This wasn’t the kind of history that the National Lacrosse League wanted to make.
The league recently made it official that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time in the league’s 34 -year existence, playoffs have been cancelled.
“I understand their decision and can’t wait for when we can play again,” Halifax Thunderbirds goalie Warren Hill said. “It was definitely disappointing and was something I was looking forward to. Especially with everything going on and no summer lacrosse.”
Back on March 12th, the league stepped in and officially suspended remaining regular season games due to the growing concern of COVID-19. It wasn’t until a few weeks later, on April 6th, when it was decided that due to health reasons and safety, the campaign would not be finished, while the possibility of playoffs remained up in the air.
No decisions were made regarding National Lacrosse League post-season until early June when NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz came out with a public news release informing players, management and fans alike that they were going to scrap the playoffs and turn their attention towards preparing for the 2021 campaign.
“After an exhaustive effort weighing all of the factors, including the health and safety of our players and staff, immigration challenges, and the resources required to execute a post- season tournament under the current circumstances, our senior leadership and Board have agreed to redirect our attention to planning for next season,” Sakiewicz said.
