WLA 2026 Territorial Protections Announced

by Kaylen Lomas

WLA 2026 Territorial Protections Announced

For release Monday Jan. 19, 2026 at 9 a.m.


Burnaby, B.C., Jan. 19, 2026: Teams from the Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) have declared their Territorial Protection picks for 2026.

Team

Protected Player #1

Protected Player #2

Maple Ridge Burrards

Cody Malawsky

Jack Kask

Nanaimo Timbermen

Andrew Bowman

Jordan Vincent

Burnaby Lakers

Rowan Birrell

-

Langley Thunder

Temeke7 Gottfriedsen

Ben Gagnon

Victoria Shamrocks

Grayson Peskett

Koen Block

New West Salmonbellies

Lukas Nielsen

-

Coquitlam Adanacs

Ty Banks

Ben Coghill

The WLA will be hosting its draft of B.C.’s top 21-year-old players Thursday January 29, live from the Langley Events Centre, and the entire event will be available virtually to lacrosse fans throughout North America.


The draft will be webcast live at WLALacrosse.com and hosted by longtime lacrosse play-by-play broadcaster, Jake Elliott.  A representative from each team will also appear by video link, along with WLA Commissioner, Paul Dal Monte.


There will be five (5) draft rounds, in reverse order of the 2025 final regular season standings.  


The projected order of first round picks is:

Pick

Team

1

Nanaimo

2

Nanaimo (from Burnaby)

3

Nanaimo (from Langley)

4

Maple Ridge

5

Nanaimo (from Victoria)

6

Nanaimo (from New West)

7

Nanaimo (from Coquitlam)

For the full, up-to-date draft order, visit WLALacrosse.com.


Draft results will be presented live at WLALacrosse.com and on official WLA social media channels. Check your team’s social media or use the hashtag #WLADraft2026 to participate in the conversation.


The 2026 WLA schedule will be announced in mid-February with teams playing a full 18-game regular season followed by playoffs in the run up to the Mann Cup in Ontario in September, against the Ontario Major Series Lacrosse champion.


The Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) is an amateur men’s Senior A box lacrosse league,

sanctioned by Lacrosse Canada. The WLA consists of seven teams based in cities throughout southwestern British Columbia, playing an 18-game schedule from late May to the end of July. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the right to compete against the Major Series Lacrosse (Ontario) champion for the Mann Cup. The championship is hosted alternately between Ontario and British Columbia every September.

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