With the regular season now under a month away, the Vancouver Warriors are deep in preparation mode for what is expected to be an exciting 2024-25 year.
Through October, the club re-signed their captain, a veteran presence to support the defensive group and team as a whole. They also made another signing through free agency.
The Warriors’ Academy started and there were schedule releases aplenty, and the team hit the ground running for their first week of training camp.
In the Community
Vancouver Warriors’ Elite Academy U11 season officially kicked off at Langley Events Centre.
In the Box
The Warriors re-signed captain Brett Mydske, returning their leader and a wealth of experience on the back end. The 6’4”, 215-pound defenceman goes into his fourth season as the Warriors’ captain after playing in all 18 games for Vancouver last season.
Last season, Mydske had a big impact in the defensive zone with 69 loose ball recoveries, 20 caused turnovers, 14 blocked shots, and 20 penalty minutes. His 14 blocked shots were tied with NLL Defenceman of the Year, Ryan Dilks for third on the team, and he was also third on the team with 20 forced turnovers.
The Warriors also signed forward Colton Lidstone from Shawnigan Lake, BC. The 25-year-old saw action in three games for the New York Riptide last season, registering three assists, forcing two turnovers, and picking up five loose balls.
Lidstone also plays for the Nanaimo Timbermen in the WLA where he amassed 38 points (18 goals, 20 assists) in 15 games last season.
Theme Nights
Back by popular demand, the team announced theme nights for the season, and tickets are available starting at $25. The Warriors aim to celebrate the community and create a fun and welcoming environment to connect with fans throughout the season.
Check out the list of theme nights below and come dressed in your finest to cheer on the Warriors.
- Black and gold – December 13 vs. Rochester Knighthawks
- Country Night – January 10 vs. San Diego Seals
- First Nations Celebration – January 24 vs. Ottawa Black Bears
- Rock n’ Roll Night – February 7 vs. Calgary Roughnecks
- Marvel Superhero Night – February 21 vs. Saskatchewan Rush
- St. Paddy’s Day – March 14 vs. Toronto Rock
- College Night – March 22 vs. Georgia Swarm
- Country Night 2.0 – April 4 vs. Albany Firewolves
- Fan Appreciation Night – April 19 vs. Philadelphia Wings
To get your single game tickets for these nights now, please visit us at tickets.vancouverwarriors.com/singlegame.
If you are ready for more than one game, 2024.25 Warriors Season Ticket Memberships are also available now at tickets.vancouverwarriors.com/membership.
If you have a group you want to bring, or you’re ready for that special suite experience, more information can be found at tickets.vancouverwarriors.com/suites.
Watch the NLL on TSN
The National Lacrosse League announced an extension of its partnership with TSN. The partnership for the 2024-2025 will include 20 games across TSN’s national television feeds, with all other games available for streaming on TSN+.
The league is introducing Friday night as the home for the NLL on TSN and the schedule will have a heavy focus on Canadian team matchups.
Warriors’ games that will be broadcast on TSN are below.
- Week 8 – January 17th at Ottawa Black Bears at 4 p.m. PT.
- Week 10 – January 31st at Halifax Thunderbirds at 3:30 p.m. PT.
- Week 11 – February 7h vs. Calgary Roughnecks at 6 p.m. PT.
- Week 13 – February 21st vs. Saskatchewan Rush at 7 p.m. PT.
- Week 16 – March 14th vs. Toronto Rock at 7 p.m. PT.
- Week 20 – April 11th at Toronto Rock at 5 p.m. PT.
Warriors Training Camp
The Warriors had their first week of training camp at the end of October as the second training camp with General Manager and Head Coach Curt Malawsky at the helm.
The group also has the most talent they’ve ever had as seen in their 13 first-round picks, including 2023 fourth overall pick, forward Payton Cormier and 2024 first rounders; forward Johnathan Peshko and defenceman Remo Schenato.
The team is focused on developing habits early and Malawsky liked the compete and that they hit the ground running – building off of last season.
Mouse is a World Champion, Again
Malawsky adds to his list of accolades a third Team Canada World Championship.
He won gold with Team Canada as a player at the 2003 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship and as a coach at the 2019 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championships before capturing a world championship once again this past September.
The 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championship took place in Utica, New York between September 20-29, and Malawsky was on the bench as an Assistant Coach for Team Canada.
Team Canada continued its undefeated streak, holding a 35-0 record in tournament play since 2003.
During the round robin play, they defeated Team England 19-4, Team Haudenosaunee 13-10, and Team USA 14-10. Through the playoff rounds, they beat Team Japan 22-4, Team England 20-3, and finished with a 13-7 win over Team USA in the championship game.
Malawsky was proud to be part of the coaching staff and help continue the legacy for Team Canada box lacrosse.
