BY: SPENCER CONLEY; STAFF WRITER
The Philadelphia Wings and Ottawa Black Bears ceased operations ahead of the National Lacrosse League’s 40th season.
On March 30, Comcast Spectacor announced it would end its operation of the Wings following the 2026 season.
This marked the second iteration of the Philadelphia Wings in the NLL. The original Wings debuted in 1987 and played in Philadelphia through 2014 before relocating to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
The Wings rebranded to the New England Black Wolves but continued to relocate. The Black Wolves remained in New England until the COVID-19 pandemic cut short the 2019-20 season and led to the cancellation of the 2020-21 season.
The franchise relocated to Albany, New York, and adopted the name FireWolves. After four seasons in the Capital Region, the franchise moved to Oshawa, Ontario.
Wings 2.0 entered the league as an expansion team alongside the San Diego Seals ahead of the 2018-19 season. Over seven seasons, the Wings compiled a 48-74 regular-season record and made the playoffs just once, losing in the first round. In an 18-game season, Philadelphia never won more than nine games.
The New York Riptide entered the NLL alongside the Rochester Knighthawks for the 2019-20 season. However, the Riptide endured a rougher stretch than Philadelphia.
The Riptide spent four seasons in New York, compiling a 20-47 record without a playoff appearance. The franchise relocated to Ottawa ahead of the 2024-25 season and rebranded to the Black Bears.
In their first season north of the border, the Black Bears finished 8-10. The 2026 season felt different, at least for a while. Ottawa started 8-5 through 13 games and found itself in a prime playoff position. Then, the Titanic hit the iceberg.
An abysmal five-game losing streak sank Ottawa’s playoff hopes and ended another 8-10 season. In two seasons, the Black Bears posted identical records with nothing to show for either.
What’s next for the NLL? The league held a double dispersal draft on Sept. 15. The FireWolves selected attacker Jeff Teat with the No. 1 pick.
The Wings and Black Bears became the second and third teams to cease operations in the past two years. The NLL’s rapid expansion under former Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz, which added six teams in just four seasons, proved unsuccessful.
Commissioner Brett Frood has emphasized the league’s goal of stabilizing its current franchises in their respective markets. Unfortunately, stabilizing the league may come at the expense of struggling franchises.
The NLL needed this reset. The league has faced constant change since the COVID-19 pandemic cut the 2019-20 season short.
It will be interesting to see how the league handles its new 12-team landscape. Will the playoff format change? Will smaller-market teams receive more prime-time matchups? The NLL must answer these questions soon.
