The Buffalo Bandits, Oshawa FireWolves and Las Vegas Desert Dogs today announced they will battle it out for the second annual Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup during the 2025-26 NLL season. The multi-game in-season series won by the Bandits last season honors the life of Tucker Williams and his 11-month battle with Burkitt’s Lymphoma. Tucker is the son of Desert Dogs head coach and general manager Shawn Williams and the younger brother of FireWolves forward Dyson Williams.
“This Cup is a huge honor for our family, we are grateful for the competing teams and all the hard work that goes into this.” Shawn Williams said. “From the very first Tucker Out Lymphoma Night in Buffalo to the second annual Tucker Cup, the lacrosse community has been unbelievable. Tucker’s legacy continues to inspire, and we are so grateful for the support in raising awareness and making a difference.”
This series builds on the legacy of Tucker Out Lymphoma Night, which was started in 2014 by the Bandits. The first event took place in April of that year, as the Bandits rallied around Tucker and the Williams family during his courageous fight. Over a decade later, this meaningful initiative has expanded to a multi-team competition that will bring together the lacrosse community to honor Tucker’s memory and raise awareness and money for lymphoma research and pediatric oncology. Ways you can help will be announced in the coming weeks.
“Being able to carry on Tucker’s legacy through the Tucker Out games and the Tucker Cup is so special for our family and the lacrosse community,” said Dyson Williams. “It’s always emotional, but once the whistle blows it’s time to represent Tucker and play as hard as we can.”
The Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup brings together three teams with deep ties to Tucker’s story: the Buffalo Bandits, where the initiative began; the Oshawa FireWolves, where Tucker’s older brother Dyson is a star forward for his hometown team; and the Las Vegas Desert Dogs, where Shawn Williams serves as head coach and general manager.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 11 years since we lost Tuckdog at the age of eight,” Bandits senior director of lacrosse operations Scott Loffler said. “But even though he’s no longer with us, his spirit and message live on through these games and this cup – be braver than brave, and live more, laugh more, love more.”
TUCKER OUT LYMPHOMA CUP SCHEDULE
January 3 – Las Vegas at Buffalo
January 31 – Oshawa at Las Vegas
April 18 – Buffalo at Oshawa
STANDINGS FORMAT AND TIEBREAKERS
The Tucker Out Lymphoma Cup will feature a unique standings system:
- 2 points for a regulation or overtime win
- 1 point for an overtime loss
- 0 points for a regulation loss
In the event of teams finishing the series with the same number of points, NLL standings tiebreakers will apply.