MINNESOTA SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT (MSE) PURCHASES NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE (NLL) TEAM CLUB TO BEGIN PLAY AT XCEL ENERGY CENTER IN DECEMBER FOR 2004-05 NLL SEASON
SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE) Chairman Bob Naegele, Jr. and National Lacrosse League (NLL) Commissioner Jim Jennings jointly announced the placement of the NLL eleventh franchise at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The team is owned and operated by MSE, owners and operators of the National Hockey League (NHL) Minnesota Wild and the Xcel Energy Center. The yet-to-be-named Minnesota team will join the league for the upcoming 2004-05 season and begin play in December of 2004.
"We are thrilled to bring professional indoor lacrosse to the Xcel Energy Center," said Naegele, Jr. "Minnesota has one of the fastest growing lacrosse communities in the nation and we believe fans will truly enjoy this powerful, high-scoring and fast paced sport."
"We're excited to welcome another great NHL partner into the growing world of professional indoor lacrosse, said Commissioner Jim Jennings. "The Minnesota Wild have quickly established themselves as one of the best organizations in professional hockey. We're confident that the excellence they've achieved in hockey will also lead to success here in the National Lacrosse League." Jennings added, "the majority of our eleven member teams are owned and/or operated by the NHL teams in their respective markets. It has become the ideal model for success, both on and off the floor. Our league average attendance exceeded 10,000 fans per game last season, and continues to grow."
The Minnesota Lacrosse team will build its roster via an Expansion Draft, the annual NLL Entry Draft and the signing of free agents. Minnesota Lacrosse season ticket deposits are being accepted now at www.LACROSSEMN.com, the Xcel Energy Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge by calling Ticketmaster at (651) 989-5151. A $25.00 per seat deposit guarantees your priority for Minnesota Lacrosse season tickets. Lower level eight-game season ticket packages start at $80.00. For more information on becoming a Minnesota Lacrosse season ticket holder please call (651) 222-WILD.
Professional indoor lacrosse combines the physical play of hockey with the high scoring, fast pace and play-making style of basketball. Indoor lacrosse is played inside the confines of a NHL hockey rink, with glass and rink boards intact. The playing surface consists of a green dieter turf carpet that is laid down over the hockey ice. The two teams combine to score a total of 25 goals in the average NLL game. NLL teams each play eight home games as part of a 16-game regular season schedule. All games are played on the weekends. The league's regular season typically runs 16 weeks, starting in late December and ending in April, with the Champion's Cup Playoffs to follow.
