Mooseheads will ice a team ‘fans can be proud of’: Owner

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

More changes are likely coming to the Halifax Mooseheads after a disappointing playoff performance.

“We’re going to entre a little bit of a different phase for our team,” co-owner Peter Simon told CityNews 95.7 on Thursday. “But at the same time, we want to make sure the team is still a good product for our fans.”

The Mooseheads fired head coach Jim Midgley and assistant Liam Heelis earlier this week after being swept out of the playoffs by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Simon called the result “unacceptable” despite the team missing last year’s MVP Jordan Dumais and captain Jake Furlong to injury.

“Missing two of your best players is a big loss but it doesn’t justify what happened in the playoffs,” he said.

Simon said while the team is now heading for a rebuild, the goal is to still put a strong team out on the ice.

“At the end of the day we want to do it right, but throughout the process we want to be sure the level of detail and the competitiveness of the team is still one the fans can be proud of,” Simon said.

Attention now turns to the upcoming Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) entry draft. The Val-d’Or Foreurs, the Cape Breton Eagles, the Québec Remparts and the Saint John Sea Dogs all have a shot at the first overall pick, which will be determined in the draft lottery on Apr. 25.

Related:

• Mooseheads fire Head Coach and Assistant after early playoff exit
• “A major loss”: Mooseheads prepare for playoff run without team captain
• Halifax Mooseheads open Q-League playoffs with an overtime loss to the Titan

As for Halifax’s draft plans, Simon said the team’s scouts are working hard ahead of the selection.

“We’re looking for the best player available,” Simon said. “I also think it’s not just what they do on the ice, their skills and talent, it’s also what type of player are they off the ice, the character that they have.”

The draft will be held on June 8 in Moncton.