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NLL Rochester Knighthawks

O'Toole to Join Knighthawks' Hall of Fame

March 15, 2013 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release


The man known affectionately as "Toole Time" can now add one more honor to his long list of career accomplishments: Hall of Famer. On Saturday, March 30th, Rochester Knighthawks great Pat O'Toole will become the 11th member, and first goalie, enshrined in the team's Hall of Fame.

The three-time team MVP will join an esteemed club that includes Duane "Dewey" Jacobs, Paul Gait, Tim Soudan, Regy Thorpe, Pat Cougevan, Jody Gage, Paul Day, Jeremy Hollenbeck, Mike Hasen and Randy Mearns (Mearnsi).

"It's a great honor to be selected and to go into the Hall of Fame. I remember my first game when I was going to the rink and you go in the dressing room and guys like Dewey, Mearnsi and all those guys were there. Now to be joining them and be on the same team again is a great honor," said O'Toole.

The 41-year-old husband and father of two is in his 15th season with the Knighthawks, which includes 12 seasons as a player. O'Toole arrived in Rochester after receiving a phone call 14 years ago that changed his life. It was from then Head Coach Paul Day and General Manager Jody Gage. The offer gave the Brampton, Ontario native another shot at playing pro lacrosse.

"I was sitting at home after one of the Rock games and didn't know what to think. I was still fairly young," said O'Toole, who was a free agent after receiving his release from Buffalo. "The next day, Jody (Gage) called me and said 'Chugger' (Steve Dietrich) went down and wanted to know if I could backup Derek General. I backed up for the next three games and then became the starter."

O'Toole rewarded them for making that call, establishing goaltending standards that may go unmatched in Knighthawks' history. O'Toole is the franchise's all-time leader in wins (102) and saves (5,756). He is also second in games played with 173, and registered a 102-51 record, an 11.21 goals-against average and a .771 save percentage. The two-time All-Pro and 2003 NLL Goaltender of the Year was one of the most dominating goalies of the '90s and the new millennium.

"The franchise has always been built on goalies. The three Championships are held up by three greats and we were just lucky to get Paddy," said Day, who coached O'Toole for seven seasons. "I remember making the call from the Philly airport when Chugger got hurt. At that point he had won a title in Buffalo, but was very young by goaltender's standards. At that point we knew we had two No. 1 goalies for a few years. Paddy was the backbone of the team, a constant steady hand guiding us for over a decade. He was the basis for our success for many years."

O'Toole was a fixture in goal for Rochester from 1999 to 2010. Known for his intensity and focus on the floor and humbleness off the turf, he instantly earned the respect of the Knighthawks fans, which was evident after a big save. Each home game the public address announcer yelled, "What time is it - For the 12 seasons, fans answered, "Toole Time!"

He revolutionized the game as he became a legitimate scoring threat in the latter stages of a game, netting three goals as a Rochester Knighthawk, which is the NLL record for goals by a goaltender. He also chipped in 136 assists, hitting teammates with memorable floor-length passes. The recipient of numerous O'Toole bombs was John Grant Jr.

"It was quite amazing that he was able to stop the ball and then get the ball on a rope to me," said Grant, who scored 433 goals with the Knighthawks. "There were many times in The Blue Cross (Arena) that I was able to get a pass straight from Paddy to go in on a breakaway. We had pretty good chemistry and he was able to find me down there. It's a special moment when you get a pass from your goalie and he can get a save and an assist on the same play."

O'Toole stands as Rochester's all-time leader in postseason wins (9) and saves (644). Additionally, he guided the Knighthawks to Finals appearances in 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2007. He was named the team MVP in 2007, as he was one of the keys to Rochester's championship season.

"You can't win championships in any team sport without your goalie stepping up at the end. We struggled those first four games of the year before we went on that 15-game run," said Grant. "We couldn't have won nearly half of those without him stepping up. In the playoffs he did everything he needed to do to keep us in those games. We owe that championship to him."

"He was the main reason," added O'Toole's brother-in-law and former teammate Mike Hasen. "When we needed him he was always there. That was his best season of lacrosse."

The 2007 season was a banner year for O'Toole, who set the team record for wins by a goalie with 13 and amassed the most points in a single season by a Knighthawk netminder with 23. He also became only the second goalie in NLL history to record 5,000 saves. After a 2-2 start, O'Toole led the Knighthawks to a franchise record 12 straight regular season wins, and capped off the season with three more victories to capture the Champion's Cup.

"It was unbelievable for us. Winning it was awesome and I remember just sitting back in the dressing room and looking at all the guys just because we had lost a few to Toronto... those were hard losses," he said. "To finally win that Championship and lift the trophy, and see all the other guys who went through those struggles with you was an unbelievable feeling. It was the highlight of my career in Rochester."

The Cup was the first of two Championship rings he owns with the Knighthawks, capturing his second in 2012 as the team's goaltending coach. One of the first players to congratulate O'Toole was former teammate John Grant Jr., who was the MVP of the 2007 Championship Game.

"It's very well-deserved. Paddy is one of the top goaltenders to ever play lacrosse. He is a really great friend of mine, helped me throughout my career and was a great leader," said Grant, who played with O'Toole for 10 seasons. "I was very fortunate to play on his team in the summer and in the winter. He is still coaching and around the team. He offers a lot of great insight into the game of lacrosse. He has been around a long time and is one of the top quality guys I have met in this league."

O'Toole played for three teams over his 16-year career: Rochester, Buffalo and New York (Saints). In his NLL career, he was a workhorse in goal, logging 10,285 minutes while finishing his career as the NLL's all-time saves leader with 6,464. He won two championships as a player, 1996 with Buffalo and 2007 with Rochester, and earned a record of 115-56. He also registered an 11.40 goals-against average and a .768 save percentage.

O'Toole, who was originally drafted by the New York Saints in 1995, played for the Buffalo Bandits (1996-98) and was a member of the 1996 MILL championship team. That season, he led the MILL in save percentage and was named the Bandits' Best Defensive Player. Further, he was MVP of the MILL Championship Game.

After Buffalo, O'Toole would sign with the archrival Rochester Knighthawks on January 23, 1999. His last season as a player was in 2010 as he transitioned into his current position working with the Knighthawks goalies and defense.

"Paddy has been a really big asset. I looked up to him while I was playing and tried to mold my game after his," said Knighthawks goalie Matt Vinc. "The biggest thing is that he understands my psyche and knows what I am thinking. He not only benefits me, but he is instrumental on forming a solid defensive unit."

On March 30th, Vinc will share the spotlight with another great goalie in Pat O'Toole. Hall of Fame Night will allow O'Toole another chance to celebrate his accomplishments as a player one more time. It will also give Knighthawks fans one last chance to answer the question, "What time is it -

"It's one of the things that when I was playing, week in and week out, it was there. But until you're done and it's not there anymore, you realize just how cool it was," said O'Toole. "To be able to walk out there again and hear that chat will give me some goose bumps again and bring back some great memories of the playing days."

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