Photo Credit: Vancouver Warriors Twitter
When Curt Malawsky signed four former Calgary Roughnecks to Vancouver, one signing stood out in particular – literally. When he added 6’7″, 241-lb defenceman Reece Callies to a d-core that already had Brett Mydske, ( 6’4″, 215 lbs) , Jackson Suboch, (6’5″, 195 lbs) , and Matt Beers, (6’3’’205 lbs). A mean and physical backend that punishes anyone in their way, and that’s backstopped by all-world goaltender Christian Del Bianco.
A lot of the talk about the Warriors’ offseason was the additions of Jesse King and Curtis Dickson to the offence, but perhaps in the midst of the flashy moves up front you forgot how good this Warriors defence is. They had the fewest goals against in 2024-25 and currently have the third fewest this year.
Now all the defencemen I mentioned may be on the wrong side of 30, but Callies doesn’t view that as a bad thing as he spoke on why having veteran leadership is one of his team’s biggest strengths.
“ We have a lot of older guys on the team, and some teams maybe look at that and think maybe things slow down, or maybe it’s time to go younger (and) faster. I think that’s the silver lining to this team, is having a lot of older veterans that have been in those high intense moments (and) they’re battle tested.”
“ I think every guy on the (backend) has been in big games and big moments and had success. Having an entire team of guys with that mentality and experience just makes us much more prepared when we go into those moments.” added Callies.
You can look at any team that has had success in multiple different sports — they’ve all had some sort of veteran leadership. A prime example would be the Seattle Seahawks this year with Cooper Kupp. Someone who younger players can learn from and talk to. Having players like this goes beyond the stat sheet and they are such valuable pieces on great teams.
The Warriors are no different. Callies knows just how having a veteran’s presence impacts the team not just on the floor but also in the room.
“ It’s everything. When you’re in the locker room and you’re down in the dumps, maybe you’ve come in (at) half and it was a really tough first half, the older guys are never the ones kicking the garbage cans and hooting and hollering and causing the scene… They know that’s not what you need and they seem to always have the right thing to say at the right times, because they’ve been (playing) this (sport) for a long time, and been doing it at a high level.”
It’s not just the veterans who are the leaders on this Warriors team, as Callies mentioned how the leadership comes from everyone throughout the lineup.
“ That’s the beauty of this team too, sure there’s guys with letters on their jerseys, but at the end of the day every single guy on this team is amazing and (leadership) comes from even the youngest guys to the oldest guys on the team. I think that’s one of the most valuable parts of this group. It’s not just one voice, it’s everyone collectively coming together every night.”
You can’t talk about this Warriors defensive core without bringing up their backbone, Christian Del Bianco. Playing goalie in the NLL is similar to playing quarterback in the NFL — if you have aspirations of going far you’re going to need a great one. Lucky for the Warriors, Del Bianco is as good as they come, and as a defenceman there’s no better feeling than knowing you have a former MVP in between the pipes who has your back when you need it.
Callies played with Del Bianco for five years in Calgary and the two reunited in Vancouver. He knows just how special it is playing in front of the game’s best once again.
“ I wouldn’t say it’s underrated because I think people understand how valuable he truly is. But it’s such a helpful thing when we try and be an aggressive team and obviously when we’re finding success in front of him knowing that he’s behind us just makes us feel bulletproof.”
Del Bianco wasn’t the only familiar face that Callies reunited with here in Vancouver, as the Warriors have plenty of former Roughnecks on their roster and coaching staff, headlined by head coach and general manager Curt Malawsky. Callies says it was a dream come true to play with so many former teammates and coaches.
“ I spent so much time in Calgary with a lot of the guys in this room, and obviously with the coaching staff. Being in Calgary my rookie year, we found success that year and it built a bond that I think was unbreakable. As we dispersed and moved throughout the league, I think it was just a matter of time till we all came back together, and it was a bit of a dream come true when this opportunity came up… and this opportunity (became) a reality.”
During the Warriors game against the San Diego Seals on March 1st, Callies reached a major milestone as that was his 100th career game in the NLL. His first game came on a pretty memorable day, as it came on the same day as his graduation from Colorado Mesa University. I don’t know about you, but graduating university and playing your first game in the NLL on the same day is pretty epic. Callies says it doesn’t feel like he’s played 100 games.
“ It went quick, hearing 100 seems like its an awful lot. I still go out feeling like a rookie every time I go on the floor… and here we are 100 plus into it now. It seems surreal, that day of graduation, going to my first game I can remember every single thing about that day still. Every game since I still have such fond memories and can remember them all… it’s been an amazing ride.”
Callies doesn’t post eye-popping numbers — his three assists and 37 loose balls won’t knock your socks off. But like everyone else on this team, he doesn’t care about his stats. His contributions on this team go beyond the scoreboard and he knows it. He’s a big physical d-man who opponents hate playing against.
“ I’m just one part of the puzzle. Sure, some pieces of the puzzle might be bigger but at the end of the day it’s going to take every single one of them to finish that puzzle. I’m fortunate enough to be a part of that puzzle… you’re part of the machine and you don’t have to do anything crazy every single night. As a D guy I’m not trying to score 20 goals a year. It’s do your job and trust the guy next to you is doing the same thing, and at the end of the day it’s going to add up.”
The Warriors are currently 9-4 and third in the NLL. They have two games left before their much-needed bye week. They have a huge game this Saturday in Georgia, taking on the Swarm, who are one game behind them in the standings. Then they will return home to take on the Ottawa Black Bears before their bye week. With a veteran defence and Del Bianco behind them, Vancouver is hoping that experience will help them finish strong in the final stretch of their season.
