Next QMJHL Draft to be in Halifax

The QMJHL Commissioner held a press conference on Tuesday morning to launch the 2025-26 season and made a few announcements. 

Among the news shared was that our Halifax Mooseheads will officially host the 2026 Entry Draft on June 5 and 6 at the Scotiabank Centre. The first round is set to take place on Friday evening while round 2 to 12 will be held on Saturday. It is the first time in franchise history Halifax will welcome the 17 other teams for this annual event. 

Photo - Mooseheads website

Halifax currently own two picks in the first round in 2026 - their own and the first pick of the Rimouski Oceanic. 

"The QMJHL is very pleased and excited to hold its 2026 Draft presented by Fenplast in the beautiful city of Halifax, a very important market in our league," said the commissioner, Mario Cecchini. "The players, families and teams present at the Draft will be able to fully enjoy the beautiful attractions of the city."

"We are thrilled to be able to bring this event to Halifax, especially for our deserving fans who will no doubt make this the most exciting draft in QMJHL history," said Chairman/Owner Sam Simon and Peter Simon, President of Simon Sports. 

I'm sure more information on how fans can enjoy this free event will be made available next spring when it is closer to the draft. 

Herd Word

Photo - Trevor MacMillan via The Hockey News

It's opening week finally.

The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League regular season begins this week when the defending league champion Moncton Wildcats visit the Newfoundland Regiment on Thursday night. It will be the first QMJHL game in St. John's since 2008. 

Our Halifax Mooseheads will play a home-and-home series against the Charlottetown Islanders this weekend to start the year, opening up on the road before hosting their home opener on September 20. 

Photo - Crushers Facebook

MHL SEASON UNDERWAY
The Maritime Junior A Hockey League regular season got underway this past Thursday and there are a number of Herd alumni playing in the league. Defenseman Dominic MacKenzie along with forwards Logan Crosby and Cade Moser will suit up with the Pictou County Crushers while the Truro Bearcats have forwards Liam Welsh, Jake Todd and Callum Aucoin on their roster. 

Halifax affiliate players Cole Bent (Valley), Tucker Makinen (Yarmouth), Ryan Fletcher (Valley), Jameson George (Chaleur), Aidan Bent (Valley) and Cole MacLeod (Yarmouth) have also been named to rosters. 

19-year-old Logan Crosby, who played 163 games with the Mooseheads before being traded to the Moncton Wildcats, will wear the C on his chest for the Crushers after being named captain on September 11. In his third season with the Bearcats, Liam Welsh, 20, was given the C while Jake Todd was named an assistant captain on the Truro club. 

KILFOIL SCORES
While participating in Detroit Red Wings camp, forward Liam Kilfoil scored a really nice goal in the Wings' 6-5 loss against the Dallas Stars prospects on Sunday. 

Detroit has not announced their main camp roster so I am not sure if Kilfoil has been invited but I haven't seen the team announce they have released him either. 

A beauty from Liam Kilfoil pic.twitter.com/A0CoJaKTAK

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 15, 2025

SIMONS PUTTING UP MONEY
Back in June, it was announced that the Halifax Mooseheads were asking the Halifax regional council for a loan worth about 1.5 million dollars to build a 4,720-square-foot training facility extension to the RBC Centre in Dartmouth. The council said they would look into it but as of September, had not made a decision. 

Well now, the clubs owners, Simon Sports, are saying they will be willing to pay for the full price of the construction. There are still questions and the final plan needs to be given the green light by the council either way it sounds like. Even once it is, the facility wouldn't be complete for another additional year or so. For the full story, click here. 

QMJHL FIGHT
After not being offered an entry level contract by the Nashville Predators who drafted him in 2023, former Moose defenseman Dylan MacKinnon was invited to Boston Bruins rookie camp over the weekend. The Bruins participated in the two-game Prospects Challenge hosted by Buffalo. During the team's game against New Jersey, MacKinnon fought fellow Q alumnus Cam Squires. 

ARENA UPGRADES
Talking about the home opener, fans should expect to see some changes when they head to the Scotiabank Centre on Saturday evening. A new public address system has been added to the facility, along with new interior and exterior digital signage. There will be new concessions offerings though no more info is given. Work is also currently being completed on a new state-of-the-art player area for the Mooseheads players and coaching stuff which is slated to open later this fall according to the article released by the team. 

Scotiabank renewed its naming rights partnership with the arena back in the spring and it was long rumoured (or known) that upgrades would be made once again to the almost 50 year old building. 

"We're excited to start a new season with our incredible fans. There are many new additions to the fan experience that we are looking forward to sharing with them. We have a great young team and we can't wait for all of us to be together again on Saturday night in Moose Country," said President Brian Urquhart. 

CHL TOP 10 
While our Mooseheads did not make the pre-season top 10 rankings, I thought I would share them for anybody who is interested. 
1. Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 
2. Brantford Bulldogs 
3. Spokane Chiefs 
4. Chicoutimi Sagueneens 
5. Windsor Spitfires
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Kitchener Rangers
8. Moncton Wildcats
9. Kelowna Rockets
10. Niagara IceDogs

Other things..

• This is a little late but I wanted to still share it anyways. Nova Scotia was well represented at Hockey Canada's Olympics orientation camp in late August & the four players attending got together for a picture.

  

  'Coupla bluenosers' Marchand, Turnbull, Crosby & MacKinnon
  Photo - Blayre Turnbull's Instagram

  
  
• FloHockey lists Halifax forward Liam Kilfoil as one of top future NHL prospects to watch in the QMJHL this year. Kilfoil went undrafted in 2025 but is eligible again for the 2026 entry draft. 
• Pictou County's Logan Crosby (3G & 1A) and Cade Moser (1G & 3A) have started the MHL season on a good note, with both recording 4 points each in 2 games. Jake Todd had two goals for Truro over the weekend. 
• On September 4, it was announced that the Guelph Storm and Kitchener Rangers were named the finalists to host the 2027 Memorial Cup. 

Moose Announce Leadership Group

Photo - Mooseheads Facebook
Kilfoil currently at NHL camp

The Halifax Mooseheads announced their leadership group for the 2025-26 QMJHL season on Saturday and 19-year-old forward Owen Phillips was presented with the C on his jersey. 

Phillips, a native of Halifax, NS, was originally drafted in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft seventh overall by the Mooseheads and is entering his fourth season with his hometown club. In his first 189 games played, he has scored 11 goals and picked up 51 points with an additional 9 points in 36 playoff games. 

Head coach Brad MacKenzie presented the leadership group, which also includes Liam Kilfoil (18), Mathieu Taillefer (19) and Quinn Kennedy (19) as alternates, with their updated sweaters during a team meeting. You can see the announcement below in a new episode of Moose Tracks Uncharted. 

Moose Tracks Uncharted - The Letters

Watch with us as our leadership group is announced for the 2025-26 season. #GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/u44hMOilhS

— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) September 13, 2025

A big congratulations to Owen and the three other guys on being given a letter for this year. 

#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.

 

_

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. 

Herd Word

Most of these I wanted to share but didn't really feel like they were enough to make full posts about so hence this Herd Word. You've probably seen a lot of this info however for those who haven't, here you go.  

GURSOY

Photo - Walleye website

Halifax Mooseheads alumni Kevin Gursoy has signed a contract with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL. This will be Gursoy's first professional season after spending the last five years at the university level with the Ryerson Rams and TMU Bold. He really excelled during the 2023-24 season, scoring 15 goals and 30 points in 28 games played. The 26-year-old had 84 points over his collegiate career after suiting up for 30 games with the Herd in 2020. 

Good luck to Kevin in Toledo. 

MOOSE UNCHARTED
Halifax has been doing something different this summer, sharing some short behind the scenes videos and calling them Moose Tracks Uncharted. The latest one looked into the on and off-ice tests that the boys had to go through recently. 

Check out the rest of clips on the team's YouTube channel. 

FLO HOCKEY
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League has decided to switch up their streaming services and go with the company Flo Hockey, which streams thousands of games from the OHL, AHL, ECHL and other junior leagues. Fans can subscribe monthly or annually on the company's website, it sounds like with a subscription you get access to not just the Q matches but all the games available in your region. Mooseheads season ticket holders will get a 20% discount as a benefit. 

SINGLE GAME TICKETS
Tickets for the regular season will go on sale tomorrow September 9 at 11 a.m. You can buy tickets to all 32 games on ticketmaster.ca or going to the Scotiabank Centre box office. See prices below;

                        Lower    Upper
Adult                 $26        $22
Senior                $24        $20
Student              $18        $14
Youth                 $14        $12

Senior is 60 and over, youth is 12 and under.
Taxes included. Service charge not included.

Photo - Herd Facebook

FULL PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE
I have already shared the normal annual events in a different post but since the team has officially announced their promotional schedule. I'll also have it on the 'Schedule' tab above. 

Home Opener            September 20     Charlottetown Islanders
Country Night            September 27    Saint John Sea Dogs
90's Night                   October 11        Moncton Wildcats
DND Appreciation     October 25         Cape Breton Eagles
Kid's Day                   November 9       Charlottetown Islanders
Weiner Dog Races     November 15    Moncton Wildcats
Toque Toss                December 6        Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Toy Drive                   December 7        Val-d'Or Foreurs
Girl Guides Day        January 25          Drummondville Voltigeurs
Moose Fight Cancer  February 13        Moncton Wildcats
Scouts Canada Day    March 1              Quebec Remparts
Fan Appreciation        March 6             Cape Breton Eagles

STUDENT NIGHTS
Thought I would do a separate entry for the student nights. Students can get tickets during Thursday night matches for just $10 and have a chance to win in-game prizes. Games include October 2 vs. Baie-Comeau, October 9 vs. Rimouski, December 11 vs. Charlottetown, December 18 vs. Saint John, January 15 vs. Chicoutimi, February 12 vs. Shawinigan and March 5 vs. Blainville-Boisbriand. 

NHL ROOKIE CAMPS
A couple of current Herd players and three alumni will be participating in rookie camps over the next few weeks.
Liam Kilfoil - Detroit Red Wings 
Carlos Handel - Montreal Canadiens 
Jake Furlong - San Jose Sharks
Dylan MacKinnon - Boston Bruins 
Mathieu Cataford - Vegas Golden Knights

Good luck to the four players at camp. If I've missed anyone, please let me know.

MOOSE & MILITARY
Our Halifax Mooseheads have had a long history of supporting the Royal Canadian Navy, mainly CFB Halifax here in Nova Scotia. Last month, this year's team visited HMCS Frederick Rolette and met with the personnel on the ship. The players explored many areas on the vessel. 

STATS SUNDAY: Pre-season

Games played: 4
Scores*: 0-3, 9-3, 4-5 SO, 2-3
Record: 1-2-0-1, 3pts
Goals for/against: 15 / 14
Powerplay: 16.7%
Penalty kill: 93.3%

Team leaders
Points: Daniel Walters (7pts), Cole MacLeod (3pts), Caylen Blake (3pts)
Goals: Daniel Walters (4G), Cole MacLeod (2A), Alec Nesreddine (2G)
Assists: Daniel Walters (3A), Caylen Blake (2A), Cameron Minella (2A)
Penalty minutes: Daniel Walters (8 mins), Lincoln Waugh (4 mins), Cole Bent (4 mins)
Plus/minus: Lincoln Waugh (+4), Ryan Fletcher (+4), Paulo Gualberto Jr (+2)

Goaltending stats
Sam Madgett:  0-0-0-0   2.18 GAA   0.917 SAV%
Olivier St-Onge:  0-1-0-0   2.86 GAA   0.909 SAV%
Nicolas Cirka:  1-1-0-1   3.20 GAA   0.889 SAV %
Owen Bresson: 0-0-0-0   4.04 GAA   0.875 SAV%

*Halifax's score is first

Poll 25 Result

Last week I asked on Twitter who you think will be the next captain of our Halifax Mooseheads for the upcoming season. The poll is now over so below are the results. It will be interesting to see who actually will be named, I am not sure when the team will make the announcement. 

Quinn Kennedy   - 11%
Owen Phillips   - 63%

Connor MacPherson   - 0%
Liam Kilfoil   - 26%

As you can see, about two thirds of those who voted believe that Owen Phillips should be named captain. 

Owen is going into his 4th season with the Mooseheads, in 2024-25 he picked up 3 goals and 19 points. The 19-year-old will turn twenty in January and wore an A on his jersey last year. I'm not sure who is set to get the C but I suspect we'll see Cam Russell and brass share the news before the start of the regular season. 

Thank you for voting on the poll. 

Around the CHL ~ volume #1 preview edition #11

The Canadian Hockey League regular season begins in less than 3 weeks so to get you ready I thought I would recap how last season went. Check back all year long for more stories about the CHL and your Mooseheads. 

here are last year's leaders:
Division champions 2024-25
WHL - Everett Silvertips (U.S.) 68 games played, 48-12-4-4 record, 104 points, 277 goals for/178 goals against; Medicine Hat Tigers (Central) 68 games played, 47-17-3-1 record, 98 points, 300 goals for/193 goals against; Victoria Royals (B.C.) 68 games played, 40-17-4-7 record, 91 points, 272 goals for/218 goals against; Prince Albert Raiders (East) 68 games played, 39-23-5-1 record, 84 points, 253 goals for/228 goals against 

OHL - London Knights (Midwest) 68 games played, 55-11-2-0 record, 112 points, 325 goals for/180 goals against; Windsor Spitfires (West) 68 games played, 45-17-4-2 record, 96 points, 309 goals for/223 goals against; Brantford Bulldogs (East) 68 games played, 44-19-5-0 record, 93 points, 281 goals for/221 goals against; Barrie Colts (Central) 68 games played, 42-22-2-2 record, 88 points, 250 goals for/219 goals against
QMJHL - Moncton Wildcats (Maritimes) 64 games played, 53-9-2-0 record, 108 points, 294 goals for/144 goals against; Rimouski Oceanic (East) 64 games played, 46-14-2-2 record, 96 points, 249 goals for/178 goals against; Drummondville Voltiguers (Central) 64 games, 40-18-3-3 record, 86 points, 224 goals for/174 goals against; Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (West) 64 games played, 37-19-3-5 record, 82 points, 258 goals for/210 goals against

League championships 2025
President's Cup - Moncton Wildcats vs. Rimouski Oceanic (Wildcats won series 4 games to 2 games)
J. Ross Robertson Cup - London Knights vs. Oshawa Generals (Knights won series 4 games to 1 game)
Ed Chynoweth Cup - Medicine Hat Tigers vs. Spokane Chiefs (Tigers won series 4 games to 1 game)

Memorial Cup 2025
Teams - London (OHL champion), Medicine Hat (WHL champion), Moncton (QMJHL champion) and Rimouski (Hosts)

Final June 1, 2025 London vs. Medicine Hat 4-1

LONDON KNIGHTS WIN 2025 MEMORIAL CUP!!!


Team changes
The Penticton Vees joined the Western Hockey League as its 23rd team from the BCHL. The Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League were relocated to St. John's and named the Newfoundland Regiment. 

London will look to repeat as Memorial Cup champions. This year the Memorial Cup will be held in Kelowna, home of the Kelowna Rockets who will be in the tournament no matter what. The 2025 CHL USA Top Prospects two game series will be hosted by the Calgary Hitmen and the Lethbridge Hurricanes on November 25 and 26, respectively. 

Poll #25

Now that the roster has been released, I thought I would do this poll. With defenceman Brady Schultz moving on to university, our Halifax Mooseheads are once again in need of a captain for the 2025-26 season. 

Only two of the players who were apart of last season's leadership group will be back, they probably have the biggest chance of becoming the new captain but we'll have to wait and see. So my question is, who do you think will be captain for the upcoming season? 

Who will be captain for Halifax
A. Quinn Kennedy
B. Owen Phillips
C. Connor MacPherson
D. Liam Kilfoil

If you have another name in mind, let me know. 

The poll will be up on X, I will pin it to the top. You'll have until the end of August to vote. 

Herd Official Roster

YOUR 2025-26 HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS

7  Carlos Handel  D  Erlangen, Germany

9  Liam Kilfoil  C  Quispamsis, NB
10  Oleg Kulebaikin  LW  St. Petersburg, Russia*
12  William Bent  RW  Dover, MA, USA
14  Connor MacPherson  RW  Windsor, ON

17  Patrick McNab  C  Beaconsfield, QC
19  Caylen Blake  LW  Corner Brook, NL

20  Daniel Walters  C  Halifax, NS
23  Cameron Minella  D  Darien, CT, USA*

26  Owen Phillips  D  Hammonds Plains, NS
29  Owen Bresson  G  Dominion, NS

32  Alec Nasreddine  LW  Mountainside, NJ, USA

37  Amelio Santini  RW  Cote-Saint-Luc, QC
39  Nicolas Cirka  G  Westmount, QC
51  Eddy Doyle  D  Tignish, PE

55  Shawn Carrier  LW  Trois-Rivieres, QC
56  Lincoln Waugh  D  Summerside, PE

70  Jasu Mensonen  LW  Imatra, Finland*
72  Mathieu Taillefer  D  Richelieu, QC
73  Justin Chiras  D  Bedford, NH, USA

77  Malik L'Italien  D  Montreal, QC*
88  Quinn Kennedy  C  Upper Tantallon, NS

89  Antoine Fontaine  RW  Granby, QC
93  Junior Gualberto  C  Barnstable, MA, USA*

*indicates rookie

Seven players reassigned, roster set

Photo - Mooseheads Facebook

Our Halifax Mooseheads announced its regular season roster on Sunday evening after reassigning another seven players earlier in the day. Surprisingly, there were only two rounds of cuts but the NCAA rule change made it a different training camp. It was a very competitive camp as well so that made it hard for the brass to make decisions. With the roster moves today, Halifax will go into the 2025-26 season with 24 players. 

Players cut
F Callum Aucoin (returnee)
G Jack Bell (2025 pick)
D Ryan Fletcher (free agent)
F Cole MacLeod (2024 pick)
F Cade Moser (returnee)
G Olivier St-Onge (2023 pick)
D Logan Trewin (2024 pick)

The regular season roster includes 14 forwards, eight defencemen and two goaltenders. 17 veterans will be joined by seven new players on the team. One of the new players is 20-year-old free agent signee Connor MacPherson who will start the year as the lone overager on the Mooseheads. 

Congrats to all the guys who made the team and for the new guys, welcome to Moose Country. Good luck to the guys who got cut with their respective teams this season. 

My next post will have the full roster. 

Halifax will play one more pre-season game on September 5 while the home opener is set for September 20 against the Charlottetown Islanders. 

Moose make first roster cuts

Our Halifax Mooseheads made their first round of cuts on Thursday afternoon and it was big one with 18 players being reassigned. Not surprising there was such a large amount who were sent down to their respective teams but I am a bit surprised by a couple of the guys who did get released today. The article put out by the team did not mention if any of the players left voluntarily. 

Players cut:
D Duncan Anderson
D Cole Bent
D Nicolas Blanchette
F Elie Champagne
F Nico Ciardiello 
F Thomas Cote
D Mickael Fournier
D Jameson George
G Thomas Laplante
G Sam Madgett
F Tucker Makinen
F Jayden Napon
F Noah Olmedo
F Nathan Ruel
F Sam Ryan
F Jordan Shaw
D Gavin Sudds
F Ylan Verpaelst

The training camp roster now stands at 17 forwards, 10 defencemen and four goalies. Previous years we would have seen another round of cuts before Saturday's pre-season game but its possible Cam Russell and staff will wait until after the match. We could even see the regular season roster be named after the game in Truro.  

Pre-season Game vs Cape Breton

Opponent: Cape Breton Eagles
Where: St. Margaret's Centre
When: August 20, 2025
Time: 7:00pm
Tickets: $18.50

Cape Breton Eagles
Pre-season record: 1-0-0-0, 2pts
Goals for: 3
Goals against: 0
Head coach: Sylvain Couturier
Scoring leader: Jacob Hartlin (1G & 1A)

Halifax Mooseheads
Pre-season record: 0-1-0-0, 0pts
Goals for: 0
Goals against: 3
Head coach: Brad MacKenzie
Scoring leader: n/a

Notes

• This is the second of 4 games between these provincial rivals during the pre-season, Cape Breton took the first game last night in Sydney 3-0. 
• Here is Halifax's roster for tonight - it's a mix of veterans and 2025 draft picks 

• You can watch the game on the Mooseheads YouTube channel. 
• Roster moves will most likely be made tonight but announced tomorrow morning. 
• Tickets are sold out for this evening which is not surprising since there's only 1,000 seats.

Eastlink to show 9 Herd games

Eastlink TV has announced their QMJHL Friday Night Hockey schedule for the 2025-26 season. A total of nine Halifax Mooseheads games will be shown on the regional network. The Herd's season opener against the Islanders in Charlottetown is set to be broadcasted. 

Below are the games featuring Halifax (puck drop is 7pm & Friday evenings unless otherwise stated)

September 19 at Charlottetown Islanders
September 26 vs. Saint John Sea Dogs

October 17 vs. Newfoundland Regiment

January 9 at Charlottetown Islanders 

January 23 vs. Sherbrooke Phoenix 

February 6 at Cape Breton Eagles

February 13 vs. Moncton Wildcats

February 27 vs. Saint John Sea Dogs

March 6 vs. Cape Breton Eagles

I think this is the least amount of Moose games shown in a season. The Cape Breton Eagles and Charlottetown Islanders also have home contests on Eastlink. You can view the full 20-game schedule here. 

49 players on camp roster

Photo - Herd website

A total of 49 players have been invited to the Halifax Mooseheads 2025 training camp that will start in a few days. The roster includes 27 forwards, 16 defencemen and six goaltenders. It consists of 19 returning players from the 2024-25 season so that will make for a very competitive camp over the next number of weeks. 

The lone 20-year-old on the camp roster is the recently acquired forward Connor MacPherson who was signed by Cam Russell as a free agent, the team announced on Friday. Defenceman Malik L'Italien - the third overall pick in June's QMJHL Entry Draft - headlines the new crop of 16-year-olds arriving in Moose Country along with Americans Cameron Minella and Paulo Gualberto. 2025 CHL import picks Oleg Kulebyakin (Russia) and Jasu Mensonen (Finland) will join Carlos Handel as the Herd's European players this year, however Mensonen won't arrive to Halifax until later in camp after concluding his mandatory military service. 

Roster below
Duncan Anderson   D   Antigonish, NS   (draft '25)
Callum Aucoin   F   Hammonds Plains, NS   (trade)
Jack Bell   G   Antigonish, NS   (draft '25)

Cole Bent   D   Halifax, NS   (draft '24)

William Bent   F   Dover, MA   (draft '24)

Caylen Blake   F   Corner Brook, NL   (draft '24)

Nicolas Blanchette   D   St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC   (draft '25)
Owen Bresson   G   Dominion, NS   (trade)
Shawn Carrier   F   Trois-Rivieres, QC   (trade)

Elle Champagne   F   St-Georges-de-Beauce, QC   (draft '24)

Justin Chiras   D   Bedford, NH   (free agent)

Nico Ciardiello   F   Guilford, CT   (draft '24)

Thomas Cote   F   Quebec, QC   (draft '24)

Eddy Doyle   D   Tignish, PE   (draft '23)

Ryan Fletcher   D   Brookfield, NS   (free agent)

Antoine Fontaine   F   Granby, QC   (draft '22)

Mickael Fournier   D   Laval, QC   (draft '24)

Jameson George   D   Rothesay, NB   (draft '23)

Nicolas Gilham-Cirka   G   Westmount, QC   (draft '24)

Paulo Gualberto   F   Bamstable, MA   (draft '25)

Carlos Handel   D   Erlangen, Germany   (import)

Quinn Kennedy   F   Upper Tantallon, NS   (trade)

Liam Kilfoil   F   Quispamsis, NB   (draft '23)

Oleg Kulebyakin   F   St. Petersburg, Russia   (import)

Malik L'Italien   D   Montreal, QC   (draft '25)

Thomas Laplante   G   Rosemare, QC   (draft '24)

Cole MacLeod   F   Porters Lake, NS   (draft '24)

Connor MacPherson   F   Windsor, ON   (free agent)

Sam Madgett   G   Stillwater Lake, NS   (draft '23)

Tucker Makinen   F   Bedford, NS   (draft '23)

Patrick McNab   F   Beaconsfield, QC   (draft '23)

Jasu Mensonen   F   Imatra, Finland   (import)

Cameron Minella   D   Darien, CT   (draft '25)

Cade Moser   F   Linacy, NS   (draft '22)

Jayden Napon   F   Montreal, QC   (draft '25)

Alec Nasreddine   F   Mountainside, NJ   (draft '23)

Noah Olmedo-Matte   F   Repentigny, QC   (draft '24)

Owen Phillips   D   Hammonds Plains, NS   (draft '22)

Nathan Ruel   F   Riviere-du-Loup, QC   (draft '25)

Sam Ryan   F   Dartmouth, NS   (draft '25)

Amelio Santini   F   Cote-Saint-Luc, QC   (draft '24)

Jordan Shaw   F   Coleman, PE   (free agent)

Olivier St-Onge   G   Edmundston, NB   (draft '23)

Gavin Sudds   D   Sydney, NS   (draft '24)

Mathieu Taillefer   D   Richelieu, QC   (draft '22)

Logan Trewin   D   Halifax, NS   (draft '24)

Ylan Verpaelst   F   Magog, QC   (draft '25)

Daniel Walters   F   Halifax, NS   (draft '24)

Lincoln Waugh   D   Summerside, PE   (trade)

I suspect we will see first cuts before Tuesday's pre-season game, and the release of the official regular season roster I'm sure will be announced before the end of August. Follow along on this blog and on social media for camp news and updates. 

Training camp starts Saturday

Halifax Mooseheads training camp starts this Saturday when players report to Dartmouth for registration day which normally includes physicals as well. 

The team released its first week schedule at the end of July and it will see the attendees participate in some practices, 4 white-green intrasquad games and three of club's 4 pre-season matches. Camp will take place on Rink B of the RBC Centre with the intrasquad games being free to attend for fans. 

Sun Aug 17         9am & 3pm        Green vs White intrasquad

Mon Aug 18        9am & 3pm        Green vs White intrasquad

Tue Aug 19         7pm                    Pre-season @ Cape Breton (Centre 200)

Wed Aug 20        7pm                   Pre-season vs Cape Breton (St. Margaret's Centre)

Thu Aug 21        10am-1pm          Practice

Fri Aug 22          10am-1pm          Practice

Sat Aug 23          4pm                   Pre-season vs Cape Breton (Rath Eastlink Community Centre)

Sun Aug 24         10am-1pm         Practice

Tickets are on-sale now for the home games at ticketmaster.ca and on the RECC website. I'll share the roster later in the week and any more info as it comes out. 

August, we welcome you!

We have turned the calendar in to August which means the off-season is two weeks away from being over for us fans and Halifax Mooseheads will soon start up again. The team kicked off the new month with a roster move as the QMJHL's pre-season trade period opened on Friday. 

Halifax announced that they have acquired 18-year-old goaltender Owen Bresson from the Shawinigan Cataractes in exchange for a 2026 3rd round draft pick. Bresson, a Dominion, NS native, made his Q debut in November following the NCAA rule change. He picked up eight wins in 17 games played for the Cataractes while posting a 2.98 goals against average and a 0.905 save percentage.

Photo - Herd website

According to the press release, Owen will join Nick Cirka to form the duo who will mind the Mooseheads net this season. Welcome to the team Owen! 

Other news and notes...

• Like I mentioned above, the summer trade period began yesterday August 1 and it will go until August 24. 
• Herd training camp will start Aug. 16 the team announced a few days ago with two White-Green intrasquad games on the following day. I will share the full schedule when camp is closer but you can click here for what the team shared. 
• Tickets for Halifax's 'home' exhibition games will go on sale on Tuesday. A live stream will be provided for both on the team's YouTube channel. 
• Former forward Barrett Dachyshyn has signed with the Antigonish Senior Bulldogs of the NSJHL. The 26-year-old did not play last season after finishing four years at the University of Windsor. 
• 92 players were invited to Hockey Canada's national teams orientation camp in preparation for the 2026 Olympics in Italy. Among the forty-two that will look for a spot on the men's team are alumni defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and forward Brad Marchand plus the previously named Nathan MacKinnon. 
• A new recruiting window opened on Aug. 1 for NCAA college hockey teams so be ready for more commitments from junior players. The Grand Forks Herald has a list of 20 Canadians to watch and the Mooseheads 2026 3rd overall selection Malik L'Italien is #16 on the list. 

Theme Nights

We've known the regular season schedule for our Halifax Mooseheads for a couple of months but now the team has released their list of promotional games that will take place during 2025-26. I'll highlight the more special/annual events happening below. 

Annual events
HOME OPENER - September 20 vs. Charlottetown Islanders
DND Appreciation Night - October 25 vs. Cape Breton Eagles     
Toque Toss - December 6 vs. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies    
Mooseheads Fight Cancer - February 13 vs. Moncton Wildcats
Fan Appreciation Night - March 6 vs. Cape Breton Eagles

See the full promotional schedule in the 'Schedule' tab. 

Staffing changes made by Halifax

The Halifax Mooseheads has announced multiple changes to the team's staff this summer and the biggest one being that there will be a new head coach on the bench come September. 

Earlier this month, it was put out that Andrew Lord accepted an offer to become the Head Coach for the Ontario Reign (AHL). The team looked within this time and promoted associate coach Brad MacKenzie to the top position. 

"We want to thank Andrew Lord for his contributions to the Mooseheads and wish him noting but the best in the future. We equally believe Brad MacKenzie is the right person to lead our organization as we take the next step in this journey." said Sam and Peter Simon in the press release. 

"At the same time, it's tough to leave Halifax. I love the city and the fans, and I love what we started to build this past season as a team. I want to thank Sam and Peter Simon for believing in me and for giving me the opportunity to coach this storied franchise. I also want to say thank you to Cam Russell and both the hockey operations and business staffs, it's been a pleasure working with you and I know the team is in great hands with Brad," said Lord.

Lord spent just one season with Halifax, coaching a young rebuilding club to a 19-35-8-2 record and the final playoff berth in the QMJHL. MacKenzie meanwhile is entering his fifth season on the Mooseheads bench and becomes the 15th Head Coach in franchise history. 

Good luck to Andrew with the Reign and congrats to Brad on the new position. 

A few days earlier, the team made the announcement that they have hired Josh Crouse as the club's Director of Performance and Colton Funk as the new Head Athletic Therapist. The release says that 'Crouse will handle all strength and conditioning for the players while overseeing injury prevention, recovery and nutrition' in the newly created position. 

Replacing MacKenzie as the Mooseheads associate coach is Josh Hepditch the team announced on July 21. Hepditch had the same title with the UNB Reds men's hockey team during the 2024-25 season after spending seven years as an Assistant Coach for the Moncton Wildcats. 

"Josh is a coach that I've had a lot of respect for, having coached against him for a number of years," said MacKenzie. "He has a track record of excellent work with defencemen and special teams units. I'm excited to have Josh join our coaching staff and to work alongside him."

Photos - Herd website

Our 20's Halifax Mooseheads

via QMJHL.ca 

Throughout the summer, the QMJHL will summarize the journey of its 20-year-old players. Today, the Halifax Mooseheads: Braeden MacPhee, Brady Schultz and Jacob Steinman.

Braeden MacPhee, centre

An eighth-round pick of the Mooseheads in 2020, MacPhee has spent his entire junior career in Halifax, recording 55 points (28-27) in 198 games. This season, he set career highs in points (28), goals (16) and assists (12), in addition to leading his team with 68 penalty minutes. In fact, MacPhee’s contribution is measured more in hard work, leadership and toughness than in points. We saw it when he helped the Mooseheads reach the final in 2023. A native of Moncton, he will play for the University of New Brunswick (UNB) next year.

Brady Schultz, defenceman

Like MacPhee, Schultz spent his entire junior career in Halifax and reached the final in 2023. That year, he impressed with 17 points in 21 playoff games. A 14th round pick (!) of the Mooseheads in 2020, Schultz leaves Halifax with the team’s all-time lead among defencemen in points with 153 and assists with 129. All this, in 258 games (3rd). In addition, he was the Mooseheads’ representative for the Marcel-Robert Trophy, awarded to the student-athlete of the year, in 2023-2024. The Monroe, Connecticut native will have the chance to play and study close to home next season at Quinnipiac University.

Jacob Steinman, goaltender

Used in 52 games (3rd in the QMJHL) this season, Steinman posted a 29-16-4-1 record with Moncton and Halifax, finishing second in the QMJHL in GAA (2.41) and save percentage (.923). Steinman, who recorded three shutouts (5th), didn’t let the trade to Halifax shake him, as evidenced by his .917 save percentage in 22 games with the Mooseheads, who are 16th overall. These impressive statistics earned him the Patrick-Roy Trophy as the league’s most outstanding goaltender. After a 147-game career in the QMJHL punctuated by 75 wins, a 2.90 GAA, a .908 save percentage and 8 shutouts, the Ontarian will continue to play with Bowling Green State University next year.

Free agency signings headlined by Ehlers

Photo - Hurricanes Twitter

Free agency in the National Hockey League started on Tuesday and the biggest story was where would former Halifax Mooseheads forward Nikolaj Ehlers sign. The 29-year-old told the Jets last month that he was going to test the market and fans had to wait until Thursday for him to make a decision. 

Ehlers will be heading south to Carolina after he signed a 6-year, $51 million contract with the Hurricanes on July 3. "He's a highly-skilled winger who can really skate and will fit very well with our forward group," said Canes GM Eric Tulsky. The Aalborg, Denmark native has spent all 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets after being drafted by the team in 2014. He had 24 goals and 39 assists in 69 regular season games played during 2024-25 with a plus-14 rating. In 674 career games, Nikolaj has total 520 points and a plus-106 rating. 

Prior to turning professional, Ehlers spent two years here in Moose Country where he reached the 100-point mark in both seasons. 

The Jets shared a video to thank him for his time with the team. 

Thank you, Nik 💙 pic.twitter.com/NBKahQ2gqD

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) July 3, 2025

Good luck in Carolina Nikolaj! 

Meanwhile, alum Jonathan Drouin was signed by the New York Islanders on July 1 to a two-year contract. Drouin had 11 goals and 37 points in 43 games last season with the Colorado Avalanche. Since being drafted in 2013 by Tampa Bay, the Ste-Agathe, QC native has suited up in 607 regular season NHL games with the Lightning, followed by the Montreal Canadiens and Avalanche. He's added 27 points in 43 Stanley Cup playoff games during his career. 

Photo - Islanders website

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that they signed Benoit-Olivier Groulx to a two-year deal with a $812,500 cap hit on Tuesday. 25-year-old Groulx spent the 2024-25 season in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack, scoring 15 goals and 37 points in 47 games. The French-born Canadian forward was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2018 after spending 4 seasons in the QMJHL, three and a half of which were with the Mooseheads. 

Photo - Wranglers Facebook

29-year-old Martin Frk signed with the AHL's Calgary Wranglers on Thursday. Despite spending this past season with the Wranglers, the release says they signed him and not extended or re-signed but I wonder if it's because his last contract was a 2-way deal with the Calgary Flames. In 470 career AHL games, Frk has totaled 377 points (194G & 183A). The Pelhrmov, Czechia native was an instrumental to the Grand Rapids Griffins 2017 Calder Cup championship team, scoring the final series winning goal. 

Before the free agency period opened, alumni Brad Marchand re-signed with the Florida Panthers on a six-year deal worth 31.5 million dollars. "Instantly supplementing our lineup from the moment he arrived in South Florida, Brad has been an outstanding addition to our team," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. "He is the definition of a warrior on the ice, a critical leader for our group and a relentless competitor." 

Marchand had 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 23 Stanley Cup playoff games to help Florida win the 2025 championship. The 37-year-old had played most of his 16 year NHL career with the Boston Bruins before being traded while scoring 424 goals and 980 points in 1,100 regular season games between the two teams. 

Former Herd Elliot Desnoyers of the Philadelphia Flyers did not receive a qualifying offer so he is now a unrestricted free agent but has not signed with a team yet while Vegas Golden Knights restricted free agent Raphael Lavoie is still hoping for a contract as well. 

Russian Kulebyakin selected by Halifax

Photo - Herd website

The Halifax Mooseheads selected Russian forward Oleg Kulebyakin in the 2025 CHL Import Draft with the ninth overall pick on Wednesday afternoon. 

Kulebyakin scored 33 goals and 39 assists in 33 games played with the Carolina Junior Hurricanes U16 AAA team last season. He is a 5-foot-10 winger who weighs 170 pounds. 

"Well we think he's going to be a scoring machine. Obviously we're not going to put too much pressure on him," Cam Russell said after the draft. "Great vision, like I said, ability to score is incredible so very excited to bring in a player of Oleg's caliber."

General Manager Cam Russell talks about adding forwards Oleg Kulebyakin 🇷🇺 & Jasu Mensonen 🇫🇮 at the CHL Import Draft. #GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/ubbIqHy7qK

— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) July 2, 2025

With the rule change that will allow teams to carry 3 European players on their roster for the 2025-26 season, the import draft now has 3 rounds instead of just two. At 70th overall, Halifax then added forward Jasu Mensonen of Finland. The 18-year-old scored 5 goals and 21 assists in 40 games with Lukko U20 team while also adding 16 points in 29 games suiting up for the blue and white internationally at the U18 level. 

Photo - Neutral Zone

It is expected that Kulebyakin and Mensonen will join German defenceman Carlos Handel as the three import players on the Mooseheads roster this upcoming season.  

Halifax passed on their third pick as did many other clubs. Czech forward Tomas Poletin was drafted with the first overall pick by the Kelowna Rockets.