Arizona Sting vs. Toronto Rock in the Champions Cup final in 2005.
A big thank you to UKLaxfan for originally posting this on their YouTube channel.
This is posted in four 28 minute sections and a small championship presentation in section five.
Colin Doyle of the Toronto Rock won the scoring title in 2005, marking the first time since 1990 that someone other than Gary Gait, Paul Gait, or John Tavares had led the league in scoring. For his efforts in leading the Rock to the championship, Doyle was named both league MVP and Championship Game MVP.
Just hours after the Rock’s championship victory, another lacrosse legend, former Toronto head coach and general manager Les Bartley died from colon cancer at age 51. Bartley had coached the Buffalo Bandits to three MILL/NLL championships before moving to the expansion Ontario Raiders in 1998. Bartley moved with the Raiders to Toronto the next year, and went on to win titles in four of the next five seasons. Bartley also won the NLL Executive of the Year award in 2005, in part due to his involvement in the negotiation of the new CBA.
Toronto boasted a powerful lineup of Jim Veltman, Colin Doyle, Aaron Wilson, Josh Sanderson, and Blaine Manning.
Arizona countered with Dan Dawson, Kasey Biernes, Cory Bomberry, Craig Conn, Pat Maddalena, and Jason Clark.
The goalie match-up was Bob “Whipper” Watson for the Rock, against Mike Miron for the Sting.
The coaching match-up was Terry Sanderson vs. Bob Hamley.
This was a record setting crowd of 19,432 fans at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The atmosphere was absolutely electric all game long!
Toronto Rock fans will recognize the “Voice of the Rock” – Bruce “Barks” Barker (with his energy level at 11) doing the in game P.A. announcing.
If you like lots of scoring, lots of excitement, and lots of energy…this is the game for you!
Sit back, relax, and enjoy this game in it’s entirety.
Gary Groob has been involved with Lacrosse for the majority of his life, whether playing, coaching, or covering the sport for the media.
An avid fan, with a real drive about helping to “grow the game”, Gary became part of podcasts about the game in 2010. Through the podcasts, Mr. Groob was given an opportunity to write about lacrosse, and the rest as they say, is history.
Through many miles (flying and driving) Gary has made inroads with the National Lacrosse League, Major Series Lacrosse League, the Ontario Lacrosse Association, as well as the Arena Lacrosse League, covering the leagues, their teams, and players, working for, and in concert with all of them.
In the year 2020, Mr. Groob was made the media person for the Arena Lacrosse League, voted onto the board of directors of the Brampton Excelsiors Lacrosse Club, as well as being made administrator of the Lacrosse page “Global Lacrosse” with a membership of 9000 members in over 90 Countries. Gary was also made an administrator of Lacrosse History Past Present and Future in 2022.
Mr. Groob co-hosts a weekly Lacrosse show on Spanglish Sports World, and ZingoTV channel 250, as well as writes a weekly lacrosse column for La Portada Canada News (both in print, and online).
Gary also hosts a Lacrosse talk show and podcast for The Edge of Philly Sports Network, seen live Sunday nights at 9pm (ET), and archived on the Edge of Philly YouTube page, as well as Spotify.
Mr. Groob’s other sports interests include Hockey, Football, Boxing, Wrestling, and Baseball, competing competitively in Boxing and Wrestling for many years.
Latest Articles
Native American Heritage Month – Making Wooden Lacrosse sticks: Rodney Haring, SenecaLacrosse
A Tale of Two Halves in South PhillyEagles
National Lacrosse League – Roster MovesLacrosse, NLL- Native American Heritage Month – Thompson Trio on ESPSN’s #SCfeaturedLacrosse
Down Goes PhillyTrending Now, Union
