Three in a Row: The Buffalo Bandits Are Building a Dynasty
The Buffalo Bandits just won their third straight National Lacrosse League championship, and if you haven't been paying attention to indoor lacrosse — now's a good time to start.
Bro, what's the NLL?
Fair question. The National Lacrosse League is North America's top professional indoor lacrosse league, and the Buffalo Bandits are its most decorated franchise. Think fast-paced, physical, and genuinely exciting — jai alai meets hockey and handball — a sport that rewards the casual fan with high scores and end-to-end action. The Bandits just won their seventh title in team history, more than any franchise in the league.
So how'd they do it?
In dominant fashion. Buffalo swept past the Saskatchewan Rush 15-6 in the deciding Game 3 of the NLL Finals, and it wasn't really that close. The two names you need to know are Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne — a duo so dominant the Bandits literally gave them their own show — "the Dhane & Josh show" of course. Smith finished the clincher with eight points. Byrne, the 2024 Finals MVP, added four goals. Finals MVP Ian MacKay chipped in too, finishing the playoffs with 16 goals and eight assists.
And then there's goalie Matt Vinc, who stopped 42 of 48 shots in the final game and is now a six-time NLL champion. Six. The man is a wall.
Why does three in a row matter?
Because it's almost never done. The Bandits are only the second team in NLL history to win three straight championships — joining the Rochester Knighthawks from 2012 to 2014. In the broader world of North American pro sports, winning three consecutive titles puts you in rare company.
Dhane Smith said it best when asked what a three-peat means to him: "Dynasty."
Hard to argue.
What's next?
The 2026 season is underway, and the Bandits are chasing something no NLL team has ever done — four straight. Buffalo is the defending champion for the third year running, and the core that built this run is still intact.
In a city that just watched its hockey team end a 14-year playoff drought, the Bandits have quietly been doing something even more remarkable — winning, year after year, without anyone outside of Buffalo — and perhaps even a few inside it — seeming to notice.
Maybe it's time they did. GO BANDITS!
