.
“It’s awesome because you get all the club seat amenities that you’d get at a Canucks game for significantly less of the cost,” Fackler says. “This way you get a premium game day experience at a very affordable price.”
While the lacrosse loyalists – typically families and minor lacrosse players – can enjoy the lower bowl seating, those looking to down $5 beers have their own section as well. Enter the NUTRL Zone, a general admission seating area at each end of the floor that caters to the more boisterous lacrosse fans. There will again be theme nights galore where attendees can embrace party atmospheres such as Country Night, College Night, St. Patrick’s Day and WrestleMania nights. The Warriors Home Opener is going down on December 16 and will be the biggest and most exciting event yet.
Those purchasing various season’s ticket packs can also bring friends and family for discounted rates.
“We really want to make the experience affordable for our fans,” Fackler says. “Whether it’s the family side or the downtown party crowd, we want to make it as accessible as possible for them to have a good time.”
As the club’s roster rounds into form ahead of opening night in December, one thing stands out in particular: putting the ball in the net won’t be an issue for one of the league’s highest-scoring teams.
Coquitlam’s Keegan Bal has re-signed with the club and is poised to crack the top five in scoring once again, while Mitch Jones – considered the quintessential glue guy on the roster - is back from injury.
Perhaps the biggest feather in GM Dan Richardson’s cap is the recent signing of two-time NLL MVP Shawn Evans, who ranks in the top 10 in goals, assists and points.
A Peterborough, Ont. native, Evans helped lead the Peterborough Lakers to the Mann Cup championship this past season and became the Mann Cup’s all-time leading scorer.
“To sign a player of Shawn Evans’ calibre is a big step for this organization,” Richardson says. “He wins at every level and will have an immediate impact on our team.”
To buy your tickets, visit www.vancouverwarriors.com.
