Meet your Moose – Morgan Nauss
Morgan Nauss logged a ton of ice time for the Halifax Mooseheads as a 16-year-old rookie. The young defenceman played in 54 regular season games for the Herd scoring three goals and adding 15 assists to go along with 22 penalty minutes.
Nauss played an increased role on the team after veterans Matt Murphy and Jesse Lussier were traded away leaving Austyn Hardie and a host of rookies to manage the Halifax blue line for the remainder of the season.
“It was pretty unbelievable,” he said of the increase in minutes.
“I guess I just tried to keep it simple and play my game. I just really focused on working hard every single day and just making the most of the opportunity.”
Morgan believes the first year defencemen were able to grow as a whole throughout the season and gained even more experience by playing in 14 intense playoff games.
“All of us are really young, especially on the back end and we all gained a lot of experience which really helped out I think because we know what it’s all about now and everybody’s just focused this summer to improve and have a much better season next year.”
The 17-year-old who celebrated his birthday on April 20th is working this offseason with Mooseheads strength and conditioning coach Alexi Pianosi and some fellow teammates.
“We’re working at Alexi’s gym at the (Halifax) Forum. I’m in a group with Brett Crossley, Andrew Shewfelt and Matt Highmore (Saint John Sea Dogs). Jordan King also comes down once in a while to get a program set up and then he goes back to Newfoundland.”
The young defenceman explains that they are working extremely hard to prepare for training camp.
“Me and Crossley we just go every weekday and on the ice twice so it’s seven days a week right now.”
He adds the power skating sessions are run by Jill Plandowski and Saint Mary’s Huskies Assistant Coach Tom Lee.
Nauss was selected in the fifth round of the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft much to the delight of Mooseheads Chief Atlantic Scout Allie MacDonald.
“Honestly, in terms of pure smarts when it comes to defensemen in the draft he’s right at the top of the list, he was the top defenseman at Atlantics, and really took control of the power play in the second half of the year,” said MacDonald in June 2014.
It was that hockey IQ that helped the former Halifax Macs player earn a roster spot with the Moose last August. He talked about the aspects of his game that he felt improved the most during the course of the season.
“Probably positioning and taking better angles. I worked a lot on my foot speed which I’m also focusing on this summer and I’m trying to improve my shot.”
Getting drafted by his hometown team was a dream come true for the Hammonds Plains natve.
“It was pretty awesome. I’ll always remember going to Mooseheads games as a kid and cheering them on and now I get to put on that jersey every night in front of all of those fans which is so great.”
The Grade 11 student writes his final exam later this week before the end of the school year. He doesn’t plan on taking any vacation time with his family but will be heading to the big smoke during the summer.
“I’m going up to Toronto for four days with my agent who has a camp up there. We’ll just go on the ice twice a day and do some training.”
There will be a healthy competition amongst defencemen for roster spots with the Herd. Halifax will have seven regulars from last year battling for a position while veteran Cody Donaghey was recently added in a trade with Quebec. Halifax also drafted a number of defencemen last week in Sherbrooke including Lunenburg’s Walter Flower 26th overall and picked up Jordan Lepage and Mathieu Charlebois in the third round.
Nauss said that won’t faze him and is looking forward to the battle.
“I just can’t wait for August.”
Us either Morgan.
