The NLL Hall of Fame returns after a five year hiatus with its largest class in its 15-year history. Eight players were inducted for their playing careers and two NLL officials were inducted under the “builders” category. Colin Doyle and John Grant Jr. headlined the class that included five forwards and three defensemen. Additionally, three American born players were inducted in Casey Powell, Kevin Finneran and Regy Thorpe.
“After a long and careful process of re-engineering the NLL Hall of Fame it’s exciting to relaunch with an incredible list of nominees. Thank you to the Hall of Fame Committee for an incredible process and selecting ten outstanding individuals. We are very proud of all those nominated and welcome those chosen to be inducted as the newest members of the NLL Hall of Fame Class of 2021 presented by GAIT Lacrosse,” NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz said. “These are the greatest of the great, and we look forward to the induction ceremony and further connecting the amazing history of the league with its exciting present and future.”
2021 NLL Hall of Fame Inductees
Colin Doyle
Colin Doyle played 19 seasons with Ontario, San Jose and Toronto. A six-time champion with Toronto (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2011), the forward was named the NLL Championship Game MVP three times (1999, 2002, 2005). He won the 1998 Rookie of the Year award and 2005 MVP award, and was an All-League First Team member four times and Second Team seven times. Doyle finished fourth all-time in goals (527), assists (857) and points (1,384) and tied for fifth all-time in games played (266). He was a two-time scoring champion (2005, 2009).
Kevin Finneran
Kevin Finneran played 13 seasons with Detroit, New England (Blazers), Philadelphia and Toronto. The forward is a five-time champion: four with Philadelphia (1994, 1995, 1998, 2001) and one with Toronto (2003). He was named to the All-League First Team in 1998 and twice Second Team (1994, 1996). Finneran retired as the all-time league leader with 143 games played, sixth all-time in goals (235), third all-time in assists (329), fifth all-time in points (564) and 11th in loose ball recoveries (631). Finneran held the record for longest consecutive games played streak at 139 games and was the all-time leading scorer by an American prior to Casey Powell breaking his record.
John Grant Jr.
John Grant Jr. played 17 seasons with Rochester and Colorado after being selected first overall in 1999. He retired in the top 10 all-time with 668 goals (second), 778 assists (sixth) and 1,446 points (second) and was also 12th all-time with 1,202 loose ball recoveries. The forward won the 2000 Rookie of the Year Award and won league MVP twice (2007, 2012). He was named to the All-League First Team six times and Second Team three times and paced the league four times in goals (2005, 2006, 2007, 2012). He was also named the Championship Game MVP in 2007. He set the record for points in a season in 2012 at 116, which has since been surpassed and now ranks tied for fourth highest in league history. Grant’s 37 goals as a rookie is still tied for fourth best. In his 2012 MVP season, he averaged 8.29 points per game, an NLL record (at least 4 games played).
Casey Powell
Casey Powell played 11 seasons with Rochester, Anaheim, New York (Titans), Orlando, Boston and Colorado after being selected first overall in the 1998 NLL Entry Draft. In 2010, the forward became the only American player to win the MVP award, he finished second in the NLL in goals scored and led the Orlando Titans to an 11-5 record as their leading scorer. He retired 10th All-Time with 33 playoff goals in only 13 playoff games. Powell is the all-time leader in points by an American in league history.
Shawn Williams
Shawn Williams played 17 seasons with Ontario, Toronto, Buffalo, Rochester, and Edmonton. He is a two-time champion, one with Toronto (1999) and one with Rochester (2007). The forward retired as one of only eight players to accumulate 1,100 career points. He finished in the top 10 all-time in games played, goals, and assists. He played a league-best 230 consecutive games from 2000 to 2014. He was named to the All-League First Team in 2004 and Second Team in 2007.
Pat McCready
Pat McCready played 17 seasons with Charlotte, Rochester, Buffalo and Toronto. He is a three-time champion: twice with Rochester (1997, 2012) and once with Buffalo (2008). He was named the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year. At the time of his retirement, he was third all-time in loose ball recoveries (1,593), second in penalty minutes (470) and seventh in games played (219). He led Buffalo three times in loose ball recoveries (2002, 2004, 2006). He also ranks in the top 10 all-time in playoff games played (31), loose ball recoveries (198) and penalty minutes (51).
Regy Thorpe
Regy Thorpe played for 15 seasons, all with Rochester. The defenseman is a two-time champion (1997, 2007) and the franchise leader with 193 games played, 966 loose ball recoveries and 385 penalty minutes. He also holds playoff franchise records in games played (24), loose ball recoveries (114) and penalty minutes (55). His 966 loose ball recoveries ranked 11th all-time when he retired.
Steve Toll
Steve Toll played for 15 seasons with Ontario, Toronto, Rochester, San Jose, Colorado and Edmonton after being drafted in the sixth round of the 1997 NLL Entry Draft. The defenseman is a five-time champion: four with Toronto (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003) and one with Rochester (2007). He was named the first winner of the Transition Player of the Year Award in 2007. He retired in the top 10 all-time with 1,562 loose ball recoveries in the regular season and an additional 160 in the playoffs. Toll played in 188 consecutive games between 2000-2011, which ranks tied for the third longest streak of all-time.
Roy Condon
Roy Condon worked as an NLL Official from 1989 to 2011 (23 seasons). He worked three NLL Championship games (1994, 1995, 1999). He is scheduled to be the seventh official inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He started refereeing in 1971.
Bill Fox
Bill Fox worked as an NLL Official from 1992 to 2011 (20 seasons). He worked six NLL Championship games (1993, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2010).
You can re-watch the NLL Hall of Fame Class of 2021 selection show on YouTube:
