Western Lacrosse Association
|
Western Lacrosse Association | |
| Sport | Box lacrosse |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1932 |
| Commissioner | Ernie Truant |
| No. of teams | 7 |
| Country |
 Canada |
| Most recent champion(s) | Victoria Shamrocks (2015) |
| Official website | TheBoxRocks.com |
The Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) is a men's Senior A box lacrosse sanctioned by the Canadian Lacrosse Association. It consists of seven teams, based in cities throughout southwestern British Columbia. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the right to compete against the Major Series Lacrosse champion for the Mann Cup every September. The championship is hosted alternately between Ontario and British Columbia every year.
The calibre of lacrosse in the WLA is very high, as the majority of its players also play in the National Lacrosse League during the winter months, while the WLA schedule runs from mid-May to August.
The teams
The league consists of the following teams:
| Team |
| Burnaby Lakers |
| Coquitlam Adanacs |
| Langley Thunder |
| Maple Ridge Burrards |
| Nanaimo Timbermen |
| New Westminster Salmonbellies |
| Victoria Shamrocks |
League history
- Box lacrosse adopted by British Columbia Amateur Lacrosse Association on May 4, 1932
- 1932-1933: Senior Box Lacrosse League (under BCALA umbrella)
- 1934-1967: Inter-City Lacrosse League (ICLL)
- 1968: National Lacrosse Association (Western Division)
- 1969–present: Western Lacrosse Association
League champions
1969: New Westminster Labatt Blues
1970: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1971: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1972: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1973: Vancouver Burrards
1974: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1975: Vancouver Burrards
1976: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1977: Vancouver Burrards
1978: Victoria Shamrocks
1979: Victoria Shamrocks
1980: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1981: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1982: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1983: Victoria Payless
1984: Victoria Payless
1985: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1986: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1987: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1988: Coquitlam Adanacs
1989: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1990: Vancouver Burrards
1991: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1992: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1993: Coquitlam Adanacs
1994: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1995: New Westminster Salmonbellies
1996: Victoria Shamrocks
1997: Coquitlam Adanacs
1998: Victoria Shamrocks
1999: Victoria Shamrocks
2000: Victoria Shamrocks
2001: Coquitlam Adanacs
2002: Victoria Shamrocks
2003: Victoria Shamrocks
2004: Victoria Shamrocks
2005: Victoria Shamrocks
2006: Victoria Shamrocks
2007: Coquitlam Adanacs
2008: New Westminster Salmonbellies
2009: New Westminster Salmonbellies
2010: New Westminster Salmonbellies
2011: Langley Thunder
2012: Langley Thunder
2013: Victoria Shamrocks
2014: Victoria Shamrocks
2015: Victoria Shamrocks
2016: Maple Ridge Burrards
Teams in bold = Mann Cup winner
Current team history
New Westminster Salmonbellies
- 1888–1931 founded on May 12, 1888; played as field lacrosse club
- 1932–1950 New Westminster Salmonbellies (merged with New Westminster Adanacs)
- 1951–1951 New Westminster Commandos
- 1952–1953 New Westminster Salmonacs
- 1954–1954 New Westminster Royals
- 1955–1958 New Westminster Salmonbellies
- 1959–1966 New Westminster O’Keefes
- 1967–present New Westminster Salmonbellies
Maple Ridge Burrards
- 1937–1937 Vancouver Burrard Olympics
- 1938–1949 Vancouver Burrards
- 1950–1950 Vancouver Burrard Westerns (merged with Richmond Farmers)
- 1951–1951 Vancouver Combines
- 1952–1958 Vancouver Pilseners
- 1959–1969 Vancouver Carlings
- 1970–1993 Vancouver Burrards (transferred to Surrey)
- 1994–1995 Surrey Burrards (transferred to Maple Ridge)
- 1996–present Maple Ridge Burrards
Victoria Shamrocks
- 1950–1982 Victoria Shamrocks
- 1983–1993 Victoria Payless
- 1994–present Victoria Shamrocks
Coquitlam Adanacs
- 1965–1967 Coquitlam Adanacs (transferred to Portland)
- 1968–1968 Portland Adanacs (transferred to Coquitlam)
- 1969–present Coquitlam Adanacs
Burnaby Lakers
- 1986–1989 Richmond Outlaws (transferred to Burnaby)
- 1990–present Burnaby Lakers
Langley Thunder
- 1994–1999 North Shore Indians (transferred to Kelowna)
- 2000–2001 Okanagan Thunder (transferred to North Vancouver)
- 2002–2003 North Shore Thunder (transferred to Langley)
- 2004–present Langley Thunder
Nanaimo Timbermen
- 2005–present Nanaimo Timbermen
Defunct teams
the Indians
- 1932–1932 North Vancouver Squamish Indians
- 1935–1941 North Shore Indians (suspended operations during World War II)
- 1945–1945 Indian Arrows
- 1946–1951 North Shore Indians
- 1952–1954 PNE Indians
- 1955–1955 Mount Pleasant Indians (merged with Vancouver Pilseners)
Vancouver Athletic Club / Abbotsford Hotel
- 1932–1932 Vancouver Athletic Club (renamed Abbotsford Hotel)
- 1933–1933 Vancouver Abbotsford Hotel
New Westminster Adanacs
- 1933–1941 New Westminster Adanacs (suspended operations during World War II)
- 1945–1950 New Westminster Adanacs (merged with New Westminster Salmonbellies)
Richmond Farmers
- 1933–1934 Vancouver St. Helen’s Hotel (transferred to Richmond)
- 1935–1936 Richmond Farmers (merged with Vancouver Home Gas)
- 1937–1937 Richmond-Homes Combines
- 1938–1941 Richmond Farmers
- 1942–1942 Burrard Drydock ‘Wallaces United’
- 1943–1949 Richmond Farmers (transferred to Vancouver-Kerrisdale)
- 1950–1950 Richmond-Kerrisdale ‘Arkays’ (merged with Vancouver Burrard Westerns)
Vancouver Bluebirds / Home Gas
- 1934–1935 Vancouver Province Bluebirds
- 1936–1936 Vancouver Home Gas (merged with Richmond Farmers)
"Norvans"
- 1942–1942 North Vancouver Ship Repair Yard ‘Norvans’
Military teams
- 1943–1944 Vancouver Army
- 1944–1944 Vancouver HMCS Discovery Navy
Nanaimo
- 1951–1954 Nanaimo Native Sons
- 1955–1958 Nanaimo Timbermen
- 1959–1964 Nanaimo Labatts
- 1975–1981 Nanaimo Timbermen
Burnaby
- 1962–1962 Burnaby Norburns
See also
- Lacrosse
- Box lacrosse
- British Columbia Lacrosse Association
- Major Series Lacrosse
- Ontario Lacrosse Association