#Our18: Halifax Mooseheads

Photo - QMJHL website

from theqmjhl.ca

At times last year, the Mooseheads looked like a team poised to build off a stunning 2025 postseason run. At other times, they fell well below that level. The club has made a number of moves to ensure a more consistent – and more competitive – season awaits the fans in Halifax.

First, the returnees; the top three scorers from the forward ranks last year - Oleg Kulebiakin, Shawn Carrier and Quinn Kennedy - are back for another season. Daniel Walters brings his heavy, combative style to the ice for a third 'Q' campaign. A pair of off-season transactions has added to this already impressive crew. On the draft floor in Halifax, a trade was finalized that saw slick puck mover Mateo Nobert come over from Blainville-Boisbriand. During training camp, the Moose acquired winger Nathan Langlois, a breakout player with Rouyn-Noranda last year, from the Huskies. Preparing to make his 'Q' debut is Paul Sintschnig, the second overall selection in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, who comes to North America after a full season in the Austrian pro ranks where he became the youngest player to score a goal in that league. 

The backend is led by captain Owen Phillips, back for his fifth season in Halifax and the lone player remaining from the team's most recent appearance in the league Final in 2023. Malik L'Italien is back as one of the best 17-year-old blueliners in the circuit. Eddy Doyle aims to build upon an impressive breakout campaign in 2025-26. Sintschnig's teammate in Austria last season, Nico Uschan, is ready to bring his defense first style of play to North America. It will also be a complete overhaul in the crease as a pair of American standouts, Jack Fichthorn and Carson Mertz, prepare to make their QMJHL debuts. 

It's been a methodical build back to contender status in the Nova Scotia capital and one that is not yet complete. However, based on the direction taken off the since the conclusion of the last season, there's a lot to look forward to in Moose Country this year. 

2025-2026 Stats:

Record	29-29-3-3 (64 points)
Conference Ranking	7th East
Overall Ranking	12th
Goals For	214 (11th)
Goals Against	258 (14th)
PP (Overall)	22.4% (9th)
PK (Overall)	77.0% (12th)
Leading Rookie (PTS)	Kulebiakin (29-44-73)
Leading Scorers (PTS)	Kulebiakin (29-44-73)
	Carrier (37-28-65)
	Kennedy (31-25-56)
	Phillips (6-35-41)
	Kilfoil (14-25-39)

Here are highlights from 2025-26 below

Regular season roster announced

YOUR 2026-27 HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS

6  Brady Smith  D  (Englewood, CO, USA)

10  Oleg Kulebiakin  LW  (St. Petersburg, Russia)

11  Paul Sintschnig  LW  (Klagenfurt, Austria)*

12  William Bent  RW  (Dover, MA, USA)

16  Mateo Nobert  C  (Beaconsfield, QC)

17  Patrick McNab  C  (Beaconsfield, QC)

20  Daniel Walters  C  (Halifax, NS)

23  Cameron Minella  D  (Darien, CT, USA)

26  Owen Phillips  D  (Hammonds Plains, NS)

28  Cole MacLeod  C  (Porters Lake, NS)*

30  Jack Fichthorn  G  (Darien, CT, USA)

35  Carson Mertz  G  (Coventry, RI, USA)*

43  Evan Nee  LW  (Arlington, MA, USA)

51  Eddy Doyle  D  (Tignish, PE)

55  Shawn Carrier  LW  (Trois-Rivieres, QC)

71  Nathan Langlois  LW  (Levis, QC)

77  Malik L'Italien  D  (Montreal, QC)

79  Duncan Anderson  D  (Antigonish, NS)*

81  Nico Uschan  D  (Villach, Austria)*

86  Jackson Smail  C  (Milton, VT, USA)*

88  Quinn Kennedy  C  (Upper Tantallon, NS)

92  Jayden Napon  LW  (Montreal, QC)*

93  Paulo Gualberto Jr  C  (Bamstable, MA, USA)

*indicates rookie

CAMP: 3 more cuts set final roster

Photo - Herd website

The Halifax Mooseheads regular season roster seems to be set after the team made an additional round of cuts on Sunday morning. Three players were released today bringing the roster down to 23 young men, which is how many the club will go into the 2026-27 regular season with. 

I'm surprised who was reassigned to other teams and that it took so long for the brass to announce the roster but it sounds like it was a competitive camp. Halifax has played five pre-season games so far and has won their last four matches after losing the opening tilt against the Cape Breton Eagles. The Mooseheads defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-3 last night at TD Station. 

Players cut:
F Jamie Calla
D Brenden Espenell
F Emrik Menard

Defenceman Brenden Espenell was released after clearing waivers. 

Good luck to these players with their respective teams this season. 

The regular season roster includes 14 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders. There are 11 returning players along with 12 new faces to the team. Congrats to the guys who made the team and welcome to Moose Country. My next post will be the roster. 

CAMP: More cuts made Monday

Photo - Herd website

The Halifax Mooseheads announced their fourth round of cuts on Monday morning during training camp. A total of three players were reassigned to their respective clubs with another released on Friday. The announcement comes about 36 hours after our Moose defeated the Charlottetown Islanders 3-2 in pre-season action on Saturday afternoon. It was Halifax's third straight win after losing their first exhibition match. 

Players cut:
D Jack Cameron
D Samuel Fishbone
F Keith Olympia
F Maveric Thisdelle

This leaves 26 players on the roster, including 16 forwards, eight defencemen and two goaltenders. Nicolas Blanchette, Chase Cleary, Jake Donatelli and Logan Trewin were previously reassigned on Thursday while goaltender Chandler Bell was cut the day before. Free agent forward Will Highes was released on Friday after the team acquired 20-year-old forward Nathan Langlois last week. 

Halifax will announce its regular season roster in the coming days. 

CAMP: Herd make first cuts

Photo - Herd website

After splitting the home-and-home pre-season series against the Cape Breton Eagles, the Halifax Mooseheads announced that they have made a round of cuts on Sunday afternoon. A total of 13 players were reassigned to their respective clubs. The article did not mention if any players left voluntarily. 

Players cut:
G Jack Bell 
F Aaron Carrier
F Elie Champagne
F Thomas Cote 
D Mickael Fournier
F Keegan Kazan
G William Laplante
F Owen O'Donnell
F Nathan Ruel
F Sam Ryan
F Jordan Shaw
D Gavin Sudds
F Ylan Verpaelst

Owen O'Donnell will be sent back to Rouyn-Noranda as he was loaned to the Mooseheads by the Huskies on a try-out basis. This leaves 34 players remaining on the camp roster, including 18 forwards, 13 defencemen and three goaltenders. I suspect we will see the regular season roster named on Thursday following Halifax's next pre-season game on August 26 at the Dartmouth Sportsplex. 

Thursday notes

We are two days into training camp and there have been some news this week that has come out. So I thought I would catch you up. 

Photo - CHL website

Forward Caylen Blake was one of a few players who were on the Halifax Mooseheads last season that did not get an invitation to training camp. GM Cam Russell mentioned that the team wanted to free up some space in a crowded forward group and was looking for a spot on a different team for Blake. On Wednesday, the Herd announced that they have traded the 18-year-old to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens for a ninth round pick in the 2029 QMJHL Draft. 

Blake played two seasons in Halifax, appearing in 120 regular season games and scoring 46 career points. The Corner Brook, NL was originally selected in the second round, 34th overall in the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft. Good luck to Caylen in Chicoutimi. 

Other news...

• Moose Country will still be able to listen to regular season games on the radio as it was announced earlier this week that Jack 92.9 is set to broadcast matches for the 2026-27 season with play-by-play voice Garreth MacDonald back on the mic. 
• Halifax added 20-year-old forward Will Hughes to the camp roster as another free agent invitation. Hughes captained the Collingwood Blues (OJHL) in 2025-26 and had 78 points in 50 games. 
• Interview with American goaltenders Jack Fichthorn and Carson Mertz

• Team White had the upper hand in the two intrasquad games on Thursday as the two teams tied game 1 (3-3) while White won game 2 (5-3). Jamie Calla, Shawn Carrier and Elie Champagne each had two goals over the two matches for White, meanwhile Emrik Menard scored twice for Team Green. 
• Cam Russell mentioned before camp, in his 'interview' with Scott MacIntosh, that Will Bent is not scheduled to be back in the lineup until mid-October but was listed on the training camp roster.
• Interview with Jackson Smail and Brady Smith

• No word when first cuts will be made but I expect we will see them tomorrow or Saturday morning, however the NCAA rules have changed how camps go and this does seem like a short camp. 

The Mooseheads get underway in pre-season action tomorrow night as they host the Cape Breton Eagles at 7pm. 

46 players to attend training camp

Photo - Herd website

Our Halifax Mooseheads' 2026 training camp begins tomorrow and the team finally released its roster of the forty-six players who will be attending. 

The roster includes 26 forwards, 15 defencemen and five goaltenders. Players will report for registration on Wednesday morning before hitting the ice for afternoon practices. General Manager Cam Russell has made multiple moves over the off-season and he continues to make them as another two players from 2025-26 were left off the camp roster; overage goaltender Owen Bresson and 18-year-old forward Caylen Blake. 

Players invited to camp

Duncan Anderson    D    (draft '25)

Chandler Bell    G    (free agent)

Jack Bell    G    (draft '25)

William Bent    F    (draft '24)

Nicolas Blanchette    D    (draft '25)

Jamie Calla    F    (draft '26)

Jack Cameron    D    (draft '26)

Aaron Carrier    F    (draft '26)

Shawn Carrier    F    (trade)

Elie Champagne    F    (draft '24)

Chase Cleary    F    (draft '26)

Thomas Cote    F    (draft '24)

Jake Donatelli    D    (draft '26)

Eddy Doyle    D    (draft '23)

Brenden Espenell    D    (free agent)

Jack Fichthorn    G    (draft '26)

Samuel Fishbone    D    (draft '26)

Mikael Fournier    D    (draft '24)

Paulo Gualberto Jr    F    (draft '25)

Keegan Kazan    F    (free agent invite)

Quinn Kennedy    F    (trade)

Oleg Kulebiakin    F    (import)

Malik L'Italien    D    (draft '25)

William Laplante    G    (draft '26)

Cole MacLeod    F    (draft '24)

Patrick McNab    F    (draft '23)

Emrik Menard    F    (draft '26)

Carson Mertz    G    (draft '26)

Cameron Minella    D    (draft '25)

Jayden Napon    F    (draft '25)

Evan Nee    F    (free agent)

Mateo Nobert    F    (trade)

Owen O'Donnell    F    (free agent invite)

Owen Phillips    D    (draft '22)

Nathan Ruel    F    (draft '25)

Sam Ryan    F    (draft '25)

Jordan Shaw    F    (free agent invite)

Paul Sintschnig    F    (import)

Jackson Smail    F    (draft '26)

Brady Smith    D    (free agent)

Gavin Sudds    D    (draft '24)

Maveric Thisdelle    F    (draft '26)

Logan Trewin    D    (draft '24)

Nico Uschan    D    (import)

Ylan Verpaelst    F    (draft '25)

Daniel Walters    F    (draft '24)

Seems like we may have a quick training camp as the practices and intra-squad games part is only over two days than the team is right into exhibition matches on Friday and Saturday. Will be very interesting to see how the cuts work out and what kind of final roster Russell makes. Halifax is projected to be a contender this season. 

Good luck to all the players this week.