QMJHLNames 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, Brett Crossley was named the Scholastic Player of the Month for December 2016. Crossley had a goal in 9 games played in the month of December while also being a minus-5.

Here is the full list:

BAC	Mikael Sabourin	Cégep de Baie-Comeau
BAT	Jordan Maher	Acadia University
BLB	Yvan Mongo	Cégep de Saint-Jérôme
CAP	Marcus Tesink	Cape Breton University
CHA	Keith Getson	UPEI
CHI	Antoine Marcoux	Cégep de Chicoutimi
DRU	Xavier Bernard	Collège Saint-Bernard
GAT	Tristan Bérubé	Cégep à distance
HAL	Brett Crossley	St. Mary’s University
MON	Kevin Klima	Harrison Trimble High School
QUE	Olivier Garneau	Cégep de Limoilou
RIM	Alexandre Grisé	Cégep de Rimouski
ROU	Chris McQuaid	Blyth Academy
SHA	Antoine Demers	Collège de Shawinigan
SHE	Benjamin Tardif	École secondaire Du Triolet
SNB	Kyle Ward	UNBSJ
VDO	Yohan Plamondon	Polyvalente Le Carrefour
VIC	Maxime Comtois	Cégep de Victoriaville

GAMEDAY #40: at Saint John

GAME PREVIEW
SAINT JOHN SEA DOGS VS. HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS
Puck drops at 3:00pm
TV: Webcast | Radio: News 95.7 | Live: @HFXMooseheads
Harbour Station (6,200) ~ Saint John, NB

Your Halifax Mooseheads are finishing a home and home series against the Saint John Sea Dogs when they visit the New Brunswick city this afternoon. Today's game is also the last match during a 3 games in 3 days series for both teams. Halifax has welcomed the fact that Nico Hischier has returned from the World Juniors scoring three goals in the last two games but they'll have to deal without him in Saint John as he is a healthy scratch. The Sea Dogs will still be without Thomas Chabot, Mathieu Joseph and newly acquired Julien Gauthier after returning from playing for Team Canada in the WJC the last couple of weeks. With the Mooseheads playing so many games this week, fans can probably expect rookie goalie Alexis Gravel to start in nets for Halifax as veteran Blade Mann-Dixon has played all 3 games so far. Mann-Dixon was a big reason why the lower seed Herd defeated the division leading Dogs yesterday.

This is the third game between these two teams this season. Halifax is 2-0-0-0 against the Sea Dogs while Saint John has a 0-2-0-0 record versus the Mooseheads. The last match was yesterday in Moose Country where the home team won 4-1 on the back of Blade Mann-Dixon's 46 saves. Nico Hischier and Max Fortier each had a goal and an assist.

OVERALL RECORDS
Mooseheads: 18-18-1-2 = 39 points (5th in Maritimes division, 12th overall)
Sea Dogs: 24-11-3-1 = 52 points (1st in Maritimes division, 2nd overall)

LEADING SCORERS
SNB: Matthew Highmore 59pts (23G & 36A), Mathieu Joseph 45pts (25G & 20A), Spencer Smallman 43pts (15G & 28A)
HAL: Maxime Fortier 62pts (21G & 41A), Nico Hischier 54pts (26G & 28A), Jake Coughler 32pts (20G & 12A)

PREVIOUS GAMES
See above.

ALUM ON SEA DOGS - None

HEAD-TO-HEAD
September 24  Saint John 3 at Halifax 4
December 16  Halifax at Saint John POSTPONED
January 7  Saint John 1 at Halifax 4
January 8  Halifax at Saint John – 3pm
February 3  Saint John at Halifax – 7pm
February 26  Halifax at Saint John – 3pm
March 1  Halifax at Saint John - 7pm
March 11  Halifax at Saint John – 7pm
March 18  Saint John at Halifax – 4pm

OUT OF TOWN
Titan vs. Screaming Eagles    3:00pm
Armada vs. Oceanic    4:00pm
Voltigeurs vs. Drakkar    4:00pm
Sagueneens vs. Tigres    5:00pm
Olympiques vs. Huskies    5:00pm
Foreurs vs. Remparts    5:00pm

AFTER THE BUZZER
The Mooseheads will be back home for Wednesday night hockey against the Charlottetown Islanders. Puck drops at 7pm.

Moose Sweep Home & Home Series

Photo - Shawn Davidson

Newly acquired Frederic Aube helped his new team to a big victory over last place Moncton Wildcats on Friday evening at the Scotiabank Centre. Aube scored the first goal of the game around the eight minute mark which prompted the fans in attendance to throw their stuffed animals onto the ice. Tonight's match against the Cats was the Mooseheads annual Teddy Bear Toss game and because of it, Eastlink TV decided to come to town and broadcast it. Halifax got out to a fast start against their divisional rivals, leading 3-0 after 20 minutes. The team had 22 shots in the first. Aube also helped Max Fortier get his 20th goal of the season during the period while Raphael Lavoie scored his second goal since returning to the team. Moncton made it interesting in the middle frame scoring twice in 21 seconds more than half way into the period. Nico Hischier scored shortly after to clinch the deal for the home team, he also recorded a shorthanded goal in the third period. It was Hischier's first game since returning from the World Juniors, his participation of which was recognized before puck drop. 

FINAL: Wildcats 2 at Mooseheads 6
Stars: 3. Arnaud Durandeau HAL | 2. Nico Hischier HAL | 1. Frédéric Aubé HAL
Attendance: 7,059
MC’s Top Herd: Frederic Aube

GAME LOG
First period
8:17 HAL Frédéric Aubé (5) | A: Fortier & Hischier
8:48 HAL Maxime Fortier (20) | A: Durandeau & Aubé
16:00 HAL Raphaël Lavoie (2) | A: McIssac

Second period
12:00 MON Julien Tessier (2) | A: Cyr & McKenna
12:21 MON  Alexandre Renaud (3) | A: Tessier & Blackmore
13:06 HAL Nico Hischier (24) | Aubé & Durandeau

Third period
14:52 HAL Frédéric Aubé (6) | A: Durandeau & Hischier
15:51 HAL Nico Hischier (25), SH | A: Fortier

Powerplay: MON – 0-for-4, HAL – 0-for-5
Shots: 46-26 in favour of the Mooseheads

MISSING IN ACTION: Walter Flower (injury), Connor Moynihan (injury), Barrett Dachyshyn (injury), Jocktan Chainey (suspension), Jake Coughler

SCORES
Cape Breton 4 at Charlottetown 2
Acadie Bathurst 1 at Saint John 5
Gatineau 2 at Victoriaville 6
Chicoutimi 0 at Blainville 3
Quebec 1 at Rouyn Noranda 6
Sherbrooke 2 at Shawinigan 4

UP NEXT: Halifax will welcome the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday to town as they battle on Sportsnet. Puck drops at 4pm.

TRADE: More Overage Movement

Photo - Islanders website

With the addition of Frederic Aube, the Halifax Mooseheads had four overage players on the team. They announced this morning that they released Anthony Sorrentino who the Moose claimed off waivers last season. I'm not sure where he'll end up but good luck to Tino and thank you for your time in Moose Country.

Halifax decided to pick up yet another 20 year old in a trade with the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday afternoon before the winter deadline ended. The Mooseheads traded their 5th round 2017 draft pick to Charlottetown in return for Jake Coughler. The now former Islander hails from St. Catherines, ON and has split his 3 and a half seasons in the QMJHL between the Gatineau Olympiques and Isles. Coughler has 20 goals and 32 points this season in 34 games played.

Welcome to Moose Country Jake, excited to see you play.

Photo - Moose website

If you are doing the math, you'll notice that that's again 4 overagers. The Herd later announced that they traded Bradley Kennedy to the team they are playing this evening; the Moncton Wildcats. Halifax acquired Kennedy over the summer from the Islanders. In return, the Mooseheads received a 9th rounder in 2018. The Antigonish, NS native has been 4th in team scoring pretty much all year with 10 goals and 29 points.

Good luck to Brad with his new club and the rest of his career, than you for your time in Halifax.

So the Mooseheads will have a new look when they hit the ice tonight for their annual Teddy Bear Toss game.

TRADE: Herd Say Goodbye to Captain Again

Photo - Moose website

The Halifax Mooseheads made some big moves this afternoon, just a day before the trade deadline.

Cam Russell and the team staff traded prospect Frederik Theoret and a 9th round draft pick in 2017 to Drummondville for veteran Frederic Aube. The move should add some stability to the Mooseheads backend, which is very young and inexperienced. Aube, 20, has 4 goals and 20 points so far this season to go along with 49 penalty minutes and a plus-4 rating. The Sherbrooke, QC native will most likely be in the top 4 on defence when he joins the team from the Voltigeurs.

Photo - Ford's twitter

Halifax also announced that they have acquired a 1st rounder in 2018 from Rouyn-Noranda in exchange for captain Taylor Ford. This is the second year that the Herd have said goodbye to their captain after trading alum Timo Meier around the same time last season to the Huskies as well. Ford will surely be missed by the team and city but picking up another pick in the first round in 2018 will hopefully help the Moose go on a long run during the playoffs that season.

I want to wish Taylor good luck for the rest of the season and during his career. Welcome to Moose Country Frederic Aube, hope you enjoy your time here.

Herd Word

Welcome to the new year. As it's been the holidays, I've been busy so instead of writing individual stories about news that has happened the last few days, I thought I would do a Herd Word.

FUCALE
Former Halifax Mooseheads goaltender Zach Fucale led Team Canada to a championship once again. Fucale was playing in the Spengler Cup last week and went into the tournament as a backup. However after Drew MacIntyre struggled in the first game, the 21 year old started the second preliminary game and had a 33 save performance as the Canadians won 4-3 over host HC Davos. He was than the starter for the rest of the tournament. The Rosemere, QC native performed quite well the rest of the week to help Hockey Canada back to the gold medal game. Team Canada played HC Lugano for the Spengler Cup and Zach stopped 40 shots en route to a 5-2 victory.

HISCHIER
Switzerland has improved on their 9th place finish from last year's World Junior championship and in part it's because of the great tournament Mooseheads rookie Nico Hischier had over the past week. Hischier, who turns 18 tomorrow, led the Swiss in scoring during the tourney with 4 goals and 7 points. One of his goals was an overtime winner last Tuesday against the Czech Republic. He scored again on Friday in regulation versus Denmark which also ended in extra time. The 4 points Team Switzerland picked up gave them a quarter-final berth where they would play the United States on Monday. The rookie had two really great goals but his performance wasn't enough to get his team to the semis because of a great save by the American goaltender in the last 5 minutes of the game which prevented Nico scoring a hat trick. Hischier was named player of the game as well as one of Switzerland's 3 best players of the tournament.

https://twitter.com/mikemorrealeNHL/status/816096671016898560

RESOP
According to the Miramichi Timberwolves, they have acquired the MHL rights of Herd goaltender Kevin Resop from the St. Stephen's Aces. The Mooseheads have not said anything about a trade or demotion of Resop but it's assumed that he will not be back with Halifax as the Moose traded for goalie Blade Mann-Dixon. Will be interesting to see what happens now for Kevin. Wherever he ends up, Moose Country would like to say good luck!

SATURDAY
As you may know, the game this coming Saturday versus the Saint John Sea Dogs is going to be broadcasted on Sportsnet. Because the match up is on national television, the puck drop for it has been changed to 4:00pm. So come out and support the boys against one of the best teams in the QMJHL this weekend. It should be an exciting game.

CHAINEY
It was announced on Monday that defenseman Jocktan Chainey has been suspended for 4 games after a hit that occurred during the December 30th game in Cape Breton. He will be eligible to return on Sunday afternoon when the Mooseheads visit Saint John. For video and full explanation, click here.

Photo - Eagles website

HURLEY CUP
Talking about the Screaming Eagles, they swept your Mooseheads in the home and home series late last week which gave them the first ever Hurley Cup. For a number of years now, the two provincial rivals have had back to back games against each other after the holiday break and wear special blue jerseys that get raffled off for Feed Nova Scotia normally. This season, the teams decided to add another aspect to the series in which the team with the most goals over the two games wins the Hurley Cup. For more info on how it worked, click here. Cape Breton won both games and had a 11-5 goal advantage.

UP NEXT
Your Halifax Mooseheads start 2017 by taking a trip to New Brunswick today to visit the Moncton Wildcats. Game time is 7pm and it's Camo Night at the Moncton Coliseum. The two teams will play again on Friday evening in Halifax. Friday's match will be shown on Eastlink TV and it's Teddy Bear Toss night at the Scotiabank Centre. Don't forget to bring a stuffed animal to the game so you can throw it on the ice when the Herd score their first goal of the game.

STATS SUNDAY: December

Games played: 9
Record: 1-6-1-1, 4pts
Goals for/against: 25/38
Powerplay*: 23.2%
Penalty kill*: 72.4%
Shutouts: none

Top 5 leading scorers
Points: Maxime Fortier 10, Bradley Kennedy 9, Benoit-Olivier Groulx 8, Otto Somppi 6, Jocktan Chainey 5
Goals: Benoit-Olivier Groulx 5, Maxime Fortier 4, Bradley Kennedy 3, Arnaud Durandeau 2, Otto Somppi 2
Assists: Maxime Fortier 6, Bradley Kennedy 6, Jocktan Chainey 5, Otto Somppi 4, Jared McIsaac 4
Penalty minutes: Jordan Lepage 22, Joel Bishop 17, Anthony Sorrentino 14, Barrett Dachyshyn 13, Cooper Jones 12
Plus/minus: Cooper Jones +2, Raphael Lavoie +1, Nico Hischier +1, Keigan Goetz E, Bradley Kennedy E
Rookie scoring: Benoit-Olivier Groulx 8pts, Jared McIsaac 4pts, Nico Hischier 3pts, Ben Higgins 2pts, Raphael Lavoie 1pts

Goaltending stats*
Blade Mann-Dixon: 9-6-0-0     3.09 GAA     0.901 SAV%
Alexis Gravel: 11-10-1-2     3.18 GAA     0.899 SAV%
Kevin Resop: 5-6-0-0     5.10 GAA     0.831 SAV%



*overall