Rebuilding Moose Get Home Opener Win

Photo - Ashley Hennigar

Wow what a way to begin the new home schedule. Your Halifax Mooseheads collected another two points on Friday after defeating the Quebec Remparts 4-2 in the team's home opener. The over 8,700 fans in attendance got to see the new 'improvements' to the Scotiabank Centre that included light up poles between the glass of the boards, new scoreboard graphics and a gigantic moose head below the retired number banners. After the players were announced, which was nice to see in itself following a five game road trip, the game started off well. Cade Moser got the good guys on the board first at the 4:44 mark of the opening period. Quebec tied it up about 30 seconds later and that would be the score after 20 minutes. Neither team was able to put the puck in the net during the middle frame but Halifax did have some great chances with a few power plays and outshot the Remparts 13-4 in the second. The Mooseheads started the third period on the man advantage and Shawn Carrier used it to put the home team up 2-1. After making it 3-1 late in the frame, Quebec pulled their goalie and was able to squeeze one by Mathis Rousseau with 36 seconds remaining to make it close. So far this season, this team has not looked like a rebuilding team so that is great to see the boys being competitive - I struggled to name a Top Herd tonight. 

FINAL: Remparts 2 at Mooseheads 4
Stars: 3. Patrick McNab HAL | 2. Mathis Rousseau HAL | 1. Shawn Carrier HAL
Attendance: 8,709
MC's Top Herd: Shawn Carrier

GAME LOG
First period
4:44 HAL Cade Moser (3) | A: MacPhee & Doyle
5:15 QUE Justin Cote (5) | A: Morrison & Lebel

Second period

None

Third period
1:36 HAL Shawn Carrier (4), PP | A: Crosby & Kilfoil
15:35 HAL Lou Levesque (3) | A: Handel & Martin 
19:24 QUE Nathan Quinn (4) | A: Straka & Vigneault 
19:56 HAL Braeden MacPhee (2), EN | A: Fontaine & Carrier 

Powerplay: QUE - 0-for-3; HAL 1-for-4
Shots: 29-26 in favour of Halifax

Next game
Halifax will be on home ice again Sunday afternoon welcoming the Rimouski Oceanic. Puck drops at 3:00 p.m.

QMJHL Names Scholastic POM

Every month, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announces a Scholastic Player of the Month which recognizes a player on each team with his performance on ice and in the classroom. The player is selected based on their school results, their implication, the school-hockey conciliation, their team spirit and their on-ice performances. 

For your Halifax Mooseheads, Liam Kilfoil was named the Scholastic Player of the Month for September. 

Team	Player	Program	Academic Establishment
Titan, Acadie-Bathurst	François-James Buteau	Sciences	Athabasca University
Drakkar, Baie-Comeau	Lucas Beckman	Grade 12	Northern Pre University
Armada, Blainville-Boisbriand	Jonathan Fauchon	Sciences humaines	Cégep Lionel-Groulx
Eagles, Cape Breton	Luke Patterson	Business	Cape Breton University
Islanders, Charlottetown	Kyle Powers	Business	UPEI
Saguenéens, Chicoutimi	Christophe Berthelot	Sciences humaines	Cégep de Chicoutimi
Voltigeurs, Drummondville	Matteo Rotondi	General education	Memorial University
Olympiques, Gatineau	Kian Hodgins	Grade 12	Northern Pre University
Mooseheads, Halifax	Liam Kilfoil	Grade 12	Woodlawn High School
Wildcats, Moncton	Vincent Collard	Administration – finance	Université de Moncton
Remparts, Québec	Ryan Howard	Grade 11	Northern Pre University
Océanic, Rimouski	Maxime Coursol	Gestion de commerce	Cégep de Rimouski
Huskies, Rouyn-Noranda	Alexis Lemire	Sciences humaines	Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Sea Dogs, Saint John	Reid Calder	General education	University of New Brunswick
Cataractes, Shawinigan	Jiri Klima	Français	Northern Pre University
Phoenix, Sherbrooke	Lewis Gendron	Sciences de la nature	Cégep de Sherbrooke
Foreurs, Val-d’Or	Evan Dépatie	Sciences humaines	Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Tigres, Victoriaville	Alexis Bourque	Administration des affaires	Université Laval

Stats Sunday: September (on Monday)

Games played: 5
Record: 4-1-0-0, 8pts
Goals for/against: 17/9
Powerplay: 25.0%
Penalty kill: 88.9%
Shutouts: None

Top 5 leading scorers
Points: Shawn Carrier 6, Antoine Fontaine 4, Lou Levesque 4, Liam Kilfoil 4, Jack Martin 3
Goals: Shawn Carrier 3, Antoine Fontaine 3, Lou Levesque 2, Cade Moser 2, Liam Kilfoil 1
Assists: Shawn Carrier 3, Liam Kilfoil 3, Carlos Handel 3, Brady Schultz 3, Lou Levesque 2
Penalty minutes: Daniel Walters 10, Patrick McNab 8, Shawn Carrier 6, Braeden MacPhee 6, Liam Kilfoil 4
Plus/minus: Brady Schultz +5, Owen Phillips +5, Braeden MacPhee +3, Jack Martin +3, Caylen Blake +3
Rookie scoring: Carlos Handel 3pts, Daniel Walters 3pts, Caylen Blake 2pts, Amelio Santini 2pts, Patrick McNab 1pt

Goaltender stats
Mathis Rousseau     4-0-0-0     1.47 GAA     0.947 SAV%
Jack Milner     0-1-0-0     3.18 GAA     0.889 SAV%

Game Day 4: at Moncton

Our Halifax Mooseheads are still on the road and will be facing probably their biggest test of this young season when they visit the Moncton Wildcats. Sophomore Shawn Carrier has helped his new team to a 3-0 start after being traded by the Wildcats to Halifax in the off-season. Moncton made some big moves over the summer in hopes of going all the way in the spring, including acquiring the Mooseheads 88-point scorer Markus Vidicek and top line defenceman Dylan MacKinnon. They also hired 4-time AUS champion head coach Gardiner MacDougall after he retired from the University of New Brunswick. The Wildcats are 2-0-1 to start the season and are led by sophomore Julius Sumpf. Halifax seems to have taken the underdog role in stride so far, with goaltender Mathis Rousseau looking like the back bone again as he is second in goals against average. Most games between these two clubs have been physical, will we see that again this afternoon? 

Game coverage
TV: Webcast | Radio: News 95.7 | Live: @HFXMooseheads

Overall records
Mooseheads: 3-0-0-0 = 6 points (2nd in Maritimes division, 2nd overall)
Wildcats: 2-0-1-0 = 5 points (3rd in Maritimes division, 5th overall)

Leading scorers
MON: Julius Sumpf 5pts (1G & 4A), Yoan Loshing 3pts (3G), Alex Mercier 2pts (2G)
HAL: Lou Levesque 4pts (2G & 2A), Shawn Carrier 4pts (1G & 3A), Antoine Fontaine 3pts (2G & 1A)

Head-to-head
This is the first game of the season between these two clubs. Halifax had a 5-4-0-0 record versus the Wildcats during 2023-24 while Moncton went 4-3-2-0 against the Mooseheads. Their last matchup was on March 16 with Moncton picking up a 3-2 victory at home, Jake Todd and Markus Vidicek scored for Halifax. 

Out of town
Titan vs. Islanders - 3:00 p.m. 
Eagles vs. Sea Dogs - 3:00 p.m.
Armada vs. Oceanic - 4:00 p.m.
Sagueneens vs. Drakkar - 5:00 p.m.
Voltigeurs vs. Foreurs - 5:00 p.m.
Tigres vs. Remparts - 5:00 p.m.

Next game
The Mooseheads final game of their road trip will go tomorrow afternoon when they travel to take on the Charlottetown Islanders on the holiday Monday. Puck drops at 2 p.m. 

Eastlink's Friday Night Hockey Schedule

This post is a little delayed but I figured I would share it anyways. Eastlink released its QMJHL television schedule and our Halifax Mooseheads will have sixteen games broadcasted on the local channel. If you can't make it to the Mooseheads home opener on October 4 against the Quebec Remparts, you will be able to watch it on Friday Night Hockey.   

Below is the list of Herd games (all puck drop times are 7pm & on Friday unless stated)
September 20 at Charlottetown Islanders
September 27 at Cape Breton Eagles
October 4 vs Quebec Remparts 
October 11 vs Acadie-Bathurst Titan
October 19 vs Cape Breton Eagles (Saturday)
November 22 at Cape Breton Eagles 
November 30 vs Saint John Sea Dogs (Saturday)
December 6 vs Val-d'Or Foreurs 
December 13 at Charlottetown Islanders
January 24 vs Chicoutimi Sagueneens
February 7 vs Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
February 13 vs Cape Breton Eagles (Thursday)
February 21 vs Charlottetown Islanders 
March 8 vs Saint John Sea Dogs (Saturday)
March 14 at Cape Breton Eagles 
March 22 vs Charlottetown Islanders (Saturday)

The Cape Breton Eagles and Charlottetown Islanders also have select matches that will be shown on Eastlink TV. You can view the full schedule here. 

#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)

Moose Pick Up Second Win

It was a night of firsts on Saturday evening as our Halifax Mooseheads picked up their second win of the season, defeating the Saint John Sea Dogs 5-2. Sophomore right winger Antoine Fontaine scored his first career goal to get the Herd on the board in the opening four minutes. The 18-year-old had 3 assists in 54 games last season. Saint John scored at the 12:21 mark to tie the game up and the two clubs went to the dressing rooms after twenty minutes with the score 1-1. Olivier Groulx's goal in the opening period was the first one for the Sea Dogs after they were shutout on Friday against Moncton. Despite being in a rebuild year, Halifax has started out well and in back to back matches outshot their opponent. However, both Charlottetown and Saint John are missing players due to NHL camps. The other first career goals came in the third frame which opened with the score 3-2 Mooseheads. Rookie Daniel Walters recorded his second career point, doubling the away teams' lead, scoring his first career goal with a little over 16 minutes remaining in the game. To wrap up the night, rookie Caylen Blake scored his first as well. 

FINAL: Mooseheads 5 at Sea Dogs 2
Stars: 3. Braeden MacPhee HAL | 2. Daniel Walters HAL | 1. Antoine Fontaine
Attendance: 3,110

GAME LOG
First period
3:10 HAL Antoine Fontaine (1) | A: Phillips
12:21 SNB Olivier Groulx (1), SH | A: Dube

Second period
5:53 HAL Cade Moser (1), PP | A: Walters & Handel
10:53 SNB Ben Cross (1) | A: Rozzi
13:01 HAL Braeden MacPhee (1), SH | A: Carrier & Schultz

Third period
5:55 HAL Daniel Walters (1) | A: Crosby
9:39 HAL Caylen Blake (1) | A: Levesque & Fontaine

Powerplay: HAL - 1-for-7; SNB - 0-for-3
Shots: 37-21 in favour of Halifax

Up next
Halifax will come back to Nova Scotia but will still be on the road to take on the Cape Breton Eagles Friday night. Puck drops at 7:00 p.m.