Saturday night fever: Calgary Roughnecks' schedule set for farewell NLL season at Saddledome

The Calgary Roughnecks have one last winter to raise the roof under the saddle.

The club released its 2026-27 National Lacrosse League schedule Tuesday, setting nine Saturday-night dates for the farewell season at the Scotiabank Saddledome before Calgary’s sports teams move to Scotia Place.

The Roughnecks finished 6-12 last season — tied for the second-worst record in the NLL — and missed the eight-team playoffs.

A late push produced wins in three of their final four games, including the 9-8 finale over the mighty Colorado Mammoth, but it arrived too late to rescue a year that began with six losses in seven outings.

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The finish at least offered a hint of momentum. The Riggers scored 23 goals across its final two victories, beating the Oshawa FireWolves 14-7 before edging the Mammoth, but the improvement came after post-season elimination.

The Roughnecks get their first chance to put behind last year’s woes with the season opener Dec. 4 against the host Halifax Thunderbirds.

The Riggers then return home Dec. 19 to open the Dome schedule against the Mammoth.

Every home date lands on a Saturday night, keeping the familiar Rough House weekend atmosphere intact for one final run. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Party is March 13 against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs, while the last regular-season lacrosse game at the Dome is set for April 17 against the San Diego Seals.

That finale should carry extra weight. The Roughnecks have played at the building since entering the NLL in 2001, with three championship banners and a generation of loud, black-clad crowds becoming part of its history.

The Riggers play each of the league’s other 11 teams at least once. It has home-and-away sets with the Thunderbirds, the Mammoth, the Seals, the FireWolves, the Desert Dogs, the Vancouver Warriors and the Saskatchewan Rush.

The schedule gives the Calgary crew a balanced nine games at home and nine away but little margin for the kind of slow start that wrecked last season. Five of the first seven contests are against teams the Roughnecks will see twice, making early results valuable in the 18-game agenda.

The farewell theme guarantees memories, tributes and probably a few wet eyes before the old roof empties for good. The Roughnecks’ job is to make sure the final snapshots include meaningful lacrosse in April.