World Juniors Are Home Away from Home for Mooseheads, Wildcats
Published on December 30, 2022 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Moncton Wildcats News Release
The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship has brought some of the biggest names in the sport to the Maritimes once again. And while fans in both Halifax and Moncton continue to enjoy all the action on the ice, there is a special spotlight on four players in particular who delight the hockey loving public in this region all season long.
Teams Czechia and Switzerland have become, in essence, skating billboards for the QMJHL. With a combined 12 league skaters representing the two nations, many around the circuit are paying particular attention to their results. In Halifax, while not cheering on Team Canada, Mooseheads fans have enjoyed the opportunity to watch Czech defenseman David Moravec represent his homeland. Though they may have been offering muted applause when he tucked home Czechia's second goal of the game in a 5-2 opening night victory over Canada, for Moravec, it has only amplified an already special experience.
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA - DECEMBER 26: Czechia's David Moravec #8 celebrates at the bench with teammates after scoring a first period goal against Canada during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scotiabank Centre on December 26, 2022 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/IIHF)
"I was surprised," Moravec explained after the game. "The puck just came to me and I hoped it would find a way on net. It was an amazing feeling. Every time you're representing your country, it's an amazing feeling, but especially here."
For the Halifax rookie rearguard, his performance so far in the tournament can, in part, be credited to the progression he's made within the North American style of game since breaking in with the Mooseheads.
"With the Mooseheads, I was so nervous at the start [dealing with things like] the smaller rinks," Moravec, one of five QMJHLers on the Czech roster, recalls. "But the fans here are excellent. It's amazing here. I have great billets who have helped me a lot."
Moravec has also relied on the leadership in the Mooseheads' dressing room since landing on the East Coast. One of the pivotal players in that regard has also put together an impressive tournament during Pool B action in Moncton. Attilio Biasca has gone from wearing the "C" for the Mooseheads to earning the same honor for the Swiss club. His presence played a key role in the team's 2-1-0-0 start at the tournament.
"It feels awesome," says Biasca in regards to his team's pair of opening victories. "Our group was confident going in, but this is building us up even more. It just goes to show, in hockey, anyone can beat anyone."
MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK - DECEMBER 26: Attilio Biasca #17 of Switzerland celebrates his game-winning overtime goal against Finland in Preliminary Round - Group B action at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Avenir Centre on December 26, 2022 in Moncton, New Brunswick. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/IIHF)
Though Biasca, who fired home the overtime winner versus Finland on Boxing Day and a shootout tally against the Latvians, isn't leading the charge on his home ice, doing so a couple of hours up the road in a still relatively familiar locale has been exhilarating in its own right.
"[Being in Moncton] isn't quite the same but it's very close," he claims. "The fans are definitely behind us and there's some familiarity [for me]. We hope to be playing some big games in Halifax later on in the tournament, but our focus right now is on the next one."
It's a safe bet to say Team Switzerland would've been adopted by the fans in Moncton regardless of the situation. However, the presence of Wildcats forwards Jonas Taibel and Miles Mueller, two of an impressive seven QMJHL players donning the Swiss red and white, put any doubts of this notion to rest.
Just like Biasca, this is Taibel's second time representing Switzerland at the World Juniors in the past five months. The differences in the two tournaments are both numerous and obvious.
"This is definitely different," Taibel mentions. "There's more of a "World Junior" feel to it this time around. We had a lot more time to prepare in the summer. This is such a huge honor, especially to be able to do it here in Moncton."
Adding to the second-year Wildcats' experience was being named Player of the Game to an adoring hometown crowd following the opening win versus the Finns. These early victories remind Taibel of the similarities between his national squad and the QMJHL team he suits up for the rest of the year.
MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK - DECEMBER 26: Switzerland's Jonas Taibel #10 receives the player of the game award after his teams' 3-2 win against Finland in Preliminary Round - Group B action at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Avenir Centre on December 26, 2022 in Moncton, New Brunswick. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/IIHF)
"We always say [Team Switzerland] wants to be the hardest working team at the tournament," he explains. "It's the same thing we say in the dressing room with the Wildcats. We want to be the hardest team to play against in the league."
Mueller on the other hand is in his third QMJHL season. Never could he have imagined, when he first suited up for the 'Cats during the COVID-afflicted 2020-21 season, that he would eventually be skating onto his home ice wearing the colors of his country.
"It's kind of crazy," he proclaims. "What are the chances of something like this happening? It's been a whirlwind for us."
When asked about the strong Swiss start at this year's event, Mueller doesn't hesitate to point out the key factors, even if not all of those factors are easily explained.
"We have great chemistry," he says. "Everyone is on the same page. Otherwise, I can't quite put my finger on any one thing but there's something different about this year's team compared to other years."
One thing he can say with certainty is the impact this experience will have, not only on himself and his fellow Swiss Wildcat but on the Moncton club as a whole, when they rejoin the Q ranks in the new year.
"I think our experiences here will provide a big plus for the Wildcats," Mueller proclaims. "Everything is much more intense at the tournament; the tempo is higher. We can bring that back to the ice, the bench, off ice. What we are experiencing will make the team as a whole better."
Before that can occur, however, there's a little matter of memories that lay ahead for these four talented athletes that are having the times of their lives in their own adopted backyard.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from December 30, 2022
- Auger Leads Wildcats to Road Win on the Island - Moncton Wildcats
- Eagles Top Mooseheads in OT Thriller at the Nest - Cape Breton Eagles
- Eagles Fend off Mooseheads Comeback Attempt - Halifax Mooseheads
- World Juniors Are Home Away from Home for Mooseheads, Wildcats - Moncton Wildcats
- Stephane Huard Jr Dealt to Shawinigan - Halifax Mooseheads
- Sea Dogs Acquire 1st Round Selection and 2nd Round Selection for Cam MacDonald - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Spice up Your Game Is Tomorrow - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Preview: December 30 vs. Moncton Wildcats - Charlottetown Islanders
- Eagles Host Mooseheads for Battle of Nova Scotia at Nest - Cape Breton Eagles
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
