Back in the Swing of Things
Okay, I’ve neglected the blog for long enough. It has just been hard after taking some time off around the Holidays. There have been a number of things that fall into my sphere of content that I chose not to write about: World Juniors, QMJHL trade deadline, NBL Canada All-Star Weekend coming to Halifax, Marchand suspension.
But I am breaking my silence. With 2012 well underway now, there are a lot of things I am excited about.
Abeltshauser Leads Germans Back to World Juniors
Mooseheads' Abeltshauser earned top defenseman and a birth for Germany at the 2013 World Juniors (photo credit: Richard Lafortune)
Abeltshauser, the German captain, was named the tournament’s Best Defenceman and led the blueliner stats with seven points (1+6) and a +10 rating. The German rearguard’s only goal of the tournament couldn’t have come at a better time.
Late in their final game, Germany found themselves trailing Norway 3-2. The Junior Germans need to earn a single point from the game to qualify for the 2013 World Junior invite, but a loss to the Norwegian team would mean the Scandanavian nation would be in Ufa, Russia next Christmas. Abeltshauser got the tying goal with just under four minutes left to play and was on the ice for two late powerplay goals that put the game away for the Germans.
Ryan and Frk Named to Top Prospects Game
Frk and Ryan will compete with the best draft eligible players from the CHL (photo credit: Richard Lafortune)
Both Ryan and Frk have been slowed by injuries in this their draft eligible year. Frk, considered to be a consensus first rounder, returned to the Mooseheads in the past week from a preseason concussion. He was the leading scorer for Halifax last year and recorded his his first goal of this season Sunday against the Saint John Sea Dog.
Ryan is a pleasant surprise to be named to the team. Ryan is certainly a talent player with a tantilizing combination of size and skill. He was mentioned on the NHL Central Scouting’s list of top 25 skaters from the QMJHL, but not ranked due to his limited viewing. Perhaps it came into play that scouts wanted to see more of Rayn, and the Top Prospects game offers a great opportuity to do so against his peers.
On the flip side, teammate Luca Ciampini was listed as 25th on that same ranking, but has not been invited. Ciampini had a promising start to the year while playing on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and Darcy Ashley, but has struggled of late. He had 16 points in the first 17 games, but has managed only four points in the last 16 games.
The Complete 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Rosters: Read more…
Mooseheads Crack Top Ten
The addition of Drouin, along with Frk, have helped vault the Mooseheads into the CHL Top 10 (photo credit: Richard Lafortune)
Halifax has been on the edge of the National rankings for the past couple months, but were unable to be officially ranked. Following a 9-1 October that included a victory over the highly ranked Quebec Remparts, the team was able to garner Honourable Mention a couple times, but was still on the outside looking in. You could see the talent was there ad their time would come.
Frankly, I didn’t expect this to be the week the Moose were recognized amongst the CHL elite. Friday night, the Mooseheads suffered a 6-1 loss at the hands of the PEI Rocket, the last place team in the Q. Saturday, they dropped another in a 7-3 game against a Saint John Sea Dogs team that was without stars Jonathan Huberdeau, Zack Phillips and Nathan Beaulieu who had left for the Team Canada World Junior Hockey Championship selection camp. Read more…
Mooseheads Ice Rookie Dynamic Duo
Drouin will hit the Metro Centre ice for the first time since last February's Canada Games (photo credit: Richard Lafortune)
Jonathan Drouin finally joins the team after starting the year with his AAA midget team in Quebec. Drouin tallied 53 points in his 22 games for the Lac-St. Louis Lions, but it was less about his on-ice development that has him ready to take this step. Since being drafted, the highly touted left-winger has grown an inch and packed on more than 20 lbs to stand 5’10″ and 175lbs. The increased size and strength seem to have made the transition to the Q more comfortable for Drouin when facing physically mature 19 and 20 year-olds on a regular basis.
According to Matthew Wuest of the Metro Halifax, Drouin may find himself on the second line for his debut with Matthew Boudreau and Alexandre Grenier. This may help him feel comfortable as all three are from the west side of Montreal. Could this be Halifax’s version of the French Connection line.
Rainmen is Player of the Week
Justin Johnson of the Halifax Rainmen has been named National Basketball League of Canada Player of the Week for the week ending December 11, 2011.
Johnson, a 6’6″ guard from Iowa, averaged 15 points in two Halifax victories this week. His contribution was quality in addition to quantity as he had the game-winning basket on Thursday, Dec. 8th in a 97-96 win over Summerside while pulling down a tidy nine rebounds against the Storm. The Rainmen guard is averaging 12.5 points/game to along with 5.8 rebounds/game on the season.
This is the second time a player from Halifax has received this honour; Joey Haywood received the Player of the Week award last month.
Halifax hits the road for a pair of games this week; Thursday they visit the Quebec Kebs and Saturday travel to Oshawa to meet the Power.
Drouin to Join The Herd
Drouin will be sporting a Mooseheads Jersey as early as Tuesday
Drouin was the second overall pick in the QMJHL draft last June behind only Nathan MacKinnon who was selected by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar before being traded to Halifax. After Halifax failed in their bid to trade up to the top spot in the draft, the Mooseheads swung a deal to get the second pick and Drouin.
At the draft Drouin seemed happy about being selected by the Mooseheads and excitement about joining the club for the upcoming season. Sometime between June and August that excitement faded and turn into…nervousness? anxiety? apprehension?
MacKinnon Earns Q Star for Second Consecutive Week
This happened five times Saturday night for the Q's second star of the week (photo credit: Richard Lafortune)
One week ago, Hockey Canada released its roster for the World Junior Hockey Championship selection camp. Not on the list of 41 junior aged players invited to tryout? Nathan MacKinnon. Later that day, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced McKinnon as the first star for the week.
Fast forward to this week and MacKinnon is once again being honoured, this week as the QMJHL second star. After, what some dubbed “not his best performance” against Gatineau on Friday where he recorded one assist, MacKinnon almost single-handedly dispatched the Quebec Remparts scoring five goals in the 6-4 victory. The five goals in one game tied team record established in 2001 by Jason King. He finished the week with 5 goals, 1 assist for a total of 6 points and a +/- of +5.
Oh yeah, someone got first star, right?
MacKinnon Shines in Mooseheads Win
MacKinnon's five goal performance led the Mooseheads to the win over the Rempart (photo credit: Richard Lafortune)
The game featured some of the top young talent in the league, the country, and it could be argued the world: Duclair, Erne, Grigorenko, and of course Nathan MacKinnon. I had this game billed as a match-up between the two next potential first overall picks. While Grigorenko has closed the gap on Sarnia Sting forward Nail Yakupov in the race for the top spot in the next NHL Draft, MacKinnon is the leading candidate for the honour in 2013.
While Grigorenko flashed some of the skill that has him firmly entrenched in that debate, picking up a goal and an assist. MacKinnon stole the show and led the Moose to a 6-4 victory and took the season series from the Remparts.
2012 v. 2013
Two top prospects Nathan MacKinnon and Mikhail Grigorenko faceoff Satuday night at the Metro Centre (photo credit: Richard Lafortune)
Much of the excitement for the game will be tied up in the head-to-head matchup of two of the brightest stars in the QMJHL. Mikhail Grigorenko and Nathan MacKinnon have a good chance at being the first overall picks in the NHL draft for the next two years respectively.
