Keogh thrilled to reunite with Thunderbirds
Mar 10, 2026
Austin Owens I Halifax Thunderbirds
Previously featured in our February 14th edition of Inside the Nest
Just over a month ago, Stephen Keogh was sitting in the stands at Tribute Communities Centre, watching the Halifax Thunderbirds play in Oshawa. Fast forward to today, and the longtime member of the organization finds himself donning the purple and orange once again after signing with the Thunderbirds in January.
“Just being there a few weeks ago and watching this team, you can tell it’s one that has potential and made a run in the playoffs last year,” Keogh said. “I’m excited to be back and am just going to try to do everything in my power to help this team get back into the playoffs and make another run.”
This is far from the veteran’s first rodeo with the franchise. The organization originally selected Keogh with the second overall pick in 2011, and he was an immediate impact player for the team, helping capture three consecutive championships from 2012 to 2014.
Following a trade away from Rochester in 2017, Keogh was re-acquired by the team in 2019, as the organization was set to head to the Maritimes to become the Thunderbirds.
Keogh had 18 goals and 34 in his first year in Halifax, bringing the crowd to its feet with his signature floor swipe after every goal.
Following a lengthy absence across the league due to the cancelled season in 2020, the team returned to the floor for the 2021-22 season, where Keogh had 15 goals and 27 points in 12 outings.
Sitting as a free agent, Keogh moved closer to home, signing with Toronto for the following year. He had a massive year, nearly hitting 30 goals and finishing with 54 points. In 2024, Keogh continued with New York, and once again, he registered 20 goals, proving himself to be a strong scoring option in an NLL offence.
However, the 38-year-old sat out all of last year and the first half of this season before finding his way back to The Nest.
Keogh re-joined the team for practice a month ago, taking the floor once again, both with familiar faces and new ones that he was able to build chemistry with.
“A lot of the reaction was guys going, ‘Whoa, what are you doing here?’ It’s a little weird to come into a room for the first time, but once we got to meet everyone, it was an easy time getting re-acquainted. There’s a lot of promise in this group, and I’m looking forward to contributing,” Keogh said.
“…(Halifax) is a special place. I was able to be with the team in the first years with the Thunderbirds, and the fans, the atmosphere, they’re unlike most places I’ve played in the NLL. Just having the chance to be able to be there last game (against Georgia) and hear the roar of the crowd, and see the arena sold out, it was an unbelievable experience.”
Along with his veteran and big-game experience, Keogh is a physical presence who is unafraid of contact while also possessing a heavy shot. He’s also someone who excels at opening up teammates and playing in the two-man game, which could play well with Halifax’s top scorers, Clarke Petterson and Randy Staats.
He has a rapport with both forwards. Petterson played his first two seasons as a pro with Keogh, while Staats was a teammate with the Six Nations Chiefs previously. That familiarity should only benefit the Thunderbirds.
“Clarke was still a young pup coming into the league when I was with Halifax last. It’s great to see how far he’s come as a player in this league. All the players are so talented on this team, and the young pieces on this team are the future of the franchise. I’ve got some chemistry with Randy going back to Six Nations. We’ve only had a few practices together to sort things out, but I think if we just swing the ball and trust our shooting, good things are going to happen.”
Another reunion that Keogh was excited for was with longtime teammate, Thunderbirds captain Cody Jamieson. The pair have played together for nearly two decades, spanning back to their time at Syracuse University, where they helped bring home two National Championships with the Orange.
Additionally, the pair has that three-peat with Rochester, and multiple Mann Cups with Six Nations together as a pair, making them one of the most accomplished offensive duos in the history of lacrosse.
“Cody and I have won pretty much all there is to win together as teammates. We’ve also gone up against each other growing up all these years. The last few years, I’ve been on the other side, so it’s going to be great to take the floor again with him. I can’t speak for Cody, but this is probably my last go in the NLL, so it’s incredibly special to play alongside him again.”
Now back with the team he had spent parts of nine seasons of his career with, this reunion in Halifax has come at the perfect time for Keogh. With so many accolades under his belt in the sport of lacrosse, he’s looking to cap things off with the same organization he started with, while making important memories in the process.
“I think it’s just being around the guys in the room. Being on the floor and making memories there is what I had missed the most, but also just fooling around and joking in the room, those memories made on road trips, flights, and on buses,” Keogh said. “This is also a chance for my son, Killian, to see me play. He was young when I was last in the league, so it’s a chance for him to see me play a few games in the NLL. With this possibly being my last go, I’m just going to enjoy the time with this team the rest of the year.”