Last Week around the Leagues
by Fran Stuchbury
November 24, 2020 - International League (IL1)
This past week the entire ECHL North East division suspended its season due to COVID-19; The Rochester Red Wings announced they will be the Triple A affiliate for the Washington Nationals; the Atlantic League's Sugar Land Skeeters were named the Triple A affiliate for the Houston Astros and the National Lacrosse League team in Fort Worth unveiled it will be known as the Panther City Lacrosse Club. Highlights from this week are from ECHL, North American Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, International League, National Lacrosse League, Premier Lacrosse League, XFL, Canadian Football League, Major League Soccer, United Soccer League Championship, National Women's Soccer League, Women's National Basketball Association and Major League Rugby.
HOCKEY
ECHL
In light of COVID-19's continued impact across the North East region, the ECHL announced that each of the six teams in the North Division - Adirondack Thunder, Brampton Beast, Maine Mariners, Newfoundland Growlers, Reading Royals and Worcester Railers - will be suspending the 2020-2021 ECHL season under the league's policy for COVID-19. All teams are set to return in the 2021-2022 ECHL season. Under the terms of the ECHL/PHPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, all players from the Adirondack Thunder, Brampton Beast, Maine Mariners, Newfoundland Growlers, Reading Royals and Worcester Railers are free agents for the 2020-21 season immediately.
Maine Mariners will not play this season. Team officials say it was a tough decision to make, but the right one.
North American Hockey League
NAHL Plays of the Week
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Jeremie Poirier became just the second defenseman in Saint John Sea Dogs franchise history to score a hat trick.
BASEBALL
International League
Rochester will be the new Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. After spending the last two seasons in Fresno, Frontier Field will be the home of the Nationals top prospects beginning in 2021. The Nationals will usher in a new era of Red Wings Baseball as Rochester's fourth major league partner in their long history joining the Cardinals (1928-1960), Orioles (1961-2002) and Twins (2003-2020). The Nationals will become the first National League affiliate of the Wings since the Cardinals.
Rochester Red Wings land new parent club in Washington Nationals
Atlantic League
The Houston Astros announced that the Sugar Land Skeeters will become their Triple-A franchise, beginning in the 2021 season. The Skeeters will become the first-ever independent league baseball team to transition into a Triple-A affiliate. They will begin play in the Pacific Coast League in 2021.
Pacific Coast League
The Round Rock Express would like to thank the Houston Astros organization for 12 years of affiliation partnership, including the last two as the club's Triple-A affiliate. Round Rock served as Houston's Double-A club from our founding in 2000 through 2004 then transitioned to the Astros' Triple-A affiliate from 2005-2010 and again from 2019-2020. During our momentous 20th season in 2019, the Express posted an 84-56 record and returned to the Pacific Coast League playoffs for the first time since 2015. With historic performances from the likes of Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Jose Urquidy, Framber Valdez and many others, we were proud to provide the training ground for the next wave of Astros stars.
LACROSSE
National Lacrosse League
The Panther City Lacrosse Club was announced as the name of the National Lacrosse League's (NLL) 14th franchise by team President and CEO Greg Bibb. Playing inside the state-of-the-art Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, Panther City will begin play in November 2021 for the NLL's 2021-2022 season.
Panther City Lacrosse Club Name Reveal
Devan Kaney sat down with Greg Bibb, President & CEO of Panther City Lacrosse Club to dive into the why behind the franchise's name.
Premier Lacrosse League
Chaos attack Curtis Dickson 2020 highlights.
FOOTBALL
XFL
Former Houston Roughnecks quarterback PJ Walker threw his first NFL touchdown pass for the Carolina Panthers.
Canadian Football League
The Toronto Argonauts announced they will be bringing back the famous boat logo, but with a modern twist, as their new primary logo. The current shield logo will still be used selectively as a secondary mark moving forward. The new logo is a modern refresh combining Cambridge Blue and Oxford Blue, the colourway synonymous with Toronto Argonauts football and a boat which symbolizes the club's beginning as the Argonaut Rowing Club.
The Boat is back. This time for good. Introducing our new (old) primary logo.
The Canadian Football League (CFL) is planning to return to play in 2021 with a full slate of games that kicks off June 10th and concludes with the 108th Grey Cup in Hamilton on November 21. "We're looking forward to hosting our comeback season in our stadiums, in front of our fans," said Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the CFL. "With this schedule, we're signaling that we're looking forward with optimism to playing in 2021."
The Grey Cup festival would've started this week but the CFL's season was canceled because of the pandemic. Lindsay Dunn speaks with players on the state of the league and if they believe their will be a 2021 season.
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League will kick off its 13th season with a Hall of Fame Game on Sunday, March 26, 2021, featuring the defending United Bowl champion Sioux Falls Storm hosting the Green Bay Blizzard, the league announced. Adding to the excitement around the league's kickoff weekend is the induction of the newest members of the IFL Hall of Fame during halftime of the Hall of Fame Game. The announcement of the Hall of Fame Game comes as part of the release of the IFL's 2021 schedule. America's longest continuously-running indoor football league, the IFL will kick off in 2021 with 12 teams stretching from the East Coast to the West Coast and from as far north as Wisconsin and the Dakotas all the way south to Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
SOCCER
Major League Soccer
95TH MINUTE GAME Winner!! Filthy Strike from New England Revolution forward Gustavo Bou to advance them to Round One of the MLS Playoffs.
United Soccer League Championship
Months after opening Lynn Family Stadium, and with its multimillion-dollar training facility under construction, Louisville City FC ushered in the franchise's next chapter when revealing its new crest. The renowned Matthew Wolff Design firm, the team behind branding for organizations such as Los Angeles FC and New York City FC, commissioned a shield-shaped logo filled primarily by LouCity Purple and a trio of fleur de lis marks.
First look: Louisville City FC's new logo
After making a 2020 playoff run and attracting the attention of Major League Soccer clubs, FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien signed a multiyear contract extension to remain on the touchline in Tulsa for 2021 and beyond. Leading one of the most improved teams in the USL Championship in 2020, Nsien took FC Tulsa to the postseason for the second time in the club's six-year history. The club set franchise records for longest unbeaten streak, longest winning streak and most points per match in its first season of the FC Tulsa era.
United Soccer League One
Count Charlie Davies in. The former United States Men's National Teams striker was announced as the newest member of a prospective ownership group aiming to bring USL League One to New Hampshire for the 2022 season. The addition of USL New Hampshire would add to League One's presence in the northeast, with the New England Revolution II having joined the league this year and another prospective ownership group led by former professional player Gabe Hoffman-Johnson targeting Maine as another home for a future League One club.
National Women's Soccer League
The National Women's Soccer League announced a new competition framework to be debuted in 2021, expanding opportunities for the athletes of the NWSL to showcase the most exciting, most competitive women's professional soccer league in the world. Following the 2021 Challenge Cup, the NWSL's 2021 regular season will kick off in mid-May, with each team scheduled to play 24 matches. The full league schedule will be released at a later date.
The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and Angel City Football Club, L.A.'s newest professional women's sports team, announced that Angel City will call Banc of California Stadium its home venue when the team begins play in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in Spring 2022.
Angel City FC introduced Banc of California Stadium as its official home
BASKETBALL
Women's National Basketball Association
This sophomore is a STUD! Check out the top buckets from Minnesota Lynx power forward Napheesa Collier's sophomore season.
OTHER SPORTS
Major League Rugby
Major League Rugby returns for Season 4 on March 20, 2021. 13 teams are set to battle across North America. Here is Rugby 101
Did we miss anything newsworthy or downright fun? Have a nomination for next week's column? Contact us today and let us know.
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International League Stories from November 24, 2020
- Last Week around the Leagues - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
