Achi news desk-
The Halifax Mooseheads have fired their head and assistant coaches after the team lost in the first round of the playoffs.
According to a news release from the Mooseheads, general manager Cam Russell said the team has fired head coach Jim Midgley and assistant coach Liam Heelis. For Midgley, the dismissal ended his second stint as the team’s head coach; he served in the role for the 2017-2018 season and was replaced by Eric Veilleux.
“Jim and Liam are both good people and we wish them nothing but the best in their future,” said Sam Simon, owner of the Mooseheads, and Peter Simon, president of Simon Sports, in a joint statement. “This was a difficult decision but one that is right for the organisation.”
The statement says the Mooseheads won the Maritime Division and finished fourth in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the 2023-2024 season, but lost to seventh-seeded Acadie-Bathurst in the first round the playoffs.
Midgley coached 88 wins with the Mooseheads. Heelis leaves after three seasons on the bench. Assistant coach Brad MacKenzie will remain on board for his fourth season.
The Mooseheads will begin searching for new head and assistant coaches immediately. The QMJHL entry draft is scheduled for June 7 and 8 in Moncton.
