Toronto Rock and Halifax Thunderbirds meet in all-Canadian NLL final

Nick Rose has had 11 years to think about what he would do differently if he ever reached the National Lacrosse League final again.

Rose will be in between the pipes when his Toronto Rock host the Halifax Thunderbirds on Friday in Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series. It’s the league’s first all-Canadian final since 2015, when the Edmonton (now Saskatchewan) Rush swept Toronto 2-0.

“I think that year we may be maybe took it for granted that we were going to win after knocking off the top team for three or four years, and this year, we can’t take anything for granted,” said Rose, recalling how the Rock, motivated by the death of general manager Terry Sanderson, eliminated the Rochester Knighthawks before losing to Edmonton. “We’ve just got to go out — I know it’s cliché — but it is just another lacrosse game here tomorrow night.

“We’ve got to just come to play and put our best effort out there and see where we stand at the end of the night. Hopefully the results follow.”

Rose and defenceman Billy Hostrawser are the only players left on the Rock from that 2015 run to the finals.

Toronto is now led by Mark Matthews — who was on Edmonton’s championship roster that beat Toronto — and rookie of the year CJ Kirst. They each had 71 points in the regular season, with Kirst putting away 34 goals and Matthews dishing out 53 assists.

“We’re fast. We try to execute the plan that the coaches give us,” said Rose. “We have a really good mix of veteran players like myself, and then we have brought in some really young guys, draft picks, over the last couple years that have really re-energized the core of the Rock, and I think it’s been a great mix for this season.”

The Thunderbirds are led by forwards Jason Knox and Clarke Petterson, who have been lethal in the post-season. Knox’s 15 playoff goals are the most in the NLL and Petterson’s 26 assists and 32 points are also at the top of the list.

“We are taking a lot of shots, but we’re taking good shots and high percentage shots, and we’re working together and working with each other to get those shots,” said Knox. “We don’t really care who shoots it.

“If you get a good open shot, take it. Don’t be afraid to shoot.”

Despite their name, the Toronto Rock play at Hamilton’s TD Coliseum. The NHL-sized arena will host Game 1 and, if necessary, Game 3 on May 23. The series shifts to Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre for Game 2 on Sunday.

When the Albany FireWolves moved to Oshawa, Ont., and the New York Riptide relocated to Ottawa to become the Black Bears for the 2025-26 season, the 14-team NLL officially became half Canadian. As a result, the 11-year break between all-Canadian finals is less likely.

Knox believes that that national prominence could lead to a popularity boom for lacrosse, which is also returning to the Olympics at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

“It’s awesome for Canada to have an all-Canadian final. It’s the national sport for the summer,” said Knox, who is from Huntsville, Ont. “I think if you ask a lot of Canadians, most of them would say it’s hockey, or we only have one, and it’s hockey because it’s so, so big.

“But I think it’s great for the exposure for the game, and getting more people to see what we do and how exciting the game of lacrosse is, is definitely beneficial.”

Rose agreed.

“I think it’s an exciting time for the country and the sport of lacrosse in this country,” said Rose, who is from Orangeville, Ont. “Obviously, we want to put on a show and perform to the best of our abilities, to showcase what the sport is.”

The Rock have played in nine NLL finals, winning the championship six times. The Thunderbirds haven’t played for the title since moving from Rochester, N.Y., to Halifax in 2019. The Knighthawks, the team’s former name, appeared in the finals seven times with four victories.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press