Ottawa Black Bears 'discontinued,' won't play next season, NLL says
The National Lacrosse League has officially discontinued the Ottawa Black Bears franchise following ownership and sustainability challenges. Players will be redistributed to other teams via a draft, marking the end of the team's short tenure in Ottawa.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing economic challenges professional sports leagues face in maintaining franchise viability in smaller or secondary markets.
The league implied in June the team had undergone an ownership change and it intended to keep them in "the Ottawa-Gatineau region."
That came days after ticket holders received a message informing them the Black Bears would not play at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata for the 2026-27 season.
On Thursday, the NLL said in a news release that the Black Bears and Philadelphia Wings folding "follows extensive efforts by the League to identify viable paths forward."
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in