About
ABOUT THE HALIFAX THUNDERBIRDS
The Halifax Thunderbirds are a professional box lacrosse team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, competing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL), North America’s largest professional lacrosse league.
Since arriving in Halifax for the 2019–20 season, the Thunderbirds have established Scotiabank Centre as one of the most exciting environments in the NLL. Known as The Nest, it has become home to a passionate and growing fan base and an unmistakable game-night experience built around fast-paced professional lacrosse, music, entertainment and the energy of Halifax.
It’s Showtime in Halifax.
A CHAMPIONSHIP LEGACY
The Thunderbirds organization carries one of the richest histories in professional lacrosse.
The franchise began in Rochester in 1995 as the original Rochester Knighthawks before relocating to Halifax ahead of the 2019–20 season. During its time in Rochester, the organization captured five league championships — in 1997, 2007, 2012, 2013 and 2014 — and became the first franchise in NLL history to win three consecutive championships, accomplishing the feat from 2012 through 2014.
When the franchise relocated to Halifax, its history, records and championships moved with it.
Today, that championship tradition continues as the Halifax Thunderbirds.
THE THUNDERBIRDS COME TO HALIFAX
On September 13, 2018, the National Lacrosse League announced that owner and general manager Curt Styres had received approval to relocate his franchise from Rochester to Halifax.
Styres, a proud Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River, became the first Indigenous owner in NLL history when he purchased the franchise. The move to Halifax brought professional box lacrosse to Atlantic Canada and began a new chapter for one of the league’s most successful organizations.
The Thunderbirds name was chosen with a connection to Indigenous culture and the roots of lacrosse — the Creator’s Game — while recognizing that the team would make its home in Mi’kma’ki, the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq.
A NEW ERA BEGINS
The Halifax Thunderbirds played their first NLL game at Scotiabank Centre on December 7, 2019, defeating the New York Riptide 12–4.
Halifax quickly emerged as one of the league’s top teams, opening its inaugural season with an 8–4 record and sitting alone in first place in the North Division when the 2019–20 season was halted.
What began as a new professional sports franchise in Halifax quickly grew into something bigger — a team and fan base connected by the energy, passion and community surrounding the game of lacrosse.
BUILDING THE NEST
In the seasons that followed, the Thunderbirds continued to grow both on and off the floor.
Scotiabank Centre became known throughout the league as The Nest, with crowds regularly surpassing 10,000 fans and creating one of professional lacrosse’s most electric home-floor advantages.
The connection extends well beyond game night. Through school visits, youth lacrosse initiatives, camps, clinics and community programs, the Thunderbirds have worked to introduce the game to the next generation while strengthening the team’s connection throughout Halifax and Nova Scotia.
THE ROAD TO THE NLL FINALS
The 2025–26 season marked another major chapter in Thunderbirds history.
After securing a spot in the NLL Playoffs, Halifax advanced through the postseason and defeated the Georgia Swarm to earn its first trip to the NLL Finals since the franchise relocated to Halifax.
The championship series brought professional lacrosse’s biggest stage to The Nest, where 10,889 fans packed Scotiabank Centre for Game 2 of the NLL Finals against the Toronto Rock.
Although the Thunderbirds ultimately fell short of the NLL Cup, the run represented the deepest playoff journey of the Halifax era and another milestone in the growth of the franchise.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
The Thunderbirds enter the 2026–27 season continuing to pursue the same standard that has defined the organization for decades: compete for championships, grow the game of lacrosse and create an unforgettable experience for our fans.
From a five-time championship legacy to a new generation of Thunderbirds fans in Atlantic Canada, the story continues to be written in Halifax.
One city. One community. One Nest.
It’s Showtime in Halifax.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE
The National Lacrosse League is North America’s largest professional lacrosse league, featuring 12 franchises across Canada and the United States.
Played inside a hockey-style arena, box lacrosse combines speed, skill, physicality and constant action. Teams play with five runners and a goaltender, with games consisting of four 15-minute quarters.
The NLL welcomed more than one million fans league-wide for the fourth consecutive season in 2025–26, continuing the growth of professional lacrosse across North America.
About the Game
Indoor lacrosse is played inside the confines of an ice hockey rink, with glass and rink boards intact. The playing surface consists of a green dieter turf carpet that is laid down over the hockey ice. The two teams combine to score a total of 25 goals on average during an NLL game.
Each team has five runners (forwards, transition players and defensemen) and a goaltender on the floor during the game. Each team dresses 18 players (16 runners and two goaltenders) per game, and the players rotate on and off the floor in shifts, similar to ice hockey. The game consists of four quarters, each fifteen minutes in length. A game that is tied at the end of regulation is decided in a sudden-death overtime. There are no tie games in professional indoor lacrosse.
Learn more about the game: www.nll.com