The Buffalo Bandits are a 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. Among teams in the NLL the Bandits are the second oldest team in the league behind the Albany FireWolves (which were founded in 1987 as the orginal Philadelphia Wings (1987–2014) franchise), the oldest franchise that was not relocated, and one of most successful teams in the league sharing the record for most league titles at 6 with the Toronto Rock and the original Philadelphia Wings franchise. 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. This ties them with Toronto for most league championships, which that their dominance against Toronto in the postseason has fueled the rivalry while also preventing Toronto from several championship appearances. As of 2024, Buffalo is the longest tenured team in the NLL, in terms of continuous years in their home city, at 33 seasons.

Awards and honors

NLL Hall of Fame members

NLL records

Single-game record holders

Season record holders

All-time record holders

NLL All-Star Game

• – voted as starter

Current roster

All-time record

All-time team-by-team records

(active NLL franchises only)

Playoff results

All-time team-by-team playoff records

(Active NLL franchises only)

Head coaching history

Draft history

NLL Entry Draft

First Round Selections

NLL Dispersal Draft

NLL Expansion Draft

Retired numbers

The Bandits have four retired numbers, three of which are represented at the Arena in the rafters with the Championship banners.

Game broadcasts

Buffalo Bandits games can be heard on Buffalo's Entercom 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. 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.

Footnotes and references