Game Preview - Thunderbirds welcome Mammoth to The Nest
Jan 15, 2026
After a three-game road swing to open the New Year, the Halifax Thunderbirds return home to face the Colorado Mammoth at Scotiabank Centre. Opening face-off is set for 7:30 p.m. AT.
Head to Head
The Thunderbirds and Mammoth have faced off three times since the team moved to the Maritimes back in 2019. Halifax holds a 2-1 record all-time, with both of the team’s wins coming at Scotiabank Centre.
Colorado got its first win against Halifax last season at Ball Arena.
Clarke Petterson leads all players in scoring between these two teams, putting up 15 points in three outings. Across two games against the Mammoth, Randy Staats has three goals and 11 points, Dawson Theede has five goals and 10 points, and Cody Jamieson has posted four goals and eight points.
Scouting the Thunderbirds
The righty pairing of Clarke Petterson (11G, 16A) and Randy Staats (8G, 18A) continues to pace the Thunderbirds offensively, while lefty Dawson Theede (11G, 9A) is tied with Petterson for the team lead in goals on the season.
Halifax got a big outing from 2025 first-round selection Will MacLeod in his NLL debut last weekend in Ottawa. The 12th overall pick netted four goals against the Black Bears – a single-game high for the Thunderbirds this year – and finished the night with six points.
Brendan Bomberry (1G, 6A) also scored his first goal as a Thunderbird in Ottawa while logging minutes at both ends of the floor.
It was a strong weekend for Jake Withers on draws. The defensive star for the Thunderbirds went a combined 48 for 53 at the stripe (90.5%).
In goal, Warren Hill holds a 3-3 record, alongside a 9.11 goals-against average and an .835 save percentage.
Scouting the Mammoth
Colorado suffered a massive loss to its forward corps this month, with veteran righty Ryan Lee going down to a season-ending injury. Compounded by the team moving Zed Williams and Connor Kelly in the off-season, and Andrew Kew also being on IR, the Mammoth had to go out and get some help via trade.
The team acquired Jack Hannah from Las Vegas a few weeks ago, and he’s helped stabilize the Mammoth offence alongside Will Malcom (13G, 13A), who continues to be one of the best forwards in the league. Hannah has 10 points through his first two games in Colorado, while Jalen Chaster (4G, 8A) has played both ends of the floor for the Mammoth this year.
Thomas Vela (3G, 7A) and Dylan McIntosh (6G, 3A) are secondary options for Colorado, and they have a top-five pick on the righty side in Braedon Saris (2G, 2A). If Kew can return, he’s a player who has the potential to post double-digit point totals in any game he’s involved in.
Defensively, the Mammoth are led by vets in Robert Hope, Tim Edwards, Jordan Gilles, and Warren Jeffrey. They also have some young defensive talent in Connor Nock, Owen Down, and Owen Rahn, who has also played some forward reps at times.
Dillon Ward leads the Mammoth from between the pipes. The former NLL Goalie of the Year has a 9.05 GAA and an .817 SV% for the year.
Milestone Info
- Cody Jamieson needs six assists to become the 12th player in NLL History to reach 650 for a career
- Dawson Theede needs two goals to reach 100 for his career
- Clarke Petterson needs two points to surpass Dan Dawson for fourth all-time in franchise history for points (427)
- Randy Staats needs three loose balls to reach 500 for his career
- Ryan Terefenko needs four points to reach 100 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
Broadcast Information
Fans can tune into Friday’s action on TSN+ and NLL+ in Canada and on ESPN+ in the United States.