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BUF at SD - Sat. 10pm ET on ESPNews Schedule

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WK
1
Fri, Dec 2
FINAL
Philadelphia
8
Halifax
18
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Vancouver
8
Toronto
19
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
San Diego
15
New York
14
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Albany
11
Buffalo
10
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Rochester
16
Georgia
11
Sat, Dec 3
FINAL
Colorado
6
Saskatchewan
18
WK
2
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL
Las Vegas
11
Panther City
13
Fri, Dec 9
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
12
San Diego
13
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Toronto
7
Rochester
11
Sat, Dec 10
FINAL
Vancouver
9
Calgary
11
WK
3
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
5
Fri, Dec 16
FINAL
Panther City
9
Las Vegas
3
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Buffalo
11
Toronto
8
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Rochester
14
Albany
13
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Philadelphia
13
Georgia
12
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Halifax
20
New York
11
Sat, Dec 17
FINAL
Colorado
12
Panther City
9
WK
5
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
Halifax
13
Buffalo
18
Fri, Dec 30
FINAL
San Diego
17
Calgary
14
Sat, Dec 31
FINAL
Panther City
9
Saskatchewan
11
WK
6
Fri, Jan 6
FINAL
Philadelphia
14
Las Vegas
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Panther City
9
Rochester
17
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Halifax
14
Albany
11
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Buffalo
18
Georgia
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Toronto
15
New York
7
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Calgary
8
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 7
FINAL
Vancouver
11
San Diego
16
WK
7
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Albany
11
Halifax
10
Fri, Jan 13
FINAL/OT
Saskatchewan
10
Colorado
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Halifax
8
Toronto
17
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Panther City
12
Philadelphia
10
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Georgia
9
Buffalo
11
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
San Diego
10
Calgary
14
Sat, Jan 14
FINAL
Las Vegas
16
Vancouver
19
Sun, Jan 15
FINAL
Rochester
11
New York
8
WK
8
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Buffalo
12
Rochester
15
Fri, Jan 20
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
15
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
Toronto
14
Philadelphia
5
Sat, Jan 21
FINAL
New York
16
Albany
10
WK
9
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Rochester
7
Halifax
17
Fri, Jan 27
FINAL
Buffalo
13
Philadelphia
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Buffalo
16
New York
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Las Vegas
10
Saskatchewan
15
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL/OT
Toronto
11
Calgary
10
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
San Diego
13
Colorado
9
Sat, Jan 28
FINAL
Panther City
20
Vancouver
7
WK
10
Fri, Feb 3
FINAL
Georgia
10
Colorado
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL/OT
Calgary
12
Halifax
11
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
New York
14
Toronto
22
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Albany
5
Philadelphia
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Rochester
10
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Panther City
10
San Diego
12
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
14
Vancouver
8
Sat, Feb 4
FINAL
Colorado
8
Las Vegas
13
WK
11
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Toronto
11
Georgia
10
Fri, Feb 10
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
13
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Halifax
14
Rochester
16
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Albany
12
New York
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Vancouver
13
Panther City
14
Sat, Feb 11
FINAL
Colorado
9
Calgary
13
WK
12
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Calgary
14
Vancouver
9
Fri, Feb 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
16
San Diego
11
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Georgia
7
Toronto
16
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
Albany
10
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
12
Buffalo
13
Sat, Feb 18
FINAL
Colorado
7
Panther City
13
Sun, Feb 19
FINAL
New York
12
Halifax
13
WK
13
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Panther City
12
Colorado
14
Fri, Feb 24
FINAL
Calgary
9
Las Vegas
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL/OT
New York
10
Rochester
11
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Albany
4
Georgia
20
Sat, Feb 25
FINAL
Vancouver
16
Saskatchewan
12
WK
14
Fri, Mar 3
FINAL
Buffalo
10
Halifax
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
New York
12
Philadelphia
19
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Las Vegas
12
San Diego
15
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Rochester
8
Toronto
9
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL/OT
Georgia
9
Albany
8
Sat, Mar 4
FINAL
Saskatchewan
10
Panther City
16
Mon, Mar 6
FINAL
Toronto
10
Philadelphia
11
WK
15
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL/OT
Halifax
9
Buffalo
10
Fri, Mar 10
FINAL
Calgary
16
Colorado
10
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Albany
6
Toronto
12
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Philadelphia
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
San Diego
12
Saskatchewan
11
Sat, Mar 11
FINAL
Vancouver
14
Las Vegas
5
Sun, Mar 12
FINAL
Rochester
19
Georgia
18
WK
16
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
Saskatchewan
6
Calgary
11
Fri, Mar 17
FINAL
San Diego
16
Vancouver
9
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Georgia
13
Philadelphia
12
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Toronto
12
Halifax
14
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Albany
10
New York
13
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Colorado
13
Buffalo
8
Sat, Mar 18
FINAL
Las Vegas
8
Panther City
11
Sun, Mar 19
FINAL/OT
Philadelphia
9
Rochester
8
WK
17
Fri, Mar 24
20:30:00
San Diego
Panther City
Sat, Mar 25
19:00:00
Toronto
Albany
Sat, Mar 25
19:00:00
Halifax
Philadelphia
Sat, Mar 25
19:30:00
Georgia
New York
Sat, Mar 25
21:30:00
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Sat, Mar 25
22:00:00
Buffalo
San Diego
Sat, Mar 25
22:00:00
Colorado
Vancouver
Sat, Mar 25
22:30:00
Rochester
Las Vegas
WK
18
Fri, Mar 31
19:00:00
New York
Georgia
Fri, Mar 31
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Colorado
Fri, Mar 31
22:00:00
Calgary
San Diego
Sat, Apr 1
19:00:00
Buffalo
Toronto
Sat, Apr 1
20:00:00
Albany
Panther City
Sat, Apr 1
21:30:00
Vancouver
Saskatchewan
Sun, Apr 2
13:00:00
Georgia
Halifax
Sun, Apr 2
18:00:00
Rochester
Philadelphia
WK
19
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Albany
Rochester
Sat, Apr 8
19:00:00
Saskatchewan
Georgia
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Panther City
Calgary
Sat, Apr 8
21:00:00
Vancouver
Colorado
Sat, Apr 8
22:30:00
San Diego
Las Vegas
WK
20
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
Las Vegas
Calgary
Fri, Apr 14
21:00:00
San Diego
Colorado
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Toronto
Sat, Apr 15
19:00:00
Georgia
Albany
Sat, Apr 15
19:30:00
New York
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 15
21:30:00
Halifax
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 15
22:00:00
Panther City
Vancouver
WK
21
Fri, Apr 21
20:30:00
Calgary
Panther City
Sat, Apr 22
18:00:00
New York
Halifax
Sat, Apr 22
19:00:00
Georgia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 22
20:00:00
Toronto
Buffalo
Sat, Apr 22
21:30:00
Colorado
Saskatchewan
Sat, Apr 22
22:00:00
Las Vegas
San Diego
Sun, Apr 23
15:00:00
Philadelphia
Albany
WK
22
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Philadelphia
Rochester
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Buffalo
Albany
Sat, Apr 29
19:00:00
Halifax
Georgia
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
Colorado
San Diego
Sat, Apr 29
22:00:00
New York
Vancouver
Sat, Apr 29
22:30:00
Saskatchewan
Las Vegas
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InclusionNLL Unites

Billy Dee Smith and His Family Are Lacrosse Pioneers

Billy Dee Smith has always been surrounded by black leaders, role models and pioneers both in the lacrosse world and while growing up in his hometown of St. Catharines, Ontario.

As an adolescent, Billy Dee’s father, Keith Smith, worked on a farm run by Rose and Joe Engemann. The Engemann’s were also famous around town for having soccer, hockey and lacrosse teams. In his youth, Keith became one of the original members of the St. Catharines Spartans lacrosse team. Naturally, his three sons followed suit.

In the 1990’s, Billy Dee’s passion for lacrosse was taken to the next level. During the 1992 NLL Season, Billy Dee’s lacrosse team played during halftime of one of the Bandits games that season. Being on that floor where John Tavares and one of the league’s more notable black players at the time, Kevin Alexander, were showing off their skills at the professional ranks gave Billy Dee hope that he might one day be able to do what they were doing.

Then, in 1995, Billy Dee’s brother, Jason Luke, was drafted to the team. To see his brother join the team that had become such an integral part of his, and his families life, was deeply inspiring. To see these black men that he looked up to making a name for themselves in the NLL was a symbol of hope.

In his youth, Billy Dee was confronted and taunted by many non-black youths, but he wasn’t one to sit back and be insulted. Much like his father, grandparents and even his great grandfather, Billy Dee was not going to let others determine how he was going to live his life or who he was going to become. Billy Dee’s grandmother ran a black church in St. Catharines and his great grandfather was a runaway slave. They spoke up and spoke out against injustice and never stopped fighting for their rights. Billy Dee was known for standing up for himself with his words and his fists when he was being harassed.

“I definitely did experience racism growing up in the minor system,” Smith said. “Kids are just young and dumb and don’t know any better. But, that’s kind of to be expected unfortunately.”

Finally, in 2002, a decade after he first started focusing on one day being an NLL player like his brother, Billy Dee was given the opportunity by the Buffalo Bandits. He was drafted by Kurt Silcott, the only black GM at the time. Considering what it meant to Billy Dee to be playing in the NLL as one of the few black men in the NLL at the time, to be drafted by a black GM was a special experience.

“It was cool that he had the position that he did,” Smith said. “I knew that he was the only black GM at the time.”

The Bandits are an organization synonymous with winning. In the 90’s, the team had already won three NLL Championships, including in his brother Jason’s rookie season in 1996. By the time that Billy Dee had joined the team, the Bandits had already appeared in five NLL Finals. In the first years of Billy Dee’s professional career, the Bandits made three more trips to the NLL Finals. In 2008 (Billy Dee’s third NLL Finals), they added one more trophy to the collection beating the Portland Lumberjax 14-13.

Billy Dee reminisced about what it was like to win an NLL Championship. The taste of victory was even sweeter for a man like Billy Dee. It wasn’t easy making the NLL, particularly as a person of color. Thankfully, the Bandits were willing to bring in whoever could help them win.

“I think, first and foremost that they want to win,” Smith said. “Back in the day when I was a rookie, there was like three training camps before you even got to practice with the team. You would see all types of people coming out to the training camps. They were big in the community, whether it was the native communities like Six Nations – those guys knew a lot about lacrosse. But, I feel like a lot of people were overlooked because of the color of their skin, natives included.”

When Billy Dee finally decided to hang up the jersey at the end of the 2019 NLL season, he had built a reputation as being one of the most fierce and formidable defenders the game had ever seen.

Billy Dee’s 685 penalty minutes are the most given out in NLL history. Most of his career was played before the league began tracking caused turnovers and he had retired before blocked shots were being tracked, as well. He still amassed 52 caused turnovers over 16 seasons (8 were seasons where CTOs were tracked). He also collected 534 loose balls in that time. But, we don’t need stats to know how menacing Billy Dee was on defense, winning the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year award. His ability to bully the opposition and keep them from attacking the net was a problem for the rest of the league for the 16 seasons of his career.

In 2013, Billy Dee had the privilege of playing with his cousin, Dhane Smith. In 2016, they came close to winning the NLL Finals, but the team couldn’t muster enough offense against the defensive juggernaut named the Saskatchewan Rush. However, 2016 was not a wash. Dhane went on to became the first black player in league history to win NLL MVP honors. Last NLL Season, Dhane won the award again, making him the first black player to be named MVP multiple times – he also became only the fifth player in NLL history to win the award more than once.

Now an Assistant Coach for the Halifax Thunderbirds, Billy Dee is coaching another one of his cousins, Tyson Bell. He hopes that the two of them can one day do what he and Dhane couldn’t seven years ago. Billy Dee has been impressed with what Tyson and Dhane have been able to do in their careers. He’s been around those two since they were little kids and now they are elite professional box lacrosse players. More than that, Tyson and Dhane are outspoken leaders for the black community.

“Being their older cousin, it’s an absolute honor to see how they’ve grown up and turned into men,” Smith said. “I’m extremely proud of them. Hopefully I had something to do with their growth by letting them be their own men and having them learn to have the courage to speak up when you should, not only when people expect it.”

Billy Dee Smith and his family have been trying to make a difference in their communities for decades. Each one of them have been undeniably true to themselves and true to their hearts. They are proud of what they’ve become, but they are even more proud of how far they’ve come and where they’ve come from.

NLL