Game Preview - Thunderbirds head to Cowtown for showdown with Roughnecks
Feb 27, 2026
The Halifax Thunderbirds head back on the road Saturday for an All-Canadian showdown with the Calgary Roughnecks at Scotiabank Saddledome. Opening face-off is slated for 10:00 p.m. AT.
Scouting the Thunderbirds
Randy Staats (15G, 30A) has come on in the last few games for Halifax, posting 12 points in his past two contests, including a season-high seven-point outing two weeks ago.
Thunderbirds captain Cody Jamieson (15G, 13A) tied his season-best totals, posting four points against San Diego last weekend. Clarke Petterson (18G, 22A) finished with a goal on that night, but he sits second in scoring on the team over halfway through the year.
Jason Knox (8G, 7A) also sits with eight points in his last three games, including at least a goal scored on all of those occasions.
Both Ryan Terefenko and Jake Withers also finished with two assists a week ago in transition, helping to produce on both ends for their squad. Max Wilson also had an assist while Curtis Romanchych potted his second career goal against the Seals.
Warren Hill had another strong outing, stopping 43 shots and allowing single digits for goals. However, he suffered his fourth loss on the season. The Thunderbirds starter sits with a 10.17 goals-against average and an .813 save percentage in 10 games.
Scouting the Roughnecks
Suffering several key departures through retirement and free agency, Calgary is a lot younger than a year ago up front, but they still possess some strong weapons.
Tyler Pace (16G, 34A) sits atop the Roughnecks in scoring while currently being on pace – no pun intended – for a career-high in points. Tanner Cook (25G, 24A) sits just a point behind in team scoring for the year.
Haiden Dickson (16G, 20A) has been a strong contributor since he entered the NLL, while second-year man Brayden Mayea (12G, 21A) continues to develop. Calgary also has veteran Riley Loewen (11G, 10A), rookie first-rounder Noah Manning (8G, 12A), and Alberta-born Mathieu Gautier (5A) rounding out their offensive corps.
The recently acquired Jacob Dunbar could also play a role. The former Ottawa Black Bear has one point in two games since joining Calgary.
Defensively, the Roughnecks are led by Eli Salama, while also having some steady pieces in Harrison Matsuoka, Liam Leclair, Jack Follows, Brayden Laity, and Kyle Pepper. Face-off specialist Justin Inacio is also one of the best draw men in the league.
Aden Walsh patrols the Calgary net. So far this year, he holds an 11.91 GAA and a .776 SV% with a 2-8 record.
Milestone Watch
- Cody Jamieson needs six points to pass Rhys Duch for 15th all-time in NLL history for career points (1,039)...Needs four loose balls to reach 900 for his career
- Colton Armstrong needs one game played to reach 100 for his career
- Randy Staats needs seven points to reach 700 for his career
- Stephen Keogh needs three goals to reach 250 for his career…Needs 11 points to reach 500 for his career
- Brendan Bomberry needs 10 goals to reach 100 for his career
- Jake Withers needs eight points to reach 100 for his career
- Tyson Bell needs 11 points to reach 100 for his career
Broadcast Information
Fans can tune into Saturday’s action on TSN+ and NLL+ in Canada and on ESPN+ in the United States.