Stats Sunday: September/October

Games played: 16
Record: 12-4-0-0, 24pts
Goals for/against:64/46
Powerplay*: 21.3%
Penalty kill*: 85.5%
Shutouts: two

Top 5 leading scorers
Points: Raphael Lavoie 18, Arnaud Durandeau 18, Samuel Asselin 17, Antoine Morand 17, Benoit-Olivier Groulx 15
Goals: Raphael Lavoie 11, Samuel Asselin 9, Arnaud Durandu 7, Antoine Morand 7, Benoit-Olivier Groulx 6
Assists: Arnaud Durandeau 11, Antoine Morand 10, Benoit-Olivier Groulx 9, Samuel Asselin 8, Raphael Lavoie 7
Penalty minutes: Xavier Parent 16, Samuel Asselin 16, Arnaud Durandeau 14, Benoit-Olivier Groulx 13, Raphael Lavoie 12
Plus/minus: Jared McIsaac +10, Antoine Morand +10, Raphael Lavoie +10, Samuel Asselin +9, Justin Barron +7
Rookie scoring: Marcel Barinka 8pts, Cole Stewart 2pts, Gavin Hart 1pt, Nathan MacMillan 1pt, Cole McLaren 1pt

Goaltending stats*
Cole McLaren: 3-0-0-0    1.99 GAA    0.934 SAV%
Alexis Gravel: 9-4-0-0    2.93 GAA    0.911 SAV%



*overall

Rivalry Week Tie

The Halifax Mooseheads and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles have a tie in their rivalry week match up. In a night that was highly anticipated after starting the season with the 15 game road trip, going 12-3, the Herd were looking forward to finally getting home and being in front of their fans again but we're unable to get the final result they wanted. The Mooseheads got off to a quick start with Jared McIssac getting the scoring started just 2:53 into the game. The Eagles seemed to have the better legs most of the game and were able to tie it up 5 minutes later when Mitchell Balmas scored on a breakaway. The game's first penalty didn't come until the end of the first. Cape Breton didn't look back after the Balmas goal and found themselves with a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes despite no scoring by either team in the middle frame. Halifax received a penalty about five minutes into the third but were able to kill it and that seemed to spark the Mooseheads as they started pressing. Veteran Jake Ryczek scored with exactly 10 minutes left which gave the home team some life but they couldn't get past the Eagles goaltender to get the score even closer. In the end, Cape Breton secures their victory with an empty netter which made the game 5-2 and avenged a loss to the Moose last night in Sydney. Tonight's attendance was the highest in attendance for a home opener in franchise history with 9,949 in attendance.

FINAL: Screaming Eagles 5 at Mooseheads 2
Stars: 3. Jake Ryzek HAL | 2. Kevin Mandolese CAP | 1. Mitchell Balmas CAP
Attendance: 9,949
MC’s Top Herd: Jake Ryzek

GAME LOGFirst period2:53 HAL Jared McIssac (4) | A: Ryzek
7:57 CAP Mitchell Balmas (9) | A: none
9:53 CAP Declan Smith (4) | A: Balmas & Sokolov
18:01 CAP Isiah Campbell (2) | A: Forest

Second periodNo Scoring

Third period2:30 CAP Adam McCormick (2) | A: Laferriere
10:00 HAL Jocktan Chainey (1) | A: Groulx & Durandeau
17:56 CAP Leon Gawanke (6) EN | A: Smith & Proulx

Shots: 28-27 in favour of Cape Breton
Powerplay: CAP 0-for-3; HAL 0-for-2

NOT DRESSED – Samuel Dube, Ostap Safin, and Kyle Petten were out with injuries and Brock McLeod was a healthy scratch.

Out of Town - Drakkar 4 at Sagueneens 1


UP NEXT – Halifax will stay home and welcome the Val d'Or Foreurs a week from today for the first of two meetings on the year. Puck drops at 7pm.

Oct 27: Mooseheads vs. Screaming Eagles preview

HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS VS CAPE BRETON SCREAMING EAGLES
October 27, 2018 at 7:00pm
TV: Webcast | Radio: News 95.7 | Live: @MC_MooseCountry
Scotiabank Centre (10,595) ~ Halifax, NS

Finally it's home opener gameday for our Halifax Mooseheads! The Herd are finally back in Moose Country for their first game at the Scotiabank Centre this season after a 15 matches on the road to start the year. Halifax did pretty well on the road, finishing the trip with a 12-3-0 record which includes 4 overtime victories. The boys have been warriors so far in the last 6 weeks but everyone is really excited to be home with new forward Samuel Asselin stating; "You have no idea how excited we are to play in front of our fans! See you tonight Moose fans and be loud." Halifax will have a little bit more of a complete roster tonight as veteran Joel Bishop returned to the lineup last night after missing a couple of games while Ostap Safin may possibly return from the injured list tonight. This evening's match up is the second game of a home-and-home series between the Mooseheads and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The two clubs met last night in Sydney where the away team took a 4-3 win. Rookie Cole Stewart scored his first goal of his QMJHL career to get the goal scoring started however Cape Breton was the team who was leading the game after 40 minutes 3-2. Anaheim Ducks prospect Benoit-Olivier Groulx scored twice in third period and Alexis Gravel stopped all 6 shots as the Moose were able to hold on for the victory. Make sure to get to your seats early Moose Country as there will be a pre-game ceremony to celebrate 25 years in Halifax while the boys will also be debuting their new anniversary jersey.

This is the third meeting this season between these two teams. Halifax is 2-0-0-0 against the Screaming Eagles while Cape Breton has a 0-2-0-0 record versus the Mooseheads.

Overall Records
Eagles: 7-7-0-1 = 15pts (11th overall, 4th in Maritimes division)
Mooseheads: 12-3-0-0 = 24pts (1st overall, 1st in Maritimes division)

Leading Scorers
HAL: Raphael Lavoie 18pts (11G & 7A), Arnaud Durandeau 18pts (7G & 11A), Samuel Asselin 16pts (9G & 7A)
CAP: Egor Sokolov 21pts (12G & 9A), Mathias Laferriere 19pts (6G & 13A), Mitchell Balmas 17pts (8G & 9A)

Previous Games
See above

Head-to-Head
September 28  Mooseheads 4 at Eagles 2
October 26  Mooseheads 4 at Eagles 3
October 27  7pm  Eagles at Mooseheads
November 9  7pm  Eagles at Mooseheads
December 12  7pm  Eagles at Mooseheads
December 30  2pm  Mooseheads at Eagles
December 31  2pm  Eagles at Mooseheads
January 11  7pm  Mooseheads at Eagles
February 9  7pm  Mooseheads at Eagles

Out of Town
Baie-Comeau vs. Chicoutimi - 5:00pm

After the Buzzer
Halifax will stay home and welcome the Val-d'Or Forerus a week from today. Puck drops at 7pm.

Herd Word

Photo - Q twitter

GRAVEL
Veteran goaltender Alexis Gravel had a great week and the QMJHL plus CHL have recognized his success this past weekend. Gravel was named the player of the week for the week ending October 15. The 18 year old started in two of the 3 games the Mosoeheads had last week and had a 2-0 record including a 5-0 shutout win on Sunday against Bathurst. He now has a 2.51 goals against average on the season which is good enough for 6th in the league. On Tuesday, the Asbestos, QC native was also named the Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Week.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
The QMJHL also announced the team of the week on Monday which included Gravel and defenceman Jared McIsaac. Congrats to both boys. Halifax has had a strong start to the season and with the return of McIsaac, the club seems to have figured out the defense allowed just 2 goals in the last week. Jared played it's first game of the season on Thursday and has a goal and three assists in three games.

CAPTAIN
On Wednesday, the Herd finally announced their leadership group. I'm not sure what took so long but it will be nice to see a C on someone when the team takes on the Moncton Wildcats tonight. Cam Russell, Eric Veilleux and the brass have named veteran Antoine Morand captain for the 2018-19 season. The 19-year-old was traded by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan back in June to Halifax after winning the Memorial Cup with the Titan.

Morand will be joined by Samuel Asselin, Jared McIsaac, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Joel Bishop who were all named alternate captains and will split duties between road and home games. Asselin has scored quite a bit this season after being acquired a few days into the regular season from Bathurst and is 5th in team scoring. Benoit-Olivier Groulx is just above Samuel in team scoring with 11 points and I'm sure is hoping to have a good season after getting drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in June. Bishop has played just one game so far this year before going down with an injury but it sounds like he will be back in the lineup tonight in Moncton.

Congrats guys.

CANADA RUSSIA SERIES
More news came from the league offices on Wednesday morning as the QMJHL announced its roster for the Canada/Russia series that will be played next month. A total of five current Mooseheads were named to the roster. Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Justin Barron, Raphael Lavoie, Jared McIsaac and Antoine Morand will represent Halifax when Team QMJHL takes on Russia in the final two games on Tuesday November 13 in Sherbrooke, QC and Thursday November 15 in Drummondville, QC. According to the team's press release, this is the second time that McIsaac and Groulx have participated in this event and the third time for Morand after representing Bathurst in 2016 & 2017. For Lavoie and Barron, who both have yet to be drafted into the NHL, it is their first time. This event, which will be held in four other cities before coming to Quebec, is another step on the way to Hockey Canada selecting who will represent the maple leaf at the 2019 World Juniors. Below is the full roster.

Photo - Q website

TOP 10
Your Halifax Mooseheads stayed at number 3 in this week's KIA CHL Top 10 rankings despite a 3-0 record over the last 7 days. The Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL took over first spot, displacing the Baie-Comeau Drakkar who fell to #7.

Week 5 rankings:
1. Prince Albert Raiders {11-1-0-0}   last week: 2
2. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies {9-1-0-0}   last week: 6
3. Halifax Mooseheads {8-2-0-0}   last week: 3
4. Victoria Royals {7-1-0-0}   last week: 4
5. Peterborough Petes {8-2-0-0}   last week: n/a
6. Vancouver Giants {9-1-1-0}   last week: 7
7. Baie Comeau Drakkar {8-2-0-1}   last week: 1
8. Ottawa 67's {8-3-0-0}   last week: n/a
9. Saginaw Spirit {6-2-1-0}   last week: n/a
10. Guelph Storm {6-2-1-0}   last week: 9
Honourable mention: Seattle Thunderbirds {6-1-1-0}, Moncton Wildcats {6-3-1-0}, Mississauga Steelheads {6-2-1-0}

Oct 11: Islanders vs. Mooseheads preview

CHARLOTTETOWN ISLANDERS VS HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS
October 1, 2018 at 7:00pm
TV: Eastlink | Radio: News 95.7 | Live: @HFXMooseheads
Eastlink Centre (3,717) ~ Charlottetown, PEI

Your Halifax Mooseheads are back in the Maritimes after a three game trip through Quebec last weekend. The Mooseheads will visit the island to take on the Charlottetown Islanders tonight in a special Thursday evening broadcast on Eastlink TV. Halifax still leads their division despite losing 2 of their last three matches and will be looking to get back in the win column. A game against a team that is in the middle of the league standings currently might be just the thing to get the Herd out of their small funk. Of course you can never take any team for granted and with a number of injuries still, it'll be another good test for Halifax. Charlottetown is expected to have another good season after finishing last season strong and making it all the way to the QMJHL semi-finals last year.

This is the second meeting this season between these two teams. Halifax is 1-0-0-0 against the Islanders while Charlottetown has a 0-1-0-0 record versus the Mooseheads. The last matchup was on September 22 when your Herd took a 3-2 victory on the road Patrick Kyte receiving first star honours for a 2 point night (1G&1A).

Overall Records
Mooseheads: 5-2-0-0 = 10pts (3rd overall, 1st in Maritimes division)
Islanders: 3-4-1-0 = 7pts (13th overall, 3rd in Maritimes division)

Leading Scorers
CHA: Keith Getson 6pts (3G & 3A), Kevin Gursoy 5pts (1G & 4A), Derek Gentile 5pts (5A)
HAL: Arnaud Durandeau 10pts (6G & 4A), Antoine Morand 8pts (4G & 4A), Raphael Lavoie 6pts (4G & 2A)

Previous Games
Halifax is coming off a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Drakkar on Saturday night on the road. Raphael Lavoie and Xavier Parent scored for the Mooseheads while Alexis Gravel was given the first star after stopping 37 of Baie-Comeau's 40 shots.

Charlottetown is coming off a 3-2 shootout victory in Chicoutimi. Keith Getson had a goal for the Islanders on Saturday and was named the third star while Matthew Welsh picked up the victory against the Sagueneens on Saturday.

Head-to-Head
September 22  Mooseheads 3 at Islanders 2
October 11  7pm  Mooseheads at Islanders
November 20  7pm  Islanders at Mooseheads
December 9  3pm  Mooseheads at Islanders
December 15  7pm  Islanders at Mooseheads
December 28  7:30pm  Mooseheads at Islanders
February 6  7pm  Islanders at Mooseheads
February 16  7pm  Islanders at Mooseheads
March 16  7pm  Islanders at Moosseheads

Out of Town
Drummondville vs. Baie-Comeau - 8:00pm

After the Buzzer
Halifax will travel to Saint John and take on the Sea Dogs tomorrow evening. Puck drops at 7pm.

Moynihan Announces Retirement

Former Halifax Mooseheads forward Danny Moynihan made a big announcement today letting fans know that he has retired from playing hockey. The 22-year-old posted the news on Instagram. Moynihan played for the Herd between 2013-15 before being traded by the team to the Shawinigan Cataractes. He wasn't drafted by an NHL team but was invited to Vancouver Canucks camp before being sent down to their ECHL affiliate the Alaska Aces where Danny spent the 2016-17 season collecting 22 goals and 52 points in 71 games. He spent last season between the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL) and the Utica Comets (AHL).



With Halifax, the Boston, MA native had 66 goals and 145 points in 168 games played. While it's sad when anyone is forced to retire because of health issues, one's health is certainly the most important. We will miss Danny but we want to wish him well in his future endeavours.

CHL Announces New Partnership & Cup Logo

The Canadian Hockey League unveiled the logo for the 2019 Memorial Cup yesterday and also announced a new partnership with Kia Canada who will be a sponsor of the national tournament. With the Halifax Mooseheads hosting this year's tournament from May 17-26, Herd President Brian Urquhart was in attendance as the league made the announcement. Read the full press release below.

CHL Memorial Cup logo 2019
Photo - chl.ca

Quebec City, QC - The Canadian Hockey League in association with Kia Canada Inc. are proud to announce a new partnership whereby Kia Canada becomes the Official Automotive Partner of the Canadian Hockey League, Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, as well as new presenting sponsor of the Memorial Cup.

The new partnership officially launched today on CHL Facebook Live broadcasting media events in Quebec City and Calgary where the logo for the 2019 Memorial Cup Presented by Kia was unveiled and the host city for the 2020 Memorial Cup Presented by Kia was announced as Kelowna, British Columbia.

“On behalf of the Canadian Hockey League it is my pleasure to welcome Kia Canada to the CHL family,” said CHL President David Branch. “We are excited to work together to align our goals and build a strong partnership that includes creating a unique and memorable experience at our distinguished national championship. We look forward to the Memorial Cup Presented by Kia in Halifax this May, and our 2020 event in Western Canada.”

The Memorial Cup has a rich tradition that has shaped the way junior hockey is played in North America.  The trophy was originally known as the OHA Memorial Cup and was donated by the Ontario Hockey Association in March, 1919, in remembrance of the many soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice for Canada in the First Wold War.  In 2010 the Memorial Cup was rededicated to the memory of all fallen Canadian Military Personnel.  Last season marked the centennial celebration of the Memorial Cup where it was presented for the 100th time to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in Regina.  The 2019 Memorial Cup Presented by Kia will feature the host Halifax Mooseheads along with the champions from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL competing May 16-26.

“At Kia, we believe in the power that sports have to bring people and communities together so, as we enter our 20th year in Canada, we are proud to be a new partner of the Canadian Hockey League – the highest junior echelon of Canada’s favourite sport,” said Michael Kopke, Director of Marketing, Kia Canada Inc. “With our industry-leading quality and advanced safety and technology features, Kia’s lineup is a great fit for the CHL and Canadian hockey families wanting to stay safe and warm on their way to the rink; and everyone at Kia will be working hard to drive our national past-time and working within communities across the country to provide more opportunities for Canadians to watch, play and love the sport of hockey.”

Kia Canada will also have the opportunity to engage with CHL fans and communities across the country as an associate partner of the CIBC Canada Russia Series and the Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.  Throughout the regular season they’ll help spotlight some of the league’s best teams with feature content and title sponsorship of the CHL’s popular weekly top-10 rankings, then join each regional league as a playoff partner during the stretch drive towards the Memorial Cup Presented by Kia.  With commitment to community top of mind, Kia Canada will also present Humanitarian of the Year awards in all three leagues and to a national recipient at the annual CHL Awards Ceremony.

Established in 1999, Kia Canada has achieved impressive growth including recent record years that exceeded over 70,000 annual vehicle sales through our 188 dealerships nationally.

Oct 3: Remparts vs. Mooseheads preview

QUEBEC REMPARTS VS HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS
October 3, 2018 at 8:00pm
TV: Webcast | Radio: News 95.7 | Live: @HFXMooseheads
Centre Videotron (18,259) ~ Quebec City, QC

As your Halifax Mooseheads continue their season opening 15 game road trip, Wednesday night will see them visit the Quebec Remparts for the first and only time this year. With almost half the team being new, going away should help the boys become close and gel together as a club. Of course, it's a little hard to in game action when 5 players are out injured to begin the season; Kyle Petten and Jared McIsaac have yet to play a regular season game while Joel Bishop and Ostap Safin played one and two games respectively before getting hurt. Fans found out this week that rookie Samuel Dube will also be out indefinitely because of a blood clot. So the injury-laden Mooseheads look to extend their current win streak and keep on making this the best start to a season in franchise history. Quebec should be a good test as the Remparts are 6th in the league right now with a 3-2-0 record. How will the number 1 ranked team in the country fare against a team that includes just two NHL drafted guys but plays in a loud building? Check out the webcast or follow along on Twitter to find out.

This is the first game between these teams this year. Last season, Halifax was 0-1-1-0 against the Remparts while Quebec had a 2-0-0-0 record versus the Mooseheads. The last matchup was on November 1 where Jocktan Chainey and BO Groulx scored for Halifax as they took a 3-2 loss in Quebec while Blade Mann-Dixon made 23 saves.

Overall Records
Mooseheads: 4-0-0-0 = 8pts (2nd overall, 1st in Maritimes division)
Remparts: 3-2-0-0 = 6pts (6th overall, 2nd in East division)

Leading Scorers
QUE: Louis-Filip Cote 4pts (3G & 1A), Philipp Kurashev 3pts (1G & 2A), Benjamin Gagne 3pts (3A)
HAL: Arnaud Durandeau 8pts (4G & 4A), Raphael Lavoie (4pts (3G & 1A), Patrick Kyte 4pts (2G & 2A)

Previous Games
Halifax is coming off a 4-2 victory on the road in Moncton on Sunday afternoon. The Mooseheads were led by Arnaud Durandeau who had a goal and 2 assists while Alexis Gravel stopped 32 of the Wildcats 34 shots.

Quebec meanwhile skated to a 3-2 victory on Saturday evening against the Tigres. Louis-Filip Cote, Pierrick Dube and Philipp Kurashev scored for the Remparts while Anthony Morrone made 31 saves to get the win in Victoriaville.

Head-To-Head
October 3  8pm  Mooseheads at Remparts
January 5  7pm  Remparts at Mooseheads

Out of Town
Acadie-Bathurst vs. Gatineau - 7:00pm
Val-d'Or vs. Rouyn-Noranda - 8:00pm
Victoriaville vs. Drummondville - 8:00pm
Chicoutimi vs. Sherbrooke - 8:30pm
Rimouski vs. Charlottetown - 8:30pm


After the Buzzer
Our Mooseheads will continue their trip through Quebec as they take on the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Friday night. Puck drops at 8:30pm.

Players to Watch Include Herd

Though it is still months away, people are starting to talk about the upcoming NHL entry draft and that includes the Central Scouting Services who have announced their players to watch list. A few Halifax Mooseheads teammates were among the 110 Canadian Hockey League young men who were named on the list.  It is made up of players eligible for the 2019 NHL draft and is only a preliminary ranking.

Montreal, QC native Raphael Lavoie was given an ‘A’ ranking by the CSS, meaning scouts think he will go in the first round. Lavoie, who turned 18 on September 25, is second on the Mooseheads in scoring with three goals and an assist through 4 games helping Halifax to a 4-0 record. He was one of 3 QMJHL players who were given an 'A' rating, the others being Maxim Cajkovic of the Saint John Sea Dogs and Sherbrooke Phoenix's Samuel Poulin.

Sophomore Xavier Parent is ranked to go in the 2nd or 3rd round of the draft by scouts and is one of 7 Q players to get a ‘B’ ranking. Parent doesn’t have any points yet.. The other Herd player to be on the list is import rookie Marcel Barinka who was drafted by the Mooseheads in the 2018 CHL import draft in the second round, 106th overall. Barinka, who has the same birthday as Parent, has two assists so far this year.


Congratulations to all players and good luck the rest of the season, go out and impress those scouts. We’ll keep you updated all year long until the 2019 NHL draft which will be held in Vancouver, BC on June 21 & 22.

Poll #20

As another season of Halifax Mooseheads hockey has gotten underway, I thought I would do another poll to get your opinion. Even though we won't see our boys back at the Scotiabank Centre for another 26 days, the club has played four games already and is getting offence from different players. So Moose Country, who do you think will lead the team at the end of the regular season in scoring?


So cast your vote below. You have until the Christmas break to do so.

1. Arnaud Durandeau
2. Marcel Barinka
3. Raphael Lavoie
4. Samuel Dube
5. Antoine Morand
6. Other

**If you choose 'Other', please comment or tweet us the player you think it will be**