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Buffalo Bandits
NLL professional box lacrosse team in Buffalo, New York
NLL professional box lacrosse team in Buffalo, New York
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Buffalo Bandits |
| logo | Buffalo Bandits logo.svg |
| logo_size | 245px |
| founded | 1992 |
| sport | Box lacrosse |
| current | 2026 Buffalo Bandits season |
| league | National Lacrosse League |
| arena | KeyBank Center |
| colors | Orange, Purple, Black, White |
| owner | Terry Pegula |
| coach_label | Head coach |
| coach | John Tavares |
| gm | Steve Dietrich |
| league_titles | 7 (1992, 1993, 1996, 2008, 2023, 2024, 2025) |
| conference_titles | 2 (2022, 2023) |
| division_titles | 8 (1993, 1994, 1996, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2016, 2019) |
| media | WNLO, WWKB, WGR |
| blank_label | Retired numbers |
| blank_label1 | PLPA representative |
| blank_label2 | Later |
| website | |
| location | Buffalo, New York |
| blank_data | 4 (11, 16, 34, 43) |
The Buffalo Bandits are an American professional box lacrosse team based in Buffalo, New York, that competes in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team plays its home games at KeyBank Center. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, then in its successor the NLL since 1998. The Bandits are one of the oldest franchises in the league, behind the Oshawa FireWolves (which were founded in 1987 as the original Philadelphia Wings (1987–2014) franchise) and the Colorado Mammoth (which were founded in 1987 as the Baltimore Thunder). The Bandits are the oldest franchise still playing in their original city and are the most successful team in the league, holding the record for most league titles at 7.
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.
History
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. 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. The following year, the Bandits repeated as champions, winning their sixth title in a sweep of the Albany FireWolves. The Bandits secured a third-straight championship in 2025, their 7th overall and most in the NLL all-time, as well as one of only seven top-level professional North American sports teams to achieve the feat of a "three-peat."
As of 2025, Buffalo is the longest tenured team in the NLL, in terms of continuous years in their home city, at 33 seasons. The team is also the strongest-attended franchise in the league, with an average attendance of over 18,000 fans per game in 2025, an NLL record and substantially outdrawing its NHL counterpart, the Sabres.
Awards and honors
| 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 |
| 2006 | Steve Dietrich | Goaltender of the Year |
| Most Valuable Player | ||
| 2007 | Dave Zygaj | Executive of the Year |
| 2008 | Mark Steenhuis | Transition Player of the Year |
| Champion's Cup MVP | ||
| 2009 | Billy Dee Smith | Defensive 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 |
| 2024 | Josh Byrne | Offensive Player of the Year |
| Most Valuable Player | ||
| NLL Finals MVP | ||
| 2025 | John Gurtler | Media Person of the Year |
| Kyle Buchanan | Sportsmanship Award | |
| Dhane Smith | Offensive Player of the Year | |
| Ian MacKay | NLL Finals MVP |
NLL Hall of Fame members
- 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
Single-game record holders
- Most assists in a single game – Mark Steenhuis (13 assists, February 14, 2009)
- Most points in a single game – Mark Steenhuis (17 points, February 14, 2009)
Season record holders
- Most points in a single season – Dhane Smith (137 points, 2016)
- Most goals in a single season – Dhane Smith (72 goals, 2016)
- Most assists in a single season – Dhane Smith (103 assists, 2025)
All-time record holders
- 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
- 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
- Steve Dietrich
- Anthony Cosmo
- Eric Vinc Equipment Manager
- Ted Cordingley|Injured=
All-time record
| Season | Division/Conference | W–L | Finish | Home | Road | GF | GA | Coach | Playoffs | Total | 33 seasons | 292–193 | 155–89 | 137–104 | 6,482 | 5,908 | Playoff totals | 26 Appearances | 45–25 | 34–10 | 11–15 | 882 | 766 | 7 Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Unified | 13–5 | 1st | 6–3 | 7–2 | 242 | 195 | John Tavares | Champions |
All-time team-by-team records
(active NLL franchises only)
| Home | Road | Overall | Team | GP | W | L | PCT | GP | W | L | PCT | GP | W | L | PCT | Total | 199 | 119 | 80 | .598 | 190 | 103 | 87 | .542 | 389 | 222 | 167 | .571 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary Roughnecks | 8 | 6 | 2 | .750 | 10 | 5 | 5 | .500 | 18 | 11 | 7 | .611 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado Mammoth | 12 | 7 | 5 | .583 | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | 22 | 11 | 11 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Oshawa FireWolves | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| as Albany FireWolves | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | 8 | 4 | 4 | .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 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Swarm | 8 | 3 | 5 | .375 | 9 | 6 | 3 | .667 | 17 | 9 | 8 | .529 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| as Minnesota Swarm | 14 | 12 | 2 | .857 | 11 | 7 | 4 | .636 | 25 | 19 | 6 | .760 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Halifax Thunderbirds | 6 | 5 | 1 | .833 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | 10 | 7 | 3 | .700 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| as Rochester Knighthawks | 32 | 16 | 16 | .500 | 37 | 13 | 24 | .351 | 69 | 29 | 40 | .420 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Las Vegas Desert Dogs | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ottawa Black Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| as New York Riptide | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .625 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia Wings | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | 10 | 9 | 1 | .900 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rochester Knighthawks | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 10 | 9 | 1 | .900 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego Seals | 3 | 2 | 1 | .667 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 6 | 5 | 1 | .833 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Saskatchewan Rush | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 7 | 5 | 2 | .714 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| as Edmonton Rush | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Toronto Rock | 37 | 19 | 18 | .514 | 32 | 14 | 18 | .438 | 69 | 33 | 36 | .478 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| as Ontario Raiders | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Vancouver Warriors | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 |
Playoff results
| 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 | Saskatchewan Rush 11 | Buffalo Bandits 9 | |
| Championship 2 | Buffalo Bandits 10 | Saskatchewan Rush 11 | |
| 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 (OT) | |
| 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 | |
| 2025 | Quarterfinals | San Diego Seals 4 | Buffalo Bandits 5 |
| Semi Final 1 | Vancouver Warriors 3 | Buffalo Bandits 9 | |
| Semi Final 2 | Buffalo Bandits 11 | Vancouver Warriors 9 | |
| Championship 1 | Saskatchewan Rush 10 | Buffalo Bandits 12 | |
| Championship 2 | Buffalo Bandits 10 | Saskatchewan Rush 11 | |
| Championship 3 | Saskatchewan Rush 6 | Buffalo Bandits 15 |
All-time team-by-team playoff records
(Active NLL franchises only)
| Home | Road | Overall | Team | GP | W | L | PCT | GP | W | L | PCT | GP | W | L | PCT | Total | 18 | 14 | 4 | .778 | 14 | 6 | 8 | .429 | 32 | 20 | 12 | .625 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego Seals | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Saskatchewan Rush | 3 | 2 | 1 | .667 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Toronto Rock | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 7 | 5 | 2 | .714 | 12 | 9 | 3 | .750 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Vancouver Warriors | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 |
Head coaching history
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | 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 | 2019 | 18 | 14 | 4 | .778 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .666 | |||
| 9 | John Tavares | 2020– | 83 | 59 | 24 | .711 | 23 | 19 | 4 | .827 |
Draft history
NLL Entry Draft
First Round Selections
- 1991: Darris Kilgour (1st overall)
- 1992: Tom Marechek (6th overall)
- 1993: Gil Nieuwendyk (6th overall)
- 1994: Rodd Squire (5th overall)
- 1995: Jason Luke (3rd overall)
- 1996: Mike Murray (6th overall)
- 1997: Casey Zaph (7th overall) & Marty O'Brien (8th overall)
- 1998: Matt Disher (7th overall)
- 1999: None
- 2000: Ryan Powell (2nd overall)
- 2001: None
- 2002: Billy Dee Smith (3rd overall)
- 2003: A.J. Shannon (6th overall)
- 2004: Delby Powless (1st overall)
- 2005: Jeff Shattler (10th overall)
- 2006: Brett Bucktooth (3rd overall)
- 2007: None
- 2008: None
- 2009: Kyle Clancy (10th overall)
- 2010: Travis Irving (9th overall)
- 2011: None
- 2012: Dhane Smith (5th overall)
- 2013: None
- 2014: Brandon Goodwin (9th overall)
- 2015: None
- 2016: None
- 2017: Josh Byrne (1st overall)
- 2018: Matt Gilray (3rd overall) & Ian MacKay (4th overall)
- 2019: Brent Noseworthy (12th overall)
- 2020: Brad McCulley (9th overall)
- 2021: Tehoka Nanticoke (3rd overall) & Thomas Vaesen (14th overall)
- 2022: Cam Wyers (13th overall), Dylan Robinson (14th overall), Zack Belter (19th overall)
- 2023: None
- 2024: Lukas Nielsen (7th overall), Luca Antongiovanni (8th overall), Taylor Dooley (15th overall)
- 2025: Waukiigan Shognosh (14th overall)
NLL Dispersal Draft
- 2002 from Montreal Express: Aime Caines (6th overall); Kelly Sullivan (18th overall)
- 2003 from Ottawa Rebel: Jason Clark (9th overall); Marc Landriault (20th overall); Mike Hamilton (31st overall)
- 2004 from Vancouver Ravens: Curt Malawsky (9th overall); Declined to pick (18th overall)
- 2005 from Anaheim Storm: Traded to Arizona (9th overall)
- 2007 from Arizona Sting & Boston Blazers: Craig Conn, Arizona (10th overall); Brian Croswell, Boston (15th overall); Joe Smith, Arizona (34th overall)
- 2008 from Arizona Sting: Greg Hinman (13th overall)
- 2008 from Chicago Shamrox: Cody Jacobs (12th overall); Cory Stringer (21st overall)
- 2009 from Portland LumberJax: Jamison Koesterer (9th overall)
- 2010 from Orlando Titans: Jesse Guerin (16th overall) & Matt Brown (26th overall)
- 2011 from Boston Blazers: Kevin Buchanan (6th overall) & Damon Edwards (15th overall)
- 2024 from Panther City Lacrosse Club: None (Traded to Philadelphia)
NLL Expansion Draft
- 1999 to Albany Attack: Troy Cordingley (3rd overall)
- 2001 to Calgary Roughnecks, New Jersey Storm, Vancouver Ravens & Columbus Landsharks: Rich Catton, Vancouver (3rd overall); Phil Wetherup, Columbus (4th overall); Andy Duden, Columbus (10th overall); Peter Talmo, New Jersey (21st overall)
- 2004 to Minnesota Swarm: Jason Clark (N/A overall)
- 2005 to Portland Lumberjax & Edmonton Rush: Mike Hominuck, Portland (1st overall); Thomas Montour, Portland (13th overall)
- 2006 to Chicago Shamrox & New York Titans: Bryan Kazarian, Chicago (13th overall); Jon Harasym, Portland (15th overall)
- 2007 to Boston Blazers: Brendan Thenhaus (7th overall)
- 2008 to Boston Blazers: Kyle Laverty (4th overall)
- 2018 to San Diego Seals & Philadelphia Wings: Vaughn Harris (15th overall); Davide DiRuscio (17th overall)
- 2019 to Rochester Knighthawks & New York Riptide: Shawn Evans (1st overall); Jordan Durston (2nd overall)
- 2021 to Panther City Lacrosse Club: Liam Patten (8th overall)
- 2022 to Las Vegas Desert Dogs: Connor Fields (2nd overall)
Retired numbers
The Bandits have four retired numbers, three of which are represented at the Arena in the rafters with the Championship banners.
- 34 Thomas Gardner, western New York youth lacrosse organizer, March 20, 1999
- 43 Darris Kilgour, F, March 25, 2001
- 16 Rich Kilgour, D, April 16, 2011
- 11 John Tavares, F, March 11, 2016
Game broadcasts
Buffalo Bandits games can be heard on Buffalo's Audacy 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. During its existence from 2010 to 2021, Seneca Nation-owned WGWE in Little Valley simulcast Bandits games in the Southern Tier.
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. The Bandits are a strong television draw for WNLO, outrating the CW programming that usually airs in prime time on that network.
Notes
References
- The [[Baltimore Thunder]] won the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League championship in the first year of their existence as well ([[1987 Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League season. 1987]]), but that was the first year the league existed; the [[Toronto Rock]] won a championship in its first season in Toronto ([[1999 NLL season. 1999]]), but the franchise had already played one year in [[Hamilton, Ontario. Hamilton]] as the [[Ontario Raiders]].
- ( June 3, 2023). "Bandits win decisive Game 3, bring NLL championship back to Buffalo".
- (2025-05-25). "Buffalo Bandits Join Upper Echelon of Sports History with Third Straight NLL Title".
- (2025-05-30). "The Editorial Board: Buffalo should be proud of its Bandits – and of Haudenosaunee lacrosse tradition".
- (May 4, 2005). "Dietrich Named Aquis Goaltender of the Year". NLL.com.
- (May 3, 2006). "Steve Dietrich Named RBK Goaltender of the Year". NLL website.
- (May 11, 2006). "Dietrich Wins 2006 Jet Blue MVP Award". NLL website.
- (May 7, 2007). "Dave Zygaj Named NLL Executive of the Year". NLL.com.
- (May 12, 2008). "Steenhuis Named Top Transition Player". NLL.com.
- (June 3, 2023). "SMITH NAMED 2023 NLL FINALS MVP".
- (May 16, 2024). "BYRNE NAMED NLL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR".
- (May 17, 2024). "BYRNE NAMED NLL'S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER".
- taylor. (2025-05-12). "NLL Announces 2024-25 Award Winners".
- taylor. (2025-05-13). "NLL Announces 2024-25 Award Winner".
- (May 15, 2025). "NLL Announces 2024-25 Offensive, Defensive, Transition & Goaltender of the Year Winners".
- "Matt Vinc".
- http://www.bandits.com/article/BANDITS%20ANNOUNCE%20CHANGES%20TO%20COACHING%20STAFF {{Dead link. (February 2022)
- Acquired the first overall pick and selected Chris Langdale from Toronto
- "2017 Media Guide". Buffalo Bandits.
- Pergament, Alan. (2025-05-28). "Alan Pergament: Tom Bauerle taking WBEN show to Florida; WHLD gets patriotic new call letters".
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