The start of the 2016 NLL season on New Year’s Day is now just days away as the National Lacrosse League celebrates its 30th anniversary year with NLL Face Off Weekend presented by New Era Cap. Commemorating three decades of pro box lacrosse, the league continues the unveiling of the NLL 30th Anniversary Team as voted on by the league’s media members.
Follow #NLL30 and stay tuned to see which legendary players, past and present, will be highlighted as the top 30 all-time players to ever play the game before the quest for the Champion’s Cup begins with the new year when the ball drops on a new season.
30) Ryan Benesch
Stats: 139 GP, 290 G, 387 A, 677 PTS, 654 LB
Experience: Rock (2007-2008), Rush (2009), Swarm (2010-2013), Bandits (2014-current)
29) Lewis Ratcliff
Stats: 196 GP, 440 G, 519 A, 959 PTS, 812 LB
Experience: Roughnecks (2003-2008), Rock (2008-2009), Stealth (2010-2015)
28) Rhys Duch
Stats: 113 GP, 265 G, 358 A, 623 PTS, 533 LB
Experience: Stealth (2009-current)
27) Blaine Manning
Stats: 181 GP, 307 G, 526 A, 833 PTS, 847 LB
Experience: Rock (2002-2013)
26) Rich Kilgour
Stats: 200 GP, 94 G, 223 A, 317 PTS, 824 LB
Experience: Bandits (1992-2009)
25) Gavin Prout
Stats: 184 GP, 301 G, 621 A, 922 PTS, 1,006 LB
Experience: New York (2002-2003), Mammoth (2004-2009, 2011, 2012-2013), Rush (2010-2011)
24) Steve Dietrich
Stats: 195 GP, 60 W, 12.01 GAA, 5,514 SV, .768 SV %
Experience: Baltimore (1992), Detroit (1994), Knighthawks (1995-2001), Bandits (2002-2007), Roughnecks (2008), Rock (2009-2010)
23) Curtis Dickson
Stats: 84 GP, 198 G, 137 A, 335 PTS, 226 LB
Experience: Roughnecks (2011-current)
22) Mark Steenhuis
Stats: 219 GP, 397 G, 464 A, 861 PTS, 1,476 LB
Experience: Columbus (2002), Bandits (2003-current)
21) Tracey Kelusky
Stats: 195 GP, 383 G, 440 A, 823 PTS, 886 LB
Experience: Columbus (2001), Montreal (2002), Roughnecks (2003-2010), Bandits (2011-2013), Philadelphia (2014)
20) Casey Powell
Stats: 137 GP, 279 G, 395 A, 674 PTS, 629 LB
Experience: Knighthawks (1999-2000, 2013), Anaheim (2004-2005), New York (2007-2009), Orlando (2010), Boston (2011), Mammoth (2013-2014)
19) Kyle Rubisch
Stats: 84 GP, 11 G, 29 A, 40 PTS, 696 LB, 204 FT
Experience: Boston (2011), Rush (2012-current)
18) Cody Jamieson
Stats: 83 GP, 164 G, 263 A, 427 PTS, 294 LB
Experience: Knighthawks (2011-current)
17) Matt Vinc
Stats: 150 GP, 78-57 W/L, 10.69 GAA, 5,283 SV, .783 SV %
Experience: Stealth (2006), New York (2007-2009), Orlando (2010), Knighthawks (2011-current)
16) Darris Kilgour
Stats: 76 GP, 144 G, 168 A, 312 PTS, 418 LB
Experience: Bandits (1992-1999), Knighthawks (1999), Albany (2000)
15) Tom Marechek
Stats: 146 GP, 399 G, 374 A, 773 PTS, 698 LB
Experience: Philadelphia (1994-2005)
14) Brodie Merrill
Stats: 161 GP, 121 G, 260 A, 381 PTS, 1,834 LB
Experience: Portland (2006-2009), Rush (2010-2011), Philadelphia (2012-2014), Rock (2015-current)
13) Pat Coyle
Stats: 156 GP, 28 G, 105 A, 133 PTS, 940 LB
Experience: Detroit (1994), Rock (1998-2004), Mammoth (2005-2008)
12) Shawn Evans
Stats: 161 GP, 280 G, 509 A, 789 PTS, 925 LB
Experience: Knighthawks (2006-2011), Roughnecks (2012-2015), Black Wolves (current)
11) Josh Sanderson
Stats: 257 GP, 438 G, 877 A, 1,315 PTS, 1,178 LB
Experience: Knighthawks (1998-1999), Albany (2000-2003), Stealth (2004), Roughnecks (2008-2010), Boston (2011), Rock (2005-2008, 2012-2015)
10) Dan Dawson
Stats: 223 GP, 411 G, 711 A, 1,122 PTS, 871 LB
Experience: Columbus (2002-2003), Arizona (2004-2007), Portland (2008), Boston (2009-2011), Philadelphia (2012), Knighthawks (2013-current)
9) Shawn Williams
Stats: 257 GP, 444 G, 708 A, 1,152 PTS, 1,101 LB
Experience: Rock (1998-1999), Bandits (2000-2001, 2013-2014), Knighthawks (2002-2011), Rush (2012)
8) Bob Watson
Stats: 217 GP, 105-66, 11.14 GAA, 6,471 SV, .769 SV%
Experience: Baltimore (1996), Rock (1998-2011)
7) Dallas Eliuk
Stats: 213 GP, 12.24 GAA, 6,356 SV, .762 SV%
Experience: Philadelphia (1991-2005), Portland (2006-2008)
6) Jim Veltman
Stats: 194 GP, 157 G, 493 A, 650 PTS, 2,417 LB
Experience: Bandits (1992-1996), Rock (1998-2008)
5) Paul Gait
Stats: 128 GP, 410 G, 302 A, 712 PTS, 734 LB
Experience: Detroit (1991-1992), Philadelphia (1993-1994), Knighthawks (1995-1997), Syracuse (1998-2000), Washington (2001-2002), Mammoth (2005)
4) Colin Doyle
Stats: 256 GP, 517 G, 822 A, 1,339 PTS, 992 LB
Experience: Rock (1998-2006, 2010-current), Stealth (2007-2009)
3) John Grant, Jr.
Stats: 221 GP, 636 G, 730 A, 1,366 PTS, 1,152 LB
Experience: Knighthawks (2000-2010), Mammoth (2011-current)
2) Gary Gait
Stats: 198 GP, 635 G, 530 A, 1,165 PTS, 1,171 LB
Experience: Detroit (1991-1992), Philadelphia (1993-1997), Baltimore (1998-1999), Pittsburgh (2000), Washington (2001-2002), Mammoth (2003-2005), Knighthawks (2009-2011)
1) John Tavares
Stats: 306 GP, 815 G, 934 A, 1,749 PTS, 2,191 LB
Experience: Bandits (1992-2015)
The NLL 30th Anniversary Team was determined by combined voting of the league’s media members ranking the top 30 players from the pool of nominees. The nominee list was comprised of NLL Hall of Famers and annual league leaders plus prominent active players with five or more years of experience in the league.
