The Edmonton Rush, Calgary Roughnecks, and Sportsnet are pleased to announce a partnership for live broadcasts of all four matchups between the two teams for the 2012 National Lacrosse League season.

The agreement will not only give fervent fans of the Rush and Roughnecks a chance to see some the world’s best lacrosse players competing in one of the NLL’s fiercest rivalries, but it will also allow for those who have yet to discover the sport a golden opportunity to tune in and see indoor lacrosse played at its highest level.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the Rush and Roughnecks to showcase NLL lacrosse across western Canada, and in particular, the chance to show what how the game and the talented players on both teams bring out the best in the Battle of Alberta,” said Gord Sawyer, Rush Team President.

“We are very excited to partner with Sportsnet and the Edmonton Rush to bring indoor lacrosse to a wider audience through these broadcasts,” said Calgary Roughnecks Governor John Bean. “Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in Canada and this is an opportunity to introduce even more fans to this great game and the National Lacrosse League.”

Sportsnet returns to live coverage of the NLL for the first time since the 2006 season – the Rush’s inaugural campaign in the league.

All four games will be aired live on Sportsnet, beginning with the first installment of the NLL’s edition of the Battle of Alberta coming in Week #7 when the Roughnecks host the Rush at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday, Feb. 18. Game time is 7 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West and Pacific.

On Week #10 of the schedule, the Battle of Alberta heats up in a big way as the Rush and Roughnecks will clash in a home-and-home weekend set. On Friday, March 9, the Rush will host the Roughnecks at Rexall Place for the first time this season, and then the following night Saturday, March 10, the Roughnecks are back on their home floor. Both games are 7 p.m. MT starts.

The seasonal series concludes with a contest in Week #16 – a game which may have major ramifications on both teams’ playoff aspirations. The Rush will host the Roughnecks on Saturday, April 21 with the opening faceoff at 8 p.m.

Calgary holds an all-time record of 16-4 against Edmonton in regular-season play, and the Roughnecks have won six of the last seven meetings including a pair of overtime victories. The Rush, however, hold the lone victory in playoff action between the teams after Edmonton’s stunning 11-7 victory over the defending NLL champion Roughnecks in the 2010 West Division semifinal.

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Sportsnet is one of Canada’s leading sports networks and is owned by Rogers Media, who also operate Citytv and the Fan 590, among other leading media outlets.

Two games will go live nationally on Sportsnet ONE, while the two other games will show regionally through Sportsnet West and Sportsnet Pacific.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 at 1:57 pm and is filed under Press Release. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.