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NLL Rochester Knighthawks

Knighthawks' Preseason Game Will Include NLL Hall of Fame Ceremony

September 13, 2013 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


The Rochester Knighthawks will ring in their 20th season by paying homage to one of their greatest goalies of all time. On Saturday, December 7th, the Knighthawks will host the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame Ceremony for Pat O'Toole prior to their preseason opener at The Blue Cross Arena.

"I am really excited for it. It's a fitting ending to my playing career, having it in Rochester," said O'Toole. "That's where the (best) years were spent. To be able to share it with the fans and the players is a true honor."

The Knighthawks will host the Minnesota Swarm at 8:00 p.m. in a preview of opening night, which is set for December 28th. Tickets for the preseason game are free and can be ordered by using the following Formstack link, http://www.formstack.com/forms/knighthawks-preseason. As an added benefit, fans will have a chance to win prizes, which will be raffled off throughout the game. For further information, fans can call the Rochester Knighthawks' office at (585) 454-4295.

Fans who would like to spend time with O'Toole can attend an exclusive VIP Reception at 6:00 p.m. in the upper atrium of The Blue Cross Arena. Tickets are just $15 each and include food, non-alcoholic drinks, as well as conversing and taking photos with O'Toole. Fans interested in attending the VIP Reception can contact the league via email at NLL@NLL.com or call (212) 764-1390 during regular business hours.

The Hall of Fame Ceremony will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the upper atrium lobbyThe ceremony and the game will be broadcast live on YouTube via The Lacrosse Network. O'Toole, who is the only member of the Class of 2013, will become the fifth goaltender and 21st member of the league's Hall of Fame.

"Everyone that was on the list had a fantastic career," said O'Toole when he notified of his selection. "To be the lone guy going in is shocking and a tremendous honor. Just to be recognized is unbelievable and something to be proud of."

O'Toole, who was known as "Toole Time," played 16 seasons in the league from 1995-2010, highlighted by 12 years with the Rochester Knighthawks and three seasons with the Buffalo Bandits. The 2003 NLL Goaltender of the Year made 6,464 saves, second-most in league history, in 204 regular season games, which are the 10th-most games played in NLL history. O'Toole won two championships as a player, first with Buffalo in 1996 when he was named title game MVP, and again with the Knighthawks in 2007.

Rochester's all-time franchise leader in wins (102) and saves (5,756), O'Toole posted a career record of 115-56 with an 11.40 goals against average and a .768 save percentage, while adding three goals and an NLL-record 136 assists. O'Toole had a 9-9 record in 23 career playoff games with six Championship Game appearances (1996-1997, 1999-2000, 2003 and 2007).

The Brampton, Ontario native currently serves as Rochester's goaltending coach and has now won back-to-back championships as a member of the team's coaching staff. O'Toole was inducted into the Knighthawks' Hall of Fame on March 30, 2013 as the 11th member and first goalie.

The three-time team MVP gave an unforgettable speech to the crowd before the Knighthawks took on the Toronto Rock and thanked the Rochester fans for supporting him throughout his career. The atmosphere during and after O'Toole's speech was electric inside The Blue Cross Arena and the Knighthawks went on to beat the Rock 12-8 that night.

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