The 2019 NLL season was the 33rd season of the National Lacrosse League (NLL), a professional indoor box lacrosse league in North America. The season comprised a 20‑game regular‑season schedule for each of the league’s twelve teams, followed by a postseason playoff culminating in the Champion’s Cup.
Duration
- Regular season: 7 December 2018 – 13 April 2019
- Playoffs: 20 April – 25 May 2019
Teams
The league fielded twelve franchises, divided into Eastern and Western conferences. The 2019 season featured two recent additions: the San Diego Seals (expansion) and the re‑established Philadelphia Wings (expansion).
Eastern Conference – Buffalo Bandits, Georgia Swarm, New England Black Wolves, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, Toronto Rock.
Western Conference – Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Saskatchewan Rush, Vancouver Stealth, San Diego Seals.
Regular‑season standings (selected)
| Conference | 1st place | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern | Buffalo Bandits | 13–5 |
| Western | Saskatchewan Rush | 13–5 |
Both Buffalo and Saskatchewan posted the league’s best records (13 wins, 5 losses). Toronto Rock and Calgary Roughnecks finished second in their respective conferences with 12–6 records.
Playoffs
The postseason retained the traditional best‑of‑three series format for each round. The Western Conference champion (Calgary Roughnecks) faced the Eastern Conference champion (Buffalo Bandits) in the Champion’s Cup final. Calgary defeated Buffalo two games to one, securing the franchise’s third NLL championship.
Individual awards
- Most Valuable Player – Zach Currier (Toronto Rock)
- Rookie of the Year – Bryn Baker (Vancouver Stealth)
- Goaltender of the Year – Matt Vinc (Buffalo Bandits)
- Transition Player of the Year – Zach Currier (Toronto Rock)
- Defensive Player of the Year – Brodie Mackay (Calgary Roughnecks)
Notable developments
- The league’s geographic footprint expanded further into the United States with the debut of the San Diego Seals, marking the first NLL franchise on the U.S. West Coast since the Seattle Thunderbirds ceased operations in 2005.
- Attendance and television viewership continued to grow, with games broadcast on the CBS Sports Network in the United States and TSN in Canada.
Legacy
The 2019 season is remembered for the competitive parity between the Eastern and Western conferences, the successful introduction of two expansion teams, and Calgary Roughnecks’ championship run, which included a dramatic three‑game final series against the top‑seeded Buffalo Bandits.