Published May 09, 2025 • Last updated 4 minutes ago • 5 minute readFormer Halifax Mooseheads forwards Mathieu Cataford, left, and Markus Vidicek will be key players for the Rimouski Oceanic and Moncton Wildcats, respectively, in the QMJHL championship series. Photo by QMJHLThere is an unmistakable Mooseheads flavour in this year’s QMJHL final.There are a combined seven ex-Halifax players on the Moncton Wildcats and Rimouski Oceanic, with most of them filling important roles for their teams. The Wildcats have four of those players on their roster – Markus Vidicek, Dylan MacKinnon, Mathis Rousseau and Logan Crosby.Vidicek is Moncton’s captain and main two-way centre so he will likely draw the most difficult defensive matchups. The same goes for MacKinnon, who is one of the best shutdown defencemen in the league.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentIn all likelihood, they will see a ton of former teammate Mathieu Cataford, who won the Q MVP award last year with the Mooseheads but is now a centrepiece of the Rimouski offence. Vidicek was named a finalist for the league’s defensive forward award on Thursday, despite also being a top offensive player. He has averaged more than a point per game (359 points in 350 games) during his five-year QMJHL career.The only factor that may limit that head-to-head matchup is Cataford’s health. He’s been in and out of the Oceanic lineup with injuries for most of the playoffs so his status for the final is uncertain.Rousseau and Crosby joined the Wildcats in a January deadline trade and both have played less than expected. Crosby has had a miserable run of injuries ever since leaving Halifax and Rousseau has been splitting time with Rudy Guimond in the Moncton net.Defenceman Jack Martin and forward Lou Levesque are the other ex-Mooseheads in the Rimouski lineup. They were the two players that went the other way in the January trade that sent Quinn Kennedy to Halifax.Article contentMartin and MacKinnon have been close friends since they were kids playing minor hockey together in Moncton and were often paired together on the Halifax blueline. Levesque requested a trade to a Quebec-based team for family reasons and Cataford lobbied Oceanic management to bring him to Rimouski because they had such good chemistry with the Mooseheads.It took Levesque some time to settle in with his new team but he’s been in on several key goals for the Oceanic during the playoffs. Martin is also playing the best hockey of his major junior career, producing eight points in 12 post-season games so far.Otherwise, Halifax native Logan Roop has made it into five playoff games for the Oceanic and Havre Boucher’s Riley Sampson (eight games) and Truro’s Simon Mullen (four games) have had part-time roles for the Wildcats.WHO WILL WIN THE FINAL?As for the hockey itself, it’s always hard to know how to feel when the Memorial Cup hosts make it to the final.Both teams have already clinched their spots in the tournament because it will be held in Rimouski so some of the incentive to empty the tank to try to win the Gilles Courteau Trophy is dampened. But it’s almost impossible to tell hockey players not to compete their hardest so it should still be an intense best-of-seven.Article contentWhat’s also true is teams rarely make it this far in the playoffs without some bumps and bruises so the coaches and management may opt to sit some guys in order to get them closer to 100 per cent for the Memorial Cup. The Oceanic, in particular, have had their share of injury woes and are coming off a demanding seven-game semifinal against the Shawinigan Cataractes so some of their players could benefit from a break.If that turns out to be the case, the Wildcats should be considered a strong favourite to win the series. They’ve been mostly healthy all playoffs and are playing extremely well at the moment.But even if the Oceanic are able and willing to go with a full lineup, the Wildcats are still likely to win it all. They won their final 15 games of the regular season to run away with first place overall and have only lost one playoff game so far. With legendary coach Gardiner MacDougall guiding the ship, it feels unlikely he will allow them to lose at this point.Article contentAnd to be clear, that is no slight on the Oceanic. They finished second overall during the season and management did a tremendous job loading their roster with talent in preparation for the Memorial Cup. They are an excellent team that will represent the league well as hosts. It just feels like the Moncton machine is running too well right now to be stopped.Prediction: Moncton in five.LEAGUE RELEASES DRAFT LIST, ALL-STAR TEAMS AND SOME AWARD FINALISTSEven though there is meaningful hockey still being played, the league generated a handful of interesting off-season news items last week.The Q’s Central Scouting Service kicked it off with its final rankings for next month’s draft. Nova Scotia technically placed two players in the first round – forwards Phenwick MacLean of Dartmouth Steele Subaru at 10th and Maxwell Branton of the Toronto Marlboros at 14th.Bedford’s MacLean had 48 points in 35 games in the Nova Scotia Under-18 Hockey League this year and Branton played one season of under-15 hockey in Halifax in 2022-23 after moving here from Newfoundland. He spent the 2023-24 season in the Pittsburgh Penguins 14 and under program before jumping to the Greater Toronto Under-16 Hockey League this past year.Article contentOther locals ranked in the top three rounds were: goalie Sam Berthiaume of South Kent School in Connecticut at 32nd overall and Pictou County forwards Austin Hoyt (48th) and Tanner Hayden (50th). Berthiaume is the second-highest ranked goalie behind Quebec’s Mathys Fortin at No. 28.The Mooseheads pick third overall so there’s also plenty of interest in the top few prospects on the list, who are all from Quebec. Forward Alexis Joseph is first overall, followed by defenceman Malik L’Italien and forwards Antoine Provencher, Thomas Charbonneau and James Scantlebury.American players were ranked in a separate list. The QMJHL draft will be held in Quebec City, June 6-7.The league also announced its regular season all-stars and two Mooseheads made the grade. Goalie Jacob Steinman earned a spot on the first team and defenceman Carlos Handel made the all-rookie roster.Middle Sackville’s Alex Carr landed on the second all-star team, along with Bridgewater’s Luke Woodworth. Carr plays for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and was also named a finalist for the league’s top defensive defenceman award. Woodworth is a centre for the Drummondville Voltigeurs.Article content
QMJHL: Championship series preview, draft rankings released, two Mooseheads honoured by league
