The National Lacrosse League announced its eighty-game 2004 regular-season schedule today, while also introducing its new two-division alignment.

The action begins in Phoenix, where the unnamed Arizona team hosts the Vancouver Ravens on Friday, 26 December, in the first-ever event at Glendale Arena. The next night, the Philadelphia Wings visit the Rochester Knighthawks.

The first big night of lacrosse is Saturday, 10 January, when Anaheim and San Jose make their home debuts (against Arizona and Colorado, respectively) and the Toronto Rock visits the Rochester Knighthawks in a rematch of the 2003 NLL Champions Cup Final.

As previously announced, the All Star Game will be held on Sunday, 22 February, at Pepsi Center in Denver. Only two games are schedule for the day before, and one is a matinee in Phoenix. The other, though, could cause some problems with players getting to Colorado: Buffalo at Philadelphia, 8:00 PM.

The sixteen-week season extends to Saturday, 10 April, when Arizona visits San Jose.

The big story behind the schedule is the effect of realignment. The NLL has shifted into unbalanced divisions of four teams in the East and six teams in the West, with almost all intradivisional games.

The East's Buffalo Bandits, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, and Toronto Rock will play each other four times each, for a total of twelve games per team, and meet the Western teams for the remaining four games.

The Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, and Vancouver Ravens, along with unnamed franchises in Anaheim, Phoenix, and San Jose, will play twelve to fourteen times within the Western Division and see the Eastern clubs only a few times.

As a result of the realignment, the league has changed the playoff format to include the top three teams from each division. The past two seasons, three division winners and three wild cards qualified.

The complete 2004 NLL schedule is as follows (all times Eastern):

Fri 26 Dec             Vancouver @ Arizona          9:30
Sat 27 Dec          Philadelphia @ Rochester        7:30

Fri  2 Jan              San Jose @ Colorado         9:00
Sat  3 Jan             Rochester @ Buffalo          7:30

Fri  9 Jan              Colorado @ Arizona          9:30
Fri  9 Jan               Calgary @ Vancouver       10:30
Sat 10 Jan          Philadelphia @ Buffalo          7:30
Sat 10 Jan               Toronto @ Rochester        7:30
Sat 10 Jan               Arizona @ Anaheim         10:30
Sat 10 Jan              Colorado @ San Jose        10:30

Fri 16 Jan               Calgary @ Toronto          7:30
Fri 16 Jan               Buffalo @ Vancouver       10:30
Sat 17 Jan             Rochester @ Philadelphia     8:00
Sun 18 Jan               Buffalo @ Anaheim          8:30

Fri 23 Jan             Vancouver @ Toronto          7:30
Fri 23 Jan          Philadelphia @ San Jose        10:30
Sun 25 Jan             Vancouver @ Calgary          5:00
Sun 25 Jan               Arizona @ Colorado         8:00
Sun 25 Jan              San Jose @ Anaheim          8:30

Fri 30 Jan               Calgary @ Colorado         9:00
Fri 30 Jan              San Jose @ Arizona          9:30
Sat 31 Jan               Toronto @ Rochester        8:00
Sat 31 Jan               Buffalo @ Philadelphia     8:00
Sat 31 Jan               Arizona @ Calgary          9:30
Sun  1 Feb              Colorado @ Vancouver        3:30

Fri  6 Feb             Rochester @ Buffalo          7:30
Sat  7 Feb          Philadelphia @ Toronto          4:00
Sat  7 Feb             Vancouver @ Colorado         9:00
Sun  8 Feb               Calgary @ Anaheim          8:30
Sun  8 Feb              San Jose @ Vancouver       10:30

Fri 13 Feb               Buffalo @ Toronto          7:30
Sat 14 Feb               Anaheim @ Buffalo          7:30
Sat 14 Feb              San Jose @ Rochester        7:30
Sat 14 Feb               Arizona @ Philadelphia     8:00
Sat 14 Feb              Colorado @ Calgary          9:30

Fri 20 Feb              San Jose @ Calgary          9:30
Fri 20 Feb               Toronto @ Vancouver       10:30
Sat 21 Feb               Anaheim @ Arizona          2:30
Sat 21 Feb               Buffalo @ Philadelphia     8:00
Sun 22 Feb     NLL All Star Game @ Denver, CO
                            East v West             6:00

Fri 27 Feb          Philadelphia @ Toronto          7:30
Fri 27 Feb             Vancouver @ Calgary          9:30
Fri 27 Feb              Colorado @ Anaheim         10:30
Sat 28 Feb               Arizona @ San Jose         3:30
Sat 28 Feb               Buffalo @ Rochester        7:30
Sat 28 Feb               Toronto @ Philadelphia     8:00
Sat 28 Feb               Anaheim @ Colorado         9:00
Sun 29 Feb               Calgary @ Arizona          7:00

Fri  5 Mar               Toronto @ Buffalo          7:30
Fri  5 Mar             Rochester @ Anaheim         10:30
Sat  6 Mar          Philadelphia @ Colorado         2:30
Sat  6 Mar             Rochester @ Arizona          9:30

Fri 12 Mar             Rochester @ Toronto          7:30
Fri 12 Mar               Anaheim @ Vancouver       10:30
Sat 13 Mar              Colorado @ Rochester        7:30
Sat 13 Mar               Arizona @ Buffalo          7:30
Sat 13 Mar               Toronto @ Philadelphia     8:00
Sat 13 Mar             Vancouver @ Anaheim         10:30
Sat 13 Mar               Calgary @ San Jose        10:30

Fri 19 Mar              Colorado @ Arizona          9:30
Sat 20 Mar             Vancouver @ San Jose         3:30
Sat 20 Mar               Buffalo @ Rochester        7:30
Sat 20 Mar               Anaheim @ Philadelphia     8:00
Sun 21 Mar              Colorado @ Calgary          5:00

Fri 26 Mar               Buffalo @ Toronto          7:30
Fri 26 Mar              San Jose @ Colorado         9:00
Sat 27 Mar               Toronto @ Buffalo          7:30
Sat 27 Mar             Rochester @ Philadelphia     8:00
Sat 27 Mar               Anaheim @ San Jose        10:30
Sun 28 Mar               Calgary @ Vancouver        3:30

Fri  2 Apr               Toronto @ Calgary          9:30
Fri  2 Apr              San Jose @ Anaheim         10:30
Sat  3 Apr          Philadelphia @ Rochester        7:30
Sat  3 Apr             Vancouver @ Arizona          9:30
Sat  3 Apr               Anaheim @ Colorado        10:00
Sat  3 Apr               Calgary @ San Jose        10:30
Sun  4 Apr          Philadelphia @ Buffalo          3:00
Sun  4 Apr               Arizona @ Vancouver        7:30

Fri  9 Apr             Rochester @ Toronto          7:30
Fri  9 Apr               Anaheim @ Calgary         10:00
Sat 10 Apr               Arizona @ San Jose        10:30