Brock on Halifax reunion: 'Everything happens for a reason'
Apr 4, 2023
Austin Owens I Halifax Thunderbirds
Coming into the league as one of the top prospects in the 2010 NLL Draft class, David Brock had a tough start to his career.
“When I was at the University at Albany, I was a bit of a big fish in a small pond. But when I got to the NLL, you’re playing against men, people are being paid, and it’s a cutthroat job,” Brock said. “It was certainly a learning curve coming into the league, but it has led me down an entire sequence of events that has brought me to where I am today so I’m glad with how it all played out.”
After being selected seventh overall in 2010 by Boston, Brock only saw action in a pair of games for the Blazers being outright released mid-season. That led him to a two-year stint with Philadelphia before he landed in Buffalo, where he’d spend the majority of his career.
He appeared in 77 games with the Bandits prior to making a move to the New England Black Wolves in 2018. His two years there were arguably the most productive of his career to date.
Ahead of the 2019-20 season, Brock became an unrestricted free agent on the heels of a career year where he set new highs in points (17), loose balls (104), and caused turnovers (34).
He had the chance to sign with the Thunderbirds. He deeply considered the move, but at that time, he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to stay close to home and play in front of his family and his hometown Toronto Rock.
Brock’s time in Toronto was short, however – but not due to normal circumstances. The COVID pandemic brought the season to an abrupt halt.
But a few weeks before things shut down, Brock had a chance to experience The Nest from a visitor's perspective when the Thunderbirds and Rock met up at Scotiabank Centre.
“I remember getting there and just thinking, ‘Oh boy, we’re in for a real challenge here.’ You knew the team was new, but you could kind of sense that it was going to be a difficult night,” Brock recalled. “When the game started, it was a big crowd and a loud crowd. It was also young. The one thing I noticed was the family-friendly environment but also the college kids and the younger adults all on their feet and cheering.
“I only had the one chance to play there as a visitor, but it was certainly a tough place to play and it gives the Thunderbirds an advantage.”
With uncertainty surrounding a return to play, Brock tried to maintain a routine to be ready for when the time came to get back on the floor. But after two years away, the normal yearly routine of a professional lacrosse player had become a bit foreign to everyone around the league.
“I was really discouraged. I thought that I might have played my last career game for the Rock at that point. Whenever the pandemic ended, would I ever get the opportunity to do this again? Missing all of that time, especially at 35 years old, it makes you realize you can’t do this forever,” Brock said. “It made me realize that you have to cherish every moment and not take it for granted because it really is a special opportunity that not a lot of people get.
“All that time off, I thought, ‘Great, this is just what the body needs.’ But I’d been playing 20-50 games a year between the NLL and summer lacrosse, making long runs in both, and those little aches and pains really settled in. So it was just about getting used to playing again.”
In the summer of 2020, the Thunderbirds were looking to bolster their defence, and Brock was the man they targeted, swinging a deal with Toronto to acquire him.
Brock joined a defensive core already featuring the likes of Graeme Hossack, Jake Withers, Scott Campbell, and the newly acquired Tyson Bell.
The veteran had previously taken home the Mann Cup – the Canadian Senior A mens lacrosse championship – with the Six Nations Chiefs. He played alongside Thunderbirds captain Cody Jamieson and defensive coordinator Billy Dee Smith during that time. That made his transition to a new locker room as seamless as possible.
“I think just being a veteran in the league and knowing a handful of guys on a personal level on this roster was a welcomed treat,” Brock said. “They treat everyone like family here, and that starts from the top down with Curt (Styres) and his family-first mentality. So being familiar with Billy Dee, Cody, and one of my best friends in Beni (Ryan Benesch), it was a no-brainer decision for me when the opportunity to be traded to Halifax came up.”
Brock spent his first year with the Thunderbirds in and out of the lineup, putting up a pair of points along with 34 loose balls in nine appearances.
Following his 36th birthday, Brock was once again a free agent. During the pandemic, his first son, Teddy, was born, and with another son soon on the way, playing close to home became a priority.
After having a down year in 2021-22, Brock wanted to go out on a good note. He trained hard during the off-season and lost 15 pounds. With some options to choose from, he eventually signed on for another run with Buffalo.
However, Brock was a surprise cut ahead of the season, leaving him weighing his options before the start of the year.
“I thought that this might have been a higher power’s way of telling me that it was time, so I ultimately decided to retire. That’s it and that’s enough,” Brock said. “24 hours passed and it was an emotional 24 hours. I just thought to myself, ‘I’ve worked too hard for this and I’m in too good of shape. There’s no way this is how I’m going out. I knew there was still a little bit left in the tank after the Buffalo camp, so I started reaching out to teams and I had a talk with Curt.
“Curt has given me a second chance on a couple of occasions now, to play for his team. And there was just something there. Everything happens for a reason and this felt like it was something that was meant to be.”
In a span of 72 hours, Brock had gone from Buffalo to retired, to Halifax just days before their home opener against Philadelphia.
He made his way down to The Nest and has been a constant in the Birds’ lineup ever since. Apart from an injury that sidelined him for a few weeks mid-season, Brock has played in every game he’s been available for, helping to log minutes on a Halifax defensive unit that went through changes over the summer.
Heading into the final stretch of the regular season, the Thunderbirds sit in the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division. They’ll be looking for a strong month of April to help give them momentum heading into the postseason. Brock and the defence have rounded into top form over the last month and will be instrumental in helping to try and bring hardware to Halifax.
“We truly have a great team. We’re solid in every facet of the game and have a great locker room where everyone is a family,” Brock said. “If anyone is going to get in our way, it’s going to be ourselves, and over the last couple of games, we’ve started to straighten that out. We’ve got a lot of great leaders and great veterans who are helping to steer the ship in the right direction. Last year, I think we peaked early and it caught up with us. This time around, I don’t think we’ve peaked yet.
“I think we’re saving it for the right time and learning from that experience last year. There’s a good feeling this year. Everyone is playing for everyone, we all want to win and have bought into what the coaching staff was telling us. We’re going to do our best to bring a championship back to Halifax.”