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Sport | Box lacrosse |
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Founded | 1992 |
League | National Lacrosse League |
Conference | Eastern |
Location | Buffalo, New York |
Arena | KeyBank Center |
Colors | Orange, Purple, Black, White |
Owner | Terry Pegula |
Head coach | John Tavares |
General manager | Steve Dietrich |
League titles | 6 (1992, 1993, 1996, 2008, 2023, 2024) |
Conference titles | 2 (2022, 2023) |
Division titles | 8 (1993, 1994, 1996, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2016, 2019) |
Local media | WNLO, WWKB, WGR |
Retired numbers | 4 (11, 16, 34, 43) |
Website | bandits.com |
The Buffalo Bandits are a professional box lacrosse team of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). They play at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, then in its successor the NLL since 1998.
The Bandits are owned by Hockey Western New York LLC, led by Terry Pegula who also owns the Rochester Americans, Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bills.
The Bandits played their first season in 1992. They played home games at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium sharing with the Buffalo Sabres until its closure in 1996.
The Bandits became the first expansion franchise in MILL/NLL history to win a championship in its first season. [1] The Bandits repeated as champions in their second season, compiling the league's only perfect season to date that year, lost the championship game their third season and captured their third Championship in 1996, their fifth season. It was not until 1999, their eighth season, that the Bandits did not make the playoffs.
After their 1996 championship-winning season, the Bandits returned to the NLL Championship game on three separate occasions (1997, 2004, 2006) only to lose each time, including twice at home. It would not be until 2008 that the Bandits would win their elusive fourth championship, a 14–13 triumph over Portland. The Bandits would lose the finals three more times before securing their fifth championship in 2023. The Bandits won their fifth title against the Colorado Mammoth winning the third and final game of the three game series 13–4. [2] The following year, the Bandits repeated as champions, winning their sixth title in a sweep of the Albany FireWolves.
As of 2018, Buffalo is the longest tenured team in the NLL, in terms of continuous years in their home city, at 27 seasons. [3]
Year | Player | Award |
---|---|---|
1992 | Derek Keenan | Rookie of the Year |
John Tavares | Championship Game MVP | |
1993 | John Tavares | Championship Game MVP |
1994 | John Tavares | Most Valuable Player |
1996 | Pat O'Toole | Championship Game MVP |
2000 | John Tavares | Most Valuable Player |
2001 | John Tavares | Most Valuable Player |
2003 | Darris Kilgour | Coach of the Year |
Kurt Silcott | GM of the Year | |
2005 | Steve Dietrich | Goaltender of the Year [4] |
2006 | Steve Dietrich | Goaltender of the Year [5] |
Most Valuable Player [6] | ||
2007 | Dave Zygaj | Executive of the Year [7] |
2008 | Mark Steenhuis | Transition Player of the Year [8] |
Champion's Cup MVP | ||
2009 | Billy Dee Smith | Defenesive Player of the Year |
Ken Montour | Goaltender of the Year | |
2016 | Steve Dietrich | GM of the Year |
Dhane Smith | Most Valuable Player | |
2018 | Craig England | Teammate of the Year |
2019 | Matt Vinc | Goaltender of the Year |
John Tavares/Rich Kilgour | Coach of the Year | |
Steve Dietrich | GM of the Year | |
2022 | Matt Vinc | Goaltender of the Year |
Steve Dietrich | GM of the Year | |
Dhane Smith | Most Valuable Player | |
2023 | Dhane Smith | NLL Finals MVP [9] |
2024 | Josh Byrne | Offensive Player of the Year [10] |
Most Valuable Player [11] | ||
NLL Finals MVP |
* – voted as starter
Active (21-man) roster | Inactive roster | Coaches | |||||||
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John Tavares
Roster updated 2024-5-7 |
Season | Division/Conference [lower-alpha 1] | W–L | Finish | Home | Road | GF | GA | Coach | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | National | 5–3 | 2nd | 2–2 | 3–1 | 161 | 125 | Bob McCready / Les Bartley | Champions |
1993 | National | 8–0 | 1st | 4–0 | 4–0 | 143 | 108 | Les Bartley | Champions |
1994 | National | 6–2 | 1st | 3–1 | 3–1 | 121 | 99 | Les Bartley | Lost final |
1995 | 3–5 | 4th | 2–2 | 1–3 | 109 | 108 | Les Bartley | Lost semi-final | |
1996 | 8–2 | 1st | 3–2 | 5–0 | 173 | 127 | Les Bartley | Champions | |
1997 | 6–4 | 3rd | 3–2 | 3–2 | 158 | 153 | Les Bartley | Lost final | |
1998 | 6–6 | 4th | 4–2 | 2–4 | 166 | 171 | Les Wakeling | Lost semi-final | |
1999 | 4–8 | 6th | 1–5 | 3–3 | 158 | 177 | Les Wakeling | Did not qualify | |
2000 | 8–4 | 2nd | 5–1 | 3–3 | 202 | 194 | Ted Sawicki | Lost semi-final | |
2001 | 8–6 | 5th | 4–3 | 4–3 | 248 | 218 | Ted Sawicki | Did not qualify | |
2002 | Central | 8–8 | 4th | 4–4 | 4–4 | 210 | 215 | Ted Sawicki / Frank Neilson | Did not qualify |
2003 | Central | 12–4 | 2nd | 8–0 | 4–4 | 231 | 188 | Darris Kilgour | Lost division final |
2004 | Eastern | 8–8 | 3rd | 4–4 | 4–4 | 205 | 198 | Darris Kilgour | Lost final |
2005 | Eastern | 11–5 | 2nd | 5–3 | 6–2 | 217 | 183 | Darris Kilgour | Lost division semi-final |
2006 | Eastern | 11–5 | 1st | 6–2 | 5–3 | 193 | 167 | Darris Kilgour | Lost final |
2007 | Eastern | 10–6 | 2nd | 6–2 | 4–4 | 207 | 188 | Darris Kilgour | Lost division final |
2008 | Eastern | 10–6 | 1st | 7–2 | 3–4 | 203 | 174 | Darris Kilgour | Champions |
2009 | Eastern | 10–6 | 2nd | 5–3 | 5–3 | 223 | 170 | Darris Kilgour | Lost division final |
2010 | Eastern | 8–8 | 3rd | 4–4 | 4–4 | 169 | 170 | Darris Kilgour | Lost division semi-final |
2011 | Eastern | 10–6 | 1st | 4–4 | 6–2 | 169 | 159 | Darris Kilgour | Lost division final |
2012 | Eastern | 7–9 | 4th | 4–4 | 3–5 | 198 | 204 | Darris Kilgour | Lost division semi-final |
2013 | Eastern | 6–10 | 4th | 2–6 | 4–4 | 171 | 211 | Darris Kilgour | Did not qualify |
2014 | Eastern | 8–10 | 3rd | 6–3 | 2–7 | 190 | 200 | Troy Cordingley | Lost division final |
2015 | Eastern | 11–7 | 3rd | 7–2 | 4–5 | 236 | 208 | Troy Cordingley | Lost division semi-final |
2016 | Eastern | 13–5 | 1st | 8–1 | 5–4 | 251 | 214 | Troy Cordingley | Lost Finals |
2017 | Eastern | 6–12 | 5th | 3–6 | 3–6 | 226 | 251 | Troy Cordingley | Did not qualify |
2018 | Eastern | 8–10 | 5th | 4–5 | 4–5 | 232 | 240 | Troy Cordingley | Did not qualify |
2019 | Eastern | 14–4 | 1st | 7–2 | 7–2 | 244 | 186 | John Tavares, Rich Kilgour | Lost Finals |
2020 | North | 7–4 | T-2nd | 4–2 | 3–2 | 130 | 118 | John Tavares | No playoffs held |
2021 | Eastern | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||||||
2022 | Eastern | 14–4 | 1st | 7–2 | 7–2 | 247 | 185 | John Tavares | Lost Finals |
2023 | Eastern | 14–4 | 1st | 7–2 | 7–2 | 215 | 191 | John Tavares | Champions |
2024 | Unified | 11–7 | 4th | 6–3 | 5–4 | 237 | 212 | John Tavares | Champions |
Total | 32 seasons | 279–188 | 149–86 | 130–102 | 6,240 | 5,713 | |||
Playoff Totals | 25 Appearances | 40–24 | 30–10 | 10–14 | 820 | 723 | 6 Championships |
(active NLL franchises only)
Home | Road | Overall | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | GP | W | L | PCT | GP | W | L | PCT | GP | W | L | PCT | ||||
Albany FireWolves | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .667 | 6 | 3 | 3 | .500 | ||||
as New England Black Wolves | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | 10 | 5 | 5 | .500 | ||||
as Philadelphia Wings | 27 | 15 | 12 | .555 | 24 | 11 | 13 | .458 | 51 | 26 | 25 | .509 | ||||
Calgary Roughnecks | 7 | 6 | 1 | .857 | 9 | 4 | 5 | .444 | 16 | 10 | 6 | .625 | ||||
Colorado Mammoth | 12 | 7 | 5 | .583 | 9 | 3 | 6 | .333 | 25 | 10 | 11 | .476 | ||||
as Washington Power | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .750 | ||||
as Pittsburgh CrosseFire | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | ||||
as Baltimore Thunder | 8 | 6 | 2 | .750 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 13 | 10 | 3 | .769 | ||||
Georgia Swarm | 8 | 3 | 5 | .375 | 8 | 6 | 2 | .750 | 16 | 9 | 7 | .563 | ||||
as Minnesota Swarm | 14 | 12 | 2 | .857 | 11 | 7 | 4 | .636 | 25 | 19 | 6 | .760 | ||||
Halifax Thunderbirds | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | 9 | 6 | 3 | .667 | ||||
as Rochester Knighthawks | 32 | 16 | 16 | .500 | 37 | 13 | 24 | .351 | 69 | 29 | 40 | .420 | ||||
Las Vegas Desert Dogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | ||||
Ottawa Black Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||||
as New York Riptide | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .625 | ||||
Panther City Lacrosse Club | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | ||||
Philadelphia Wings | 4 | 3 | 1 | .750 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | 9 | 8 | 1 | .889 | ||||
Rochester Knighthawks | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .750 | 8 | 7 | 1 | .875 | ||||
San Diego Seals | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | ||||
Saskatchewan Rush | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 6 | 4 | 2 | .667 | ||||
as Edmonton Rush | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | ||||
Toronto Rock | 36 | 18 | 18 | .500 | 31 | 13 | 18 | .419 | 67 | 31 | 36 | .463 | ||||
as Ontario Raiders | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | ||||
Vancouver Warriors | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .667 | ||||
as Vancouver Stealth | 4 | 3 | 1 | .750 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .750 | 8 | 6 | 2 | .750 | ||||
as Washington Stealth | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .667 | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | ||||
as San Jose Stealth | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | ||||
as Albany Attack | 4 | 3 | 1 | .750 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .750 | 8 | 6 | 2 | .750 | ||||
Total | 190 | 113 | 77 | .595 | 186 | 96 | 86 | .525 | 376 | 209 | 167 | .556 |
Season | Game | Visiting | Home |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Division Semifinal | Boston Blazers 16 | Buffalo Bandits 22 |
Division Final | Buffalo Bandits 19 | Detroit Turbos 16 | |
Championship | Buffalo Bandits 11 | Philadelphia Wings 10 (OT) | |
1993 | Division Final | Boston Blazers 10 | Buffalo Bandits 12 |
Championship | Philadelphia Wings 12 | Buffalo Bandits 13 | |
1994 | Division Final | Detroit Turbos 10 | Buffalo Bandits 16 |
Championship | Philadelphia Wings 26 | Buffalo Bandits 15 | |
1995 | Semifinals | Philadelphia Wings 19 | Buffalo Bandits 16 |
1996 | Semifinals | Rochester Knighthawks 10 | Buffalo Bandits 18 |
Championship | Philadelphia Wings 10 | Buffalo Bandits 15 | |
1997 | Semifinals | New York Saints 10 | Buffalo Bandits 19 |
Championship | Rochester Knighthawks 15 | Buffalo Bandits 12 | |
1998 | Semifinals | Buffalo Bandits 12 | Philadelphia Wings 17 |
2000 | Semifinals | Rochester Knighthawks 15 | Buffalo Bandits 11 |
2003 | Quarterfinals | Calgary Roughnecks 9 | Buffalo Bandits 16 |
Semifinals | Buffalo Bandits 13 | Rochester Knighthawks 16 | |
2004 | Division Semifinal | Buffalo Bandits 13 | Rochester Knighthawks 9 |
Division Final | Buffalo Bandits 19 | Toronto Rock 10 | |
Championship | Buffalo Bandits 11 | Calgary Roughnecks 14 | |
2005 | Division Semifinal | Rochester Knighthawks 17 | Buffalo Bandits 16 |
2006 | Division Semifinal | Buffalo Bandits 11 | Minnesota Swarm 10 |
Division Final | Buffalo Bandits 15 | Rochester Knighthawks 10 | |
Championship | Colorado Mammoth 16 | Buffalo Bandits 9 | |
2007 | Division Semifinal | Minnesota Swarm 8 | Buffalo Bandits 14 |
Division Final | Buffalo Bandits 13 | Rochester Knighthawks 14 (OT) | |
2008 | Division Semifinal | Philadelphia Wings 12 | Buffalo Bandits 14 |
Division Final | New York Titans 12 | Buffalo Bandits 19 | |
Championship | Portland LumberJax 13 | Buffalo Bandits 14 | |
2009 | Division Semifinal | Boston Blazers 8 | Buffalo Bandits 11 |
Division Final | Buffalo Bandits 3 | New York Titans 9 | |
2010 | Division Semifinal | Buffalo Bandits 11 | Toronto Rock 13 |
2011 | Division Semifinal | Boston Blazers 10 | Buffalo Bandits 11 |
Division Final | Buffalo Bandits 11 | Toronto Rock 12 | |
2012 | Division Semifinal | Buffalo Bandits 6 | Toronto Rock 7 |
2014 | Division Semifinal | Buffalo Bandits 15 | Toronto Rock 13 |
Division Final 1 | Rochester Knighthawks 8 | Buffalo Bandits 12 | |
Division Final 2 | Buffalo Bandits 8 | Rochester Knighthawks 13 | |
Division Final 3 | Buffalo Bandits 1 | Rochester Knighthawks 2 | |
2015 | Division Semifinal | Buffalo Bandits 11 | Rochester Knighthawks 14 |
2016 | Division Final 1 | Buffalo Bandits 15 | New England Black Wolves 10 |
Division Final 2 | New England Black Wolves 15 | Buffalo Bandits 20 | |
Championship 1 | Buffalo Bandits 9 | Saskatchewan Rush 11 | |
Championship 2 | Saskatchewan Rush 11 | Buffalo Bandits 10 | |
2019 | Division Semifinal | New England Black Wolves 6 | Buffalo Bandits 13 |
Division Final | Toronto Rock 8 | Buffalo Bandits 12 | |
Championship 1 | Calgary Roughnecks 10 | Buffalo Bandits 7 | |
Championship 2 | Buffalo Bandits 13 | Calgary Roughnecks 14 | |
2022 | Conference Semifinal | Albany Firewolves 5 | Buffalo Bandits 10 |
Conference Final 1 | Toronto Rock 17 | Buffalo Bandits 18 | |
Conference Final 2 | Buffalo Bandits 10 | Toronto Rock 9 | |
Championship 1 | Colorado Mammoth 14 | Buffalo Bandits 15 | |
Championship 2 | Buffalo Bandits 8 | Colorado Mammoth 11 | |
Championship 3 | Colorado Mammoth 10 | Buffalo Bandits 8 | |
2023 | Conference Semifinal | Rochester Knighthawks 8 | Buffalo Bandits 20 |
Conference Final 1 | Toronto Rock 5 | Buffalo Bandits 14 | |
Conference Final 2 | Buffalo Bandits 17 | Toronto Rock 8 | |
Championship 1 | Colorado Mammoth 12 | Buffalo Bandits 13 | |
Championship 2 | Buffalo Bandits 10 | Colorado Mammoth 16 | |
Championship 3 | Colorado Mammoth 4 | Buffalo Bandits 13 | |
2024 | Quarterfinals | Georgia Swarm 9 | Buffalo Bandits 10 OT |
Semi Final 1 | Buffalo Bandits 12 | Toronto Rock 4 | |
Semi Final 2 | Toronto Rock 8 | Buffalo Bandits 12 | |
Championship 1 | Buffalo Bandits 12 | Albany FireWolves 8 | |
Championship 2 | Albany FireWolves 13 | Buffalo Bandits 15 |
(Active NLL franchises only)
Home | Road | Overall | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | GP | W | L | PCT | GP | W | L | PCT | GP | W | L | PCT | |||
Albany FireWolves | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | |||
Calgary Roughnecks | 1 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | |||
Colorado Mammoth | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | |||
Georgia Swarm | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | |||
Rochester Knighthawks | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | |||
Saskatchewan Rush | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | |||
Toronto Rock | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 7 | 5 | 2 | .714 | 12 | 9 | 3 | .750 | |||
Total | 16 | 12 | 4 | .750 | 13 | 6 | 7 | .462 | 29 | 18 | 11 | .621 |
# | Name | Term | Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||
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GC | W | L | W% | GC | W | L | W% | |||
1 | Bob McCready | 1992 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | — | — | — | — |
2 | Les Bartley | 1992–1997 | 49 | 36 | 13 | .735 | 12 | 9 | 3 | .750 |
3 | Les Wakeling | 1998–1999 | 24 | 10 | 14 | .417 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
4 | Ted Sawicki | 2000–2002 | 35 | 21 | 14 | .600 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
5 | Frank Neilson | 2002 | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | — | — | — | — |
6 | Darris Kilgour | 2003–2013 | 176 | 103 | 73 | .585 | 20 | 11 | 9 | .550 |
7 | Troy Cordingley | 2014–2018 | 90 | 46 | 44 | .511 | 9 | 4 | 5 | .444 |
8 | John Tavares, Rich Kilgour [13] | 2019 | 18 | 14 | 4 | .778 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .666 |
9 | John Tavares | 2020– | 65 | 46 | 19 | .708 | 17 | 14 | 3 | .824 |
First Round Selections
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The Bandits have four retired numbers, three of which are represented at the Arena in the rafters with the Championship banners. [15]
Buffalo Bandits games can be heard on Buffalo's Entercom stations, either WGR 550 AM or WWKB 1520 AM. John Gurtler, former play-by-play man for the Buffalo Sabres, handles announcing duties, while former Bandit Randy Mearns handles color commentary.
All games are broadcast on ESPN+. Select games can be found nationally on ESPN Linear Networks, and locally (to the Buffalo Market) on WNLO CW23.
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The Rochester Knighthawks were a professional box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. They played in Rochester, New York at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. The Knighthawks were previously members of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1995 to 1997. They were members of the NLL since the league's inaugural 1998 season.
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