2002 NLL season

Last updated

2002 NLL season
League National Lacrosse League
Sport Indoor lacrosse
DurationNovember 16, 2001 – April 13, 2002
Number of games16
Number of teams13
TV partner(s) CNN Sports Illustrated (United States)
Rogers Sportsnet (Canada)
Regular season
Season MVP Paul Gait (Washington Power)
Top scorer Paul Gait (Washington Power)
Playoffs
Eastern champions Washington Power
  Eastern runners-up Philadelphia Wings
Central champions Albany Attack
  Central runners-up Rochester Knighthawks
Northern champions Toronto Rock
  Northern runners-up Vancouver Ravens
Champion's Cup
Champions Toronto Rock
  Runners-up Albany Attack
Finals MVP Colin Doyle (Toronto)
NLL seasons

The 2002 National Lacrosse League season is the 16th season in the NLL. The season began on November 16, 2001 and concluded with the championship game on April 13, 2002, so, during that season, it was known as the 2001-2002 season as can be seen in the Albany Attack's 2001-2002 Central Division Championship banner.

Contents

The Toronto Rock defeated the Albany Attack 13–12 to win their third championship in four seasons. Colin Doyle was named championship game MVP for the second time.

Only one year after the season was lengthened to 14 games, 2002 saw it extended again, this time to 16 games.

Team movement

2002 was a year of expansion for the NLL, particularly north of the border. No less than four teams were added, three of them Canadian: the New Jersey Storm, Montreal Express, Vancouver Ravens, and Calgary Roughnecks all made their NLL debuts. The expansion caused the NLL to return to a divisional format for the first time since 1994. The teams were split into the Eastern, Central, and Northern divisions; the winners of each division would make the playoffs, as well as the top three ranked non-division-winners. The Eastern division consisted of Washington, Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey, the Central division had Albany, Rochester, Montreal, Buffalo, and Columbus, while the remaining Canadian teams (Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Calgary) were in the Northern division.

Early in the morning of February 14, limousine driver Costas Christofi was found shot to death at the home of New Jersey Storm owner Jayson Williams. [1] Williams was later arrested and charged with manslaughter. [2] Williams was acquitted of most charges, [3] but was to be retried for reckless manslaughter. However, the case was delayed several times. On Monday, January 11, 2010, Williams pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in the case, [4] and was sentenced on February 23, 2010. Williams would remain owner of the Storm until the franchise folded after the 2005 season.

For the first time in league history, a team changed arenas midseason, as the Ottawa Rebel left the Corel Centre for the smaller Ottawa Civic Centre. [5] There were two home games left in the season at the time of the move.

Milestones

Final standings

Regular season

Reference: [8]

Central Division
PTeamGPWLPCTGBHomeRoadGFGADiffGF/GPGA/GP

1 Albany Attack –xyz16142.8750.07–17–1252194+5815.7512.12
2 Rochester Knighthawks –x16133.8121.08–05–3261202+5916.3112.62
3 Montreal Express 1688.5006.04–44–4237227+1014.8114.19
4 Buffalo Bandits 1688.5006.04–44–4210215−513.1213.44
5 Columbus Landsharks 16511.3129.02–63–5198230−3212.3814.38
East Division
PTeamGPWLPCTGBHomeRoadGFGADiffGF/GPGA/GP

1 Washington Power –xy1697.5620.06–23–5253243+1015.8115.19
2 Philadelphia Wings –x1688.5001.06–22–6222237−1513.8814.81
3 New York Saints 16511.3124.02–63–5200249−4912.5015.56
4 New Jersey Storm 16511.3124.03–52–6178232−5411.1214.50
North Division
PTeamGPWLPCTGBHomeRoadGFGADiffGF/GPGA/GP

1 Toronto Rock –xy16115.6880.08–03–5223176+4713.9411.00
2 Vancouver Ravens –x16106.6251.06–24–4236192+4414.7512.00
3 Calgary Roughnecks 16412.2507.02–62–6224264−4014.0016.50
4 Ottawa Rebel 16412.2507.01–73–5202245−4312.6215.31

x: Clinched playoff berth; c: Clinched playoff berth by crossing over to another division; y: Clinched division; z: Clinched best regular season record; GP: Games Played
W: Wins; L: Losses; GB:  Games back; PCT: Win percentage; Home: Record at Home; Road: Record on the Road; GF: Goals scored; GA: Goals allowed
Differential: Difference between goals scored and allowed; GF/GP: Average number of goals scored per game; GA/GP: Average number of goals allowed per game

Playoffs

First Round Semifinals Championship
3 Washington 11
3 Washington122 Toronto12
6 Philadelphia 11 2 Toronto13
1 Albany 12
4 Rochester 10
5 Vancouver 10 1 Albany14
4 Rochester11

All Star Game

The 2002 All-Star Game was held on April 21 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, where the North team (all of the Canadian teams plus Rochester) beat the South 14–10. The MVP was Toronto's Steve Toll, who scored three goals. At the time, this also marked Paul Gait's final professional lacrosse game, as he retired after this season. However, Gait was convinced by his brother Gary to come out of retirement during the 2005 season, and played four games for the Colorado Mammoth before retiring once again.

All-Star teams

North Team starters South Team starters
John Grant, Jr., Rochester Paul Gait, Washington
Colin Doyle, Toronto Gary Gait, Washington
Chris Gill, Vancouver Josh Sanderson, Albany
Pat Coyle, Toronto Cam Woods, Albany
Jim Veltman, TorontoPaul Cantabene, Philadelphia
Bob Watson, Toronto (goalie)Rob Blasdell, Albany (goalie)
North Team ReservesSouth Team Reserves
Tracey Kelusky, MontrealGary Rosyski, Albany
Ryan Painter, Ottawa Roy Colsey, Buffalo
Peter Morgan, Vancouver John Tavares, Buffalo
Steve Toll, TorontoGewas Schindler, Columbus
Kaleb Toth, Calgary Gavin Prout, New York
Shawn Williams, Rochester Kevin Finneran, Philadelphia
Derek Malawsky, Rochester Tom Marechek, Philadelphia
Bruce Codd, Montreal Jim Moss, Albany
Darren Reisig, VancouverJamie Hanford, New Jersey
Mike Hasen, RochesterPat McCabe, New York
Dwight Maetche, Vancouver Steve Dietrich, Buffalo (goalie)
Pat O'Toole, Rochester Dallas Eliuk, Philadelphia (goalie)

Awards

AwardWinnerTeam
MVP Award Paul Gait Washington
Rookie of the Year Award Blaine Manning Toronto
Coach of the Year Bob McMahon Albany
GM of the Year Award Dave Evans Vancouver
Executive of the Year Award Tom Mayenknecht Vancouver
Defensive Player of the Year Award Pat Coyle Toronto
Goaltender of the Year Award Rob Blasdell Albany
Sportsmanship Award Jim Veltman Toronto
Championship Game MVP Colin Doyle Toronto

Weekly awards

In 2002, the NLL expanded its weekly player awards from one to four. There are now awards for the best overall player, best offensive player, best defensive player, and best rookie.

WeekOverallOffensiveDefensiveRookie
1 Matt Disher Dan StroupMatt Disher Blaine Manning
2 Tracey Kelusky Tracey KeluskyBruce Codd Blaine Manning
3Tracey Kelusky Paul Gait Dwight MaetchePeter Morgan
4 Tom Marechek Roy Colsey Dallas Eliuk Gavin Prout
5 Gary Gait Gary GaitSteve DietrichAndrew Leyshon
6Kyle GoundreyKyle GoundreyRob BlasdellPeter Morgan
7 Shawn Williams Kaleb Toth Jesse PhillipsBilly LeFeuvre
8 Derek Malawsky Derek MalawskyDevin Dalep Kasey Beirnes
9Gewas SchindlerGewas Schindler Pat Coyle Mike Miron
10Peter Morgan John Tavares Devin DalepPeter Morgan
11Paul GaitPaul Gait Bob Watson Kasey Beirnes
12Gary Gait Jake Bergey Bruce CoddBlaine Manning
13Chris GillChris GillRob BlasdellRyan Painter
14 Josh Sanderson Shawn WilliamsMatt RoikGavin Prout
15John TavaresJohn TavaresJesse PhillipsMike Miron
16 Jeff Ratcliffe Jeff Ratcliffe Anthony Cosmo Blaine Manning
17Paul GaitPaul Gait Curtis Palidwor Steve Penny
18 John Grant, Jr. John Grant, Jr.Chris SandersonBlaine Manning
19Tom MarechekJohn TavaresRob BlasdellRyan Painter

Monthly awards

Awards are also given out monthly for the best overall player and best rookie.

MonthOverallRookie
Nov/DecTracy Keluskynone selected
JanPaul GaitKasey Beirnes
FebChris GillGavin Prout
MarPaul GaitBlaine Manning

Statistics leaders

Bold numbers indicate new single-season records. Italics indicate tied single-season records.

StatPlayerTeamNumber
GoalsPaul GaitWashington54
AssistsJosh SandersonAlbany68
PointsPaul GaitWashington114
Penalty MinutesBrian ReeseWashington78
Loose BallsJim VeltmanToronto203
Save PctRob BlasdellAlbany77.5

Attendance

Regular Season

Home TeamHome GamesAverage AttendanceTotal Attendance [9]
Toronto Rock815,689125,513
Philadelphia Wings813,668109,342
Vancouver Ravens810,21181,689
Rochester Knighthawks88,94571,559
Calgary Roughnecks88,78170,249
Montréal Express87,96963,755
Buffalo Bandits87,44859,582
Ottawa Rebel85,93747,498
New Jersey Storm85,67745,414
New York Saints85,25942,074
Columbus Landsharks84,12933,029
Albany Attack83,50828,066
Washington Power83,33026,638
League1047,735804,408

Playoffs

Home TeamHome GamesAverage AttendanceTotal Attendance [9]
Toronto Rock114,44214,442
Philadelphia Wings110,04110,041
Rochester Knighthawks18,2668,266
Albany Attack27,18214,363
League59,42247,112

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Philly, R.A. (February 14, 2002). "Fatal shooting at Jayson Williams' estate". Outsider's Guide to the NLL. Archived from the original on March 3, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  2. ↑ Philly, R.A. (February 25, 2002). "Williams charged with reckless manslaughter". Outsider's Guide to the NLL. Archived from the original on August 25, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  3. ↑ Reilly, Matthew (May 22, 2004). "Prosecutor: We'll retry Williams on key charge". The Star-Ledger . Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  4. ↑ Schweber, Nate (January 11, 2010). "Jayson Williams Pleads Guilty in Shooting of Driver". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  5. ↑ Philly, R.A. (February 15, 2002). "Rebel going downtown after Saturday". Outsider's Guide to the NLL. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  6. ↑ Mehling, Vaun (November 24, 2001). "Records shattered in Express' 32–17 romp". Outsider's Guide to the NLL. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  7. ↑ McAllister, Deb (January 5, 2002). "Malawsky's eleven assists set record in big K'Hawks win". Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  8. ↑ "National Lacrosse League - 2002 Regular Season - Standings". NLL.com. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  9. 1 2 "2002 Season". nllstats.com. Retrieved June 16, 2023.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 NLL season</span> Sports season

The 2006 National Lacrosse League season was the 20th season in the history of the league, which began as the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League in 1987. The season began on December 30, 2005 and concluded with the championship game on May 13, 2006.

The 2007 National Lacrosse League season, the 21st in the history of the NLL began on December 30, 2006 and concluded with the championship game on May 12, 2007.

The 2005 National Lacrosse League season is the 19th season of the NLL that began on January 1, 2005 and concluded with the championship game on May 14. The Toronto Rock won their fifth NLL championship, defeating the Arizona Sting 19–13 in Toronto.

The 2004 National Lacrosse League season is the 18th season in the NLL that began on December 26, 2003, with the Arizona Sting hosting the Vancouver Ravens. That game was the Sting's first-ever game and the first event held in the new Glendale Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The season concluded with the championship game on May 7, 2004. Over 19,000 fans, the second largest crowd ever at an NLL game, packed the Pengrowth Saddledome to watch the Calgary Roughnecks defeat the Buffalo Bandits 14–11. This game was the first NLL championship game since 1998 that did not feature the Toronto Rock.

The 2003 National Lacrosse League season is the 17th season in the NLL that began on December 27, 2002, and concluded with the championship game on May 3, 2003.

The 2009 National Lacrosse League season, the 23rd in the history of the NLL, began January 3, 2009 in Buffalo, Portland, and Sunrise, Florida, and concluded with the Calgary Roughnecks defeating the New York Titans 12—10 in the Champion's Cup on May 15, 2009 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The Calgary Roughnecks are a lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The 2007 season was the 6th in franchise history. The Roughnecks finished 2nd in the western division with a 9-7 record but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Arizona Sting.

The Calgary Roughnecks are a lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The 2006 season was the 5th in franchise history.

The Edmonton Rush are a lacrosse team based in Edmonton playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The 2008 season was the 3rd in franchise history.

The Calgary Roughnecks are a lacrosse team based in Calgary playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The 2008 season was the 7th in franchise history. The Roughnecks finished 3rd in the West Division, making the playoffs for the sixth straight season. They defeated the Colorado Mammoth in the division semifinals, but were eliminated when they lost 16-12 to the Portland LumberJax in the division final in Calgary.

The Calgary Roughnecks are a lacrosse team based in Calgary playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The 2005 season was the 4th in franchise history.

The Arizona Sting are a lacrosse team based in Arizona playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The 2005 season was the 5th in franchise history and 2nd as the Sting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Calgary Roughnecks season</span>

The Calgary Roughnecks are a lacrosse team based in Calgary playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The 2009 season was the 8th in franchise history. The Roughnecks finished the season with a franchise best 12–4 record to lead the league. They won the Champion's Cup at home with a 12–10 victory over the New York Titans.

The Washington Stealth are a lacrosse team based in Everett, Washington. The team plays in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The 2011 season was the second season in Washington, and the 12th in franchise history. The Stealth finished third in the West division, but defeated the Minnesota Swarm and Calgary Roughnecks in the playoffs to advance to their second NLL Championship in as many years. They played the Toronto Rock once again, but this time the Rock prevailed 8-7.

The 2012 National Lacrosse League season, the 26th in the history of the NLL, began on January 8, 2012 and ended with the Championship game on May 19, 2012. The Rochester Knighthawks won their third NLL Championship, and first-ever in Rochester, defeating the Edmonton Rush 9-6 in the final game.

The Calgary Roughnecks are a lacrosse team based in Calgary playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The 2012 season was the 11th in franchise history.

The 2013 National Lacrosse League season, the 27th in the history of the NLL, began on January 5, 2013 and ended with the Championship game on May 11, 2013. The Rochester Knighthawks overcame a mediocre 8-8 season to get hot in the playoffs for the second straight year, defeating the Philadelphia Wings, Minnesota Swarm, and Washington Stealth to win their second straight Championship. The Knighthawks became the first team to repeat as NLL Champions since the 2002-2003 Toronto Rock.

The Washington Stealth are a lacrosse team based in Everett, Washington. The team plays in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The 2013 season was the fourth season in Washington, and the 14th in franchise history. It was also the final season the team played in Washington, as they were relocated to Langley, BC for the 2014 season.

The 2014 National Lacrosse League season, the 28th in the history of the NLL, began on December 28, 2013 and ended on May 31, 2014, the date of Game 2 and 3 of the championship series. After finishing the regular season atop the East Division, the Rochester Knighthawks continued winning in the playoffs and took their third consecutive Champion's Cup, the first time a team has won the league title three straight years.

The 2018 National Lacrosse League season, also known as the 2017–18 season, was the 32nd season in NLL history. It began on December 8, 2017, and ending on June 9, 2018, with the Saskatchewan Rush winning their 3rd title in 4 years.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.