HALIFAX, NS – In the first game in Oshawa FireWolves history, they were able to secure an 8-7 victory over the Toronto Rock in front of a sold-out crowd at the Tribute Communities Centre this past weekend. With a win under their belts and a new city and fanbase behind them, the FireWolves will look to stoke the fire when they travel to Halifax to face the Thunderbirds in Week 2 of the 2025-26 National Lacrosse League (NLL) season at the Scotiabank Centre at 6 PM ET.
It is the second week in row that the FireWolves will be showcased to a national audience on NLL Friday Night On TSN. The game will be available to watch nationally on TSN as well as TSN+, ESPN+, and NLL+.
Maintaining the Momentum
In a one-goal victory over the Rock, the FireWolves had good offensive and defensive sets along with great goaltending by Doug Jamieson. Alex Simmons finished with two goals and four assists while Tye Kurtz tallied a goal and two assists while the defence was able to record 10 caused turnovers and three shot blocks. Head coach Glenn Clark and company are hoping to keep the momentum going early on in the season.
Neighbourhood Noise
The hometown crowd and lacrosse fans in the Durham Region showed up for their new team and did not disappoint. They were loud, enthusiastic and fired up to see professional lacrosse being played in a lacrosse community where many NLL players have grown up playing. There’s no doubt that Oshawa is going to be a great NLL city for years to come.
Tough Thunderbirds
The Halifax Thunderbirds come into the season with the majority of the same team that took them to the second round of the playoffs a year ago. They have added a few new players to their team in Brendan Bomberry, Ethan O’Connor and first round draft pick Will MacLeod that will look to help them make a run to the NLL Finals. The FireWolves fell 13-9 to the Thunderbirds last season in their only meeting.
FireWolves Players To Watch
Alex Simmons is coming off a six-point performance in the first game of the season and will look to keep piling them up on the East Coast.
Taggart Clark was a player that created excellent scoring chances for the offence and can set good picks to open up his teammates.
Colton Watkinson is great at pushing the ball in transition and finding the open player coming off the bench. Look to the Captain to create scoring chances up the floor.
Doug Jamieson reached a milestone of 5,500 minutes played in the NLL and now sits at 21st all time in minutes played.
Opposing Players To Watch
Brendan Bomberry is looking to have an immediate impact for the Thunderbirds in his debut. Bomberry is a player that can slip under picks and shoot from the outside that can fool goalies.
Jake Withers will look to dominate in the faceoff dot. With the FireWolves not having their primary faceoff man Joe Nardella in their lineup, Mike Byrne will be up to the task to slow down Withers.
Randy Staats is coming off his first 100-point season and should hit that mark again. Look to their right side of Staats and Bomberry to produce a lot of points this season.
Get tickets now for the FireWolves’ next home game on Friday, December 19 at 7:30 PM at the Tribute Communities Centre! It will be the Teddy Bear Toss so make sure to bring those bears and help the FireWolves donate to local charities in need.
Visit www.oshawafirewolves.com for tickets and team updates.
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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