Milestones
Formed: July 22, 1997 – Re-branded from Major Indoor Lacrosse League1Borrelli, Tom. “Bandits staying put in new, bigger lacrosse league”. The News (Buffalo, NY). July 23, 1997
Status: Active
First Game: January 3, 1998
Seasons: 22 & counting (as of 11/16/2019)
States & Provinces:
Leadership
Commissioner:
- September 1997 – September 2000: John Livsey
- September 2000 – January 2009: Jim Jennings (d. 12/7/2014 – Inside Lacrosse obituary)
- January 2009 – January 2016: George Daniel
- January 2016 – February 2022: Nick Sakiewicz
- September 2022 – Present: Brett Frood
Attendance
Trophy Case
NLL Most Valuable Player
| Year | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Gary Gait | Forward | Baltimore Thunder |
| 1999 | Gary Gait | Forward | Baltimore Thunder |
| 2000 | John Tavares | Forward | Buffalo Bandits |
| 2001 | John Tavares | Forward | Buffalo Bandits |
| 2002 | Paul Gait | Forward | Washington Power |
| 2003 | Gary Gait | Forward | Colorado Mammoth |
| 2004 | Jim Veltman | Forward | Toronto Rock |
| 2005 | Colin Doyle | Forward | Toronto Rock |
| 2006 | Steve Dietrich | Goaltender | Buffalo Bandits |
| 2007 | John Grant Jr. | Forward | Rochester Knighthawks |
| 2008 | Athan Iannucci | Forward | Philadelphia Wings |
| 2009 | Dan Dawson | Forward | Boston Blazers |
| 2010 | Casey Powell | Forward | Orlando Titans |
| 2011 | Jeff Shattler | Transition | Calgary Roughnecks |
| 2012 | John Grant Jr. | Forward | Colorado Mammoth |
| 2013 | Shawn Evans | Forward | Calgary Roughnecks |
| 2014 | Cody Jamieson | Forward | Rochester Knighthawks |
| 2015 | Shawn Evans | Forward | Calgary Roughnecks |
| 2016 | Dhane Smith | Forward | Buffalo Bandits |
| 2017 | Lyle Thompson | Forward | Georgia Swarm |
| 2018 | Mark Matthews | Forward | Saskatchewan Rush |
| 2019 | Dane Dobbie | Forward | Calgary Roughnecks |
| 2020 | Shayne Jackson | Forward | Georgia Swarm |
| 2021 | Season Cancelled | COVID-19 Pandemic | |
| 2022 | Dhane Smith | Forward | Buffalo Bandits |
Background
The National Lacrosse League is a professional box (indoor) lacrosse promotion. The league originally began play in 1987 as the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League and then was known as the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1988 through 1997. The National Lacrosse League considers all franchise and players records from these two leagues from 1987 through 1997 to be part of its official history.
National Lacrosse League Franchise List
| FRANCHISE | SEASONS ACTIVE | CHAMPIONS CUP WINNERS |
|---|---|---|
| Albany Attack | 2000-2003 | None |
| Albany FireWolves | 2021-Present | None |
| Anaheim Storm | 2004-2005 | None |
| Arizona Sting | 2003-2007 | None |
| Baltimore Thunder | 1998-1999 | None |
| Boston Blazers | 2009-2011 | None |
| Buffalo Bandits | 1998-Present | 2008 |
| Calgary Roughnecks | 2001-Present | 2004, 2009 & 2019 |
| Chicago Shamrox | 2007-2008 | None |
| Colorado Mammoth | 2002-Present | 2006 & 2022 |
| Columbus Landsharks | 2000-2003 | None |
| Edmonton Rush | 2006-2015 | 2015 |
| Georgia Swarm | 2016-Present | 2017 |
| Halifax Thunderbirds Shop Thunderbirds Jerseys at Fanatics.com | 2019-Present | None |
| Las Vegas Desert Dogs | 2022-Present | None |
| Minnesota Swarm | 2005-2015 | None |
| Montreal Express | 2001-2002 | None |
| New England Black Wolves | 2015-2020 | None |
| New Jersey Storm | 2001-2003 | None |
New York Riptide | 2019-Present | None |
| New York Saints | 1998-2003 | None |
| New York Titans | 2007-2009 | None |
| Ontario Raiders | 1998 | None |
| Orlando Titans | 2010 | None |
| Ottawa Rebel | 2000-2003 | None |
| Panther City Lacrosse Club Shop Panther City Jerseys at Fanatics.com | 2021-Present | None |
| Philadelphia Wings | 1998-2014 | 1998 & 2001 |
| Philadelphia Wings | 2018-Present | None |
| Pittsburgh CrosseFire | 2000 | None |
| Portland LumberJax | 2006-2009 | None |
| Rochester Knighthawks (I) | 1998-2019 | 2007, 2012, 2013 & 2014 |
| Rochester Knighthawks (II) | 2020-Present | None |
San Diego Seals | 2018-Present | None |
| San Jose Stealth | 2003-2009 | None |
Saskatchewan Rush | 2016-Present | 2016 & 2018 |
| Syracuse Smash | 1998-2000 | None |
| Toronto Rock | 1999-Present | 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 & 2011 |
| Vancouver Ravens | 2001-2004 | None |
| Vancouver Stealth | 2014-2018 | None |
| Vancouver Warriors | 2018-Present | None |
| Washington Power | 2001-2002 | None |
| Washington Stealth | 2010-2013 | 2010 |
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