Six Nations Chiefs capture eighth Mann Cup championship

The Six Nations Chiefs’ management has a knack for finding and signing some of the world’s best box lacrosse players.

Case in point is Eli McLaughlin, who is from Surrey, B.C.

The Chiefs convinced McLaughlin to sign with their club for the 2024 season. The move paid off handsomely as McLaughlin was able to help the Six Nations squad defend its Mann Cup, the national Senior A championship.

McLaughlin scored five goals on Sept. 11 to lead the hometown Chiefs to a 13-9 victory over the visiting Victoria Shamrocks in a match held at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario.

With that victory the Chiefs captured their best-of-seven Mann Cup series against British Columbia-based Shamrocks 4-1.

For Six Nations this marked the eighth time in franchise history that it had won the Mann Cup.

But for McLaughlin, who is 31, it was his first championship.

The Chiefs’ roster is stacked with numerous all-stars – many of them are Indigenous - who also play professionally in the National Lacrosse League. And since it was hosting this year’s Mann Cup, the Six Nations club, which won its 2023 national title in New Westminster, B.C., was favoured to repeat. 

“They say sometimes the ones you’re expected to win are the hardest,” McLaughlin said after the Chiefs’ Game 5 triumph, adding it was a relief to wrap up the series. “Everyone had us winning that one and sometimes you can get into your own head that we really should be really pounding these guys. But they’re a great team.”

The Shamrocks had managed to win the series opener on Sept. 6. But Six Nations rebounded to capture the series by stringing together four consecutive victories.

“I came here for this one reason and this one reason only,” McLaughlin said. “It seems all the hard work paid off.”

McLaughlin began the 2023 season with British Columbia’s Burnaby Lakers. A mid-season trade, however, brought him to Ontario to join the Peterborough Lakers.

But he then was offered an opportunity to join the Chiefs for their 2024 season.

“It’s hard to pass up with this roster,” he said of the offer to join the Six Nations club.

Chiefs’ head coach John Tavares was pleased to have McLaughlin in his lineup this year. And he wasn’t surprised to see him play a significant role in the final match of the series.

“I think when the team is down Eli seems to be picking it up every game,” Tavares said. “Today he happened to be on fire. He’s been playing well all series. Like I said when things are flat he just kind of seems to pick up the speed and the tempo for the offence. He was a huge part of our season. And he’s a huge part of tonight’s win.”

While the Chiefs had an older squad with numerous players having plenty of experience in the pro ranks and at world championships, the youthful Shamrocks utilized their legs to stay in the series.

“Victoria did a great job,” Tavares said. “But guys persevered. And it was nice to win it here, in front of our fans and community. Lacrosse is a big part of Six Nations and it was nice bringing home the Mann Cup to them.”

Besides having won back-to-back national titles now, the Chiefs also captured the Mann Cup three straight years from 1994-96, won two consecutive crowns in 2013 and ’14 and also in 2016.

Chiefs’ captain Cody Jamieson has now been part of five of those Mann Cup winning teams.

“Any time you can bring something back to your community, it’s very, very special,” Jamieson said.

Jamieson was undoubtedly proud Six Nations members were able to witness the Chiefs’ national successes first-hand this year.

“This is what we play for this community for,” he said. “Me being from here means that much more. But the guys that we bring in, they feel the love, they see the love.”

Though winning the Mann Cup anywhere is a special moment, Duane Jacobs, the Chiefs’ general manager and assistant coach, also agreed capturing the national title in Six Nations created additional pleasure.

“This is an amazing crowd,” Jacobs said. “It’s the most packed I’ve ever seen it in here. And it’s really special to win it here in Grand River territory.”