The National Lacrosse League announced today that it is creating an NLL Hall of Fame, and that legendary forwards Gary and Paul Gait will lead the inaugural class of inductees.

The Gaits, who retired this year as the leading and third-leading goal scorers in league history, will be joined as charter Hall of Famers by league founders Russ Cline and Chris Fritz and the late Les Bartley, NLL's alltime winningest coach.

The five will be inducted during the 2006 NLL All Star Game Weekend in Toronto, 24-26 February.

"Our charter members bring us the best of the league from every aspect," commissioner Jim Jennings said, noting that three distinct groups are represented in the inaugural class -- players, coaches, and executives.

All inductees will be selected by the NLL's Board of Governors, based on record, ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the game.

Arguably no one has contributed more than Cline and Fritz, whose Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League has evolved into today's NLL.

"Russ Cline and Chris Fritz had the vision and courage to create a professional indoor lacrosse league nearly twenty years ago," Jennings said. "If not for them, none of this would have ever happened."

EPBLL began play in 1987 with four teams (Baltimore, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Washington), Fritz as president and Cline as vice president.

They continued to own and operate every team until July 1997, when the league (now known as the Major Indoor Lacrosse League) merged with the upstart National Lacrosse League.

Since then, Cline and Fritz have owned the Philadelphia Wings, the winningest team in league history.

When they controlled the entire league, Cline and Fritz brought the Gaits from Detroit to Philadelphia, with Paul staying for two seasons and Gary five before moving on.

Paul Gait, whose later stops included Rochester, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Washington before retiring in 2002 and a stint with Gary in Colorado in 2005, ranks in the NLL's top ten alltime in goals (410, third), assists (302, ninth) and points (710, fourth).

The more prodigious scorer of the twins early in their careers, Paul Gait led MILL or NLL in goals four times (1991, 1992, 1994 and 2002), was an eight-time First Team All Pro, and holds the Championship Game records for goals in one game (eight, 1994) and for a career (23).

Gary Gait, though, ended up with the fatter stats, holding the career records for goals (596) and points (1091). He is also second alltime in assists, with 495, trailing only Buffalo's John Tavares in that category.

Gary's litany of awards include the 1991 MILL Rookie of the Year award, six Most Valuable Player awards, seven scoring championships, and fourteen First Team All Pro selections. Only in this past season did Gait not earn a spot in the top six -- he was a Second Teamer.

After Philadelphia, Gary Gait only played for one team but in many home cities -- from Baltimore (1998-1999) to Pittsburgh (2000) to Washington (2001-2002) to Colorado (2003-2005).

Bartley joins the inaugural class as the coach of seven MILL/NLL champions and three other finalists in twelve seasons. He compiled an astounding 111-42 record which began with 22 consecutive victories, spanning parts of three seasons.

After six seasons as the Buffalo Bandits' head coach, including three championships, Bartley jumped to the expansion Ontario Raiders in 1998 and followed the team to Toronto the following year. The Rock proceeded to win four titles in five years with Bartley at the helm.

Bartley was forced to step down as coach in November 2003 due to colon cancer, which he ultimately died of on 15 May -- a day after the Rock won the championship with its ailing mentor in mind.