Toronto Rock Logo
The Toronto Rock is a professional lacrosse franchise based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Eastern Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team was the first Canadian franchise in the NLL. Oakville resident Jamie Dawick is the current owner of the Rock, purchasing the team after the 2009 season. Since 2014, Dawick has also served as their general manager. Their head coach is Matt Sawyer. The Rock play their home games at the Air Canada Centre which they currently share with both the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL and the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association.
The franchise was founded in 1998 as the Ontario Raiders in Hamilton, Ontario. The Raiders played at Copps Coliseum before being sold to a group of investors led by then Toronto Maple leafs Assistant GM Bill Watters, who relocated the franchise to Toronto. They were subsequently renamed the "Toronto Rock", and began play at Maple Leaf Gardens in the 1999 season.The Toronto Rock w
The franchise was originally founded as an NLL expansion team in Hamilton, Ontario and began play in the 1998 season. They were known as the Ontario Raiders, and played their home games at Copps Coliseum. Former Buffalo Bandits coach Les Bartley was hired to coach the new team, and he lured former Bandit Jim Veltman to join him, becoming the Raiders' captain. The team finished a respectable 6-6 in their inaugural season, but missed the playoffs on a tie-breaker. Following the season, losses of $250,000 forced owner Chris Fritz to look for partners. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment considered purchasing the team, but ultimately a group which included Bill Watters, the then Assistant General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Paul Beeston, former president of the Toronto Blue Jays, Tie Domi, player for the Maple Leafs, and Bobby Orr, former NHL player, bought it for $250,000 and promptly relocated the team to Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens where they rebranded it the Toronto Rock.
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