OSHAWA, ON – The Oshawa FireWolves (0-0) are getting geared up to play the first ever professional lacrosse game in the Durham Region against the Toronto Rock (0-0) on Friday, November 28 at 7:30 pm ET at the Tribute Communities Centre for their Inaugural Game presented by the City of Oshawa. This historic matchup will kick off the 2025-2026 National Lacrosse League (NLL) season and is available to watch nationally on TSN as well as TSN+, ESPN+, and NLL+.
New Beginnings Await
The FireWolves have found a new home in Oshawa, Ontario and are excited to play in a city that has deep lacrosse roots. With a move to a new city and country, the players, coaching staff and ownership group are optimistic that the franchise will be in the Durham Region for a long time and a few players are looking forward to playing in their hometowns.
Around The Block
Now that there is a professional lacrosse team in Durham, it’s not just the players, coaching staff and owners that are eager about the move; so too are the fans. With multiple different lacrosse centers in Durham and surrounding areas, many of them are ‘fired’ up about the FireWolves finding a home in Oshawa. Many local lacrosse associations have been involved thus far with buying seasons tickets and were a part of the teams’ schedule release video. Many lacrosse and sport fans are thrilled about the FireWolves organization coming to a lacrosse market with a deep sports history.
New Look Rock
The Toronto Rock had the first three draft picks in the 2025 NLL Entry Draft and selected three offensive players to improve their scoring. CJ Kirst will be a player who will have an immediate impact along with Owen Hiltz, both of whom had great pre-season stats for the Rock. Toronto welcomes back Nick Rose to the organization as their starting goaltender a few other faces re-signed with the franchise. This will be the first of two meetings between these new provincial rivals and should become one the leagues newest rivalries for years to come.
FireWolves Players To Watch
Dyson Williams is looking to improve from his 26 goal season in his rookie year and will be a great player on the offensive side of the ball.
Captain Colton Watkinson will look to provide some physicality to the FireWolves defence.
Rookie Jaxon Fridge had a tremendous training camp and will look to push the ball in transition.
Doug Jamieson is set for the first game of the season and hopes to return to his 2020 Goalie of the Year form in a new city.
Opposing Players To Watch
CJ Kirst will be a name to keep an eye on. Kirst was the number one overall pick in this year’s NLL Draft and is an explosive player with a great shot.
Owen Hiltz is another name to remember as his one-on-one technique and inside finishing prowess will be called upon to get the Rock on the scoreboard.
Mark Matthews returns to the Rock lineup after recovering from shoulder surgery last season. Matthews is an NLL veteran and will look to mentor the new guys in the league and is looking forward to playing in his hometown.
Latrell Harris is a great lockdown defender that has the potential of being a dual threat both on defence and in transition to generate scoring chances.
History will be made tonight at the Tribute Communities Centre as the Oshawa FireWolves face the Toronto Rock at 7:30 pm ET to begin a new chapter of lacrosse in the Durham Region.
Visit www.oshawafirewolves.com for more information on tickets and team news.
About Oshawa FireWolves
The Oshawa FireWolves are Durham Region’s professional box lacrosse team, competing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) out of the Tribute Communities Centre in downtown Oshawa, ON. For more information, visit OshawaFireWolves.com. Follow the team on Facebook at facebook.com/FireWolvesNLL, Twitter @FireWolvesNLL, and Instagram @FireWolvesNLL.
About National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s largest professional lacrosse league and welcomed more than 1 million fans for the third consecutive year during the 2024-25 season. Founded in 1986, the NLL is comprised of 14 franchises across Canada and the United States, and recently unveiled its largest brand campaign ever, “Welcome to The Next Major League™” and introduced its comprehensive grassroots initiative, NLL UnBOXed™, that will expand the League’s footprint to 60 communities across North America by 2028. For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok. Games are available live and streaming on TSN, TSN+, the ESPN family of networks, ESPN+, and NLL+.
About Tribute Communities Centre
The Tribute Communities Centre is Durham Region’s premier sports and live entertainment facility and is managed by Oak View Group. The Tribute Communities Centre is home to the Oshawa FireWolves of the National Lacrosse League, Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League, and hosts a myriad of events including concerts, circuses, ice skating and family shows. Visit TributeCommunitiesCentre.com, and follow on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
About Oak View Group
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster of arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
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