Toronto Rock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Toronto Rock | |
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| Division | Eastern |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Home arena | Air Canada Centre |
| Based in | Toronto, Ontario |
| Colors | Blue, Red, Gold, Black |
| Head coach | Glenn Clark |
| General manager | Mike Kloepfer (Director of Lacrosse Operations) |
| Local media | Rogers Sportsnet East, Rogers Sportsnet Ontario |
| Championships | 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 |
| Division Championships | 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 |
| Website | www.torontorock.com |
| PLPA representative | Dan Ladouceur |
| Formerly | Ontario Raiders |
The Toronto Rock are a lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). They play at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The Rock of the late 1990s / early 2000s has been called a dynasty, having won five NLL championships in seven years. From 1999 to 2003, the Rock appeared in an NLL-record five straight championship games. In ten seasons, they have an 11-4 record in playoff games.
The franchise was originally founded as an NLL expansion team for Hamilton, Ontario to begin play in the 1998 season. They were known as the Ontario Raiders, and played their home games at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton during their first year. However, at the conclusion of the season they were sold to a group of investors led by Bill Watters, who was then the Assistant GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL, and relocated to Toronto in time for the beginning of the 1999 season. They were subsequently renamed the "Toronto Rock". During their first two seasons in Toronto, they played at Maple Leaf Gardens, the historic former home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, before moving to the Air Canada Centre for the 2001 season, which they currently share with both the Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. The Rock has consistently ranked near the top of the NLL in lacrosse performance, attendance, and financial success.
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[edit] Championships
The Toronto Rock won the Champion's Cup in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2005.
The 2002 final was against the Albany Attack, and the 1999, 2000, and 2003 finals were against the Rochester Knighthawks. In 2001, the Toronto Rock went to the league title game but came up one goal short against the Philadelphia Wings. In 2004, the Rock earned a first round bye after clinching the East Division regular season crown. The Buffalo Bandits came to town and upset the Rock 19-10.
In 2005, the Rock defeated the Rochester Knighthawks in the East Division Final by a score of 12-10 in front of approximately 17,200 fans at the Air Canada Centre. The Rock went on to defeat the Arizona Sting with a 19-13 win in front of an NLL record crowd of 19,432, becoming NLL champions for the fifth time in seven years and solidifying their distinction as an NLL dynasty.
[edit] 2006 and beyond
The Rock struggled during the early part of the 2006 season; however, their record balanced out to 8-8 at season's end. They made the playoffs, only to be defeated by the first place Knighthawks at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester with a score of 16-8. Head coach and GM Terry Sanderson was fired after the season,[1] and was replaced by new Director of Lacrosse Operations Mike Kloepfer and new head coach Glenn Clark.[2] Clark had played eight seasons with the Rock and had just finished an All-Star season as a member of the Philadelphia Wings, but retired from playing to take the head coaching job with his old club.
Kloepfer made his mark on the team quickly, trading perennial All-Star, former Rookie of the Year and league MVP Colin Doyle to the San Jose Stealth along with Darren Halls and a draft pick for first overall draft pick Ryan Benesch, Kevin Fines, Chad Thompson and two draft picks.[3]
[edit] Les Bartley
Less than 18 hours after the Toronto Rock won their 5th NLL Championship, former coach and General Manager Les Bartley died on May 15, 2005 of cancer at the age of 51. Bartley is remembered as an exceptional coach, having led the Toronto Rock to win the championships in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
In 2004, the NLL Coach of the Year Award was renamed the Les Bartley Award in honour of Bartley.
In 2007, the Toronto Rock established an award also called the Les Bartley Award, given to "the Rock player that best exemplifies Les' emphasis on the importance of character and commitment to the team".[4] The first winner of this award was team captain Jim Veltman.
[edit] Awards & honors
| Year | Player | Award |
| 1999 | Colin Doyle | Championship Game MVP |
| 2000 | Dan Stroup | Championship Game MVP |
| 2001 | Bob Watson | Goaltender of the Year |
| 2002 | Blaine Manning | Rookie of the Year |
| Pat Coyle | Defensive Player of the Year | |
| Jim Veltman | Sportsmanship Award | |
| Colin Doyle | Championship Game MVP | |
| 2003 | Chris Driscoll | Sportsmanship Award |
| Bob Watson | Championship Game MVP | |
| 2004 | Jim Veltman | Most Valuable Player |
| 2005 | Colin Doyle | Most Valuable Player |
| Les Bartley | Executive of the Year | |
| Colin Doyle | Championship Game MVP | |
| 2007 | Ryan Benesch | Rookie of the Year[5] |
| 2008 | Bob Watson | Goaltender of the Year[6] |
[edit] Roster
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[edit] All time Record
| Season | Division | W | L | Finish | Home | Road | GF | GA | coach | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 9 | 3 | 1st | 6-0 | 3-3 | 157 | 139 | Les Bartley | Won Championship | |
| 2000 | 9 | 3 | 1st | 5-1 | 4-2 | 162 | 130 | Les Bartley | Won Championship | |
| 2001 | 11 | 3 | 1st | 6-1 | 5-2 | 168 | 125 | Les Bartley | Lost Championship | |
| 2002 | Northern | 11 | 5 | 1st | 8-0 | 3-5 | 223 | 176 | Les Bartley | Won Championship |
| 2003 | Northern | 11 | 5 | 1st | 6-2 | 5-3 | 195 | 164 | Les Bartley | Won Championship |
| 2004 | Eastern | 10 | 6 | 1st | 5-3 | 5-3 | 202 | 176 | Ed Comeau (interim), Terry Sanderson |
Lost in division finals |
| 2005 | Eastern | 12 | 4 | 1st | 6-2 | 6-2 | 227 | 190 | Terry Sanderson | Won Championship |
| 2006 | Eastern | 8 | 8 | 3rd | 5-3 | 3-5 | 182 | 179 | Terry Sanderson | Lost in division semifinals |
| 2007 | Eastern | 6 | 10 | 4th | 3-5 | 3-5 | 187 | 183 | Glenn Clark | Lost in division semifinals |
| 2008 | Eastern | 7 | 9 | 6th | 4-5 | 3-4 | 172 | 174 | Glenn Clark | Missed playoffs |
| Total | 10 seasons | 94 | 56 | 54-22 | 40-34 | 1,875 | 1,636 | |||
| Playoff Totals | 11 | 4 | 9-3 | 2-1 | 175 | 161 |
[edit] Playoff Results
| Season | Game | Visiting | Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Semifinals | Philadelphia 2 | Toronto 13 |
| Championship | Rochester 10 | Toronto 13 | |
| 2000 | Semifinals | Philadelphia 10 | Toronto 14 |
| Championships | Rochester 13 | Toronto 14 | |
| 2001 | Semifinals | Washington 9 | Toronto 10 |
| Championship | Philadelphia 9 | Toronto 8 | |
| 2002 | Semifinals | Washington 11 | Toronto 12 |
| Championship | Toronto 13 | Albany 12 | |
| 2003 | Semifinals | Colorado 11 | Toronto 15 |
| Championship | Toronto 8 | Rochester 6 | |
| 2004 | Division Finals | Buffalo 19 | Toronto 10 |
| 2005 | Division Finals | Rochester 10 | Toronto 12 |
| Championship | Arizona 13 | Toronto 19 | |
| 2006 | Division Semifinals | Toronto 8 | Rochester 16 |
| 2007 | Division Semifinals | Toronto 6 | Rochester 10 |
[edit] References
- ^ Rock Search for New Head Coach. NLL.com (May 9, 2006). Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
- ^ Rock Completes Coaching & Operations Staff. NLL.com (May 23, 2006). Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
- ^ Colossal Trade as Season Nears. NLL.com (December 27, 2006). Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
- ^ Rock Establish Award in Bartley's Honor. NLL.com (March 29, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-04-14.
- ^ Benesch Named Rookie of the Year. NLL.com (May 8, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-08.
- ^ Watson Named US Navy Goalie of the Year. NLL.com (May 7, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Philadelphia Wings |
National Lacrosse League Champions 1999,2000 |
Succeeded by Philadelphia Wings |
| Preceded by Philadelphia Wings |
National Lacrosse League Champions 2002,2003 |
Succeeded by Calgary Roughnecks |
| Preceded by Calgary Roughnecks |
National Lacrosse League Champions 2005 |
Succeeded by Colorado Mammoth |
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