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The Philadelphia Wings were a member of the
National Lacrosse League The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men's professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The NLL currently has fifteen teams: ten in the United Stat ...
, a professional
box lacrosse Box lacrosse, also known as boxla, box, or indoor lacrosse, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. The game originated in Canada in the 1930s, where it is more popular than field lacrosse. Lacrosse is Canada's official ...
league in North America starting in 1987. They played at the
Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...
(1987–96) and then at the
Wells Fargo Center Wells Fargo Center may refer to: *Wells Fargo Center (Los Angeles), California *Wells Fargo Center (Sacramento), California * Wells Fargo Center (San Francisco), California * Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, California * Wells Fargo Cen ...
in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. The Wings were one of the four original teams in the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League that began play in
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
and the only team to reclaim its identity from the original 1974–75
National Lacrosse League The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men's professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The NLL currently has fifteen teams: ten in the United Stat ...
and also retained the first Philadelphia Wings logo. The Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League was renamed the Major Indoor Lacrosse League in 1989, and again to the National Lacrosse League in 1998. They are the only franchise to have played all 24 seasons in the same city. The Wings have the most titles in the combined league history with six total: four North American Cups in the MILL era and two Champion's Cup since the formation of the NLL. On July 11, 2014, it was announced on the team's website that the Wings would be relocating after 28 years in Philadelphia. On September 19, 2014, it was announced that the team will be known as the
New England Black Wolves The New England Black Wolves were a professional box lacrosse team based in Uncasville, Connecticut. They were members of the East Division of the National Lacrosse League and began play in the winter of 2014–2015 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Un ...
and will play at the
Mohegan Sun Arena The Mohegan Sun Arena is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, located inside the Mohegan Sun casino resort. The arena facility features of configurable exhibition space and a clear span. It was built by the Perini Buil ...
. In September 2017 the National Lacrosse League announced that Comcast-Spectacor would be the owners of an expansion franchise for the 2018–19 season. On November 29, 2017, it was announced the new franchise would use the "Wings" name. __TOC__


History


Early years

The Philadelphia Wings were one of the original four franchises in the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League, joining the
New Jersey Saints The New Jersey Saints were one of the founding teams in the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League (renamed in 1989 to the Major Indoor Lacrosse League, and then again in 1998 to the National Lacrosse League). They played at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East ...
,
Washington Wave The Washington Wave was an American lacrosse team. They were a member of the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League and the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1987 to 1989. They were based in Washington, D.C. and played in the Capital Centre in Landover, ...
, and
Baltimore Thunder The Baltimore Thunder were a member of the National Lacrosse League from 1987 until 1999. They were based in Baltimore, Maryland, and won the first Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League (later the National Lacrosse League) championship in 1987. After th ...
in the premiere season. While the Wings were not an immediate success on the floor, going 3–3 and 3–5 in the first two regular seasons with two playoff losses, they were the biggest draw in the league. They drew an average of almost 12,000 fans to their three
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
regular season games, and slightly over 12,000 fans for their four games in
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
. Their first on-field success came in 1989 with a first place 6–2 campaign, ending with their first of a league record 6 titles with an 11–10 win over New York at the Spectrum. The Wings became the first team to repeat with another 6–2 regular season followed by a championship win in Worcester over the New England Blazers. A 5–5 season in 1991 left the Wings in third place in the American Division, 1 game behind the division winners Baltimore and out of the playoffs for the first time in their history, denying them the opportunity for a "threepeat." Some of the early stars of those teams included Mike French, Hall of Fame college player at Cornell and a current team executive; John Grant Sr., father of current NLL star
John Grant Jr. John Christopher Grant Jr. (born November 7, 1974) is a Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player who has played in Major League Lacrosse, the National Lacrosse League, and the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Grant Jr. was named men's lacrosse Offen ...
and member of the Philadelphia Wings (1974–1975) ; Syracuse Hall of Famer
Brad Kotz Bradley 'Brad' A. Kotz was a four-time All-American NCAA lacrosse player at Syracuse University from 1982 to 1985. Syracuse Orange The Orange won an NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship in 1983 and made two additional appearances in the NCAA fin ...
; long time Wings coach,
Tony Resch Tony Resch is a retired lacrosse player, and current field and box lacrosse coach. He is the former head coach of the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League from 1994 to 2001, and led the Wings to four Championships. Resch was named ...
; and long time NLL player and coach John Tucker.


Wings vs. Bandits

In 1992, the MILL expanded to
Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY in ...
with the
Buffalo Bandits The Buffalo Bandits are a professional box lacrosse Box lacrosse, also known as boxla, box, or indoor lacrosse, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. The game originated in Canada in the 1930s, where it is more po ...
. The Bandits were primarily Canadian players from Ontario, while the Wings were still mostly American based, like the rest of the league at the time. The rivalry was instant, as the teams would play each other in 4 of the next 5 title games, interrupted only by the Wings triumph over Rochester in the 1995 season. The Wings struggled in the regular season of 1992, but turned it on in the playoffs to defeat Baltimore and New York and host the Bandits in the championship game.
John Tavares John Tavares (born September 20, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft ...
would end the Wings quest for their 3rd title with an overtime winner, however. 1993 saw the Wings have a 7–1 season, only to be topped by the Bandits perfect 8–0 season. Both teams dispatched their semifinal opponents, and the rematch was on. The Bandits once again ended the Wings hopes, this time winning a one-goal contest in regulation 13–12. 1994 saw both teams top their respective divisions with 6–2 marks, and again both teams dominated the semifinal game to meet for a 3rd consecutive time for the North American Cup. An incredible run by Philadelphia in the middle of the game buried the Bandits hopes of their own threepeat, giving the Wings a 26–15 win and their third title. The Wings were their same dominating selves in 1995, going 7–1 to finish atop the single table (a structure the league changed back to before the season), while the Bandits uncharacteristically struggled, finishing just 4th in a 6 team league at 3–5. This meant the Wings faced the Bandits in the semifinals, and due to the MILL's "attendance rule" that gave postseason home field advantage to the team with better attendance, the game was played in Buffalo. The Wings proved to be the better team with a 19–16 win on their way to a league high 4th title. 1996 saw the Bandits return to their prior form, while both teams finishing 8–2 and tied atop the league standings. Once again, the teams found themselves in the final, and the Bandits returned the favor of stopping a threepeat with a dominating 15–10 performance. 1997 saw that Wings move from the Spectrum to the new CoreStates Center (now the
Wells Fargo Center Wells Fargo Center may refer to: *Wells Fargo Center (Los Angeles), California *Wells Fargo Center (Sacramento), California * Wells Fargo Center (San Francisco), California * Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, California * Wells Fargo Cen ...
). It would also be the first time that the Wings and Bandits would not meet in the playoffs since the Bandits had been introduced in 1992. The Wings won another regular season title with a 7–1 record, but were upset in the semifinals by the eventual champion Rochester Knighthawks.


NLL era

The league name changed for 1998, but the Wings success did not. Despite the loss of
Gary Gait Gary Charles Gait (born April 5, 1967) is a Canadian retired Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player and currently the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team at Syracuse University, where he played the sport collegiately. On January 24, 2017, ...
to the
Baltimore Thunder The Baltimore Thunder were a member of the National Lacrosse League from 1987 until 1999. They were based in Baltimore, Maryland, and won the first Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League (later the National Lacrosse League) championship in 1987. After th ...
, the Wings still claimed their 4th regular season title in 5 years at 9–3. Once again, the Wings were paired up with their arch-rival Bandits in the semifinal round, and the Wings dispatched the Bandits just as they had in the previous semifinal matchup. The Wings advanced to play the Thunder and Gary Gait in the final round, which was a best 2 of 3 series for the one and only time in league history. The Wings opened the series with a 16–12 victory at home, before sweeping the series with a dominating 17–12 road victory in Baltimore Arena. Wings goaltender Dallas Eliuk was named Championship Series MVP. 1999 saw the end of the heated Wings-Bandits rivalry, as the Bandits started to rebuild and fell to a 4–8 mark, missing the postseason. The Wings also had regular season struggles, finishing at just 5–7 and squeaking into the playoffs as the fourth seed. Wings fans probably wish the team had missed the postseason, as the team was pummeled in a record breaking 13–2 loss to the eventual champion
Toronto Rock The Toronto Rock are a professional box lacrosse franchise based in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team was the first Canadian franchise in the NLL. ...
. 2000 saw the team improve slightly to 7–5 during the season, but it ended the same way, with a semifinal loss in Toronto by a more respectable 14–10 score. That set up the 2001 season, with the Wings once again seeing their league dominance challenged by a newcomer to the league. The Rock and the Wings did not disappoint, with the Rock going 11–3 and the Wings 10–4 in the regular season, and winning their semifinal games to set up a third straight postseason matchup in Toronto, this time with the title on the line. Unlike the previous two games, the Wings dictated the style of play, combined with the stellar goaltending of 2001 Championship Game MVP
Dallas Eliuk Dallas Eliuk (born November 4, 1964 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a former goaltender and assistant coach in the National Lacrosse League. Upon his retirement from play, Eliuk coached one season with the Portland LumberJax and two with the ...
, built a 9–4 lead, and never looked back. The Rock made a late-game rally but it proved too little, too late, and the Wings claimed their 6th title with a 9–8 upset victory, silencing the 19,409 Toronto Fans in attendance. The 2002 season was clearly a transition year for the franchise, as they muddled through a difficult season to finish at 8–8 before falling in a quarterfinal game against the
Washington Power The Washington Power were a member of the National Lacrosse League during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. After the inaugural championship in 1987 in Baltimore (as the Thunder) through 1999 and an unsuccessful stint in Pittsburgh (as the CrosseFire), ...
. Until the 2008 season, it would prove to be the last playoff appearance for the proud franchise.


Rebuilding

The 2003 season saw the Wings start off strongly, but collapse down the stretch as they finished 8–8, and lost the division title to the
Colorado Mammoth The Colorado Mammoth are a box lacrosse team playing in the National Lacrosse League. The Mammoth have played at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, since the 2003 season. They are owned by Stan Kroenke, who is also the owner of the Colorado Avala ...
, missing the postseason for the first time since 1991. It would continue to get worse for the Wings, as the next two years ended with a last-place 7–9 2004 season and a 6–10 2005 season. The rebuilding of the Wings began in earnest in the offseason, with Perennial All-Pro Goaltender Dallas Eliuk being granted a trade request to be closer to home (due to his father's failing health), the Wings would have three first round draft picks before the 2006 season, adding Sean Greenhalgh, Luke Wiles, and Chad Thompson. Wiles and Thompson were later dealt for Mike Regan, and Greenhalgh was moved to Buffalo after the 2007 season. Despite the added firepower, the Wings saw some improvement, going 8–8 in 2006 but missing the postseason on tiebreakers. The 2006 draft was again fertile ground for the Wings, adding
Geoff Snider Geoff Snider (born 2 April 1981) is a retired Canadian lacrosse player from Calgary, Alberta. Amateur career Growing up, Snider played for the Calgary Hornets in the Calgary District Lacrosse Association. His junior lacrosse career began with t ...
,
Ian Llord Ian Llord (born June 9, 1985, in St. Catharines, Ontario) is a professional lacrosse player who plays for the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League and the Six Nations Chiefs of Major Series Lacrosse. Canadian box career Junior Llord ...
, and
Athan Iannucci Athan Iannucci (born April 15, 1982) is a professional lacrosse player. He played collegiate lacrosse at Hofstra University. Iannucci played professional lacrosse for the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League. He was a member of the n ...
in the first round, and adding Kyle Wailes, another first round pick, through a trade with Calgary. However, the 2007 season again would leave fans wondering about the future, when the Wings collapsed down the stretch with 4 losses in the last 5 games to crash to a 6–10 record and miss the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. The entire coaching staff was fired after the season ended, though Lindsay Sanderson kept the role of GM.


Dave Huntley returns

On June 8, 2007, the Wings announced that the team's original general manager
Dave Huntley Dave Huntley (1957 – December 18, 2017) was a Canadian lacrosse player and head coach and general manager with the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League. Huntley played collegiate lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University where he ...
would be their head coach for the 2008 season. The personnel changes would continue as Sean Greenhalgh was moved to Buffalo and Ian Llord moved to Calgary in a deal that brought the Wings
Jason Crosbie Jason Crosbie (born June 25, 1975 in Bowmanville, Ontario) is a Canadian former lacrosse player who is currently an assistant coach in the National Lacrosse League for the New York Riptide. NLL Crosbie began his career in 2001 with the Rochest ...
on offense and former Defenseman of the Year Taylor Wray on defense. The Wings added goaltender
Rob Blasdell Rob "Blazer" Blasdell (born May 15, 1970) is a lacrosse goaltender who plays for the Edmonton Rush in the National Lacrosse League. Professional career Blasdell began his career with the Ontario Raiders in 1998, moving with them to Toronto the ...
in the dispersal draft that occurred for the one-year suspension of the
Arizona Sting The Arizona Sting was a member of the National Lacrosse League from 2004 to 2007. They played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, from 2001 to 2003 as the Columbus Landsharks. On August 28, 2003, it was announced that the team was relocating to ...
, and he was named the starting goaltender for the 2008 season. On March 5, 2008, the Wings continued to restructure the team, even when leading the league with a 6–1 record at the halfway point. The Wings were involved in trades with the
Chicago Shamrox The Chicago Shamrox were an American professional lacrosse team that played in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) in the 2007 and 2008 NLL seasons. Home matches were played at the Sears Centre in northwest suburban Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The t ...
,
Minnesota Swarm The Minnesota Swarm was a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League who played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota from 2004 until 2015. The team's previous owners (Minnesota Sports & Entertainment) who also own the NHL's ...
, and
Edmonton Rush The Edmonton Rush were a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) that played from 2006 NLL season to 2015. The team announced on July 20, 2015, that they would be relocating to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for the 2016 se ...
leading to the acquisition of A.J. Shannon and Brandon Miller, while sending
Matt Roik Matt Roik (born November 17, 1979, in Dunnville, Ontario) is a professional lacrosse goaltender who has played in the National Lacrosse League. Roik most recently played for the Toronto Rock, and has also played for the Washington Stealth, San Jos ...
,
Dan Marohl Dan Marohl (born March 30, 1978) is a former indoor lacrosse player for the Minnesota Swarm in the National Lacrosse League. Marohl attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he was teammates with former Philadelphia Wings teamm ...
,
Keith Cromwell Keith Cromwell (born September 7, 1979) is an American professional lacrosse player. He was a member of the Minnesota Swarm in the National Lacrosse League and of the Long Island Lizards of Major League Lacrosse. He played the attack position. He ...
, and Brad Self elsewhere. All the changes paid off, as the Wings compiled a 10–6 record, good for a four-way tie for the Eastern Division championship. Due to tiebreakers, they finished with the 4th seed in the East, and travelled to Buffalo for an Eastern Division semifinal game on May 2, 2008. The Wings return to the postseason was short-lived, however, as the Wings dropped a 14–12 decision to the Bandits. The 2008 season saw the emergence of two new Wings superstars, second year players
Athan Iannucci Athan Iannucci (born April 15, 1982) is a professional lacrosse player. He played collegiate lacrosse at Hofstra University. Iannucci played professional lacrosse for the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League. He was a member of the n ...
and
Geoff Snider Geoff Snider (born 2 April 1981) is a retired Canadian lacrosse player from Calgary, Alberta. Amateur career Growing up, Snider played for the Calgary Hornets in the Calgary District Lacrosse Association. His junior lacrosse career began with t ...
. Iannucci scored 71 goals on the season, breaking
Gary Gait Gary Charles Gait (born April 5, 1967) is a Canadian retired Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player and currently the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team at Syracuse University, where he played the sport collegiately. On January 24, 2017, ...
's single-season scoring record of 61, and Snider set new records for loose balls (242), penalty minutes (103), and faceoffs won (318). Both made the All-Star team and All-Pro teams, and Iannucci was named Player of the Month three times as well as league
MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
. The 2009 season was marred by an offseason injury to star Athan Iannucci, who was only able to appear in 10 games, and compiled just 36 points after his record-breaking haul the season before. Needing to re-establish an offense without the focal point, the Wings struggled to a 2–5 start, but were able to rally to win 4 of the next 6 and get back to a 7–8 record heading into the season finale in Rochester with a playoff spot on the line. Back to back playoff berths were not to be, however, as the Wings fell to the Knighthawks 11–8 to finish the season 5th in the East.


2011 and beyond

In 2011, after 2 seasons with Dave Huntley as coach, the Wings appointed former Wings player John Tucker to the head coaching position. After winning two championships with the Wings while they were in the
Major Indoor Lacrosse League The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men's professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The NLL currently has fifteen teams: ten in the United Stat ...
in 1989 and 1990, Tucker had success in coaching the now defunct
Baltimore Thunder The Baltimore Thunder were a member of the National Lacrosse League from 1987 until 1999. They were based in Baltimore, Maryland, and won the first Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League (later the National Lacrosse League) championship in 1987. After th ...
and
Pittsburgh Crossefire The Pittsburgh CrosseFire were a member of the National Lacrosse League during the 2000 NLL season. They were based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The franchise started out as the Baltimore Thunder before moving to Pittsburgh. After a single season ...
. 2011 started out well for Tucker and the Wings. After a slow start at home against Boston and Buffalo, Philadelphia ended January on a 3-game winning streak, taking two games from Colorado, and blowing out Boston on the road. Strong play from
Max Seibald Maxwell Oren Seibald (born August 14, 1987) is a former professional lacrosse player for the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse. He played midfield position. He graduated in 2009 from Cornell University. He is a former Tewaaraton Award winn ...
and goaltender Brandon Miller highlighted these wins, and put the Wings half a game out of first place. Shortly thereafter, the Wings season began to crumble. After an up and down February, which saw Philadelphia split with Buffalo, and lose in Rochester, the season bottomed out, with the Wings losing 7 out of their last 8 games, and finishing with a 5–11 record, 5 and a half games out of first place and tied with Dave Huntley in 2010 for the worst season record of all time. In June 2011, Tucker announced he was stepping down from the head coaching position to focus on his position as the Wings new director of United States collegiate scouting efforts. On July 25, current Wings General Manager Johnny Mouradian became the team's new head coach. Mouradian had previously served as president, General Manager, and Advisor to the 2010 NLL Champs, the Washington Stealth. Mouradian wasted little time in shaping the 2012 season by trading
Athan Iannucci Athan Iannucci (born April 15, 1982) is a professional lacrosse player. He played collegiate lacrosse at Hofstra University. Iannucci played professional lacrosse for the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League. He was a member of the n ...
to the
Edmonton Rush The Edmonton Rush were a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) that played from 2006 NLL season to 2015. The team announced on July 20, 2015, that they would be relocating to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for the 2016 se ...
with teammates Alex Turner and Brodie McDonald, along with Philadelphia's first round draft picks in 2012, 2013 and 2014. In exchange, the Wings acquired Edmonton transition player
Brodie Merrill Brodie Merrill (born November 5, 1981) is a Canadian professional lacrosse player. He currently plays in the National Lacrosse League for the San Diego Seals and Premier Lacrosse League for the Cannons. Merrill is recognized by the Premier Lacross ...
, Rush forwards Dean Hill, Mike McLellan, and Edmonton's 41st selection in the 2011 entry draft, and the 4th round selection in 2013.


Relocation

On July 11, 2014, the Philadelphia Wings announced through their home page that the franchise was looking to relocate for the 2015 season. Citing the increasing saturation of the Philadelphia sports marketplace, “My love for the Wings and my connection with the city has made this move all the more difficult,” said Wings Owner and Team President Michael French. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of our Philadelphia supporters over the past 28 years. “The financial model in a market with so many sport and entertainment alternatives has proven to be unsustainable,” added French. “Finding a new venue with new strategic partners was the only way to ensure financial stability.” Despite being one of the oldest and most historic franchises in the league, attendance had begun to falter in the years before the Wings demise. Their attendance dropped 5% from 2011 to 2012 and then another 6% from 2012 to 2013. In February 2013 the Wings hosted a weekday game at 11 am, drawing the smallest attendance (5,139) in franchise history. On August 4, 2014, it was reported that the Mohegan tribe would be purchasing an NLL team to play at the
Mohegan Sun Arena The Mohegan Sun Arena is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, located inside the Mohegan Sun casino resort. The arena facility features of configurable exhibition space and a clear span. It was built by the Perini Buil ...
in
Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...
. Two days later it was made official that French had sold half of the franchise to the Mohegans, and that the Wings would be relocating to Uncasville. The franchise would be renamed the
New England Black Wolves The New England Black Wolves were a professional box lacrosse team based in Uncasville, Connecticut. They were members of the East Division of the National Lacrosse League and began play in the winter of 2014–2015 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Un ...
. Resurrection In September 2017 the National Lacrosse League announced that Comcast-Spectacor would be the owners of an expansion franchise for the 2018–19 season. On November 29, 2017, it was announced the team would resume operations using the Wings name.


Awards and honors


NLL Hall of Fame members

* Scott Montgomery,
Chris Fritz Chris Fritz was a co-founder of the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League (now called the National Lacrosse League) on May 13, 1987. Fritz was the league's first President. In June 2005, it was announced that Chris would be inducted into the National Lacro ...
,
Gary Gait Gary Charles Gait (born April 5, 1967) is a Canadian retired Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player and currently the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team at Syracuse University, where he played the sport collegiately. On January 24, 2017, ...
,These players were not inducted into the Hall of Fame as Wings, but played a part of their career in Philadelphia.
Paul Gait Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
(Class of 2006) * Mike French,
Tom Marechek Tom "Hollywood" Marechek (born August 25, 1968 in Victoria, British Columbia) is a retired professional lacrosse player. College career Marechek played college lacrosse at Syracuse University where he teamed with Paul and Gary Gait to form one o ...
(Class of 2007) *
Tony Resch Tony Resch is a retired lacrosse player, and current field and box lacrosse coach. He is the former head coach of the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League from 1994 to 2001, and led the Wings to four Championships. Resch was named ...
(Class of 2008) *
Dallas Eliuk Dallas Eliuk (born November 4, 1964 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a former goaltender and assistant coach in the National Lacrosse League. Upon his retirement from play, Eliuk coached one season with the Portland LumberJax and two with the ...
(Class of 2009) * Terry Sanderson (Class of 2015) * Kevin Finneran (Class of 2021)


NLL records held

* Single Season Goal Scoring Record -
Athan Iannucci Athan Iannucci (born April 15, 1982) is a professional lacrosse player. He played collegiate lacrosse at Hofstra University. Iannucci played professional lacrosse for the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League. He was a member of the n ...
(71 goals, 2008) * Single Season Loose Balls Record -
Geoff Snider Geoff Snider (born 2 April 1981) is a retired Canadian lacrosse player from Calgary, Alberta. Amateur career Growing up, Snider played for the Calgary Hornets in the Calgary District Lacrosse Association. His junior lacrosse career began with t ...
(244 LB, 2008) * Single Season Faceoff Wins Record - Peter Jacobs (318 FW, 2005) and
Geoff Snider Geoff Snider (born 2 April 1981) is a retired Canadian lacrosse player from Calgary, Alberta. Amateur career Growing up, Snider played for the Calgary Hornets in the Calgary District Lacrosse Association. His junior lacrosse career began with t ...
(318 FW, 2008) * Single Season PIM Record -
Geoff Snider Geoff Snider (born 2 April 1981) is a retired Canadian lacrosse player from Calgary, Alberta. Amateur career Growing up, Snider played for the Calgary Hornets in the Calgary District Lacrosse Association. His junior lacrosse career began with t ...
(103 PIM, 2008) * Most Goals in a Single Game -
Paul Gait Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
(10 goals, 26 March 1994)


Fan support and traditions

Philadelphia fans were known for their passionate support of their team, and the less-than-hospitable treatment of opposing players. In a poll of the players, over 62% stated that Wings fans had screamed the filthiest and nastiest things at them in the league. Of the fans, goaltender
Rob Blasdell Rob "Blazer" Blasdell (born May 15, 1970) is a lacrosse goaltender who plays for the Edmonton Rush in the National Lacrosse League. Professional career Blasdell began his career with the Ontario Raiders in 1998, moving with them to Toronto the ...
said "They truly are the best fans in the league. They're probably the most knowledgeable fans in the league. It would kind of be the same as playing for the Leafs in Toronto. They're very, very passionate." Philadelphia fans enjoy the physical aspect of the game, leading
Geoff Snider Geoff Snider (born 2 April 1981) is a retired Canadian lacrosse player from Calgary, Alberta. Amateur career Growing up, Snider played for the Calgary Hornets in the Calgary District Lacrosse Association. His junior lacrosse career began with t ...
to comment: "The Philly fans are great. They are very loyal and they get behind it. I got a standing ovation once for a roughing penalty. I'd never seen anything like that before." Fans traditions started from the national anthem, when fans could be heard making a 'tsch' sound at the end of each line, mocking a recording that was used by the Wings in the early years where the only audible portion of the song was the cymbal crashes. During the introductions of the opposing team, each player's name was followed by a call of "sucks", a tradition that has been extended to the opposing coaches, trainers, and the game officials. The local shot clock operator had escaped the jeering, and was instead cheered. During the game, the opposing goalie was often the target of fans' heckling. The most common chant was to remind the goalies "It's all your fault" after every goal they allow. One of the more notable traditions was the dueling "W-I-N-G-S" cheers. The side of the arena with the penalty boxes had long been led by "Chopper", a Wings superfan with face paint and a hard hat, well known around the league making opposing players who find their way to the penalty box regret their time there. The bench side went through many leaders, from "Big Gabe" and the little gabesters (consisting of Matt Denker, Joshua Gross, Jordan Elsas, Adam David and Eli Goldstein) (father of Scott Gabrielson, a Wings captain in the 1990s) to "Big E" to Chasmo, and now "The Captain" and "Morpheus" or as he made himself known as during the second half of the game on February 29, 2008, "Doctor Lacrosse". The "kick butt baby" (Eric Kulb Martinez) was the biggest little fan even though he could barely talk. While the leader of the chants aren't always the same from year to year, the "W-I-N-G-S WINGS!" cheer did not die out at all, and is still present following the team's revival.


Roster


All time record


Playoff results


Head coaching history


Notes and references


See also

* Philadelphia Wings seasons * 1974-75 Philadelphia Wings team *
Lacrosse in Pennsylvania Lacrosse has been played in Pennsylvania since the 19th century. There are many respected amateur programs at the club, college, and high school level, as well as several respected past and present professional teams in the National Lacrosse League ...


External links


Wingzone Web SiteWings All Access on NLL Radio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Philadelphia Wings Sports in Philadelphia Lacrosse clubs established in 1987 Lacrosse teams in Pennsylvania Major Indoor Lacrosse League teams Defunct National Lacrosse League teams 1987 establishments in Pennsylvania Sports clubs disestablished in 2014 2014 disestablishments in Pennsylvania