History and records Pro Indoor Lacrosse Timeline 4-21-02: The 2002 All-Star Game is played at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The All-Stars of the North Team, composed of players from Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Rochester, Toronto and Vancouver defeat the All-Stars of the South Team, composed of players from Albany, Buffalo, Columbus, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and Washington by a score of 14-10. Toronto Rock forward Steve Toll wins the All-Star Game MVP Award, scoring three goals and adding one assist. 7-9-02: The League announces the sale and relocation of the Washington Power franchise to the city of Denver, Colorado. The franchise will play its home games at the Pepsi Center. The team is now owned by Kroenke Sports Enterprises, whose holdings include the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, Pepsi Center, and the yet-to-be-named Colorado NLL team. The new team marks the League’s first United States team west of the Mississippi River.
–2003– 1-3-03: The Colorado Mammoth play their inaugural home game at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The Mammoth treated the home crowd of 16,121 fans to a thrilling 13-12 win in double overtime against the Toronto Rock. The crowd broke the previous record for an inaugural home game attendance, previously held by the Vancouver Ravens (13,772 in 2001). 1-31-03: In front of a sellout crowd of 18,207 at the Pepsi Center, the Colorado Mammoth defeat the New York Saints by a score of 19-13. The crowd was the first of two sellout crowds the Mammoth would host during their first season. 4-11-03: In front of a season high crowd of 13,869 at the Saddledome, the Calgary Roughnecks defeat the Buffalo Bandits 16-14 in their final regular season game. The win propels the Roughnecks to their first franchise playoff appearance.
8-16-02: The League grants a one-year suspension of operations to the Montreal Express franchise. The Express players will be dispersed to the other twelve NLL clubs via Dispersal Draft, to be held on the day of the 2002 Entry Draft.
5-2-03: Colorado Forward Gary Gait is named the Most Valuable Player for the 2002-03 season while scoring 61 goals and picking up 35 assists for 96 points. Gait’s teammate, Mammoth forward Brian Langtry, also earned Rookie of the Year honors.
9-17-02: The 2002 Entry Draft is held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The Toronto Rock use the first selection to draft defenseman Patrick Merrill of Orangeville, Ontario and Mercyhurst College.
5-3-03: The Rochester Knighthawks host the Toronto Rock in the 2003 Champion’s Cup Final. The Rock defeated the Knighthawks by a score of 8-6 to capture their fourth title, all won in the past five seasons. 11,051 fans attend the game at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. Toronto goalie Bob Watson earns Championship Game MVP honors with his 40 saves.
9-17-02: A Dispersal Draft of Montreal Express players is held prior to the Entry Draft. The Calgary Roughnecks use the first selection to draft forward Tracey Kelusky, a former number one Entry Draft selection and Rookie of the Year Winner in 2001. 10-16-02: The League introduces Labatt Blue as the official beer sponsor of the NLL. 10-24-02: Kroenke Sports Enterprises introduces the name and logo of the Colorado Mammoth. 12-6-02: New Jersey Storm goaltender Ginny Capicchoni becomes the first woman to play in the NLL. Capicchoni stops ten out of fifteen shots faced in helping the Storm defeat the Buffalo Bandits 14-12 in a preseason contest at HSBC Arena in Buffalo.
6-9-03: The League announces the sale and relocation of the Albany Attack franchise to the city of San Jose, California. The franchise will play its home games at the HP Pavilion. The team will be owned and operated by a partnership consisting of two entities: Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment, the marketing and business arm of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League; the second partnership is a group of investors, lead by John Bergsma and Peter Wendell. The new team marks the League’s first United States team on the west coast of the United States. 7-24-03: The League announces the sale and relocation of the New Jersey Storm to Anaheim, California. Home games will be played at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. The team will be operated by the management and staff of the Arrowhead Pond. The new Anaheim team gives the league a presence in the second largest population and television market in the United States.
2011 NLL Media Guide and Record Book • 75