The 2024-25 Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) season is ready to start and which means a contemporary begin for the Halifax Mooseheads, who’re coming off of a disappointing season. The Herd anticipated to compete for the league championship and a berth into the Memorial Cup event, nevertheless, they fell far wanting that aim.
Associated: Halifax Mooseheads Loading Up for Memorial Cup Run
A brand new-look group shall be dressing for the Herd, who’re additionally seeking to bounce again and supply followers a aggressive group regardless of the sweeping modifications being made. With the roster now set, the teaching workers may have time for some closing touches previous to the season’s begin. Time to get gamers to settle into the group’s programs, gel with teammates and put together themselves for the challenges of the upcoming season, the place there shall be stress to compete instantly. The Mooseheads will host Cape Breton within the closing preseason residence recreation at RBC Centre on Friday, Sept. 13.
Halifax Re-evaluate
Again in April, Peter Simon, the brand new proprietor of the Halifax Mooseheads sat down for an interview with native media the place he shared his disappointment concerning the Mooseheads being swept within the first spherical by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, in a season the place they have been anticipated to compete for the QMJHL title.
“It was unacceptable how we went out of the playoffs. It was the worst end result we might’ve imagined and actually an eyeopener for my dad and I in our first yr of possession … no matter who we have now on the ice, we’ve bought to compete and placed on a present for our followers.”
– Peter Simon
Because the proprietor, he can set the aim to retool, and basic supervisor Cam Russell adopted by way of along with his plans to retool on the fly within the offseason with a number of draft picks and a key import.
“We need to be sure that if we’re going to undergo a interval the place we have now a youthful group … that the product remains to be going to be good on the ice even when we’re not profitable as many video games as we’ve been profitable in the previous couple of years.”
– Peter Simon
I name it a retool as a result of they’ll have 14 returning gamers together with sophomore Liam Kilfoil, who’s coming off of a gold medal win on the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Star goaltender Mathis Rousseau leads the checklist of returning gamers as he enters his closing season of junior hockey. The 2 different 20-year-old roster spots are held by ahead Braeden MacPhee, who brings veteran management and grit, and defenseman Brady Schultz, who gives offence from the blue line.
Halifax Add Contemporary Faces
There shall be 10 new faces on the squad this season. Contemporary faces abound with 16-year-old 2024 draftees Caylen Blake and Amelio Santini. The headliner nevertheless is homegrown expertise, eleventh total draft choose Danny Walters. The large (6-foot, 183 kilos) middle might grow to be the focus of the retool as he brings a slick skating, offensively expert playmaker to the Mooseheads.
The contemporary faces aren’t simply on the roster, but in addition behind the bench as the group fired head coach Jim Midgley after a disappointing season that noticed the group end fourth within the common season standings after which get swept within the opening spherical of the playoffs. This led to a daring transfer by Russell who introduced in Andrew Lord to function head coach in his first season with Halifax after the reigning ECHL Coach of the Yr joined the group within the offseason from the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
Russell and the Mooseheads are well-known for his or her means so as to add top-end talent within the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft, and this season they added 6-foot-1 defenseman Carlos Handel. The German import is coming off of a powerful season within the Malmo Redhawks system scoring six objectives and 23 factors in 28 video games of their underneath 18 program. He additionally was some extent per recreation for the German Below 18 World Junior Championship Division 1A (WJC Div 1A) group.
This contemporary face shall be a key addition as his sturdy defensive acumen solidifies a stable prime 4. However his cellular, puck-moving fashion will assist to launch the fast-paced offensive recreation that Lord and the teaching workers are implementing. Will probably be knowledgeable fashion recreation because the Mooseheads shall be taking part in at a excessive tempo, desiring to pressure their opponents to make errors and capitalize on these errors. The house opener for the 2024-25 season is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 4 at Scotiabank Centre versus the Quebec Remparts.
Join our NHL Prospects & Draft Substack publication
