Western Lacrosse Association

Updated on Dec 03, 2023

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Sport Box lacrosse Commissioner Ernie Truant Country Canada		Founded 1932 No. of teams 7
Most recent champion(s) Maple Ridge Burrards (2016)

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:

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

References

Western Lacrosse Association Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA