SafekipediaHalifax Thunderbirds
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
The Halifax Thunderbirds, often called the T-Birds, are a Canadian professional box lacrosse team. They are based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and play in the National Lacrosse League.
The Thunderbirds play their home games at the Scotiabank Centre. They share this arena with another team called the Halifax Mooseheads, which plays in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
Lacrosse is an exciting sport that combines fast-paced action and skilled playing, making the Thunderbirds a fun team to watch for sports fans of all ages.
History
Original Rochester Knighthawks (1995-2019)
Main article: Rochester Knighthawks (1995–2019)
The team started in 1995 as the Rochester Knighthawks in New York. They played at the Blue Cross Arena and did very well, making the playoffs for 13 years in a row and winning 5 championships. In 2018, after losing a big game, the team’s owner decided to move the team to Halifax. The original team’s name and logo were sold to new owners in Rochester, and the team’s history and records went with the move to Halifax.
Relocation to Halifax and after
On September 13, 2018, the team moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Halifax Thunderbirds played their first game on December 7, 2019, and won against the New York Riptide in front of many fans at the Scotiabank Centre.
The Thunderbirds reached the playoffs in the 2022 season but lost in the first round.
On February 14, 2026, Maki Jenner became the first woman to do play-by-play for the league in a game between the Thunderbirds and the Buffalo Bandits.
Team name and logo
The Halifax Thunderbirds got their name from an idea by Curt Styres. He saw a lacrosse stick made from wood of a tree struck by lightning. He liked the idea of showing the special "one in one thousand odds" that the lacrosse stick represented.
Current roster
The Halifax Thunderbirds are a Canadian professional box lacrosse team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They compete in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and play their home games at Scotiabank Centre, sharing the venue with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
Awards and honours
| Year | Player | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Graeme Hossack | Defensive Player of the Year |
| John Catalano | Executive of the Year | |
| 2022 | Pat Gregoire | Tom Borrelli Award |
| 2024 | Jake Withers | Transition Player of the Year |
| John Catalano | Executive of the Year |
All-time record
| Season | Division/Conference | W–L | Finish | PCT | Home | Road | GF | GA | Avg Attendance | Coach | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | North | 8–4 | 1st | .667 | 6–1 | 2–3 | 139 | 126 | 7,642 | Mike Accursi | No playoffs held |
| 2021 | Eastern | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||||||||
| 2022 | Eastern | 11–7 | 3rd | .611 | 7–2 | 4–5 | 198 | 195 | 5,439 | Mike Accursi | Lost Conference Semi-Final |
| 2023 | Eastern | 10–8 | 3rd | .556 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 238 | 210 | 8,512 | Mike Accursi | Lost Conference Semi-Final |
| 2024 | Unified | 10–8 | 6th | .556 | 6–3 | 4–5 | 223 | 200 | 9,164 | Mike Accursi | Lost Quarterfinals |
| 2025 | Unified | 11–7 | 3rd | .611 | 6–3 | 5–4 | 239 | 213 | 9,789 | Mike Accursi | Lost Semifinals |
| 2026 | Unified | 8–10 | 8th | .444 | 4–5 | 4–5 | 187 | 182 | 10,338 | Mike Accursi | TBD |
| Total | 6 Seasons | 58–44 | .569 | 34–18 | 24–28 | 1,229 | 1,126 | 8,636 | |||
| Playoff Totals | 5 Appearances | 1–5 | .167 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 59 | 76 | 10,595 | 0 Championships | ||
Playoff results
| Season | Game | Visiting | Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Eastern Conference Semi-Finals | Halifax 13 | Toronto 14 |
| 2023 | Eastern Conference Semi-Finals | Halifax 11 | Toronto 15 |
| 2024 | Quarterfinals | Halifax 3 | Albany 9 |
| 2025 | Quarterfinals | Calgary 12 | Halifax 16 |
| Semi Final 1 | Saskatchewan 16 | Halifax 7 | |
| Semi Final 2 | Halifax 9 | Saskatchewan 10 (OT) | |
| 2026 | Quarterfinals | Halifax 10 | Vancouver 7 |
| Semi Final 1 | Halifax 12 | Georgia 7 | |
| Semi Final 2 | Georgia 21 | Halifax 10 | |
| Semi Final 3 | Halifax 15 | Georgia 11 | |
| NLL Finals Game 1 | Halifax | Toronto | |
| NLL Finals Game 2 | Toronto | Halifax |
Draft history
NLL entry draft
The Halifax Thunderbirds chose several players in the NLL entry drafts.
In 2019, they picked Clarke Petterson (5th overall) and Trevor Smyth (14th overall). In 2020, they chose Ethan Riggs (11th overall). In 2021, they selected Max Wilson (12th overall). In 2022, they chose Wake:Riat "Bo" Bowhunter (12th overall). In 2023 and 2024, they did not pick any players. In 2025, they selected Alex Marinier (6th overall) and Will MacLeod (12th overall).
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Halifax Thunderbirds, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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