August 11, 2004

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(Left to Right) Commissioner Jim Jennings, Minnesota Wild Chairman Bob Naegele, Jr. and former NHL Minnesota North Stars player Brian Bellows welcome the NLL to Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday. Bellows is a native of St. Catherines, Ontario and a lifelong lacrosse player.
Photo Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn
With the words "Let's play lacrosse", Minnesota Sports & Entertainment Chairman Bob Naegele, Jr. welcomed his new National Lacrosse League team at a news conference at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Tuesday. The expansion Minnesota team will be operated by the staff of the NHL Minnesota Wild, and will play its home games at the Xcel Energy Center. The announcement led to a flurry of season ticket deposits put down by local fans eager to have their own professional indoor lacrosse team in the Twin Cities. In the first 24 hours, deposits on 200 season tickets have been made by the new fans in Minnesota.

The announcement was made at a press conference covered by all of the region's local television stations and both of the major daily newspapers. Links to the print coverage of the announcement by the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Minneapolis Star Tribune can be found in the "Pressbox" section on the front page of www.nll.com.

The team also unveiled its website,
www.lacrossemn.com. The team has narrowed down its list of possible names to four, and is asking fans for their input on which name they like best. The names being considered are Swarm, Thrill, Rush and Bullheads. Go to www.lacrossemn.com and vote today!

The team is also accepting deposits on season tickets via the website. The initial response has been very positive, with 200 deposits accepted within the first 24 hours of the team's announcement. Season tickets start as low as $80 for lower bowl seating. The team will play eight home games, all taking place on the weekends.