In 2024-25, our tenants the Halifax Mooseheads and the Halifax Thunderbirds took their fans into the playoffs – with first-time moments and record-breaking results.
Thunderstruck: An Historic Lacrosse Season
Since 2019, the Halifax Thunderbirds have grown the sport of lacrosse across Nova Scotia and the whole Atlantic region. With Indigenous ownership, Indigenous players, and Indigenous culture infused throughout every game, the Halifax Thunderbirds have become icons and inspirations not only for the sport of lacrosse, but for Indigenous youth and communities who are proud to be represented by the team. Year over year, the Thunderbirds have steadily attracted more fans, more engagement, more partnerships, and more impressive stats. In 2023-2024, the Thunderbirds enjoyed record-breaking levels of attendance and ticket sales, and national and international awards for the team’s leadership and management.
The team set the bar high for their return to The Nest at Scotiabank Centre in December to open the 2024-2025 season, with increased hype and excitement from the stellar previous year. With an aggressively rebuilt roster, and return of all-star favourites, the team kicked off the home game with a renewed sense of purpose and passion, including with a hometown player. Ashton Brown, a rookie goalie from Cole Harbour, was thrilled to represent Nova Scotia: “To go from being a season-ticket holder from the first year that the Thunderbirds were in Halifax to now being on the floor with the guys and part of the team is just unbelievable,” Brown shared.
After a slow three-game start, the Thunderbirds hit a winning streak in January and won five of six matches by February. And the fans kept coming. Halifax embraced the Thunderbirds, who continued to deliver electric performances and incredible teamwork. As veteran defender Mitch Wilde shared: “I love the culture, not only within the team but around the city. There’s a ton of support for this team. It’s really not hard to get up for games when you have fans that are so committed and really in tune with the game. It really motivates us as players.” By April, the Thunderbirds clinched a playoff game winning against the Toronto Rock 16-9 and then stormed the Calgary Roughnecks 16-12 in The Nest, finishing third overall in the League.
“This year was a landmark year for the Thunderbirds and a major win for their passionate fans. We are so thrilled to see the team grow into a force in the National Lacrosse League, and we are proud of the positive impact they continue to have on our community.”
- Carrie Cussons, President & CEO, Scotiabank Centre
The Thunderbirds advanced to the National Lacrosse League Semi-Finals with a first-round Home Game against the Saskatchewan Rush. It was the team’s first-ever semi-final home game. And, while the Thunderbirds fell in the best-of-three series, the 2024-2025 season was an historic performance for Halifax, with memories to last a lifetime. In recognition of the team’s exceptional year, the National Lacrosse League announced its season award nominees in May, including Defensive Player of the Year (Graeme Hossack), Transition Player of the Year (Ryan Terefenko) and President & CEO John Catalano for Executive of the Year, a title he won in 2024. As the team looks ahead, Halifax fans were thunderstruck by an historic performance.
Finishing Strong: The Halifax Mooseheads
The 2024-2025 Halifax Mooseheads regular season kicked off with the first home game at Scotiabank Centre on October 4. As the final term of Halifax Regional Municipality Mayor Mike Savage approached, the Mooseheads honoured the long-time team cheerleader with a commemorative video, custom Mooseheads jersey, and opening puck drop with our Executive Vice-President Suzanne Fougere, and team owners Sam and Peter Simon. Winning the home opener against the Quebec Remparts 4-2, the Mooseheads celebrated 14 returning players including Bradon McPhee and Mathis Rousseau, and welcomed 10 new players to the roster.
As the season forged on, the Mooseheads faced a strong offense into the cold winter months and dropped to the bottom of the Maritime Division. By December, team management locked in mid-season trades and sent goal-scoring goalie Rousseau and forward Logan Crosby to Moncton in exchange for junior goalie Jacob Steinman and also swapped veteran defensemen Jack Martin and speedy forward Lou Levesque to Rimouski for talented forward Quinn Kennedy. Stacking the deck with rookies was a bold approach, but it signaled a desire to reinvest, redevelop, and rebuild the team. From January to March, the Mooseheads celebrated sporadic wins at home and away games, but as the playoffs approached, commentators expected a sweep in the first round.
“Our core for the next couple of years, this was their first playoff taste and they completely blew away any expectations anyone had. This team is set up for some really good success. It’s going to be special.”
- 2024-25 Captain (retired), Brady Schultz (#5)
As the first-round schedule was set against Drummondville, the Mooseheads hit the ice as the 16th ranked team in the playoffs. Against the public’s, and even league’s, opinion, the Mooseheads shocked the Voltigeurs with back-to-back 3-2 road victories in Drummondville to kick off the series. The Moose then returned to Scotiabank Centre ice where they dropped two-of-three games but managed to finish off the 2023 Gilles Courteau Trophy winners in an exciting Game 7 to advance to Round 2. As CBC reported: “The defending-champion Drummondville Voltigeurs were expected to easily beat a youthful Halifax Mooseheads team that barely made the QMJHL playoffs.”
The win was a surprising hard-fought victory that showed considerable promise, and it was a record-breaker to boot. The Mooseheads Round 1 playoff win marked the first time a 16th-seed team won three games in a QMJHL playoff series. No team in QMJHL history has ever started in that position to advance. The Mooseheads were also the youngest team in the QMJHL to make the playoffs. While commentators called it a “Cinderella Run,” the historic win made all of Moose Country proud.
For Round 2, the Mooseheads faced the #2 team in Western conference, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, a wolfpack of tough veteran players that dominated the season. Round 2 started only two days after the seven-game series, and the team sustained multiple injuries and showed exhaustion in the first games. Following two losses in Quebec, the playoff road came to an end with two Moose losses at Scotiabank Centre. The Huskies won 5-1 in front of a house packed with Moose fans to complete a 4-0 sweep. But the potential for the Halifax Mooseheads is unlimited. The team will return to the ice with a stronger composition, invaluable playoff experience, and proven belief in defying the odds from a performance that can only be described as playoff magic.