The Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League is the latest organization to suspend operations for the summer.
The league, that governs both junior and senior member lacrosse teams in Alberta and Saskatchewan, sent out a news release on Friday to announce the decision.
Major lacrosse cancelled all regular season, playoffs and provincial games through April, May and June. They are also still looking at a potential July and August return.
The cancellation affects seven teams in Central Alberta, including the Red Deer Rampage Junior B Tier I, Red Deer Renegades Tier II, Sylvan Lake Yettis Tier II, Red Deer Rage Senior Ladies, Red Deer Riot Junior Ladies, Blackfalds Silverbacks Senior C and the Olds Senior C Stingers.
“It sucks. It’s especially hard for the fifth year players that won’t get their final year and as well as the rookies coming in,” said Mike Wood, president of Red Deer Major Lacrosse.
“If we start up next year, we have two years of rookies. It is the same for everybody, but it sucks for all the graduating players because they didn’t get to play their final year.”
Wood added that it’s another blow to the Red Deer Riot, who were set to play their inaugural season in the RMLL junior ladies division.
“We had some exciting things, this was supposed to be our first year with a junior girls team. Now, those girls that were quite excited, there were 24 or 25 of them that were excited to start a season back in Red Deer and now that’s gone,” Wood said.
Thursday, the Alberta Box Lacrosse Association, which oversees all indoor lacrosse in the province, issued a directive that the minor box lacrosse season was to be cancelled, with the potential for modified programming in July and August.
Pat Hanson, an ALA division commissioner told the Sylvan Lake News said the already short season would be just too short if it was to start later than usual.
Hanson also serves as manager for the Yettis and as the defending provincial champions who were set to host provincials, the news of the RMLL season getting cancelled was a tough pill to swallow.
“It is disappointing for sure. Many of our players were looking forward to this year, coming off of last year’s provincial win,” Hanson told the Sylvan Lake News.
The National Lacrosse League, the sports’ professional body also cancelled its season on Thursday.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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