NLL announces 11-team league for 2006; Anaheim is out!

[Sonny]

So long Anaheim....

NEW YORK (CP) - The National Lacrosse League will consist of 11 teams for the 2006 season, adding a pair of expansion franchises but losing the Anaheim Storm.

The 11-team league will include expansion teams in Edmonton and Portland, Ore., the league announced in a statement. The Storm suspended operations after drawing sparse crowds during their two years in southern California.

"We are grateful for the support we have received from the local community, the Arrowhead Pond and the National Lacrosse League," Storm president Chip Santye said in a statement. "The decision to suspend team operations was a financial one and it was not easy for us."

The league had originally issued a June 1 deadline for Anaheim's ownership group, headed by former NBA player Jayson Williams, to sort out its financial situation. The deadline was postponed, and the league agreed to deal with the issue at the annual meetings June 14-15.

The Storm, who finished 5-11 last season, will hold a dispersal draft at a later date.

Expansion bids made by New York and New England will be considered for the 2007 season.

"We finished our season on a very positive note, and we're pleased to be increasing our number of teams for the 2006 season," said NLL commissioner Jim Jennings. "Our expansion for the 2006 season is now complete.

"We will continue to explore expansion possibilities for the 2007 season and beyond."

The league's divisional format for next season has not been determined.