(Rochester, NY)… The Rochester Knighthawks will hit the turf on Nov. 7, to start the 2026-27 season, with an inter-squad scrimmage on Saturday. The team will then battle the Buffalo Bandits on Sunday, Nov. 8, to begin a three-game preseason slate. They will head to Oshawa on Nov. 14 to face the FireWolves, then close out their preseason at The Gil Lay Memorial Sports Arena against the San Diego Seals on Nov. 21.
The Knighthawks head into training camp with 34 players on the roster; 11 of them have never worn a Rochester sweater. Three players join the squad from the September Dispersal Draft. Reigning Defensive player of the Year Callum Jones headlines a trio with 6-foot-3 lefty defenseman Brent Noseworthy and the reigning NLL Teammate of the Year Luc Magnan.
All five of the Knighthawks’ entry draft picks will be at camp, along with the team’s fourth- and sixth-round selections from the 2026 NLL Entry Draft. Rochester lacrosse fans are eager to see the arrival of Syracuse University and Mimico product Finn Thomson, as well as another upstate New York collegiate lacrosse player, SUNY Potsdam’s Saka Thompson. The pair of first-round picks will have the opportunity to show what they can bring to the squad in a three-game preseason slate.
Rochester brought in another new goalie and a defenseman through a trade in late August. Drew Hutchison and Shonwahnonkon Thompson both came to Rochester after only playing for the Halifax Thunderbirds in their careers. For Hutchison, it is a return to Rochester, where he won an NCAA Division III National Championship in 2022 with RIT.
The Knighthawks have 23 players returning from last season’s roster and training camp roster. Rylan Hartley will return to Rochester with a new goaltending group around him but will look to pick up where he left off with an impressive summer tournament for LAXNAI. Defensively, Taylor Jensen had a strong summer in the Can-Am Lacrosse League with the Tonawanda Braves, adding to his transition game. Mitchell Dunham established himself as a monster close defender in the Premier Lacrosse League, ranking ninth in caused turnovers with 12 in 12 games.
Connor Fields and Ryan Lanchbury both return after summers of lacrosse that were as consistent as ever. Fields ranked sixth in the PLL with 24 goals in 12 games and also added 10 assists, while Lanchbury tallied the same number of goals and 54 assists in 20 Major Series Lacrosse games. Ryan Smith enters camp with even more hardware than he had last year. This summer he was once again named the recipient of the Mike Kelley Award as the Mann Cup’s MVP.
The opening weekend of training camp will be a massive set of scrimmages to help Knighthawks head coach Troy Cordingley assemble the roster. It will also be the first time fans will see the Knighthawks in their rebranded teal-and-purple colorway in the new era.
On Saturday, Rochester players will go head-to-head, battling for line-up spots and showing how they can make the team better. Sunday will be a chance to see what Rochester is made of against a team that always has high energy at Segar & Sciortino Field.
Rochester has 34 players on the roster but has to get down to 25 before the regular season. The final roster will feature 21 active players and four practice squad players. It all leads up to a Saturday, Nov. 28, home-opening matchup against the Halifax Thunderbirds at 7 p.m. at Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena. Single-game tickets are available at The Blue Cross Arena Box Office, online under Single-Game Tickets, or by phone at 585-400-HAWK (4295).