The Halifax Thunderbirds were a success story on the floor and in the stands in their first National Lacrosse League season in Nova Scotia.
But the COVID-19 pandemic cut short their inaugural campaign and — with the league announcing Wednesday it has cancelled all games for 2020-21 — dashed any hopes of carrying that momentum into a second season.
“It’s a disappointment because it’s been such a great ride,” said John Catalano, Thunderbirds’ president and CEO. “Playing in Halifax in front of people that has given us the support that we’ve seen has been a dream come true and something we’re all missing.”
In October, the league announced it would delay the start of its 35th season to the weekend of April 9-11. The plan was for teams to report to individual training camps — some virtual and some in-person — under strict guidelines in mid-March with all teams beginning game play the following month.
The @NLL has announced a cancellation of the 2020-2021 season amidst COVID-19 uncertainties
— Halifax Thunderbirds (@HFXThunderbirds) February 3, 2021
The Thunderbirds will focus efforts on a return to play for the fall of 2021
FULL STATEMENT: https://t.co/jyM3fJh8Fj pic.twitter.com/yikOg18pDI
Now that the 2020-21 season has been shuttered, the league hopes to commence again sometime in November.
“Obviously we all want to play but safety has to be first,” Catalano said. “That has definitely been first and foremost for the league, our team and our owner. With the new border restrictions, it made it even more challenging to do it. We want to get back to play but we have to do it safely.”
Tougher international travel restrictions announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday became too much of a hurdle for a professional league that has eight of its 13 franchises based in the United States.
League officials had explored putting teams into a bubble — like the NHL and NBA did for their post-season tournaments last summer and the recent world junior hockey championship in Edmonton — but logistics proved to be too challenging.
Halifax and Hamilton, Ont., were considered as possible "bubble" cities.
“Halifax was one of the options and one that we would’ve loved to have,” Catalano said. “There were scenarios we saw at the world juniors and the NHL bubble that showed it could work as a concept.
“It was something that was discussed but again it came down to getting the approvals which seemed to be the biggest hurdle. To invest the amount it would cost for a bubble without the certainty of getting our players there was where we had to draw the line. The changes we have seen over the last few weeks with the virus stopped us in our tracks from looking at a bubble as a viable option.”
“The support we have seen in Halifax has been second to none.”
- John Catalano, Thunderbirds’ president and CEO
The 2019-20 NLL season ended on March 12. At the time, the Thunderbirds owned an 8-4 record and were in sole possession of first place in the North Division.
Veteran forward Ryan Benesch, who was second on the Thunderbirds in scoring with 51 points in 12 games when the season was halted, said the bubble scenario had given him hope that a season could be salvaged.
“It’s more disappointing now because there was that talk of a two-week bubble,” Benesch said on Wednesday. “Guys were excited for that and we were putting in some extra work, trying to get ready in case it did happen. I guess it wasn’t meant to be and I totally understand.”
“It’s one of those circumstances that you can’t control. We all play for the love of the game and now, to have two seasons go down the drain, is not good for anybody.”
If the season does resume in November, 20 months will have passed since the league shut down. The lengthy layoff has Benesch concerned.
“Some of us haven’t touched a lacrosse stick in probably 12 months or so,” said the 36-year-old Benesch, who has 14 NLL seasons under his belt. “But it’s like riding a bike, you never really lose it. You just have to re-learn it. Guys will pick it up pretty quickly once training camp rolls around.
“The real issue will be physical fitness. With gyms closed it becomes difficult. You can go outside and go for a run but until you strap on some pads and get hit around, it’s just not the same.”
Both Benesch and Catalano are confident the cancellation won’t hamper the inroads the Thunderbirds and the NLL have made in a fledgling market as Halifax.
“The support we have seen in Halifax has been second to none,” Catalano said. “We expect everyone will have that hunger to see lacrosse as much as we do. I think we’ll be OK. We’re not going away just because we’re not playing. We plan on doing a lot of community work and outreach with our players in the community.”
“The fortunate thing for us is Halifax is such a passionate sports city,” Benesch added. “I don’t have any doubts when we do get going, our fan base will be right there behind us.”
