Halifax Mooseheads ready for new QMJHL season
Posted Sep 21, 2012 08:43:49 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Halifax Mooseheads regular season gets underway Friday night with high expectations for their performance this year from both the fans and the franchise.
With a roster full of young players, the Mooseheads surprised many last season by making it to the QMJHL semi-finals.
A lot of that talent is returning which is stirring up hype they be one of the teams to beat.
The team’s General Manager Cam Russell said their secret weapon is their depth.
“We’ve got eight really good defencemen here right now. We’ve got thirteen forwards that are all capable of playing and playing a lot. You know, we’ve got some potent skills we can throw on the attack but like I say our depth should really come in handy this year,” said Russell.
He adds however, that there’s always room for improvement, even among highly-talented players.
“This is a big year obviously for Nathan (MacKinnon) with his draft year, as well as Jonathan Drouin and Zach Fucale – they’re all up for the draft, so I think you’ll definitely see improvement.”
Owner Bobby Smith said it’s not only the star players who will be working hard.
“There’s pressure on more than just those three players, and part of what will make it a very interesting year,” Smith said.
While the mood is optimistic on the verge of the season, the Moose are no stranger to criticism. Head Coach Dominique Ducharme told News 95.7 that won’t affect their game.
“What people say in town or around the league or in media, we can’t control that. What we control is the way we work together to get better,” Ducharme said.
One of the aspects they still need to work on is team chemistry, Ducharme added.
“Even though we have a lot of guys from last year coming back, we have a lot of guys coming in, new guys,” he said.
The Mooseheads will be on the road taking on the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Friday at 7 p.m.
