National Lacrosse League's Albany FireWolves moving to Oshawa

Oshawa will soon be home to a professional lacrosse team as the Albany FireWolves are moving to the city. 

The FireWolves are relocating ahead of the 2025-2026 season, according to a news release from the National Lacrosse League (NLL) on Tuesday.

The team will play its home games at the Tribute Communities Centre in downtown Oshawa. 

"Oshawa sits within one of the core epicentres of the indoor lacrosse world in Ontario … The energy and passion of the sports' fans in this area make this an ideal home for the franchise and our league," NLL Commissioner Brett Frood said in the news release. 

The FireWolves will keep their name for the upcoming season, the NLL said. Details about branding and community initiatives will be announced in the coming weeks. 

They are now the second NLL team based in the Greater Toronto Area, alongside the Toronto Rock. 

The other Canadian teams in the league are the Calgary Roughnecks, Ottawa Black Bears, Halifax Thunderbirds, Vancouver Warriors and Saskatchewan Rush. 

The Albany FireWolves thanked their supporters "for [their] passion, loyalty, and dedication" in a statement on Instagram. 

"There were several challenges, both at the state and local level that made the economics of staying in Albany untenable, which makes this decision bittersweet," the statement read. 

Lacrosse more than just a sport for many Indigenous communities

The team said it is excited to begin a new chapter in Durham Region and share the Tribute Communities Centre with the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals. 

"We will work tirelessly to earn the respect of the community and to create a team and game-day experience that families, fans, and businesses can rally behind," the statement read. 

The FireWolves were the