Nathan MacKinnon’s #22 to be retired on September 22nd
2023-09-07
Halifax, NS – The Halifax Mooseheads announced on Thursday that the organization will retire former star forward Nathan MacKinnon’s number 22 jersey on Friday, September 22nd when the Mooseheads host the Charlottetown Islanders in the home opener at Scotiabank Centre.
MacKinnon’s jersey retirement kicks off the 30th anniversary celebrations in Moose Country and will celebrate the junior hockey career of the Cole Harbour, NS native who captured a Memorial Cup Championship with Halifax in 2013.
“It’s a true honour to have my jersey retired by the Mooseheads. I can’t wait to share this moment with everyone back home in Moose Country,” said MacKinnon.
The 28-year-old has since played in more than 700 games over 11 seasons with Colorado, highlighted by a Stanley Cup title in 2022. MacKinnon will become the fourth player to have his jersey retired by the Mooseheads, following Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Alex Tanguay and Jody Shelley. The team also honoured the legacy of longtime public address announcer Pat Connolly upon his retirement in 2009.
“Retiring number 22 at the Home Opener is the perfect way to begin our 30th anniversary season,” said Brian Urquhart, Mooseheads President. “Nate grew up idolizing the Mooseheads, starred for the team, led us to a Memorial Cup, and now he’s one of the best players in the world. It will be a very special night for Nathan, his family and all Mooseheads fans.”
MacKinnon became the first member of the Mooseheads to be drafted number one overall in the NHL when the Colorado Avalanche took him with the top pick in 2013 following an illustrious two-year QMJHL career with his hometown team. He scored 63 goals, 90 assists for 153 points in 101 regular season games for Halifax while adding another 61 points in 34 QMJHL playoff games. His MVP performance and hat trick in the Memorial Cup Championship game versus Portland further cemented his place in Nova Scotia sports history.
“Watching Nathan’s career take off after joining the Mooseheads and now into a Stanley Cup Champion has been incredible to see. We are so proud to share this night with him and his family,” said Mooseheads General Manager Cam Russell.
The 30th anniversary season of the Halifax Mooseheads – featuring the highest season ticket base in the history of the franchise – will be an exciting one for fans. A special anniversary jersey will be unveiled later this fall, while other promotional events will be announced throughout the season.
Individual Tickets for all 34 Mooseheads home games will go on sale on Monday, September 11th at 11am at Ticketmaster.ca.
