NHL Combine

SIGNED
The top three prospects in this year's NHL draft have signed their first pro endorsement deal. Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones and Jonathan Drouin have all signed deals with CCM/Reebok Hockey today and they've been feeling the love from other members.

CABBIE
Nate and Seth were interviewed this afternoon by Cabbie Richards and it looks like both of the boys were wearing CCM polos shortly after being signed to an endorsement deal. They look pretty good if I do say so myself.

INTERVIEWS
For the last couple of days, all the prospects have been going through the interview process. Scouts and management from individual NHL teams meet with a player and discuss their play and other things sometimes things like what's your favourite color or food. This process is good for the teams to figure out who the player is and if they would be a good fit with the team. Seth Jones said that he went had 17 interviews during the last two days.

FITNESS
The fitness training part of the combine begins tomorrow and will continue on Saturday. Each player also goes through a medical. Jones, MacKinnon and Drouin may not participate in the fitness portion according to their managers. After the long season I guess there's worry that it would give them a disadvantage and not show teams how good they actually are. I personally think they should still do it and prove to teams that even after playing around 90 games doesn't slow them down. For full story click here.

Photo: Twitter

Herd Word

MOOSEHEADS DAY
Today is the day we've been waiting for all year. Your Halifax Mooseheads are back home after winning the Memorial Cup on Sunday and the city has decided that they are dedicating today to the team. There will be a short parade starting at noon with it ending in Grand Parade Square. After the official event there will be an autograph session. Part of Carmichael Street will be closed between 11 and 3 and Metro Transit is having free bus and ferry rides during this time. Mike Savage explained to Metro Halifax why the city decided to have the pararde “It’s not every day a city gets to push out its chest and say, ‘We’re No. 1,’ We have the best junior team in the CHL and that’s worth coming out to celebrate.” With regards to the bad timing the Mayor told Metro “We hope maybe some employers will be a little flexible with some of their employees so they can go home and get their kids from school and bring them down.”

NHL COMBINE
Nathan MacKinnon, Zach Fucale and Jonathan Drouin are all leaving tonight to head to Toronto for the NHL combine. This is the reason why the Parade is today at the time that it is becuase the whole team deserved to be there. The NHL pushed the flights back so the boys could enjoy this with the city and their team. Look back here for the results during the week. Good luck Nate, Jo and Zach.

AIRPORT
Last night, the Moose touchdown at the Halifax International Airport and were greeted by a huge crowd of fans who braved the rain to welcome home their favourite team. Co-captain Trey Lewis was the first off the plane followed closely by coach Dom Ducharme. Trey was holding the Memorial Cup when he came off the plane. The team arrived on a charter flight at the ESSO building shortly after 5pm yesterday.

OVERAGERS
Sunday's championship game was the last junior game for Stephen MacAulay, Konrad Abeltshauser and Stefan Fournier. MacAulay and Abeltshauser were both drafted in 2010 by the St Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks respectively. I hope they have proven themselves this year and get a NHL contract for the upcoming season. No matter what happens I wish them luck in their futures.

Introducing the Charlottetown Islanders

The PEI Rocket are now officially no more. In a press conference this morning that started at 10am, the new owners were revealed and the team officially announced the new name as well as the new logo and colors.

The franchise already announced their new team name a couple months but then the Q tried to move the team to Quebec so it was on the rocks for a bit. The PEI Rocket are now officially the Charlottetown Islanders. This is a much better name than what most people thought it was going to be after the Islander nickname was announced. PEI Islanders does not make sense. As with a new name there must be a new logo. The logo is a hoop with Charlottetown written in it, the bridge in the middle and Islanders written in front.

The team also announced the ownership group which includes 15 people. Some of the new ownership include Peter MacDonald of MacDonald Automotive Group, Jason Hunter, Ron MacAulay, Ron Murray and Steve Gauthier of Markan Hardwood, and Cyril, Jeff and Craig Chapman of Chapman Brothers Construction.

The jerseys will not be revealed until June 15 at a team sponsored event however people can most likely catch glimpses of the new unis during the QMJHL draft on June 8.

The team still needs to fix the media outlets but you can follow the Islanders now at @IslandersHKY and their website is now www.charlottetownislanders.com


R.I.P. Prince Edward Island Rocket and hello to the Charlottetown Islanders. Welcome to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League see you in September.

Photo: PEI Gaurdian Twitter

HALIFAX WINS

May 26, 2013

Halifax Mooseheads vs. Portland Winterhawks

Attendance: 11,488

Final: Portland 4 at Halifax 6

Shot count: Mooseheads - 42; Winterhawks - 44

Goal scorers: Konrad Abeltshauser HFX (1) P1 6:31(PP), Nathan MacKinnon HFX (5) P1 8:00, Martin Frk HFX (5) P1 15:59, Nicolas Petan POR (1) P2 10:36(SH), Seth Jones POR (2) P2 18:41, Nathan MacKinnon HFX (6) P3 7:36, Konrad Abeltshauser HFX (2) P3 11:11, Brendan Leipsic POR (2) P3 14:32, Ty Rattie POR (6) P3 18:44, Nathan MacKinnon HFX (7) P3 19:37(EN)

Powerplay: POR 0/1, HFX 1/4
3 stars: 3. Rattie POR 2. Drouin HFX 1. MacKinnon HFX

WE ARE CHAMPIONS

Your Halifax Mooseheads are champions once again. The Mooseheads won the President's Cup earlier in the month to book their ticket to the Memorial Cup as QMJHL Champions. They have now finished their unbelievable season with a Memorial Cup trophy after beating the WHL champions Portland Winterhawks 6-4.

The Winterhawks let in 3 goals in the first period and wasn't able to dig themselves out of the hole although they came very close. After outshooting the home team 5-0 early in the period, Mac Carruth let in a powerplay goal by Konrad Abeltshauser. Both players played in their last junior hockey game. In the second however, the Hawks got two goals to scare the Halifax faithful back at home and at the Credit Union Centre. It could've been tied at threes if Ty Rattie didn't glove the puck into the net. In the last 20 minutes, there was as many goals in that period as there was in the first two periods with Nathan MacKinnon scoring a hat trick to put it away with an empty net. Portland had a lot of pressure against Zach Fucale and the defense. It was almost the same score as the first game between these two teams but the Herd couldn't get the seventh but they also had a goal taken back.

Stephen MacAulay made history tonight after he won his second Memorial Cup. No one has ever gone to 4 league finals, won three and won two national championships. I'm sure he wasn't thinking of the fact that he made history. He assisted on Nate's third goal.

The all-star team was made up of both teams players.
Goalie - Zach Fucale
Defense - Derrick Pouliot and Konrad Abeltshauser
Forwards - Nathan MacKinnon, Marty Frk and Ty Rattie

Tournament awards were as follows:
MVP - Nathan MacKinnon
Top Scorer - Nathan MacKinnon
Most Sportsmanlike - Bo Horvat
Most Outstanding Goalie - Andrey Makarov

Photo: CHL website

Memorial Cup Championship Game

After 10 more days of hockey, the junior hockey season will come to end tonight as the Halifax Mooseheads take on the Portland Winterhawks at 8:00pm Atlantic time. There are many stories for this game. The biggest one being the biggest battle so far of the MacKinnon/Drouin vs. Jones battle for top pick in the NHL draft this year. Seth Jones is ranked number 1, with Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin following behind at #2 and #3 respectively.

Another story is that of Stephen MacAulay trying to win his second Memorial Cup in three years. This time with a different team and a different dedication if they win. If the Mooseheads win, Stephen is dedicating the win to his mom.

Halifax will be coming off a four day layoff just like in between series of the QMJHL playoffs.

GAMEDAY

2013 Memorial Cup Game Nine
Championship

Portland Winterhawks at Halifax Mooseheads

May 26 - 8:00pm

Credit Union Centre

Portland: 1st U.S. Division, 1st Western Conference, 1st WHL 57-12-1-2=117 points

Ty Rattie (20G & 16A), Nicolas Petan (9G & 19A), Brendan Leipsic (10G & 14A)

Mac Carruth 16-4-1, 1.63 GAA, 0.937 SAV%

def. Everett Silvertips (4-2 quarters), Spokane Cheifs (4-0, semis), Kamloops Blazers (4-1, finals), Edmonton Oil Kings (4-2, WHL finals)

Coached by Travis Green

Halifax: 1st Maritimes Division, 1st QMJHL 58-6-3-1=120 points

Jonathan Drouin (12G & 23A), Marty Frk (13G & 20A), Nathan MacKinnon (11G & 22A)

Zach Fucale 16-1-0, 2.02 GAA, 0.918 SAV%

def. Saint John Sea Dogs (4-0, first), Gatineau Olympiques (4-0, quarters), Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (4-0, semis), Baie-Comeau Drakkar (4-1, QMJHL finals)

Coached by Domique Ducharme

Ducharme Named Top Coach

The banquet for the CHL Awards was this afternoon in Saskatoon at the Memorial Cup. The trophy and all the nominees were led into the room by a bagpiper. Jonathan Drouin, Konrad Abeltshauser and Dominique Ducharme were all nominated for awards. The winners of the awards in the individual leagues were the nominees.

Jack Link's Top Prospect of the Year - Seth Jones, Winterhawks
FRAM Sportsman of the Year - Tyler Graovac, Bulls
Chrysler Dodge Top Scorer - Brendan Leipsic and Nicolas Petan, Winterhawks
Travelodge Humanitarian of the Year - Ben Fanelli, Rangers
Subway Scholastic Player of the Year - Josh Morrissey, Raiders
Old Dutch Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year - Dominique Ducharme, Mooseheads
BMO Rookie of the Year - Valentin Zykov, Drakkar
Vaughn Goaltender of the Year - Patrik Bartosak, Rebels
Post Defenceman of the Year - Ryan Sproul, Greyhounds
CCM Player of the Year - Jonathan Drouin, Mooseheads

Congratulations to all winners especially our own Halifax Mooseheads players. For a full list of nominees click here.