Ahead of the National Lacrosse League’s (NLL) 40th Anniversary Celebration Season, its 2026 Hall of Fame Class will be inducted on Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York. Tickets are on Sale Now
Eight individuals whose careers helped shape generations of professional box lacrosse will officially take their place among the game’s greats on September 19.
Dan Dawson, Shawn Evans, Mark Steenhuis and Sandy Chapman enter the Hall of Fame in the Player Category, while Mike Accursi, Jake Bergey and Gavin Prout will be inducted as Veterans. Longtime broadcaster John Gurtler rounds out the Class of 2026 as a Builder in the Media category. (NLL)
Ahead of induction night, take a closer look at the careers that earned each member of the Class of 2026 the NLL’s highest honor.
Forward | 322 GP | 551 G | 954 A | 1,505 PTS
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Few players in NLL history combined elite production and longevity quite like Dan Dawson.
Across 21 seasons, Dawson established himself as one of the greatest playmakers the League has ever seen. His ability to slow the game down, see plays develop and consistently create opportunities for his teammates made him one of the most complete offensive players of his era.
The numbers put his career into perspective.
Dawson retired with 954 assists and 322 regular-season games played, both NLL records. His 1,505 career points rank second in League history, while his 551 goals place him among the NLL’s all-time top scorers. (NLL)
He was named League MVP in 2009 and won three NLL championships during a career that took him from Columbus and Arizona to Portland, Boston, Philadelphia, Rochester, Saskatchewan and Toronto.
Wherever Dawson played, the constant was production.
By the end of his career, the record book reflected just how remarkable that consistency had been.
Forward | 270 GP | 479 G | 879 A | 1,358 PTS
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There was never much subtlety to Shawn Evans’ game.
He played with emotion, physicality and a relentless competitiveness that made him one of the League’s most recognizable personalities.
He also produced at an extraordinary level.
Evans finished his career with 1,358 points, currently sixth in NLL history, while his 879 assists rank fifth all-time. His 479 goals also place him among the top 10 goal scorers in League history.
Evans reached another level during his time in Calgary, winning back-to-back League MVP honors in 2013 and 2015. His 130-point season in 2015 set an NLL single-season record at the time.
But the résumé began years earlier. Evans entered the League with Rochester and helped the Knighthawks capture the 2007 championship before going on to play 17 seasons in the NLL.
Few players combined playmaking, toughness and sheer competitive fire the way Evans did.
Forward | 266 GP | 459 G | 554 A | 1,013 PTS
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Mark Steenhuis was one of the League’s great entertainers.
His speed in transition, creativity around the net and willingness to attempt the unexpected made him must-watch whenever the ball found his stick.
For all but one-year of his career, that show took place in Buffalo.
Steenhuis surpassed 1,000 regular-season points, finishing with 459 goals, 554 assists and 1,013 points. He also collected 1,641 loose balls, a total that remains among the highest in NLL history.
His signature season came in 2008, when he helped Buffalo capture the NLL championship and earned both Finals MVP and Transition Player of the Year honors.
And then there was one unforgettable night in 2009.
Steenhuis recorded 17 points in a single game, one of the most remarkable individual performances the League has ever seen.
It was the kind of performance that perfectly fit the player: explosive, creative and impossible to ignore.
Defense | 252 GP | 34 G | 117 A | 151 PTS | 1,014 LB
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Sandy Chapman’s Hall of Fame case was never going to be measured by goals.
It was built on everything he prevented.
Chapman developed into one of the most dependable defensive players of his generation, pairing physicality with discipline and an ability to consistently make the right play.
His career included five NLL championships, along with the 2010 Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Across 252 regular-season games, Chapman also surpassed 1,000 loose-ball recoveries while providing the kind of steady presence championship teams relied upon.
His style rarely demanded attention.
His results did.
Five championships and a Defensive Player of the Year Award tell the story of a defender whose impact extended far beyond the stat sheet.
Forward | 237 GP | 391 G | 436 A | 827 PTS | 995 LB
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Mike Accursi built a career on versatility.
He could score. He could create. He could battle for loose balls. And throughout his career, he showed an ability to adapt his game to whatever his team needed.
That combination helped Accursi become one of the premier two-way forwards of his era.
He finished with 391 goals, 436 assists and 827 points during the regular season, while also approaching 1,000 career loose balls.
His postseason résumé may be even more impressive.
Accursi scored 58 career playoff goals, currently ninth-most in NLL history.
Most importantly, his style translated to winning.
Accursi finished his career as a four-time NLL champion, earning a reputation as the type of player championship-caliber teams wanted on their roster.
Forward | 133 GP | 256 G | 301 A | 557 PTS
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Some players become synonymous with a franchise.
Jake Bergey became synonymous with the Philadelphia Wings.
Bergey spent his entire NLL career in Philadelphia, where his combination of size, skill and scoring ability helped make him one of the defining players of a memorable era of Wings lacrosse.
In only 133 regular-season games, Bergey produced 256 goals and 557 points, averaging more than four points per game throughout his career.
He was also part of two Philadelphia championship teams.
His connection with the franchise extended well beyond his playing days. Philadelphia later retired his No. 66, permanently recognizing his place in Wings history.
For a generation of Philadelphia fans, Bergey was one of the faces of the team.
Now, he’s a Hall of Famer.
Forward | 184 GP | 301 G | 621 A | 922 PTS
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Gavin Prout entered the NLL with enormous expectations.
He lived up to them.
Selected first overall in the 2001 NLL Entry Draft, Prout quickly established himself as an elite offensive player with exceptional vision and an ability to dictate the pace of a game.
Over 184 regular-season games, he finished with 301 goals, 621 assists and 922 points.
That’s exactly five points per game across his entire NLL career.
His defining moment came with Colorado in 2006.
Prout helped lead the Mammoth to the NLL championship and was named Finals MVP, delivering on the biggest stage of his career.
From first overall selection to championship MVP to Hall of Famer, Prout’s career consistently matched the expectations that followed him into the League.
Builder – Media
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John Gurtler’s impact on the NLL can’t be found in a stat line.
It can be heard throughout decades of League history.
For generations of fans, Gurtler has been one of the voices associated with professional box lacrosse, bringing the action, personalities and atmosphere of the sport to audiences from behind the microphone.
But his contribution has gone far beyond calling games.
Gurtler became a storyteller, historian and ambassador for the sport, helping preserve and communicate the moments that built the League’s history.
In a Hall of Fame class filled with players responsible for creating so many unforgettable moments, Gurtler represents those who helped make sure fans experienced and remembered them.
His induction as a Builder in the Media category recognizes a career spent helping tell the story of the NLL.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2026 represents far more than a collection of impressive statistics.
It’s championship teams in Buffalo, Philadelphia, Rochester, Colorado and Toronto. It’s record-setting offensive performances, lockdown defense, unforgettable playoff moments and decades of memories delivered to fans over the airwaves.
Together, Dawson, Evans, Steenhuis, Chapman, Accursi, Bergey, Prout and Gurtler represent multiple eras of NLL history.
On September 19, their names officially become part of the Hall of Fame forever.
The NLL Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
Tickets to see Dan Dawson, Shawn Evans, Mark Steenhuis, Sandy Chapman, Mike Accursi, Jake Bergey, Gavin Prout and John Gurtler officially earn the NLL’s highest honor are on sale now. Click HERE for purchase.
