WESTERN LACROSSE ASSOCIATION & MAJOR SERIES LACROSSE STATEMENT REGARDING PLL

Lacrosse occupies a truly unique and historical place in Canadian sport. Identified as the Creator’s  Game, Lacrosse is wholly a product of North American Indigenous peoples, and as Canada’s  official national summer sport, Canadian athletes of all races and origins play lacrosse with  passion and pride. For the past 110 years, the best box lacrosse teams in Canada have battled for  the Mann Cup, one of the most significant and prestigious championships in Canadian sport. 

Unfortunately, the US-based Premier Lacrosse League (the “PLL”) has recently taken steps that  would prevent certain Canadian players from competing for the Mann Cup. More specifically, the  PLL has added a provision to its standard player agreements that would prohibit any PLL player from competing in non-PLL sponsored lacrosse events and other sporting events during the PLL  season. 

Given the considerable overlap between the seasons of the PLL and Canada’s two major summer  lacrosse leagues (Ontario’s Major Series Lacrosse and British Columbia’s Western Lacrosse  Association), this new provision in the PLL standard player agreement unfairly restricts the ability  of Canadian players to play in both the PLL and the Canadian Leagues. Over the past several  seasons, approximately 50 Canadian players played in both the PLL and the Canadian summer  leagues, and if this restriction is put in place this season, they will be unable to do so. American 

PLL players are not similarly affected because the US lacks comparable summer lacrosse leagues  in which they could play, although, some US players have benefitted from their participation in  the MSL and WLA. 

Major Series Lacrosse and the Western Lacrosse Association respectfully ask that PLL leadership  engage in good-faith discussions with its Canadian players and our leagues to find a solution to  this situation that is preventing Canadian players from playing with their hometown amateur  teams and competing for the Mann Cup, one of the most iconic and prestigious championships  in all of Canadian sports. 

Paul Dal Monte - Commissioner, Western Lacrosse Association 

604.862.6863 

commissioner@wlalacrosse.com 

Doug Luey - Commissioner, Major Series Lacrosse 

905.925.5839 dluey@rogers.com