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Halifax Thunderbirds' season opener a sort of homecoming for Gillies
Glenn MacDonald | Posted: Dec. 3, 2021, 8:40 a.m. | Updated: Dec. 3, 2021, 8:40 a.m. | 6 Min Read
Halifax Thunderbirds transition Brad Gillies is shown in action during a National Lacrosse League game Jan. 18, 2020, against the San Diego Seals at Scotiabank Centre. - TREVOR MacMILLAN / HALIFAX THUNDERBIRDS
When a pro sports franchise relocates, the transition isn't always seamless for the players affected.
But when the Rochester Knighthawks moved their National Lacrosse League franchise to Halifax in 2019, it was a sort of homecoming for veteran transition Brad Gillies.
Gillies, who still lives in the western New York city, spent his childhood summer vacations on the Northumberland shore.
"Right at the end of lacrosse season in early August, we would hop in the car and drive to my grandparents' place in Pugwash for at least two, sometimes three weeks of our summers," said Gillies, who was raised in Oakville, Ont. His mother is from Collingwood, Cumberland County, and his parents attended Acadia University.
"It was some of my fondest memories. We would do tons of boating and water skiing, or we would bring our lacrosse sticks out on the beach or just go golfing. It was a lot of fun."
The Halifax Hurricanes' Clarke Petterson and Brad Gillies (top) move into the Buffalo Bandits' zone during the last National Lacrosse League regular-season game played at the Scotiabank Centre on March 8, 2020. - TREVOR MacMILLAN / HALIFAX THUNDERBIRDS
Little did he know then, Gillies would not only become a professional lacrosse player but would play the sport he loved in what he calls his second home.
Family and friends attended every Thunderbirds home game at Scotiabank Centre during their inaugural season of 2019-20 and had their own cheering section.
"At least six of them have season tickets," the 30-year-old Gillies said. "They've been at every home game.
"I definitely love having this familiarity of Nova Scotia. It's pretty cool to have so many close people there in the crowd to support you. It makes it that much more special."
They will be in attendance Saturday evening when pro lacrosse returns to Halifax in nearly two years. The Thunderbirds will host the Saskatchewan Rush in their 2021-22 season opener.
It will be Halifax's first home game since a March 8, 2020, matchup against the Buffalo Bandits. Two weeks later the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the remaining of the 2019-20 campaign and all last season.
The league had hoped to begin the 2020-21 season last April. But uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 forced the league to cancel the season in February and switch their focus to the fall of 2021 for a return to play.
Halifax Thunderbirds' Kyle Jackson stretches out to fire a shot at Buffalo Bandits goalie Matt Vinc during an NLL game on March 8, 2020 at Scotiabank Centre. - TREVOR MacMILLAN / HALIFAX THUNDERBIRDS
"There's a ton of excitement to get the season going," Gillies said. "It feels almost surreal after this much time has passed to be playing again. Everyone came into camp in shape. It was a tough training camp. Coach Accursi (Halifax head coach Mike Accursi) worked us really hard. We'll get right back into the swing of things once we get back out there. We expect to pick up where we left off."
The Thunderbirds defeated the Bandits 11-9 in front of 8,359 fans on March 8 to improve to 8-4 and move into sole possession of first place in the North Division. Momentum was at its highest.
"The expectations we have set for ourselves this season is to be as competitive as we were when things shut down," said Gillies, who, in his five NLL seasons in Rochester and Halifax, has collected 24 goals, 55 points and 301 loose balls in 70 games played.
"It was a full team effort – the goalie, the defence and everybody chipping in offensively. It's very dangerous when you have everybody pulling in the same direction. It started in the back end with Warren Hill in goal, our defence was playing at a high level and keeping the numbers low and offensively we were super balanced. We know the talent that we have here."
The Thunderbirds were a hit in the stands and in the community during their inaugural season in Halifax. Attendance improved each of the seven home games, averaging 7,642 fans at the 10,500-seat downtown arena.
Gillies isn't surprised by the growth of pro lacrosse in the city.
"I knew there was some potential in Halifax when I heard about the move from Rochester initially," he said. "But you just never know. There's so much unknown. But I knew how sports hungry the town is and the talent in this league and the excitement it can bring.
"It was so great to see it all come to fruition. The performance on the floor helped aid in that. We did our job to help get the ball rolling and get the excitement going. I think the sky's the limit here."
Brad Gillies shown here while with the Rochester Knighthawks. - CONTRIBUTED
The move northeast wasn't easy for Gillies, who has put down roots in Rochester and still lives there. He spent four years at Rochester Institute of Technology, where he excelled both on the field and in the classroom (a 2015 scholastic all-American).
He was drafted into the NLL in the first round (ninth overall) by the Knighthawks in 2015. He immersed himself into the community, started his own box lacrosse company and runs a weekly youth league. Gillies was the team's community service award honouree for its final three seasons in Rochester.
"There's a ton of lacrosse history in Rochester but it's all field (lacrosse)," Gillies said. "I saw it as a unique opportunity to get these kids that have a ton of lacrosse experience to play a completely different brand of lacrosse. It's been a lot of fun and something I plan to do for a long time.
"But the move (to Halifax) was exciting, to be a part of something new for the community, right from the ground floor," he added. "Having family and friends in Halifax made it something that I really wanted to be a part of. I've been really happy with the move so far."
After 600 days away, Thunderbirds lacrosse returns to Halifax
Thunderbirds release 2021-22 regular-season schedule; open on Dec. 4
Updated Sep. 29, 2021 |2 min read
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