Vancouver Warriors Struggle with Face-Offs Early in the Season

JEN FIELD/GATG

The Vancouver Warriors have won just under a quarter of their face-offs since the start of the 2025-26 NLL season. They have won a total of 16 out of 67 face-offs, a 24% win rate. 

Their struggles in the face-off dot are not severely impacting them, as they have a 2-1 record, but it is something head coach and general manager Curt Malawsky is aware of. “I’m not too concerned too much about it,” Malawasky says, but it is something to keep an eye on.

The Warriors began their season at home on November 29, and won 4 out of 20 faceoffs, a 20% win rate. The first game of the season, players may still be trying to get their edge back. This is their only loss of the season.

They played their second game of the season two weeks later on December 13. They improved in the face-off circle, winning 7/28, a 25% win rate.

After this game, when asked about how their face-offs can continue to improve, Malawsky answered, “So until we really think I have to make a big change, you know we have some things in the works that might happen in the next couple weeks.” Only the second game of the season, there was no need to make a change yet.

The Warriors then went on the road, playing just under a week later on December 19. They just barely improved again in the face-off circle, winning 5 out of 19, a 26% win rate. This is still a low number, and in a game where possession is key, winning face-offs is an area needing improvement.

Face-off takers have struggled against 3 different opponents, showing it was not just a one-time issue.

No Warriors player is averaging a 30% or above win rate.

Per the Vancouver Warriors player stats, after 3 games, Steph Charbonneau has the highest win rate, winning 2 out of 7, for 29%. Reece Callies has the lowest win rate, winning 1 out of 8, for 12%. Tyler Garrison has taken the most face-offs, winning 8 out of 34, for a 24% win rate. Owen Grant is the other Warriors face-off taker, winning 5 out of 18, for a 28% win rate.

Malawsky decided it was time to bring someone new in, and on December 31, the Warriors made a trade to acquire Max Adler.

Adler has proven himself in the face-off dot during the 2022-23 with the Buffalo Bandits. He aims to do the same with the Warriors.

The Warriors have been slowly improving their face-off percentage and on January 9 in Calgary, where Adler is expected to make his Warriors debut, fans can tune into NLL+ and watch to see if the Warriors continue to improve.