Buffalo Bandits facts for kids
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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) |
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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.
Contents
Team History

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
Many Bandits players and coaches have won important awards. Here are some of them:
Year | Player | Award |
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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
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Active (21-man) roster | Inactive roster | Coaches | |||||||
5 |
1
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7
25
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John Tavares
Roster updated 2024-5-7 |
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 |
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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 |
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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 | ||||||
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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
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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