Bandits scoring leader Josh Byrne wins league MVP

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Bandits forward Josh Byrne was named Most Valuable Player in the National Lacrosse League on Friday after receiving the NLL’s first Offensive Player of the Year award the day before.

Before the reigning champion Bandits begin the NLL Finals on Friday night in Albany, the 30-year-old Byrne became the fourth Buffalo player to win MVP. He follows teammate Dhane Smith, who was also a finalist for this year’s award after winning in 2016 and 2022, Buffalo GM Steve Dietrich (2006), and Bandits coach John Tavares (1994, 2000, 2001).

Byrne led the NLL in points this season with 135, one more than Smith, in 18 games. His stellar 2023-24 campaign saw him set single-season career highs in points, as well as goals (53) and assists (82). In his sixth season with the Bandits, Byrne signed a five-year contract extension in January, which will keep him in Buffalo through the 2028-29 campaign.

Byrne was the only Bandit to make All-NLL first team, while Smith and Ian MacKay, a finalist for the Transition Player of the Year Award, were second-team selections. Connor Fields, a Bishop Timon graduate from East Amherst who played for the Bandits two seasons ago and is now a member of the Rochester Nighthawks was also named to the All-NLL second team.

The Bandits will shoot for back-to-back titles when they square off with the Albany FireWolves in the best-of-three NLL Finals, with Game 1 slated for Friday and Game 2 on Saturday. Both matchups will air on the CW23.

Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here .

Digital sports reporter Jonah Bronstein contributed.