Johnny Who?
Buffalo Bandits star nears scoring record, fights anonymity
by MATT KRUEGER Reporter

Buffalo Bandits assistant captain John Tavares is just six goals away from tying the National Lacrosse League record for career goals. He already holds league records for assists and points. Photo by Patrick McPartland

Pop quiz, hotshot - which professional athlete plays in Buffalo and is within shooting distance of taking command of every career scoring record in his league?

No, he's not a Sabre. He's not a Bill. And he's not even a Bison. It's none other than John Tavares of the Bandits, the forgotten franchise in Buffalo.

Using slick passes and aggressive play on offense throughout his 16-year career in the National Lacrosse League, Tavares has quietly broken record after record. Yet very few people know about it or have even heard of the 38-year-old star.

Tavares, a Toronto, Ontario native, will retire from the sport as the greatest offensive threat the league has ever seen, yet he probably wouldn't get recognized if he wore his own jersey to the Walden Galleria. That's what happens when you play for a sport way off the radar for many people.

"I'm not in Buffalo very much," Tavares said, adding he rarely gets recognized when he is. "I get the odd person if I go to the mall. It's nothing like football or hockey players. We're not in town enough. We only play eight home games and that's not a lot. We don't have a huge player-fan relation."

Already the holder of the National Lacrosse League's career points (1,233) and assists (643) records, Tavares is a mere seven goals away from breaking Gary Gait's goals record (596).

He has two chances to break that mark this season with a home-and-away series against the Rochester Knighthawks this weekend. The top two teams in the East Division will play Friday night at Buffalo's HSBC Arena and Saturday night at Rochester's Blue Cross Arena.

"We definitely want to see him get it, but Johnny's a very patient person," Bandits coach Darris Kilgour said. "He's not going to force it. He's not going to hurt the team trying to get his record. He's going to let it come to him. And I think he understands everyone here is going to work to get him that record. When it comes, it will be great and everyone will cheer for him. But, at the same time, he's being very smart about it. He's not trying to force things. And that's what the team needs."

The highly composed playmaker is a mainstay in the Buffalo locker room. One of the original Bandits, Tavares joined the team in 1991 through a trade from the Detroit Turbos. All 193 of his games came wearing the black and orange of Buffalo.

And while he's the oldest player on the roster, he continues to lead the team in every offensive category. For the season, Tavares has a league-best 56 assists, 97 points (97), 41 goals and five game-winning goals.

To the younger guys, like rookie Brett Bucktooth, Tavares is the gold standard for attackers.

"He's the best player in history, so it will be nice when he gets (the record), "Bucktooth said after scoring three goals in the Bandits' 15-5 win over the Arizona Sting Saturday. "But the thing about John is he's not really concerned about it. His main concern is winning games. If he gets the record, I'm sure we're all going to be proud of him. But he's the kind of guy, where as long as the team wins, that's all that matters."

Tavares was named NLL Player of the Month for March, as he led the Bandits to a 4-0 record with 15 goals, 16 assists and 19 loose balls. It was the ninth time in his career to earn that honor, which goes along with eight Player of the Week, eighth Overall Player of the Week and five Offensive Player of the Week awards. He's also been named the league MVP three times in 1994, 2000 and 2001.

But what Tavares considers his greatest accomplishments are the three championships the Bandits have won. Individual accomplishments, like the goals record he's chasing, mean far less.

"Honestly, I haven't really thought about it," he said. "I know it's there, but I'm not letting it affect my game. It's almost like I don't want to shoot as much. I'm not trying to break it. If I play enough games, I'll eventually break it, if not this year, then next year."

To find a comparison for Tavares in other sports, you have to look to the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth. Yes, he's that good. And like those other athletes, what makes Tavares better is his ability to lead others.

"He makes everybody on the floor better," said Kilgour, who played eight seasons with Tavares before taking over as coach. "If you work hard to get open, you'll definitely get the ball when Johnny's on the floor. He really looks to help his teammates and make them better players. That's what most great players do."

Obviously, Tavares has fewer days ahead of him in the league than behind. But even at 38, he's among the elite in the game. And even if the fans can't see the drop off in his game, he says its there.

"I've lost several steps, but I just have to make up for it in other areas," he said. "I have to make better decisions out there. I've never relied on speed and strength, so I'm playing the same game. I'm not as reckless to the net, I'm more conservative, making good decisions and capitalizing on my chances. I'm the same player I was five or six years ago. I've got at least a couple more years, I hope."

What makes the difference for Tavares, who signed a one-year contract with the Bandits this past October for $25,552, is his love for the game. He has outlasted so many players in the league, because of the thrill he still gets when taking the field.

"I'm not going to last another five years," said Bucktooth, who was eight years old when Tavares first signed with the Bandits. "He's in tremendous shape and he's young at heart and he plays the game like it."

e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com