Welcome to Banditland: Buffalo Bandits on the Brink of a Historic Three-Peat
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Picture this: the music is thumping, the crowd is a sea of orange and black, and the energy is electric. This is Banditland, the home of the Buffalo Bandits’ passionate fan base. These fans have been the backbone of a team that has turned winning into a tradition. With championships in 1992, 1993, 1996, 2008, 2023, and 2024, the Bandits are now on the cusp of making history.
After clinching back-to-back titles, the Bandits are making their fifth consecutive appearance in the NLL Finals. They are just two wins away from achieving what few teams in professional sports have managed: a three-peat. “I think dynasty,” says forward Dhane Smith when asked about the prospect of a three-peat. “There’s not many teams that have done it, so you don’t really think about it all too much. This year feels a little bit different.”
Smith reflects on the journey, noting, “I don’t know if it’s because we haven’t played Toronto throughout these playoffs, which we usually do, but I think, again, I’m not really focused on a three-peat necessarily. I’m focused on winning that next championship and we have a great opportunity ahead of us and I tell the younger guys, don’t take it for granted.”
Chasing History
TO BECOME THE SECOND TEAM in NLL history to win three straight titles, joining the 2012-14 Rochester Knighthawks, the Bandits must overcome the Saskatchewan Rush. This would place them among legendary teams like the 2000-02 Los Angeles Lakers, the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, and the 1997-2000 Houston Comets, among others.
The best-of-three series kicks off on Friday night in Buffalo (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The action then moves to Saskatchewan on Sunday night (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+), with a potential third game the following Saturday if necessary.
This matchup features the top two seeds, both finishing the regular season with a 13-5 record. The Bandits endured a grueling stretch of 11 games in 10 weeks, going 6-5, but secured the top seed. They then swept through the playoffs, defeating the San Diego Seals and Vancouver Warriors, and have enjoyed a 12-day break to prepare for the finals.
The Rush, on the other hand, also swept their semifinal matchup and are coming off an overtime victory over the Halifax Thunderbirds. This marks Saskatchewan’s first Finals appearance since 2018.
Bandits’ Legacy and Fan Support
The Bandits’ six championships tie them with the Philadelphia Wings and Toronto Rock for the most in the league. They’ve also faced defeat seven times in the finals. Forward Josh Byrne, the 2024 league and finals MVP, describes winning championships as “addictive.”
“The one thing is we kind of know how to win,” Smith, a two-time MVP award winner and one of three finalists this year, explains. “For the longest time, we were struggling to get over that hump. I think that’s key come this time of year.”
Smith, who tied with Byrne for the most points in the league during the regular season, is on the brink of breaking the record for the most playoff points in NLL history, currently held by his coach and former teammate, John Tavares. Smith is just two points away from the record of 199 points. “I joke that whenever I don’t get as much playing time as I usually do, it’s probably due to that,” Smith quips. “He probably has it in the back of his mind that he wants to sit me here and there.”
Tavares, however, jokes back, “Of course, he’s gonna break my record, and of course, I’m happy that it’s a guy that I played with, and I have the honor of coaching as well. So, I’m happy for him and I hope he breaks it next game.”
Focus on the Present
When it comes to the three-peat, Byrne admits it’s not something he’s focused on, preferring to concentrate on the details that will get them there. Tavares echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the next game. “I’m not going to even say the words three-repeat. I don’t talk about that to my team,” Tavares states. “I don’t think about that. Think about, ‘this is our next game.'”
That next game will be in front of the Banditland faithful, a passionate following in a city known for its wings, weather, and the Buffalo Bills. “It’s really a first for the lacrosse world. I don’t think that there’s a fan base or a team or an organization at any level [in lacrosse] that gets the kind of support that we do,” Byrne says. “It’s truly insane, and when you think of a professional lacrosse player, normally you don’t think too much of it when you compare it to NHL teams or NBA teams or NFL teams.”
The Bandits play their games at KeyBank Center, where the Sabres also play, and they draw quite a crowd. This season, they set an NLL attendance record of 166,238 across nine home games, including four sellouts, with no game drawing fewer than 17,240 fans. Eight NHL teams, including the Sabres, had a lower average attendance, while six NBA teams last year averaged a lower number.
That Banditland presence will be on display once again Friday night. “To me, [the fans’ support] shows that we can be the next major league like an NHL, like an NBA, like an NFL,” Tavares says. “Right now, we’re still a weekend league and still, even though we’re professional, we still don’t get the media attention and probably the attention that we deserve because it is a great sport and it is a great league, and it’s just a matter of people knowing that we exist and following it.”
Originally Written by: Alaina Getzenberg
