Les Bartley
Encyclopedia
Les Bartley was a renowned lacrosse
coach
. He led the Buffalo Bandits
to 3 of their 4 championships in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL), and won 4 more championships with the Toronto Rock
in the renamed National Lacrosse League
(NLL).
0-3, Bandits head coach Buff McCready was fired, and Bartley was given the job of head coach. He then led the team on a 22-game winning streak and MILL championships in 1992 and 1993. The streak included the entire 1993 season
, during which the Bandits were 8-0, the only undefeated season in NLL/MILL history. The streak came to an end on February 19, 1994.
Bartley's only losing season as a professional lacrosse coach came in the 1995 season
after going 3-5. In 1996
, he coached the Bandits to their third championship in the MILL. After the 1997 season
, Les left the Bandits after leading them to a 36-13 record in six seasons.
franchise: the Ontario Raiders
, who played in Copps Coliseum
in Hamilton, Ontario
. Bartley, a native of nearby St. Catharines, Ontario
, helped get the new franchise off the ground. In 1999, the Ontario Raiders moved to Toronto and became the Toronto Rock
. Les coached the Rock to four championships in five years.
In November 2003, Les gave up his role of Coach and General Manager of the Rock to fight colon cancer
, though he maintained the title of Vice-President of the Rock. Prior to the 2005 season
, Bartley, who worked as a General Motors union representative until retiring
in 2004, lent his labour negotiation expertise to the league, helping to reach a collective bargaining
agreement with the NLL players' association
. On May 9, 2005, Bartley was named by the NLL as its Executive of the Year
.
Less than a week later, on May 15, 2005, Les Bartley died at his home in St. Catharines after his 18-month battle with cancer. Bartley was 51. He died 18 hours after the Toronto Rock won their 5th NLL Championship.
In recognition of Bartley's contribution to the NLL and his success as a coach, the NLL renamed the annual Coach of the Year award as the Les Bartley Award
. Fittingly, two of the first recipients of the renamed award were Derek Keenan of the Portland Lumberjax in 2006 and Ed Comeau of the Rochester Knighthawks in 2007, both former assistants of Bartley in Toronto.
In June 2005, the National Lacrosse League announced that Bartley would be a Charter member of the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame
. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 2006 NLL All-Star Game
in Toronto.
In March 2007, the Toronto Rock announced a new award in honour of Bartley. The Les Bartley Award
(not to be confused with the Les Bartley Award given by the league) will be "given annually to the Rock player that best exemplifies Les' emphasis on the importance of character and commitment to the team".
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. He led the Buffalo Bandits
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, until the MILL turned into the NLL in 1998....
to 3 of their 4 championships in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL), and won 4 more championships with the Toronto Rock
Toronto Rock
The Toronto Rock is a lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The Rock of the late 1990s / early 2000s has been called a dynasty, having won five NLL championships in seven years. From 1999 to 2003, the Rock appeared in an NLL-record...
in the renamed National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
(NLL).
Buffalo Bandits
Bartley became the assistant coach of the Bandits in 1992. When the team started off the 1992 season1992 MILL season
-Awards:-All-Pro Teams:First Team:*Gary Gait, Detroit*Paul Gait, Detroit*Dave Pietramala, Pittsburgh*Rick Sowell, Baltimore*John Tucker, Philadelphia*Sal LoCascio, New York Second Team:*Jeff Jackson, Baltimore*Derek Keenan, Buffalo...
0-3, Bandits head coach Buff McCready was fired, and Bartley was given the job of head coach. He then led the team on a 22-game winning streak and MILL championships in 1992 and 1993. The streak included the entire 1993 season
1993 MILL season
The 1993 Major Indoor Lacrosse League season began on January 9, 1993 and concluded with the championship game on April 10. 1993 saw the only undefeated season in the history of the MILL/NLL; the Buffalo Bandits won all eight of their regular season games, then defeated Boston in the Divisional...
, during which the Bandits were 8-0, the only undefeated season in NLL/MILL history. The streak came to an end on February 19, 1994.
Bartley's only losing season as a professional lacrosse coach came in the 1995 season
1995 MILL season
The 1995 Major Indoor Lacrosse League season began on January 7, 1995 and concluded with the championship game on April 8, 1995.-Team Movement:1995 featured the debut of the Rochester Knighthawks to the MILL, replacing the Detroit Turbos.-Regular season:...
after going 3-5. In 1996
1996 MILL season
-Awards:-Weekly Awards:Each week, a player is awarded "Player of the Week" honours.-Monthly Awards:An award is also given out monthly for the best overall player.-All-Pro Teams:First Team:*Gary Gait, Philadelphia*Paul Gait, Rochester...
, he coached the Bandits to their third championship in the MILL. After the 1997 season
1997 MILL season
-Awards:-Weekly Awards:Each week, a player is awarded "Player of the Week" honours.-Monthly Awards:An award is also given out monthly for the best overall player.-All-Pro Teams:First Team:*Gary Gait, Philadelphia*Paul Gait, Rochester...
, Les left the Bandits after leading them to a 36-13 record in six seasons.
Toronto Rock
When the MILL became the NLL in 1998, the league added its first CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
franchise: the Ontario Raiders
Ontario Raiders
The Ontario Raiders were a member of the National Lacrosse League during the 1998 NLL season. The Raiders played at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. After only one season in Hamilton, the franchise was moved to Toronto, becoming the Toronto Rock....
, who played in Copps Coliseum
Copps Coliseum
Copps Coliseum is a sports and entertainment arena, on the corner of Bay Street North and York Boulevard, in Hamilton, Ontario. Depending on event, the Copps Coliseum has a capacity of up to 19,000.It is named after the former Hamilton mayor, Victor K...
in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. Bartley, a native of nearby St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
, helped get the new franchise off the ground. In 1999, the Ontario Raiders moved to Toronto and became the Toronto Rock
Toronto Rock
The Toronto Rock is a lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The Rock of the late 1990s / early 2000s has been called a dynasty, having won five NLL championships in seven years. From 1999 to 2003, the Rock appeared in an NLL-record...
. Les coached the Rock to four championships in five years.
In November 2003, Les gave up his role of Coach and General Manager of the Rock to fight colon cancer
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....
, though he maintained the title of Vice-President of the Rock. Prior to the 2005 season
2005 NLL season
The 2005 National Lacrosse League season began on January 1, 2005 and concluded with the championship game on May 14. The Toronto Rock won their fifth NLL championship, defeating the Arizona Sting 19-13 in Toronto....
, Bartley, who worked as a General Motors union representative until retiring
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
in 2004, lent his labour negotiation expertise to the league, helping to reach a collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
agreement with the NLL players' association
Professional Lacrosse Players' Association
The Professional Lacrosse Players' Association is the trade union of players in indoor lacrosse's National Lacrosse League....
. On May 9, 2005, Bartley was named by the NLL as its Executive of the Year
National Lacrosse League Executive of the Year Award
The Executive of the Year Award is given annually to the National Lacrosse League executive who is chosen as having the most positive impact on his or her team.-Past winners:...
.
Less than a week later, on May 15, 2005, Les Bartley died at his home in St. Catharines after his 18-month battle with cancer. Bartley was 51. He died 18 hours after the Toronto Rock won their 5th NLL Championship.
Legacy
Bartley led the Rock to a 51-19 record in five seasons in the NLL, and 9-1 in the post-season. His overall record of 93-38 (.709) in the regular season is second all-time. Only current Buffalo Bandits coach Darris Kilgour has more. His 18-4 (.818) record in the playoffs is the most wins of any coach in NLL history.In recognition of Bartley's contribution to the NLL and his success as a coach, the NLL renamed the annual Coach of the Year award as the Les Bartley Award
Les Bartley Award
The Les Bartley Award is given annually to the National Lacrosse League head coach of the year. The award was simply called the Head Coach of the Year award until 2004, when the award was renamed in honour of Les Bartley, the winningest coach in NLL history....
. Fittingly, two of the first recipients of the renamed award were Derek Keenan of the Portland Lumberjax in 2006 and Ed Comeau of the Rochester Knighthawks in 2007, both former assistants of Bartley in Toronto.
In June 2005, the National Lacrosse League announced that Bartley would be a Charter member of the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame
National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame
The National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame was established on June 16, 2005. The National Lacrosse League has 7 teams in the United States and 3 in Canada...
. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 2006 NLL All-Star Game
National Lacrosse League All-Star Game
National Lacrosse League All Star Game is a lacrosse game played each year between two teams representing the two divisions of the National Lacrosse League .-1991 :...
in Toronto.
In March 2007, the Toronto Rock announced a new award in honour of Bartley. The Les Bartley Award
Les Bartley Award (Toronto Rock)
The Les Bartley Award is an award given annually by the Toronto Rock lacrosse team. The award was established during the 2007 season, and is named in honour of the late Les Bartley, the former GM, head coach, and vice president of the Toronto Rock during their reign as one of the top teams in the...
(not to be confused with the Les Bartley Award given by the league) will be "given annually to the Rock player that best exemplifies Les' emphasis on the importance of character and commitment to the team".
External links
- Les's Fund
- Remembering Les (an obituary at the NLL website)