2023 NLL season

2023 NLL season
LeagueNational Lacrosse League
SportIndoor lacrosse (box lacrosse)
DurationDecember 2, 2022 — June 3, 2023
Number of games18
Number of teams15
TV partner(s)ESPN[1][2][3] (United States)
TSN (Canada)
Draft
Top draft pickDyson Williams
Picked byAlbany FireWolves
Regular season
Top seedBuffalo Bandits
Season MVPChristian Del Bianco (Calgary Roughnecks)
Top scorerJeff Teat (New York Riptide)
Playoffs
Finals championsBuffalo Bandits
  Runners-upColorado Mammoth
Finals MVPDhane Smith (Bandits)
NLL seasons

The 2023 National Lacrosse League season, formally known as the 2022–2023 season, was the 36th in the history of the NLL. The season began on December 2, 2022, and ended with the NLL final on June 3, 2023. This was the inaugural season for the expansion team Las Vegas Desert Dogs.[4]

The preseason went from November 5 through November 26, 2022. It included games at Aʼnowaraʼko꞉wa Arena and Toronto Rock Athletic Centre.[5] The regular season went from December 2, 2022, through April 20, 2023. This season had the most regular season games in NLL history with 135.[6] The broadcasting partners are TSN in Canada and ESPN in the United States. TSN featured 20 games on TV with their NLL Game of the Week on TSN and show all the games online and their app.[7] ESPN aired 10 games on TV and all games on ESPN+.[8] Due to scheduling conflicts with ESPN's linear networks, Game 3 of the NLL Final was simulcast on WNLO in addition to being carried on ESPN+.[9]

This was the first season for Commissioner Brett Frood, who was previously a NASCAR executive as president of the Stewart-Haas Racing team.[10] Frood was a collegiate lacrosse player and was captain of the Brown University lacrosse team.[11]

The 2023 NLL Stadium Showdown, the first outdoor NLL game, was held on March 4 at Snapdragon Stadium, between the San Diego Seals and the Las Vegas Desert Dogs.

  1. ^ Rigdon, Jay (October 26, 2021). "ESPN gets exclusive rights to National Lacrosse League in multiyear deal". Awful Announcing.
  2. ^ "Full Schedule".
  3. ^ "National Lacrosse League Heads to ESPN Under New Broadcast Deal". 26 October 2021.
  4. ^ "NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE ANNOUNCES 2022-23 SCHEDULE; FACE OFF WEEKEND SET FOR DECEMBER 2-3". National Lacrosse League. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  5. ^ "Pre-Season Games Begin November 5 In Advance of National Lacrosse League 2022-23 Schedule". NLL. 2022-10-26. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
  6. ^ TSN ca Staff (2022-09-20). "NLL releases its 2022-2023 schedule - TSN.ca". TSN. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  7. ^ Tutka, Paul. "League reveals "NLL Game of the Week on TSN" broadcast schedule". The Lax Mag. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  8. ^ "NLL Announces 10 Games to Air on ESPN Linear Networks". Inside Lacrosse. 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  9. ^ Pergament, Alan (2023-06-01). "WNLO-TV to carry deciding game in Bandits-Mammoth championship lacrosse series". Buffalo News. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  10. ^ Perrow, Graeme (2022-08-29). "2022 Off-season summary, Part I". NLL Chatter. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  11. ^ Goods, Jack (2022-08-03). "Brett Frood Combines Passion and Product as NLL's New Commissioner". usalaxmagazine.com. Retrieved 2022-11-30.