#Our18: Halifax Mooseheads

Photo - QMJHL website

The QMJHL has been doing previews for each of their 18 clubs this month and on Monday, it was our Halifax Mooseheads' turn. 

From the website

• What can we expect from the returnees?

It’s a good thing players wear their names on the back of their sweaters because fans in Halifax had to learn a lot of new ones last year. By the end of the campaign, they were not only known but remembered as the first sixteenth seeded team to win a playoff round in QMJHL history. This year, 17 of those players return, including the top three scorers in Quinn Kennedy, Liam Kilfoil and Shawn Carrier. Daniel Walters appears ready to take the next step in his ‘Q” career after being drafted in the first round of the 2024 QMJHL Draft. German Carlos Handel took on some tough assignments as a rookie blueliner last year but turned enough heads to get selected by the Montreal Canadiens at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Joining him on the blue line once again is Owen Phillips, who will be one of several Moose stepping into higher leverage roles this season. There is no doubt, this group that made history last year is ready to make a charge up the standings.

• How will a few strategic additions bolster this roster?

Though there wasn’t much room for newcomers to this squad, those who are new on the scene will likely impress right away. Connor MacPherson represents the lone 20-year-old on the club to start the season. Known for his heavy shot and a strong cycle game, the winger from Windsor, Ontario literally worked his way across the country by way of the BCHL Penticton Vees and the University of New Hampshire to arrive in Moose Country. Wingers Oleg Kulebyakin and Jasu Mensonen make their debuts following their selections at the 2025 CHL Import Draft. Third overall selection from last June’s QMJHL Draft, Malik L’Italien, is a puck-moving left shot defenseman with size while Paulo Gualberto Jr., another 2025 draftee, has been a scoring machine at the U-14 and U-15 levels in Massachusetts.

 

• How will the new goaltending tandem perform?

The most valuable piece of a very memorable season in Moose Country was netminder Jacob Steinman, acquired at the trade deadline in a deal that saw franchise favorite Mathis Rousseau head to Moncton. With last year’s Patrick-Roy Trophy winner off to the NCAA ranks, the reins are now passed off the Owen Bresson, acquired from the Shawinigan Cataractes last month. There’s still going to be a familiar face in the crease on a number of nights however, as Nicolas Gillham-Cirka returns after serving as an understudy to both Rousseau and Steinman on a rebuilding squad while also performing solidly in a pair of relief appearances during the postseason.

 

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2024-2025 Stats:

Team Record	19-35-8-2 (48 points)
Division Ranking	5th Maritimes
Overall Ranking	16th
Goals For	155 (17th)
Goals Against	231 (13th)
PP (Overall)	17.4% (15th)
PK (Overall)	76.9% (T-12th)
Leading Rookie (PTS)	Handel (3-23-26)
Leading Scorers (PTS)	Kennedy (24-23-47)
	Kilfoil (21-25-46)
	Carrier (18-26-44)
	Schultz (7-23-30)
	MacPhee (16-12-28)

Check out the highlights from the 2024-25 season below. 

#Our18: Halifax Mooseheads

The QMJHL once again did the #Our18 feature earlier this month before the start of the regular season. They asked three questions on our Halifax Mooseheads this year. Check it out below. 

From the QMJHL website

• What do the first steps towards contending again look like?

At the 2024 QMJHL Draft, the Mooseheads hockey operations team made it very clear not only what direction the franchise would be headed in, but how quickly that change of course would occur. By the end of that weekend, three key players were off to new teams and the Moose were substantially richer in both picks and prospects. The key player acquired at that time was Shawn Carrier, who arrives from the Moncton Wildcats in a trade involving Markus Vidicek. The sophomore forward will have ample time to shine after showing flashes in a limited role last year. Another pair of second-year players who have already played a pivotal role with the club are skilled center Liam Kilfoil and speedy winger Lou Levesque. Combined with a trio of 16-year-old talents that includes first-round selection Daniel Walters and the pieces of the next great Mooseheads clubs may already be starting to form.

• How much of the load will the overagers carry?

No two groups of overagers are alike. In Halifax, that trio of veterans brings very distinct attributes to both the ice and the dressing room. Up front, hard-working Braeden MacPhee can best be described as a heart and soul player and rallying point for his teammates. On the blue line, Brady Shultz returns with the expectation that he will be a pivotal player at virtually all times following a career-best 57-point campaign in 2023-24. Then there is Mathis Rousseau, who has done it all between the pipes in Halifax since his arrival back in 2021, including sending the Mooseheads to the 2023 Gilles-Courteau Trophy Final. To say the club’s success hinges to a great extent on the play of its 20-year-olds would be an understatement.

• What sort of boost could this year’s import players provide?

Czech winger Jan Sprynar arrived in Halifax during last year’s trade period and put together a strong second half, posting 20 points in 28 regular season games. He will be asked to build off that season while playing a pivotal role in various offensive situations under rookie Head Coach Andrew Lord. The latest import to don the Mooseheads crest will be German defenseman Carlos Handel. The 17-year-old right shot rearguard has been an impact player with offensive flair for Malmo in the Swedish junior ranks while also representing his home nation at various events, including the recent 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

2023-2024 Stats:

Team Record	42-18-7-1 — 92 Pts
Division Ranking	1st Maritimes
Overall Ranking	4th
Goals For	227 (T-8th)
Goals Against	184 (3rd)
PP (Overall)	24.6% (T-7th)
PK (Overall)	81.1% (5th)
Leading Rookie (PTS)	Levesque (12-21-33)
Leading Scorers (PTS)	Cataford (40-50-90)
	Vidicek (45-43-88)
	Reynolds (28-35-63)
	Denis (28-34-62)
	Schultz (9-48-57)

#Our18: Halifax Mooseheads

The QMJHL has been doing some previews of each of their 18 teams this month and recently they did our Halifax Mooseheads. This year they did things a little different, asking three questions and sharing highlights from last season. 

From QMJHL.ca

Can the Moose remain kings of the hill offensively?

There was no shortage of goals in the Nova Scotia capital last season as the Mooseheads became the first team in almost 30 years to rely on three different 50-goal scorers. Two of those players, Alexendre Doucet and Josh Lawrence, have graduated from the league. It's the enviable position of the league's second-best squad from 2022-23 that leading scorer Jordan Dumais is back for another run after producing a team-record 140 points last campaign. Also returning are a pair of 30-goal scorers in Markus Vidicek and Mathieu Cataford. The club also returns 30 goals scored from the blue line, a number that is sure to go up as the backend group remains largely unchanged. 

Who will step up to support the remaining core?
The 2023-24 Mooseheads will be centered largely around key players at each position, including Dumais, defenseman Jake Furlong and goaltender Mathis Rousseau. Filling in key positions on the depth chart will be the responsibilities of several players who found themselves in key situations as last season progressed. Brady Schultz and David Moravec, along with 2023 Vegas Golden Knights draftee Dylan MacKinnon will provide the club with a strong defensive corps up and down the lineup. Brody Fournier may see more minutes as an overager after spending last year in an energy role, while key newcomers include Swiss winger Yannick Ponzetto and 2023 QMJHL second-rounder, center Liam Kilfoil. 

What will the latest Jim Midgley era bring? 
The last time Jim Midgley stepped behind the Halifax Mooseheads bench, he was the club's Head Coach and it was the 2017-18 season. Despite guiding that team to a 93-point campaign, Midgley was unceremoniously dismissed that off-season. Back for another round with the club he captured a Memorial Cup with as an Assistant Coach back in 2013, Midgley returns with some impressive credentials since his last stint in the Q, including assistant coaching tenures in Germany and with the New York Rangers. An even more experienced Midgley is fully ready for this year and looking for redemption with yet another contending Moose squad.

_

2022-2023 Stats:

Record	50-11-4-3 (107 points)
Division Ranking	1st Maritimes
Overall Ranking	2nd
Goals For	335 (1st)
Goals Against	196 (4th)
PP (Overall)	27.1% (2nd)
PK (Overall)	81.0% (T-3rd)
Leading Rookie	MacPhee (6-11-17)
Leading Scorers	Dumais (54-86-140)
	Lawrence (50-69-119)
	Doucet (58-57-115)
	Vidicek (32-48-80)
	Cataford (31-44-75)

Highlights of the 2022-23 Halifax Mooseheads

#Our18: Halifax Mooseheads

Photo - QMJHL website

The QMJHL has been doing some previews of each of their 18 clubs this month and they recently did one on our Halifax Mooseheads. Click on the link below to see Jordan Dumais' highlights. 

From QMJHL.ca 

The last time the Halifax Mooseheads won a playoff series, they were also that year's Memorial Cup host team. Going on four seasons later, this methodically crafted crew has once again reached the point where many consider it the team to beat in the Maritimes. 

Two of the central up front are 2021 Nashville Predators first-rounder Zachary L'Heureux and 2022 Columbus Blue Jackets draftee Jordan Dumais, the latter coming off a season that saw him finish third in the league's regular season scoring derby. This duo will be surrounded by a talented cast, including overager Evan Boucher, who, after arriving from the Ontario Jr. A ranks midway through last season, posted 25 goals in 37 games. Markus Vidicek returns following a strong sophomore season while 2021 QMJHL first-rounder Mathieu Cataford aims to build off a 2021-22 campaign that saw him earn a spot on the league's Rookie All-Star Team before helping Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. 

Last year's top point producer among defensemen, Jake Furlong, returns after hearing his his name called out by the San Jose Sharks at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Fourth-year veteran Cam Whynot will again be on hand to log key minutes and Connecticut native Brady Schultz returns after a solid first Q campaign. Dylan MacKinnon, a teammate of Cataford's at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, enters his NHL draft year eager to take the next step in his junior career. 

Between the pipes, Brady James and Mathis Rousseau return to form the netminding tandem for yet another season. 

It's been a long time to get back to this stage for GM Cam Russell and the rest of the Mooseheads braintrust. Fans will be in for a treat if this herd comes thundering through the Maritimes Division and beyond this year. 

2021-2022 Mooseheads Stats:

Team Record	38-28-1-1 (78 points)
Division Ranking	4th Maritimes
Overall Ranking	8th
Goals For	272 (6th)
Goals Against	272 (15th)
PP (Overall)	23.3% (9th )
PK (Overall)	69.8% (18th)
Leading Rookie (PTS)	Cataford (17-29-46)
Leading Scorers (PTS)	Dumais (39-70-109)
	Desnoyers (42-46-88)
	Vidicek (18-47-65)
	L’Heureux (22-34-56)
	Cataford (17-29-46)

#Our18: Halifax Mooseheads

The QMJHL has been doing some previews of each of their 18 teams this month and recently they did our Halifax Mooseheads. 

From QMJHL.ca

In what was a very trying year, the Halifax Mooseheads were able to put forth admirable results last season. The pro scouts paid attention, selecting three members of the squad at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Now, it's time to put the league at large on notice.

Up front, there's no question the Mooseheads display the calibre of top end firepower that could prove to be difference makers on most nights. This centers on the dynamic duo of Nashville Predators 2021 first rounder Zachary L'Heureux and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Elliot Desnoyers, who both made a distinct impression in their first seasons with the squad. A pair of 2020 QMJHL first rounders, Markus Vidicek and Jordan Dumais, will be expected to take the next step as they enter their NHL Draft campaigns. The 2020-21 QMJHL rookie scoring leader, Robert Orr, will look to improve on the performance that saw him earn a fifth-round selection by the Carolina Hurricanes last June. Belgian-born Senna Peeters will be joining them as he returns after posting over a point per game last year.

On the blueline, 2021 Calgary Flames draftee Cameron Whynot returns for a third season already used to eating up big minutes in all situations. He’ll lead a relatively young defense corps that also features second-year rearguard Jake Furlong and rookie Dylan MacKinnon, the fifth overall selection at the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft. Joining them is overager David Lafrance, who arrives in Halifax for his first major junior season after stints in the Ontario Jr. A ranks as well as one season in the NCAA with Robert Morris University. In nets, Brady James takes over the reigns from the graduating Alexis Gravel.

With the league getting back to some sense of normalcy this season, the Mooseheads are no doubt eager to get back in the swing of things as they put a collection of potential impact players to the test.

2020-2021 Mooseheads Stats:

Team Record	15-19-5-4 (39 points)
Division Ranking	4th Maritimes
Overall Ranking	13th
Goals For	152 (2nd)
Goals Against	183 (17th)
PP (Overall)	18.1% (14th)
PK (Overall)	74.4% (13th)
Leading Rookie (PTS)	Orr (15-17-32)
Leading Scorers (PTS)	Desnoyers (21-28-49)
	L’Heureux (19-20-39)
	Orr (15-17-32)
	Vidicek (10-21-31)
	Barron (8-23-31)

To hear interviews from 2nd year forward Markus Vidicek and head coach Sylvain Favreau, check the videos below. 

#Our18: Halifax Mooseheads

Photo - QMJHL website

The QMJHL has been doing some previews of each of their 18 clubs this month and today was finally our Halifax Mooseheads turn. 

From QMJHL.ca

After riding the wave of reaching both the 2019 President and Memorial Cup Finals, the Halifax Mooseheads came crashing down last season, albeit in somewhat calculated fashion. By the end of the 2020 trade period, most remaining pieces of the previous season's squad were plying their trade elsewhere. Left to compete was a group trying to learn the ropes on the fly with an underlying optimism for this season and years to come. 

That optimism was rewarded during June's QMJHL Draft with the arrival of 2018 QMJHL first round selection Elliot Desnoyers and 2019-20 Rookie All-Star Zachary L'Heureux via trade with the Moncton Wildcats. Joining them up front are veteran two-way winger Liam Peyton, acquired from the Charlottetown Islanders and 2019 first rounder Samuel Dube. Returnees Zack Jones, Senna Peeters, whose 23 goals led the club last year, as well as high scoring Swiss prospect Attillio Biasca are expected to arrive in camp in the coming weeks. Markus Vidicek and Jordan Dumais, both first-rounder selections at the 2020 QMJHL Draft and offensive threats at previous levels, will be given an opportunity to shine on a squad that will be replenishing up front. 

Defensively, the Moose will be anchored by 2020 NHL Draft prospect Justin Barron as he attempts to rebound after losing half of last season to a blood clot. Overager Jason Horvath returns to add some sandpaper to the blueline corps while sophomore Cameron Whynot looks to make use of his on-the-job training after posting big minutes, particularly in the latter half, during the 2019-20 season. 

A 2020 second-rounder and Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia native, Jake Furlong will be embarking on his QMJHL career following a strong offensive campaign with Mount St. Charles Academy in Rhode Island. Between the pipes, with Alexis Gravel not reporting to camp, the ball will be carried by another veteran backstopper in Cole McLaren, with 2019 sixth-rounder Brady James acting as backup.

Perhaps the most interesting returnee in Halifax resides behind the bench. J.J. Daigneault's second season with the Mooseheads represents the first time since 2016 that a Head Coach has begun a second consecutive season with the organization. 

After selling big last year, it's the hope of the representatives from the Nova Scotia capital that the return on investment will begin to pay dividends sooner rather than later. 

Head Coach J.J. Daigneault and newly acquired forward Elliot Desnoyers share their thoughts on the Halifax Mooseheads' upcoming season. 

Top 5 Plays of 2019-2020

#Our18: Halifax Mooseheads

The QMJHL has been doing some previews of each of their 18 clubs this month and today was finally our Halifax Mooseheads turn. The biggest headline for this year's team is that they are now out of the spotlight of being Memorial Cup hosts but should still be competitive and they have a new head coach.

From QMJHL.ca

The Halifax Mooseheads captivated the national junior hockey stage last spring. After coming within two games of a President Cup title and two periods of a Memorial Cup championship, the current edition of the club should remain competitive while taking the first steps towards reaching those lofty heights once again.

Last year saw the Moose capture the Eastern Conference crown on the final day of the regular season thanks to a 49-win, 102-point campaign. Though a veteran-laden squad, no less than a dozen players from that roster will make their way back to Halifax to start the year.

Up front, this includes Anaheim Ducks prospect and former first-overall QMJHL selection Benoit-Olivier Groulx. He’ll be joined by 2019 Edmonton Oilers draftee Raphael Lavoie and overager Maxim Trepanier. 2018 QMJHL first rounder Samuel Dube will embark on his first full season in the “Q” while Belgian Senna Peeters makes his debut after being selected in the 2019 CHL Import Draft.

On the back end, four players from last year’s squad will be in the lineup. Detroit Red Wings prospect Jared McIsaac, still recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, will likely miss much of the first half of the season. On opening night, 2020 NHL Draft prospect Justin Barron and 20-year-olds Walter Flower and Patrick Kyte should be ready to go. Joining them will be Jason Horvath, acquired from the Shawinigan Cataractes during training camp, as well as Cameron Whynot, picked up from Sherbrooke in the off-season after being drafted 9^thoverall by the Phoenix at the 2019 QMJHL Draft. Between the pipes, the tandem of Alexis Gravel and Cole McLaren is back to hold down the fort for a second consecutive year after allowing just 164 regular season goals in 2018-19. 

Overseeing all of this is a new head coach, the franchise’s fifth in as many years. Former NHL defenseman and QMJHL Hall of Famer Jean-Jacques Daigneault will be tasked with guiding this transitioning Mooseheads squad.

Although the spotlight will not shine quite as bright on the Mooseheads this season, make no mistake; this year’s edition should be more than capable of holding its own against the rest of the league.

2018-2019 Mooseheads Stats:
Team Record               49-15-2-2 - 102 points
Division Ranking        1st Maritimes
Conference Ranking   1st Eastern
League Ranking          3rd
Home Record              25-5-2-2
Away Record               24-10-0-0
GF                               300
GA                              164
PP (Overall)                (69/246) 28.0%
PK (Overall)               (39/270) 85.6%
Leading Rookie (Pts)  Barinka (7-11-18)
Leading Scorers (Pts)  Asselin (48-38-86)
                                     Groulx (31-49-80)
                                     Durandeau (38-35-73)
                                     Lavoie (32-41-73)
                                     Morand (22-48-70)
2019 Playoffs              *Lost in final (2-4 vs. ROU)



Forward Benoit-Olivier Groulx, rookie defenceman Cameron Whynot and head coach Jean-Jacques Daigneault preview the upcoming season.

Top 5 Plays of 2018-2019

#Our18: Halifax Mooseheads

The QMJHL has been doing some previews of each of their 18 teams this month and today they did our Halifax Mooseheads. Three questions were asked to the team brass about what's coming up for this season and the league interviewed Samuel Dube, Jared McIsaac and head coach Eric Veilleux.

From QMJHL.ca

All eyes are on the Mooseheads who will be hosting the next Memorial Cup tournament. How will the players manage the pressure that comes with all that attention? 

“These kids, it’s not solely up to them. I think it’s our job is to manage the expectations and stress that go along with hosting the Memorial Cup”, explained Russell. “We have to be very patient, it’s going to be a long season. We know we are going to be playing to the end of May.”

“You can’t win the Memorial Cup in September or November, so it’s going to be a season where we have to keep the expectations in check”, added Halifax’s general manager. “There’s a lot of great teams in our league and even in our division. We will make sure that’s it’s a team effort to manage all that.”


'The Mooseheads have a tradition of building championship teams and producing future National Hockey League stars. This year’s version of the ‘Herd’ boasts a plethora of high-profile NHL Draft Picks, NHL Draft Prospects, skilled young players coming into their prime and a great mix of impactful veterans.' According to another article the Q post.

Even though the Herd will be without their leading scorers from last year in Maxime Fortier and Otto Somppi and most likely Filip Zadina, the team brought in two veterans who won the Memorial Cup last season in Jordan Maher and Antoine Morand which should help. Plus after the year Raphael Lavoie had in 2017-18, expect the almost 18-year-old to make even more progress on the scoresheet this year, with the Q site saying he 'could eclipse the 50-goal plateau given his size, high skill set, skating ability and willingness to go to the dirty areas to contribute offensively.'

See what the head coach had to say about this upcoming season here.