John Gurtler Named Tom Borrelli Award Winner for Media Person of the Year; Jason Thorne Named Executive of the Year
May 12, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL) News Release
PHILADELPHIA - The National Lacrosse League (NLL) today announced two major award winners as part of its 2024-25 season honors. John Gurtler, the long-time play-by-play voice of the Buffalo Bandits, has been named the recipient of the Tom Borrelli Award for Media Person of the Year, while Jason Thorne, Vice President of Business Operations for the Vancouver Warriors, has been named the League's Executive of the Year.
Gurtler, who has been the voice of Bandits since 2004, has called more than 400 consecutive games, becoming a familiar and trusted presence for fans in Buffalo and across the League. As the voice of the Bandits on WWKB-AM, ESPN and TSN broadcasts, Gurtler has become synonymous with the team's identity. The award is named in honor of Tom Borrelli, a beloved journalist who covered the Bandits for The Buffalo News until his passing in 2008.
Thorne receives the Executive of the Year honor in his first full season with the Warriors, having joined the organization in February 2024. Under his leadership, the Warriors' ticketing and marketing efforts saw dramatic growth, culminating in record attendance numbers and a heightened presence in the Vancouver community. Vancouver finished 11- 7 this season reaching the NLL semifinals.
Additional NLL award winners will be announced throughout the week. See the schedule below:
Tuesday, May 13 - Sportsmanship Award and Teammate of the Year
Wednesday, May 14 - General Manager of the Year and Les Bartley Award
Thursday, May 15 - Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Transition Player of the Year, Goaltender of the Year
Friday, May 16 - Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, First Team All-NLL, Second Team All-NLL, All-Rookie Team
National Lacrosse League Stories from May 12, 2025
- Gurtler Wins Tom Borrelli Media Person of the Year - Buffalo Bandits
- Bandits to Host "Party in the Plaza" Ahead of NLL Finals Game 1 on Friday, May 16 - Buffalo Bandits
- John Gurtler Named Tom Borrelli Award Winner for Media Person of the Year; Jason Thorne Named Executive of the Year - NLL
- Colorado's Connor Kelly Holds Down Right Side During Second Season with Mammoth - Colorado Mammoth
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