The National Lacrosse League today announced the schedule of games to be telecast on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada.

Sportsnet will air 22 regular-season games during the 2003 NLL season, the second of a two-year television deal between the league, Sportsnet, Molstar Sports and Entertainment and Molson Breweries.

Last season, Sportsnet aired 25 regular-season games over a nineteen-week season, making this year's slate -- spanning sixteen weeks -- essentially equivalent.

Not surprisingly, the Toronto Rock will make the most appearances on Sportsnet, with seven home games and three road matches televised. The other Canadian clubs are well-represented, with Calgary and Vancouver on tevision eight times each and Ottawa showing up six times.

Seven of the NLL's eight American teams will appear on Sportsnet (only Columbus is omitted), but since all 22 games will originate from Canada, they will only be seen in their road apparel.

The NLL also announced eight time changes to accomodate Sportsnet coverage, although none of the affected games shifted dates.

The NLL has not yet announced plans for television coverage in the United States. In August 2001, a multi-year contract with CNN/SI was announced, but when CNN/SI shut down last spring, the American TV deal went with it.

The following is the Sportsnet schedule for the 2003 season, with tape-delayed coverage and replay times in parentheses (all times Eastern):

Sat 28 Dec  Calgary at Ottawa, 3:30
Fri  3 Jan  Philadelphia at Vancouver, 10:30
              (East 11:00, Ont 11:30)
              (Replay Sat 4 Jan, 3:30)
Sat 11 Jan  Albany at Toronto, 3:30
Fri 17 Jan  Toronto at Calgary, 9:30
              (East 11:00, Ont 11:30, Pac 12:00)
              (Replay Sat 17 Jan, 3:30)
Thu 23 Jan  Toronto at Ottawa, 7:30 
              (Mtn 10:30, Pac 10:30, East 11:00)
Fri 24 Jan  Buffalo at Toronto, 7:30
              (Pac 10:30, Ont 11:30, Mtn 2:00a)
              (Replay Sat 25 Jan, 3:30)
Fri 31 Jan  Vancouver at Calgary, 9:30 
              (East 11:00, Ont 11:30)
Sat  1 Feb  New Jersey at Ottawa, 3:30
Sun  2 Feb  Calgary at Vancouver, 5:00
              (East 11:00, Ont 11:30, Mtn 2:00a, Pac 3:00a)
Fri  7 Feb  Ottawa at Toronto, 7:30
              (Mtn 1:00a, Pac 3:00a)
              (Replay Sat 8 Feb, 3:30)
Fri 14 Feb  Toronto at Vancouver, 10:30
              (East 11:00, Ont 11:30)
              (Replay Sat 15 Feb, 3:30)
Sat 22 Feb  Rochester at Toronto, 3:30
Fri 28 Feb  New York at Vancouver, 10:30
              (East 11:00, Ont 11:30)
              (Replay Sat 1 Mar, 3:30)
Sun  2 Mar  New York at Calgary, 3:30
Fri  7 Mar  Vancouver at Toronto, 7:30
              (Pac 10:30, Mtn 1:00a)
              (Replay Sat 8 Mar, 3:30)
Sun 16 Mar  Colorado at Vancouver, 4:00
Fri 21 Mar  Philadelphia at Toronto, 7:30
              (East/Ont/Mtn 2:00a, Pac 3:00a)
Fri 28 Mar  Ottawa at Vancouver, 10:30
              (East/Ont/Mtn 2:00a, Pac 3:00a)
              (Replay Sat 29 Mar, 2:30)
Sun 30 Mar  Ottawa at Calgary, 3:30
              (East 8:00, Mtn 10:30, Ont/Pac 11:30)
Sat  5 Apr  Colorado at Calgary, 9:30
              (East/Ont 11:30, Mtn 1:00a, Pac 3:00a)
Fri 11 Apr  Buffalo at Calgary, 9:30
              (East 11:00, Ont 11:30)
              (Replay Sat 12 Apr, 4:00)
Sun 13 Apr  Colorado at Toronto, 4:00