Herd Word

DEVELOPMENT CAMP
Matt Murphy and Jonathan Drouin are the first Halifax Mooseheads players to be invited to NHL development camps. The Ottawa Senators released information on their camp and Murphy was on the roster. The Sens camp begins on Canada Day and will run until July 7th with an evening scrimmage, practices and a 3 on 3 tournament to end camp. Murphy gets the invite despite being passed over in two consecutive drafts. A year ago today, Jonathan Drouin was drafted third overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning who invited him to their camp for a second year. Tampa Bay's camp will run July 2-6.

CHL IMPORT
The Canadian Hockey League Import Draft is on Wednesday. It begins at 11am/ET. Your Mooseheads pick 50th and 110th overall. However don't expect Halifax to use either pick, according to Willy Palov.

BOUDREAU

Titan Nation reported that former Mooseheads player Matt Boudreau has been signed to play with a team in France next season. Boudreau will play with the Brest Albatros during the 2014-15 season. 

PRESEASON

Tickets to the three home preseason games will go on sale August 1st. Camp starts on August 11 and the first preseason game will be at the Halifax Forum on August 16th. 

Halifax to host HNIC

Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada is coming to Halifax!

Each year, the Canadian National Hockey League teams celebrate the great game of hockey with CBC's Hockey Night in Canada crew in one special town or city and on February 14, 2015 it is happening in Halifax. The 2015 version will be the 15th of its kind but second time that it will be held in Nova Scotia after Windsor hosted the third annual event in 2002.

The announcement of the event was made last week, two days after the NHL awards were handed out and Nova Scotian native Sidney Crosby won three awards and former Mooseheads player Nathan MacKinnon, and fellow Cole Harbour native, won the Calder Trophy. There will be 13 hours of broadcasting from the city which will include five games on CBC.

“Halifax has a tremendous hockey history, and is a vibrant Canadian community – a perfect combination for hosting Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada,” said Joel Darling, Executive Producer, NHL Special Events, Rogers. “This region has a strong tradition of supporting all facets of hockey – from grassroots, to junior hockey, to the NHL."

Coincidentally, there will be a game on the newly renamed Scotiabank Centre ice featuring your Halifax Mooseheads and provincial rivals Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at 7pm.

 “This is fantastic news for hockey-mad Halifax” said Mayor Mike Savage. “With locally-grown heroes like Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby, and championship teams like the Halifax Mooseheads, Halifax is a natural home for Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada. We’re extremely proud to host an event which celebrates Canada’s game and showcases our contribution to its bright future.”

Here is the broadcast schedule:

• Edmonton @ Ottawa, 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT
• Winnipeg @ Detroit, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
• Toronto @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
• Dallas @ Colorado, 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
• Vancouver @ Calgary, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

NHL DRAFT: Ehlers drafted in top 10

The 2014 National Hockey League entry draft was this weekend in Philadelphia...

• For the first time since 2006, a defenseman was drafted first overall. Aaron Ekblad of the Barrie Colts was drafted by the lottery winner Florida Panthers. 
• Nikolaj Ehlers of your Moose got drafted 9th overall by the Winnipeg Jets. He was the only Quebec League player to be drafted in the 1st round on Friday. 
• A total of 17 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League players were selected, about half of the amount of players that were drafted last year.
• Mason McDonald, of Halifax, was the first goaltender to be drafted. The Charlottetown Islander was picked 34th overall by the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
• Danny Moynihan and Matt Murphy were the other Herd players that were ranked but neither got drafted. This is the second year in a row that Murphy has been passed in the draft. 
• The 2015 draft will be held in Sunrise by the Florida Panthers.

Poll 6 Results

It's the night before the 2014 NHL draft and thus the most recent blog poll has concluded. Your Halifax Mooseheads have three players projected to get drafted this year but the poll question was about the rookie star that came to Canada to play with the Moose this past season. Three weeks ago I asked you where do you think Nikolaj Ehlers will be drafted on June 27th?

The results are in and the winner is... 

8th to 10th

36% of the voters believe Nik will get drafted to one of the teams that are in the 8th, 9th or 10th spot. 

Full breakdown: Top 5: 27%; 6th-7th: 27%; 8th-10th: 36%; 11th-30th: 9%; on Sunday: 0% 

Thank you for voting and don't forget to watch TSN (in Canada) starting at 8pm tomorrow to see if your choice was correct. 

BREAKING: Mooseheads Home Arena Gets New Name

The Halifax Metro Centre is no more. The naming rights of the 35 year old arena have been sold to Scotiabank for a reportedly 6.5 million dollars. It will now be called the Scotiabank Centre according to the press conference that was held on the covered up ice during lunch hour on Wednesday.

It will take some getting used to the new name that will be in the downtown core for at least 10 years. I always liked that our arenas were not attached to big companies as is the case for the Eastlink Centre in PEI and Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary but times are changing in Halifax and this is one example of that.

The first time your Halifax Mooseheads will play in the renamed arena will be September 12 at their 2014-15 season home opener. The selling of the rights to Scotiabank will allow the arena to get new seating, better bathrooms and other improvements. When those will happen is not yet known.

I very much agree with this:

Hit up the comments below and let me know what you think of the new name. I personally have mixed feelings about it.

BREAKING: MacKinnon wins Calder

Photo credit: NHL twitter account

That pretty much says it all. Congratulations to the former Halifax Mooseheads player on being named the NHL Rookie of the Year but really who is surprised? 

Nathan MacKinnon played 2 seasons for the Moose and collected 153 points in 102 games played in the QMJHL. In his rookie season, MacKinnon led the NHL in many of the rookie categories. Nathan scored 24 goals and recorded 63 points in his first National Hockey League season. He also played in all 82 games during the 2013-14 season. 

Herd Word

NHL AWARDS
Happy NHL awards day!! Tonight the 2013-14 National Hockey League awards will be presented in Las Vegas. The show can be seen on TSN starting at 8pm Atlantic time. Former Halifax Mooseheads star Nathan MacKinnon is one of three canditates for the Calder Trophy which is presented to the NHL Rookie of the Year. The other two are teammates from the Tampa Bay Lightning who join the Colorado Avalanche as the teams with the most nominees with four each.

WORLD JUNIORS
It was announced on Monday that three Moose players have been invited to their country's world junior development camps which will be held in August. For the third straight year, Jonathan Drouin and Zach Fucale have been invited to Team Canada's camp that is held in Brossard and Sherbrooke, Quebec every summer. Not exactly sure how this will play out with NHL team camps but either way that is a busy month for both boys and I will have details when they become available. Camp is August 3-8 this year. I guess coming to the Canadian Hockey League and playing quite well was good for Timo Meier who got the news on Monday that he has been invited to Team Swizterland's camp. It will be held in Arosa, Swizterland sometime in August.

GALLANT
Gerard Gallant has been hired as the Florida Panthers new head coach. He was the assistant coach of the Montreal Canadiens for two years after spending three years as head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs. This reunites Gallant with former Dogs player Jonathan Huberdeau.

NHL DRAFT
The National Hockey League Entry Draft is on Friday and the Mooseheads have three players who are projected to be drafted. The highest ranked player being rookie sensation Nikolaj Ehlers, who has gone up in the draft rankings throughout the season with his play. Some are hesitant to really believe he is as good as he is because he spent a lot of time with Jonathan Drouin. Thirty of Drouin's 79 assists were on the PP but probably a third were actually on Ehlers' goals. Last night on TSN, Bob MacKenzie released his final rankings (1-30) in the first of many pre-draft shows that TSN is hosting this week. For the full list click here.

Matt Murphy and Danny Moynihan are also eligible for this year's draft. Moynihan is ranked #77 in the final Central Scouting rankings. In his second year of eligibility, Murphy is ranked #128. In a year that had big names and four Moose drafted, there just wasn't enough space for Matt.

CHL IMPORT DRAFT
Just a reminder the Canadian Hockey League import draft is on July 2nd (next Wednesday). The Sarnia Sting will pick first while the Quebec Remparts, Saint John Sea Dogs and Shawinigan Cataractes are the only QMJHL teams in the first 10 picks. Your Mooseheads will pick 50th and 110th overall. I will have a recap of Halifax's picks at the end of the night.

Drouin named team MVP

Is it really a surprise? Jonathan Drouin was awarded the Steele Ford Lincoln Trophy as the most valuable player for your Halifax Mooseheads.

Drouin was the team's leading scorer this past season. In 46 games he had 29 goals and 108 points. That was good enough for third in league scoring. Dom Ducharme used Jonathan in many different aspects including even strength, power play and at the faceoff. 

His main line mates were rookie Philippe Gadoury and four veteran Darcy Ashley. However when he was put on the power play with two rookies in Gadoury and Nikolaj Ehlers, it was pure magic. The three would be put together on the first powerplay unit and you couldn't stop them.

http://halifaxmooseheads.ca/video/38012

Team awards

For the past 2 weeks, your Halifax Mooseheads have been announcing a team award winner a (week)day. Rookie sensation Nikolaj Ehlers and top goaltender Zach Fucale were the only multi-award winners this season. Surprisingly leading team scorer Jonathan Drouin was not named as a winner. Darcy Ashley won for the fourth year in a row was named the team's hardest working player.

Here are your winners:
Sue Moore Memorial Fan's Choice Award: Nikolaj Ehlers
Halifax Metro Centre Trophy: Zach Fucale
Bell and Grant Insurance Trophy: Nikolaj Ehlers
Coca-Cola Zero Trophy: Brent Andrews
The Chronicle Herald Trophy: Austyn Hardie
The Tim Hortons Trophy: Zach Fucale
Steele Subaru Trophy: MacKenzie Weegar
Avis Award: Darcy Ashley
Sarah Morris Memorial Trophy: Brendan Duke
Scotia Fuels LTD. Trophy: Andrew Shewfelt

Preseason Schedule Announced.

HALIFAX - Just a couple weeks after the matchups for the regular season werereleased, the preseason schedule is out now too.

Once again, the Halifax Mooseheads will have four games against their provincial rivals; the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. In total, Halifax will play 6 preseason games, just like last season. According to the QMJHL website, the town of Truro will welcome the Herd for a preseason game for the second year in a row.

Here is the 2014-15 pre-season schedule:
August 16  Saint John at Halifax   7pm     Halifax Fourm
August 17  Halifax at Cape Breton   4pm     Centre 200
August 22  Halifax at Saint John   7:30pm     Harbour Station
August 23  Cape Breton at Halifax   7pm     Rath Eastlink Community Centre (Truro)
August 28  Cape Breton at Halifax   7pm     Halifax Forum
September 6  Halifax at Cape Breton    7pm     Centre 200

Halifax will begin the regular season on the road in Acadie-Bathurst on September 12.

Check back here for all your preseason news and previews plus I will have the preseason ticket info when it becomes available.

More Mooseheads picked by MHL teams

Six more Halifax Mooseheads players were drafted by teams in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. Before the regular MHL draft that was held in Summerside this past Saturday, the GMs gathered for the QMJHL supplementary draft.

Three defenceman, a goaltender and two forwards were drafted by four different teams. Jesse Lussier, who will serve as one of Halifax's overagers next season, was drafted by the Amherst Ramblers. Jacob Jacques and Vincent Watt, joined three Wildcat players drafted by the Bridgewater Lumberjacks.


The Summerside Western Capitals were another team that picked two Mooseheads in goaltender Kevin Darveau and Brandon Vuic. Darveau's fate in Halifax's lineup is a bit in the air as the Herd have plenty of good goaltending choices and the amount of spaces available depends on whether Zach Fucale goes professional next season.

Danny Moynihan, who Halifax got as a free agent from drafting his brother Connor in 2013, was drafted by the Truro Bearcats that also hosts a couple of other Moose prospects.

Considering all 6 players made the team last year we should see them all again for the 2014-15 QMJHL season but should they not, this will give them another option to fall back on.

For the full list click here.

Hartley To Coach Chateguay In Upcoming Season

Halifax Mooseheads assitant coach Steve Hartley has accepted a job with the Chateauguay Grenadiers of the Quebec Major Midget AAA League for the 2014-15 season. He will become the teams head coach after assisting Dom Ducharme on the Mooseheads bench the past three years. The announcement was made official by the Grenadiers on Thursday morning. General Manager Cam Russell had this to say about the move;

We hate to see Steve leave us, but it’s a good step for him in becoming a Head Coach. We want to thank him for his contributions to the team and wish him the best of luck moving forward.

Congrats to Steve and good luck with your new team.

Mooseheads Prospects Selected in MHL Draft

A few drafted Halifax Mooseheads were selected in today's Maritime Hockey League draft that was being held in Summerside, PEI.

Brandon Worthen played 5 games with the Mooseheads during the 2013-14 season. He was selected by the Valley Wildcats in the first round 4th overall. His selection in the MHL draft is much higher than where he got drafted in the QMJHL draft in 2013. Worthen collected no points in the 5 games he played with the Moose after they selected him 186th overall.

Jordan King was selected 9th overall by the Amherst Ramblers today. King was apart of the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey League championship team that won in 2012-13 season but lost last season. Halifax drafted Jordan 128th overall in 2013. Morgan Nauss, who was drafted by Halifax a couple weeks ago, was selected by the Bridgewater Lumberjacks 30th overall.

Congrats to all three prospects who were drafted today.


EXPANSION DRAFT
The MHL held an expansion draft a couple of days ago and two more Moose prospects were chosen. The St. Stephen's County Aces were added to the MHL and will have their first year in the league during the 2014-15 season. The Aces chose 2012 draft pick Benji Gaudet from the Miramichi Timberwolves and Andrew Shewfelt who spent last season with the Mooseheads.

Mooseheads to announce team awards

The Halifax Mooseheads announced on Monday through their social platforms that they will be announcing the team awards over the next two weeks on their website. Each day a video showing the highlights of the winner will be posted on the site accompanying the name of the award they have won.

This is different than what they have done in the past where fans would actually see the award winners being presented their awards. Last year the team didn't have awards at all. One of the awards that will be announced is the Fan Choice award that fans get to vote on at the end of the regular season.

Check back next weekend and I'll have a full list of winners. Check out www.halifaxmooseheads.ca if you would like to watch the videos in the meantime.

Poll #6: Question

Now that it is officially the off season after the conclusion of the QMJHL draft, it is time to think about where draft eligible Mooseheads players will go in this year's National Hockey League draft. Halifax has three players who are listed in the draft rankings but this question is going to be about the highest ranked one.

Where do you think Nikolaj Ehlers will be drafted on June 27th?
1. Top 5
2. 6th-7th
3. 8th-10th
4. 11th-30th
5. On Sunday (2nd round +)

Mooseheads Release Schedule

The Halifax Mooseheads have released their schedule for the 2014-15 season.

Halifax will once again look a bit different when the season begins, how fully different we don't know yet but there will be at least 5, possibly 6, people who won a cup that will not be on the team. Luca Ciampini should make the Drakkar team and the first time the Moose fans will see him is January 31 and than they visit Baie-Comeau on February 27. Andrew Ryan and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan will welcome the Herd in the season opener while the home fans will have to wait until November 12 to welcome Ryan back to Halifax.

• The home opener will be on September 19th against the Moncton Wildcats.
• Halifax will have a rematch against the team that booted them in the 2014 playoffs on October 5, in the only time the Val-d'Or Foreurs come to Moose Country.
• It looks like the after Christmas Battle of Nova Scotia series is not happening this year, the only home and home that the two Nova Scotian teams have against each is in November so Cape Breton and Halifax will probably wear the blue jerseys that weekend. 
• For the first time the Mooseheads will play on New Year's Eve as one of 9 games, against the Charlottetown Islanders on the Wednesday afternoon at 3pm.  
• The Herd will finish the season at home versus the Saint John Sea Dogs on March 21

The Mooseheads haven't released their preseason schedule yet but it should come in the next couple weeks. Training camp will start in the middle of August, check back here for coverage during training camp.