The National Lacrosse League will announce tomorrow at the conclusion of its Board of Governors meeting that its aggressive expansion plans are on hold for a year, an Alberta newspaper has reported.

According to today's edition of the Edmonton Sun, the league has shelved its attempts to place an expansion team in the City of Champions and has rejected bids from Los Angeles and Portland to join the league in time for the upcoming 2002-2003 season.

The report contradicts a report which appeared a week ago on the Montreal Express' French-language web site, claiming that three west coast cities -- Los Angeles, Portland, and either San Jose or San Francisco -- would receive new franchises and that Edmonton's chances rested on acquiring the Express itself, up for sale and possibly on the move.

"It's not over yet but I don't think the league will be in any position to talk about Edmonton as having a team by Thursday," a league source told the Sun.

"One of the things discussed during the [league] meetings is whether Edmonton should go in next season or even wait for the 2003-2004 season... so, even if it happens, it might not be for two years. The league's thinking is it might be better to wait and do it right as opposed to rushing."

Although the league established a 1 June deadline for expansion and relocation applications, Stewart's group was allowed a ten-day extension to shore up its financing. Eager to bring Stewart into the league, team owners in May pre-approved any Stewart application to bring a team to Edmonton.

Stewart, a frequent franchise bidder who previously was part of the bid which became the Calgary Roughnecks and who made at least two unsuccessful attempts in the past year to purchase the Washington Power, needed only to assemble a group of investors capable of meeting the league's expansion fee, but it appears that he could not complete the job in time.

The extended deadline now lapsed, the price of an expansion team has risen from $1 million (US) to $3 million.

The report also confirms that the Power's move to Denver has been approved, a decision which has been all but assured for many weeks, but leaves the unsaid the Express' future. As of a week ago, the team was reportedly in talks with groups from Edmonton and Winnipeg.

NLL commissioner Jim Jennings will conduct a media conference call Thursday at noon, marking the conclusion of the league's annual meetings, this year being held in New York. With expansion and relocation a major item of discussion around the league lately, expect much of the conference call to address the league's stand-pat approach to the coming season.