2000 NLL season
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The 2000 National Lacrosse League season began on January 7, 2000 and concluded with the championship game on May 6, 2000. The Toronto Rock defeated the Rochester Knighthawks 14-13, in what has been described as the "greatest indoor lacrosse game ever played"[citation needed]. Kaleb Toth scored the winning goal with less than two seconds left in regulation to give the Rock their second straight championship.
Team Movement
One expansion team was added to the NLL for the 2000 season, the Albany Attack. In addition, the Baltimore Thunder left Baltimore and became the Pittsburgh CrosseFire, though the franchise would only last a single season in Pittsburgh before moving to Washington.
Regular Season
W = Wins, L = Losses, GB = Games Behind Leader, PCT = Winning Percentage, Home = Home record, Road = Road record, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against
| Qualified for playoffs |
| Team | W | L | GB | PCT | Home | Road | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Rock | 9 | 3 | - | .750 | 5-1 | 4-2 | 162 | 130 |
| Buffalo Bandits | 8 | 4 | 1 | .667 | 5-1 | 3-3 | 202 | 194 |
| Rochester Knighthawks | 8 | 4 | 1 | .667 | 5-1 | 3-3 | 187 | 149 |
| Philadelphia Wings | 7 | 5 | 2 | .583 | 4-2 | 3-3 | 172 | 165 |
| Albany Attack | 6 | 6 | 3 | .500 | 4-2 | 2-4 | 169 | 160 |
| Pittsburgh CrosseFire | 6 | 6 | 3 | .500 | 4-2 | 2-4 | 184 | 164 |
| New York Saints | 3 | 9 | 6 | .250 | 2-4 | 1-5 | 152 | 194 |
| Syracuse Smash | 1 | 11 | 8 | .083 | 1-5 | 0-6 | 135 | 207 |
All Star Game
No All-Star game was held in 2000.
Playoffs
| Semifinals | Championship | ||||||||
| 3 | Rochester | 15 | |||||||
| 2 | Buffalo | 11 | |||||||
| 3 | Rochester | 13 | |||||||
| 1 | Toronto | 14 | |||||||
| 4 | Philadelphia | 10 | |||||||
| 1 | Toronto | 14 | |||||||
Awards
| Award | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| MVP Award | John Tavares | Buffalo |
| Rookie of the Year Award | John Grant Jr. | Rochester |
| Championship Game MVP | Dan Stroup | Toronto |
Weekly Awards
Each week, a player is awarded "Player of the Week" honours.
| Week | Player of the Week |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kim Squire |
| 2 | Josh Sanderson |
| 3 | Kip Fulks |
| 4 | Tom Marechek |
| 5 | Pat O'Toole |
| 6 | Roy Colsey |
| 7 | Matt Disher |
| 8 | Paul Gait |
| 9 | Kaleb Toth |
| 10 | Rob Blasdell |
| 11 | John Grant Jr. |
| 12 | Colin Doyle |
| 13 | John Grant, Jr. |
| 14 | Mark Millon |
| 15 | Matt Disher |
Monthly Awards
Awards are also given out monthly for the best overall player and best rookie.
| Month | Overall | Rookie |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | Ted Dowling | John Grant, Jr. |
| Feb | John Tavares | Devin Dalep |
| Mar | Rob Blasdell | John Grant, Jr. |
Statistics Leaders
Bold numbers indicate new single-season records. Italics indicate tied single-season records.
| Stat | Player | Team | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | Ted Dowling | Albany | 41 |
| Tom Marechek | Philadelphia | 41 | |
| Assists | John Tavares | Buffalo | 49 |
| Points | Gary Gait | Baltimore | 83 |
| John Tavares | Buffalo | 83 | |
| Loose Balls | Jim Veltman | Toronto | 167 |
| Save Pct | Bob Watson | Toronto | 77.2 |