Groupe CH will not need a government subsidy to organize a National Lacrosse League regular season game in one of its amphitheaters in the Montreal metropolitan area in early 2024.
Groupe CH announced in a press release Thursday morning that it will present a match between the Toronto Rock and the New York Riptide on February 16 at Place Bell in Laval, as part of the NLL’s new UnBOXed series . And he will not need Quebec taxpayers to carry out the financial arrangement.
“This is an effort that will be done jointly between Groupe CH, the Canadian and evenko, as well as the NLL. So, it’s a co-promotion between these two entities. We will obviously put the necessary efforts on our side and on their side (at the NLL) to put all our platforms and all our networks so that we put our shoulder to the wheel to make this event a great success. declared Vincent Lucier, senior vice-president, sales and development of the Montreal Canadiens.
“This is truly a joint effort between our two organizations,” he reiterated.
This will be the first NLL season game to be played in Quebec since 2002, when the Montreal Express played its last game at the Molson Centre, now known as the Bell Centre.
“Interest in box lacrosse, from the amateur to professional level, continues to boom in Quebec, and we are proud to be able to take this next step and bring the NLL and our elite level athletes to Laval and the Greater Montreal area,” said NLL Commissioner Brett Frood.
As for why, unlike the Express adventure, the CH Group and the NLL chose to present their event at Place Bell rather than at the Bell Centre, Lucier offered a rather simple explanation. Especially since the Canadian is off on February 16.
“The commissioner came with several senior (NLL) executives to tour our facilities, and we immediately thought of Place Bell. It’s a perfect place for this kind of event, for the kind of crowd and the kind of show we’re going to have,” Lucier first mentioned.
“Several events have taken place at Place Bell (since its opening in 2017), including NCAA games and obviously those of the Rocket, which attracts large crowds. So, we felt that this building was ideal for this event,” he mentioned.
Tickets for this event went on sale starting at noon on Thursday.
This announcement is part of the unveiling of the NLL’s new multinational development initiative, UnBOXed, which notably includes the launch of its program specific to the Montreal region, which will be named the “Montreal Beavers”. The league is very clear, however, that the UnBOXed initiative is not an expansion.
“It’s too early to talk about expansion,” added Lucier. That is not the objective of this event. The objective is to present and promote this sport in Montreal and Laval. Then we’ll see what happens. »
The NLL UnBOXed Series event programming will also feature educational clinics for girls and boys, parents and coaches, as well as interactive experiences for fans on game day at Place Bell. . Further details will be provided at a later date.