We all know the impact that Colorado Avalanche star center Nathan MacKinnon makes at Ball Arena. We know what he is capable of. He is a true star and one of the best players in franchise history. In 2022, he won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche while putting up 32 goals and 56 assists in 65 games.
He was also good before he was even drafted by the Avalanche. MacKinnon has added another achievement to his incredible hockey career. The 28-year-old will have his Halifax Mooseheads jersey retired on September 22nd, the Mooseheads’ home opener for the upcoming season.
Nathan MacKinnon played for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL for two seasons. During those two seasons, he played in 102 games, scoring 63 goals and assisting on 90 other goals. That is a sign of a true impact-maker. He was able to do everything even at the lower levels of hockey. That’s what made him into the first-overall pick that he was in the 2013 NHL Draft.
One of the things that opened my eyes the most is his plus/minus ratios in those two seasons. In his first season, he had a plus-11, but in his second season, he jumped all the way up to a plus-40 player.
One of MacKinnon’s teammates on the Colorado Avalanche right now is Jonathan Drouin. Drouin was just signed by the Avalanche this offseason and I bet that MacKinnon had a fairly big say in the addition of him. It’s always a good sign when a star player on your team can give feedback on players and that’s exactly what MacKinnon did. He wanted Drouin on the team because of his past experience with him.
In 2012-13, MacKinnon helped the Mooseheads to a 58-6 record, and MacKinnon recorded two hat tricks during that year’s Round Robin.
Before and after Nathan MacKinnon’s impact on the team, the Halifax Mooseheads have not really made a huge impact in terms of the playoffs. They unfortunately only have one championship to show in their 29 years of existence.