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Toronto Rock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Toronto Rock | |
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| Division | Eastern |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Home arena | Air Canada Centre |
| Based in | Toronto, Ontario |
| Colors | Red, White, Blue |
| Head coach | Glenn Clark |
| General manager | Mike Kloepfer (Director of Lacrosse Operations) |
| PLPA representative | Dan Ladouceur |
| 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 |
| Formerly | Ontario Raiders |
The Toronto Rock is 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 2005, the Rock appeared in an NLL-record five straight championship games. They have never failed to make the playoffs, and have an astonishing 11-3 record in playoff games.
The franchise was originally founded as a 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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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.
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 second place Knighthawks at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester with a score of 16-8.
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 Coach of the Year Award was renamed the Les Bartley Award by the NLL in honour of Bartley.
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| 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 |
| Total | 8 seasons | 81-37 | 47-14 | 34-25 | 1,516 | 1,279 | |||
| Playoff Totals | 11-3 | 9-3 | 2-0 | 169 | 151 |
| 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 | Rochester 16 | Toronto 8 |
| 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 |
| National Lacrosse League | |
|---|---|
| East Division: Buffalo Bandits | Chicago Shamrox | Minnesota Swarm | New York Titans | Philadelphia Wings | Rochester Knighthawks | Toronto Rock | |
| West Division: Arizona Sting | Calgary Roughnecks | Colorado Mammoth | Edmonton Rush | Portland LumberJax | San Jose Stealth | |
| NLL Awards: Champion's Cup | Most Valuable Player | Rookie of the Year | Defenseman of the Year | Goaltender of the Year | Sportsmanship Award | Les Bartley Award | GM of the Year | Executive of the Year | Tom Borrelli Award | Weekly Awards | Monthly Awards | |
| NLL Articles: All-Star Game | Players' Association | Family relations | Hall of Fame | Season reviews | Former teams | |
| Related Articles: Box lacrosse | Lacrosse | Major League Lacrosse | |
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| Baseball | MLB: Toronto Blue Jays, IBL: Toronto Maple Leafs |  |
| Basketball | NBA: Toronto Raptors | |
| Football | CFL: Toronto Argonauts | |
| Hockey | NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs, AHL: Toronto Marlies, OHL: St. Michael's Majors, NWHL: Toronto Aeros | |
| Soccer | MLS: Toronto FC, USL W-League: Toronto Inferno, USL Premier Development League: Toronto Lynx | |
| Lacrosse | NLL: Toronto Rock, OLA Jr. A: Toronto Beaches | |
| Rugby | RCSL: Toronto Xtreme | |
| University Athletics | Ryerson Rams · Varsity Blues · York Lions | |