VICTORIA 9 SIX NATIONS 8
Victoria leads series 1-0
The 2024 edition of the annual marquee event of the Senior A lacrosse calendar, the Mann Cup Canadian championship, opened Friday in a public relations shambles off the floor.
The Western Lacrosse Association champion Victoria Shamrocks considered not participating in the national final but have instead decided to play the best-of-seven series under protest and appeal.
The Shamrocks defeated the Six Nations Chiefs, champions of Ontario’s Major Series Lacrosse, 9-8 in the first game Friday evening at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena on the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve in Hagersville, Ont., where all games in the series are being played.
The contentious issue is eligibility. The Shamrocks picked up New Westminster Salmonbellies stars Will Malcolm and Mike Messenger for the Mann Cup.
It was a return to a lacrosse and junior hockey tradition from the 1960s and 1970s, when championship teams were allowed to add up to three players from other teams in their leagues for national championship series or tournaments.
The Shamrocks were under the impression the practice was being reinstated this year.
But Lacrosse ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, on the eve of the national championship this week, said otherwise and ruled Malcolm and Messenger were ineligible to play in the Mann Cup.
“Regrettably, Lacrosse ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ has once again miserably failed its members, just 48 hours prior to the most iconic championship in the game,” the WLA said in a sharply worded statement on Friday.
“Their actions are arbitrary and unfair, and an unfortunate reflection of a lack of strategic leadership and a history of disgraceful incompetence, bias, and mismanagement.
“With the support of the WLA, the Victoria Shamrocks have chosen to respect the wishes of their players that have earned the right to compete for the Mann Cup and will play the series in Six Nations, however, they do so under appeal and protest. The Shamrocks, the WLA, and BCLA will continue to appeal the Lacrosse ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ decision and reserve the right to pursue further action following the Mann Cup.”
Because Ontario has dominated the Mann Cup, winning 15 of 16 national championships since 2006 (2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the pandemic), the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Lacrosse Association put forward a motion to downgrade to a Type 2 organization. Type 2 organizations are allowed to add up to three players from other league teams, a common practice for the Senior B national championship Founders Cup and Junior A national championship Minto Cup. It was thought it would now also apply to the WLA for the Senior A Mann Cup.
But Lacrosse ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ ruled: “This motion was carried at the sector level. However, the [national] board of directors still had not voted on this policy change and an immediate vote was held September 4 by all board members.
“The requested policy change did not pass, therefore BCLA will remain as a Type 1 rating and the Victoria Shamrocks will not be able to pick up players to their roster for the 2024 Mann Cup.” To which the WLA has countered: “Lacrosse ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ has not provided any rationale or reasoning for their decision, nor were the voting results publicized.”
No WLA team has won the Mann Cup on the road since the Salmonbellies in 1986 at Whitby, Ont. The Shamrocks must try to accomplish that, against the defending Mann Cup champion Chiefs, without Malcolm’s considerable offensive skills or Messenger’s shutdown defence.
“There has been no justification offered as to why the [Lacrosse ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½] Board voted to deny ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Senior A ‘Type 2’ status when they have granted ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ that status in other categories, i.e., Senior B, and despite the fact that ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ has won only four Mann Cups in the last 24 years, and one competition in the East in the last 38 years,” the WLA said.
FROM THE DOTTED LINE: Marshal King led the Shamrocks with six goals in Game 1. The second game of the series is tonight at 4 p.m. PT, and the third and fourth games Monday and Tuesday at 5 p.m. PT. If required, the fifth game would be Wednesday, sixth game next Friday and seventh game next Saturday … The games are broadcast on cable Rogers TV. All highlights will be available on MSL YouTube. Watch parties are being held at Browns Social House in Langford.
