The Rochester Knighthawks (also known as the K-Hawks) are an American professional box lacrosse team based in Rochester, New York, that competes in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team plays its home games at Blue Cross Arena.
The Knighthawks are owned by the Seneca Nation of New York, via their subsidiary Seneca Holdings, LLC. They took over in 2025 from previous owner Terry Pegula, who had purchased the intellectual property of the original Knighthawks in 2019.
The new Knighthawks franchise was created to replace the original team, which owner Curt Styres moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, as the Halifax Thunderbirds at the end of the 2018–2019 season. All records and championships followed the original franchise to Halifax, and the new team uses different colors, mascot, and logo.
History The original Knighthawks played in Rochester from 1995 until 2019. They began as members of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1995 to 1997 then became members of the NLL beginning with the league's inaugural 1998 season.
The Knighthawks reached the playoffs in each of their first 13 seasons, from 1995 to 2007. This is a league record going back to the league's original creation, the Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League. The previous record was 11 straight years, held by the Philadelphia Wings. They were also the first NLL team to win three consecutive championships (2012–14).
On September 13, 2018, owner Curt Styres announced that he would be accepting a new team in Halifax, Nova Scotia and would be relocating the Knighthawks' to the city for the winter 2019–2020 season. The Knighthawks intellectual property was sold to Terry and Kim Pegula (the latter of whom was raised in the Rochester suburbs) along with an expansion franchise to ensure Rochester's uninterrupted presence in the league. The original name was used, but the color scheme and logo changed. The team logo, colors, and other officials were announced on May 29, 2019 in an event at Blue Cross Arena. The new franchise does not count as a continuation of the previous franchise. All championships and records were transferred to Halifax.
On June 27, 2019, the Knighthawks named Mike Hasen, who had coached the original Knighthawks since 2011, as head coach, Dan Carey as General Manager, and Pat O'Toole as assistant coach.
On June 23, 2025, it was announced that Pegula would divest ownership of the Knighthawks franchise on June 30. The league worked to find new owners who would keep the team in Rochester, and on August 5, the Seneca Nation of New York announced its acquisition of the team.
On July 20, 2026, the Knighthawks announced that it had officially changed its team colors from army green, gold, and black to purple, teal, and white. These were the same colors used by the original franchise. The franchise says these colors define one of the “most successful eras in Rochester’s history,” and bringing back these colors creates a bridge between the team’s championship heritage and aspirations for the years ahead.
Current roster
All-time record + Season Division/Conference W–L Finish PCT Home Road GF GA Coach Playoffs2020North 2–104th.1672–30–7115165Mike HasenNo playoffs held2021EasternSeason cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic2022Eastern4–148th.2222–72–7184221Mike HasenDid not qualify2023Eastern10–84th.5566–34–5218214Mike HasenLost Conference Semi-Final2024Unified8–108th.4444–54–5214226Mike HasenLost Quarterfinals2025Unified10–85th.5564–56–3228209Mike HasenLost Quarterfinals2026Unified6–1212th.3333–63–6205239Mike Hasen (5–6) / Randy Mearns (1–6)Did not qualifyTotal6 seasons40–62.39221–2919–331,1641,274Playoff total3 appearances0–3.0000–00–324440 championships
Playoff results SeasonGameVisitingHome2023Conference Semi-FinalRochester 8Buffalo 202024QuarterfinalsRochester 6Toronto 92025QuarterfinalsRochester 10Vancouver 15
Head coaching history #NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsGCWLW%GCWLW%1Mike Hasen2020–2026953956.411303.0002 Randy Mearns2026716.1430–––3Troy Cordingley2027–––––––––
Award winners +YearPlayerAward2023Dan CareyGeneral Manager of the Year2025Connor FieldsMost Valuable Player
Draft history
NLL Entry Draft First round selections
2019: Ryland Rees (2nd overall) 2020: Ryan Smith (3rd overall) 2022: Thomas McConvey (1st overall), Austin Hasen (18th overall) 2023: Graydon Hogg (15th overall), Ben MacDonnell (16th overall) 2024: None 2025: Connor Nock (10th overall)
Notes
References
External links