Halifax Mooseheads facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Halifax Mooseheads
City	Halifax, Nova Scotia
League	Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
Division	Maritimes
Founded	1994
Home arena	Scotiabank Centre
Colours	Green, white, red
Owner(s)	Simon Sports
General manager	Cam Russell
Head coach	Andrew Lord
Championships	2013 Memorial Cup Champions 2013 QMJHL Champions
Website www.halifaxmooseheads.ca

The Halifax Mooseheads are a Canadian junior ice hockey team. They play in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Their home is in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The team started in 1994. They joined the QMJHL for the 1994–95 season. The Mooseheads have played in the President's Cup Finals five times. They won the championship in 2013. They also reached the finals in 2003, 2005, 2019, and 2023.

Halifax hosted the Memorial Cup tournament in 2000 and 2019. They won the Memorial Cup in 2013. The team plays its home games at the Scotiabank Centre.

The Mooseheads were the first team from Atlantic Canada to join the QMJHL. Their success helped the league grow to other East Coast cities. This expansion improved hockey skills and opportunities for players in the region. In the 2018–19 season, three of the NHL's top scorers were from the QMJHL. Two of them were former Mooseheads players.

Team History

How the Mooseheads Started: 1994–1997

Halifax Mooseheads getting ready for a game in 2012.

Before the Mooseheads, Halifax had professional hockey teams. But in 1993, the Halifax Citadels team decided to move. To keep major hockey in the city, Harold MacKay suggested Halifax get a QMJHL team.

At first, the QMJHL thought expanding to Atlantic Canada would be too expensive. But on March 17, 1994, the league approved Halifax's request.

Harold MacKay got financial help from Moosehead Breweries. The company paid the $500,000 fee. They also got the rights to name the team. Nine other people also owned a small part of the team. These included former NHL players Wendell Young and Cam Russell.

The new club had to build a team very quickly. MacKay hired Clément Jodoin as head coach and general manager. Shawn MacKenzie joined as an assistant coach.

In their first season (1994–95), the Mooseheads won 24 games and lost 42. They still made the playoffs. They lost in the first round but played well against the top team. Fan support grew quickly. By their third season (1996–97), they averaged over 5,300 fans per game. They reached the semi-finals of the President's Cup for the first time. They also drafted Alex Tanguay, who later became an NHL star.

First Memorial Cup Appearance: 1997–2003

Before the 1997–98 season, the Mooseheads made some changes. Coach Clément Jodoin left for the Montreal Canadiens. Harold MacKay also stepped down as president. Denis Leblanc became the new general manager. Danny Grant became the new coach.

The team struggled at first. They finished fifth in their division. Grant was then replaced by Bob Mongrain.

With new players like goalies Pascal Leclaire and Aleksei Volkov, the team improved. They finished second in their division in 1999 and 2000. They lost in the second round both seasons. Even without winning championships, many fans still came to games. By 1998–99, over one million fans had attended games. This strong fan support helped Halifax host the 2000 Memorial Cup tournament.

Before the 2000 Memorial Cup, the team changed coaches again. Shawn Mackenzie took over. The Mooseheads played well in the tournament. They won two games but lost in the semi-final.

After the Memorial Cup, Mackenzie became the head coach. Marcel Patenaude became the general manager. The team finished first in their division in 2000–01. But they lost in the first round of the playoffs. The next season, they reached the second round.

In 2002, Sidney Crosby was a young hockey star from Cole Harbour, near Halifax. He was only 14. The Mooseheads wanted to sign him for the 2002–03 season. They asked the QMJHL to change a rule to allow this. But the league said no.

The 2002–03 season was very successful for the team. They won 44 games and finished first in their division. They swept Cape Breton in the first round of the playoffs. They then won two tough seven-game series. They reached the President's Cup final for the first time. They lost in seven games to the Hull Olympiques.

In 2002–03, Halifax also hosted the World Junior Hockey Championship. The original owners, Moosehead Breweries, decided to sell their share of the team. Before the 2003–04 season, Bobby Smith became the new owner. He was a former NHL player and general manager. The team kept its name and logo.

New Ownership and Rebuilding: 2003–2011

After a strong season, the Mooseheads had a younger team in 2003–04. They lost many experienced players. For the first time, the team did not make the playoffs.

Owner Bobby Smith also had disagreements with the arena management. He said the team's lease was unfair. After some talks, the problem was solved with help from the city.

The team improved a lot in the 2004–05 season. They finished first in their division. They reached the league final for the second time in three seasons. But they lost to the Rimouski Océanic.

Al MacAdam coached the team again in 2005–06. The Mooseheads made it to the second round of the playoffs. MacAdam then retired. Assistant coach Cam Russell took over as head coach. Russell was also a part-owner and a former NHL player.

Russell's best season as coach was 2007–08. The team reached the semi-finals. The next two seasons were tough. The team finished last in their division and missed the playoffs. The 2009–10 season was the worst in team history. They won only 13 games. Russell said this was part of a plan to rebuild the team. They got many early draft picks in 2010 and 2011. A few games into the 2010–11 season, Russell became the full-time general manager. Bobby Smith took over as head coach.

Championship Years: 2011–2017

Nathan MacKinnon playing for the Mooseheads.

In 2011, Nathan MacKinnon was a very talented young player from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He was a fast skater. Like Sidney Crosby, he grew up playing hockey in Cole Harbour. MacKinnon was a big Mooseheads fan. His family had season tickets.

The Mooseheads really wanted MacKinnon to join their team. They had missed out on Crosby years earlier. Another team, Baie Comeau Drakkar, had the first pick in the 2011 draft. They chose MacKinnon. But MacKinnon said he would play in the United States instead of for Baie Comeau. Five weeks later, Baie Comeau traded MacKinnon to Halifax. Halifax gave them two top players and three first-round draft picks.

The team's rebuilding plan started to show results in the 2011–12 season. Dominique Ducharme became the new coach. The Mooseheads also got Jonathan Drouin and goalie Zachary Fucale in the 2011 draft. They also added Czech player Martin Frk.

The 2012–13 season was the best in the team's history. They finished first in the entire Canadian Hockey League. They lost only six games. They scored 347 goals and only allowed 176. MacKinnon and Drouin led the team. They had seven players with a plus-40 rating or better. Their defense was strong with Konrad Abeltshauser.

In the playoffs, they were almost perfect. They swept three rounds. They lost only one game in the final against Baie Comeau. They won the President's Cup on their home ice.

The Mooseheads then went to the 2013 Memorial Cup in Saskatoon. They finished the round-robin with two wins and one loss. They played the Portland Winterhawks in the final. The Mooseheads won 6–4. Nathan MacKinnon scored three goals in the championship game. This was the third Memorial Cup win in a row for a QMJHL team.

In the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, four Mooseheads players were picked. MacKinnon was chosen first overall. Drouin was picked third. Fucale was the top goalie picked, at 36th overall.

The 2013–14 season was also successful. MacKinnon had joined the Colorado Avalanche. But Drouin and Fucale returned to the Mooseheads. The team also added star forwards Nikolaj Ehlers and Timo Meier.

The team started rebuilding again in the 2014–15 season. Many Memorial Cup players left. Ehlers and Meier became the team leaders. They finished fourth in their division. They upset Shawinigan in the first playoff round. But they lost to Moncton in seven games.

The next season (2015–16) was tough. They won only 21 games and missed the playoffs. Coach Ducharme left. In May, the team hired Andre Tourigny as head coach. The team improved in 2016–17. But they lost in the first round of the playoffs. Tourigny then left for another league.

In the 2016 QMJHL draft, the Mooseheads made history. They were the first team to have the first and second overall picks. They chose Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Jared McIsaac.

Recent Seasons: 2017–Present

As the 2017–18 season began, the team was planning for its 25th anniversary. They wanted to host the 2019 Memorial Cup and be strong contenders. In May 2018, Halifax won the bid to host the event. They promised to keep ticket prices affordable.

The Mooseheads moved their offices and practice facilities to the RBC Centre. This was a new arena in Dartmouth.

Assistant coach Jim Midgley became the head coach for the 2017–18 season. Key players included Olivier-Groulx, MacIsaac, goalie Alexis Gravel, and veteran Max Fortier. Star player Nico Hischier had left to play for the New Jersey Devils in the NHL. But the team signed another top player, Filip Zadina.

The team had another coaching change for its 25th anniversary season (2018–19). Éric Veilleux became the new head coach. He had won a Memorial Cup with another team in 2012.

The team traded for experienced players. These included Antoine Morand and Samuel Asselin. They also got Keith Getson. The team had its second-best record ever with 49 wins. They finished first in their division. They won a tough seven-game series against Quebec in the first round of the playoffs. They then swept Moncton and beat Drummondville. Raphaël Lavoie led the league in playoff scoring with 20 goals.

In the final, the Mooseheads played the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. The Huskies had a great season with 59 wins. They had lost only two playoff games. The Huskies won the final in six games. They lifted the President's Cup in Halifax.

The two teams met again in the Memorial Cup tournament. The Huskies were the QMJHL champions. The Mooseheads qualified as hosts. The Mooseheads went straight to the championship game. They had two wins and one loss in the round-robin. Their only loss was to the Huskies. The Huskies also reached the final. They defeated the Mooseheads again, 4–2. After the season, coach Veilleux left for a job in the American Hockey League.

The Mooseheads continued to compete in recent seasons. In 2022–23, they had another strong year. They finished first in their division with 50 wins. They reached the QMJHL finals again but lost to the Quebec Remparts. In the 2023–24 season, they again finished first in their division. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to Acadie–Bathurst. In the 2024–25 playoffs, they won their first round series against Drummondville, but then lost in the second round to Rouyn-Noranda.

Team Coaches

* = Interim head coach

Team Players

Retired Jersey Numbers

The Mooseheads have honored these players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will wear that number.

• 18 Alex Tanguay (1996–1999)
• 22 Nathan MacKinnon (2011–2013)
• 25 Jody Shelley (1994–1997)
• 47 Jean-Sébastien Giguère (1994–1997)

Honorary

• Pat Connolly (broadcaster)

Players Who Played in the NHL

Brad Marchand, a former Moosehead, playing in the NHL.

Many players who played for the Halifax Mooseheads later went on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Here is a list of some of them.

Top NHL Draft Picks

These Mooseheads players were chosen in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft. This means they were among the very first players picked by NHL teams in their draft year.

Year	#	Player	Nationality	NHL team
1995	13	Jean-Sébastien Giguère (G)	Canada	Hartford Whalers
1998	12	Alex Tanguay (C)	Canada	Colorado Avalanche
2001	8	Pascal Leclaire (G)	Canada	Columbus Blue Jackets
2007	7	Jakub Voracek (RW)	Czech Republic	Columbus Blue Jackets
2007	19	Logan MacMillan (C)	Canada	Anaheim Ducks
2013	1	Nathan MacKinnon (C)	Canada	Colorado Avalanche
2013	3	Jonathan Drouin (LW)	Canada	Tampa Bay Lightning
2014	9	Nikolaj Ehlers (LW)	Denmark	Winnipeg Jets
2015	9	Timo Meier (RW)	Switzerland	San Jose Sharks
2017	1	Nico Hischier (C)	Switzerland	New Jersey Devils
2018	6	Filip Zadina (RW)	Czech Republic	Detroit Red Wings
2020	25	Justin Barron (D)	Canada	Colorado Avalanche
2021	27	Zachary L'Heureux (LW)	Canada	Nashville Predators

All-25 Team: Top Players in Team History

To celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2018–19, the Mooseheads named their all-time best team. Fans voted for these players from a list of 100 names.

Head coach		Nationality	Seasons	Career notes
Dominique Ducharme		Canada	2011–2016	Won 2013 President's Cup and Memorial Cup
Position	Player	Nationality	Seasons	Career notes
D	Konrad Abeltshauser	Germany	2009–2013	Drafted by San Jose Sharks in 2010
D	Andrew Bodnarchuk	Canada	2005–2008	Drafted by Boston Bruins in 2006
LW	Jonathan Drouin	Canada	2011–2014	Drafted by Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013
LW	Nikolaj Ehlers	Denmark	2013–2015	Drafted by Winnipeg Jets in 2014
RW	Maxime Fortier	Canada	2014–2018
G	Zachary Fucale	Canada	2011–2014	Drafted by Montreal Canadiens in 2013
G	Jean-Sébastien Giguère	Canada	1994–1997	Drafted by Hartford Whalers in 1995
C	Nico Hischier	Switzerland	2016–2017	Drafted first overall by New Jersey Devils in 2017
D	Trey Lewis	Canada	2010–2013
D	Ali MacEachern	Canada	1997–2001
C	Nathan MacKinnon	Canada	2011–2013	Drafted first overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2013
D	Jared McIsaac	Canada	2016–2020	Drafted by Detroit Red Wings in 2018
C	Ladislav Nagy	Slovakia	1998–1999	Drafted by St. Louis Blues in 1997
C	Alex Tanguay	Canada	1996–1999	Drafted by Colorado Avalanche in 1998
RW	Jakub Voráček	Czech Republic	2006–2008	Drafted by Columbus Blue Jackets in 2007
D	MacKenzie Weegar	Canada	2012–2014	Drafted by Florida Panthers in 2013

Season Results

Regular Season Games

This table shows how the Mooseheads performed in their regular season games each year.

• OTL = Overtime loss
• SL = Shootout loss

Playoff Games

This table shows how the Mooseheads performed in the playoffs each season.

Memorial Cup Tournament Results

The Memorial Cup is a big tournament. It brings together the champions from three major junior hockey leagues. These are the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and the Western Hockey League (WHL). A host team also plays. The tournament has a round-robin stage, a semi-final, and a final game. Here are the Mooseheads' results in the Memorial Cup.

Team Records

These tables show some of the best and worst records for the Halifax Mooseheads team and its players.