The Montreal Express today ended months of waiting, suspending operations for one season.

The decision removes the Express from participation in the upcoming 2003 season, but the franchise will remain in existence.

After suffering large financial losses this past season, Express owners put the team up for sale but found no suitable buyers, forcing the one-year hiatus while the search continues.

"Montreal is a great city, and we are sad to make this announcement," NLL commissioner Jim Jennings said.

"Despite great efforts, the current ownership was unable to make it a success. The Board of Governors and I still believe the NLL can be successful in Montreal, with the right ownership group and the right situation. We are not permanently closing the door on Montreal today."

In a year's time, the franchise must choose between resuming operations in Montreal or applying for relocation, either of which would be effective for the 2004 season. Despite Jennings' optimism about possibly returning to Montreal, relocation currently seems the more likely of the two possibilities.

No decision has been made on the fate of Montreal's players. Originally, a dispersal draft, involving the league's other twelve teams, was expected, but more recently, there has been talk of declaring the entire Express roster free agents.

The Express will not participate in the 2002 NLL Entry Draft, to be held Saturday, 21 September at Toronto's Air Canada Centre.

The NLL will not realign as result of either today's announcement or the Washington Power's recent relocation. The former Power, now playing in Denver, will remain in the Eastern Division, along with New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. The Central Division will simply remove Montreal from its ranks, leaving Albany, Buffalo, Columbus and Rochester. Meanwhile, the Northern Division will continue to be comprised of Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver.