2025-2026 Record: 8-10, 8th place in the regular season. Lost to Toronto in the NLL Finals, two games to none.
New Faces: Matt Marinier, Liam Patten, Dustyn Birkhof, Landen Sinfield, Eric Fannell, Riley Hutchcraft, Tyler Biles, David Peterkin, Nick Crowley
Key Losses: Dawson Theede, Tyson Bell, Nonkon Thompson, Drew Hutchison, Stephen Keogh
Topsy-turvy might best describe the course of last season for the Halifax Thunderbirds. They started their 2025-2026 campaign with two massive wins, holding Oshawa to a record-low two goals in their season opener, then going into Buffalo and shocking the three-time defending champion Bandits in overtime. However, the Thunderbirds would drop seven of their next eight games, finding themselves outside the playoff picture as the March to May began. The Thunderbirds even gave the appearance of being sellers at the trade deadline, sending forward Dawson Theede to Oshawa, and defenseman Tyson Bell to Las Vegas.
Whatever words were said or personnel changes made, Halifax bounced back in the final two months, winning five of their last eight games, including a “win or go home” game against Ottawa in the regular season finale to sneak into the playoffs as the final team, despite finishing with a sub-.500 record (8-10). The Thunderbirds then rallied from a seven-goal halftime deficit to beat top-seeded Vancouver on the road in the first round of the playoffs.
The momentum continued through a grueling best-of-three series with Georgia, but ultimately ran out of steam in the finals as they were swept by the Toronto Rock. Nevertheless, the Thunderbirds showed the kind of grit and determination every fan wants to see out of their team, even if they played playoff-level lacrosse for a just a bit too long for any fan’s tastes. Presumably, the goal this season will be to take that last step towards hoisting the NLL Cup, but from a more preferable playoff seeding and with less nail-biting drama at the end of the regular season.
Thunderbirds defense: The NLL’s most physical anomaly?
When discussing the Thunderbirds defense, the topic that usually comes to mind first is discipline, or lack thereof. Halifax is always known for playing just on either side of that proverbial razor’s edge, and the statistics firmly back up the sentiment. The Thunderbirds tied for the most penalty minutes in the league last season, had the most turnovers of any team in the league, and ranked in the bottom half of the league in loose ball pickups. All this while having the fourth-fewest caused turnovers and the fourth-fewest blocked shots of any team last season. So how exactly were the Thunderbirds able to excel to the point where they could make the finals?
Start with the goaltending of Warren Hill. The Thunderbirds ranked fourth in Save Percentage last season. Despite allowing the fifth-most shots in the NLL, they yielded the fifth-fewest goals. This is perhaps a testament to years of chemistry among the core of the defensive group, led by three-time Defensive Player of the Year Graeme Hossack, along with Max Wilson, Johnny Pearson, Ryan Terefenko, Colton Armstrong, Trevor Smyth, and Curtis Romanchych.
Yet the Thunderbirds have now added to an already beefy back end by acquiring Matt Marinier, Liam Patten, and Dustyn Birkhof in the Dispersal Draft, then acquiring Tyler Biles in a trade with Rochester. Each of these four players is no stranger to aggressive play, or dropping the gloves when warranted, which fits perfectly into Defensive Coordinator Andrew Suitor’s system. Add to that the unparalled wizardry of one Jake Withers, whose Faceoff Win Percentage ranked second overall in the league, and now you have a way out of some of the pitfalls that come with playing aggressive defense (last I checked, it’s rather difficult for a defensive player to commit a penalty when the offense is out on the floor).
Offense: Is health the simplest solution?
The offense for Halifax was just as topsy turvy last season. They ranked 10th in goals scored and next to last in assists. Captain Cody Jamieson, Clarke Petterson, and Brendan Bomberry were the only forwards to appear in all 18 regular season games. While Petterson put up a 90-point season, no other forward reached even 60 points on the year. Bomberry in particular struggled, managing just seven goals and 28 points after being touted as one of the bigger free agent acquisitions the prior offseason.
Following the trade of Theede to Oshawa, Jason Knox stepped up to fill the void on the left side, tallying 28 points in six playoff games. Knox will be expected to play an even bigger role on that side this season, along with Mike Robinson and Will MacLeod. Petterson and Bomberry are expected to be joined by Randy Staats, who missed almost as many games as he played last season, and Casey Wilson, who is coming off a PLL Championship with the Philadelphia Waterdogs, and will step into the spot vacated by the retirement of Stephen Keogh. Thomas Hoggarth, Austin Blumbergs, and Dispersal Draft pick Landen Sinfield are also expected to contribute. If the Thunderbirds’ offense can remain healthy, the chemistry will naturally follow, and the offensive lows experienced last year can just as quickly soar to new heights in their pursuit for the first NLL Cup to be won in the Maritimes.
