Sports, Ink

Considering the parity in the National Lacrosse League this season, we all expected an unusual playoff run. But the championship game ought to be memorable if only for its location.

The Washington Stealth will host the Rochester Knighthawks on Saturday night. But the game won't be played in the Stealth's usual arena. It's booked for the weekend. It won't even be played in the United States. The Stealth opted to move its game to Langley, British Columbia, where some NLL exhibition games will be played. I believe the building holds about 5,500, and it will be interesting to see how many fans make the drive up.

Plan B was moving the game back to Rochester. About six years ago, Rochester's arena was booked for the night of the final, and the Knighthawks couldn't find a location in upstate New York. So it was off to Phoenix. This time, the NLL Board of Governors accepted Langley as a suitable location.

I like the way Rochester is playing defense right now, so I'd have to lean toward the Knighthawks. If you remember, Rochester and Washington opened the season against each other out West, and now they get to close the show.

Elsewhere, some of you may know that I have a Bandits' history web site. When I first started covering the team, I realized I didn't know anything about the history of the franchise ... and there was no place to find the information. Therefore, I wrote it myself.

Updating it each year is something of a fun assignment, in part because I have the chance to include a few videos. Makes the story-telling part a little different. Feel free to visit it at: http://banditshistory.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-2012-13-season.html

And tell your lacrosse-loving friends.

--- Budd Bailey

6:53 p.m. - What more could you ask from a lacrosse game? Everything on the line for both teams. A record crowd in the house.

OK, maybe the weather could be warmer. But the Bandits and Knighthawks are ready to go at 7:30 p.m. If you aren't here, you can watch the game on the CBS Sports Network.

As you hopefully read today, the Bandits are out of the playoffs if they lose tonight. They will play Philadelphia somewhere in the first round if they win. Rochester wraps up a playoff spot with a win, but would need help from Minnesota if it loses.

The biggest news out of the morning shootaround was the calf injury of John Tavares. He did not fully participate in the workout, and was questionable for tonight's game. We'll see if you pops up on the list of scratches.

Darris Kilgour said he expects Anthony Cosmo will be in goal tonight, barring any complications from his concussion from two weeks ago.

7:13 p.m. - Scratches are full of surprises. Tavares is in the lineup, and Kurtis Wagar is in the starting lineup. Hmmm. Steve Priolo, who was supposed to have a hearing on his league suspension, is also playing.

Luke Wiles, Derek Hopcroft and Hayden Smith will sit.

7:26 p.m. - The Bandits just introduced their fan of their year. Words fail me in trying to describe his suit.

7:31 p.m. - Just retweeted a photo of the suit @WDX2BB, so take a look. And if you aren't following me, you can help me get to 200 followers (I'm at 199).

7:38 p.m. - Bandits had a moment of silence for those who affected by events in Boston.

7:47 p.m. - Can't ask for a better start out of Buffalo. Bandits lead, 2-0. D. Smith and Wilson with the goals. And as I type, Craig Point narrows the lead to 2-1.

7:56 p.m. - Shawn Williams and Dhane Smith have the lead up to 4-1.

8:01 p.m. - Matt Vinc has faced seven shots so far and made three saves. Buffalo has 4-2 lead at the TV timeout.

8:12 p.m. - John Tavares' goal was wiped out after review. We are tied, 4-4, after 15 minutes. Rochester has to feel relatively good about taking a shot early in the game in terms of the energy of the full house, and coming back to tie.

8:22 p.m. - This game definitely has settled down. There hasn't been much action in the first five minutes of the second period. Have to think that would help the Knighthawks.

8:27 p.m. - Matt Vinc has broken the NLL record for saves in a season. He went past 644 by Rob Blasdell  of Albany in 2002. Consider yourself a trivia expert if you knew that and didn't live in Rochester. 

8:32 p.m. - Dan Dawson has scored two goals in a row for the Knighthawks. That makes it 6-4, Rochester. And that's five straight goals for the Knighthawks.

8:38 p.m. - Bandits have given up runs of 11 goals in a row, 9 and 8. Rochester is at six and counting.

8:39 p.m. - Power-play goal by Wilson puts an end to that streak. Buffalo needed that one badly.

8:43 p.m. - We go to halftime with Rochester leading, 7-5. I go to the radio booth for an interview with John Gurtler.

9:02 p.m. - We're back. Buffalo could use the boost of a power-play goal to start the third quarter.

9:07 p.m. - They got that power-play goal, Shawn Williams dribbling one in. It's 7-6 with 9:39 left in the third quarter. Bandits playing with a little more energy. And now, in tribute to Mike Harrington, we have the blooper reel on the video board.

9:17 p.m. - Hat trick for Craig Point, who has been outstanding for the Knighthawks. It's 8-6 with 4:50 to go in third quarter.

9:25 p.m. - Billy Dee Smith just ran over a Rochester player on a two-on-one break and scored to cut the lead to 8-7.

9:28 p.m. - Joel McCready increases the Knighthawks lead to 9-7 after three quarters.

9:38 p.m. - Bandits trail, 10-8, with 9:52 to go.

9:53 p.m. - Two minutes left, and it's still 10-8. Time is now a factor, as the cliche goes.

9:58 p.m. - Steenhuis goal isn't enough. Bandits lose 10-9. Season is over.

11:51 p.m. - My two stories on the game will be posted on line in the near future. (The notebook features a conversation with John Tavares about his future.) Short version - after a good start, the Bandits had a long stretch where they couldn't get enough done. They rallied in the end but fell short. If this sounds like a description of the entire season, you are thinking like I'm thinking.

For those of you wondering, Darris Kilgour said he saw signs of progress at the end and hopes he's lucky enough to take on the challenge of continuing the rebuilding the team as head coach next season. I don't think 6-10 and missing the playoffs will go over well in a town with such good fan support. Could be an active offseason, although it will be too long for everyone's tastes.

It's been another interesting season. I appreciate the kind words of readers/fans throughout the season. Let's do it again in January.

--- Budd Bailey

The weekend is over for National Lacrosse League teams, and the situation has become clearer for the Buffalo Bandits. Their playoff hopes have been reduced to slim, and none might arrive before we know it. Here's a recap:

There were five teams entering this weekend that were stuck on five wins for the season. Four of them won a game - Philadelphia, Rochester, Minnesota and Colorado. Buffalo did not, getting thumped by Minnesota. In Sunday play, Toronto beat Rochester while Philadelphia ended a losing streak with a win over Minnesota.

Let's then start with the obvious in looking at some of the playoff possibilities. If the Bandits lose their two remaining games, their postseason hopes are dead. They'll be at 5-11.

What's more, Buffalo could be done as early as Saturday night. If the Bandits lose to Washington while Rochester beats Calgary, Buffalo could do no better than 6-10 while Rochester would have seven wins with two to play. Philadelphia could lose its last two but win a tiebreaker with Buffalo if both were 6-10.

And ... in the crossover, either Minnesota and Colorado, which play against each other in their last two games, still could finish 6-10. Even so, Colorado would have the tiebreaker on Buffalo if both had 6-10 records because of head-to-head results. Minnesota would have the edge on goal differential in head-to-head games. The Bandits and Swarm split their two games, and they did not play any teams the same number of times (for example, Buffalo played Toronto three times and Minnesota played Toronto twice).

A Buffalo win over Washington and a loss to Rochester would have the same effect. The Bandits would be 6-10, and still lose tiebreakers to Philadelphia (assuming two losses there) and either Minnesota or Colorado.

Need some good news? If Buffalo loses to Washington and beats Rochester, it would finish 6-10. If the Knighthawks finished 6-10 (losses to Calgary and Edmonton as well), the Bandits would win a tiebreaker because it had won three of four with Rochester.

If I'm reading the rules right -- if Rochester, Philadelphia and Buffalo all finished 6-10, the Bandits would have a 4-3 record against the other two, Philadelphia would be 3-3 and Rochester would be 3-4. That would give Buffalo second place in the division - which would give it a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

Bet you didn't see that coming.

If the Bandits finish 7-9, they still could be behind both Philadelphia and Rochester if those two teams swept. Buffalo would win a tiebreaker from Rochester but lose it to Philadelphia. In case of a three-way tie, the Bandits again would again have the best head-to-head record against the other two teams and take second.

OK, the Bandits don't look as if they are capable of beating anyone right now. Traveling 2,600 miles to play a team that has a chance at first place in the West will make it more difficult.

The Bandits have a pulse. But it's faint. Very faint.

--- Budd Bailey

I won't try to comment on the particulars of Saturday's loss by the Bandits in Minnesota, since I didn't see any of it. (We have a paper to put out.) But you probably know the ugly statistical notes.

The worst loss in team history. The longest losing streak in team history (they also lost six in a row last year). The most consecutive losing seasons in team history (two). The most consecutive goals allowed in a game (11) since 2008 - as far back as I have records.

The Bandits are obviously in free fall, and seem incapable of winning a game right now - but it only takes one game to change that. That needs to happen from a Buffalo standpoint, because the news wasn't good around the rest of the league either on Saturday.

Colorado surprised Edmonton, and Rochester beat Philadelphia. That means Buffalo and Philadelphia are the only five-win teams in the league, and the Wings have the tiebreaker and a game in hand.

Buffalo's opponent next week, Washington, won in Calgary Saturday night. So the Stealth, Edmonton and Calgary are all tied for the lead at 8-6 in the West. That means Washington has plenty to play for next week when the Bandits visit.

One other issue of interest - one story out of Minnesota indicated Anthony Cosmo was injured. It's never helpful to have your number one goalie out at times like these, although we'll have to see what his status is for the coming games.

Two games are on the Sunday slate. Rochester is at Toronto, and Bandits fans should be rooting for the Rock in that one. The Knighthawks want to make the season-ending game here meaningless in terms of the playoffs if at all possible. Meanwhile, Minnesota is at Philadelphia. Both teams will be tired in playing an afternoon game. A Buffalo-Minnesota tiebreaker is difficult to figure at the moment, since the season series is tied. Someone will gain ground on the Bandits, though.

We'll know a little more tomorrow. The coming week, meanwhile, will give us time to ponder what is turning into an historic collapse.

--- Budd Bailey

6:44 p.m. -- It's Good Friday, which means it's something of a holiday in Toronto. The Bandits and Rock are about to get ready to play an important game in the Air Canada Centre.

Both teams ought to be in a bad mood tonight. The Bandits got spanked by Edmonton on Saturday night. Then the Rush turned right around the next afternoon and clobbered the Rock. Both sides, then, are interested in righting the ship. It's more important for the Bandits, since they are in the midst of a playoff fight. Any win would be appreciated after losing four in a row.

As usual as of late, some of the pregame drama centers on the Bandits lineup. The scratches were announced as Mike McNamara, Jamie Rooney and Hayden Smith. Luke Wiles has supposedly been activated off the practice squad, but there's no official word of that yet. We should see the official lineup soon. Someone would have to be dropped off the roster to make room for Wiles if the story is true.

Speaking of roster moves, old friend Mike Thompson has been signed to a one-year contract by Philadelphia. He was prompted put on the holdout list, proving once again that the word "holdout" has different meanings than it does in other sports. Nick Cotter went on the holdout list when the Bandit took a hit to the head at home recently.

As for the Rock, it plays Rochester tomorrow. Two wins this weekend would wrap up the East. After winning five of six, Toronto has gone 3-3. The Rock plays nothing but East teams the rest of the way, including one game with Phliadelphia and another one with Rochester here.  So clearly, Toronto will have something to say about the playoff race.

Tonight's game is on espn3.com, as it is being broadcast by TSN here in Canada and picked up in the U.S. by ESPN. Youtube is not showing the game in North America.

Lots going on this weekend, with Canisius and Niagara in the NCAA hockey tournament. Meanwhile, of interest to, well, Syracuse grads, the NCAA basketball tournament continues through Sunday. But, the game in front of us ought to be worth our time.

7:02 p.m. - There's a familiar name on the Rock. Roger Vyse, the ex-Bandit, is playing in his first game with Toronto. Good guy.

7:07 p.m. -- Dropping the first ball tonight - Roberto Alomar. Wonder if he has ever seen a game?

Luke Wiles is dressed and in the lineup. We'll see if we can find out how he got there.

7:13 p.m. - Glen Bryan scored a short-handed goal for Buffalo, followed by a good-sized scrum behind the Toronto net. Guess we were right to figure these teams would be a in a bad mood after last weekend.

7:16 p.m. - Not much room in the penalty box.

7:23 p.m. - Another scrum has broken out, with the score 2-1 Toronto with 8:14 left in the period. Looks like Derek Hopcroft and his dance partner will be sitting for a while.

The answer to the Wiles roster spot is probably the obvious one - I assume Chad Culp has gone on injured reserve. The league as a whole sometimes doesn't do a great job of keeping everyone informed of roster moves.

7:32 p.m. - It's still 2-1, Toronto with 4:55 left in the quarter. Shots are 12-7 for the Rock, perhaps because of power play time.

7:37 p.m. - Wiles already has two minor penalties, and seems frustrated. It's now 4-1, Toronto.

7:40 p.m. - Dhane Smith gets one back for the Bandits near the end of the quarter. Buffalo trails, 4-2. I'm not sure if Dhane Smith is the most valuable player on the team, but the rookie has been very consistent this season.

7:52 p.m. - Still 9:49 left in the second quarter, and the Rock has a 6-4 lead. Buffalo got it down to 5-4 on goals by Hopcroft and Hominuck, but Bill Greer replied for Toronto right of the faceoff. Refs are calling a lot of penalties, and the Buffalo bench got a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty while the team was on a delayed penalty.

8:00 p.m. - While we wait for a review of a Buffalo goal, the arena has played an entire dance mix of a song. Bad news for the Bandits at the end, as it was waved off. Still 6-4.

8:05 p.m. - Nothing new on the scoresheet for a change lately. Toronto still lead 6-4.

8:15 p.m. - We had a bit of a flurry in the final minutes of the half. Shawn Williams's low shot beat Nick Rose with 1.1 seconds left to narrow the margin to 7-6, Toronto. John Tavares had scored with 12:29 gone in the period. Considering Buffalo's penalty problems, it has to be relatively happy to only be down a goal.

8;33 p.m. - We're back in action, and Colin Doyle has already scored for the Rock (18 seconds).

8:37 p.m. - Danger time for the Bandits. Toronto has scored three goals in 3:39 to take a 10-6 lead. Buffalo has come out a bit flat.

8:40 p.m. - Make it four straight Toronto goals to start the period. Wagar in for Cosmo in the Buffalo net.

8:41 p.m. - Doesn't help. Five in a row, 12-6. And shots are 40-23, Toronto.

8:43 p.m. - This is the fourth straight game that Wagar has come on in relief of Cosmo. In fairness, one of them was the home game in Toronto, when Wagar came on after the line brawl.

8:49 p.m. -- When it goes badly ... Shawn Williams' apparent score is wiped out after a review.

8:56 p.m. - Toronto adds a short-handed goal, and then Wiles picks up two minors and Billy Dee Smith gets a slashing minor after the goal. I'd say it's going to be a long bus ride back to Buffalo, but most of the guys live in Ontario.

9:02 p.m. .- Third quarter mercifully ends, with Toronto up, 14-6. The Rock had a 7-0 edge in the thrid quarter. The Bandits don't keep a record for being outscored in a quarter, However, that matches the worst total by a Buffalo team since 2006. It was last done by Rochester in 2009. Ugly, ugly, ugly.

9:11 p.m. - Not getting any better as Toronto is ahead by 17-8. The 17 goals allowed is a season high for the Bandits.

9:23 p.m. - Just playing out the string here. It's 18-10 with 3:09 left.

9;32 p.m. - Mercifully over with an 18-11 final.

--- Budd Bailey

I was tempted to steal from the most famous line in rock music literary criticism ("I have seen rock and roll future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen") after watching the Edmonton-Bandits game Saturday night. The Rush were so big, and so athletic, that I thought I was watching the future of indoor lacrosse. It was a clinic. Edmonton came back a day later, meaning this afternoon, and jumped out on Toronto just like it did Saturday. The Rush coasted home a winner, 17-12. Edmonton and Calgary are now in the playoffs.

As for the Bandits, I've spent a little of the afternoon looking up a few statistical nuggets for my own curiosity. Things come to mind in a game like Saturday's.

* The Bandits have lost five in a row at home (my mistake yesterday). Buffalo has only lost five home games in a season once before, in 1999 - in a six-game home slate. The Bandits lost the last four that year, and then lost the opener for five in a row. Therefore, this year's team has tied the all-time record for consecutive home losses.

One other fact in that department - Bandits haven't been above .500 at home for a whole season since 2009.

* Edmonton's 22-9 edge in shots in the first period was impressive, but it wasn't by any means a Buffalo team record for shot differential in a quarter. I went back to 2012, and found that Calgary had an 18-3 edge in the fourth quarter of its game last March.  

By the way, the Bandits had a 22-5 edge in Rochester last March. That's their biggest margin on their side in the last two seasons. It is relatively unusual to outshoot someone by more than 10 shots in a period.

Meanwhile, Edmonton had a 22-8 edge on Toronto in the first quarter today. Wow.

* Edmonton seemed to get most of the loose balls that mattered Saturday night. My guess is that the totals vary wildly by who is keeping the stats, but here are some figures that may surprise.

The Bandits lost the loose ball battle Saturday night by 96-76. That difference of 20 isn't even a high for this year; Philadelphia had an 88-66 edge on opening night. However, Buffalo had had a deficit in loose balls by at least 18 in five different games this season. That's a heck of a disadvantage over the course of a season.

Last year, Buffalo only lost one loose ball count by at least 10, but it was a whopper. In the season's final game in Washington, the Stealth piled up a 97-49 edge. How dd that one make it to overtime?

--- Budd Bailey

6:45 p.m. - What was that Newton said about objects in motion? I think it was something about how they tend to remain in motion.

Wonder if that Newton fellow knew much about indoor lacrossse, because we have two teams flying in opposite directions tonight. The Bandits have lost three in a row, while the Edmonton Rush has won three in a row. The Bandits want to change direction, the Rush do not.

And that's the setting for tonight's game. It's a big one for the Bandits, who are facing a three-game road trip after this. When you are but one game ahead of the last-place squads in the league, the margin for error is small.

The lineup for the Bandits already looks interesting. Nick Cotter has been placed on the physically unable to perform list. That has opened up a roster spot, and it has been taken by Alex Kedoh-Hill. (Note: I've seen his name as Alex-Kedoh Hill, Alex "Kedoh" Hill, and Alex Kedoh-Hill. I'll stick with the latter from now on - unless I hear otherwise.) Hill came over from the Knighthawks for Scott Self just before the deadline.

Meanwhile Chad Culp and Carter Bender are also hurting, according to coach Darris Kilgour. Billy Dee Smith will miss tonight's game because of a suspension from the Colorado home game. He dropped his appeal.

I saw Tracey Kelusky participate in the morning shootaround. He said his injury was coming around, and that he was almost healed. Kelusky is on injured reserve.

Cheap plug for a reason department: I wrote up a imaginary conversation between the Bandits' Steve Dietrich and his Toronto counterpart about the deal that brought Dietrich's rights back to Buffalo. I saw Dietrich at practice this morning, and said I hoped he got a laugh out of it. He said he did, adding that he liked the idea of it taking three players and two draft choices to get his rights. Dietrich also said he has no plans to return to active duty. I bring it up because you'll like Kilgour's reaction to the trade; it's in Sunday's notebook in the newspaper.

The Bandits are wearing special uniforms tonight. They will be auctioned off later to raise money for the fight against cancer. The pink trim isn't bad against the black uniforms.

You can watch tonight's game on line through nll.com, which has a link to the You Tube's Lacrosse Network. Or you can listen to the game on 1520 AM. When this game is over, you can listen to Syracuse's basketball win over California on that same station. Note: That last part may turn out to be wishful thinking. Blame March Madness.

7:17 p.m. - It's been pointed out that this is Jordan Critch's first career game with the Bandits. He is one of the team's second-round draft choices. (Thank you, Alan.)

7:33 p.m. - Interesting how some good young players drafted by the Bandits have wound up in Edmonton - Jeremy Thomnpson, Chris Corbeil and Jeffr Cornwall.

7:47 p.m. - Edmonton is out to a 2-1 lead with about 10 minutes left in the quarter. The tiebreaking goal scored when Curtis Knight flipped the ball into the crease. Mike McNamara and Anthony Cosmo couldn't figure out who should pick the ball up, and it dribbled in. These things happen in a losing streak.

By the way, kudos to the sound man for playing "YYZ" by Rush when Edmonton took the floor. Good to hear one of my favorite bands in the building.

7:55 p.m. - Edmonton has done a great deal right already. Corey Small has a hat trick, and it's 5-2, Rush. Bandits have missed some passes, and Edmonton looks stocked with good athletes.

7:58 p.m. - Kurtis Wagar has come on in relief after Jarrett Davis scores to make it 6-2. Cosmo was far from sharp, but he hasn't gotten much help. By the way, Mark Matthews made a great pass across the crease to set up Davis' goal. I'm starting to see what the fuss is all about when it comes with the rookie. Shots are 18-7, Edmonton.

8:05 p.m. - Shots for the period ended up 22-8, which describes how the first period went. Buffalo might even be a bit lucky to be down by only four.

8:14 p.m. - Buffalo has cut down on the shots on goal in the first part of the second quarter. Bad news - Edmonton has scored on two of its three shots. Rush leads, 8-3.

8:21 p.m. - The game has calmed down a bit. Edmonton still has the five-goal lead, but the Bandits have settled down a bit. There is 5:11 left.

8:32 p.m. - Not much noise from the crowd at the end of the half. It's 9-4 Edmonton after two periods. Shots are 33-18.

8:56 p.m. - Bandits are showing a little life early in the second half. They have scored two straight goals to cut the lead to 10-6.

9:00 p.m. - It's still 10-6 with 5:53 left. Edmonton has gotten a little too fancy in its shots, trying to be flashy. Still, the Rush is hanging on to the four-goal lead.

9:11 p.m. - Dam has broken again. Edmonton has taken a 13-6 lead with a minute to go in the period. Cosmo back in.

9:25 p.m. - 16,629 are here tonight. OK, some have left. It';s 14-6 with 7:48 left.

9:19 p.m. - Still 13-6 with 12 minutes to go. At least the Bandits killed off a five-minute major.

9:38 p.m. - Bandits' misery, at least on the field, is over. It's a 14-7 final. Alex Kedoh-Hill's three goals are the only bright spot.

11:41 p.m. - Whew. When I left the arena at 10:20, the Bandits were still in a players-only meeting in their locker room. Buffalo has gone from 5-3 to 5-7 in no time at all, seemingly, and the Bandits are a half-game out of the overall basement.

Coach Darris Kilgour started his remarks tonight by saying, "We were in trouble from the first minute to the last minute." No argument.

There are only four games to turn things around, and the first three of them will be on the road. This could be quite a ride.

My stories will be posted soon. Thanks for following along.

--- Budd Bailey

The Buffalo Bandits have announced that they completed two more trades just before Wednesday's deadline. One of them, oddly enough, raises all sorts of comic possibilities.

The Bandits gave up a sixth-round draft choice in 2015 to Toronto for the rights to retired goaltender - and current Buffalo general manager - Steve Dietrich.

You read that correctly. Dietrich gave up a pick to acquire himself. Has that ever happened before in any sport? I guess it would be like Michael Jordan, now an owner of Charlotte of the NBA, picking up the rights to himself in a deal with Washington. (Note: I'm not sure if the Wizards still own his playing rights, so don't take me literally.)

I suppose it's possible that the Bandits wanted a third goaltender around in case of an emergency, and this was a solution. Still, you can probably write the news release himself, with Dietrich the GM saying how pleased he was to acquire a great player like this, and Dietrich the player saying he's thrilled to be with a top-notch organzation with such outstanding front-office leadership.

Meanwhile, the Bandits received a conditional third-round draft choice from Philadelphia in exchange for the rights to goalie Mike Thompson, who also has retired. This probably is another case of insurance from injury, suspension, etc.

The Bandits also confirmed the two other transactions completed on Wednesday involving Jim Purves and Scott Self. The roster must be set by tomorrow.

--- Budd Bailey

The last shoe has dropped for the Bandits at the trading deadline.

Buffalo dealt defenseman Scott Self to the Rochester Knighthawks for forward Alex-Kedoh Hill. The transaction has not been announced by the two teams or the league as of this writing (7:45 p.m.), but Self confirmed the trade by phone while driving to a Rochester practice.

Self is a veteran defenseman who spent almost three full seasons as a Bandit after coming over from Minnesota. He saw plenty of playing time here, and it remains to be seen how that gap will be filled.

Hill is a promising young player, but has been on the Knighthawks' practice squad. He was a standout over the summer for Six Nations in Ontario, where he played for Bandits' assistant coach Rich Kilgour.

Meanwhile, Derek Hopcroft has been added to Buffalo's active roster. He was acquired from Colorado for a draft pick in the offseason.

Check out the News on line later tonight and in Thursday's editions for Self's thoughts on the deal.

--- Budd Bailey

The Buffalo Bandits have traded transition player Jimmy Purves to the Rochester Knighthawks for a second-round draft choice.

Purves played in eight games for the Bandits this season. He had two goals, one assist and 26 penalty minutes.

"It's tough to make a trade. Everyone is so even," Bandits assistant coach Rich Kilgour said Wednesday afternoon. "But we need draft picks. Jimmy is young (22), but you have to give up something. I like Jimmy on the back door; he had that mean attitude. It's hard to see him go, but it's the business we're in."

Purves was a fifth-round draft choice of the Bandits in 2010. He played one game for Buffalo in 2011 and 12 in 2012.

Kilgour also said that Jay Thorimbert and John Tavares took part in Tuesday night's practice, and they probably will be able to play against the Colorado Mammoth in Denver on Saturday.

--- Budd Bailey