The 2022 National Lacrosse League season, formally known as the 2021–2022 season, was the 35th in the history of the NLL. The season began on December 3, 2021, and ended with the NLL final in late spring of 2022. This was the inaugural season for the expansion team Panther City Lacrosse Club, and the Albany FireWolves who relocated from New England. The NLL returned after missing a season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Colorado Mammoth defeated the Buffalo Bandits in a best of three series to win its first championship since 2006.
The 2022 season was the start of a multi-year broadcasting deal with ESPN.
Teams 2022 National Lacrosse League Division Team City Arena Capacity East Albany FireWolves Albany, New York MVP Arena 14,236 Buffalo Bandits Buffalo, New York KeyBank Center 19,070 Georgia Swarm Duluth, Georgia Gas South Arena 10,500 Halifax Thunderbirds Halifax, Nova Scotia Scotiabank Centre 10,500 New York Riptide Uniondale, New York Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum 13,917 Rochester Knighthawks Rochester, New York Blue Cross Arena 10,662 Philadelphia Wings Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wells Fargo Center 19,306 Toronto Rock Toronto, Ontario Scotiabank Arena 18,800 West Calgary Roughnecks Calgary, Alberta Scotiabank Saddledome 19,289 Colorado Mammoth Denver, Colorado Ball Arena 18,000 Panther City Lacrosse Club Fort Worth, Texas Dickies Arena 12,200 San Diego Seals San Diego, California Pechanga Arena 12,920 Saskatchewan Rush Saskatoon, Saskatchewan SaskTel Centre 15,195 Vancouver Warriors Vancouver, British Columbia Rogers Arena 18,910
Map of teams
Regular season
Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; LB = Loose Balls
Player Team GP G A Pts PIM LBDhane Smith Buffalo Bandits 1841941351093Ryan Lee Colorado Mammoth 1834851191368Joe Resetarits Albany FireWolves 184764111058Jeff Teat New York Riptide 1637711082111Lyle Thompson Georgia Swarm 1747551028107Keegan Bal Vancouver Warriors 17445599493Josh Byrne Buffalo Bandits 183762991274Jesse King Calgary Roughnecks 182966956104Robert Church Saskatchewan Rush 18385694474Mark Matthews Saskatchewan Rush 183062921059
Leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses: GA = Goals Allowed; SV% = Save Percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Player Team GP Mins W L GA SV% GAA Nick Rose Toronto Rock 181007 13 3 1520.8029.05 Frankie Scigliano San Diego Seals 16926 8 8 1510.7939.78 Matt Vinc Buffalo Bandits 181063 14 4 1790.80610.10 Eric Penney Philadelphia/Saskatchewan 11477 4 3 810.77410.18 Warren Hill Halifax Thunderbirds 17892 9 6 1520.78310.21
Playoffs
*Overtime
Conference Semifinal
Eastern Conference
(E1) Buffalo Bandits vs. (E4) Albany FireWolves
(E2) Toronto Rock vs. (E3) Halifax Thunderbirds
Western Conference
(W1) San Diego Seals vs. (WC) Philadelphia Wings
(W2) Calgary Roughnecks vs. (W3) Colorado Mammoth
Conference Final (best of three)
Eastern Conference
(E1) Buffalo Bandits vs. (E2) Toronto Rock
Bandits win series 2–0.
Western Conference
(W1) San Diego Seals vs. (W3) Colorado Mammoth
Mammoth wins series 2–1.
NLL Final (best of three)
(E1) Buffalo Bandits vs. (W3) Colorado Mammoth
Mammoth wins series 2–1.
Awards Annual awards
AwardWinnerOther Finalists Most Valuable Player Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits Joe Resetarits, Albany FireWolvesMatt Vinc, Buffalo Bandits Goaltender of the Year Matt Vinc, Buffalo Bandits Nick Rose, Toronto RockDillon Ward, Colorado Mammoth Defensive Player of the Year Mitch de Snoo, Toronto Rock Steve Priolo, Buffalo BanditsKyle Rubisch, Saskatchewan Rush Transition Player of the Year Zach Currier, Calgary Roughnecks Reid Bowering, Vancouver WarriorsChallen Rogers, Toronto Rock Rookie of the Year Jeff Teat, New York Riptide Reid Bowering, Vancouver WarriorsPatrick Dodds, Panther City Lacrosse Club Sportsmanship Award Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm Keegan Bal, Vancouver WarriorsDan Dawson, Toronto Rock GM of the Year Steve Dietrich, Buffalo Bandits Jamie Dawick, Toronto RockBob Hamley, Panther City Lacrosse Club Les Bartley Award Tracey Kelusky, Panther City Lacrosse Club Matt Sawyer, Toronto RockJohn Tavares, Buffalo Bandits Executive of the Year Award Jamie Dawick, Toronto Rock Greg Bibb, Panther City Lacrosse ClubRich Lisk, New York Riptide Teammate of the Year Award Jeremy Thompson, Panther City Lacrosse Club Zach Currier, Calgary RoughnecksJeff Shattler, Saskatchewan Rush Tom Borrelli Award Pat Gregoire, Halifax Thunderbirds Jake Elliott, Vancouver WarriorsTyson Geick, Halifax Thunderbirds / Lacrosse Flash
Stadiums and locations Georgia Swarm Albany FireWolves New York Riptide Philadelphia Wings Gas South Arena MVP Arena Nassau Coliseum Wells Fargo Center Capacity: 11,355 Capacity: 14,236 Capacity: 13,917 Capacity: 19,543 Buffalo Bandits Halifax Thunderbirds Rochester Knighthawks Toronto Rock KeyBank Center Scotiabank Centre Blue Cross Arena First Ontario Centre Capacity: 19,070 Capacity: 10,595 Capacity: 11,200 Capacity: 17,383
Calgary Roughnecks Colorado Mammoth San Diego Seals Saskatchewan Rush Vancouver Warriors Scotiabank Saddledome Ball Arena Pechanga Arena Co-op Field at SaskTel Centre Rogers Arena Capacity: 19,289 Capacity: 18,007 Capacity: 12,920 Capacity: 15,190 Capacity: 18,910
Attendance Regular season + Home team Home games Average attendance Total attendanceBuffalo Bandits 99,92189,293Calgary Roughnecks 9 9,28283,539Saskatchewan Rush98,94780,523Colorado Mammoth 98,21873,963Georgia Swarm98,09972,889Toronto Rock68,07148,424Vancouver Warriors 96,92062,277Philadelphia Wings 96,58659,276San Diego Seals 95,77852,000Albany FireWolves95,52449,713Halifax Thunderbirds75,43938,070Panther City LC 94,99544,951New York Riptide 94,26738,400Rochester Knighthawks94,15337,376League1216,865830,694
Playoffs + Home team Home games Average attendance Total attendanceBuffalo Bandits4 14,03156,127Colorado Mammoth 2 10,31420,627Toronto Rock27,61715,233San Diego Seals36,71920,157Calgary Roughnecks 16,0006,000League129,845118,144
See also 2022 in sports
References