This week’s Throwback Thursday player is Darris Kilgour
Kilgour played for the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League for eight seasons, before finishing his playing career with the Rochester Knighthawks and Albany Attack. As a player, he won three championships with the Bandits, and is the all-time team leader in penalty minutes and faceoffs. Kilgour’s number ’43’ was retired by the Bandits in March 2001, making him the first player to have his number retired by an NLL team. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 1994, as a member of the Six Nations Chiefs, Kilgour was awarded the Mike Kelly Memorial Trophy as most valuable player in the Mann Cup competition.
MILL/ NLL Playing Statistics:
- 1992-99 Buffalo Bandits
- 1999 Rochester Knighthawks
- 2000 Albany Attack
Regular season:
GP 76, G 144, A 168, Pts. 312, LB 418, PM 285
Playoffs:
GP 15, G 26, A 35, Pts 61, LB 86, PM 67
Kilgour became head coach of the Washington Power for the 2001 season. He led the Power to the playoffs in each of his two seasons as coach before returning to Buffalo as their head coach after the 2002 season. The Bandits posted a 12-4 record in 2003, and Kilgour was awarded the NLL Coach of the Year Award (later renamed to the Les Bartley Award). The next year, after a mediocre 8-8 regular season, the Bandits caught fire in the postseason, making it to the Championship game for the first time since 1997, but lost the championship game to the Calgary Roughnecks losing 14-11. In 2005 the Bandits would again make it to the Champion’s Cup final, this time falling short against Colorado Mammoth 16-9.
Following the 2012 season, Kilgour was fired from his post as general manager of the Bandits, but continued to hold the position of head coach. A season later on June 10, 2013, the Bandits Director of Lacrosse Operations, Scott Loffler, informed Kilgour that he would not be retained as coach for the 2014 season.
Kilgour has more wins than any other coach in NLL history, surpassing Les Bartley’s 93 wins on March 12, 2010 with the Buffalo Bandits defeating the Toronto Rock 11-10 in overtime at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre.
Shortly after leaving the Buffalo Bandits Kilgour was hired as head coach of the Seneca WarChiefs, a Junior B box lacrosse team who compete in the First Nations Junior B Lacrosse League.
Overview of Achievements
- Won four Champion’s Cups with the Buffalo Bandits (Three as a player 1992, 1993, 1996, and one as a coach 2008).
- Coach of the Year 2003
- NLL Hall of Fame 2007
- Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame 2009
- Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame 2009
References:
Wikipedia, Bandits.com, NLL.com
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
This Had Everything Including A Flyers OT LossFlyers
All Lacrosse All The Time Pick’EmsLacrosse, NLL
National Lacrosse League and Marvel Team Up To Promote Lacrosse’s Legendary Origin StoryLacrosse, NLL
Native American Heritage Month – Thank YouLacrosse- Native American Heritage Month – Cody JamiesonLacrosse
