Stephan Leblanc admits he doubted the Halifax Thunderbirds would be a success in their new Nova Scotia home.
The National Lacrosse League franchise relocated from Rochester, N.Y., to Halifax prior to the 2019-20 season and was an immediate success on the floor and in the stands, with an uptick in attendance at each home game.
LeBlanc – a veteran of 11 seasons in the National Lacrosse League who signed with the Thunderbirds during the off-season – is grateful he was wrong.
“I’ll admit, I was a little bit skeptical that it could work here,” said Leblanc, one of a handful of Thunderbird players who make their home in Halifax.
“I wasn’t an expert of all things Halifax, but I thought the community was more university-based. I wasn’t quite sure that the fan base would be here. But I obviously didn’t know the community as well as I thought I did. The city has really bought in.”
Leblanc, who’s two games shy of 200 combined in the regular season and playoffs, moved to Halifax three years ago to take a regional manager position with the Ford Motor Company.
At the time of the move, he was in his ninth season with the Toronto Rock, who selected Leblanc in the first round (11th overall) in the 2009 NLL Entry Draft.
But two games into the 2018 season, he was traded to the New England Black Wolves, who are based out of the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
“When I got drafted by Toronto, I was living in Hamilton,” Leblanc said. “When I moved out here with my full-time job, that’s when I got traded to New England. That worked out great because at the time, Halifax didn’t have a team. They were still in Rochester. For me, the commute from Halifax to Boston was the easiest that I could get. It was a pretty good trade from my own well-being and my family.”
The six-foot-one Leblanc enjoyed his best season statistically with the Black Wolves in 2019, collecting a career-high 93 points, including 66 assists which tied him for third in the league.
He only appeared in 10 games last season but still managed to score eight goals and add 27 assists. He became an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
“I was able to pick and choose where to play and luckily the Thunderbirds were interested in having me play for them,” Leblanc said. “They had a pretty good advantage on other teams. It would eliminate my travel for all home games. And of course, the team is fantastic. Being on this calibre of a team and the atmosphere that they had last year in the rink, that doesn’t hurt either.
“I was getting questioned on a regular basis about whether I wanted to move to Halifax. To be honest, you’re fully bought into a group of guys in the dressing room and as an organization and you’re not looking to move. You’re comfortable to where you are and I was comfortable in New England. You know the people, you know the situation. Yes, it was in the back of my mind. But I wasn't looking to get traded. I was happy to be with New England.”
Family – Leblanc and his wife Jaclyn have two young children – was a major reason for the move. Now, they’ll be able to watch Leblanc’s home games in person.
“My family is a big part of my decision to come here,” said the attacking forward from Dundas, Ont.
“To have my wife and my kids to be able to come to games is very important to me. I had that in Toronto. I had my parents and my sisters and my friends came to games for years and years. It’s something that drives me.”
Leblanc played college lacrosse at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina and became the first player from that school to play professionally. Last year, he became the second men’s lacrosse player to be inducted into the Queens Athletics Hall of Fame.
His collegiate success has translated to the pro game. He was named the NLL rookie of the year in 2010 when he totaled 82 points. In his career, he has notched 336 goals and 872 points in regular-season and playoff games.
“Steph has been an elite scorer in the NLL for a long time,” Thunderbirds head coach Mike Accursi said in a news release. “He is an extremely smart player with fantastic floor vision. His offensive pedigree and work ethic is exactly the type of player we want representing the Thunderbirds. I’m excited to see him work with our already potent left side.”
“I’ve been really lucky,” Leblanc added. “I have been surrounded by guys that are top-notch quality. I’ve been with organizations that have been nothing but supportive of me. I’ve been very blessed in that regard. It’s a game that you can’t do on your own. I’ve had some pretty good support around me. Hopefully that’ll continue for a couple more years.”
