Halifax’s Number One Goalkeeper Departs

After two seasons as the man between the sticks for the Halifax Wanderers, Yan Fillion has parted ways with the east coast club.

The 28-year-old posted to social media confirming his departure, with Fillion having made 55 appearances for the Wanderers over the last two years. That means he played in all but four possible matches under Patrice Gheisar, completing an iron man campaign in 2023 and wrapping his time in Halifax with eleven clean sheets and one playoff appearance overall.

“As I say farewell to the beautiful city of Halifax and my club, the Halifax Wanderers, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude. The warmth and hospitality of the people here on the east coast have made my time back on home soil unforgettable,” said Fillion online.

“A special thanks to the players and staff I’ve had the privilege to work with over the past two seasons—you’ve made this journey remarkable. To all the fans, thank you for supporting us day in and day out. Your support is what makes this club so special. Now, onto the next adventure.”

Fillion had signed a two-year deal back in January 2023 after enjoying a strong stint in Finland, where he featured for the likes of Ekenas IF, AC Oulu, and IFK Mariehamn. Given his comments saying his time on home soil have been unforgettable, we’d guess that Yann might be en route back to European pastures.

The Ottawa-born shotstopper’s career started in USL Championship ranks through FC Montreal, but Europe would soon beckon for the goalkeeper: signing a five-year deal with Swiss Super League side FC Zurich in 2016, he plied his trade on loan through a variety of clubs like Sweden’s Umea FC, Norway’s Nest-Sotra, Switzerland’s FC Aarua, and even Toronto FC II.

The east coast club has used Aiden Rushenas as a backup, though it’s unclear what the club’s roster will look like come 2025. Fillion had come in at a time when Halifax declined club options on both Christian Oxner and Keiran Baskett at the same time, showing Patrice wasn’t afraid of instilling a big reset between the sticks.

For now, we don’t know who’s coming in next – just that Halifax’s number one is the first known departure of the club’s offseason.