Desert Dogs Eyeing Playoffs, Looking to Win Over Vegas Fans

^{The Las Vegas Desert Dogs hope to make the playoffs for the first time in their fourth season. (Photo: @Vegas_Matty / X.com)}

LAS VEGAS – The Las Vegas Desert Dogs are the latest to join Sin City’s growing group of pro sports teams, with the others all making the playoffs at some point of their existence here. The National Lacrosse League’s Desert Dogs are looking to follow the lead of their predecessors by making it to the postseason for the first time this year despite some early bumps in the road that have them sitting at 4-5 halfway through their fourth campaign.

The Las Vegas Aces, Las Vegas Raiders, and Vegas Golden Knights are the three major league teams that all play on or near the Strip, using the city’s casinos to supplement crowds at their respective venues. The Desert Dogs started their history as an expansion team playing their first two seasons at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena – the same place the three-time WNBA champion Aces play – and had a 10-26 record there.

Last season, the Desert Dogs moved to Lee’s Family Forum, which is also the home of the Henderson Silver Knights and Vegas Knight Hawks, two teams owned by Bill Foley along with the Golden Knights. The Desert Dogs took a step back in their first season playing in nearby Henderson with a 4-14 mark, but they have already equaled that win total this year. 

Eight teams make the playoffs in the NLL, and Las Vegas is tied for the last spot with two others right now, going into their bye week. A strong second half should get them in.

“The goal is ultimately – and always has been – making the playoffs, and I think we're well on our way this year,” said Cody Moll, VP of Lacrosse Operations & Assistant GM for the Desert Dogs. “As an expansion team, it's sometimes tough to be patient in this business as we're learning and growing, just with our team that was such a young group coming into the season. But to get some high-end free agents and have them kind of in our ecosystem for the next three years is just monumental for our organization.” 

New Additions Help Overcome Loss of First Star

Moll alluded to the free-agent class the Desert Dogs signed this past offseason, noting they brought in three of the top five players available. Two of those players came from the three-time defending champion Buffalo Bandits, Chase Fraser and Chris Cloutier, while the third is 34-year-old veteran Mitch Jones (formerly of the Philadelphia Wings). 

All three are forwards who have helped boost the offense, with Jones leading the team with 58 points (21 goals, 37 assists). Unfortunately, Fraser is currently out of action due to a lower-body injury. Even with suffering a few key injuries, the Desert Dogs rank fourth in the NLL in scoring with 12.3 goals per game compared to 10.5 last season.

In addition, the team did a near-complete makeover of its coaching staff around head coach and general manager Shawn Williams, a first-ballot NLL Hall of Famer after playing in the league for 17 seasons. Those moves have all seemingly paid off so far as well.

“We made a bunch of changes this offseason,” Moll said. “We have a brand new offensive coordinator Brett Hickey, brand new defensive coordinator Curtis Hodgson and Aaron Bold our goaltending coach. Putting all three of those combinations together really has led to our success early on.”

The only real negative from a personnel perspective has been the loss of the team’s first franchise player, Jack Hannah, who did not want to re-sign with Las Vegas and instead forced his way to Colorado to play for the Mammoth. The Desert Dogs traded Hannah to the Mammoth on Dec. 28 for two future first-round draft picks (2026 and 2027) and a second-rounder (2028) after the two sides could not come to an agreement.

Hannah returned to Lee’s Family Forum on Feb. 13 for the first time as an opposing player and tallied five points (two goals and three assists) in a 13-12 victory for Colorado. Moll was close to Hannah but has no hard feelings because losing him will help build for the future.

“I'm extremely proud of our organization and what we were able to put together in compensation for him,” Moll said of Hannah. “We're really excited to be able to add to that ammo. Obviously, waiting two years to kind of fully digest the situation is difficult. He's one of the most ultra-high competitors probably that I've worked with, almost 13 years in this league, a great human being – can’t say enough great things about Jack.”

Next up for Las Vegas after the brief break is the start of the second half and the upcoming trade deadline, something Moll is looking forward to as he and Williams try to bolster the roster. Defense and more offense remain top priorities, as another deal or two could push the Desert Dogs over the hump and finally get them into the playoffs.

“We've got the trade deadline coming up here in the next three weeks,” Moll said. “I think we'll be pretty active when it comes to making some moves. Hopefully, making some splashes to kind of lay on the throttle for the remaining nine weeks and try to get in the mix as one of those final eight teams.”

Desert Dogs Showing Growth in Packed Arena

Another advantage for Las Vegas has been Lee’s Family Forum. Overall, attendance has been surprisingly lower for the team since moving there than in its old stomping grounds, the Michelob ULTRA Arena. 

However, the big difference in providing the Desert Dogs with a somewhat larger home-field edge at their new digs is that they have filled a higher percentage of the total capacity.

The Desert Dogs averaged 5,960 fans in their last year at Michelob ULTRA Arena, which has a capacity of 12,000. So they were at just under 50 percent of capacity on the Strip. In their first year at Lee’s Family Forum, they filled 5,057 out of 5,567 seats per game -- nearly 91 percent. This year has been even higher with an average of almost 5,200 per game.

Las Vegas also recently announced the hiring of Brendan White as its new VP of Ticketing, who previously spent about a decade working with the Golden Knights. White will assist the team in taking the next step in their growth through season tickets and promotions, and his duties should boost attendance figures as long as the team continues to progress. 

"The vibe is a complete 180 thanks to the dedication and willingness of our fanbase to truly learn the game of lacrosse," White told Casinos.com. "There’s a real opportunity here – not just to grow attendance, but to continue building a passionate, educated fan base that understands and embraces the fast-paced, physical nature of the NLL."

White's experience with the Golden Knights taught him how to cultivate fans who do not necessarily have a strong grasp of the sport but are willing and able to support a team that is theirs. He said it starts with creating a good time they will remember, and hopefully that will keep them coming back, given so many other sporting events around Vegas.

"With the momentum around the organization and the commitment to creating an unforgettable game-night atmosphere," White said, "I truly believe the future is bright and that Lee’s Family Forum can become one of the toughest and most electric environments in the league."