Lacrosse Athletes Converge On Saint John

More than 200 of Eastern Canada’s top lacrosse athletes will be in New Brunswick this weekend.

Teams from the Maritimes and Quebec will gather in Saint John to battle for the Nelson Cup.

Chet Koneczny, technical director of Lacrosse NB, said it is the rekindling of a tradition from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

“A group from Montreal noticed that there was some interest in some lacrosse being played out in the Maritimes and they donated a cup called the Nelson Cup,” said Koneczny.

The cup was only played for about five to 10 years across the Maritimes before it came to an end, he said.

Koneczny is hopeful that the revived tradition will continue for years and even decades to come.

“We think that any opportunity we can get for our kids, we want to do that,” he said. “Competitive games for us against quality competition is always a struggle out east.”

Koneczny is also optimistic that the tournament will possibly attract more people into the sport.

“Things are on the up-and-up for lacrosse in the Maritimes,” he said.

Round-robin play began Friday morning and the finals are set for Sunday morning. Games are taking place at the Lord Beaverbrook Rink and the Hilton Belyea Arena in Saint John, and at the River Valley Community Centre in Grand Bay-Westfield.