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Lacrosse fans across Peterborough and the Kawarthas have a new team just down the highway to cheer for. The Oshawa FireWolves were officially unveiled this week as the National Lacrosse League’s newest franchise, set to begin play in November 2025.
The announcement makes Oshawa home to the closest NLL team to Peterborough — only 80 kilometres away — giving local fans a chance to catch professional box lacrosse without the long trip to Ottawa, home of the Black Bears, or Hamilton, where the Toronto Rock play. Cobourg fans are even closer, with Oshawa just a 60-kilometre drive.
The FireWolves, who are relocating to Oshawa from Albany, New York, will play out of the Tribute Communities Centre, the same arena that houses the Oshawa Generals — a familiar OHL rival of the Peterborough Petes.
The FireWolves will become the seventh Canadian NLL team, joining Calgary, Halifax, Ottawa, Saskatchewan, Toronto, and Vancouver. According to NLL commissioner Brett Frood, bringing a team to Oshawa was a natural choice for the league, given the city’s strong connection to the game and its history of producing top lacrosse talent.
The team will also benefit from a $50-million upgrade currently underway at the Tribute Communities Centre. Mayor Dan Carter says the project — which was already planned before the franchise announcement — will now include a state-of-the-art dressing room and medical facilities for the FireWolves.
As for the team name, FireWolves Owner and CEO Oliver Marti said it carries a special meaning for the franchise, honouring the region’s deep lacrosse roots and Indigenous heritage.
The FireWolves arrive in Oshawa with plenty of momentum, boasting the last two NLL Rookies of the Year in Alex Simmons and Dyson Williams, a recent trip to the NLL Finals in 2024, and head coach and general manager Glenn Clark — who was named both NLL Coach of the Year and GM of the Year in 2024. There’s also some local flare on the roster, with Peterborough native Ethan Walker an integral part of the team.
Fans can learn more about tickets and team news at oshawafirewolves.com.
(Written by: Scott Arnold)
