Oshawa FireWolves host Toronto Rock in NLL season opener

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Southern Ontario has long been known as a lacrosse hotbed. And now the area has two National Lacrosse League teams to get behind.

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To the east of Toronto, the Oshawa FireWolves have created a lot of excitement since relocating from Albany, N.Y. in August. Meanwhile, to the west, the Toronto Rock are looking forward to returning to a newly renovated home in Hamilton.

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The two teams will face each other in the NLL season opener at Tribute Communities Centre on Friday and FireWolves personnel with ties to Oshawa can’t wait to play before a near sellout crowd.

“I grew up in this area,” head coach Glenn Clark said. “Most of our players are from the GTA and are familiar with this area.”
“Guys are excited. Family and friends can come see them. It is for the most part a homecoming.”

“Ultimately, this is where my dream of being an NLL player all began,” forward Dyson Williams said. “Now coming back and being part of the first pro team here is unbelievable.”

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“The past couple of months have been a whirlwind of emotion. It is very special.”

With plenty of lacrosse history in Oshawa and surrounding areas, there should be enough fans to keep the 5,100-seat arena, home to the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, close to full.

The Rock, meanwhile, head back to Hamilton and a fully renovated home now known as TD Coliseum. The total remake of the arena which has been ‘Rock City’ since 2021 forced the team to play out of Mississauga last season. The Rock averaged nearly 8,000 fans in 2024 and will open its home schedule on Dec. 13 against the Calgary Roughnecks.

The FireWolves and Rock will look to improve on 7-11 and 6-12 records respectively last season. Both teams were hampered by injuries and being on the wrong side of close losses.

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Players to watch out for

Likely to be the most popular player on the FireWolves early on is goaltender Doug Jamieson, a former NLL goaltender of the year, he was a big part of the team’s run to the 2024 final.

Up front, Alex Simmons has amassed 96 points in each of the past two seasons with 37 goals last season. Tye Kurtz had 35 goals and 87 points. Will Johansen will be expected to again lead the transition while Nick Chaykowsky and Mike Byrne are expected to give Jamieson the help he needs.

Much of the excitement surrounding the Rock comes from its crop of rookies. 2025 first-overall pick C. J. Kirst, the U.S. college player of the year and national champion at Cornell, has box experience. Third-pick Owen Hiltz played at Syracuse and spent time in junior lacrosse with the Peterborough Lakers. Both were very impressive in the pre-season. Sam English, the Rock’s first-round pick in 2024, spent last season finishing up at Syracuse. And defender Hugh Kelleher, a college teammate of Kirst, also looked good in the exhibition games.

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Nick Rose is back. The veteran goaltender was traded last season to the Calgary Roughnecks but was always expected to return to Toronto as a free agent. Brad Kri and Josh Jubenville head a stellar defense. Up front, Josh Dawick will be expected to continue to score after his breakout season and Chris Boushy should also contribute significantly and captain Challen Rogers is also amongst the forwards to start the season.

“They’re athletic. They’re big,” assistant coach Dan Dawson said of his offence. “There are so many great players and we’re big believers that it is going to be scoring by committee.”

“It’s going to be a new guy stepping up every single night.”

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