2000 NLL season

2000 NLL season
League	National Lacrosse League
Sport	Indoor lacrosse
Duration	January 7, 2000 – May 6, 2000
Number of teams	8
Regular season
League champions	Toronto Rock
Runners-up	Buffalo Bandits
Season MVP	John Tavares (Buffalo Bandits)
Top scorer	John Tavares (Buffalo Bandits) Gary Gait (Pittsburgh CrosseFire)
Champion's Cup
Champions	Toronto Rock
Runners-up	Rochester Knighthawks
Finals MVP	Dan Stroup (Toronto)

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". 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

Reference:

P	Team	GP	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	GF	GA	Diff	GF/GP	GA/GP
1	Toronto Rock – xyz	12	9	3	.750	0.0	5–1	4–2	162	130	+32	13.50	10.83
2	Buffalo Bandits – x	12	8	4	.667	1.0	5–1	3–3	202	194	+8	16.83	16.17
3	Rochester Knighthawks – x	12	8	4	.667	1.0	5–1	3–3	187	149	+38	15.58	12.42
4	Philadelphia Wings – x	12	7	5	.583	2.0	4–2	3–3	172	165	+7	14.33	13.75
5	Albany Attack	12	6	6	.500	3.0	4–2	2–4	169	160	+9	14.08	13.33
6	Pittsburgh CrosseFire	12	6	6	.500	3.0	4–2	2–4	184	164	+20	15.33	13.67
7	New York Saints	12	3	9	.250	6.0	2–4	1–5	152	194	-42	12.67	16.17
8	Syracuse Smash	12	1	11	.083	8.0	1–5	0–6	135	207	-72	11.25	17.25

x: Clinched playoff berth; c: Clinched playoff berth by crossing over to another division; y: Clinched division; z: Clinched best regular season record; GP: Games Played
W: Wins; L: Losses; GB: Games back; PCT: Win percentage; Home: Record at Home; Road: Record on the Road; GF: Goals scored; GA: Goals allowed
Differential: Difference between goals scored and allowed; GF/GP: Average number of goals scored per game; GA/GP: Average number of goals allowed per game

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

See also

• 2000 in sports

References

• 2000 Archive at the Outsider's Guide to the NLL