Moose To Start Season At Home

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced the 2022-23 regular season schedule yesterday afternoon. 

For the first time since 2013, our Halifax Mooseheads will open the season on Scotiabank Centre ice when they welcome the Charlottetown Islanders on September 23. The two teams will battle each other again the next night in Charlottetown. Both matches have 7 p.m. start times. 

Some highlights from the schedule:

• The first Quebec road trip will be at the end of the following month, with the Mooseheads visiting Blainville-Boisbriand, Val-d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda from October 26-29. 
• With the World Juniors being held in Halifax, the team will not be able to play at home meaning that the normal before New Year's Battle of Nova Scotia series won't happen but the team could decide to move it to another date. 
• The longest home streak is 5 games between January 8-19 while the longest road trip also happens to be 5 games from November 25 to December 3. 
• Halifax will once again have a Family Day matinee on home ice welcoming division rivals the Moncton Wildcats at 2 p.m. 
• The Herd will finish the regular season with a three game home-stand and wrap it up on March 25 against the Islanders. Puck is scheduled to drop at 4 p.m. 

Events will be announced at a later date, let's hope that we can have the full slate of normal themed games this season. 

Herd Word: MacKinnon Off to Cup Finals

STANLEY CUP FINALS
The NHL Stanley Cup final series will begin on Wednesday and it will include a former Halifax Mooseheads player. Nova Scotia native Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche will be looking for the franchise's third Stanley Cup after sweeping the Edmonton Oilers last week in the conference finals. This will be first trip to the Stanley Cup final for MacKinnon in his career. The Herd alum scored a pivotal goal and registered seven shots on goal in the series clinching game which ended with a 6-5 score in overtime. Nathan has contributed 11 goals and 7 assists for 18 points in Colorado's 14 postseason games that has seen the team post an incredible 12-2 record in series wins over Nashville, St. Louis and Edmonton. The Avalanche had to wait a few days to find out who their opponent would be but now know and will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning for the trophy. Tampa is looking for their third straight championship. 

TICKETS

Our Halifax Mooseheads announced the prices and benefits for the 2022-23 season tickets the other day. One of the biggest benefits is the first right to not keep their seat for the 2023 World Juniors as long as you get your packages before July 15. Full season ticket packages begin at $225 for a youth ticket. Also available is the normal 15-game pack plus a family flex 20 package. 

Prices for a season membership are below:
                Red     Green

Adult       $615     $575
Senior     $515     $475
Student   $385     $445
Youth      $265     $225

Fans can get on the waiting list by going to the tickets page here or call 492-3470 as full packages don't go on sale until June 22. 

Q AWARDS
Mooseheads forward Jordan Dumais was named the QMJHL's most sportsmanlike player of 2022 a couple weeks ago. To be considered for the Frank J. Selke trophy, a player must prove his efficiency on the ice, demonstrate the utmost respect for opponents and officials as well as avoid the penalty box. One of the top used forwards on the Mooseheads, the Ile-Bizard, QC native spent no more than six minutes in the penalty box all season. Check out Dumais being presented the award here. Awesome job Jordan!

The league has been handing out the Golden Puck awards and recently announced the all-star rookie team for the 2021-22 season with Herd forward Mathieu Cataford cracking the list. Cataford led all 16-year-olds players in points with 46 after Halifax selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 Q entry draft. Congrats to Mathieu on being given the honour. 

PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE

Our Halifax Mooseheads released their pre-season schedule for the upcoming season. The Herd will play a total of six games starting on August 23 with a trip to Sydney against the Cape Breton Eagles. Halifax's three home pre-season matches will be played at the RBC Centre in Dartmouth. Tickets will go on sale later in the summer. 

Full schedule below
August 23   Halifax at Cape Breton   7pm    Glace Bay Miners Forum
August 24   Cape Breton at Halifax   7pm    RBC Centre
August 26   Saint John at Halifax   7pm    RBC Centre
September 9   Halifax at Saint John   7pm    Centre Aitken 
September 11   Halifax at Cape Breton   3pm    Centre 200
September 16   Cape Breton at Halifax   7pm    RBC Centre

The regular season schedule was also announced on Tuesday but I will do a separate post for that. 

MEMORIAL CUP
Three of the four teams that will participate in the Memorial Cup are known now after the Edmonton Oil Kings won the WHL championship last night over the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Oil Kings won their series 4-2 after a 2-0 Game 6 victory in Alberta. Edmonton will join the Shawinigan Cataractes and the Saint John Sea Dogs in Saint John for the 2022 tournament. Shawinigan won the QMJHL title on June 11 with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 5. The OHL trophy will be handed out tomorrow evening as Game 7 is set to go in Hamilton between the hometown Bulldogs and the Windsor Spitfires. 

Congrats to Shawinigan and Edmonton on winning their respective leagues and to whoever wins the OHL. 

Photos - NHL and Mooseheads website, Sea Dogs Twitter

Team Award Winners Announced

Over the last few weeks, the Halifax Mooseheads have been announcing the winners of the team awards for the 2021-22 season on social media with video clips of each recipient. Below are the winners.

Steele Subaru Trophy: Jake Furlong
Scotia Fuels Award: Mathis Rousseau
Eastlink Trophy: Elliot Desnoyers
Sarah Morris Memorial Trophy: Bobby Orr
Avis Award: James Swan & Zack Jones
Scotiabank Centre Trophy: Elliot Desnoyers
Best Sportsmanship Trophy: Brady Schultz
Tim Hortons Trophy: Markus Vidicek
Sue Moore Memorial Fans' Choice Award: Evan Boucher
Gallagher Insurance & Risk Management Award: Mathieu Cataford
Steele Auto Group MVP Trophy: Jordan Dumais

Jordan Dumais - Mooseheads' 21-22 MVP 
Photo - Saltwire

President's Cup Finals Begin Saturday

It's never happened before but we're going to get QMJHL playoff hockey in June as the final round begins on Saturday night. The final series will see the Charlottetown Islanders and the Shawinigan Cataractes go up for the President's Cup.

No former Halifax Mooseheads players are on either team. Charlottetown defeated the only remaining alumni, Xavier Parent and the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the third round 3 games to 1. Parent ended his junior career with 22 points in 11 playoff games. Shawinigan meanwhile forced a Game 5 against the league-leading Quebec Remparts and got the victory to win their series 3-2.

Charlottetown will have home ice advantage. The winners will represent the QMJHL at the 2022 Memorial Cup in Saint John, NB later this month. 

Full schedule below

Game 1 Saturday June 4 at 7pm Charlottetown vs. Shawinigan
Game 2 Sunday June 5 at 7pm Charlottetown vs. Shawinigan
Game 3 Wednesnday June 8 at 8pm Shawinigan vs. Charlottetown
Game 4 Thursday June 9 at 8pm Shawinigan vs. Charlottetown 
*Game 5 Saturday June 11 at 5pm Charlottetown vs. Shawinigan
*Game 6 Monday June 13 at 8pm Shawinigan vs. Charlottetown
*Game 7 Wednesday 15 at 8pm Charlottetown vs. Shawinigan

All times Atlantic
* if necessary