 | |
| Sport | Box lacrosse |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 |
| League | National Lacrosse League |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Team history | Ontario Raiders (1998) |
| Location | Hamilton, Ontario |
| Arena | FirstOntario Centre |
| Colours | Blue, red, silver, white |
| Owner | Jamie Dawick |
| Head coach | Matt Sawyer[1] |
| General manager | Jamie Dawick |
| League titles | 6 (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2011) |
| Division titles | 9 (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2015) |
| Local media | TSN / TSN2 TSN Radio 1050 Toronto Sun |
| Retired numbers | 3 (7, 29, 32) |
| Website | torontorock.com |
The Toronto Rock are a Canadian professional men's box lacrosse franchise based in Hamilton, Ontario. They are members of the Eastern Conference of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team was the first Canadian franchise in the NLL. The Rock play their home games at FirstOntario Centre.
The franchise was founded in 1998 as the Ontario Raiders in Hamilton. The Raiders played at Copps Coliseum before being sold to a group of investors led by then Toronto Maple Leafs Assistant GM Bill Watters, who relocated the franchise to Toronto. They were subsequently renamed the "Toronto Rock", and began play at Maple Leaf Gardens in the 1999 season.[2] The Toronto Rock won their 6th league championship on May 15, 2011. They hold a tie for the most championships in league history with the Philadelphia Wings. In the 2001 season, the Rock moved from the Maple Leaf Gardens to Scotiabank Arena (then known as Air Canada Centre) where they played for 20 seasons. On May 11, 2021, the team announced the relocation from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto to FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, beginning with the 2021–22 NLL season in December. The team continues to represent Toronto while playing home games in Hamilton.[3]
- ^ "Coaching Staff – Toronto Rock". torontorock.com. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
- ^ Fuller, Dave (September 15, 1998). "Watters' group brings lacrosse to the Gardens". The Outsider's Guide to the NLL. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
- ^ "Rock relocate home games to Hamilton". Toronto Rock press release. May 11, 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-12.