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The National Lacrosse League finals are officially underway Friday night in Hamilton at TD Coliseum. In a multitude of ways, this matchup feels almost impossible to predict.

The best-of-three series features the sixth-seeded Toronto Rock, taking on the eighth-seeded Halifax Thunderbirds after both teams stunned the league throughout this year’s postseason. Toronto hosts Game 1 and 3 (if necessary) at the newly renovated TD Coliseum, while Halifax hosts Game 2 on Sunday at the Scotiabank Centre.

The Rock entered the playoffs as massive underdogs after missing the postseason a year ago with a 6-13 record, while Halifax snuck into the playoffs as the final seed. During the run, Toronto upset higher-seeded opponents, including a 16-13 victory over the third-seeded Saskatchewan Rush in the opening, one-and-done round, while Halifax knocked off both Vancouver and Georgia.

The result? The first all-Canadian NLL Final since 2015. Now, Canada is guaranteed its first champion since Calgary overtook the Buffalo Bandits in 2019.

Youth Movement Leading the Turnaround

A massive reason for Toronto’s sudden resurgence has been its young core, headlined by rookie CJ Kirst.

23-year-old Kirst instantly became the offensive sparkplug of the Toronto Rock after being selected first overall in the 2025 NLL Draft out of Cornell University. The New Jersey native brought home Rookie of the Year honours after erupting for 34 goals and 37 assists in 18 games while leading the Rock offensively. Thus far in the playoffs, he’s scored six goals and added four assists. 

Along with Kirst, Chris Boushy has become a major offensive weapon for the Rock, finding the back of the net 11 times this postseason. Only Halifax’s Jason Knox has scored more with 16.

Meanwhile, veteran goalie Nick Rose is playing some of the best lacrosse of his 14-year career. The 38-year-old delivered 53 saves in Toronto’s 14-8 Game 3 victory over San Diego and currently leads the playoffs in saves with 180, narrowly edging out Georgia’s Brett Dobson, who has 176. After 16 seasons in the league, Rose is now just two wins away from capturing the NLL Cup.

Hugh Kelleher is another fascinating storyline to follow throughout the three-game set. Kelleher has the chance to complete one of the most unique championship runs lacrosse has seen. He already won an NCAA championship with Cornell and followed it up with a PLL title with the New York Atlas. An NLL championship with the Rock would complete the triple crown across all three levels of lacrosse in the same year.

Building the Next Chapter of Rock City

The Rock have also entered a major new chapter off the floor.

As the organization returned to Hamilton after temporarily relocating to the Paramount Fine Foods Centre, they announced a strategic partnership with Cosmos Sports & Entertainment ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Through the partnership, Cosmos has overseen ticket sales and fan engagement initiatives, including season memberships, flex packs, group outings, corporate partnerships, and customer service operations. The overarching goal is to re-establish the “Rock City” atmosphere that previously made Hamilton a premier destination for lacrosse in North America.

Combined with a young core led by CJ Kirst and a return to Hamilton, the partnership with Cosmos Sports & Entertainment arrives at the perfect time to help rebuild the atmosphere surrounding the Toronto Rock while strengthening the connection between the team and its fanbase.