Caden Balint – Albany Correspondent, StreamPunk Sports / All Lacrosse All The Time
I want to start by saying thank you to Oliver Marti, Steven Wizniuk and everybody in the FireWolves organization for allowing me to follow my dream. I would also like to say thank you to the fans (Liam, Mark, AS and ES) who took their time to take my interview questions.
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES, ALBANY
On August 18, reports and rumors began circulating, all starting with an article from Stephen Stamp of Inside Lacrosse who talked about the possibility of the Albany FireWolves relocating to Oshawa as soon as the 2025–26 NLL season. For most fans and reporters, this news seemed to come out of nowhere. And then, what felt inevitable happened. On August 19, both the NLL and the FireWolves announced that the organization would, in fact, be moving to Oshawa for the upcoming season. After just four years, professional box lacrosse will once again leave Albany.
The news came as a shock for a number of reasons. The FireWolves and MVP Arena had just reached a six-year extension (three guaranteed years with a three-year option), making the relocation seem even more surprising. Not only that, but the move came just two years after the FireWolves had reached the NLL Finals against the Buffalo Bandits. To many, it felt like the league and the organization were abandoning everything they had built in Albany.
Fan Reactions
After the announcement, I spoke with several fans, Liam, Mark, and two who preferred to be referred to as AS and ES. When I had asked them to describe their reaction on a scale of 1–10, and it was unanimous. Their responses reflected anger, shock, and devastation. Many said they felt blindsided and betrayed.
“It felt like a pull of the rug,” one fan explained. The group agreed that after all the community work and outreach the team had done, especially over the past two seasons, that the move seemed unnecessary. Concerns about attendance had always lingered, but fans felt the organization’s commitment to the area gave them confidence the team would stay in Albany, at least for the near future.
A Focus on Community
The word that came up most in conversations was community. From the beginning, the FireWolves emphasized their presence in the Capital Region, not only promoting the team but also helping grow the sport of box lacrosse.
Head Coach and GM Glenn Clark frequently appeared on local news to talk about the team, and often brought players along to energize fans and generate excitement for upcoming games. The team’s mascot Alphie also became a staple in the community, showing up at events and schools across the area. Players regularly joined him, teaching kids about lacrosse, playing with them, and creating memories that stuck.
ES recalled one of his favorite moments:
“The last game of the season included an autograph session with everyone after the game. My daughter was a real trooper and stuck it out long enough to see Alphie. She had her Alphie stuffie with her and wanted to show him. Not only did Alphie sign her doll, he picked her up on his lap for pictures! Whoever played the mascot was a real gem.”
Regardless of results on the floor, the FireWolves and their players were always welcoming, especially during postgame autograph sessions.
Moments That Lasted
The FireWolves also delivered plenty of unforgettable moments inside MVP Arena. One of the biggest moments that came up was one of, if not the biggest moment for the FireWolves in the 2024-2025 season as Dyson Williams was able to fuel a massive comeback for Albany when they played host to the back-to-back defending NLL champs, the Buffalo Bandits. Dyson was able to put a hat trick away capped off by a behind the back overtime winning goal to propel the FireWolves past the Bandits, and his celebration said it all. As the crowd erupted it felt as if Dyson was prepared to jump through the netting and celebrate with the FireWolves faithful through the night. This was not only one of the biggest wins of the season for Albany, but it cemented a major moment for fans, and that was what they talked about.
AS summed it up simply: “Dyson’s BTB to beat Buffalo lol. Honestly it was the vibe in the arena. It was always a good time, even if we lost.”
Liam agreed:
“My favorite memory has to be the win against Buffalo this past season when no one thought we had a chance. Unbelievable finish to the game, I’ll never forget it. I had a hell of a night afterwards partying with the team too, such an incredible night.”
Moments like these brought the community together and gave fans something to look forward to every weekend.
Growing the Game
While Albany already had strong ties to lacrosse through UAlbany and the legendary Thompson brothers, box lacrosse was new to many. Fans credited the FireWolves with deepening their understanding of the sport.
“I’ve played my whole life, but watching the FireWolves helped me understand box and how it differs from field,” said Liam.
Mark echoed this, adding:
“I’ve been playing since 1996 so I knew a lot, but I learned more about box watching them. My wife went from not knowing it existed to yelling at referees, and being right.”
For others, the FireWolves were their introduction to lacrosse altogether.
AS shared: “My son started playing field and it took us half our first season to really figure out what was going on.”
ES said:
“My son was with CityLAX so I was just starting to understand the basics. We were offered free tickets to a game and I went to every game I could after that. I was always a hockey fan, but I discovered quickly that box was far more entertaining. Faster paced, more goals, incredibly physical.”
This just shows how rabid the FireWolves faithful in Albany were, they could go from not knowing a lick about the sport, to going nuts every Saturday and filling the streets and MVP arena with chants of “LET’S GO FIREWOLVES” and “DOUGIE, DOUGIE, DOUGIE!!” The FireWolves didn’t just entertain but they educated. They created a new crop of fans and even new players, leaving a lasting influence in Albany.
Would Albany Want Another Team?
When asked if they’d want another NLL team in Albany, fans gave mixed answers.
Liam said: “I would love to have another team back in Albany but don’t expect to, at least for a long time. Fans are going to be jaded after the way the FireWolves just hung us out to dry.”
ES agreed: “I really just want the Firewolves to stay. I’ve invested a lot of time and money into this team. If the Firewolves couldn’t gain the support they needed to stay, why would another team take their place? I’m not sure I could commit to another team. AFW and the NLL really dropped the ball here.”
Mark added:
“It’s very hard to say. I really love lacrosse, it is a part of who I am. When indigenous players talk about it being a medicine game they are telling the truth. Whether I’m watching it, playing, or just messing around the yard with a stick in hand it seems to make everything better. I would love another local box team, but this experience and the history of NLL teams leaving Albany has made me wary of trusting the league to be able to keep a team here.”
Albany’s History With Pro Teams
The FireWolves’ departure is the latest chapter in a long history of Albany teams coming and going. The Albany Attack lasted four years before relocating to San Jose. Hockey teams like the Choppers, River Rats, and Devils all moved on. Arena football has had several runs, from the original Firebirds to the Empire, but struggled with consistency. Poor attendance has often played a role. With that track record, some feel the FireWolves were destined to leave.
Supporting the Players
One thing was unanimous: fans will continue to support the players, if not the organization.
AS said: “I have a strong hate towards the team for the move. I understand that there are factors (attendance etc) at play. It’s better to move than fold the team. I will support the boys, we have gotten to know them and have met them all.”
Liam was blunt: “No. I will support the players and hope the best for them individually but the franchise and the league are dead to me. I might peak at the scores from time to time and see some highlights on social media but this one hurts too much to continue to watch. It’s like seeing an ex-girlfriend that dumped you thriving with another dude, just can’t do it.”
ES added: “No. I’m not traveling to Canada. I don’t have the ability to do that. They left us. For as much as I love the game, I don’t see myself spending the time, money, and effort to chase them around. I’ll attend any future box lacrosse games I can, but I doubt my ability to rekindle any sense of loyalty. This experience has left a very sour taste in my mouth. I’ll support the players themselves and see where they end up.”
Mark, however, was torn. He praised players like Doug Jamieson and Joe Nardella, but voiced frustration with ownership’s handling of the move, including blaming fans for not doing enough.
Mark stated: “I’m still really on the fence here. On one hand the players are fantastic and very talented. I loved watching Dougie Jamieson making 50 plus saves a night, Kurtz and Simmons chemistry on offense, Will Johanson always being in the right place at the right time, or Joe Nardella being so dominant on face offs. But on the other hand, I have zero trust in the organization’s ownership. They spent years saying how much they love and are committed to the area and then pull the rug out from under everyone. They then proceeded to send DMs to fans telling us how we(the fans) “don’t understand” and how they are “just as frustrated with this decision as we are” despite them being the ones who made this decision. One of the organization’s private sponsors went as far as to start blaming the fans for not doing enough to support the team. I was a multi year season ticket holder, brought friends and family to games, bought merch, and went to events they held. How else am I supposed to do more? I would love to support these guys but I can’t support the organization they play for. I love the idea of the Seneca Nation taking ownership of the Rochester Knighthawks, so maybe I will watch them. In all honesty this whole ordeal has me kind of soured on the NLL since in recent history they have had Panther City fold and the New York Riptide not only relocating but fully rebranding. If I continue to watch box I will be looking for more World Lacrosse games, MSL or other Senior A leagues so I can still see and support the Firewolves players.”
Final Thoughts
The FireWolves leaving Albany for Oshawa truly hurts, and while in the end this is a business decision to help the team as the years go by, but just as ES said, the experience does leave a bad taste in your mouth. While the league was trying to still get the CBA deal done, and had the draft set to take place (eventually delayed a couple of times) and free agency to open, all while the FireWolves were still in Albany. So it felt very odd to see the team pack up and go in what felt like the snap of one’s fingers. However, even after the poor taste that this whole experience left, I will personally find myself supporting the Oshawa FireWolves. I made a lot of personal relationships with the players and the staff, I found myself falling in love with the sport of lacrosse more so than I ever thought I would. But the biggest thing for me, they were the team to give me my start. Without them, I wouldn’t be writing to you dear reader, I wouldn’t have grown more passionate about journalism, I wouldn’t have gained the confidence I have now, and most importantly, I wouldn’t be where I am now without them. I want to say thank you to Oliver Marti, Steven Wizniuk and everybody in the FireWolves organization for allowing me to follow my dream.
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