Editor Note: The NLL Top 25 was voted on by the League’s Head Coaches and General Managers.
These are the wizards of the indoor game. Dynamic scorers and high-flyers. Viral video sensations.
By a razor-thin margin, Lyle Thompson came in at Number 6 on our survey. And, we have to make an exception and include Lyle in our list. A venerable ambassador of our game is still a lethal offensive weapon – Scoring 46 goals and adding 60 assists to finish 7th in overall points last season. Now 32, the legendary Thompson has posted back-to-back 100-point seasons after turning 30.
One of the top pieces of content on NLL social channels last season was Lyle’s 300th goal. Our ace Live Content Creator Garrett Eddy got the shot, but Lyle epitomized athleticism and grace as few have ever equaled.
Thompson also won his 6th straight NLL Sportsmanship Award last season. The man is one of the true greats in the sport and he shall receive due time here. Now, on to the top 5.
5. Alex Simmons, Albany FireWolves
Simmons exploded onto the scene last season. He led all rookies with 38 goals and 58 assists. His 96 overall points were good for 16th in the League. Simmons and fellow rookie Tye Kurtz laid the foundation to be one of the most dynamic combos in the NLL.
Simmons’ pedigree in the college game at the University of Denver and then Syracuse is well known. He scored 81 goals in 50 games at Denver before transferring to The Orange and scoring 21 goals in his final collegiate year.
Simmons stood out with an amazing run in the playoffs last season as Albany made it to the NLL Finals.
He tallied a remarkable 14 goals and 18 assists in just 5 games. The upstart FireWolves swept San Diego 2-0 and Simmons was unstoppable. In Game 1 of the best-of-3 series, the star rookie posted 5 goals and 5 assists, contributing to 10 of his team’s 14 goals against the favorited Seals.
Alex Simmons put on a SHOW with 5 goals and 5 assists, recording the most points in a playoff game since John Tavares in 1992, as the FireWolves take down the Seals 14-12 in Game 1 of the NLL Semifinals.
Albany has championship hopes this season as it adds 2023 No. 1 overall pick Dyson Williams to their youthful and talented roster.
4. Connor Fields, Rochester Knighthawks
At #4 is the Rochester star. Fields broke out in a leading-man role with the Knighthawks. In his 4th NLL season, Fields demolished his previous career highs by scoring 56 goals (2nd in NLL) and 64 assists. His 120 total points were good for 4th overall in the league in scoring.
Fields literally carried the Knighthawks into the post-season. He scored 7 goals in the final game of the season, a win-and-get-in scenario for Rochester.
Connor Fields was an absolute MONSTER leading the @RocKnighthawks to their postseason berth 💪🏼
Also a star in the PLL, Fields scored a preposterously awesome one-handed-between-the-legs goal for the Archers. We welcome this kind of creativity and ingenuity in the box!
3. Josh Byrne, Buffalo Bandits
At #3 is the dynamic Air Byrne, and he is coming off his best season. He led the league in points with 135 and was named the NLL’s MVP. In the playoffs, a healthy Byrne dazzled fans with his skill and passing ability. He had 4 goals and 12 assists in the 2-game sweep over Albany in the Finals, good enough to get Finals MVP honors as well.
The thing that makes Byrne so intoxicating to watch is his jaw-dropping athleticism. He regularly makes an appearance on SportsCenter’s Top 10 in the states (including his play in the PLL) and on various best-of videos for TSN.
This absurd alley-oop, behind-the-back goal still has us shaking our heads.
Byrnzy is a walking highlight reel…and we are HERE FOR IT
Josh Byrne just buried a quick-stick, backhand, IN THE AIR, goal that has us asking, “Did that really just happen?” pic.twitter.com/nyVgY2CiJm
We look for Byrne to continue to dazzle for Buffalo as the Bandits seek a 3-peat.
2. Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits
At number 2 is the Great Dhane. The legendary Smith is currently in the prime of a sure-fire Hall of Fame career. He finished just a point behind his running mate Byrne with 134 points. Incredibly, it’s the 3rd straight season that Smith has produced 130 or more points in a season.
The 2-time MVP (2016 & 2022) has been clutch and steady for the Bandits. He was the Finals MVP in 2023, when the Bandits snapped a 14-year championship drought. Smith has previously been an All-Star in the PLL as well, but took last season off. He also won the Mann Cupp with Six Nations.
And, if you want more of two of our best. Please subscribe and listen to The Dhane and Josh Show, wherever you get your podcasts.
1. Jeff Teat, Ottawa Black Bears
And at Number 1 is the incomparable Jeff Teat. Teat has exploded onto the scene in his first two seasons, leading the NLL in goals in back-to-back campaigns.
Jeff Teat led the charge yesterday (9P) tying the @PremierLacrosse single-season points record (44) 👀
Each game shows Teat’s absolute mastery of The Creator’s Game, but one that stands out most.
On March 23rd of last season, Teat’s then New York Riptide beat the Saskatchewan Rush 14-11. Teat had 4 goals and 9 assists, including 2 goals in the last 5 minutes of the game. He factored in on 13 of the team’s 14 goals. That is the best kind of insane.
Teat is also coming off his best season in the PLL, where he was the league MVP and set scoring records this summer. To round out his offseason, he helped Team Canada capture a Gold Medal at the World Lacrosse Box Championships in Utica, NY.
The Brampton, ON native is poised to be a big star in Ottawa. Let’s hope all these terrific athletes continue to dazzle us this season.
Scott Turken is the NLL’s Director and Executive Producer of Digital.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
3rd Party Cookies
This website uses Google Analytics and Facebook to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
