2004 NLL season
The 2004 National Lacrosse League season began on December 26, 2003 and concluded with the championship game on May 7, 2004. Over 19,000 fans, the second largest crowd ever at an NLL game, packed the Pengrowth Saddledome to watch the Calgary Roughnecks defeat the Buffalo Bandits 14-11.[1] This game was the first NLL championship game since 1998 that did not feature the Toronto Rock.
The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and the Professional Lacrosse Players' Association expired before the 2004 season, and the lack of a new agreement caused a 12-day players strike in December 2003. On December 17, the NLL and PLPA announced that the previous CBA had been extended by one year, guaranteeing that the 2004 season would be played without strikes or lockouts[2].
Team Movement
2004 was a season of turmoil for the NLL — two franchises disappeared while three others moved cross-country, causing a division realignment. Gone was the three-division format that had been used in the preceding two seasons; the league was now split into East and West divisions. The Ottawa Rebel and New York Saints franchises both folded, and the following teams moved:
These three joined Colorado, Calgary, and Vancouver in the West division, while perennial rivals Toronto, Buffalo, Rochester, and Philadelphia were left to fight over three playoff spots in the East.
Milestones
- January 9: The Anaheim Storm play their first ever home game, losing to the Arizona Sting 19-18 in the first triple overtime game in NLL history[3]. This is a record not likely to ever be broken — before the 2005 season, the NLL changed overtime periods to 15 minutes from five[4]. Since then, no games have even seen double overtime.
Final standings
Regular Season
W = Wins, L = Losses, GB = Games Behind Division Leader, PCT = Winning Percentage, Home = Home record, Road = Road record, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against
Playoffs
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Divisional Semifinals |
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Divisional Finals |
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Championship |
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3 |
Buffalo |
19 |
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East Division |
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1 |
Toronto |
10 |
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3 |
Buffalo |
13 |
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2 |
Rochester |
9 |
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E3 |
Buffalo |
11 |
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W3 |
Calgary |
14 |
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3 |
Calgary |
13 |
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2 |
San Jose |
11 |
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3 |
Calgary |
13 |
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West Division |
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1 |
Colorado |
11 |
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All Star Game
The 2004 All-Star Game was held at the Pepsi Center in Denver on February 22, 2004. The East division defeated the West 19-15, and Buffalo's Mark Steenhuis was named game MVP.
All-Star teams
| Eastern Division starters |
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Western Division starters |
| Colin Doyle, Toronto |
Gary Gait, Colorado |
| Blaine Manning, Toronto |
Tracey Kelusky, Calgary |
| John Tavares, Buffalo |
Gavin Prout, Colorado |
| Pat Coyle, Toronto |
Jim Moss, San Jose |
| Mike Hasen, Rochester |
Andy Ogilvie, Vancouver |
| Pat O'Toole, Rochester (goalie) |
Gee Nash, Colorado (goalie) |
| Eastern Division Reserves |
Western Division Reserves |
| Mike Accursi, Buffalo |
Ted Dowling, Calgary |
| Jake Bergey, Philadelphia |
Mark Shepherd, Anaheim |
| Paul Cantabene, Philadelphia |
Jay Jalbert, Colorado |
| Glenn Clark, Toronto |
Rob Kirkby, Calgary |
| Kyle Couling, Buffalo |
Mike Law, Anaheim |
| Steve Dietrich, Buffalo (goalie) |
Pat Maddalena, Arizona |
| Derek Malawsky, Rochester |
Mike Miron, Arizona (goalie) |
| Tom Marechek, Philadelphia |
Casey Powell, Anaheim |
| Jeff Ratcliffe, Philadelphia |
Josh Sanderson, San Jose |
| Mark Steenhuis, Buffalo |
Dan Stroup, Vancouver |
| Andrew Turner, Rochester |
Kaleb Toth, Calgary |
| Jim Veltman, Toronto |
Cam Woods, San Jose |
Awards
Weekly Awards
The NLL gives out awards weekly for the best overall player, best offensive player, best defensive player, and best rookie.
Monthly Awards
Awards are also given out monthly for the best overall player and best rookie.
| Month |
Overall |
Rookie |
| Jan |
Gavin Prout |
Craig Conn |
| Feb |
John Tavares |
Craig Conn |
| Mar |
Jim Veltman |
Taylor Wray |
Statistics Leaders
Bold numbers indicate new single-season records. Italics indicate tied single-season records.
See also
References
External links
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Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League
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Major Indoor Lacrosse League
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National Lacrosse League
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| East Division |
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| West Division |
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| Awards |
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| Articles |
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