On February 16, the NLL sent out a tweet to its followers, asking fans to name their mid-season MVP.

Rochester Knighthawks forward Connor Fields and Buffalo Bandits assistant captain Dhane Smith were among the four players featured on the accompanying graphic.

“Even tho @dhanesmith92 is having a monster season, what @connorfields05 has done to turn the @RocKnighthawks into a top team cannot be overlooked,” one fan responded.

Smith, the reigning MVP, who had been to the NLL Finals three times in his career without coming home with a ring, felt compelled to send a response.

“He can have it,” Smith replied. “I want a championship.”

Calgary Roughnecks goaltender Christian Del Bianco ended up winning the MVP award at the end of the season. On Saturday, Smith finally got his title.

Smith led Buffalo to its first championship season since 2008 – and fifth overall – with a 13-4 victory over the Colorado Mammoth in Game 3 of the NLL Finals.

With 23 points in the series – and a league-record 49 in six playoff games – the 30-year old native of Kitchener, Ontario was named MVP of the Finals.

Because of those efforts, there will be a championship banner-raising ceremony in Banditland this fall.

“I don’t care about anything but this championship,” Smith said after Game 3. “Honestly, I’ve said it before, you don’t get recognized for your accolades. You get recognized for those banners and we finally did it. I’m so thankful. It’s a dream come true.”

Forever champions!#LetsGoBandits pic.twitter.com/0sXUMSm6rV

— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) June 4, 2023

The Bandits fell just short of reaching the top of the mountain in each of the last two years the Finals were held. In 2019, they were swept by Calgary. Last season, they were unable to seal the deal against the Mammoth after holding a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-three series.

It looked like their third-straight trip to the Finals might end in similar fashion. After winning Game 1 by a goal at home, they lost 16-10 in Colorado in Game 2 to set up another winner-take-all scenario at KeyBank Center.

This time, however, Buffalo prevailed and did so in dominating fashion, outscoring Colorado 9-2 in the second half.

“I just enjoy watching my team have fun and I’m just trying to enjoy their moment with them. I know what it means to win as a player and get that banner raised, to be up there for a long time. I was happy for every single guy on the team,” head coach John Tavares, who has been part of every Bandits championship, said.

“Throughout the entire year, everybody’s worked hard and committed and bought into what the coaches have been preaching. …It’s nice to get that monkey off our back.”

Josh Byrne returned to the lineup after missing the first two games of the series with an injury. He scored four goals, including three in the third quarter, and added three assists in the deciding game.

“After Game 2, no matter how I was feeling, I was going to play,” Byrne said.

“…I never thought I would have to sit out a championship game, especially from an injury. It’s just the most frustrating thing ever, but the universe has a funny way of working. Fortunately, we were able to get to Game 3 and now we’re champs.”

The NLL Cup is back in Banditland‼️#LetsGoBandits pic.twitter.com/ZIkT9ncTnE

— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) June 4, 2023

Goaltender Matt Vinc, who turns 41 on Friday, was sensational between the pipes, stopping 46 shots in Game 3. He allowed just one goal in each quarter.

While he already had three championships under his belt, this one – his first with the organization – holds extra meaning because he grew up attending games as a Bandits fan.

He signed with Buffalo in 2018 for a night like Saturday where 18,296 fans congregated inside KeyBank Center to be part of something bigger than themselves.

“I can’t put into words what that last five minutes felt like, being able to look up in the crowd and know exactly where your family members are, so many people that have supported you along the way,” he said. “To have my kids in that crowd, you know, I was one of those kids and I remember a lot of those cool memories, those banners going up. To be able to be part of that is extra special.

“…It’s been a long time for Banditland to experience a championship and to be able to be part of the group that puts another banner up there, it gives you chills just talking about it.”

Vinc also became the first goaltender in league history to play at least 2,500 minutes in his playoff career and the first to reach 30 playoff wins.

As far as the future of his playing career goes, Vinc said that decision would be made sometime after the victory celebrations are complete.

Champagne showers 🥽#LetsGoBandits pic.twitter.com/69kDvDyg9H

— Buffalo Bandits (@NLLBandits) June 4, 2023

Vinc looked sharp as ever, coming up with clutch save after clutch save. The Bandits were up 4-2 at half and then went on a 4-1 run to open the third quarter. Their strong defensive play seemed to give the offense an extra shot of adrenaline for each possession as they moved the ball up the floor in transition.

Colorado’s four goals Saturday night ended up being the fewest ever scored by a team in an NLL Finals game.

“I think that was our most complete game of the year,” Smith said.

Tavares tied Darris Kilgour for the franchise record for wins as a head coach with 11. Saturday’s victory marked his first championship as a coach after winning four with Buffalo as a player.

“It’s more stressful being a coach than a player when you feel a lot more responsible for the overall team performance,” Tavares said. “It’s my latest one so it’s my best one at the moment.”