| National Lacrosse Association | |
| Sport: | Box lacrosse |
| Founded: | 1968 |
| Teams: | 8 |
| Countries: | and |
| Champion: | New Westminster Salmonbellies |
| Folded: | 1969 |
The National Lacrosse Association was a professional box lacrosse league that operated in 1968 - 1969 with teams from both the United States and Canada.
Due to poor attendance, the league folded in March 1969.[1] After the folding, two teams (the Maple Leafs and Peterborough Lakers) joined the ill-fated Eastern Professional Lacrosse League which went defunct after one season. The NLA was the first attempt at a professional box lacrosse league in history. After cessation in 1969, the next popular pro lacrosse league would be the National Lacrosse League (1974 - 75).
The National Lacrosse Association was founded in 1968 by entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the game's exciting aspects. Most of the teams in the NLA were amateur-level teams from Canada that decided to make their teams professional.
Some organizations drew considerable crowds and had games televised[2] while other teams struggled to bring in even a couple hundred fans. Players' salaries averaged between $3000 and $4000 per year.[3]
In the league's one and only season, The New Westminster Salmonbellies emerged as the champions by beating the Detroit Olympics four games to two.
EASTERN DIVISION
WESTERN DIVISION
| Division | Team | Wins | Losses | GF | GA | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EAST | Detroit Olympics | 24 | 14 | 511 | 441 | 48 | |
| EAST | Peterborough Lakers | 21 | 17 | 478 | 397 | 42 | |
| EAST | Montreal Canadians | 14 | 24 | 410 | 514 | 28 | |
| EAST | Toronto Maple Leafs | 13 | 25 | 375 | 452 | 26 | |
| WEST | Portland Adanacs | 24 | 14 | 413 | 365 | 48 | |
| WEST | Vancouver Carlings | 22 | 16 | 410 | 379 | 44 | |
| WEST | New Westminster Salmonbellies | 19 | 19 | 437 | 426 | 38 | |
| WEST | Victoria Shamrocks | 15 | 23 | 337 | 397 | 30 |
Playoffs