For the past few years, the National Lacrosse League has made its way to the Langley Events Centre for pre-season action. But 2013 was different.
The Washington Stealth were slated to host the league’s championship game against the Rochester Knighthawks, but with the Stealth’s home venue in Everett booked, and nothing else available nearby, the Stealth crossed the border to bring the championship game to the Langley Events Centre on May 11.
And a capacity crowd of 5,200 watched as the Knighthawks edged the Stealth 11-10 in the final.
And that was just a sign of things to come as on June 27, the National Lacrosse League announced the relocation of the Stealth franchise permanently from Everett to Langley. The team would be called the
Vancouver Stealth.
The team signed a five-year agreement to call the LEC home with the option of two five-year extensions.
The Stealth had twice played at the LEC — a pre-season game in 2011 and then the Champion’s Cup game in May — and the turnout had the organization anticipating good things about their future in the Lower Mainland.
“I can’t tell you how excited we are,” said the team’s general manager Doug Locker. “We had two great experiences playing in Langley … the atmosphere was just electric.”
The return of the Stealth ends a nine-year absence of pro lacrosse in the Lower Mainland as the Vancouver Ravens played out of General Motors Arena (which is now Rogers Arena) from 2002 to 2004.
