Les Bartley

A few Les Bartley lacrosse highlights

- Born in 1954
- played junior lacrosse, was "a hard-nosed defender"
- coached both box (indoor) and field lacrosse teams in St. Catharines
1990 - drove to watch NLL games in Pittsburgh
1992 - 1997
- Buffalo Bandits joined the NLL, 38 year old Bartley almost tried out but decided it was a few years too late
- Bartley joins Buffalo as an unpaid scout
- Buffalo starts out 0-3, Bartley was quickly thrown in as coach and Buffalo won their first game
- Bartley started his coaching career by winning 22 consecutive games including championship wins in 92 and 93 (Buffalo went undefeated in 1993)
- Led Buffalo to the championship games in 94, 96 and 97 ... winning his third NLL title in 1996
1998
- made hard decision to leave Buffalo for an expansion team in Hamilton (Ontario Raiders)
- Hamilton finished 8-8, missed the playoffs on tie-breaker with Buffalo
1999 - Hamilton moves to Toronto and becomes the Rock, Bartley wins his 4th NLL title as coach
2000 - 2003
- Bartley leads Toronto to the championship game 4 more times, winning in 2000, 2002 and 2003
- Bartley won his 7th NLL title after just 12 years of coaching
- Led team Canada to GOLD in the inaugural World Indoor Lacrosse Championships
Fall 2003-2004
- was diagnosed with cancer, gave up his coaching and general manager duties to fight the dreaded disease
- Bartley appears at Rock game, near sellout ACC crowd gives him a well deserved standing ovation
- Les' Fund Initiative (LFI) is started by Jarrett Harris to raise awareness and funds under Les' name ... Bartley backs Jare and helps any way he can
- NLL renames the award given to the coach of the year to the Les Bartley trophy
- Bartley is seen enjoying OLA games throughout the summer, including the MANN Cup finals in Peterborough
- Bartley makes appearance at the Rock season kick-off party
2005
- Bartley becomes Vice President of the Rock and serves on the NLL's labor committee
- things get worse, Bartley is forced to watch 2005 Rock games on TV
- Bartley wins executive of the year, largely for his part in reaching a new 3 year CBA with the players association prior to the 2005 season
- Bartley watches on TV as his Rock wins the 2005 championship ... Bartley wins his 8th NLL title (this time as an executive)
- the morning after "the team that Bartley built" won their 5th NLL title in 7 years, Les passed away ...

Recent Les Bartley Articles

May 19 - NLL.com
FROM EXPANSION TO DYNASTY
May 18 - NLL.com
FAMILY WAS BARTLEY'S "FIRST TEAM"
May 17 - Toronto Sun
A great human being
May 16 - NLL.com
BARTLEY: FROM UNPAID SCOUT TO COACHING LEGEND
May 16 - NLL.com
REMEMBERING LES
May 16 - Canadian Press
Service held in memory of Bartley
May 16 - Toronto Sun
Former Rock coach dies
May 16 - TSN.ca
Les Bartley succumbs to colon cancer
May 16 - Buffalo News
Ex-Bandits coach Bartley dies of cancer
May 16 - sportsnet.ca
"O Captain! My Captain!"
May 16 - Outsider's Guide
Les Bartley, 51, loses battle with cancer
May 15 - Toronto Sun
Honouring Bartley
May 15 - Toronto Star
Bartley made Toronto Rock-solid
May 9 - NLL.com
BARTLEY NAMED EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR