The Halifax Mooseheads entered the season looking to build upon a positive 2022-23 season that saw one of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) youngest teams not only qualify for the playoffs, but make a run to the Final, losing to a stacked Quebec Remparts club in six games.
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General manager (GM) Cam Russell was able to build on that success, armed with a more experienced defensive corps, led by San Jose Sharks prospect Jake Furlong, as well as returning offensive stars Jordan Dumais and Mathieu Cataford. The rebuild cycle in junior hockey is only a few seasons, and the Mooseheads’ trajectory has taken them into the contender window.
Building Positive Momentum
Last season saw the Mooseheads win 50 games and finish second in the league behind the eventual Gilles-Courteau Trophy and Memorial Cup champions, Quebec Remparts. But this season, it will be under new management as the ownership has changed hands from Bobby Smith to Sam Simon, but also new leadership on the bench as Sylvain Favreau resigned for family reasons and Halifax hired Jim Midgley. Midgley is well known to the Mooseheads as he held the role of head coach in 2017-18 before moving on as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers and time as a head coach in Europe.
“….it was of the upmost importance to bring a person in who is highly respected, a culture fit, develops players, and has experience coaching teams with talent. Jim embodies these values, and we are so excited to welcome him back to the Mooseheads family,”
– Sam Simon, Chairman/Owner of the Halifax Mooseheads
Part of their success in 2022-23 was due to their special teams. They sat in the top five in both the power play (PP) and penalty kill (PK), which is likely a big reason as to why they had so much success in the regular season and the playoffs. This season, their PK has improved slightly, going from 81% last season to a current success rate of 81.4%, which is a big part of why they sit with the fourth fewest number of goals against at the halfway point of the season.
The issue is the PP, not that it is bad by any means as it sits at a very respectful 21.8%, but that is 11th in the QMJHL, and last season saw them score on 27.1% of their PP opportunities. Now that the World Junior Championship (WJC) is over and their top players have returned, that number is likely to rise. Expectations for the 2023-24 season are much higher, with the sights set on more than just a deep playoff run, fans want to see a Championship title return to Halifax for the first time since Nathan Mackinnon led Halifax to the QMJHL title and a Memorial Cup win back in 2013.
Mooseheads Add Size, Firepower
The Mooseheads sit second in the Eastern Conference behind a powerhouse Baie-Comeau Drakkar yet sit first in the Maritimes Division. They are poised to earn themselves home ice advantage for the opening rounds of the playoffs. Once the QMJHL trade window opened, Russell used his deep well of futures to add significantly to his offensive arsenal, bringing in 20-year-old Lou-Felix Denis and 18-year-old import forward Jan Sprynar from Shawinigan.
Denis is on pace for a 30-plus goal season, adding significant scoring to an already potent offense, but he also brings a mature defensive game and leadership, two areas that any contending team can never have enough of. Denis was Shawinigan’s leading scorer with 38 points on 18 goals and 20 assists, while Spynar has four goals and 18 points in 40 games this season between Shawinigan, Rimouski and Halifax. The undrafted forward is eligible for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Sprynar is a pure offensive talent who can help a team dominate possession at five-on-five and also be a dangerous PP weapon, an area of the game Halifax was looking to improve upon.
Mooseheads Go All-In for Title
Bringing in that offensive firepower is one piece of the puzzle for the Mooseheads to bring home a title. Another is the return of their leaders from the WJC, and the need for Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Dumais to return to health for the playoffs. Dumais, who had a 140-point season in 2022-23, is a proven offensive force and allows Midgley to stack his top-six forward group with another of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the QMJHL.
Mathis Rousseau, who played every minute in net for Team Canada at the 2024 WJC in Sweden, leads the QMJHL with a 2.07 goals-against average (GAA), .937 save percentage (SV%) and holds an impressive 16-3-2 record in 21 games played for Halifax. His return, above anyone else’s, will make the largest impact as he is the league’s top goaltender and his play feeds the Mooseheads with confidence.
But it is a waiver claim that could make the biggest difference, defensively. Russell picked up forward Luke McPhee, a local boy from Cole Harbour, from the Cape Breton Eagles off the waiver wire. McPhee, who has two goals and four points in 18 games this season, isn’t going to be confused for the next Nate Mackinnon, he is however going to provide quality defensive play in the bottom six and on the PK. It is his gritty and disciplined style that will help Halifax wear down their opponents, allowing their top offensive assets more time and space to impact the game.
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Sitting at the midway point of the QMJHL season, Halifax has more to prove to themselves than they do the rest of the league. While it isn’t considered a “benchmark game” because of how the Quebec Remparts have slid into a rebuild this season, for the Mooseheads this is a game that will provide them a sense of revenge and maybe even some closure as they face off against the franchise that beat them in the QMJHL Final last season.
As important as these additions can be, what will make this team a champion is how they gel as a group. That task falls to Midgley, the head coach. Sometimes, a lucky bounce can give a team a win, but it takes a team making its own luck with solid two-way play that can get a team a championship. Using the foundation coach Midgley has built this season, the Mooseheads can rely on their consistent efforts to provide them with the positive results they’ll need. Halifax is a highly skilled team, and with the additions bringing in speed, offensive skill, size and grit, they will have everything needed to challenge for the QMJHL Gilles-Courteau Trophy.
