The Colorado Mammoth will begin defense of its National Lacrosse League championship on Saturday, 30 December, the league announced today in revealing the 2007 regular-season schedule.

Rochester will serve as the opposition that night, while Buffalo, the Knighthawks' chief rival and the team Colorado defeated in the title game, plays its first game later that night at Portland.

Six more teams open play the following week, including the debuts of expansion Chicago and New York -- against each other, appropriately, 6 January at Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

The remainder of the 104-game schedule plays out over the following fourteen weeks, with all thirteen teams taking a break in Week Eleven for the annual All Star Game, to be held Saturday, 10 March at the Rose Garden in Portland.

Among the notable games in the schedule:

• Colorado and Buffalo will meet twice in rematches of last year's 16-9 title game romp by the Mammoth: Saturday, 13 January at the Pepsi Center in Denver, and Saturday, 24 March at HSBC Arena in Buffalo.
   
• Three games will be played on Thursdays, the most since there were five in 2003: Portland at Colorado (25 January), Colorado at Portland (15 February), and San Jose at Colorado (12 April).
   
• Minnesota will host Toronto in the second game of an evening hockey-lacrosse doubleheader at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday, 24 March, with a start time of approximately 10:30 PM Central (11:30 PM Eastern). The NHL's Minnesota Wild hosts Los Angeles at 7:00 PM Central in the first game of the twinbill.
   
• Edmonton plays six consecutive road games in late March and early April, as Rexall Place is booked during most of that time for the Ford World Men's Curling Championship.
   
• Two weeks after their respective debut outings, Chicago and New York meet again Saturday, 20 January at New York (venue to be announced - see next item).
   
• There was no official indication on which of New York's home games would be at Madison Square Garden and which would be at Nassau Coliseum. However, based on the rumored four-and-four split and known arena availability, it is likely that the four MSG games will be on 20 January (Chicago), 17 February (Minnesota), 3 March (Toronto) and 17 March (Buffalo).

The regular season ends on Saturday, 14 April, with five games. The NLL Championship Game is slated for the weekend of 11-13 May.

The complete 2007 NLL schedule appears below (all times Eastern):

Sat 30 Dec             Rochester @ Colorado         9:00
Sat 30 Dec               Buffalo @ Portland        10:30

Fri  5 Jan              Colorado @ Arizona          9:30
Fri  5 Jan             Rochester @ San Jose        10:30
Sat  6 Jan              New York @ Chicago          8:30
Sat  6 Jan          Philadelphia @ Edmonton         9:00

Fri 12 Jan              New York @ Buffalo          7:30
Fri 12 Jan              San Jose @ Calgary          9:30
Sat 13 Jan              Portland @ Philadelphia     7:30
Sat 13 Jan               Toronto @ Rochester        7:35
Sat 13 Jan               Chicago @ Minnesota        8:00
Sat 13 Jan               Buffalo @ Colorado         9:00
Sat 13 Jan               Calgary @ Edmonton         9:00
Sat 13 Jan               Arizona @ San Jose        10:00

Fri 19 Jan             Rochester @ Minnesota        8:00
Fri 19 Jan              Colorado @ Edmonton         9:00
Fri 19 Jan              Portland @ Arizona          9:30
Sat 20 Jan             Minnesota @ Buffalo          7:30
Sat 20 Jan             Rochester @ Toronto          7:30
Sat 20 Jan              San Jose @ Philadelphia     7:30
Sat 20 Jan               Chicago @ New York         8:00
Sat 20 Jan              Colorado @ Calgary          9:30
Sat 20 Jan               Arizona @ Portland        10:30

Thu 25 Jan              Portland @ Colorado         9:00
Fri 26 Jan          Philadelphia @ New York         7:30
Fri 26 Jan               Chicago @ San Jose        10:30
Sat 27 Jan               Toronto @ Philadelphia     7:30
Sat 27 Jan              New York @ Rochester        8:05
Sat 27 Jan             Minnesota @ Calgary          9:30

Fri  2 Feb               Toronto @ Buffalo          7:30
Fri  2 Feb              New York @ Arizona          9:30
Fri  2 Feb             Minnesota @ Portland        10:30
Sat  3 Feb               Buffalo @ Toronto          7:30
Sat  3 Feb               Chicago @ Rochester        7:35
Sat  3 Feb              Edmonton @ Colorado         9:00
Sat  3 Feb               Calgary @ San Jose        10:00

Sat 10 Feb               Arizona @ Edmonton         9:00
Sat 10 Feb          Philadelphia @ Calgary          9:30
Sun 11 Feb               Buffalo @ Chicago          4:00

Thu 15 Feb              Colorado @ Portland        10:30
Sat 17 Feb               Buffalo @ Philadelphia     7:30
Sat 17 Feb              Portland @ Rochester        7:35
Sat 17 Feb             Minnesota @ New York         8:00
Sun 18 Feb               Chicago @ Toronto          3:00
Sun 18 Feb              Edmonton @ Arizona          3:00
Sun 18 Feb               Calgary @ Colorado         8:00
Sun 18 Feb              New York @ Minnesota        8:00

Fri 23 Feb              Portland @ Edmonton         9:00
Fri 23 Feb               Toronto @ Calgary          9:30
Sat 24 Feb               Calgary @ Toronto          7:30
Sat 24 Feb          Philadelphia @ Buffalo          7:30
Sat 24 Feb              San Jose @ New York         7:30
Sat 24 Feb               Arizona @ Rochester        8:05
Sat 24 Feb             Minnesota @ Chicago          8:30
Sat 24 Feb              Portland @ Colorado         9:00

Fri  2 Mar              San Jose @ Edmonton         9:00
Fri  2 Mar               Chicago @ Arizona          9:30
Sat  3 Mar             Rochester @ Philadelphia     7:30
Sat  3 Mar               Toronto @ New York         8:00
Sun  4 Mar               Buffalo @ Minnesota        2:00

Sat 10 Mar         All Star Game @ Portland
                        East Div v West Div        10:00

Fri 16 Mar               Toronto @ Edmonton         9:00
Fri 16 Mar               Calgary @ Arizona          9:30
Sat 17 Mar               Buffalo @ New York        12:30
Sat 17 Mar              Colorado @ Toronto          7:30
Sat 17 Mar             Minnesota @ Philadelphia     7:30
Sat 17 Mar             Rochester @ Chicago          8:30
Sat 17 Mar              Portland @ San Jose        10:00
Sun 18 Mar          Philadelphia @ Minnesota        6:00

Sat 24 Mar               Chicago @ Philadelphia     7:30
Sat 24 Mar              Colorado @ Buffalo          7:30
Sat 24 Mar             Rochester @ New York         7:30
Sat 24 Mar               Arizona @ Calgary          9:30
Sat 24 Mar              San Jose @ Portland        10:30
Sat 24 Mar               Toronto @ Minnesota       11:30
Sun 25 Mar              New York @ Chicago          4:00
Sun 25 Mar              Edmonton @ San Jose         8:00

Fri 30 Mar          Philadelphia @ Toronto          7:30
Fri 30 Mar               Arizona @ Colorado         9:00
Fri 30 Mar               Calgary @ Portland        10:30
Sat 31 Mar              Edmonton @ New York        12:30
Sat 31 Mar               Chicago @ Buffalo          7:30
Sat 31 Mar          Philadelphia @ Rochester        7:35
Sat 31 Mar              Colorado @ Minnesota        8:00
Sat 31 Mar              Portland @ Calgary          9:30
Sat 31 Mar              San Jose @ Arizona          9:30
Sun  1 Apr              Edmonton @ Chicago          4:00

Fri  6 Apr             Minnesota @ Toronto          7:30
Fri  6 Apr              Edmonton @ Calgary          9:30
Fri  6 Apr              San Jose @ Portland        10:30
Sat  7 Apr               Arizona @ Buffalo          7:30
Sat  7 Apr              New York @ Philadelphia     7:30
Sat  7 Apr             Minnesota @ Rochester        7:35
Sat  7 Apr               Toronto @ Chicago          8:30
Sat  7 Apr              Edmonton @ San Jose        10:00

Thu 12 Apr              San Jose @ Colorado         9:00
Fri 13 Apr             Rochester @ Buffalo          7:30
Fri 13 Apr               Calgary @ Arizona         10:30
Fri 13 Apr              Colorado @ San Jose        10:30
Fri 13 Apr              Edmonton @ Portland        10:30
Sat 14 Apr              New York @ Toronto          7:30
Sat 14 Apr               Buffalo @ Rochester        7:35
Sat 14 Apr               Arizona @ Minnesota        8:00
Sat 14 Apr          Philadelphia @ Chicago          8:30
Sat 14 Apr               Calgary @ Edmonton         9:00