Mammoth a catalyst for migration west

Professional lacrosse is expanding west, and Colorado is receiving a large dose of the credit.

The success of the Colorado Mammoth in its inaugural 2003 season convinced the National Lacrosse League that the sport - predominantly an East Coast entity - also could make an impact on the West Coast.

So NLL officials announced Monday the relocation of the Albany (N.Y.) Attack to San Jose, Calif., in the first of what could be many moves west.

"We are now a truly national league, with teams across the United States and Canada," NLL commissioner Jim Jennings said.

And the league could grow some more to other cities that, like Denver and San Jose, are home to National Hockey League teams.

Rumors have circulated that the NLL's New Jersey Storm might soon relocate to Phoenix, where it is said that Wayne Gretzky, a part-owner of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, has taken an interest. There also has been talk the NHL's Minnesota Wild ownership might acquire an NLL team before the June 16 deadline for the 2003-04 season.

The Mammoth's large attendance numbers have potential investors believing that NHL and NLL teams can share a fan base because the sports are similar.

"The arrival of this franchise in San Jose shows that our business plan is working," Jennings said. "We have moved into another successful National Hockey League market and formed a partnership with the NHL team in the market."

The San Jose franchise appears to be following the Mammoth's blueprint in several ways.

"There are roughly 4,200 young men and 2,000 young women who play lacrosse in the northern California region," San Jose managing partner Peter Wendell said. "Virtually, those demographics are very similar to the state of Colorado."

Wendell said the Mammoth's box-office success is encouraging but stopped short of saying it is the only reason he acquired the Albany franchise.

"While Colorado's success was an important factor, it wasn't a governing factor," he said. "Their success was phenomenal, but this was in the works beforehand. However, if (Colorado) would have been a total failure, we might have reconsidered."

The San Jose team is owned by a partnership consisting of three groups: Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment, Bay Area Lacrosse Owners Group (led by Wendell) and a group of Canadian investors.

Johnny Mouradian will serve as San Jose's general manager. He is highly regarded, having constructed championship teams in Buffalo and Toronto in the 1990s.

The San Jose franchise will conduct a "Name the Team" contest through June 27.

Story by Paul Willis