Manitoba Moose facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Manitoba Moose |
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| City | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 1994 (IHL) |
| Home arena | Canada Life Centre |
| Colours | Polar Night blue, aviator blue, silver, white |
| Owner(s) | True North Sports & Entertainment |
| General manager | Craig Heisinger |
| Head coach | Mark Morrison |
| Captain | Vacant |
| Media | TSN 680 CJOB AHLTV (Internet) |
| Affiliates | Winnipeg Jets (NHL) Norfolk Admirals (ECHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1994–1996 | Minnesota Moose |
| 1996–2011 | Manitoba Moose |
| 2011–2015 | St. John's IceCaps |
| 2015–present | Manitoba Moose |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1 (2008–09) |
| Division Championships | 2 (2006–07), (2008–09) |
| Conference Championships | 1 (2008–09) |
The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team. They are based in Winnipeg, Canada. The team plays in the American Hockey League (AHL). They are the main minor league team for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Moose play their home games at Canada Life Centre.
The team started in 1994 as the Minnesota Moose. They played in the International Hockey League (IHL). The Moose played in Winnipeg for fifteen seasons. This included five years in the IHL (1996–2001) and ten years in the AHL (2001–2011). From 2011 to 2015, the team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. There, they were called the St. John's IceCaps. The team came back to Winnipeg for the 2015–16 season.
Contents
Team History
Early Years in the IHL (1996–2001)
In 1996, the original Winnipeg Jets team moved to Phoenix. A group of local business people, including Mark Chipman, bought the Minnesota Moose team. They moved the team to Winnipeg. This kept professional hockey in the city. The Moose played at the Winnipeg Arena.
The team's first season in Winnipeg was tough. Jean Perron became the coach and general manager. He was fired in January 1997 after the team won only 16 of 50 games. Assistant coach Randy Carlyle took over. He led the team to a winning record in their last 32 games. But it was not enough to make the playoffs.
Carlyle then coached and managed the team for four more seasons in the IHL. The Moose did fairly well in the regular season. They made it to the Turner Cup playoffs three times. They reached the second round once. Carlyle was named the league's General Manager of the Year in 1998–99. The Moose did not have an NHL team they were connected to during their time in the IHL.
Joining the AHL (2001–2011)
In 2001, the IHL closed down. The Moose and five other IHL teams joined the AHL. The team became the main minor league team for the Vancouver Canucks. This partnership lasted until the NHL returned to Winnipeg in 2011. Former Canucks star Stan Smyl became the new head coach. Carlyle stayed as general manager for one more season. He then left to join the Washington Capitals coaching staff. In 2002–03, Smyl led the team to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs. They lost to the Hamilton Bulldogs in seven games.
Carlyle returned as head coach for the 2004–05 season. This was a big year for the team. The Manitoba Moose Hockey Club was now owned by True North Sports & Entertainment. They played their last game at the old Winnipeg Arena. Then they moved into the new MTS Centre, now called Canada Life Centre. The Moose reached the conference final for the first time. They lost to their old IHL rivals, the Chicago Wolves. Mark Chipman won an award for being the AHL Executive of the Year. After the season, Carlyle became the head coach for the Anaheim Ducks. He was the first of four Moose coaches to move on to coach in the NHL.
Alain Vigneault became the new Moose head coach for the 2005–06 season. Mike Keane, a Winnipeg native and three-time Stanley Cup winner, joined as team captain. Keane quickly became a fan favorite. The team had another great year. But they lost in the second round of the playoffs. After the season, Vigneault was promoted to coach the Canucks.
Former Moose captain and assistant coach Scott Arniel took over as head coach. Arniel coached the team for four seasons. In 2008–09, he led them to their best season ever. The team finished with 107 points, the best record in the league. In the 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs, the Moose won their first playoff series sweep. They beat the Grand Rapids Griffins. They then beat the Houston Aeros to win the Western Conference final. The Moose reached the Calder Cup finals for the first time. But they lost the championship series to the Hershey Bears. Arniel won an award as the AHL Coach of the Year. General manager Craig Heisinger also won an award.
Arniel became the third Moose coach in six years to move to the NHL. He was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010. Claude Noël replaced Arniel as coach. During the same time, Mike Keane's contract was not renewed. His jersey number 12 was later retired. In the 2011 playoffs, the Moose came back from being down 3–1 to the Lake Erie Monsters. They won that series. They fell behind 3–1 again in the next round to the Hamilton Bulldogs. They forced a seventh game. But the Bulldogs won the series in triple overtime. This was the longest Game 7 in AHL history.
During their first time in the AHL, the Moose were very successful. Many fans came to their home games. The team was also popular with players. They said the Moose were run like an NHL team. The league president, David Andrews, called the Moose "a flagship franchise."
St. John's IceCaps (2011–2015)
On May 31, 2011, True North Sports and Entertainment bought the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers. They planned to move the team to Winnipeg. This brought NHL hockey back to the city. So, the AHL team needed a new home. A deal was made to move the team to St. John's. The AHL Board of Governors quickly approved this. The "Moose" name was changed. This was because of the history of vehicle accidents involving moose in Newfoundland. The team was renamed the St. John's IceCaps. The IceCaps became the new AHL team for the Winnipeg Jets. This ended the team's ten-year link with the Vancouver Canucks.
The team continued to be successful in St. John's. Many fans attended games at Mile One Centre. The IceCaps had the second-longest home sellout streak in league history. This was 120 games between 2011 and 2014. In 2011–12, the IceCaps won their division. They reached the conference final. In 2013–14, the IceCaps reached the Calder Cup finals for the second time. But they lost to the Texas Stars.
Return to Manitoba (2015–Present)
By January 2014, True North Sports and Entertainment wanted to move their AHL team closer to Winnipeg. Thunder Bay, Ontario was the preferred place. The agreement with St. John's ended early. This was because St. John's made a deal to bring the Montreal Canadiens' AHL team, the Hamilton Bulldogs, for the 2015–16 season. The IceCaps' name and logos stayed with St. John's.
Since a new arena in Thunder Bay was not ready, the AHL team returned to Winnipeg. For the 2015–16 season, they became the Manitoba Moose Hockey Club again. They updated their logo slightly. They also changed their colors to match the Winnipeg Jets. Keith McCambridge, who had been with the team since 2009, remained as head coach.
After one season back in Manitoba, the Moose missed the playoffs again. McCambridge was replaced by Jets assistant coach Pascal Vincent. The Moose missed the playoffs in Vincent's first season. But they played much better in the 2017–18 season. They returned to the playoffs. Vincent won an award for AHL coach of the year. Players Sami Niku and Mason Appleton also won major awards. Vincent stepped down as head coach after the 2020–21 season. Mark Morrison became the new coach. He was an assistant coach with the team from 2011 to 2017.
Team Information
Logos and Uniforms
The Manitoba Moose uniforms look like those of the Winnipeg Jets. Their colors are polar night blue, aviator blue, silver, and white. The Moose wear their white uniforms for home games. This is a rule in the AHL. When they were in the IHL, the Moose colors were purple, green, and copper. After joining the AHL, they switched to teal, copper, and black.
The first Minnesota Moose logo showed a Moose holding a hockey stick. This logo was kept when the team moved to Winnipeg in 1996. The logo was changed a little in 2001 to match the new team colors. A new logo was introduced in 2004. This happened when the team moved to the MTS Centre. The team used this logo until 2011. When the Moose returned to the AHL in 2015, they used a similar logo. It had new colors and small changes to fit the Winnipeg Jets brand.
Mascot
Mick E. Moose became the mascot of the Manitoba Moose in 1996. The Winnipeg Jets brought him to be their mascot in 2011. This happened when the Moose moved to St. John's. Since 2015, he has been the official mascot for both teams. Mick E. Moose also makes about 100 public appearances each year. He visits many community events.
Media Coverage
680 CJOB broadcasts some Moose games on the radio. All games can be streamed online. Daniel Fink is the team's Manager of Hockey Communications. He is also the play-by-play announcer. Fink started calling Moose games in 2019. TSN Radio 1290 (CFRW) had the broadcasting rights from 2015 to 2020. CJOB had radio rights before, from 1996 to 2011.
CKY-TV used to show some Moose games on TV from 1996 to 1999. A-Channel aired some games in the 2000-01 season. For the 2022 Calder Cup playoffs, home playoff games were shown on TSN.
Home Arena
The Manitoba Moose play their home games at Canada Life Centre. They share this arena with the Winnipeg Jets. The Moose are one of only two AHL teams that share an arena with their NHL parent club. The arena can hold 15,321 people for hockey. But for most Moose games, only the lower part of the arena is open. This section seats 8,812 fans. Practices and training are usually held at Bell MTS Iceplex. The Moose briefly moved to the Iceplex from March to May 2021. This was due to COVID-19 pandemic rules.
Before Canada Life Centre opened in November 2004, the team played at the Winnipeg Arena.
Season Results
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | SOL | Points | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing | Year | Prelim | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals | |
| 1996–97 | 82 | 32 | 40 | — | 10 | — | 74 | 262 | 300 | 5th, Midwest | 1997 | — | Did not qualify | ||||
| 1997–98 | 82 | 39 | 36 | — | 7 | — | 85 | 269 | 254 | 4th, Northwest | 1998 | — | L, 0–3, CHI | — | — | — | |
| 1998–99 | 82 | 47 | 21 | — | 14 | — | 108 | 269 | 236 | 2nd, Midwest | 1999 | — | W, 2–0, MIL | L, 0–3, CHI | — | — | |
| 1999–00 | 82 | 37 | 31 | — | 14 | — | 88 | 227 | 237 | 5th, West | 2000 | — | L, 0–2, LB | — | — | — | |
| 2000–01 | 82 | 39 | 31 | — | 12 | — | 90 | 222 | 230 | 3rd, West | 2001 | — | W, 4–3, HOU | L, 2–4, CHI | — | ||
| 2001–02 | 80 | 39 | 33 | 4 | 4 | — | 86 | 270 | 260 | 4th, Canadian | 2002 | W, 2–1, WOR | L, 1–3, BRI | — | — | — | |
| 2002–03 | 80 | 37 | 33 | 8 | 2 | — | 84 | 229 | 228 | 2nd, Canadian | 2003 | W, 2–1, POR | W, 3–1, PRO | L, 3–4, HAM | — | — | |
| 2003–04 | 80 | 32 | 35 | 11 | 2 | — | 77 | 214 | 232 | 6th, North | 2004 | Did not qualify | |||||
| 2004–05 | 80 | 44 | 26 | — | 7 | 3 | 98 | 243 | 210 | 3rd, North | 2005 | — | W, 4–1, STJ | W, 4–1, RCH | L, 0–4, CHI | — | |
| 2005–06 | 80 | 44 | 24 | — | 7 | 5 | 100 | 243 | 217 | 3rd, North | 2006 | — | W, 4–2, SYR | L, 3–4, GR | — | — | |
| 2006–07 | 80 | 45 | 23 | — | 7 | 5 | 102 | 232 | 201 | 1st, North | 2007 | — | W, 4–3, GR | L, 2–4, HAM | — | — | |
| 2007–08 | 80 | 46 | 27 | — | 3 | 4 | 99 | 236 | 197 | 3rd, North | 2008 | — | L, 2–4, SYR | — | — | — | |
| 2008–09 | 80 | 50 | 23 | — | 1 | 6 | 107 | 230 | 177 | 1st, League | 2009 | — | W, 4–2, TOR | W, 4–0, GR | W, 4–2, HOU | L, 2–4, HER | |
| 2009–10 | 80 | 40 | 33 | — | 5 | 2 | 87 | 204 | 232 | 4th North | 2010 | — | L, 2–4, HAM | — | — | — | |
| 2010–11 | 80 | 43 | 30 | — | 1 | 6 | 93 | 220 | 210 | 3rd, North | 2011 | — | W, 4–3, LEM | L, 3–4, HAM | — | — | |
| 2011–2015 | Played as St. John's IceCaps | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–16 | 76 | 26 | 41 | — | 4 | 5 | 61 | 180 | 250 | 7th, Central | 2016 | — | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2016–17 | 76 | 29 | 37 | — | 5 | 5 | 68 | 197 | 242 | 7th, Central | 2017 | — | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2017–18 | 76 | 42 | 26 | — | 4 | 4 | 92 | 253 | 198 | 3rd, Central | 2018 | — | W, 3–2, GR | L, 0–4, RFD | — | — | |
| 2018–19 | 76 | 39 | 30 | — | 5 | 2 | 85 | 197 | 219 | 5th, Central | 2019 | — | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2019–20 | 61 | 27 | 33 | — | 1 | 0 | 55 | 160 | 190 | 8th, Central | 2020 | — | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 2020–21 | 36 | 18 | 13 | — | 3 | 2 | 41 | 109 | 102 | 2nd, Canadian | 2021 | — | No playoffs were held | ||||
| 2021–22 | 72 | 41 | 24 | — | 5 | 2 | 89 | 228 | 204 | 2nd, Central | 2022 | BYE | L, 2–3, MIL | — | — | — | |
| 2022–23 | 72 | 37 | 25 | — | 6 | 4 | 84 | 227 | 226 | 3rd, Central | 2023 | BYE | L, 2–3, MIL | — | — | — | |
| 2023–24 | 72 | 34 | 35 | — | 2 | 1 | 71 | 225 | 243 | 5th, Central | 2024 | L, 0–2, TEX | — | — | — | — | |
| 2024–25 | 72 | 25 | 41 | — | 3 | 3 | 56 | 169 | 248 | 7th, Central | 2025 | Did not qualify | |||||
Team Players
Current Roster
Updated July 20, 2025.
| # | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 |  |
Dylan Anhorn | D | L | 26 | 2024 | Calgary, Alberta | Moose |
| 4 | |
Dawson Barteaux | D | R | 25 | 2023 | Foxwarren, Manitoba | Moose |
| 10 |  |
Kevin Conley | F | L | 28 | 2024 | Wausau, Wisconsin | Moose |
| 20 | |
Tyson Empey | F | L | 30 | 2024 | Swift Current, Saskatchewan | Moose |
| – | |
Ethan Frisch | D | R | 24 | 2025 | Moorhead, Minnesota | Moose |
| 6 | |
Ashton Sautner (A) | D | L | 31 | 2022 | Flin Flon, Manitoba | Moose |
| 43 | |
Graham Sward | D | L | 21 | 2024 | Langley, British Columbia | Moose |
| 9 | |
Reece Vitelli | RW | R | 24 | 2025 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Moose |
| 34 | |
Alex Worthington | G | L | 20 | 2025 | Waldheim, Saskatchewan | Moose |
| – | |
Chase Yoder | C | L | 23 | 2025 | Fairview, Texas | Moose |
| 8 | |
Ben Zloty | D | L | 23 | 2024 | Calgary, Alberta | Moose |
Team Captains
- Randy Gilhen, 1996–1997
- Scott Arniel, 1997–1999
- Brian Chapman, 1999–2003
- Dallas Eakins, 2003–2004
- Nolan Baumgartner, 2004–2005, 2010–2011
- Mike Keane, 2005–2010
- John Albert, 2015–2016
- Patrice Cormier, 2016–2018
- Peter Stoykewych, 2018–2020
- Jimmy Oligny, 2021–2024
- Dominic Toninato, 2024–2025
Retired Jersey Numbers
| No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Mike Keane | RW | 2005–2010 | February 12, 2011 |
| 21 | Jimmy Roy | LW | 1997–2006 | February 7, 2020 |
The team has not used jersey number 11 since 2012. This is to honor former player Rick Rypien. He passed away shortly after signing with the Winnipeg Jets in 2011. The Moose and Jets also wear #11 stickers on their helmets. This is part of their Project11 campaign. It helps raise awareness for mental health.
Head Coaches
- Jean Perron, 1996–1997
- Randy Carlyle, 1997–2001, 2004–2005
- Stan Smyl, 2001–2004
- Alain Vigneault, 2005–2006
- Scott Arniel, 2006–2010
- Claude Noel, 2010–2011
- Keith McCambridge, 2015–2016
- Pascal Vincent, 2016–2021
- Mark Morrison, 2021–present
Notable Former Players
These players played at least 100 games for the Moose. They also played at least 100 games in the National Hockey League.
- Mason Appleton
- Scott Arniel
- Alex Auld
- Nolan Baumgartner
- Kevin Bieksa
- Fred Brathwaite
- Mike Brown
- Alexandre Burrows
- Wade Flaherty
- Randy Gilhen
- Michael Grabner
- Josh Green
- Jannik Hansen
- Mike Keane
- Ryan Kesler
- Johnathan Kovacevic
- Brendan Lemieux
- Nic Petan
- Sean Pronger
- Rick Rypien
- Cory Schneider
- Logan Stanley
Team Records
These are some of the best records for the Manitoba Moose.
- Single Season Records
- Goals: 45 by Scott Thomas (1998–99)
- Assists: 81 by Stephane Morin (1994–95)
- Points: 114 by Stephane Morin (1994–95)
- Penalty minutes: 285 by Wade Brookbank (2004–05)
- Wins (Goalie): 35 by Cory Schneider (2009–10)
- Goals Against Average (GAA): 2.04 by Cory Schneider (2008–09)
- Save Percentage (SV%): .935 by Michael Hutchinson (2017–18)
- Career Records
- Career Goals: 158 by Jason Jaffray
- Career Assists: 244 by Jason Jaffray
- Career Points: 402 by Jason Jaffray
- Career Penalty Minutes: 1434 by Jimmy Roy
- Career Goaltending Wins: 84 by Cory Schneider
- Career Shutouts: 12 by Cory Schneider
- Career Games Played: 603 by Jimmy Roy
Top Scorers in Team History
These players have the most points in the team's history.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; = current Moose player
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Jaffray | LW | 493 | 158 | 244 | 402 | 0.82 |
| Brett Hauer | D | 322 | 58 | 193 | 251 | 0.78 |
| JC Lipon | RW | 452 | 80 | 142 | 222 | 0.49 |
| Nolan Baumgartner | D | 451 | 45 | 169 | 214 | 0.47 |
| Jimmy Roy | LW | 603 | 101 | 111 | 212 | 0.35 |
| Stephane Morin | F | 173 | 63 | 138 | 201 | 1.16 |
| Bill Bowler | C | 187 | 55 | 134 | 189 | 1.01 |
| Brandon Reid | C | 259 | 70 | 111 | 181 | 0.70 |
| Lee Goren | RW | 193 | 80 | 91 | 171 | 0.89 |
| Scott Arniel | F | 222 | 67 | 104 | 171 | 0.77 |
Team General Managers
- Jean Perron, 1996–97
- Randy Carlyle, 1997–2002
- Craig Heisinger, 2002–present
See also
- List of ice hockey teams in Manitoba
