Opening Night Roster Announced

YOUR 2017-18 HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS

1  Alexis Gravel  G  (Asbestos, QC)
2  Cooper Jones  D  (Bridgewater, MA, USA)
3  Walter Flower  D  (Lunenburg, NS)
5  Jordan Lepage  D  (Rimouski, QC)
7  Ryan Barbosa  D  (Mississauga, ON)
9  Kyle Petten  C  (Bay Roberts, NL)*
11  Filip Zadina  RW  (Pardubice, Czech Republic)*
12  Patrick Kyte  D  (Pembroke, ON)*
14  Jared McIsaac  D  (Truro, NS)
17  Brett Crossley  C  (Cole Harbour, NS)
19  Benoit-Olivier Groulx  LW  (Gatineau, QC)
20  Justin Barron  D  (Halifax, NS)*
21  Arnaud Durandeau  LW  (Beaconsfield, QC)
28  Ben Higgins  C  (Truro, NS)
35  Blade Mann-Dixon  G  (Antigonish, NS)
41  Maxime Fortier  RW  (Montreal, QC)
50  Raphael Lavoie  C  (Chambly, QC)
51  Barrett Dachyshyn  RW  (Halifax, NS)
61  Joel Bishop  LW  (St. John's, NL)
67  Xavier Parent  C  (Blainville, QC)*
71  Connor Moynihan  LW  (Windham, NH, USA)
79  Jocktan Chainey  D  (Asbestos, QC)
89  Otto Somppi  C  (Helsink, Finland)

*indicates rookie

CAMP: Final Cuts Made

Photo - Mooseheads website

It's the end of August and your Halifax Mooseheads are the latest team to finalize it's roster for the upcoming season. The official roster with player's numbers has not been released yet however Jim Midgley and the head brass have made their last cuts of training camp. Below are the players released:

Gavin Hart     C    Truro, NS
Cole Stewart     C    Moncton, NB
Jack McGovern     D    Dartmouth, NS
Denis Toner     D    Saint-Andre, NB
Caleb Rich     LW    North Bay, ON

Good luck to these young men this season with their teams.

Rookie Filip Zadina will arrive in Halifax this weekend and start participating in team practices starting on Tuesday when the Moose switch to the Forum next week.

CAMP: Roster Almost Set After Weekend Cuts

Photo - Mooseheads website

Your Halifax Mooseheads announced two more rounds of cuts in the last 48 hours. Halifax released three players on Saturday morning. Forward Miguel Duchaine, defenceman Victor Latulippe and goalie Raphael Blais were all cut from the team.

Early Monday, the Mooseheads made a big round of cuts releasing 6 players.
Ian MacPhee     RW    Timberlea, NS
Nick Cullen    RW    Lower Sackville, NS
Cole McLaren     G    Annapolis Royal, NS
Cole Waugh    RW     Moncton, NB
Steven Orzel     D     Mississauga, ON
Brandon Yeamans     C    Toronto, ON



Centre Zack Jones has left camp voluntarily leaving the amount young men on the roster at 27 players.

Pre-season Game at Cape Breton

Opponent: Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
Where: Membertou Sport & Wellness Centre
When: August 25, 2016
Time: 7:00pm
Tickets: $10.00

Halifax Mooseheads
Preseason record: 3-1-0-0, 6pts
Goals for: 17
Goals against: 14
Head coach: Jon Greenwood
Scoring leader: Xavier Parent & Caleb Rich (2G & 3A)
Leading goaltender: Raphael Blais (0.923 SAV%)

Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
Preseason record: 1-1-1-1, 4pts
Goals for: 16
Goals against: 16
Head coach: Marc-Andre Dumont
Scoring leader: Antoine Rochon (4G & 2A)
Leading goaltender: Tommy DaSilva (0.885 SAV%)

Notes

• This is the second game of a home and home series between these two provincial rivals. Xavier Parent scored the OT winner on Wednesday to give the Mooseheads a victory.
• The two teams didn't meet during the rookie challenge over the weekend.
• Halifax and Cape Breton have young line-ups for tonight's game.
• You can find the roster for the Herd below

Poll #17

With a new regular season fast approaching, it's that time of year again that Cam Russell and his staff figure out who they want on their team and who should play leadership roles. With last year's captain aging out, Halifax has a decision to make yet again. So I ask you now who do you think should be given the C Moose Country?

Below are your options
A. Connor Moynihan
B. Jocktan Chainey
C. Max Fortier
D. Otto Somppi
E. Other

Herd Word

KENNEDY
It was announced last week that former Mooseheads forward Bradley Kennedy has committed to play with the Mount Royal University Cougars hockey program for the 2017-18 season. Before getting traded at the Christmas trade deadline he played 37 games with the Herd collecting 29 points. Kennedy came to the Herd from the Charlottetown Islanders in June 2016 and was shipped to the Moncton Wildcats in January to make room for incoming overage players. The 21 year old never played for Moncton, instead choosing to finish the season with the Pictou Weeks Crushers of the MJAHL.

HISCHIER
During the month of August, NHL.com is doing analysis of each of the 31 teams, called 31 in 31, in preparation of the upcoming season. Late last week they did the New Jersey Devils. Rick Kowalsky, of the Devils' American Hockey League affiliate Binghamton Devils, said that "this year's group is by far the best-skilled group we've had at a development camp"  and it's led by Halifax's 2016 import draft pick Nico Hischier. The 18 year old is projected to be in the National Hockey League this season.

"In Nico, you're looking at a player who has high hockey sense and is very competitive, and those are things you're looking for in someone to play down the middle," [New Jersey's coach John] Hynes said. "They have to have that ability to read and think the game quickly. Now it's trying to find ways to help him be consistent and play at his maximum capacity every night."

IVAN HLINKA
Earlier this month, Team Canada which was made up of eight QMJHL players, were in the Czech Republic for the Ivan Hlinka tournament and were playing in the gold medal game against Team Czech Republic. Of those eight Q players, three were from the Mooseheads; Alexis Gravel, Jared McIsaac and Benoit-Olivier Groulx. The team went on to win the championship by a 4-1 score with McIsaac opening up the scoring for the red and white in the first period in the final match.

Congratulations to @BO_groulx57, @McisaacJared, @agravel37 & Team Canada on winning the U18 #IvanHlinka Memorial Cup 🇨🇦🏒🏆 pic.twitter.com/ZIQb5QULTC

— Moose Country (@MC_MooseCountry) August 12, 2017

MOORE
It was announced that long time radio voice of the Herd John Moore has decided to step down to focus more on his own website and to look at a broader spectrum of sports. He is still going to be covering the Mooseheads and the QMJHL but there is going to be more MHL content as well as other leagues. We want to wish John all the best in the future. The search for the next voice of the Moose has already began.

ALUM AT CAMPS 
Main training camps around the league started to begin on Sunday and as such there are a few former Herd players among the names on team rosters.
Taylor Ford      Rouyn-Noranda Huskies     traded in Jan 2017
Domenico Argento      Charlottetown Islanders     free agent invite
Morgan Nauss     Chicoutimi Sagueneens     traded in Aug 2016

CUTS
This afternoon it was announced that there were four more cuts made at training camp. The following players are no longer in camp; Felix Gascon, William Smith, Fabian Capparelli, Maxime Emery. This leaves the amount of players fighting for a spot on the Moose team at 37 young men.

CAMP: First Cuts Made

Photo - Mooseheads website

The first few days of training camp are done and as such your Halifax Mooseheads have announced it's first round of cuts this afternoon. Halifax released 8 players today after looking at the group for about five days from the rookie tournament on the weekend and three intersquad games early this week.

Of the eight players cut, only two were drafted by the Herd while the others were free agent invites.

The following young men will not make the team:
Joshua Labelle     D    Mississauga, ON      Free agent
Curtis Heffernan     D    St. John's, NL      Free agent
Calum MacPherson     C    Antigonish, NS      Free agent
Andrew Martell     C    Dartmouth, NS      Free agent
Fearghus MacDonald     C    Antigonish, NS      Free agent
Brandon Stone     LW    Halifax, NS     Draft '16
Ryan MacDonald     C    Middle Sackville, NS      Draft '15
Adam Nolan     D    Mount Pearl, NL      Free agent


Good luck to the players with their respective teams this season.