ALBANY, NY – After missing several games to injury, Albany FireWolves Captain Colton Watkinson is back in the lineup and performing back to his usual self.
Watkinson is a seven year veteran in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and is regarded as one of the top transition players in the league. His ability to contribute both on the offensive and defensive sides of the floor make him a reliable Swiss-Army Knife type of player. The Burlington, ON native has amassed over 90 points in his NLL career along with 408 loose balls and 81 caused turnovers to his name.
Despite battling injury this season, Watkinson has been able to return to the floor for Albany to cause 11 turnovers, scoop up 31 loose balls, and score 2 goals during the 2024-25 season.
Watkinson was motivated by watching his teammates each week and used it as fuel to get himself healthy in order to suit up again as he returned in the FireWolves’ game against Ottawa.
“It’s tough watching your guys out there and obviously seeing the outcome,” said Watkinson. “Not one guy is going to change (the outcome) individually, it’s a collection of us. It’s always hard not being able to contribute to the group, so that was a tough thing to go through for me.”
The best part for Watkinson coming back from injury has been spending time with his teammates.
“It’s been good being back in the locker room and being able to travel with the guys,” said Watkinson. “My body is feeling better week-by-week and getting back is always a tough thing and just adjusting to the pace of play.”
Despite coming off another loss, Watkinson has full confidence in his team coming down the home stretch of regular season games.
“I really do think we are playing well,” said Watkinson. “I think there are some things that we need to tighten up. We have been taking a lot of penalties and I think that has something that has been hurting us the last two games. We just have to look to tighten up those things and start getting some tallies back in the win column.”
While Watkinson and the rest of the FireWolves are not content with their current record, he will not let his circumstances define his outcomes.
“It’s always the same mindset: focus on the game in front of you,” said Watkinson. “At the end of the day if you let your record reflect where you are in the standings, sometimes other teams can contribute to getting to where you want to go or not, so control the controllables.”
Watch the FireWolves captain battle for another win against the Philadelphia Wings tomorrow at 7 pm. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+, TSN+, NLL+, and locally on MY4.
Join the FireWolves for their next home game on Saturday, March 15 at MVP Arena against the Georgia Swarm for Marvel Super Hero Night.
Get tickets now for Marvel Super Hero Night! The first 3,000 fans will receive a FireWolves themed Marvel comic book. UAlbany alumni and Tewaaraton winners Lyle Thompson and Miles Thompson will return to the Capital Region as they suit up for the Swarm in this exciting matchup.
Fans can take advantage of the best ticket prices around starting at $15.96! For more information regarding tickets, visit www.albanyfirewolves.com or call/text the FireWolves front office at 518-675-8678 to avoid fees.
About Albany FireWolves
The Albany FireWolves is the Capital Region’s very own Professional Box Lacrosse team, playing in the National Lacrosse League out of the MVP Arena in downtown Albany, NY. For more information, contact the Albany FireWolves Front Office at (518) 675-8678 or visit AlbanyFireWolves.com. Follow the team on Facebook at facebook.com/AlbFireWolves, Twitter @AlbFireWolves, and Instagram @AlbFireWolves.
About the National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 14 franchises across the United States and Canada: Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, Las Vegas Desert Dogs, Ottawa Black Bears, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors. For more information, visit NLL.com and find @NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About MVP Arena
MVP Arena is a full-service entertainment and sports facility featuring a wide variety of family shows, sporting events, trade shows and concerts. Owned by Albany County and managed by ASM Global, MVP Arena opened in 1990 and is home to the Albany FireWolves of the National Lacrosse League, the Albany Firebirds of the AFL 1 Arena Football League and the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints. For more information, please visit https://www.mvparena.com/
