NLL Insider

A league source said late Tuesday night that the Arizona Sting will not play the 2008 National Lacrosse League season. Other sources echoed this news Wednesday, but neither the league or the Sting would confirm the news Wednesday. The Sting join the expansion Boston Blazers in going dark for ’08, following a two-week period of uncertainty regarding a new collective bargaining agreement.

Arizona entered the league for the 2004 season, and it has been by an overwhelming success on the floor. After just missing the playoffs in their inaugural season, the Sting made it to the Champion’s Cup final in 2005, losing to host Toronto. In 2006, Arizona made it to the West Final, losing to eventual champion Colorado. Last season, they made yet another Champion’s Cup final, hosting Rochester because the higher-seeded Knighthawks couldn’t host the game because of a scheduling conflict. Rochester beat Arizona at Jobing.com Arena 13-11.

Arizona’s issue, however, has always been fan support in Glendale Ariz., just outside of Phoenix. Their attendance has actually decreased over the last three seasons, going from 6,568 (8th out of 10 teams) in 2005 to 6,477 (10th out of 11) in ’06 to 6,049 last year (11th out of 13).

If the league goes with a Dispersal Draft for the Sting, that will cut loose Dan Dawson, one of the league’s marquee players. He topped 100 points last year, ranking second in the league behind MVP John Grant Jr. Other big-name players like Craig Conn (who won’t play this season due to a torn ACL suffered this summer), Lindsay Plunkett, Bruce Codd, Rob Blasdell and Curt and Derek Malawsky will also likely find plenty of eager suitors. Blasdell was the NLL’s second-ranked goalie last year — in a league that is always searching for quality goalkeeping.

It has not been confirmed whether Arizona will return for the 2009 season, or whether any other teams will be going dark for ’08. Stay tuned to InsideLacrosse.com for more on this breaking story.

The league came to terms with the Professional Lacrosse Players Association on Oct. 25 on a seven-year deal with a five-year opt-out. That announcement game nine days after the NLL announced the season was canceled because the two sides couldn’t come to terms on a new CBA.

Rate This Story:

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...