2026 National Lacrosse League Player Poll
This year’s annual National Lacrosse League Player Poll comes out a bit earlier than usual after a very active and interesting offseason for the league. We’ll put out a Part II just before the start of the season, focussing more on best-of topics, although there are few of those today too.
For those new to this always highly anticipated player-focussed feature…
We checked in with five players from each of the NLL’s twelve teams in recent weeks, and asked them 21 questions about an array of league-related topics.
In addition to asking an equal number of names from every NLL squad, we tried our best to ensure the players taking part included everyone from rookies to long-time vets, that each on-floor position was well represented, and that the various backgrounds and regions the NLL’s talent comes from were recognized as well.
See past poll results here: 2023, 2024, 2025, plus this year’s Fight Club Player Poll.
The survey was 100% anonymous to ensure we received the players’ most truthful answers.
Here’s what they had to say…
Brett Frood, NLL Commissioner 2022-Present (Photo: Jonathan Tenca)
Are you happy with the direction the league is headed?
Yes – 35%
No – 65%
This is one question we’ve kept in the poll year after year. Here’s how Yes has done over that time…
2023 – 95%
2024 – 82%
2025 – 83%
2026 – 35%
That is a pretty astronomical drop from being really upbeat to unquestionably upset about where the league is going, with much of that concern tied into club relocation and teams folding. “Moving and losing teams at the rate we have recently does not build confidence,” said one worried player. “Things don’t feel great right now.”
The NLL's commissioner since August of 2022, what grade would you give Brett Frood for what he's accomplished over the past four years?
A – 0%
B – 40%
C – 27%
D – 30%
F – 3%%
This is another question we’ve kept in here since our first poll leading into the 2022-23 season. While Frood has held steady at a B, D got significantly more submissions than any other year.
“Commissioner Frood has done nothing but try to fix mistakes of our former commissioner,” one player said. “Every offseason has been nothing but bad news and I commend the commissioner for doing everything he can to keep this league afloat.”
Most others felt about the same.
“Now that all Sakiewicz’s expansion teams have more or less folded, we can see Frood actually do his job without the headache of trying to keep franchises alive. Hoping to see him grow the league to what we all know it can become.”
Worth noting, when we polled players soon after Sakiewicz left the league, 60% gave him a… B.
Nick Sakiewicz, NLL Commissioner 2016-2022 (Photo: J. Tobias)
Who is most to blame for the departure of the Philadelphia Wings?
Nick Sakiewicz – 22%
Brett Frood – 8%
Comcast Spectacor – 65%
Coaches & Players – 5%
“That was a great effort bringing that team back, and they did really well. As you know, the Wings are a real legendary brand in the Philadelphia sports scene, and I was disappointed (to hear this news). It’s too bad. I don’t know what their reasoning was, but I helped bring the Wings back to life there and they were doing well when I was commissioner, except for the COVID years.” – Nick Sakiewicz (Crossing Board, May 2026)
Who is most to blame for the departure of the Ottawa Black Bears?
Nike Sakiewicz – 19%
Brett Frood – 8%
GF Sports & Entertainment – 70%
Ottawa Senators – 0%
Coaches & Players – 3%
When the New York Riptide announced mid-season that they’d be moving to Kanata, we outlined the various red flags that would likely come with that relocation. All of those issues went from worries to reality over two disappointing seasons playing to shrinking crowds in Kanata. Most blamed ownership, who had previously stated, “We chose Ottawa for many reasons, including the strength of the Senators Sports & Entertainment brand, the demand and rapid growth of box lacrosse in the region, and the fantastic arena. Today, we look to the future as the Ottawa Black Bears, a name that reflects not only the attributes of the region, but also the values of this community and our franchise. We will be a community-dedicated team that will be relentless, proud, passionate and gritty. Ottawa fans will be proud to wear the Black Bears logo.” Or not.
Are you concerned that the league is moving into smaller markets and arenas, or is this the right route for the NLL today?
Concerned – 14%
Not concerned – 53%
Not sure – 33%
The league has never seen such a wide divide between the size of market populations and arena capacity than we have today. Does that worry the players? Not really…
“It’s not concerning that the league is going to smaller venues, what was more concerning is going back to the places the league hasn’t worked in the past. If the league does find expansion teams, it needs to find new places with owners who want it, and want to watch it thrive.”
Although, others aren’t so optimistic…
“You’re not ‘The Next Major League’ when you keeping folding, relocating or moving to some of the minor league markets we’re in today.”
Also…
“There’s a reason why the NHL isn’t in Oshawa. You think Warrior is happy that Teat has gone from New York, to Ottawa and now Oshawa? No way.”
Over the next five years, do you think the league will lose any more franchises?
Yes – 46%
No – 54%
The NLL has been here before. The Jim Jennings era saw a lot of aggressive expansion, only to be followed by seasons of relocation and franchises folding. Under former commish George Daniel, budgets were tightened, expansion was put on pause, and while the league seemed less visible than ever, they did start building some stability. When Nick Sakiewicz took over league leadership, owners were asked to spend (a lot) more with promises of record-smashing expansion. While some of that expansion has seen some success, the theme in recent offseasons has again been relocation and franchises folding. Brett Frood is in the undesirable Daniel role while trying to keep the league relevant in a North American sports scene that is significantly more crowded than it was the last time this happened. Many of the leagues listed below didn’t exist when Daniel was head honcho.
Based on overall popularity and presumed profits (and excluding the big four: NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL), how many of these leagues do you feel are ahead of the NLL?
The percentages below represent the percentage of responses that included that league.
Major League Soccer – 97%
Canadian Football League – 89%
Professional Women’s Hockey League – 89%
Women’s National Basketball Association – 78%
American Hockey League – 63%
Premier Lacrosse League – 38%
National Women’s Soccer League – 38%
Canadian Premier League – 16%
Major Indoor Football League – 5%
Canadian Elite Basketball League – 3%
Northern Super League – 3%
North America’s Big 4 is really a Big 5, with Major League Soccer a million miles ahead of the NLL and all other leagues mentioned here. The NLL had nearly a decade head start of the MSL, who in recent years sold a new franchise for $500 million USD. More than half the players we polled also felt pro women’s basketball and hockey were ahead of the NLL. “It feels like we’ve had our shot, if not shots, and fucked it up,” said one player we polled.
To avoid overlap with popular indoor leagues during the fall and winter months, should the NLL move to a summer schedule?
Yes – 32%
No – 32%
Not sure – 36%
When we asked this same question last year, Yes and No were about 50/50. We’ve added a Not Sure option this year, and players are still pretty split. “There’s just too much going on in the winter for the NLL to have a chance anymore,” one player said. “Summer lacrosse sucks anyways. Why not try it,” questioned another.
How much has the NLL's free-streaming site NLL+ helped grow the league's audience?
A lot – 8%
A little – 62%
Not at all – 30%
“I love being able to watch NLL+ games, but like I said this last year, I don’t know how many people watch it or access it without having some tie to the players or league,” said a polled player. Other players pondered the same traffic-related worry, asking, “Why would someone that knows nothing about the NLL end up there? Wouldn’t YouTube be cheaper and open the league up to a significantly bigger audience?”
Launched in November of 2023, how impactful has the NLL’s UnBOXed initiative been?
High – 0%
Medium – 5%
Low – 49%
Zero – 46%
“Stop asking us this question. You know it sucks.” For those unfamiliar with UnBOXed, read more about it here: nll.com/unboxed. “In theory, it makes sense”, a player responded, “but I’m just not seeing the results.”
2023 NLL Entry Draft, the last in-person draft (Photo: David Pickering)
Grade the overall presentation and production of this year’s NLL Entry Draft.
A – 0%
B – 2%
C – 24%
D – 19%
F – 33%
Didn’t watch – 22%
“The streaming of this year’s draft was a joke,” a player we polled told us. “It’s one of the biggest moments of our lives to hear our names get called. Bring back the in-person draft, please. For guys that were able to walk across the stage and receive the jersey, it’s a massive milestone and a moment you don’t forget.”
“The draft was a comical joke,” another frustrated player shared. “I can’t imagine being a kid dreaming of being drafted to the NLL, and you see three guys in their basement calling their name. The NLL, “The Next Major League,” can’t be that with a draft with such a lackluster visual appeal.”
In conclusion, “It was unwatchable.”
Whether you were there in person or saw highlights from the event online, grade the overall presentation of this year’s NLL Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony?
A – 17%
B – 38%
C – 8%
D – 0%
F – 3%
Didn’t see it live or anything on social media – 34%
After another hefty hiatus, the NLL had their first Hall of Fame induction ceremony for the first time since 2021, seeing players Sandy Chapman, Dan Dawson, Shawn Evans, Mark Steenhuis, Mike Accursi, Jake Bergey and Gavin Prout added. “The league has such a rich history and amazing GOATS. They have to get it together and go back to doing these every year,” a player suggested.
Jeff Teat, Ottawa Black Bears (Photo: Caroline Sherman)
Who are the most marketable players in the NLL today?
The percentages below represent the percentage of responses that included that player. Only included players that appeared on at least 20% of submissions.
Jeff Teat – 83%
Dhane Smith – 80%
CJ Kirst – 53%
Lyle Thompson – 47%
Josh Byrne – 37%
Brett Dobson – 20%
We let players pick up to five names for this question, with Jeff Teat and Dhane Smith easily leading here. “Dhane breaks so many stereotypes of the typical lacrosse player, and can connect you with a different and more diverse audience, but the league just doesn’t promote him enough,” said a player. “Dhane is arguably the greatest player of our generation, but he’s not treated like that IMO.” Although Teat was the top pick, one player pointed out, “It can’t be Teat. He drew flies in New York and Ottawa.”
Should the league market that players work another job or focus solely on them being pro athletes?
Promote that they work another job – 38%
Focus on pro-athlete angle – 62%
Going back to the very early years of the NLL (PKA Eagle Pro Box and Major Indoor Lacrosse League), the league and its teams have kind of been all over the map when it comes to promoting the players as either part-time pros (AKA weekend warriors) or strictly as legit pro athletes, like you’d expect from any of North America’s Big 4 leagues. Whether it’s one or the other, the league and teams need to pick a lane and stick with it. We’ve seen success with leaning into the whole, “They’re also firefighters, teachers, and policemen” angle, but 62% of players we polled prefer the other approach.
Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits (Photo: Jeff Crawford)
Heading into the 2026-27 regular season, who is the best player in the NLL?
The percentages below represent the percentage of responses that included that player. Only included players that appeared on at least 20% of submissions.
Jeff Teat – 78%
Dhane Smith – 75%
Brett Dobson – 34%
Christian Del Bianco – 31%
Zach Currier 28%
CJ Kirst – 25%
Josh Byrne – 22%
Again, Teat and Smith dominate this question, and like most marketable above, Dobson, Kirst and Byrne show up here too. We recently also looked at just how statistically superior Teat and Smith have been in recent years (see that one-sided data here), and when it comes to point production, no one else comes all that close to the high-producing pair.
Will Jeff Teat and the Oshawa FireWolves make the playoffs this year?
Yes – 81%
No – 19%
After five seasons in the NLL, Teat has yet to play in the playoffs after attempts in Long Island (2022-2024) and Kanata (2025-2026) fell short. Over the previous four years (three in Albany and one in Oshawa), the FireWolves franchise has made the playoffs just once (albeit making the finals), and last year finished second from the bottom in the league’s unified standings. Most players think both will be there next year though. “If you looked at their roster even last year, Oshawa is a playoff team, but didn’t come close. What’s holding them back,” wondered one player.
Jeff Teat (Photo: Candice Ward)
In order for a player to be considered for the NLL's regular season MVP Award, do you feel they need to make that season's playoffs?
Yes – 70%
No – 30%
Although considered the best player in the game above, most players wouldn’t spend an MVP vote on Jeff Teat based on his team’s inability to make the playoffs.
Similar to the NHL's Ted Lindsay Award, should the NLLPA award an NLL MVP based on a player vote?
Yes – 95%
No – 5%
For those unaware, The Ted Lindsay Award (formerly the Lester B. Pearson Award) is presented annually to the "most outstanding player" in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the National Hockey League Players' Association. The award honors Hockey Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay, an all-star forward known for his skill, tenacity and leadership, as well as for his role in establishing the original Players' Association. It was first awarded in 1972. (From NHL.com)
Austin Staats (Photo: Jake Whiting)
Reinstated and declared eligible for free agency in June, if you were an NLL GM, would you sign Austin Staats?
Yes – 8%
No – 92%
Austin Staats’ ongoing absence from the NLL first due to his on-floor actions and then off-floor legal issues was one of our top stories in both 2024 and 2025 (click those links for additional details on his drama: #18 in 24 and #9 last year). Now eligible to play again in the NLL, most players we polled wouldn’t sign them if it was their call. During a recent IG stat breakdown, we confirmed that Staats has the highest goals-per-game average of any Haudenosaunee player in NLL history. He has yet to be signed by any of the league’s twelve teams.
What trophy means more to our sport?
Mann Cup – 11%
NLL Cup – 89%
For many years, if you asked a pro lacrosse player which trophy mattered more, the Mann or NLL Cup, Senior A’s top team trophy would usually get the nod, but that is no longer the case. “The Mann Cup was more coveted before buying teams,” said one player, while another added, “The Mann Cup is a joke and Six Nations have ruined summer lacrosse. Shouldn’t even be considered a championship anymore.” Although not a team box trophy at the time, the Mann Cup was first awarded in 1910, while the NLL gave out gold for the first time nearly 80 year later, but, “The NLL Cup has to be looked at the same way the Stanley Cup. There needs to be a history involved. It’s not even a Cup anymore, though, it’s a trophy.”
Latrell Harris, Toronto Rock (Photo: Ryan McCullough)
Two months out, who are your preseason Top 3 teams in the NLL?
The percentages below represent the percentage of responses that included that team. Players submitted their Top 3 choices.
Toronto Rock – 84%
Vancouver Warriors – 75%
Colorado Mammoth – 31%
Buffalo Bandits – 28%
Oshawa FireWolves – 25%
Saskatchewan Rush – 19%
Halifax Thunderbirds – 16%
Georgia Swarm – 13%
Las Vegas Desert Dogs – 6%
Rochester Knighthawks – 3%
San Diego Seals – 0%
Calgary Roughnecks – 0%
Toronto and Vancouver were far and away the most mentioned teams, while San Diego and Calgary didn’t come up on a single submission. Buffalo, who prior to this year had won three straight NLL Cups, only appeared on one in every four Top 3 submissions we received. “As much as I hate to admit it, the Rock have really set themselves up nicely for the next several seasons with that roster,” said one envious player.
The 2026-27 NLL regular season start on November 27, when the Saskatchewan Rush travel to Oshawa to take on the FireWolves.