Photo credit: Vancouver Warriors.com
Let’s take a moment to soak in how well the Vancouver Warriors are playing right now. They sit atop the NLL standings, tied for first place, and just won their franchise-best 12th game of the season in a thrilling comeback over the Halifax Thunderbirds. You may look at the top of the standings and think to yourself the Warriors are exactly where they are supposed to be. With their star players and coaching staff, expectations were high for this team, and almost everyone expected them to be a powerhouse. But things weren’t always this way.
For the longest time, the Warriors were bottom feeders in the NLL. Since their rebrand in 2018, the team never made the playoffs, and their highest win total was only six. Even talking about the playoffs for previous Warriors squads seemed like a bit of a pipe dream. They were a team that others in the league would see on their schedule and chalk up as a win.
But on July 24, 2023, that all changed. The club announced the hiring of head coach and general manager Curt Malawsky. Malawsky, who had been inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player, should probably be in as a coach as well with the success he’s had. Culture is a term that is at the forefront for a lot of Vancouver sports fans right now, and until Malawsky got here, the Warriors didn’t have one. Chris Gill was their head coach from 2018–2022. He finished his tenure in Vancouver with a record of 17–50, good for a winning percentage of .254. The team brought in Troy Cordingley for the 2023 season, and he was given the keys as both head coach and GM. But after a 4–14 season, he was also let go. From the day Malawsky stepped through those doors and took command, things were different – and the club hasn’t looked back since.
Forward Adam Charalambides, who has been with the club since 2022, says he knew things were going to be different when Malawsky was hired.
“ I remember my reaction (was) all right, we are going to be playing some pretty serious ball going forward.” Charalambides also mentioned what his first meeting with Malawsky was like. (Curt’s) a straight shooter. He was very deliberate in telling you what he liked (and) didn’t like and what he’s expecting of you going forward.”
In sports, something all good teams have in common is winning habits. Whether that be playing disciplined, having situational awareness, or finding ways to come back and win games. Malawsky has instilled many winning habits, as Charalambides explained, that have helped turn this Warriors team around and have become a part of their DNA.
“ (We put) a little more emphasis on the little things… tougher on ground balls, sprinting on and off the floor, playing with a little bit of a higher tempo. Curt’s intensity and (how) he expects us to (work on) those habits is really high level”.
The first year of the Malawsky era didn’t have a smooth start. They began the season with a 2–8 record, which set up a March 1st meeting with the defending champion Buffalo Bandits at home. The Warriors were huge underdogs that game, and they pulled off the upset win, with Charalambides leading the way offensively with eight points for Vancouver. That win kick-started a second-half surge, as the Warriors won six of their last eight games with Malawsky as their new bench boss. It also kicked off a seven-game home winning streak that carried into the following year. More importantly, it was the signature win of Malawsky’s first year behind the bench. It was a game that perhaps the old Warriors teams would have lost—or not even had a chance to be in. It was a win that signaled things were changing in Vancouver, sooner rather than later.
Charalambides says the resilience from that win two years ago was one of the first stepping stones in the culture shift under Malawsky.
“ Just the resilience (from that game). I think that’s the one thing we’ve built over the last three years with Curt. (We are) a group that believes they’re going to win no matter what position (we’re) in. Charalambides said on the team’s belief in tight games. “ (We are) a really resilient group that believes that no matter where we are there’s a positive outcome at the end if we stick to our system, stick to our process and give everything we have.”
A large part of the team’s success has come from the players they have been able to bring in through free agency. Just this year, Malawsky was able to snag Curtis Dickson and Jesse King from the Calgary Roughnecks, who have been huge parts of the offense. But it goes beyond that, he was able to sign Ryan Dilks in his first year in 2023 and Jeff Cornwall in 2024. Obviously, the huge trade for Christian Del Bianco fits in this category as well. The common theme, though, is why these players wanted to play in Vancouver – they wanted to play for Curt.
“ That really speaks for the character (and) coach (he is). High quality character individuals, (who want) to work with high quality individual coaches and players. It’s obviously changed the dynamic of our locker room and it’s been for the better. It’s pretty special.”
“ The people that he brings in, (he) makes it a desirable place to come play, just because of who we have in our locker room and the character of the group,” added Charalambides.
Commitment, sacrifice, trust, and belief are just some of the things Malawsky has preached to his team since being here. Now, it’s one thing to say these things, but to receive buy-in from your players is another. It’s no secret that the players have bought in—but they have no choice not to. Malawsky doesn’t have time for nonsense. As he has said multiple times, you play this game for the front of your shirt, not the back. But how do you get that buy-in? That’s what separates great coaches from the rest.
“ Number one, he’s very personable. His door’s always open. Two is, he’s high energy and I think in an intense sport like lacrosse you definitely need that. Then, just his love for the game really shows through the way that he operates with his job”, said Charalambides.
“ He works so hard, he’s chopping up film, he’s sharing what he sees, and the expectation from your leader to bring your best—and you know he’s bringing his best. (He) just sets that culture and tone for what’s expected of you each week,” added Charalambides on Malawsky’s work ethic as a coach and leader.
If you’ve listened to any of Malawsky’s postgame press conferences, you know how much winning means to him. He often speaks about how important it is to win in front of their home fans because he knows that’s what the people in this city want to see: their sports teams be successful. Malawsky, who’s from Coquitlam, is a proud B.C. resident, and you can hear that in any of his interviews. The first thing he often talks about is putting on a good outing for the fans. Before he got here, the Warriors weren’t doing much winning—but those days are over now, and Charalambides knows how important that is to the fans and the city of Vancouver.
“ People want to cheer for winning teams. It’s a lot easier to cheer for teams that are winning games. He’s changed that narrative of what pro lacrosse is here in Vancouver. The grassroot efforts that he’s brought forward, and wanting to build more fans and connect with our community, and understanding how important the fans are has been a huge staple of what he’s done.”
It’s safe to say Malawsky has been the biggest reason for the Warriors’ culture shift—and things are just getting started. Hoping to build off a semifinal appearance last year, the Warriors are gearing up for another playoff run. With Malawsky calling the shots and the players in this locker room, bringing a championship to Vancouver is a very real possibility.
