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Buffalo Bandits
Buffalo Bandits logo.svg
Sport Box lacrosse
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)
Current sports event Current season

The Buffalo Bandits are a professional box lacrosse team. They play in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Their home arena is the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits started in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL) in 1992. They joined the NLL in 1998 when the MILL became the NLL.

The team is owned by Hockey Western New York LLC. This group is led by Terry Pegula. He also owns other sports teams like the Rochester Americans, Buffalo Sabres, and Buffalo Bills.

Team History

2022 National Lacrosse League Cup Game 3 Colorado at Buffalo
The Colorado Mammoth playing against the Buffalo Bandits in the 2022 NLL Cup Finals.

The Buffalo Bandits played their very first season in 1992. Their early home games were at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. They shared this arena with the Buffalo Sabres until it closed in 1996.

The Bandits made history right away. They were the first new team in the MILL/NLL to win a championship in their first year! They won again in their second season, in 1993. That year, they had a perfect season, winning every game. They lost the championship in their third season but won their third title in 1996. It wasn't until 1999, their eighth season, that the Bandits missed the playoffs.

After their 1996 championship, the Bandits reached the NLL Championship game three more times. These were in 1997, 2004, and 2006. However, they lost each of those games, including two at home. Finally, in 2008, the Bandits won their fourth championship. They beat Portland in a close game, 14–13.

The Bandits lost in the finals three more times before winning their fifth championship in 2023. They defeated the Colorado Mammoth in the third and final game of the series, with a score of 13–4. The very next year, in 2024, the Bandits won their sixth championship. They swept the Albany FireWolves to claim the title. This win tied them with Toronto for the most league championships. Their strong rivalry with Toronto has often kept that team from reaching the championships.

As of 2024, the Buffalo Bandits are the longest-running team in the NLL. They have been in their home city for 33 seasons straight.

Player Awards and Honors

MarkSteenhuis
During the 2009 season, Mark Steenhuis set two league records for most assists (13) and points (17) in a single game.

Many Bandits players and coaches have won important awards. Here are some of them:

Year Player Award
1992 Derek Keenan Rookie of the Year
1992 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
2003 Kurt Silcott GM of the Year
2005 Steve Dietrich Goaltender of the Year
2006 Steve Dietrich Goaltender of the Year
2006 Steve Dietrich Most Valuable Player
2007 Dave Zygaj Executive of the Year
2008 Mark Steenhuis Transition Player of the Year
2008 Mark Steenhuis Champion's Cup MVP
2009 Billy Dee Smith Defensive Player of the Year
2009 Ken Montour Goaltender of the Year
2016 Steve Dietrich GM of the Year
2016 Dhane Smith Most Valuable Player
2018 Craig England Teammate of the Year
2019 Matt Vinc Goaltender of the Year
2019 John Tavares/Rich Kilgour Coach of the Year
2019 Steve Dietrich GM of the Year
2022 Matt Vinc Goaltender of the Year
2022 Steve Dietrich GM of the Year
2022 Dhane Smith Most Valuable Player
2023 Dhane Smith NLL Finals MVP
2024 Josh Byrne Offensive Player of the Year
2024 Josh Byrne Most Valuable Player
2024 Josh Byrne NLL Finals MVP

NLL Hall of Fame Members

Several Bandits players and staff have been honored in the NLL Hall of Fame:

  • Les Bartley, Head Coach, 2006
  • Darris Kilgour, Forward, 2007
  • John Mouradian, General Manager, 2008
  • Jim Veltman, Defense, 2009
  • Rich Kilgour, Transition, 2010
  • Steve Dietrich, Goaltender, 2012
  • Pat O'Toole, Goaltender, 2013
  • Tracey Kelusky, Forward, 2016
  • John Tavares, Forward, 2016
  • Pat McCready, Defense, 2021
  • Shawn Williams, Forward, 2021

NLL Records Held by Bandits

The Bandits hold several impressive NLL records.

Single-Game Records

  • Most assists in one game – Mark Steenhuis (13 assists, February 14, 2009)
  • Most points in one game – Mark Steenhuis (17 points, February 14, 2009)

Season Records

  • Most points in one season – Dhane Smith (137 points, 2016)
  • Most goals in one season – Dhane Smith (72 goals, 2016)
  • Most assists in one season – Dhane Smith (101 assists, 2024)

All-Time Career Records

  • Most goals in a career – John Tavares (724 goals, 1991–2015)
  • Most assists in a career – John Tavares (823 assists, 1991–2015)
  • Most points in a career – John Tavares (1,547 points, 1991–2015)
  • Most saves in a career – Matt Vinc (8,299 saves 2005–Present)
  • Most wins in a career – Matt Vinc (119 wins 2005–Present)
  • Most minutes played – Matt Vinc (12,627:54 2005–Present)

NLL All-Star Game Selections

Many Bandits players have been chosen for the NLL All-Star Game:

  • 2005: Kyle Couling, Mark Steenhuis, John Tavares*, Dan Teat
  • 2006: Steve Dietrich, Mark Steenhuis, John Tavares*
  • 2007: Pat McCready, Mark Steenhuis, John Tavares*
  • 2008: Mark Steenhuis*, John Tavares*, Chris White
  • 2009: Ken Montour*, Mark Steenhuis*, John Tavares, Roger Vyse, Chris White*
  • 2011: Chris White, Mark Steenhuis, John Tavares, Brett Bucktooth
  • 2012: Billy Dee Smith, Scott Self, Chris White, John Tavares, Mike Thompson

* – voted as starter

Current Roster

Buffalo Bandits roster
Active (21-man) roster Inactive roster Coaches
Goaltenders

44 Canada Steve Orleman 48 Canada Matt Vinc

Defensemen

5 Canada Cam Wyers 6 Canada Paul Dawson 8 Canada Dylan Robinson 15 Iroquois Adam Bomberry 21 Canada Justin Martin 23 Canada Steve Priolo 53 Canada Justin Robinson 77 United States Zack Belter

Forwards

1 Iroquois Tehoka Nanticoke 2 Canada Chris Cloutier 12 Canada Sam La Roue 22 Canada Josh Byrne 73 Canada Brandon Robinson 91 Canada Kyle Buchanan 92 Canada Dhane Smith 95 Canada Chase Fraser

Transition

4 Canada Ian MacKay 20 Canada Nick Weiss 41 United States Connor Farrell

Practice Squad

7 Canada Emerson Clark 27 United States Dalton Sulver 46 Canada Evan Constantopoulos 88 Canada Cory Highfield

Injured Reserve

25 Canada Matt Spanger 83 Iroquois Frank Brown

Holdout

30 Canada Devlin Shanahan

Protected list

6 United States Max Adler

Unable to play

94 Canada Bryce Sweeting

Head Coach

John Tavares


Legend
  • * Suspended list
  • (C) Captain
  • (A) Alternate captain

Roster updated 2024-5-7
NLL Transactions

Team Records

The Buffalo Bandits have a long history of games. Here's a summary of their performance:

Season Division/Conference Wins–Losses Finish Home Record Road Record Goals For Goals Against 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

Playoff Highlights

The Bandits have had many exciting playoff runs. They have won six championships!

Season Game Visiting Team Home Team
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

Head Coaching History

Here are the coaches who have led the Buffalo Bandits:

# Name Term Regular Season Playoffs
Games Coached Wins Losses Win % Games Coached Wins Losses Win %
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
2019 18 14 4 .778 3 2 1 .666
9 John Tavares 2020– 65 46 19 .708 17 14 3 .824

Draft History

The Bandits pick new players through the NLL Entry Draft. Here are their top picks in the first round:

NLL Entry Draft First Round Selections

Retired Numbers

The Bandits have honored four special players by retiring their jersey numbers. These numbers will never be worn by another Bandits player. Three of these numbers are displayed in the arena rafters.

  • 34 Thomas Gardner, honored March 20, 1999. He was also a youth lacrosse organizer in western New York.
  • 43 Darris Kilgour, Forward, honored March 25, 2001.
  • 16 Rich Kilgour, Defense, honored April 16, 2011.
  • 11 John Tavares, Forward, honored March 11, 2016.

Game Broadcasts

You can listen to Buffalo Bandits games on Buffalo's Entercom radio stations. These are usually WGR 550 AM or WWKB 1520 AM. John Gurtler, who used to announce for the Buffalo Sabres, does the play-by-play. Former Bandit Randy Mearns provides color commentary.

All Bandits games are also available to watch on ESPN+. Some games are shown nationally on ESPN Linear Networks. Locally in Buffalo, you can find select games on WNLO CW23.

See also

  • Buffalo Bandits seasons
  • Buffalo Bandits all-time roster
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