This is a list of seasons of the National Lacrosse League (NLL), a professional box lacrosse league, since its inception in 1987. The list also includes the seasons of Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League and the Major Indoor Lacrosse League, the predecessor leagues of the NLL, which had teams continue play in the NLL.
1987–88: Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse No. Season No. ofteams Reg. seasongames Start(reg. season) Finish(incl. playoffs) Top record Champion 1 1987 4 6 January 10 March 21 New Jersey Saints (5–1) Philadelphia Wings 2 1988 4 8 January 3 March 20 Washington Wave (6–2) New Jersey Saints
1989–97: Major Indoor Lacrosse League No. Season No. ofteams Reg. seasongames Start(reg. season) Finish(incl. playoffs) Top record Champion 3 1989 6 8 January 7 April 7 Philadelphia Wings (6–2) Philadelphia Wings 4 1990 6 8 January 5 April 13 New England Blazers (6–2) Philadelphia Wings 5 1991 6 10 December 29, 1990 April 6 Detroit Turbos (8–2) Detroit Turbos 6 1992 7 8 December 27, 1991 April 11 Detroit Turbos (6–2) Buffalo Bandits 7 1993 7 8 January 9 April 10 Buffalo Bandits (8–0) Buffalo Bandits 8 1994 6 8 January 8 April 16 Buffalo Bandits (6–2) Philadelphia Wings 9 1995 6 8 January 7 April 8 Philadelphia Wings (7–1) Philadelphia Wings 10 1996 7 10 December 30, 1995 April 12 Buffalo Bandits (8–2) Buffalo Bandits 11 1997 6 10 January 4 April 12 Philadelphia Wings (7–3) Rochester Knighthawks
Notes 1. The Detroit Turbos and New England Blazers started play. The New Jersey Saints relocated to Long Island, New York, renamed the New York Saints. 2. The Pittsburgh Bulls started play. The Washington Wave dissolved. 3. The Buffalo Bandits started play. The New England Blazers relocated to Boston, Massachusetts, renamed the Boston Blazers. 4. The Pittsburgh Bulls were dissolved. 5. The Rochester Knighthawks started play. The Detroit Turbos were dissolved. 6. The Charlotte Cobras started play. 7. The Charlotte Cobras dissolved.
1998–present: National Lacrosse League No. Season No. ofteams Reg. seasongames Start(reg. season) Finish(incl. playoffs) Top record Champion 12 1998 7 12 January 3 April 28 Philadelphia Wings (9–3) Philadelphia Wings 13 1999 7 12 December 26, 1998 April 23 Toronto Rock (9–3) Toronto Rock 14 2000 8 12 January 7 May 6 Toronto Rock (9–3) Toronto Rock 15 2001 9 14 December 21, 2000 April 27 Toronto Rock (11–3) Philadelphia Wings 16 2002 13 16 November 16, 2001 April 13 Albany Attack (14–2) Toronto Rock 17 2003 12 16 December 27, 2002 May 3 Rochester Knighthawks (12–4) Toronto Rock 18 2004 10 16 December 26, 2003 May 7 Colorado Mammoth (13–3) Calgary Roughnecks 19 2005 10 16 January 1 May 14 Toronto Rock (12–4) Toronto Rock 20 2006 11 16 December 30, 2005 May 13 Buffalo Bandits (11–5) Colorado Mammoth 21 2007 13 16 December 30, 2006 May 12 Rochester Knighthawks (14–2) Rochester Knighthawks 22 2008 12 16 December 29, 2007 May 17 Buffalo Bandits (10–6) Buffalo Bandits 23 2009 12 16 January 3 May 15 Calgary Roughnecks (12–4) Calgary Roughnecks 24 2010 11 16 January 8 May 15 Washington Stealth (11–5) Washington Stealth 25 2011 10 16 January 8 May 14 Calgary Roughnecks (11–5) Toronto Rock 26 2012 9 16 January 8 May 19 Calgary Roughnecks (12–4) Rochester Knighthawks 27 2013 9 16 January 4 May 11 Toronto Rock (10–6) Rochester Knighthawks 28 2014 9 18 December 28, 2013 May 31 Edmonton Rush (16–2) Rochester Knighthawks 29 2015 9 18 January 2 June 5 Toronto Rock (14–4) Edmonton Rush 30 2016 9 18 January 1 June 4 Buffalo Bandits (13–5) Saskatchewan Rush 31 2017 9 18 December 29, 2016 June 10 Georgia Swarm (13–5) Georgia Swarm 32 2018 9 18 December 8, 2017 June 9 Saskatchewan Rush (14–4) Saskatchewan Rush 33 2019 11 18 December 15, 2018 May 25 Buffalo Bandits (14–4) Calgary Roughnecks 34 2020 13 18 November 29, 2019 March 12 New England Black Wolves (8–3) Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic – 2021 Season not played due to COVID-19 pandemic 35 2022 14 18 December 3, 2021 June 18 Buffalo Bandits (14–4) Colorado Mammoth 36 2023 15 18 December 2, 2022 June 3 Buffalo Bandits (14–4) Buffalo Bandits 37 2024 15 18 December 1, 2023 May 18 Toronto Rock (15–3) Buffalo Bandits 38 2025 14 18 November 29, 2024 May 24 Buffalo Bandits (13–5) Buffalo Bandits 39 2026 14 18 November 28, 2025 May 17 Vancouver Warriors (13–5) Toronto Rock
Notes 8. The Boston Blazers were dissolved. The Ontario Raiders and Syracuse Smash started play. 9. The Ontario Raiders relocated to Toronto, Ontario, renamed the Toronto Rock. 10. The Albany Attack started play. The Baltimore Thunder relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, renamed the Pittsburgh CrosseFire. 11. The Columbus Landsharks began play. The Pittsburgh CrosseFire relocated to Washington, D.C., renamed the Washington Power. The Syracuse Smash relocated to Ottawa, Ontario, renamed the Ottawa Rebel. 12. The Calgary Roughnecks, Montreal Express, New Jersey Storm, and Vancouver Ravens started play. 13. The Montreal Express dissolved. The Washington Power relocated to Denver, Colorado, renamed the Colorado Mammoth. 14. The Ottawa Rebel and New York Saints dissolved. The Albany Attack relocated to San Jose, California, renamed the San Jose Stealth. The Columbus Landsharks relocated to Glendale, Arizona, renamed the Arizona Sting. The New Jersey Storm relocated to Anaheim, California, renamed the Anaheim Storm. 15. The Minnesota Swarm started play. The Vancouver Ravens dissolved. 16. The Edmonton Rush and the Portland LumberJax started play. The Anaheim Storm dissolved. 17. The Chicago Shamrox and the New York Titans started play. 18. The Arizona Sting dissolved. 19. The Boston Blazers started play. 20. The Portland LumberJax dissolved. The New York Titans relocated to Orlando, Florida, renamed the Orlando Titans. The San Jose Stealth relocated to Everett, Washington, renamed the Washington Stealth. 21. The Orlando Titans dissolved. 22. The Boston Blazers dissolved. 23. The Washington Stealth relocated to Langley, British Columbia, renamed the Vancouver Stealth. 24. The Philadelphia Wings relocated to Uncasville, Connecticut, renamed the New England Black Wolves. 25. The Edmonton Rush relocated to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, renamed the Saskatchewan Rush. The Minnesota Swarm relocated to Duluth, Georgia, renamed the Georgia Swarm. 26. The Philadelphia Wings and the San Diego Seals started play. 27. The New York Riptide and the Rochester Knighthawks started play. The original Rochester Knighthawks franchise relocated to Halifax, Nova Scotia, renamed the Halifax Thunderbirds. 28. The Panther City Lacrosse Club started play. The New England Black Wolves relocated to Albany, New York, renamed the Albany FireWolves. 29. The Las Vegas Desert Dogs started play. 30. The New York Riptide relocated to Ottawa, Ontario, renamed the Ottawa Black Bears. The Panther City Lacrosse Club dissolved. 31. The Albany FireWolves relocated to Oshawa, Ontario, renamed the Oshawa FireWolves.