2025 NLL Cup Preview: Buffalo Bandits vs. Saskatchewan Rush
The 2025 NLL Cup Finals will feature the back-to-back defending champion Buffalo Bandits and the Saskatchewan Rush, who return to the finals for the first time since 2018, a Cup-winning campaign that concluded four consecutive years in the final.
The best-of-three series will feature the top two seeds for the twelfth time in NLL. history, Buffalo and Saskatchewan both finishing 13-5 during the regular season, the Bandits holding home-floor advantage due to their 9-7 regular season win in Saskatoon.
Below, see this year’s series schedule, plus why either of this year’s finalists will win, plus why they won’t.
Game 1: Friday, May 16, 2025 (7:30pm)
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, NY)
Game 2: Sunday, May 18, 2025 (8pm)
Location: SaskTel Centre (Saskatoon, SK)
Game 3: Saturday, May 24, 2025 (4:30pm)*
Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, NY)
*If necessary
Paul Dawson and Josh Byrne, Buffalo Bandits (Photo: Caroline Sherman)
#1 Buffalo Bandits
Why They’ll Win
Because the Bandits are bulldozing the opposition during the playoffs and running a ridiculous nine-game postseason winning streak (17-5 since 2022). Although they offensively pushed around their opposition during the regular season, Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne co-leading the league in points with an almost record-breaking 134, since the playoffs started, they’ve been dominating defensively of late. Matt Vinc has yet to give up double digits in first- and second-round wins over San Diego (5-4) and Vancouver (9-3 and 11-9), two teams many felt could give Buffalo issues. They didn’t. Their D is limiting quality looks, blocking the good stuff, and even though their goal production has dipped since the regular season, they’re still getting strong transitional support and minimizing turnovers in either end (have eleven fewer TOs than the Rush after two rounds/three playoff games so far). After losing the 2019 and 2020 NLL Finals, this group (who make minimal roster changes annually) know what it takes to claim the Cup, looking to become just the second team in NLL history to win three straight. The only team to win three consecutive Cups were the Vinc-led Rochester Knighthawks from 2012-2014. Oh right, they also already beat the Rush earlier this season in a relatively low-scoring game (9-7W) and holding all their forwards except Zach Manns (4G) to virtually zero offensive production. While the Bandits easily led the NLL in team PIMs during the regular season with 301 and the Rush accumulated less than half of that total at 140, the opposite has kinda happened during the playoffs. Buffalo is averaging six fewer sin bin minutes in comparison to Saskatchewan over the first two rounds of the postseason, which could mean meaningful power-play time if these trends continue into the finals.
Connor Farrell, Buffalo Bandits, 2024 NLL Finals (Photo: Michael Hetzel)
Why They Won’t
Because winning three straight Cups is hella hard. The Buffalo Bandits are the sixth team in NLL history to be back-to-back champions, plus put themselves in the finals for an attempt at a third straight Cup. Of those previous five finals, only the Rochester Knighthawks were able to make it three in a row. Bad news: the Bandits have fumbled the finals in an attempt to three-peat before. Good news: Vinc is the only three-peat tendy ever, leading the Knighthawks to those previously mentioned wins from 2012-2014.
1992: Buffalo over Philadelphia (11-10) OT
1993: Buffalo over Philadelphia (13-12)
1994: Philadelphia over Buffalo (26-15)
1994: Philadelphia over Buffalo (26-15)
1995: Philadelphia over Rochester (15-14) OT
1996: Buffalo over Philadelphia (15-10)
1999: Toronto over Rochester (13-10)
2000: Toronto over Rochester (14-13)
2001: Philadelphia over Toronto (9-8)
2012: Rochester over Edmonton (9-6)
2013: Rochester over Washington (11-10)
2014: Rochester over Calgary (2-1)
2015: Edmonton over Toronto (2-0)
2016: Saskatchewan over Buffalo (2-0)
2017: Georgia over Saskatchewan (2-0)
2023: Buffalo over Colorado (2-1)
2024: Buffalo over Albany (2-0)
2025: Buffalo vs. Saskatchewan
Because of those previous two recent title wins (see above) the Rush are by far the highest seed the Bandits have dealt with at this stage of the game, and they look pretty damn good of late. You could argue that Saskatchewan had the stronger last-stretch of their regular season, and like Buffalo, are undefeated during this year’s playoffs so far. Plus, history is on the Rush’s side, beating (actually sweeping) the Bandits in the 2016 NLL Finals.
Ryan Keenan, Austin Shanks, Robert Church and Zach Manns
#2 Saskatchewan Rush
Why They’ll Win
Because Buffalo barley got by them during the regular season, a game that Saskatchewan was without long-time franchise leader and offensive difference maker, Robert Church, who is healthy and producing at a decent rate. Although Banditland is a scary place for most, the Rush have done well at the KeyBank Center since the team settled in Saskatoon. The Rush own a combined regular season and playoff record at home versus Buffalo of just 1-4 since 2016. When playing in Buffalo, Saskatchewan is 3-1. Plus, four of those five losses to Buffalo required OT, and the Rush are 2-0 (courtesy of that previously mentioned 2016 NLL Finals sweep) against them in the playoffs. Because rookie Jake Naso quickly emerged as one of the league’s top face-off takers, bettering Buffalo’s Connor Farrell in their earlier regular season meet up (55%). Even though Saskatchewan owned one of this year’s more youthful clubs (11th youngest this year) and Buffalo one of the oldest (only San Diego and Georgia were greyer), the Rush still sport some experienced former Cup winners in Church, Ryan Keenan, Matt Hossack and Mike Messenger, plus their Cup-winning bench bosses Jimmy Quinlan (this year’s COTY) and Derek Keenan (this year’s GMOTY) too. Because the Rush defense allowed fewer shots on goal than any team in the league, and with Buffalo scoring 5.11 fewer goals per game during the playoffs (versus their regular season average), it’ll be tough getting many quality looks over 60 minutes.
Frank Scigliano, Saskatchewan Rush
Why They Won’t
Because it’s been 2,967 days since Franck Scigliano has started and beat Matt Vinc in an NLL game (April 1, 2017), Vinc easily leading their head-to-head series too. Because outside of Zach Manns, the Rush offense was almost completely quieted in their lone regular season game this year, and the Bandits defense and Vinc are playing their most dialled-in ball of the year right now. Because nearly a quarter of the Rush’s goals during the playoffs have happened on the powerplay, and the Bandits are allowing just 1.33 PPGs per game during the postseason so far. In fact, Buffalo has been obscenely good even strength, averaging far PIMs than the Rush during the playoffs. The Rush rebuild, one of the most impressive over the last several seasons, has been quick, many of their players getting into their very first playoff games just a few weeks ago. Below are the amount of postseason GPs players who’ve appeared in the 2025 playoffs for both the Rush and Bandits have going into Game 1 - spoiler alert: the scale is very slanted on Buffalo’s side.
Adam Jay and Holden Garlent, Saskatchewan Rush
Saskatchewan Rush
Frank Scigliano 28
Robert Church 23
Matt Hossack 14
Ryan Keenan 12
Mike Messenger 12
Austin Shanks 10
Zach Manns 9
Adam Jay 7
Jake Boudreau 3
Clark Walter 3
Brock Haley 3
Holden Garlent 3
Ryan Barnable 3
Jake Naso 3
Bobby Kidd 3
Mike Triolo 3
Thomas Kiazyk 3
Connor McClelland 3
Jerrett Smith 3
Total: 148
Matt Vinc, Buffalo Bandits (Photo: Caroline Sherman)
Buffalo Bandits
Matt Vinc 53
Steve Priolo 35
Dhane Smith 33
Paul Dawson 32
Nick Weiss 29
Kyle Buchanan 27
Ian MacKay 24
Chase Fraser 24
Justin Martin 24
Josh Byrne 22
Chris Cloutier 21
Tehoka Nanticoke 20
Dylan Robinson 10
Zach Belter 8
Colin Farrell 8
Steve Orleman 8
Cam Wyers 8
Thomas Whitty 4
Ron John 3
Clay Scanlan 1
Total: 394