Joe Resetarits Bio
Joe Resetarits (born August 22, 1989) is an American professional lacrosse player who has built a long career across the National Lacrosse League (NLL), Major League Lacrosse (MLL), and Canadian senior lacrosse. A forward who shoots right-handed, he is recognized for his scoring touch, his All-Rookie transition to the professional ranks, and his steady production across multiple indoor and outdoor franchises. Resetarits has also represented the United States at the World Lacrosse Box Championships, earning a runner-up medal in 2024 in Utica.
Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and weighing 190 pounds, Resetarits has been described by Inside Lacrosse as one of the premier offensive forwards in the NLL. He has suited up for the Calgary Roughnecks, Buffalo Bandits, Rochester Knighthawks, New England Black Wolves, Albany FireWolves, and Philadelphia Wings over the course of his indoor career, while also competing in the MLL with the Hamilton Nationals and the Ohio Machine.
Early Life and Background
Joe Resetarits was born on August 22, 1989, in Hamburg, New York, a small suburb south of Buffalo that has produced a strong pipeline of lacrosse talent. Growing up in this lakeside community, Resetarits developed his game on local fields before becoming a lacrosse standout at Hamburg High School. His high school performances established him as one of the most promising young players in western New York and helped attract the attention of college recruiters from across the region.
Family ties also shaped his path in the sport. Joe is the younger brother of Frank Resetarits, himself a professional lacrosse player, giving the Hamburg native a direct connection to the game’s highest levels from an early age. That family connection to the sport helped shape his early training and competitive mindset as he moved into the next stage of his career.
Path to Lacrosse
After finishing his high school career, Resetarits committed to the University at Albany, where he continued to develop as a right-handed forward. During his time as a Great Dane, he earned recognition as the American East Conference Player of the Year and received an All-American honorable mention, confirming his status as one of the top collegiate players in the country heading into the professional drafts.
Resetarits also gained valuable experience in Canadian lacrosse before turning professional. He began his indoor career with the St. Catharines Athletics and later joined the Brampton Excelsiors in 2011, winning the Mann Cup that same year. These early achievements in junior and senior lacrosse established the foundation for his entry into North America’s top professional leagues.
Joe Resetarits Career
Early Career (2012–2013)
Resetarits entered the professional ranks in 2012 after a strong collegiate career at Albany. He was selected sixth overall by the Calgary Roughnecks in the 2012 NLL Entry Draft and was also picked in the fifth round, 39th overall, of the 2012 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft by the Hamilton Nationals. In his first NLL season, he earned All-Rookie honors after scoring 8 goals and 24 points, even though his high-scoring Roughnecks team featured seven players who recorded at least 25 points.
In the outdoor game, Resetarits also earned All-Rookie recognition with the Hamilton Nationals in 2012, before moving on to the Ohio Machine in 2013. Despite his productive start in Calgary, the Roughnecks deemed him expendable during the 2013 NLL Entry Draft and traded him to his hometown Buffalo Bandits, setting the stage for the next phase of his indoor career.
NLL Breakthrough (2013–2018)
Returning to his hometown franchise, Resetarits continued to develop his offensive game with the Buffalo Bandits. In 2015, he moved to the Rochester Knighthawks, where he spent the next several seasons refining his role as a scoring forward. His time in Rochester, which lasted through 2018, allowed him to build consistency as a reliable contributor in the NLL’s demanding indoor style.
During this period, Resetarits also deepened his ties to top-flight box lacrosse. He had already won a Mann Cup with Brampton in 2011, and he continued to add to his résumé in the Canadian senior ranks, eventually joining the Peterborough Lakers in 2015, a relationship that has continued into the present.
Wings Era (2019–2026)
In 2019, Resetarits joined the New England Black Wolves, where he remained through the 2022 season, when the franchise relocated and became the Albany FireWolves. His production during this stretch helped cement his reputation as a top offensive forward, and heading into the 2023 NLL season, Inside Lacrosse ranked him the third-best forward in the NLL.
Prior to the 2023 season, Resetarits signed with the Philadelphia Wings as a free agent, beginning the latest chapter of his indoor career. On March 9, 2026, the Wings traded him to the Buffalo Bandits in exchange for forward Lukas Nielsen and a 2026 second-round pick, returning the Hamburg native once again to his hometown club.
Notable Events and Milestones
Resetarits has compiled several milestones across his professional career. He earned All-Rookie honors in both the NLL and MLL, won a Mann Cup with the Brampton Excelsiors in 2011, and was ranked the third-best NLL forward by Inside Lacrosse entering the 2023 season. On the international stage, he represented the United States at the World Lacrosse Box Championships, finishing as runner-up in Utica in 2024.
Joe Resetarits Career Wins
Across his career, Joe Resetarits has collected wins and honors at the junior, collegiate, professional, and international levels. His biggest team triumph came with the Brampton Excelsiors in 2011, when he won the Mann Cup in Canadian lacrosse. He followed that with a Mann Cup appearance representing the Peterborough Lakers, continuing his success in senior box lacrosse alongside his ongoing NLL career.
NLL and MLL Highlights
Resetarits made an immediate impact in both professional leagues. With the Calgary Roughnecks in 2012, he earned All-Rookie honors after recording 8 goals and 24 points in his first NLL season. He matched that recognition in the MLL with the Hamilton Nationals that same year, before playing for the Ohio Machine in 2013. His steady production across multiple franchises helped establish him as one of the league’s dependable right-handed forwards.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his indoor and outdoor field achievements, Resetarits has represented the United States at the World Lacrosse Box Championships, contributing to a runner-up finish in 2024 in Utica, and he was part of a U.S. squad that also medaled at the event in Onondaga in 2015 and in Langley in 2019. His long tenure with the Peterborough Lakers in Major Series Lacrosse, beginning in 2015, has also kept him among the top players in Canadian senior lacrosse.
Joe Resetarits Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Lacrosse runs deep in the Resetarits family. Joe is the younger brother of Frank Resetarits, a fellow professional lacrosse player who has also competed at high levels of the sport. Growing up in Hamburg, New York, Joe was surrounded by the game from a young age, and that family connection helped fuel his development into a top collegiate and professional forward.
Personal Life
Resetarits was raised in Hamburg, New York, and has remained closely tied to the western New York lacrosse community throughout his career. His professional path has repeatedly brought him back to familiar franchises, most recently through a March 2026 trade that returned him to the Buffalo Bandits, the hometown team he first joined in 2013.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 NLL season, Resetarits continued his role as a veteran right-handed forward for the Philadelphia Wings. His experience, built across stints with the Calgary Roughnecks, Buffalo Bandits, Rochester Knighthawks, New England Black Wolves, and Albany FireWolves, gave the Wings a reliable scoring presence in their offensive unit.
Inside Lacrosse had previously ranked Resetarits the third-best forward in the NLL heading into the 2023 season, a reflection of his consistent production. His standing in the league, combined with his ongoing commitment to the Peterborough Lakers in Major Series Lacrosse, kept him among the most active and productive forwards in North American lacrosse throughout 2025.