The Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) is a men's Senior A box lacrosse league with seven teams in British Columbia. The playoff championship team each season advances to the play against the Major Series Lacrosse champions for the Mann Cup. The championship is hosted alternately between Ontario and British Columbia each year.
The teams The league consists of the following teams: Team Burnaby Lakers Coquitlam Adanacs Langley Thunder Maple Ridge Burrards Nanaimo Timbermen New Westminster Salmonbellies Victoria Shamrocks
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
Trophies and awards League championship trophies: Kilmarnock Trophy (1910–1970) Commission Rose Bowl (1971–2008) Ted Fridge Memorial Trophy (2008–present)
Regular season top-record trophies: CKNW "TOP DOG" TROPHY (1952–2008) Stan Shillington Trophy (2009–present)
League champions Teams in bold = Mann Cup winner
Statistics prior to 2005 by reference of the Canadian Lacrosse Almanac. Season Champion Runner-up Series Ref. 1969 New Westminster Labatt Blues Surrey Turf Hotel Riders3-0 1970 New Westminster SalmonbelliesCoquitlam Adanacs4-2 1971 New Westminster SalmonbelliesCoquitlam Adanacs4-2 1972 New Westminster SalmonbelliesVancouver Burrards4-3 1973 Vancouver BurrardsCoquitlam Adanacs4-2 1974 New Westminster SalmonbelliesVancouver Burrards3-0 1975 Vancouver BurrardsVictoria Shamrocks4-1 1976 New Westminster SalmonbelliesVancouver Burrards4-2 1977 Vancouver BurrardsVictoria Shamrocks4-3 1978 Victoria ShamrocksCoquitlam Adanacs4-0 1979 Victoria ShamrocksCoquitlam Adanacs4-1 1980 New Westminster SalmonbelliesVictoria Shamrocks4-2 1981 New Westminster SalmonbelliesCoquitlam Adanacs4-1 1982 New Westminster SalmonbelliesCoquitlam Adanacs4-1 1983 Victoria PaylessVancouver Burrards4-2 1984 Victoria PaylessNew Westminster Salmonbellies4-0 1985 New Westminster SalmonbelliesVictoria Payless4-3 1986 New Westminster SalmonbelliesVictoria Payless4-1 1987 New Westminster SalmonbelliesCoquitlam Adanacs4-2 1988 Coquitlam AdanacsNew Westminster Salmonbellies4-3 1989 New Westminster SalmonbelliesCoquitlam Adanacs4-0 1990 Vancouver BurrardsBurnaby Lakers4-2 1991 New Westminster SalmonbelliesCoquitlam Adanacs4-3 1992 New Westminster SalmonbelliesBurnaby Lakers4-1 1993 Coquitlam AdanacsBurnaby Lakers4-3 1994 New Westminster SalmonbelliesCoquitlam Adanacs4-1 1995 New Westminster SalmonbelliesVictoria Shamrocks4-0 1996 Victoria ShamrocksNorth Shore Indians4-0 1997 Victoria ShamrocksNorth Shore Indians4-1 1998 Coquitlam AdanacsVictoria Shamrocks4-2 1999 Victoria ShamrocksCoquitlam Adanacs4-1 2000 Victoria ShamrocksCoquitlam Adanacs4-1 2001 Coquitlam AdanacsVictoria Shamrocks4-2 2002 Victoria ShamrocksCoquitlam Adanacs4-2 2003 Victoria ShamrocksCoquitlam Adanacs4-1 2004 Victoria ShamrocksBurnaby Lakers4-1 2005 Victoria Shamrocks Coquitlam Adanacs 4–1 2006 Victoria Shamrocks New Westminster Salmonbellies 4–1 2007 Coquitlam Adanacs New Westminster Salmonbellies 4–0 2008 New Westminster Salmonbellies Coquitlam Adanacs 4–0 2009 New Westminster Salmonbellies Coquitlam Adanacs 4–0 2010 New Westminster Salmonbellies Victoria Shamrocks 4–0 2011 Langley Thunder New Westminster Salmonbellies 4–2 2012 Langley Thunder Coquitlam Adanacs 4–7 2013 Victoria Shamrocks Langley Thunder 4–2 2014 Victoria Shamrocks Maple Ridge Burrards 4–1 2015 Victoria Shamrocks New Westminster Salmonbellies 4–0 2016 Maple Ridge Burrards Victoria Shamrocks 4–2 2017 New Westminster Salmonbellies Victoria Shamrocks 4–1 2018 Maple Ridge Burrards Victoria Shamrocks 4–1 2019 Victoria Shamrocks Maple Ridge Burrards 4–1 2020 no season (COVID-19 pandemic) 2021 2022 Langley Thunder Nanaimo Timbermen 4–1 2023 New Westminster Salmonbellies Langley Thunder 4–3 2024 Victoria Shamrocks Langley Thunder 4–0 2025 New Westminster Salmonbellies Coquitlam Adanacs 4–1 2026Coquitlam AdanacsVictoria Shamrocks4-2
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 1959–1965 New Westminster O'Keefes 1966–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
See also Lacrosse Box lacrosse British Columbia Lacrosse Association Major Series Lacrosse Ontario Lacrosse Association
References
External links Western Lacrosse Association official website