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) |
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