Knox finding new home in The Nest
Mar 5, 2025
Austin Owens I Halifax Thunderbirds
Just one year into his National Lacrosse League career, Jason Knox was faced with uncertainty. He was forced to find a new place to play.
A former top-five pick in 2022, the lefty forward was fresh off the heels of his rookie season, where he posted 50 points as a member of Panther City Lacrosse Club. However, the team eventually folded over the off-season, leaving their players looking for new homes through the 2024 Dispersal Draft.
For the members of Panther City, it was uncharted territory. There hadn’t been a dispersal draft in the National Lacrosse League since 2011.
In what turned into a whirlwind of an off-season for Knox, he eventually landed in Halifax, as the Thunderbirds scooped up the talented forward with the ninth overall selection in the draft.
“This summer was very confusing, as a team in Panther City, we heard different rumours about where our team was going to be next year. None of us thought that the team was going to fold so it really took us by surprise,” Knox said of his summer. “With that being said, I couldn’t be happier with where I ended up. Halifax has been very welcoming and I’m very excited to see what the future holds.”
It’s been a learning process for the Thunderbirds’ forward group as a whole. With some turnover in the off-season, several new faces were looking to find their respective spots both in the room and on the floor. Knox, veteran Thomas Hoggarth, and rookie Mike Robinson were all joining an offensive group with the likes of Randy Staats, Clarke Petterson, and Cody Jamieson.
“Creating chemistry with the offence is very important when new faces join the group. I know as a new guy that you really look up to guys like Clarke, Theeder, Randy, and Jammer who have been around the organization for some time,” Knox said. “Those guys show the new guys the way and they’ve done a great job of that this year.
“We have so much firepower on our offence that any night any of us can go off. It feels great playing and growing together as a group. Creating chemistry is very important when joining a new group and I think we’ve done a great job of that so far this season.”
Knox opened his Thunderbirds tenure strong, potting a hat trick and finishing with five points in front of the Halifax faithful in The Nest. It was the first weekend he could explore the city as a member of the Thunderbirds.
While he had been to Halifax last spring with Panther City, he said it was a completely different experience being on the home side while playing at Scotiabank Centre.
“That first weekend in Halifax was incredible, I remember playing at the nest last year and couldn’t believe how loud and enthusiastic the fans are,” Knox said. “Being on this side and hearing that cannon go off is a feeling that’s difficult to put into words.
“Meeting the fans after that game really put into perspective how much the city loves our team.”
He’s remained a steady presence on the left side this season for the Thunderbirds, as he currently sits with 10 goals and 27 points on the year. That’s good for seventh in team scoring just past the halfway point of the campaign.
With Halifax coming into their own, it’s full steam ahead for the team, who will need to work every weekend to fight for a playoff spot in a league where there are no easy games. Over their current five-game winning streak, the Thunderbirds have hit double-digit goal totals four times and had 13-plus goals on three occasions. The offence is hitting its stride at the right time to give the Thunderbirds a chance to be in every game they play.
It’ll be on Knox and the forwards to continue this momentum the rest of the way to help Halifax make it back to the postseason.
“The vibes have been great in the room, we have had a couple of tough one-goal games that haven’t gone our way. It is easy to get discouraged when winning is hard, but it just makes it that much sweeter when we do come out on top,” Knox said. “As a team, we just have to keep sticking to our principles and trust in the game plan and we’re going to be successful.”