a few short years ago the Moose only won 13 games!" The summation of the season is incr | Forum

The Winnipeg Goldeyes released their 2014 schedule on Wednesday, highlighted by the 2014 American Association All-Star Game taking place at Shaw Park on July 29. Nikita Kucherov Jersey . "This is always an exciting day for our organization as we begin to see what the 2014 season will look like," Goldeyes general manager Andrew Collier said. "Theres lots of variety with 10 different teams visiting Winnipeg, but also six series at home against North Division rivals." The Goldeyes will begin their season in Texas for the third straight summer. The 2014 campaign for Winnipeg starts with a four-game series in north Texas against the Amarillo Sox before shifting to south Texas for a three-game series against the Laredo Lemurs. Following an off-day, the Goldeyes conclude the trip with three games in Lincoln against the Saltdogs. Winnipegs 2014 home opener is scheduled for May 26 against the Sioux City Explorers. Its the first time the Goldeyes will face the Explorers in their home opener since 2005. The seven-game homestand ends with four games against Lincoln.The Grand Prairie AirHogs will make their first ever visit to Shaw Park from June 10-12. For the second consecutive season, the Goldeyes will go east for a 10-game road trip through the Can-Am League from June 17-26. Winnipeg will entertain a Can-Am League team from August 18-20. The opponents for these 13 games will be known at a future date. The Goldeyes will play on Canada Day for the first time since 2009 as part of a three-game series against the Kansas City T-Bones. As previously released, the 2014 American Association All-Star festivities will take place on July 28-29 at Shaw Park. Winnipegs 2014 regular season schedule will conclude with four games against the 2013 American Association Champion Gary SouthShore RailCats from August 29 – September 1. Click here for the entire 2014 schedule. Tyler Johnson Lightning Jersey . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. Alex Killorn Jersey . Mitch Holmberg added a goal and three assists. Connor Chartier also scored for the Chiefs (3-0-0). Luke Harrison spoiled Garrett Hughsons shutout bid with a power-play goal at 13:17 of the third period. The Spokane goaltender finished with 28 saves, including a Brandon Fushimi penalty shot in the second period that would have tied the game 1-1. http://www.lightninghockeyshop.us/Ben-Bishop-Jersey/ . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands.The Halifax Mooseheads have completed the best hockey year ever in this part of the country. There have been great Maritime teams in the past, but none come close to the team and individual accomplishments of the Mooseheads and some of their star players this year. What a year! The Mooseheads had only seven losses in regulation time in the 68-game regular season.  That is the second best mark in the history of the QMJHL.  The best, by several tenths of a percentage point, was set by the Quebec Remparts in the glory years of Guy Lafleur. The Mooseheads then won 15 of 16 games in the QMJHL playoffs. Then they took the Memorial Cup. And the accomplishments didnt stop there. The junior leagues are normally dominated by older players, but would you believe three Halifax players were drafted in the first two rounds in Sundays NHL Draft, including two of the first three picks overall? Nathan MacKinnon went first (Colorado), Jonathan Drouin went third (Tampa Bay) and Zach Fucale went 36th (Montreal). Halifax was also built on good draft picks, along with some good trades. "In fact, this season could be traced to trades of players to get picks and ultimately those picks led to a deal for MacKinnon and moving up in the draft to get Jonathan Drouin two years ago," said team owner and president Bobby Smith. The Moose gave up a lot to get MacKinnon from Baie Comeau, but it was worth it.  Then with their first pick in the midget draft, the second pick overall behind MacKinnon, the Moose took a skinny kid named Jonathan Drouin. He was a virtual unknown to most Canadians six months ago, but that soon changed and ended up being the third pick in the NHL Draft on Sunday. The third member of this years Moosehead club to be selected in the NHL lottery was goaltender Zach Fucale, a kid who grew up in Rosemere, Quebec and adored the Montreal Canadiens. And of course, the Canadiens picked him in the second round. So three Moose drafted in the first 36 selections. Youth was clearly served with this team. East Coast Greatness There have been good, if not great, hockey teams from Atlantic Canada in the past. The Nova Scotia Vees became the first ever Canadian team to win the AHL Calder Cup in the 1971-72 season. It was the first of three championships for the Vees. The New Brunswick Hawks had good teams in the 80s and the Cape Breton Oilers won the Calder Cup in 1993. Even the St. Johns Leafs had a very exciting debut in 1991-92 when they lost the AHL Final in seven games to the Adirondack Red Wings.  Not bad for a first year team. But all these accomplishments pale in comparison to what transpired this year. Its been a long time coming for Moose fans. Halifax became the first team from Maritime/Atlantic Canada to join the QMJHL in the summer of 1994. Their first coach and GM was Clement Jodoin. Teams from the Maritimes have played for the Memorial Cup since then, as the Moncton Wildcats made it to the Finals in 2006 before losing to a Quebec team coached by Patrick Roy. Halifax even hosted the tournament in 2000, but the host Mooseheads did not get out of the semifinal. The Mooseheads broke the mold this year, winning the presidents trophy as QMJHL champs, and then winning the Memorial Cup to become national junior champions. The Down Years For a good two or three years (2008-2010) the Moose were one of the worst teams in Canada.  They were in or near the cellar in that time frame. But the kids held tough. "For three years we lost more games than any other junior team in Canada.  It was part of the rebuilding process. We knew it would be hard, and it was hard, but it had to be done by our General Manager Cam Russell," Smith told TSN.ca. "It worked out as only four or five players were not with the team when they won the Memorial Cup. The bulk of the club has been with the Moose all their lives with so few trades." Then came the MacKinnon trade, the drafting of Drouin, the pleasant if not surprising development of Furcale and with a few veterans acquired by trade, Halifax had a team that made a big jump last year and jumped right off the charts this season. While the Moose were expected to be very good, few predicted such unprecedented dominance. "Its an amazing story," says Chris Cochrane, a Halifax sports columnist. "Ive been following sports all my life and never have I seen anything like it. Ryan Callahan Jersey. " One man, though, had a good idea of what was in store. The late sports broadcaster and columnist Pat Connolly, who passed away late last August, told TSN at last years training camp that, "if this team stays healthy they will win the Presidents cup and could do great things." Pat, who was the teams P.A. announcer for 16 years, would have been proud.  This man was behind the microphone for the Calder Cup wins by the Vees and Cape Breton Oilers. And the Moose did not disappoint. Checkered Past In the past there was hope that always seemed to get dashed.  While they never won the Presidents Cup until this year, they came close.  They lost in 2003 to Hull after leading the best of seven 3-2. They dropped the last two games, including the last one at home. They were back in 2005 but got beaten by Rimouski and a kid called Sidney Crosby. Recently, there have been lots of MacKinnon to Crosby comparisons. MacKinnon made a Crosby-like impression on Roy when, as a rookie, he scored five goals against Quebec in a win. Both are from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, which is part of Greater Halifax.  In fact the town signs say "Welcome to Cole Harbour, the home of Sidney Crosby".  I wonder if they will add Nathan MacKinnon to that some day? Both went off to the hockey prep school of Shattuck-St. Marys in the United States for one year and excelled. Both were the first picks of their midget draft. And, following Sunday, both were the first overall pick of the NHL draft. But MacKinnon was able to achieve one thing that Crosby didnt – win a Memorial Cup. Crosby reached the final with Rimouski, but went down to the London Knights. The Drouin story is even better. While MacKinnon was a star and had great lower body power as a midget, Drouin was under-sized. While he was the first player drafted after MacKinnon in the midget draft, he did not think he was big enough to play major junior and elected to stay in Quebec and play midget in the fall of 2010. But the Mooseheads persisted and Russell convinced Drouin and his family that he had nothing to gain by staying in the midget league. Drouin came to Halifax before the Christmas break and that turned out to be a sterling move for both Drouin and the Mooseheads. In the space of one year this kid became a national star. He starred in the playoffs in 2011 when the Moose trailed Quebec 3-0 and then won the next four games to take the series with Drouin scoring the OT winner in game seven. Then last year he became a household name to those who follow the world juniors. "He made the team on the opening shift on opening day. Hes just an amazing offensive talent," said Team Canada coach Steve Spott. No member of the Halifax Mooseheads has ever won the QMJHL scoring title, but Drouin came close.  With one game left he was tied for the lead with PEIs Ben Duffy.  Drouin had a two-point night in his final game but Duffy had a five pointer to win. But Drouin only played 49 games!  He missed some due to an injury and a month being with the world juniors. In all, he missed 19 games and was the only junior in Canada to average two points a game. Dan Robertson does the Moose Television play by play on Eastlink and has followed the team for 15 years. Drouin made an impression on the veteran broadcaster. "Ive never seen a better puck handler and his lateral movement is exceptional if not downright amazing,"said Robertson. "He is also deceptive strong in his lower body." Drouin was named the CHL Player of the Year. As for the year that just passed in Halifax, Robertson said it might take time for locals to realize how special the season really was.  "We will, in 20 years, realize what just happened.  From cellar-dwellers to the highest echelon of major junior hockey - it was a glorious and amazing season.  To think that a few short years ago the Moose only won 13 games!" The summation of the season is incredible. Presidents Trophy winners, Memorial Cup champs, three top picks in the NHL draft – headed by MacKinnon at first overall, and Drouin being named CHL Player of the Year. Did we mention a franchise record for attendance? Almost 9,000 per game. It doesnt get any better.  They are the best ever hockey team in Atlantic Canada. For TSN.ca, Im Alex J. Walling. Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '