 | |
| Founded | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2013 |
| League | MLL |
| Based in | Hamilton, Ontario |
| Stadium | Ron Joyce Stadium (2011-2013) Lamport Stadium (2010) BMO Field (2009) |
| Colours | Black, orange, white, purple |
| Owner | Arrow Express Sports[1] |
| Head coach | Dave Huntley |
| General manager | Stuart Brown[1] |
| Championships | 1 (2009) |
| Formerly | Toronto Nationals 2009–2010 Hamilton Nationals 2011–2013 |
| Website | nationalslacrosse.com |
TheHamilton Nationals were aMajor League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men'sfield lacrosse team based inHamilton, Ontario, Canada. They began play in the2009 season inToronto,Ontario as theToronto Nationals, becoming the first-ever Canadian MLL team. In 2009, they played their home games atBMO Field, which is also home toMajor League Soccer'sToronto FC[2] but moved to the smallerLamport Stadium for the 2010 season.[3] On February 3, 2011, the Nationals announced that they were relocating to Hamilton, Ontario, and would play their home games atRon Joyce Stadium on the campus ofMcMaster University.[1] On 21 November 2013, MLL announced that the team would not participate in the 2014 season, with most of the players being transferred to the expansionFlorida Launch.[4][5]
The Hamilton Nationals' identity represented both the Canadian andIroquois communities. The team's logo incorporated the Canadian maple leaf and the Iroquois Five Nations belt pattern taken from each respective flag. Additionally, they continuously signed Iroquois players.[6]
The Nationals had their roots in the MLL's charter franchise theRochester Rattlers. Before the2009 season, part of the Rattlers' roster was transferred to the new Nationals' team; however, the name, colors, and history stayed behind in Rochester to be potentially used by a future MLL team.[7] In November 2010, it was reported that theChicago Machine had moved toRochester, NY and resumed operation of the Rattlers franchise.[8]
The Nationals started play in the MLL on May 15, 2009 and won againstWashington Bayhawks 17–16. They won their first home game over theChicago Machine 15–11. The Nationals qualified for the playoffs as the second seed with a 7–5 record and the best offense in MLL with 184 goals for. The Nationals played their first playoff game against theLong Island Lizards atNavy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium inAnnapolis, Maryland. Toronto won their semi-final matchup 14–13 thanks to a strong game byMerrick Thomson scoring 4 goals. Toronto (at the time) went on to face theDenver Outlaws in theSteinfeld Cup Final. The Nationals were tied with the Outlaws 9–9 with over a minute to go in the game. Nationals head coachDave Huntley called a time-out to draw out a strategy. With 45 seconds left to go,Joe Walters passed toShawn Williams and Williams scored the winning goal to give the Toronto Nationals their first championship victory 10–9 over the Denver Outlaws.Merrick Thomson was named Playoff MVP andBrodie Merrill won theMajor League Lacrosse Defensive player of the Year Award. In 2009 their home field wasBMO Field and for 2010 atLamport Stadium.
On February 3, 2011, the Nationals announced that they would be moving to Hamilton and would be known as the Hamilton Nationals.[1] It was also announced that Arrow Express Sports would take sole ownership of the team and the team would play their home games atRon Joyce Stadium on the campus ofMcMaster University
On 21 November 2013, the MLL announced that the team would not participate in the 2014 season, with most of the players being transferred to the expansionFlorida Launch.[4][5] The team was expected to attempt to rejoin the league for the 2015 season once construction of the newTim Hortons Field in Hamilton was completed, much like theRochester Rattlers did for the 2011 season, but failed to do so. No information on a return has been reported.[9]
| Year | W | L | % | Regular season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 7 | 5 | .583 | 2nd | Won semifinal 14–13 overLizards Won championship 10–9 OverOutlaws |
| 2010 | 3 | 9 | .250 | 6th | |
| 2011 | 7 | 5 | .583 | 3rd | Won semifinal 11–9 overDenver Outlaws Lost championship 10–9 toBoston Cannons |
| 2012 | 4 | 10 | .286 | 7th | |
| 2013 | 9 | 5 | .750 | 3rd | Lost semifinal 12–13 toChesapeake Bayhawks |
| Totals | 30 | 34 | .469 | 3 wins, 2 losses |
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | W% | GC | W | L | W% | |||
| 1 | Dave Huntley | 2009–2010 | 24 | 10 | 14 | .417 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2 | Regy Thorpe | 2011–2012 | 26 | 11 | 15 | .423 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| 3 | Dave Huntley | 2013 | 14 | 9 | 5 | .643 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |