Perkins Bull, author of "From Rattlesnake Hunt To Hockey: The History of Sports in Canada and of the Sportsmen of Peel, 1798 to 1934", wrote that while it was Harry W. Dawson who brought "the first stick into Brampton," the "first regular play began in 1871" when George M. Lee, second Master in the Brampton High School, initiated the first organized game.

At Lee's suggestion it is reported that the "Excelsior" name from Longfellow's poem was introduced and the legend was set in motion.

The Brampton Excelsiors are a club operated by the Brampton Excelsior Lacrosse Club, founded in 1870, making it the oldest sports organization in North America.

In 1974, the Brampton Excelsior Lacrosse Club Executive recognized 1883 as the official date for the establishment of the Major Excelsior Lacrosse Club.

This year was selected given its solidification as a community organization and its entry into the newly established provincial lacrosse champions' schedule.