Source: Minnesota Swarm to play in Western Division

August 18th, 2008 by Paul Tutka

Ryan Sharp and the Swarm will now be competing against Portland and the rest of the West for a post-season spot starting in '09.

NLL Insider has learned through various sources that the Minnesota Swarm will begin playing in the NLL’s Western Division starting this upcoming 2009 season.

With the inclusion of the Boston Blazers to an already loaded Eastern Division, which owned seven of the league’s teams versus the West’s five in 2008, sources say that obviously geographically moving Minnesota made the most sense.

Minnesota plays in the Western Division in both the NHL and NBA.

The East will again have seven teams (Buffalo, Rochester, Philadelphia, New York, Toronto, Chicago and Boston), while the West will begin 2009 with six teams (Calgary, Edmonton, Portland, Colorado, San Jose and Minnesota).

Sources also say however that even though the Swarm will be part of the West’s standings, their regular season schedule will still have a heavy eastern feel to it in order to maintain some of the rivalries they’ve spent the past four seasons building.

The foremost boxla writer, Tutka is a former NLL scout and a longtime Inside Lacrosse contributor. Email him at paul.tutka@nllinsider.com.

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