1996_Major_Indoor_Lacrosse_League_season
1996 Major Indoor Lacrosse League season
Sports season
The 1996 season is the 10th season of the league that began on December 30, 1995, and concluded with the championship game on April 12, 1996.
| 1996 MILL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Major Indoor Lacrosse League |
| Sport | Indoor lacrosse |
| Duration | December 30, 1995 - April 12, 1996 |
| Number of games | 10 |
| Number of teams | 7 |
| TV partner(s) | ESPN and ESPN2 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Buffalo Bandits |
| Runners-up | Philadelphia Wings |
| Season MVP | Gary Gait (Philadelphia Wings) |
| Top scorer | John Tavares (Buffalo Bandits) |
| Champion's Cup | |
| Champions | Buffalo Bandits |
| Runners-up | Philadelphia Wings |
| Finals MVP | Pat O'Toole (Buffalo) |
| MILL seasons | |
The Charlotte Cobras played their only season in 1996, in the process achieving the only winless season in the history of the league.
Reference: [1]
| P | Team | GP | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | GF | GA | Diff | GF/GP | GA/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffalo Bandits – xyz | 10 | 8 | 2 | .800 | 0.0 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 173 | 127 | +46 | 17.30 | 12.70 |
| 2 | Philadelphia Wings – x | 10 | 8 | 2 | .800 | 0.0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 165 | 114 | +51 | 16.50 | 11.40 |
| 3 | Boston Blazers – x | 10 | 6 | 4 | .600 | 2.0 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 146 | 114 | +32 | 14.60 | 11.40 |
| 4 | Rochester Knighthawks – x | 10 | 6 | 4 | .600 | 2.0 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 148 | 137 | +11 | 14.80 | 13.70 |
| 5 | Baltimore Thunder | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | 4.0 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 144 | 163 | −19 | 14.40 | 16.30 |
| 6 | New York Saints | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | 5.0 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 124 | 144 | −20 | 12.40 | 14.40 |
| 7 | Charlotte Cobras | 10 | 0 | 10 | .000 | 8.0 | 0–5 | 0–5 | 85 | 186 | −101 | 8.50 | 18.60 |
x: Clinched playoff berth; c: Clinched playoff berth by crossing over to another division; y: Clinched division; z: Clinched best regular season record; GP: Games Played
W: Wins; L: Losses; GB: Games back; PCT: Win percentage; Home: Record at Home; Road: Record on the Road; GF: Goals scored; GA: Goals allowed
Differential: Difference between goals scored and allowed; GF/GP: Average number of goals scored per game; GA/GP: Average number of goals allowed per game
No All-Star Game was played in 1996.
| Semifinals | Championship | ||||||||
| 4 | Rochester | 10 | |||||||
| 1 | Buffalo | 18 | |||||||
| 2 | Philadelphia | 10 | |||||||
| 1 | Buffalo | 15 | |||||||
| 3 | Boston | 8 | |||||||
| 2 | Philadelphia | 10 | |||||||
| Award | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| MVP Award | Gary Gait | Philadelphia |
| Rookie of the Year Award | Darren Fridge | Boston |
| Championship Game MVP | Pat O'Toole | Buffalo |
Weekly awards
Each week, a player is awarded "Player of the Week" honours.
| Week | Player of the Week |
|---|---|
| 1 | J.J. Pearl |
| 2 | Steve Dietrich |
| 3 | Gary Gait |
| 4 | Tom Phair |
| 5 | Darren Fridge |
| 6 | Andy Piazza |
| 7 | John Tavares |
| 8 | Eric Seremet |
| 9 | Dallas Eliuk |
| 10 | John Tavares |
| 11 | John Tavares |
| 12 | Steve Dietrich |
| 13 | Charlie Blanchard |
| 14 | Kevin Bilger |
Monthly awards
An award is also given out monthly for the best overall player.
| Month | Player of the Month |
|---|---|
| Jan | Gary Gait |
| Feb | John Tavares |
| Mar | John Tavares |
All-Pro Teams
First Team:
- Gary Gait, Philadelphia
- Paul Gait, Rochester
- Tom Marechek, Philadelphia
- John Tavares, Buffalo
- Jim Veltman, Buffalo
- Dallas Eliuk, Philadelphia (goalie)
Second Team:
- Chris Bates, Charlotte
- Thomas Carmean, Boston
- Chris Driscoll, Rochester
- Kevin Finneran, Philadelphia
- Duane Jacobs, Rochester
- Steve Dietrich, Rochester (goalie)
Bold numbers indicate new single-season records. Italics indicate tied single-season records.
| Stat | Player | Team | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | Gary Gait | Philadelphia | 43 |
| Assists | Jim Veltman | Buffalo | 40 |
| Points | John Tavares | Buffalo | 81 |
| Penalty Minutes | Tom Phair | Buffalo | 53 |
| Shots on Goal | Gary Gait | Philadelphia | 126 |
| Loose Balls | Jim Veltman | Buffalo | 125 |
| Save Pct | Pat O'Toole | Buffalo | 76.3 |
Regular Season
| Home Team | Home Games | Average Attendance | Total Attendance[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bandits | 5 | 14,883 | 74,419 |
| Philadelphia Wings | 5 | 14,644 | 73,222 |
| Boston Blazers | 5 | 8,358 | 41,792 |
| New York Saints | 5 | 7,916 | 39,579 |
| Rochester Knighthawks | 5 | 7,376 | 36,881 |
| Baltimore Thunder | 5 | 4,987 | 24,934 |
| Charlotte Cobras | 5 | 2,760 | 13,802 |
| League | 35 | 7,991 | 279,695 |
Playoffs
| Home Team | Home Games | Average Attendance | Total Attendance[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bandits | 2 | 15,333 | 30,665 |
| Philadelphia Wings | 1 | 12,092 | 12,092 |
| League | 3 | 14,252 | 42,757 |
- "National Lacrosse League - 1996 Regular Season - Standings". NLL.com. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
- "1996 Season". nllstats.com. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
