New coach, no problem for Mooseheads
Over 20 players from this province attending various QMJHL training camps
Starting fresh with a new head coach is the usual routine for Joel Bishop.
The Halifax Mooseheads forward from St. John’s entered the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with Dominique Ducharme in 2015, started over with Andre Tourigny the following year and then re-established himself under Jim Midgley last season.
So entering his fourth Mooseheads training camp with Eric Veilleux behind the bench didn’t faze Bishop in the least.
“Every year I’ve come in it’s been a new coach so it’s kind of like a fresh start for me every time,” said the veteran forward. “You still have to come in and work hard no matter what. I still see myself as someone who has to come in and prove myself and make the team.
“You come in to show them what you’ve got and work for your role. You always have to show them the way you can play and hopefully they want you on the team for a certain role. That’s how the rookies should look at it. There are opportunities there and even if they don’t make the team this year, it’s great experience for them.”
Bishop is one of 20 players at camp with experience as a fulltime major junior player.
And he’s joined by four other players from Newfoundland and Labrador. Kyle Petten of Bay Roberts is back for his second season with the Herd, while Gander’s Jordan Maher comes over for his overage year in Halifax after winning a QMJHL championship and Memorial Cup with the Acadiebathurst Titan last season.
Nick French and Curtis Heffernan are also attending the Mooseheads’ camp as free agent invites. French played with the St. John’s Maple Leafs of the provincial major midget circuit last season, while Heffernan toiled for the Truro Bearcats of the Maritime Junior Hockey League in 2017-18.
The Mooseheads’ final roster will likely be about 80 or 90 per cent veterans in 2018-19, when Halifax plays host to the Memorial Cup.
Maher alone has 291 major junior games on his resume, and is the only fifth-year player in Mooseheads camp, but he
readily concedes that doesn’t mean anything now.
“It’s all a new experience for me,” said the 20-year-old winger. “I had the same coach for the last four years and now I’m coming into a new team with a new coach so it’s a big change. But I’m ready for it and I think everybody is excited for the season.
“Wherever I fit into the lineup is fine with me. I just want to do whatever I’m asked and try to help the team.”
What will help players like Bishop and Maher is their apparent willingness to speak Veilleux’s language. The veteran coach values effort above everything else so the players who want to make the team, or see the most ice time, are the ones who will compete the hardest.
“I’m definitely going to try
to lead by example out on the ice,” Maher said. “We’re trying to build our team around work ethic and I think that’s something I can bring to the team.
“We have a good team with a lot of good players so I just want to come in and do my job. Hopefully things will fall into place.”
“The new guys coming in, you try to show them the ropes,” Bishop said.
“This is my fourth year and I like to show them how things work here. It’s a great organization and you want to help them get comfortable.”
The Mooseheads were set to play host to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in a pre-season game Tuesday night at the 4Pad facility in Dartmouth.
Heffernan and Petten were in the lineup for Halifax, while fourth-year defenceman Ian Smallwood and second-year forward Kyle Mcgrath of St. John’s were penciled in the Cape Breton lineup.
Here’s a look at the other hockey players from Newfoundland and Labrador at QMJHL camps:
Moncton Wildcats
The Wildcats were scheduled to play host to the Charlottetown Islanders Tuesday night, and Mark Rumsey of St. John’s and Chris Murphy of Mount Pearl were in Moncton’s lineup. Murphy had a goal in Moncton’s 4-3 win over Charlottetown Sunday on the Island. Keeping with the Wildcats, 2018 draft pick Mark Hillier of Labrador City, drafted 64th overall in June, is not in camp, presumably to keep his NCAA eligibility open.
Charlottetown Islanders
Three players are in Charlottetown’s camp, including Brett Budgell of St. John’s who is entering his draft year. Big things are expected from Budgell, who had 10 goals and 22 points in 32 games last season.
Drew Bennett of Mount Pearl, who played prep school hockey in the U.S. last season,
is in camp along with Greg Kehoe of St. John’s.
Nathan Kelly of Paradise, who was drafted in June, was cut, and Alex Power of St. John’s, who was also a June draft pick, left camp, to maintain his NCAA eligibility.
Drummondville Voltigeurs
Dawson Mercer of Bay Roberts, who scored 11 goals as a rookie last season, remains the only Newfoundlander left in the Voltigeurs camp after 2018 draft pick Noah Wilson of St. John’s was cut.
Quebec Remparts
Jesse Sutton of Mount Pearl, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his junior career, returns to the Remparts as an overager. Sutton did manager to appear in 68 games last season, scoring 22 goals and 46 points. Matthew Grouchy of Labrador City is set to begin his third season in the QMJHL with Quebec after starting his junior career with Charlottetown.
Acadie-bathurst Titan
Only starting goaltender Evan Fitzpatrick of Mount Pearl, now living in Lower Sackville, N.S., and defenceman Zack Bennett of Bay Roberts are back with the defending QMJHL and Memorial Cup champs, who are rebuilding. Fitzpatrick will be attending the St. Louis Blues’ camp for the third straight year after St. Louis made him the 59th pick in the 2016 NHL draft.
Bennett appeared in only two games for the Titan last season (none in the playoffs) following seven starts and subsequent trade with Drummondville. Liam Leonard of Clarenville, who got in one game with the Titan last season, is in camp along with 2018 draft pick Kyle Lynch of C.B.S. Ethan Stuckless, who played midget hockey for the East Coast Blizzard last season, was cut.
Rimouski Oceanic
The Oceanic still have 2018 draft pick Brandon Casey of Grand Falls-windsor in camp. Casey was taken in the fifth round, 75th overall, in June.
Shawinigan Cataractes
Lucas Fitzpatrick, who like his older brother, Evan, is a goalie, will play his second season in Shawinigan. Fitzpatrick was 4-19-1 for the Cataractes last season.
Val d’or Foreurs
Defenceman Michael Oliver of Mount Pearl is in the Foreurs’ training camp. A 2017 draft pick by Val d’or, Oliver played prep school hockey in Nova Scotia last season.