Halifax Mooseheads find new head coach

The Halifax Mooseheads have found a new head coach two months after Jim Midgley was let go from the position.

According to a news release from the hockey team, Andrew Lord will serve as the 14th coach in their history while Brad MacKenzie, who has been with them for three seasons, has been promoted to associate coach.

“After a long and thorough search, Andrew stood out in the interview process as the right candidate to lead this young roster into the future,” said Sam Simon, owner and chairman, and Peter Simon, president of Simon Sports, in a joint statement in the release. “He has a contagious passion for the game, paired with the upmost attention to details, and a motivating presence that gets the most out of each player.”

The release said Lord, 39, played 462 professional hockey games in the AHL, ECHL, Germany2 and the Elite Ice Hockey League, where he led the Cardiff Devils to nine separate titles.

Lord spent four seasons with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (an LA Kings affiliate) and led them to their first South Division Championship in more than a decade. He was named runner-up for the John Brophy Award as Coach of the Year in 2021.

“The Mooseheads have such a storied history and I cannot wait to be part of the organization going forward,” Lord said in the release. “This is the right fit for me at this stage of my career, and I am thrilled to have the chance to work and help develop young talent.”

The Mooseheads dropped Midgley as head coach after the team lost to seventh-seeded Acadie-Bathurst in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. He coached 88 games with the team.

The Mooseheads will have their home opener against the Quebec Remparts on Oct. 4.

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