Black Bears Players and Fans Alike Look Back Fondly on Inaugural Home Opener
NLL Ottawa Black Bears

Black Bears Players and Fans Alike Look Back Fondly on Inaugural Home Opener

Published on November 21, 2025 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Ottawa Black Bears News Release


Connor Kearnan isn't sure yet if he'll walk into Canadian Tire Centre next Saturday night with a black bear rug draped over his shoulder like he did a year prior.

"I might do it for the first game, I don't know," laughed Kearnan. "Last year, the reason I walked in with it is so it could be put into our room to be our logo on the floor."

Kearnan is one of many lacrosse players beholden to superstition - so he added that because the Black Bears won their home opener last year, he just might have to do it all over again.

The 29-year-old forward also netted a hat trick in that win over the Toronto Rock which served as the first-ever game for the Ottawa Black Bears, who relocated from New York after 2023.

"Yeah, the home opener was great," said Jacob Dunbar, who also scored a hat trick in that game, where a crowd of 6,995 watched the Black Bears defeat the Toronto Rock 11-5.

"We loved seeing all the fans," added Dunbar. "We just didn't know what was going to happen, it exceeded my expectations. They filled up the arena."

On the other side of the glass, Duane Hickling, who attends games with his 10-year-old son, says that being season ticket holders has been an incredible experience.

"Getting to watch (and meet) the pros up close has inspired him more than I ever imagined," says Hickling. "Every game is a chance for us to bond, learn, and just have fun together. The energy in the arena is unmatched, and the Black Bears community is incredible."

Gwen Hicks, a season seat member who sits in the front row, says she had always heard about lacrosse, but fandom never really "clicked" for her until she experienced a game in person.

"Once I got to my first game, I said, 'Oh my God, I love it,'" explained Hicks, who initially attended Toronto Rock games with her daughter before Ottawa had a team.

"It was the thrill, you know? And then I got my husband hooked... and then we just fell in love, and found out Ottawa was getting a team, and said, 'Oh, we have to get season tickets.'"

Hicks's husband actually wears a #25 Jacob Dunbar jersey to games now in part due to his home opener performance. The first of the forward's three goals in the game served as the first in team history.

Her family even got to meet Dunbar this fall during a season seat member event. She said that the 24-year-old has broken out of his shell in Ottawa, just like he broke out on the floor last season with 23 goals in 12 games.

"He's marvellous. He's going to high-five me every game, he said," she added with a laugh.

November 29th: a good day to be a Black Bears fan

A year later - to the day - Ottawa will begin its second season in the NLL when the San Diego Seals come to town. Tom Warford is among the other fans who can't wait for professional lacrosse to be back in town.

"The atmosphere at a Black Bears game is unbelievable," says Warford, a season ticket holder. "The energy in the arena is nonstop, the entertainment never slows down, and it's the perfect outing for the whole family. We can't wait to be back in the Den on November 29th."

The two teams playing on the opening Saturday of the NLL season actually made a major move this past offseason in which the Black Bears acquired former MVP finalist Rob Hellyer.

Hellyer, who scored 29 goals and added 64 assists last season with the Seals, couldn't be more excited to join Ottawa and play alongside Kearnan, Dunbar, and, of course, Jeff Teat.

"He's the best player in the game, so it's been fun watching him, how much better he's got in the league, somehow," said Hellyer about Teat, who led the league with 56 goals last season. "It'll be very fun just to go back-and-forth with him a little bit."

Belief in the team is high following an offseason where the team appointed 37-year-old Dan MacRae as head coach and general manager. Some of his first pieces of business were adding Ottawa natives Sam Firth (trade) and Liam Aston (draft) to the roster.

MacRae is both the youngest head coach and the youngest general manager in the NLL and was the inaugural captain of the franchise before the team moved to Canada.

The former NLL champion (he won with Calgary in 2019) has already coached or been teammates with a good portion of the roster, including star defenceman Callum Jones.

"I kind of said right away that Dan would be a perfect match for this role," said Jones. "He's an amazing coach, excellent motivator, just a great person overall."

The pair came up just short of the 2019 Ontario Jr. A championship while MacRae was coaching Jones with Burlington. Owing to that, Jones says there is some unfinished business they want to take care of this season.

"I'm just super excited to be working with him again, he's a big reason why I am where I am as a player," said Jones. "I couldn't be more excited for him to be my head coach again."

Jones added that he was watching the offseason trades and acquisitions with excitement, and that they will have a "special" team with the pieces now in place.

"I think we are a championship team. I think once we hone in our attitude and culture more than it already is, I feel like we're going to be a very difficult team to play against every night. And I think teams might be holding their breath a little bit every time they step in Canadian Tire Centre."

This year, the Black Bears will play four Friday home games and five Saturday home games from November to April.

The home opener will kick things off on Saturday, November 29, when the San Diego Seals come to town.

Check out the Ottawa Black Bears Statistics

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