Rochester could be without a lacrosse team for the 2018-19 NLL season.
By InsideLacrosse.com
The status of the Rochester Knighthawks in the NLL remains uncertain.
After the initial report earlier in the week of the Knighthawks staying put and an expansion team being placed in Halifax, a behind-the-scenes battle at the league level might be brewing.
According to sources close to the league, Knighthawks owner Curt Styres desires to move the franchise to Halifax. The initial report stated Halifax would be an expansion team, which remains what the league wants.
However, Styres isn’t so quick to give up the franchise he built into a championship contender to start from scratch.
The league still wishes for the Knighthawks to be sold to the Pegula Sports and Entertainment Group, the owners of the Buffalo Bandits, while Styres would adopt an expansion franchise. The league also has been willing to grant Styres the franchise without the typical expansion fee.
When reached for comment, commissioner Nick Sakiewicz said the following;
“The NLL is growing as a result of a growth strategy that has been evolving over the last 24 months. We are fortunate to have great partners in Curt Styres and PSEG who operate great organizations and first class franchises. Both remain committed league owners and they are both very much in our long term plans going forward. They are both committed to growing the NLL as we focus on executing our five year strategy for expansion”
Halifax has been on the radar for the NLL for years, as noted in last week’s report, and the league hopes for the town to have an expansion team by the 2019-2020 season. However, Styres has expressed a desire to move the Knighthawks to Canada by as soon as the upcoming season.
One way or another, the rule of not allowing owners to control more than one organization appears to be lifted, as either scenario would allow the Pegulas to operate a team out of Rochester, whether it be an expansion team or the Knighthawks.
The board of NLL owners has, according to a source, stood behind Styres as opposed to the wishes of the commissioner’s office.
IL Indoor will continue to keep you up to date as this story develops.