August, we welcome you!

We have turned the calendar in to August which means the off-season is two weeks away from being over for us fans and Halifax Mooseheads will soon start up again. The team kicked off the new month with a roster move as the QMJHL's pre-season trade period opened on Friday. 

Halifax announced that they have acquired 18-year-old goaltender Owen Bresson from the Shawinigan Cataractes in exchange for a 2026 3rd round draft pick. Bresson, a Dominion, NS native, made his Q debut in November following the NCAA rule change. He picked up eight wins in 17 games played for the Cataractes while posting a 2.98 goals against average and a 0.905 save percentage.

Photo - Herd website

According to the press release, Owen will join Nick Cirka to form the duo who will mind the Mooseheads net this season. Welcome to the team Owen! 

Other news and notes...

• Like I mentioned above, the summer trade period began yesterday August 1 and it will go until August 24. 
• Herd training camp will start Aug. 16 the team announced a few days ago with two White-Green intrasquad games on the following day. I will share the full schedule when camp is closer but you can click here for what the team shared. 
• Tickets for Halifax's 'home' exhibition games will go on sale on Tuesday. A live stream will be provided for both on the team's YouTube channel. 
• Former forward Barrett Dachyshyn has signed with the Antigonish Senior Bulldogs of the NSJHL. The 26-year-old did not play last season after finishing four years at the University of Windsor. 
• 92 players were invited to Hockey Canada's national teams orientation camp in preparation for the 2026 Olympics in Italy. Among the forty-two that will look for a spot on the men's team are alumni defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and forward Brad Marchand plus the previously named Nathan MacKinnon. 
• A new recruiting window opened on Aug. 1 for NCAA college hockey teams so be ready for more commitments from junior players. The Grand Forks Herald has a list of 20 Canadians to watch and the Mooseheads 2026 3rd overall selection Malik L'Italien is #16 on the list. 

Theme Nights

We've known the regular season schedule for our Halifax Mooseheads for a couple of months but now the team has released their list of promotional games that will take place during 2025-26. I'll highlight the more special/annual events happening below. 

Annual events
HOME OPENER - September 20 vs. Charlottetown Islanders
DND Appreciation Night - October 25 vs. Cape Breton Eagles     
Toque Toss - December 6 vs. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies    
Mooseheads Fight Cancer - February 13 vs. Moncton Wildcats
Fan Appreciation Night - March 6 vs. Cape Breton Eagles

See the full promotional schedule in the 'Schedule' tab. 

Staffing Changes Made by Halifax

The Halifax Mooseheads has announced multiple changes to the team's staff this summer and the biggest one being that there will be a new head coach on the bench come September. 

Earlier this month, it was put out that Andrew Lord accepted an offer to become the Head Coach for the Ontario Reign (AHL). The team looked within this time and promoted associate coach Brad MacKenzie to the top position. 

"We want to thank Andrew Lord for his contributions to the Mooseheads and wish him noting but the best in the future. We equally believe Brad MacKenzie is the right person to lead our organization as we take the next step in this journey." said Sam and Peter Simon in the press release. 

"At the same time, it's tough to leave Halifax. I love the city and the fans, and I love what we started to build this past season as a team. I want to thank Sam and Peter Simon for believing in me and for giving me the opportunity to coach this storied franchise. I also want to say thank you to Cam Russell and both the hockey operations and business staffs, it's been a pleasure working with you and I know the team is in great hands with Brad," said Lord.

Lord spent just one season with Halifax, coaching a young rebuilding club to a 19-35-8-2 record and the final playoff berth in the QMJHL. MacKenzie meanwhile is entering his fifth season on the Mooseheads bench and becomes the 15th Head Coach in franchise history. 

Good luck to Andrew with the Reign and congrats to Brad on the new position. 

A few days earlier, the team made the announcement that they have hired Josh Crouse as the club's Director of Performance and Colton Funk as the new Head Athletic Therapist. The release says that 'Crouse will handle all strength and conditioning for the players while overseeing injury prevention, recovery and nutrition' in the newly created position. 

Replacing MacKenzie as the Mooseheads associate coach is Josh Hepditch the team announced on July 21. Hepditch had the same title with the UNB Reds men's hockey team during the 2024-25 season after spending seven years as an Assistant Coach for the Moncton Wildcats. 

"Josh is a coach that I've had a lot of respect for, having coached against him for a number of years," said MacKenzie. "He has a track record of excellent work with defencemen and special teams units. I'm excited to have Josh join our coaching staff and to work alongside him."

Photos - Herd website

Our 20's Halifax Mooseheads

via QMJHL.ca 

Throughout the summer, the QMJHL will summarize the journey of its 20-year-old players. Today, the Halifax Mooseheads: Braeden MacPhee, Brady Schultz and Jacob Steinman.

Braeden MacPhee, centre

An eighth-round pick of the Mooseheads in 2020, MacPhee has spent his entire junior career in Halifax, recording 55 points (28-27) in 198 games. This season, he set career highs in points (28), goals (16) and assists (12), in addition to leading his team with 68 penalty minutes. In fact, MacPhee’s contribution is measured more in hard work, leadership and toughness than in points. We saw it when he helped the Mooseheads reach the final in 2023. A native of Moncton, he will play for the University of New Brunswick (UNB) next year.

Brady Schultz, defenceman

Like MacPhee, Schultz spent his entire junior career in Halifax and reached the final in 2023. That year, he impressed with 17 points in 21 playoff games. A 14th round pick (!) of the Mooseheads in 2020, Schultz leaves Halifax with the team’s all-time lead among defencemen in points with 153 and assists with 129. All this, in 258 games (3rd). In addition, he was the Mooseheads’ representative for the Marcel-Robert Trophy, awarded to the student-athlete of the year, in 2023-2024. The Monroe, Connecticut native will have the chance to play and study close to home next season at Quinnipiac University.

Jacob Steinman, goaltender

Used in 52 games (3rd in the QMJHL) this season, Steinman posted a 29-16-4-1 record with Moncton and Halifax, finishing second in the QMJHL in GAA (2.41) and save percentage (.923). Steinman, who recorded three shutouts (5th), didn’t let the trade to Halifax shake him, as evidenced by his .917 save percentage in 22 games with the Mooseheads, who are 16th overall. These impressive statistics earned him the Patrick-Roy Trophy as the league’s most outstanding goaltender. After a 147-game career in the QMJHL punctuated by 75 wins, a 2.90 GAA, a .908 save percentage and 8 shutouts, the Ontarian will continue to play with Bowling Green State University next year.

Free agency signings headlined by Ehlers

Photo - Hurricanes Twitter

Free agency in the National Hockey League started on Tuesday and the biggest story was where would former Halifax Mooseheads forward Nikolaj Ehlers sign. The 29-year-old told the Jets last month that he was going to test the market and fans had to wait until Thursday for him to make a decision. 

Ehlers will be heading south to Carolina after he signed a 6-year, $51 million contract with the Hurricanes on July 3. "He's a highly-skilled winger who can really skate and will fit very well with our forward group," said Canes GM Eric Tulsky. The Aalborg, Denmark native has spent all 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets after being drafted by the team in 2014. He had 24 goals and 39 assists in 69 regular season games played during 2024-25 with a plus-14 rating. In 674 career games, Nikolaj has total 520 points and a plus-106 rating. 

Prior to turning professional, Ehlers spent two years here in Moose Country where he reached the 100-point mark in both seasons. 

The Jets shared a video to thank him for his time with the team. 

Thank you, Nik 💙 pic.twitter.com/NBKahQ2gqD

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) July 3, 2025

Good luck in Carolina Nikolaj! 

Meanwhile, alum Jonathan Drouin was signed by the New York Islanders on July 1 to a two-year contract. Drouin had 11 goals and 37 points in 43 games last season with the Colorado Avalanche. Since being drafted in 2013 by Tampa Bay, the Ste-Agathe, QC native has suited up in 607 regular season NHL games with the Lightning, followed by the Montreal Canadiens and Avalanche. He's added 27 points in 43 Stanley Cup playoff games during his career. 

Photo - Islanders website

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that they signed Benoit-Olivier Groulx to a two-year deal with a $812,500 cap hit on Tuesday. 25-year-old Groulx spent the 2024-25 season in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack, scoring 15 goals and 37 points in 47 games. The French-born Canadian forward was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2018 after spending 4 seasons in the QMJHL, three and a half of which were with the Mooseheads. 

Photo - Wranglers Facebook

29-year-old Martin Frk signed with the AHL's Calgary Wranglers on Thursday. Despite spending this past season with the Wranglers, the release says they signed him and not extended or re-signed but I wonder if it's because his last contract was a 2-way deal with the Calgary Flames. In 470 career AHL games, Frk has totaled 377 points (194G & 183A). The Pelhrmov, Czechia native was an instrumental to the Grand Rapids Griffins 2017 Calder Cup championship team, scoring the final series winning goal. 

Before the free agency period opened, alumni Brad Marchand re-signed with the Florida Panthers on a six-year deal worth 31.5 million dollars. "Instantly supplementing our lineup from the moment he arrived in South Florida, Brad has been an outstanding addition to our team," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. "He is the definition of a warrior on the ice, a critical leader for our group and a relentless competitor." 

Marchand had 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 23 Stanley Cup playoff games to help Florida win the 2025 championship. The 37-year-old had played most of his 16 year NHL career with the Boston Bruins before being traded while scoring 424 goals and 980 points in 1,100 regular season games between the two teams. 

Former Herd Elliot Desnoyers of the Philadelphia Flyers did not receive a qualifying offer so he is now a unrestricted free agent but has not signed with a team yet while Vegas Golden Knights restricted free agent Raphael Lavoie is still hoping for a contract as well. 

Russian Kulebyakin selected by Halifax

Photo - Herd website

The Halifax Mooseheads selected Russian forward Oleg Kulebyakin in the 2025 CHL Import Draft with the ninth overall pick on Wednesday afternoon. 

Kulebyakin scored 33 goals and 39 assists in 33 games played with the Carolina Junior Hurricanes U16 AAA team last season. He is a 5-foot-10 winger who weighs 170 pounds. 

"Well we think he's going to be a scoring machine. Obviously we're not going to put too much pressure on him," Cam Russell said after the draft. "Great vision, like I said, ability to score is incredible so very excited to bring in a player of Oleg's caliber."

General Manager Cam Russell talks about adding forwards Oleg Kulebyakin 🇷🇺 & Jasu Mensonen 🇫🇮 at the CHL Import Draft. #GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/ubbIqHy7qK

— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) July 2, 2025

With the rule change that will allow teams to carry 3 European players on their roster for the 2025-26 season, the import draft now has 3 rounds instead of just two. At 70th overall, Halifax then added forward Jasu Mensonen of Finland. The 18-year-old scored 5 goals and 21 assists in 40 games with Lukko U20 team while also adding 16 points in 29 games suiting up for the blue and white internationally at the U18 level. 

Photo - Neutral Zone

It is expected that Kulebyakin and Mensonen will join German defenceman Carlos Handel as the three import players on the Mooseheads roster this upcoming season.  

Halifax passed on their third pick as did many other clubs. Czech forward Tomas Poletin was drafted with the first overall pick by the Kelowna Rockets. 

CHL Import Draft on Wednesday

Photo - Herd website

The 2025 CHL Import Draft is set to take place on Wednesday, starting at noon Atlantic time. 

With the NCAA eligibility rule change this past season, the Canadian Hockey League decided to make an adjustment to the import draft expanding it to three rounds in 2025. This is caused by the league allowing teams to carry 3 European players on their roster for the upcoming season. 

Our Halifax Mooseheads will have a pretty high pick this year at ninth overall along with current selections at 70th and 131st. The team announced that defenceman Carlos Handel will return to play for the Mooseheads in 2025-26 so expect Halifax to pass on their last pick. 

The Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League now hold the first pick after acquiring it earlier this month from the Moose Jaw Warriors. They will be followed by the Peterborough Petes of the OHL and the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL. 

Here is how the Mooseheads drafted in the last 5 Import Drafts. 

2024: 43rd overall - Carlos Handel

2023: 50th overall - Yannik Ponzetto

2022: 33rd overall - David Moravec

2020: 5th overall - Atillio Biasca