Incredible Halifax Debut for Mateo Nobert
2026-09-25
Mateo Nobert immediately made his mark as a member of the Mooseheads on Friday night in Newfoundland as the Vegas Golden Knights prospect scored twice, including the overtime winner in a 4-3 Halifax victory.
The 19-year-old didn’t waste any time getting going as he tallied in his very first shift in a Halifax uniform when he tapped the puck in after a nice passing play involving Oleg Kulebiakin and Malik L’Italien.
Nobert and Kulebiakin were both fresh off returning from their respective NHL training camps with Vegas and Tampa Bay and played together on the top line with Evan Nee on the left wing.
The game marked the third time in as many games that the Moose played an overtime battle to begin the season and the club has skated away with five out of a possible six points.
It was a night of firsts all around with 17-year-old rookie Jayden Napon tucking home a beautiful goal for the first of his QMJHL career while goalie Carson Mertz was solid with 30 saves to win his first career start between the pipes.
The Napon goal held extra special meaning as Malik L’Italien was the player credited with the assist on his best friend’s first tally. The two players from Montreal, QC were born on the same day, in the same hospital and have been best friends their entire lives. L’Italien ended the night with two assists and is off to a hot start to the season with four helpers in three games.
🚨 OVERTIME WINNER MATEO NOBERT 🚨
4-3 OT Victory over the Regiment in Newfoundland.#GoMooseGo | #ForTheCity pic.twitter.com/pdu8CTYyyz
— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) September 26, 2026
Danny Walters picked up his first goal of the season with the lone marker of the second period. The Mooseheads fell behind in the opening period after Newfoundland responded with a pair of goals following the early Nobert strike. Napon then tied the game with 1:27 to go before the horn sounded to end the period. Walters gave the Herd their second lead of the night at 14:33 of the middle stanza when he gathered a loose puck in the slot and ripped it by 6-foot-8 goalie Louis-Antoine Denault. The Regiment got the equalizer from Benjamin Girard with the only goal of the third period with Bedford’s Phenwick MacLean picking up his first career assist on the play.
The overtime period belonged to Halifax as the Moose controlled the puck for the entire 52 seconds. Nobert and L’Italien nearly connected to finish the game moments before the former Blainville-Boisbriand Armada forward sent his new teammates over the boards in celebration.
Halifax has now played overtime in each of their first three games this season – scoring a shootout win in Cape Breton last Friday, followed by an overtime loss at Scotiabank Centre in the Home Opener versus Moncton.
Forward Shawn Carrier was returned to the team from the Colorado Avalanche earlier in the week but is set to miss the weekend games with a lower body injury that was suffered while at NHL training camp. He is listed as day-to-day. Defenceman Brady Smith also missed the game and is out four-to-six weeks with a broken finger. Will Bent remains out while recovering from shoulder surgery. 16-year-old defenceman Jack Cameron was called up from Pictou County of the MHL and is with the team in case of further injury to the roster. He was a healthy scratch on Friday.
The Mooseheads and Regiment will meet in a rematch on Saturday night at the Mary Brown’s Centre at 6:30pm ADT. Fans can listen on Jack 92.9 and watch on FloHockey.
The next Mooseheads home games at Scotiabank Centre are scheduled for Thursday, October 8th (Student Night) at 7pm versus Rouyn-Noranda and Saturday, October 10th (Country Night) at 7pm versus Drummondville. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.ca.
