(Laval) For the first time in more than 20 years, the National Lacrosse League will present a regular season game in an amphitheater in the Montreal metropolitan area, Groupe CH announced in a press release Thursday morning.
For the occasion, the Rock from Toronto and the Riptide from New York will face each other at Place Bell in Laval as part of a match from the new UnBOXed series.
“The sport has a deep history in our province, and hosting this game is a great way to honor the past while looking toward the future as we allow our fans to attend an important seasonal game between Rock and Riptide at Place Bell,” declared France Margaret Bélanger, president, sports and entertainment, of Groupe CH.
This will be the first NLL season game to be played in Quebec since 2002, when the Montreal Express played its last game at the Molson Centre, now known as the Bell Centre.
PHOTO DENIS COURVILLE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
A lacrosse game between the Montreal Express and the Calgary Roughnecks at the Molson Center in 2001.
“Interest in box lacrosse, from the amateur to professional level, continues to boom in Quebec, and we are proud to be able to take this next step and bring the NLL and our elite level athletes to Laval and the Greater Montreal region,” said NLL Commissioner Brett Frood.
Tickets for this event will go on sale starting at noon Thursday.
This announcement is part of the unveiling of the NLL’s new multinational development initiative, UnBOXed, which notably includes the launch of its program specific to the Montreal region, which will be named the “Montreal Castors”. The league is very clear, however, that the UnBOXed initiative is not an expansion.
The NLL UnBOXed Series event programming will also feature educational clinics for girls and boys, parents and coaches, as well as interactive experiences for fans on game day at Place Bell. . Further details will be provided at a later date.