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.