Pearson making seamless transition to Thunderbirds
Apr 18, 2023
Austin Owens I Halifax Thunderbirds
Johnny Pearson spent this summer training, running up and down mountains and doing differently weighted carries. But not for lacrosse.
Pearson and his younger brother Caleb – a graduate student at Stony Brook University – got the opportunity to help fight forest fires across British Columbia.
“We would be sent out on two-week deployments. We would go all across the province wherever fires were. Our squad was built up of 22 people, so we’d have a different team and objectives each day as to how we were going to approach the fires,” Pearson said. “We’d work on preventing fires from spreading in different areas in the wilderness where we were. Whether that was protecting cities or different things like that. We would have a bunch of different means of defensive measures to make sure that we could control the fire and handle it by either trying to put it out or letting it burn itself out.
“It was eye-opening to see some parts of the country that people won’t step foot in, it was special to be able to share that with my brother. We haven’t been able to spend too much time together with each of us being at school. So being able to work together and live together in the same house and share that experience was awesome.”
Pearson explained that he started training for the summer of work in May and June. Once July rolled around, he would be sent as part of a team to a different spot in BC for a two-week deployment to fight fires. The team would return for three days to plan and rest ahead of their next trip, and then they’d be sent out for another two weeks.
The days sometimes lasted 12 to 16 hours and they continued into early September. The experience allowed him to better learn how to work as one part of a bigger team.
“Whether it’s fire or lacrosse, there’s always different goals. Short- and long-term goals. Whether it’s putting out a fire over two weeks or trying to win a championship over five months, it’s difficult. But working with each other and utilizing everyone’s strengths to ultimately help each other and work to build off of each other. It was definitely good to have that team aspect and have everyone transition into a strong unit.”
From defending cities from forest fires to playing defence once again for the Thunderbirds this season, the past year has been a whirlwind for the Langley, BC native.
Pearson’s journey in professional lacrosse has landed him in The Nest, but it started back in 2017 following his collegiate career at Ohio State. Pearson was considered one of the top lefty forwards in the 2017 NLL Draft class. He had interest from a few teams, but it would ultimately be Saskatchewan who would scoop him up with the 19th overall pick.
At the time, Saskatchewan was in the middle of a run that saw them win two championships in three years. As a result, Pearson ended up on their practice roster. After putting in the time with the Rush, a new opportunity presented itself in the form of the expansion San Diego Seals, who joined the league for the 2018-19 season.
At the time, the lefty was playing up front, but his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame and offensive touch were a tempting combo out of the back gate. The Seals switched him from forward to defence.
“Seeing the offensive firepower they had, they had everything. So I saw that my talents could be used differently through a defensive role,” Pearson said. “For that time, it was kind of a transition into figuring out what I was going to have to do to make the team and be successful. So that’s where I immersed myself in defence and started to learn from some of the veteran guys.
“Coming from an offensive background, I already had that prior knowledge of what forwards were trying to do. I think that helped me find my role, and then it was just a matter of reps and continuing to practice and get better.”
Pearson spent a pair of seasons with the Seals, scoring five goals and six points across 13 games in that span.
But a trade to New England — now the Albany FireWolves — saw Pearson head East. But he would never see action with the franchise. After being placed on the Hold Out List, Pearson was on the move again, this time to Panther City in exchange for now-teammate Ryan Benesch.
Heading into this season, Pearson became a free agent, free to sign with a team and get a fresh start. That opportunity came in Halifax. The 27-year-old joined the team midway through training camp in Akwesasne, as they prepared for their two pre-season scrimmages.
“Thankfully, the cardio aspects I didn’t have to catch up on. It was more the tendencies of the guys, learning what they like to do, and building chemistry,” Pearson said. “Coming in, there was a lot of excitement. Just getting the chance to reunite with some of the guys I played with in college. I was able to lean on them and learn certain things on the defensive side. But that weekend was just figuring out the guys and their tendencies, what strengths they bring and where I could complement them the best to help the team this season.”
With the signing, Pearson added to a strong stable of Buckeyes on the Thunderbirds’ roster. He, Jake Withers, Austin Shanks, and Eric Fannell all graduated from Ohio State in 2017. That team also featured a freshman Ryan Terefenko, who plays alongside Pearson and Withers now on the Halifax back end.
Having those familiar faces in the locker room made the move to the Thunderbirds that much easier for Pearson.
“It’s special. We all met each other for the first time in college and we were all very naive to the challenges we were going to face in real life. And we grew through that at Ohio State,” Pearson said. “To see the growth that we’ve all had as individuals and to come together and build off those relationships, I’d say that this was the easiest transition for me. To have that chemistry and camaraderie right away, it didn’t feel like I was coming to a new team. It felt like I had already been here.
“That’s just a testament to the ownership, coaches, and everyone on the team. How they made me feel and how they accepted me with open arms was something special and something that made an impact.”
Pearson has seen his most consistent run in the NLL to date with the Thunderbirds, making it into the team’s lineup for all 16 games so far this season.
After feeling out his role and responsibilities in the lineup, Pearson started to see a spike in production in the middle of the year, finding the back of the net three times. He had a pair of goals in the team’s road game in Rochester before scoring his first goal in Halifax in the next game against New York.
“For me, I feel like I’m fully able to understand the defensive scheme and protocols and now it’s been about fine-tuning those small details. Now that I feel so comfortable with what’s going on during games, I’ve just had that confidence. I’m not having to second guess anymore, it’s all just second nature,” Pearson said. “I remember last game, I caught the ball at centre, and I heard the whole energy of the arena pick up. I could hear everyone kind of stand up and make noise, and I thought to myself, ‘Oh God, I better score this one.’
“The smile on my face after the goal said it all. It’s a special feeling when you score and win at home. I tried to just feel all of that energy and see all of the passion that everybody has. Scoring that goal was awesome.”
With some of the departures in the off-season on the defensive side of the ball, the Thunderbirds were looking for some players to step up to try and full the production of some key veterans. Pearson has been one of those individuals to rise to the challenge and log minutes on the back end.
Currently sitting at 8-8, the Thunderbirds are battling for the fourth seed in the East Division. Their record isn’t quite indicative of the talent in the room, however. The defence has logged some shutdown performances, and offensively, the team has posted 15-plus goals on multiple occasions. But to make a run at the title this year, Pearson and the team know that they need to find consistency in their performances.
“There is so much confidence and belief in this group. I think the biggest thing for us right now is putting together that full 60 minutes. When we do that, we’re one of the best teams in the league,” Pearson said. “It’s just putting together all of those aspects that make a championship team, and when we do that, we can beat anyone in this league.”