Halifax Mooseheads and Moncton Wildcats renew Maritime rivalry

As far as Maritime hockey rivalries go, there are few as big as the Halifax Mooseheads taking on the Moncton Wildcats, especially in the playoffs.

The wildcats are battle-ready, after winning their opening-round series against Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

It was gruelling, with five of the seven games going into overtime. The Wildcats have only had two nights off after they beat out Drakkar 4-3 in overtime Tuesday.

"It's a lot on the body, and playing seven games in that short amount of time, and then having to come play another series is tough," said Wildcats forward Connor Trenholm.

But the team believes it will have the momentum coming into Game 1 of the quarterfinals against the high-scoring Mooseheads. Halifax hasn’t played since April 5, when they swept the Cape Breton Eagles in four games.

"I think it's something we can take advantage of," said Trenholn. "They've had a little bit of a break. And so it might take them a little bit to get their legs back under them."

For the past nine days, the Mooseheads have been practicing at home. For most of that time, they weren't sure who they'd face in the quarterfinals.

Mooseheads forward Braeden MacPhee doesn't think the long layover will hurt them. He says they've been gearing up for the playoffs all season.

"Our plan is to come out with everything we got," said MacPhee. "We know they might be hurting physically and also drained mentally and so we want to go out right from the puck drop in the first period and play our game."

These are the two final maritime teams left standing in the QMJHL playoffs.

And there are some interesting storylines off the ice. Several players on both rosters are facing off against their hometown teams. Teams they grew up watching, and perhaps dreaming of playing for.

MacPhee, who grew up in Moncton, idolizing the Wildcats, says it's the first time he'll square off against the team he cheered for as a young hockey fan.

"I have lots of jerseys of the Wildcats but a lot more Moosehead jerseys now for sure," said MacPhee. "But it's a childhood dream and you see those guys and you work hard for this and to now be playing them it's a real special moment."

There are three Mooseheads from Moncton who grew up playing minor hockey in there, including defensemen Dylan Macinnon and rookie Jack Martin who won the Telus Cup National U-18 Championship with the Moncton Flyers last year.

On the other side of the puck, both Oscar Plandowski and Connor Trenholm are from Halifax.

They both grew up watching the Mooseheads, and despite still living in Halifax, their families will be cheering for Moncton.

"It's pretty cool being from here and being able to have my family here come watch," said Trenholm. "I've always wanted to play a playoff game in the Scotiabank Centre."

Plandowski's looking forward to the chance to play here in Halifax in a playoff game with his family and friends in attendance.

"It's my fourth year and I've never had the chance to play against Halifax," said Plandowski. "I know how this building gets because I was a kid back in the day who got fired up to see the Mooseheads play."

The Mooseheads won six of the nine games they played against Moncton during the regular season.

Game 2 goes Saturday night with Games 3 and 4 back in Moncton on Wednesday and Thursday night.