Las Vegas Desert Dogs forward Charlie Bertrand (61) flies through the air and collides with Philadelphia Wings goalie Zach Higgins (31) during the second half of a NLL lacrosse game at the Michelob Ultra Arena Friday, Jan. 6, 2023.
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Music echoes throughout Michelob Ultra Arena as fans witness big hits along the boards, dazzling saves and highlight-reel goals. It might sound and even feel like a hockey game, but this is actually something brand new for the Las Vegas Valley—the excitement of a Desert Dogs lacrosse game.
The expansion team began playing in December as a member of the National Lacrosse League, the sport’s top box (i.e., indoor) level in the world. Excitement is buzzing from Las Vegas’ small but growing lacrosse community. Some who have attended the first handful of games are also surely new to the sport, but they’re catching on fast, partly because of its similarity to hockey.
Box lacrosse, not hockey, is actually the national sport of Canada, as Desert Dogs minority owner Wayne Gretzky repeatedly pointed out during a news conference announcing the team in 2020. Nearly 95% of the Desert Dogs’ roster is Canadian, athletes who grew up playing both sports.
A number of Vegas Golden Knights are in the same category, including forward Chandler Stephenson, who recently reminisced about how he’d trade his curved stick for a netted one once summer rolled around in Saskatchewan.
Both sports have the same high-octane atmosphere, and the Desert Dogs are unashamedly looking to pull from the Golden Knights’ rabid fan base to build their own following. They’re off to a good start with the game-day experience, which is both electrifying and family-friendly.
Here are four reasons why you should consider checking out the Desert Dogs during their inaugural season.
1. Hockey fans can pick it up fast
Desert Dogs' remaining home schedule
• February 4: Colorado Mammoth, 7 p.m.
• February 24: Calgary Roughnecks, 7:30 p.m.
• March 11: Vancouver Warriors, 7:30 p.m.
• March 25: Rochester Knighthawks, 7:30 p.m.
• April 8: San Diego Seals, 7:30 p.m.
• April 29: Saskatchewan Rush, 7:30 p.m.
• Tickets $25-$99 at axs.com.
• All games televised on myLVTV (Cox channel 12, DirecTV channel 21).
If you’ve enjoyed going to or watching Golden Knights games, you should adjust quickly to box lacrosse. Field lacrosse might be the more widespread version of the sport in America—it’s what’s played at the collegiate level—but it’s more spread-out and slower-developing than box lacrosse.
Box lacrosse much more closely resembles hockey from a physicality and strategic standpoint. There’s even the shared terminology of goals, assists, saves and power plays. Bone-crushing hits, stoppage scrums and even fights occur, too.
The biggest difference? There’s more scoring in box lacrosse than hockey. The average NLL contest features about 100 shots per game and 20 goals.
2. There’s a basketball element, too
Watch closely enough and you’ll see a lot of pick-and-roll action. Add in constant music, and Desert Dogs games share the feel of a modern-day NBA experience.
That’s probably no coincidence. Desert Dogs majority owner Joe Tsai is best known in the sports world for owning the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, along with the WNBA’s New York Liberty. Two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and former world No. 1 golfer Dustin Johnson are also part of the ownership group with Tsai and Gretzky, further illustrating box lacrosse’s appeal throughout the sports world.
3. It’s affordable
If you’re looking to go to a sporting event on a budget, the Desert Dogs have you covered, with tickets ranging from $25 to $99.
Michelob Ultra Arena doesn’t have a bad seat in the house for its primary sports tenant, the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, and the same holds true for the Desert Dogs. All the action, which takes place on a condensed field the same dimensions as a hockey rink, is visible from anywhere in the stands.
Prices at concession stands are also slashed compared with those at bigger venues like T-Mobile Arena, so tickets aren’t the only place where you’ll save money.
4, There’s typically drama until the final buzzer
In box lacrosse, a team can be down four goals with three minutes to go and still find a way to win. No lead feels safe.
When the Desert Dogs hosted the Philadelphia Wings on January 7, the home team scored twice within two minutes in the second half to make things interesting in a game in which they had mostly trailed significantly.
Las Vegas ultimately didn’t get any closer than a two-goal deficit, but it was easy to feel the increased energy from the crowd during a spirited comeback attempt. The Desert Dogs went winless in their first four games but should improve as the season goes on and the new players settle into their roles.
It might take a year or two for the expansion franchise to turn into a contender, but don’t be shocked if the Dogs come together and push for one of the 15-team league’s seven playoff spots. You never know what can happen in box lacrosse.
This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.
