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NLL cancels abbreviated spring season, will focus on traditional season in the fall

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The National Lacrosse League announced the cancellation of its planned abbreviated spring season Wednesday due to the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19.

The league says it will now shift its focus to start a traditional season in the fall of this year.

NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz issued the following statement:

We have gone through many scenarios, including playing a bubble season in Canada in April, but the logistical challenges, including the recently announced tighter travel and quarantine restrictions across the Canadian border have required us to pivot. We have decided to focus on playing a full season in our markets, starting in the fall of this year. While many of the factors we can control were moving along well, those outside of our control, especially pertaining to obtaining government approval as far in advance as we would have needed, are no longer feasible. All the efforts and innovations we were planning will now go towards a full season starting this fall and into next year. We thank our players, teams and Board of Governors, whose thoughts in this process were invaluable, and we now set our sights on getting lined up for a full NLL season starting in the fall. We also thank our fans for sticking with us – we will be back, and it will be even more exciting than ever before.
- NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz

Zach Currier, President of the Professional Lacrosse Players' Association, released the following statement:

We appreciate the League’s extensive efforts to provide us the opportunity to play an abbreviated 2021 season in a safe and controlled environment throughout the changing landscape during this Pandemic. While we are disappointed that it will not be possible to play this spring, we are even more excited and passionate about having a full 2021-22 season and are eager to get back on the floor this fall.
- PLPA President Zach Currier

The NLL says an exact start date will be announced at a later date but the plan is to start a full season in the fall which will go into the spring of 2022.

In April of 2020 the NLL canceled the remainder of the 2019-2020 regular season due to COVID-19. In June of 2020 it was officially announced the entire 2019-2020 season was canceled.