The Buffalo Bandits arrive at the 2025-2026 campaign as the undisputed ruler of the 14-kingdom National Lacrosse League realm, entering the season on a quest for what would be an unprecedented fourth consecutive league championship. The 2012-2014 incarnation of the Rochester Knighthawks join the current-day Bandits as the only franchises to capture a trifecta of titles, but no club has ever secured a quadruple crown.
Considering where Buffalo has been and where the legendary box lacrosse outfit might just be heading, NLL.com caught up with Head Coach John Tavares, a man who has been integral to all seven of the organization’s runs to the NLL summit, winning four as a player (1992, 1993, 1996, 2008) and now three as a head coach (2023-present).
When the topic of assessing the otherworldly impact the legendary player turned iconic coach has had on the world’s foremost box lacrosse enterprise, the 57-year-old sideline boss is completely focused on keeping the car in drive, as opposed to shifting the vehicle into reverse.
“When we won the championship last year, I was already starting to coach Six Nations for the summer,” recalled Tavares. So, not until mid-September into October did I get to relax a little bit, just in time for training camp. So, it’s not like I sit there and think about the past. I more often think about the future, what’s to come, and how to prepare for this upcoming season, for the team to be successful again.”
The NLL’s all-time leader in goals and assists further elaborated on the mindset instilled in his players from the outset of every training camp that has taken place in the wake of hoisting the cup.
“After the first championship we won, there was no mention of back-to-back. Then, after winning back-to-back, there was no mention of a three-peat. There will be no mention of doing what no team’s ever done before, winning four in a row,” extols the bench boss. “We’re going in with the mindset that it’s a new season and nobody really cares what you did last year, or the year before. We’re going in with a hungry attitude to be as successful as we can as a team and get to that championship and win that championship all over again. Every team in the league has that same goal, right? Every team wants to make the playoffs, Every team wants to make that championship. Every team wants to win. That’s going to be our goal again, regardless of last year.”
Buffalo Bandits’ Dhane Smith on May 24, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Saskatchewan Rush @ Buffalo Bandits. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
The Bandits kick off their triple title defense with a roster that once again is anchored by the duo of former MVPs, Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne, along with a still supremely talented cadre of lacrosse talent, including Tehoka Nanticoke, Kyle Buchanan, Ian MacKay, Steve Priolo and the ageless Matt Vinc. The 43-year-old netminder will once again assume the starting role between the pipes, amid a fabled career whose origins date all the way back to 2006.
“I was definitely happy when I heard Matt was coming back,” opines the NLL lifer. “We’re going to have the core group back from previous years. As a result, we are hoping to be both successful and very competitive. As a coach, I’m just trying to avoid complacency, making sure the guys understand that they still have to work equally as hard. These guys understand the price of winning a championship. The cost of leaving your families all weekend. Getting to the gym. We have a really resilient team, with a lot of veterans. I think guys understand what it takes to win. They’re men with families, they’re fathers. If they’re going to commit to this, you might as well put all your effort into it.”
While the vast majority of the cast of characters from the Bandits trilogy remain staples of the on-field product, three longtime KeyBank Center stalwarts are conspicuously absent from this season’s roster.
Buffalo Bandits’ Chase Fraser on May 16, 2025 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. Saskatchewan Rush @ Buffalo Bandits. (Caroline Sherman/NLL)
Forwards Chase Fraser and Chris Cloutier took their talents to the Las Vegas Desert Dogs, with defensive ace Justin Martin electing to retire. In an effort to supplement these losses in talent and leadership, the Western New Yorkers made one major offseason moves, the acquisition of Mike Triolo.
Tavares was quite reflective when discussing what the departed trio of champions meant to the Bandits’ last several years of success, starting with the pair of lamp lighters who traded the shores of Lake Erie for the shadows of the Mojave Desert.
“Chase and Chris are both unbelievable scorers, in their own way,“ beamed Tavares. “Chase being very creative with a great shot. He also does a lot of dirty work. Big picks, great on loose balls. Chris was equally as good at goal-scoring, from the outside and inside. We’re definitely going to miss their production.”
The three-time MVP followed up with an eloquent tribute to a heart and soul member of the championship run.
“The one guy I think just doesn’t get enough credit for our success was on the defensive end, I’m talking about Justin Martin. I think we’re going to equally miss him. He’s not a flashy player, he doesn’t stand out very much, but he’s probably one of the best defensemen in the league. We’re really going to miss him on the back end,” bestows Tavares.
Speaking of defense, a preseason conversation with Coach Tavares would not be complete without garnering his take of the newly instituted rule change intended to limit a non-goalie’s ability to knock down shots while positioned in the crease.
“Everybody’s allowed to block shots, so it’s not like a Bandit rule,” gauges Tavares. “A lot of people block shots. If you look down the list, we have maybe two guys in the top 10 of blocking shots. So, everybody does it, but we just seem to be the culprits of it. Somehow, we’re the one team that seems to stand out more when we do it. I don’t mind the rule. I just don’t know how it’s going to be called. A little bit of gray area for my liking.”
Tavares further observed some of the unique distinctions involving the fine line between textbook defense and now what can be construed as an infraction.
“I just want to make sure the referees aren’t calling penalties for players making a great defensive play or who are willing to put their body on the line,” opines the Hall of Famer.
When focusing on topics separate from the NLL, the Toronto native and proud Canadian had an interesting observation regarding a subject that still may be a difficult one for many of those who reside north of the border. That is, of course, the Toronto Blue Jays gut-wrenching seven-game loss to the now back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Though Tavares never played baseball at a level close to the majors, the man who knows a little something about winning titles offered his take on some of the contributing factors that perhaps prevented a downtown Toronto victory parade.
“It tends to stick in my mind the opportunities that were missed,” evaluates the seven-time champ. “In any season, any team I played on that was really close to winning, I think of the little things that I could have done to help a team win that could make a difference. I couldn’t help but think, man, they’re two outs away from the World Series, and they’re facing the nine hitter, who hits a homerun to tie the game up. Then, you get the bases loaded with one out, you got to cash them in, right? Hit a fly ball. Or, on the play at home, the guy at third base just had a short lead. It’s the little things. You need to make the most of opportunities.”
The living legend later pointed out the hugely important characteristics shared by repeat winners like the Bandits and Dodgers.
“Sometimes it takes a couple of trips to win and learn how to win the championship,” explains Tavares. It took us a couple trips, having been in the championships five years in a row, and we lost the first two. It took some time for us to understand how to win a championship. I think that is a huge difference; you’ve been there. L.A. didn’t panic under pressure, they tied the game up with two outs in the ninth inning. Just that extra composure and just being used to being in those situations makes a world of difference.”
When it comes to winning a sports’ ultimate prize, very few men possess the level of expertise of John Tavares. On the matter of raising a lacrosse trophy over one’s head, the man operates at a truly historic level of expertise.
The Buffalo Bandits are raising the banner when the team opens its season at home Saturday, November 29 at 7:30 PM ET.
