2023-24 NLL Preview: Will There Be a Championship Hangover in Buffalo?

With the 2023-24 National Lacrosse League season set to begin Dec. 1-2, USA Lacrosse Magazine is going team by team in the days leading up to the opener. Today, we take a deep dive on the Buffalo Bandits.

BUFFALO BANDITS

2022-23 Record: 14-4
Head Coach: John Tavares, fifth season
 Assistants: Steve Dietrich, Anthony Cosmo, Eric Vinc

Additions: Cam Wyers, D; Steven Orleman, G (New York)
Departures: Ethan O’Connor, D (Rochester); Nathaniel Kozevnikov, F (Saskatchewan)

STORYLINES TO WATCH

What impact will finally winning the championship have on this group?

After two years of falling just short, the Bandits finally reached the top of the mountain in 2023. Buffalo erased memories of previous NLL Finals defeats at the hands of Calgary and Colorado with its fifth title, which came in a three-game series triumph against the Mammoth.

Bandits head coach John Tavares was open about the weight that was building following the previous shortcomings when he spoke to his players, Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne, on the pair’s podcast.

“Going into the year, I think my mindset was still on the disappointment of the previous year,” Tavares said. “I think a lot of the players were still stuck on the loss as well and had a hard time of letting that go.”

Fear of a championship hangover is prevalent in sports, the worry that a team’s edge disappears once it finally achieves the goal. But with the Bandits, there’s the potential the title alleviated stress in a way that could bode well for the future.

“A lot of times, you do have to go through those tough times, get to the championship and all of a sudden lose to understand what it takes to win,” Byrne told Tavares and Smith on his podcast. “Going back to Calgary, I remember the first shift — having never played in a championship before — I remember just getting hit hard. They were just way more intense. They came out way more ready for battle. I wasn’t ready for that at that moment. Sometimes, you have to go through those bumps and bruises.”

How long will this Bandits core remain together?

There was fair speculation throughout the league that the Bandits’ star goaltender, Matt Vinc, would walk valiantly into retirement if Buffalo was able to finally get that elusive title. By accomplishing the feat, Vinc, now 41, has put together a career that mirrors his number 48 with four championships and eight Goalie of the Year honors.

Despite a stellar opportunity to finish on top, Vinc opted to return on a two-year deal to keep his Hall of Fame career going just a little bit longer. That was music to the ears of the Bandits, who had few avenues to acquire a goalie matching his talent.

Also back are fellow veterans Steve Priolo, 34, and Nick Weiss, 31, who make up two thirds of Buffalo’s leadership team. And Smith, the Finals MVP, just re-signed on a five-year deal, signaling his commitment to Buffalo.

In fact, pretty much the entire roster returns, with Ethan O’Connor the only player gone who suited up for most of the team’s games. He’ll be replaced by first-round pick Cam Wyers.

Buffalo all but ran it back — but how much longer will that be a feasible strategy for general manager Steve Dietrich?