Colorado Mammoth
The Colorado Mammoth are an American professional box lacrosse team based in Denver, Colorado, that competes in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team has played its home games at Ball Arena since the 2003 season. They are owned by Stan Kroenke, who is also the owner of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, and the Colorado Rapids. The Mammoth franchise previously played as the Baltimore Thunder from 1987 to 1999, the Pittsburgh CrosseFire in 2000, and the Washington Power from 2001 to 2002. Up until the joining of the expansion team San Diego Seals, Colorado was the only non-Canadian team in the Western Division from 2014 to 2018. They have only missed the playoffs twice since moving to Colorado. In 2004 and from 2006 to 2008, the Mammoth lead the league in attendance. 2006 was the first year in the 20-year history of the NLL that the league had an attendance of more than one million fans in one season. The Mammoth had the honor of hosting fan number one million. In 2008, the Mammoth average attendance per game was higher than Pepsi Center's other teams, the Colorado Avalanche (NHL) and the Denver Nuggets (NBA).
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| Sport | Box lacrosse |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| League | National Lacrosse League |
| Team history | Baltimore Thunder (1987–1999) Pittsburgh CrosseFire (2000) Washington Power (2001–2002) |
| Based in | Denver, Colorado |
| Arena | Ball Arena |
| Colors | Burgundy and Black |
| Owner | Stan Kroenke |
| Head coach | Pat Coyle |
| General manager | Brad Self |
| League titles | 2 (2006, 2022) |
| Conference titles | 2 (2022, 2023) |
| Division titles | 3 (2003, 2004, 2007) |
| Local media | Altitude Sports and Entertainment, KKFN |
| PLPA representative | Dan Coates Joey Cupido |
| Website | coloradomammoth.com |
The Colorado Mammoth are an American professional box lacrosse team based in Denver, Colorado, that competes in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team has played its home games at Ball Arena since the 2003 season. They are owned by Stan Kroenke, who is also the owner of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, and the Colorado Rapids.
The Mammoth franchise previously played as the Baltimore Thunder from 1987 to 1999, the Pittsburgh CrosseFire in 2000, and the Washington Power from 2001 to 2002. Up until the joining of the expansion team San Diego Seals, Colorado was the only non-Canadian team in the Western Division from 2014 to 2018. They have only missed the playoffs twice since moving to Colorado.
In 2004 and from 2006 to 2008, the Mammoth lead the league in attendance. 2006 was the first year in the 20-year history of the NLL that the league had an attendance of more than one million fans in one season. The Mammoth had the honor of hosting fan number one million.[1] In 2008, the Mammoth average attendance per game was higher than Pepsi Center's other teams, the Colorado Avalanche (NHL) and the Denver Nuggets (NBA).[2]
2006 champions
[edit]In the 2006 season, the Mammoth went to the playoffs in the #2 seed in the Western Division. Round one was hosted in Colorado against rivals Calgary. The Mammoth won 18–17 in overtime. Brian Langtry scored the overtime goal. Round two (Western Division finals) was also hosted at Pepsi Center against the Arizona Sting. Rookie Dan Carey scored the winning goal as the Mammoth defeated the Sting 13–12. The championship game was held at HSBC Arena in Buffalo against the Bandits who held the league's best record and the incumbent league MVP, goaltender Steve Dietrich . The Mammoth won the Champion's Cup by a score of 16–9, with Gavin Prout being named Game MVP.
2022 champions
[edit]The Mammoth won the National Lacrosse League Cup beating the Buffalo Bandits 2 games to 1, with Dillon Ward being named the Finals MVP.[3]
Notable players
[edit]- Gary Gait, who retired after the 2005 NLL season as the NLL's all-time scoring leader with 596 goals and 495 assists in 174 games (a record since surpassed by John Tavares). Gait also won the 2003 NLL MVP Award while with the Mammoth. On November 12, 2005, Gait was inducted into the NLL Hall of Fame, and on December 30, 2005, his number 22 jersey banner was hung from Pepsi Center rafters — the first NLL number ever to be retired and hung from any arena. Gait was the Mammoth head coach for the 2006 and 2007 seasons before stepping down in August 2007 to pursue other interests.[4]
- Brian Langtry, who won the NLL Rookie of the Year Award in 2003, is well known for his all-out goal scoring attempts. Langtry retired after the 2011 season.[5]
- Gord "Gee" Nash, who was the 2004 Goaltender of the Year.
- Gavin Prout, a crowd favorite who consistently puts up high numbers. Prout won the 2006 championship as team captain and the won Championship Game MVP.[6] On October 31, 2009, to the outrage of many fans, Prout was traded to the Rochester Knighthawks, who in turn traded him to the Edmonton Rush on November 10. After a season and a half in Edmonton, Prout was traded back to the Mammoth in March 2011.[7] In 2023, Prout was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.[8] He was selected as an NLL All-Star on seven occasions, and his Colorado Mammoth sweater (Number 9) was officially retired.[9]
- Chris Gill, played a key offensive role in winning the 2006 championships. With 186 games, scored 589 points, and scored 1.9 goals a game in the NLL.[10] In 2015, Chris Gill was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.[11] He joined as a fourth generation inductee after his great grandfather, grandfather and father.[12][13][14] Returning to coach the Mammoths with Pat Coyle and Dan Stroup from 2015–2017.
- Pat Coyle signed with the Mammoths in 2005 and won the 2006 championship. Retired in 2008. Capturing the league’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2002, he was later named to the Mammoth’s All-Decade Team in 2012 and eventually became the first defenseman in NLL history to be inducted into the NLL Hall of Fame in 2014.[15] In 2017, Pat Coyle was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.[16] Originally hired during the 2014 season to coach alongside Chris Gill and Dan Stroup as a collective unit, he was named head coach in 2018.[17]
- Rich Catton played a key defensive role in helping the Mammoth earn its first NLL Championship in 2006.[18] In 77 games with the Mammoth, Catton recorded 29 points (3g, 26a), 284 loose balls and 171 penalty minutes throughout five seasons of play, adding to his NLL career figures of 69 points (11g, 58a), 575 loose balls and 336 penalty minutes.[19] In 2022, Rich Catton was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.[20]
- John Grant Jr., who was the 2012 NLL MVP. Retired in 2017.
- Joey Cupido, three time fan favorite award winner who was the 2015 and 2018 Transition Player of the Year.
- Dillon Ward, winner of the 2017 Goaltender of the Year Award . He played an essential role during the team's 2022 championship run and he was awarded the 2022 Finals MVP award.
Awards and honors
[edit]| Year | Player | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Gary Gait | Most Valuable Player |
| Brian Langtry | Rookie of the Year | |
| 2004 | Steve Govett | Executive of the Year |
| Gord Nash | Goaltender of the Year | |
| Gary Gait | Sportsmanship Award (tie with Peter Lough) | |
| 2005 | Gary Gait | Sportsmanship Award |
| 2006 | Gavin Prout | Champion's Cup MVP |
| 2012 | Adam Jones | Rookie of the Year |
| John Grant, Jr. | Most Valuable Player | |
| 2015 | Joey Cupido | Transition Player of the Year |
| 2017 | Dillon Ward | Goaltender of the Year |
| 2018 | Joey Cupido | Transition Player of the Year |
| 2022 | Dillon Ward | Champion's Cup MVP |
NLL Hall of Fame members
[edit]- Pat Coyle (Class of 2014)
- Dan Stroup (Class of 2010)
- Gary Gait (Class of 2006)
- Paul Gait (Class of 2006)
Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame members
[edit]- Chris Gill (Class of 2015)
- Pat Coyle (Class of 2017)
- Rich Catton (Class of 2022)
- Gavin Prout (Class of 2023)
Current roster
[edit]| Active (21-man) roster | Inactive roster | Coaches | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Roster updated 2018-01-02 | ||||||
All-time record
[edit]| Season | Division/Conference[a] | W–L | Finish | Home | Road | GF | GA | Coach | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Eastern | 9–7 | 1st | 6–2 | 3–5 | 226 | 223 | Rod Jensen/Jamie Batley | Lost Division Final |
| 2004 | Western | 13–3 | 1st | 7–1 | 6–2 | 223 | 173 | Jamie Batley | Lost Division Final |
| 2005 | Western | 8–8 | 3rd | 5–3 | 3–5 | 201 | 182 | Jamie Batley | Lost Division Semi-Final |
| 2006 | Western | 10–6 | 2nd | 6–2 | 4–4 | 200 | 172 | Gary Gait | Won Championship |
| 2007 | Western | 12–4 | 1st | 7–1 | 5–3 | 209 | 179 | Gary Gait | Lost Division Semi-Final |
| 2008 | Western | 9–7 | 2nd | 6–2 | 3–5 | 184 | 162 | Bob McMahon | Lost Division Semi-Final |
| 2009 | Western | 7–9 | 4th | 4–4 | 3–5 | 172 | 184 | Bob McMahon | Lost Division Semi-Final |
| 2010 | Western | 4–12 | 5th | 0–8 | 4–4 | 167 | 201 | Bob McMahon/Steve Govett/Bob Hamley | Did Not Qualify |
| 2011 | Western | 5–11 | 4th | 3–5 | 2–6 | 151 | 172 | Bob Hamley | Lost Division Semi-Final |
| 2012 | Western | 11–5 | 2nd | 5–3 | 6–2 | 217 | 201 | Bob Hamley | Lost Division Semi-Final |
| 2013 | Western | 7–9 | 4th | 3–5 | 4–4 | 185 | 202 | Bob Hamley | Lost Division Semi-Final |
| 2014 | Western | 8–10 | 3rd | 4–5 | 4–5 | 201 | 228 | Bob Hamley/Pat Coyle/Chris Gill/Dan Stroup | Lost Division Semi-Final |
| 2015 | Western | 9–9 | 3rd | 6–3 | 3–6 | 212 | 218 | Pat Coyle/Chris Gill/Dan Stroup | Lost Division Semi-Final |
| 2016 | Western | 12–6 | 2nd | 8–1 | 4–5 | 203 | 202 | Pat Coyle/Chris Gill/Dan Stroup | Lost Division Semi-Final |
| 2017 | Western | 9–9 | 3rd | 5–4 | 4–5 | 202 | 199 | Pat Coyle/Chris Gill/Dan Stroup | Lost Division Final |
| 2018 | Western | 11–7 | 2nd | 5–4 | 6–3 | 214 | 199 | Pat Coyle | Lost Division Semi-Final |
| 2019 | Western | 6–12 | 4th | 3–6 | 3–6 | 181 | 193 | Pat Coyle | Lost Division Final |
| 2020 | Western | 7–6 | 2nd | 4–2 | 3–4 | 128 | 125 | Pat Coyle | No playoffs held |
| 2021 | Western | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||||||
| 2022 | Western | 10–8 | 3rd | 7–2 | 3–6 | 196 | 198 | Pat Coyle | Won Championship |
| 2023 | Western | 9–9 | 4th | 7–2 | 2–7 | 190 | 208 | Pat Coyle | Lost Championship |
| 2024 | Unified | 5–13 | 15th | 4-5 | 1-8 | 193 | 226 | Pat Coyle | Did Not Qualify |
| 2025 | Unified | 8–10 | 10th | 4–5 | 4–5 | 195 | 212 | Pat Coyle | Did Not Qualify |
| Total | 22 seasons | 189–180 | 109–75 | 79–105 | 4,250 | 4,259 | |||
| Playoff totals | 17 appearances | 8–17 | 3–9 | 5–8 | 288 | 325 | 2 Championships | ||
Playoff results
[edit]| Season | Game | Visiting | Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Quarterfinals | Vancouver 12 | Colorado 15 |
| Semifinals | Colorado 11 | Toronto 15 | |
| 2004 | Division Finals | Calgary 13 | Colorado 11 |
| 2005 | Division Semifinals | Colorado 13 | Arizona 16 |
| 2006 | Division Semifinals | Calgary 17 | Colorado 18 |
| Division Finals | Arizona 12 | Colorado 13 | |
| Championship | Colorado 16 | Buffalo 9 | |
| 2007 | Division Semifinals | San Jose 15 | Colorado 14 (OT) |
| 2008 | Division Semifinals | Calgary 15 | Colorado 13 |
| 2009 | Division Semifinals | Colorado 8 | Calgary 15 |
| 2011 | Division Semifinals | Colorado 6 | Calgary 10 |
| 2012 | Division Semifinals | Minnesota 14 | Colorado 10 |
| 2013 | Division Semifinals | Colorado 10 | Calgary 15 |
| 2014 | Division Semifinals | Colorado 15 | Calgary 16 (OT) |
| 2015 | Division Semifinals | Calgary 11 | Colorado 6 |
| 2016 | Division Semifinals | Calgary 11 | Colorado 10 (OT) |
| 2017 | Division Semifinals | Colorado 13 | Vancouver 12 |
| Western Finals (Game 1) | Saskatchewan 18 | Colorado 9 | |
| Western Finals (Game 2) | Colorado 10 | Saskatchewan 11 | |
| 2018 | Division Semifinals | Calgary 15 | Colorado 12 |
| 2019 | Division Semifinals | Colorado 11 | Saskatchewan 10 (OT) |
| Western Division Final | Colorado 4 | Calgary 8 | |
| 2022 | Western Conference Semifinals | Colorado 16 | Calgary 12 |
| Western Conference Finals Game 1 | Colorado 14 | San Diego 12 | |
| Western Conference Finals Game 2 | San Diego 11 | Colorado 10 | |
| Western Conference Finals Game 3 | Colorado 15 | San Diego 13 | |
| NLL Finals Game 1 | Colorado 14 | Buffalo 15 | |
| NLL Finals Game 2 | Buffalo 8 | Colorado 11 | |
| NLL Finals Game 3 | Colorado 10 | Buffalo 8 | |
| 2023 | Western Conference Semifinals | Colorado 13 | San Diego 12 |
| Western Conference Finals Game 1 | Calgary 7 | Colorado 8 | |
| Western Conference Finals Game 2 | Colorado 12 | Calgary 13 | |
| Western Conference Finals Game 3 | Colorado 9 | Calgary 7 | |
| NLL Finals Game 1 | Colorado 12 | Buffalo 13 | |
| NLL Finals Game 2 | Buffalo 10 | Colorado 16 | |
| NLL Finals Game 3 | Colorado 4 | Buffalo 13 |
Head coaching history
[edit]| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | W% | GC | W | L | W% | |||
| 1 | Rod Jensen | 2003 | 9 | 4 | 5 | .444 | – | – | – | – |
| 2 | Jamie Batley | 2003–2005 | 39 | 26 | 13 | .667 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 |
| 3 | Gary Gait | 2006–2007 | 32 | 22 | 10 | .688 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .750 |
| 4 | Bob McMahon | 2008–2010 | 34 | 16 | 18 | .471 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| 5 | Steve Govett | 2010 | 7 | 2 | 5 | .286 | – | – | – | – |
| 6 | Bob Hamley | 2010–2014 | 66 | 29 | 37 | .440 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 |
| 7 | Pat Coyle, Chris Gill, Dan Stroup |
2015–2017 | 54 | 30 | 24 | .556 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 |
| 8 | Pat Coyle | 2018– | 121 | 56 | 65 | .463 | 17 | 10 | 7 | .588 |
| Source:[21] | ||||||||||
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Conference play began in the 2022 season
References
[edit]- ^ "NLL Welcomes Millionth Fan". NLL. April 28, 2006. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
- ^ Paton, James (March 21, 2008). "Mammoth sales". Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008.
- ^ @nll (June 18, 2022). "Dillon Ward is your NLL Finals MVP 🏆 His 55 saves in game 3 are a new NLL Championship record" (Tweet). Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Gait Steps Down as Mammoth Coach". NLL. August 22, 2007. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
- ^ "Brian Langtry announces retirement". NLL. October 11, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
- ^ "Outsider's Guide - News Update". www.lacrosse-network.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "Prout traded back to Colorado". NLL. March 15, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
- ^ "Gavin Prout - Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame". November 13, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "Gavin Prout - Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame". November 13, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ reports, Staff (November 1, 2017). "Lacrosse is all about one thing for hall-of-famer Gill". Maple Ridge News. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "Chris Gill - Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame". August 2, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "4-Peat - Multiple Generations In The Hall!". laxhall.com. January 13, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "Chris Gill - Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame". August 2, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ reports, Staff (November 1, 2017). "Lacrosse is all about one thing for hall-of-famer Gill". Maple Ridge News. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ jamesyouness (July 10, 2023). "Mammoth Sign Head Coach, Assistant General Manager Pat Coyle to Multi-Year Contract". Colorado Mammoth Pro Lacrosse Team. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "Pat Coyle - Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame". August 2, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ jamesyouness (July 10, 2023). "Mammoth Sign Head Coach, Assistant General Manager Pat Coyle to Multi-Year Contract". Colorado Mammoth Pro Lacrosse Team. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ jamesyouness (November 12, 2022). "Former Mammoth Defenseman Rich Catton Inducted to Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame". Colorado Mammoth Pro Lacrosse Team. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ jamesyouness (November 12, 2022). "Former Mammoth Defenseman Rich Catton Inducted to Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame". Colorado Mammoth Pro Lacrosse Team. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "Rich Catton - Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame". July 10, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "2017 NLL Media Guide" (PDF). National Lacrosse League. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
External links
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