NLL ALL-STAR GAME FAN VOTING UNDERWAY

The National Lacrosse League has announced the start of fan balloting for the 2005 All-Star Game. All ballots will be cast online via the league’s official website, www.nll.com. Fan balloting will remain open until 5pm Eastern Time on February 9th. The 2005 All-Star Game will take place on Saturday, February 26th at Pengrowth Saddledome, home of the Calgary Roughnecks. The All-Star Game will be televised live on NBC. The game will also be broadcast in Canada on The Score Television Network.

Fans can vote for the starting lineups for both the East and West teams. The East team will consist of All-Stars from the five teams of the East Division (Buffalo Bandits, Minnesota Swarm, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks and Toronto Rock). The West team will consist of All-Stars from the five teams of the West Division (Anaheim Storm, Arizona Sting, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, and San Jose Stealth). The online ballot will include each team’s entire 23-man roster (as of January 19th). Fans will select a starting lineup for the East and West teams consisting of three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender. The fan vote will combine with the vote of league media and the team General Managers/Head Coaches vote to determine the East and West starting lineups. Each will account for one-third of the total vote for the starting lineups.

The head coaches for the All-Star Game will be determined by the East and West Division Standings following the conclusion of all games during Week #7, which covers the games of February 11th-13th. The head coach of the first place team in each division at that time will serve as the coach the All-Star Team of his respective division. The head coach of the second place team in each division following the games of Week #7 will serve as the assistant head coach of the team of their division. The head coach and the assistant head coach will select the All-Star reserves. Each All-Star team will have eighteen players, which includes sixteen runners (forwards/defensemen) and two goaltenders. Each of the league’s ten member clubs will be represented by at least one of their players in the All-Star Game.