Published Apr 17, 2025 • 4 minute readHalifax Mooseheads goalie Jacob Steinman embraces captain Brady Schultz after being eliminated from the QMJHL playoffs by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at the Scotiabank Centre on Wednesday. Photo by Tim Krochak /Chronicle HeraldThe season may be over for the Halifax Mooseheads but there’s a feeling around the team they’ve only just begun.Players and staff shed plenty of tears and exchanged countless hugs in a long, emotional goodbye after Wednesday’s playoff elimination at the Scotiabank Centre but it was accompanied by an unmistakable vibe of gratitude and optimism.To a man, everyone was sorry to see the year end because of how uniquely tightknit this group was. But there was also a sense of accomplishment and a universal excitement about what lies ahead for the rapidly maturing core of talent.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 content“Throughout all the teams I played on here, I still keep in contact with all of the guys, but this team is special,” said four-year veteran Brady Schultz. “Everyone’s best friends with everyone in there. You could see it on the ice and you could see it after the game tonight.“It’s one of the reasons we made it as far as we did with really no expectations from anyone. Everyone’s so close and that includes the coaches, the equipment managers and everyone else on the staff. It was such a special group.”The clear origin for those strong bonds was the leadership group. New head coach Andrew Lord collaborated with his 20-year-olds to create a culture built on enthusiasm and trust. Schultz, Braeden MacPhee and Jacob Steinman were the only players older than 18 on the team and they made it their mission to set the example for those core values.Despite knowing their major junior journey was coming to an end and being realistic enough to know a championship was highly unlikely for a team going through a youth movement, those three players still dug in deeper than anyone could’ve imagined.Article contentSchultz never seemed to leave the ice in the playoffs and finished as the team scoring leader. Steinman faced 40-plus shots per game in the final series and was the runaway team MVP, while MacPhee literally kept hustling until the very end. In a fitting finish to his junior career, the hard-working centre went after a Rouyn-Noranda player so hard on the forecheck in the final minute of Wednesday’s 5-1 loss, he ended up in the penalty box.And then long after the final buzzer had sounded and the handshakes and fan tributes were over, every single Halifax player and staff member stayed on the ice while the three 20-year-olds finished their on-ice TV interviews before exiting together.“It’s hard to describe how tight we are, honestly,” MacPhee said. “We wanted to create a family and that’s exactly what we did. So it hurts for this to be the end of it but it was a really special year and I’m so proud of everyone.”Schultz (Quinnipiac) and Steinman (Bowling Green State) will now move on to the NCAA and MacPhee will likely land nearby with an AUS program. The players who will be back in Halifax next year are clearly hungry to take everything to the next level and it isn’t an overstatement to say the environment and standards the overagers established should leave a lasting legacy.Article content“I’m not going to take credit for it because there have been so many great people that have played a part in it and taught us as well,” MacPhee said. “But it is very special and it was great to see the young guys really buy into the culture. It’s going to be exciting. This team has a chance to be very special and I’m looking forward to watching them grow.”DEEP CORE OF RETURNEES SET TO GET EVEN DEEPERSpeaking of who will be back next season, it’s rare to see this much quality and quantity so that’s why the optimism is at such a peak level.There were five blue-chip 16-year-olds who made important progress this year – Danny Walters, Caylen Blake, Will Bent, Nick Cirka and Amelio Santini – plus seven 17-year-olds who gained valuable mileage.Among them, Shawn Carrier, Liam Kilfoil, Carlos Handel, Eddy Doyle and Justin Chiras established themselves as building block players, while Patrick McNab and Alec Nasreddine forged a gritty identity that was particularly noticeable when the intensity picked up in the post-season.Article contentCore 18-year-olds Quinn Kennedy and Owen Phillips elevated themselves as leaders in the playoffs and should transition into even bigger roles in that area next year. Defenceman Mathieu Taillefer also blossomed, along with Lincoln Waugh when he was called on to take on huge responsibilities after several key injuries on the blueline. Fellow 18-year-olds Callum Aucoin, Antoine Fontaine and Cade Moser also came through in a variety of unsung assignments up front, especially in checking responsibilities and on the penalty kill.All of those players give the Mooseheads 19 potential returnees – 12 forwards, six defencemen and one goalie – so the foundation is in tremendous shape, plus everyone now has a full season and two playoff rounds under their belts. But that doesn’t even account for what will be added to that deep core during the off-season.There are openings for three overagers through trades or free agency and it’s sounding like the CHL will change the rules to increase the number of import players from two to three next season. Handel is the only European on the Halifax roster so there’s a possibility two more will be added in the import draft or through trades.And don’t forget the organization’s well-established bread and butter – the QMJHL draft. The Mooseheads are poised to add another wave of young talent, most notably with their first-round pick. They finished 16th overall so they have a chance to win the lottery for No. 1 overall.It all adds up to a bright future in Halifax, both in the short and long term.Article content
Looking back and ahead at Mooseheads’ talent base, team culture: ‘This team is special’
