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Rochester Knighthawks (1995–2019)

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For the current lacrosse team, see Rochester Knighthawks. For the relocated team, see Halifax Thunderbirds.
Rochester Knighthawks
Founded1995
Folded2019
LeagueNational Lacrosse League
DivisionEastern
Based inRochester, New York
ArenaBlue Cross Arena
ColorsPurple, Teal, White
     
League titles5 (1997, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Division titles10 (1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018)
LaterHalifax Thunderbirds

The Rochester Knighthawks (also known as the K-Hawks) were a professional box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. They played in Rochester, New York at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. The Knighthawks were previously members of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1995 to 1997. They were members of the NLL since the league's inaugural 1998 season.

The Knighthawks reached the playoffs in each of their first 13 seasons, from 1995 to 2007. This is a league record going back to the league's original creation, the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League. The previous record was 11 straight years, held by the Philadelphia Wings. They were also the first NLL team to win three consecutive championships (2012–14).

The new Knighthawks are owned by Pegula Sports and Entertainment who purchased the intellectual property of the team from former owner Curt Styres who moved the previous version of the team to Halifax, Nova Scotia as the Halifax Thunderbirds at the end of the 2018–2019 season. As an expansion team they are not a continuation of the previous Knighthawks.[1] All records and championships were transferred to Halifax.[2]

History

[edit]

The Rochester Knighthawks found success throughout their history despite playing in a small market.

In their inaugural season they finished 3rd during the regular season and dispatched the Boston Blazers in the playoff semifinals to get to the finals as an expansion team. As they would do three times later on, they found themselves coming up just short in the championship game, falling in overtime to the Philadelphia Wings.

Just two seasons later, the Knighthawks would find their way to the top of the MILL heap, claiming the final North American Cup before the merger with the National Lacrosse League prior to the 1998 season. It would be ten years before the Knighthawks claimed their second title. They beat the Arizona Sting in the 2007 Championship by a score of 13–11. In 2012, the Knighthawks defeated the Edmonton Rush for the Championship by a score of 9–6. In 2013, the Knighthawks became the first team in the league to clinch back-to-back championship titles since the Toronto Rock in 2002 and 2003 by defeating the Washington Stealth 11–10. In 2014, the Knighthawks set a new league record by winning their third straight championship title.

2007 season

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After starting the season with a record of 2-2, the Knighthawks beat the Toronto Rock 19–15 in Toronto, where they had only won twice before in team history. The Knighthawks followed this victory up with 11 more, finishing the season with a franchise-record 12 regular-season-game winning streak and a 14–2 record. The Knighthawks were a perfect 8–0 at home, becoming the first team since the 2003 Bandits to post a perfect record at home.[3] The winning streak was extended to 13 games after they defeated the Rock 10–6 in the division semi-finals;[4] and to 14 after beating the Bandits in overtime, 14–13, for the East Division title.[5] After the season, head coach Ed Comeau was named the 2007 Les Bartley Award winner.[6]

Despite having the best overall record, they could not host the championship game due to a scheduling conflict with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Blue Cross Arena.[7] Playing the game instead in Arizona, the Knighthawks defeated the Arizona Sting 13–11 on May 12, 2007, to win their first NLL championship. John Grant, Jr., regular-season league MVP, was named MVP of the game.

The winning streak continued during the 2008 season, as the Knighthawks defeated the Buffalo Bandits in the opening game on January 11, 2008.[8] However, the next night in Rochester, the streak was halted at 16 games as they were defeated by the Bandits 14–9.[9]

Lease issue

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During the 2007 season, a dispute over concession revenues between owner Steve Donner and the Sports Management Group, then operators of the Blue Cross Arena, jeopardized the continued play of the Knighthawks in Rochester. Donner claimed that the Knighthawks and the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League had lost over $500,000 the previous two seasons, and without concession revenue sharing, he would be unable to continue to operate the teams in Rochester. An agreement was reached between the Amerks/Knighthawks SMG, and the City of Rochester on a one-year lease extension on May 11, 2007, that would allow for long-term negotiations to continue through both teams' 2008 season. Under the extension, the Amerks/Knighthawks agreed to an independent audit of their finances and the city agreed to forgo additional luxury suite revenue from the arena and to loan the Amerks an additional $100,000, added on to a $500,000 loan that is now past-due. On June 16, 2008, the Knighthawks and Americans announced a new five-year lease with the Blue Cross Arena.

Curt Styres era

[edit]

On May 28, 2008, the National Lacrosse League's Board of Governors approved the sale of a majority stake of the Knighthawks to the President of Arrow Express Sports Curt Styres at a price of $5,575,000, the highest price paid for a team in league history. The league's approval was conditional upon whether or not the Knighthawks and Sports Management Group could secure a new lease for play at the Blue Cross Arena.[10] Styres had also recently been approved by the American Hockey League to purchase the Americans. On June 16, 2008, the Knighthawks and Americans announced a new five-year lease with the Blue Cross Arena.[11]

In June 2011, the Americans and Knighthawks were split up when Terrence Pegula purchased the Americans. The split was necessary at the time due to Pegula owning the Buffalo Bandits. This is a rule that would later be changed.

Original team relocation and replacement

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See also: Halifax Thunderbirds

On September 13, 2018, Styres announced that he would be accepting a new team in Halifax, Nova Scotia and would be relocating the Knighthawks to the city for the winter 2019–2020 season. The Knighthawks intellectual property was sold to Terry and Kim Pegula (the latter of whom was raised in the Rochester suburbs) along with an expansion franchise to ensure Rochester's uninterrupted presence in the league.[12] The original name was used, but the color scheme and logo changed. The team logo, colors, and other officials were announced on May 29, 2019, in an event at Blue Cross Arena.[13] The new franchise does not count as a continuation of the previous franchise. All championships and records were transferred to Halifax.

Awards and honors

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Year Player Award
1997 Steve Dietrich Championship Cup MVP
2000 John Grant, Jr. Rookie of the Year
2003 Pat O'Toole Goaltender of the Year
2004 Paul Day Les Bartley Award
2005 Andrew Turner Defensive Player of the Year
2007 John Grant, Jr. Most Valuable Player[14]
Ed Comeau Les Bartley Award[6]
Steve Toll Transition Player of the Year[15]
John Grant, Jr. Champion's Cup MVP[16]
2010 Shawn Williams Sportsmanship Award[17]
2011 Matt Vinc Goaltender of the Year[18]
Pat McCready Defensive Player of the Year[18]
Jordan Hall Sportsmanship Award[19]
Curt Styres GM of the Year[20]
Mike Hasen Les Bartley Award[20]
Curt Styres Executive of the Year Award[21]
2012 Johnny Powless Sportsmanship Award[22]
Cody Jamieson Champion's Cup MVP
2013 Matt Vinc Goaltender of the Year
Cody Jamieson Champion's Cup MVP
2014 Dan Dawson Champion's Cup MVP
2015 Matt Vinc Goaltender of the Year

NLL Hall of Fame members

[edit]

Final roster

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See also: Rochester Knighthawks all-time roster
Rochester Knighthawks roster
Active (21-man) roster Inactive roster Coaches
Goaltenders
  • 76 Iroquois Warren Hill
  • 55 Iroquois Angus Goodleaf
Defensemen
  • 25 Canada James Barclay
  • 37 Canada Scott Campbell (C)
  •  2 Canada Paul Dawson (A)
  • 12 Iroquois Oran Horn
  •  4 Canada Graeme Hossack (A)
  • 29 Canada Ian Llord
  • 45 Canada Luc Magnan
  • 73 Iroquois Leland Powless
  •  9 Canada Darryl Robertson
  • 20 Canada Luke Van Schepen
  • 21 Canada Eric Shewell
  • 18 Canada Jake Withers
Forwards
Transition
  • 10 Canada Brad Gillies
Practice Squad
  •  7 Canada Cam Milligan
Injured Reserve
Unable to play
  • 13 Canada Brandon Robinson
Head Coach

{{{Head Coach}}}

Legend
  • * Suspended list
  • (C) Captain
  • (A) Alternate captain

Roster updated 2019-01-18
NLL Transactions

All-time record

[edit]
Season Division W–L Finish Home Road GF GA Coach Playoffs
1995 4–4 3rd 3–1 1–3 97 94 Barry Powless lost final
1996 6–4 4th 4–1 2–3 148 137 Barry Powless lost semi-final
1997 5–5 4th 2–3 3–2 156 135 Barry Powless Champions
1998 6–6 3rd 3–3 3–3 168 156 Paul Day lost semi-final
1999 8–4 3rd 4–2 4–2 169 160 Paul Day lost final
2000 8–4 3rd 5–1 3–3 187 149 Paul Day lost final
2001 10–4 3rd 6–1 4–3 198 159 Paul Day lost semi-final
2002 Central 13–3 2nd 8–0 5–3 261 202 Paul Day lost division final
2003 Central 12–4 1st 6–2 6–2 214 173 Paul Day lost final
2004 Eastern 8–8 2nd 6–2 2–6 173 186 Paul Day lost division semi-final
2005 Eastern 10–6 3rd 5–3 5–3 193 179 Paul Day lost division final
2006 Eastern 9–7 2nd 6–2 3–5 196 180 Ed Comeau lost division final
2007 Eastern 14–2 1st 8–0 6–2 249 194 Ed Comeau Champions
2008 Eastern 8–8 5th 4–4 4–4 197 171 Ed Comeau did not qualify
2009 Eastern 7–9 4th 6–2 1–7 169 197 Paul Gait lost division semi-final
2010 Eastern 7–9 5th 4–4 3–5 155 181 Paul Gait did not qualify
2011 Eastern 10–6 3rd 4–4 6–2 176 159 Mike Hasen lost division semi-final
2012 Eastern 7–9 2nd 5–3 2–6 191 197 Mike Hasen Champions
2013 Eastern 8–8 2nd 3–5 5–3 179 165 Mike Hasen Champions
2014 Eastern 14–4 1st 8–1 6–3 210 167 Mike Hasen Champions
2015 Eastern 12–6 2nd 7–2 5–4 205 173 Mike Hasen lost division final
2016 Eastern 7–11 4th 3–6 4–5 200 215 Mike Hasen did not qualify
2017 Eastern 7–11 4th 4–5 3–6 175 209 Mike Hasen did not qualify
2018 Eastern 10-8 2nd 5–4 5–4 236 210 Mike Hasen lost final
2019 Eastern 6-12 5th 4-5 2-7 212 226 Mike Hasen did not qualify
Total 24 seasons 208–144   118–58 90–86 4,402 4,048    
Playoff Totals 20 Appearances 27–19   17–3 10–16 499 492   5 championships

Playoff results

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Season Game Visiting Home
1995 Semifinals Buffalo 8 Rochester 10
Championship Rochester 14 Philadelphia 15 (OT)
1996 Semifinals Rochester 10 Buffalo 18
1997 Semifinals Rochester 15 Philadelphia 13
Championship Rochester 15 Buffalo 12
1998 Semifinals Rochester 14 Baltimore 15
1999 Semifinals Rochester 14 Baltimore 12
Championship Rochester 10 Toronto 13
2000 Semifinals Rochester 15 Buffalo 11
Championship Rochester 13 Toronto 14
2001 Semifinals Rochester 11 Philadelphia 12
2002 Quarterfinals Vancouver 10 Rochester 11
Semifinals Rochester 10 Albany 14
2003 Semifinals Buffalo 13 Rochester 16
Championship Toronto 8 Rochester 6
2004 Division Semifinals Buffalo 13 Rochester 9
2005 Division Semifinals Rochester 17 Buffalo 16
Division Finals Rochester 10 Toronto 12
2006 Division Semifinals Rochester 16 Toronto 8
Division Finals Buffalo 15 Rochester 10
2007 Division Semifinals Toronto 6 Rochester 10
Division Finals Buffalo 13 Rochester 14 (OT)
Championship* Rochester 13 Arizona 11
2008 missed playoffs
2009 Division Semifinals Rochester 10 New York 11 (OT)
2010 missed playoffs
2011 Division Semifinals Rochester 6 Toronto 13
2012 Division Semifinals Philadelphia 13 Rochester 14
Division Finals Rochester 17 Toronto 13
Championship Edmonton 6 Rochester 9
2013 Division Semifinals Philadelphia 8 Rochester 10
Division Finals Minnesota 10 Rochester 12
Championship Rochester 11 Washington 10
2014 Division Finals Rochester 8 Buffalo 12
Buffalo 8 Rochester 13
Buffalo 1 Rochester 2 (OT)
Championship Rochester 7 Calgary 10
Calgary 10 Rochester 16
Calgary 2 Rochester 3
2015 Division Semifinals Rochester 14 Buffalo 11
Division Finals Toronto (2) Rochester (1)
2016 missed playoffs
2017 missed playoffs
2018 Division Semifinals New England 11 Rochester 15
Division Finals Rochester 9 Georgia 8
Championship Rochester 9 Saskatchewan 16
Saskatchewan 8 Rochester 13
Rochester 10 Saskatchewan 15
2019 missed playoffs

*The Knighthawks had the overall top seed in the playoffs, but were unable to host the Championship game due to a scheduling conflict at the Blue Cross Arena.

Head coaching history

[edit]
# Name Term Regular Season Playoffs
GC W L W% GC W L W%
 1  Barry Powless 1995—1997 28 15 13 .536 5 3 2 .600
2 Paul Day 1998—2005 114 75 39 .658 13 5 8 .385
3 Ed Comeau 2006—2008 48 31 17 .646 5 4 1 .800
4 Paul Suggate 2009 Resigned prior to season
5 Paul Gait 2009—2010 16 7 9 .438 1 0 1 .000
6 Mike Hasen 2011—2019 120 65 55 .552 17 12 5 .706

Draft history

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NLL Entry Draft

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First Round Selections

NLL Dispersal Draft

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NLL Expansion Draft

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Knighthawks Unveil New Logo Ahead of Expansion Season". Spectrum Local News. May 30, 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  2. ^ Zimmaro, Mark (May 30, 2019). "Knighthawks are set to begin a new era in Rochester". National Lacrosse League. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Week 16 News and Notes". NLL.com. April 16, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
  4. ^ "Knighthawks Edge Rock 10-6". NLL.com. April 20, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
  5. ^ "Knighthawks Advance to Championship Game". NLL.com. April 26, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
  6. ^ a b "Ed Comeau Wins Les Bartley Award". NLL.com. May 3, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
  7. ^ "Arizona To Host Championship Game". NLL.com. April 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-30.
  8. ^ "K-Hawks Top Bandits in Friday's Opener, 12-9". NLL.com. January 11, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
  9. ^ "Bandits end K-Hawks Streak with 14-9 Win". NLL.com. January 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
  10. ^ Knighthawks sold for nearly $6 million, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle 28 May 2008
  11. ^ ARROW EXPRESS SPORTS ANNOUNCES MAJORITY OWNERSHIP OF AMERKS, Amerks.com
  12. ^ "NLL Approves Rochester expansion team using Knighthawks brand". 13 September 2018.
  13. ^ "NLL's Rochester Knighthawks Announce Logo & Staff". 30 May 2019.
  14. ^ "John Grant Wins Dodge Nitro MVP Award". NLL.com. May 10, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
  15. ^ "Toll named Transition Player of the Year". NLL.com. May 1, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  16. ^ "John Grant Named Championship Game MVP". NLL.com. May 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
  17. ^ "Stealth's Takata Named Executive of the Year". NLL.com. May 10, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
  18. ^ a b "Shattler, McCready, & Vinc Honored". NLL.com. 2011-05-09. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  19. ^ "Hall, Bailey Win First Two Awards of 2011". NLL.com. 2011-05-03. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
  20. ^ a b "Rochester Sweeps GM & Head Coach Awards". NLL.com. 2011-05-05. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  21. ^ "Curt Styres Named Executive of the Year". NLL.com. 2011-05-04. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
  22. ^ "Knighthawks rookie Powless wins Sportsmanship Award". NLL.com. May 7, 2012. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
Preceded by Major Indoor Lacrosse League Champions
1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by National Lacrosse League Champions
2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by National Lacrosse League Champions
2012, 2013, 2014 		Succeeded by
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