HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS
Halifax Mooseheads set to host first DND Appreciation Night since 2019
By Trident Staff
It was November 8, 2019 when the Halifax Mooseheads were last able to host DND Appreciation Night, battling the Drummondville Voltigeurs in front of thousands at the Scotiabank Centre. The Defence community was on full display both in the stands and on the ice, as the Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy performed the national anthem, a four-person flag party was led onto the ice by a bagpiper from 12 Wing Shearwater Pipes and Drums, and the Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic and Joint Task Force Atlantic at the time performed the official puck drop. Mooseheads players donned a commemorative HMCS Kootenay jersey during the game to honour the many sailors and Kootenay family members who were forever impacted by the fatal engine room explosion and fire onboard the Restigouche-class destroyer 50 years prior. These jerseys were raffled and auctioned after the game with proceeds benefitting Camp Hill Veterans’ Memorial Garden.
These sights and sounds of the Mooseheads DND Appreciation Night have become familiar to Halifax residents and visitors, making this a much-anticipated annual event. But when 2020 arrived along with COVID-19, this activity was (understandably) stopped in its tracks.
Flash forward two plus years, and with public health restrictions lifting, the Mooseheads are now ready to welcome the local Defence Team back for their first DND Appreciation Night since 2019.
“It’s been a long two years since we last hosted DND Appreciation Night,” says Brian Urquhart, President of the Halifax Moosheads Hockey club. “We are beyond thrilled to be able to bring this event back when one of our biggest rivals are in town, Patrick Roy’s Quebec Remparts.”
On Saturday, April 9, 2022 the Mooseheads and Remparts will go head-to-head at the Scotiabank Centre in front of a large crowd of hockey fans and Defence Team supporters. In keeping with tradition, the Mooseheads players will be wearing specially designed jerseys during the game; there will be no in-game raffles, rather all jerseys will be sold through an online auction after the game to raise important funds for Camp Hill Veterans’ Memorial Building.
“We’re looking forward to a great night which will help raise money for a great cause,” Urquhart adds.
Local Defence Team members, veterans and families interested in attending the game can still purchase discounted tickets online! Visit the Mooseheads website and use promo code DNDMOOSE for a $15 dollar (adult) or $8 (youth – 17 and under) ticket! Seats limited. Standard Ticket Atlantic service charges apply ($2.50 per ticket plus a $2 order charge).
