The Halifax Mooseheads are hoping Matt Stoddard proves to be a diamond in the rough at training camp.
The Porters Lake native and former top prospect is scheduled to be on the ice at Cole Harbour Place in late August on a conditional tryout. If he makes the Mooseheads, they owe a draft pick to his current team, the Saint John Sea Dogs.
Stoddard, a second-round pick (35th overall) in 2006, is a former major midget all-star with the Cole Harbour McCains and has 128 games experience in the QMJHL.
“I hear a lot of good things about him from the coaches he’s had in the past,” said Mooseheads head coach and general manager Cam Russell.
“He’s a skilled guy, a hard-working guy, a character player. We’re hoping he can help us out.”
A six-foot, 182-pound centre, Stoddard, 19, is known as a playmaker and could help the Mooseheads offensively, although he only had 15 points in his best season in the Q.
The Mooseheads have also heightened their search to find a backup for goaltender Mathieu Corbeil by bringing in Jonathan Connelly from the Lewiston Maineiacs on a similar conditional tryout.
The 18-year-old is a former fifth-round pick who played for the Atlantic under-17 team in 2007.
Eleven goalies are tentatively scheduled to report to camp.
“We’d love for a goaltender to come out of training camp and make the team,” Russell said. “I’d hate to have to trade for a goaltender. We’ve invited enough guys, so hopefully one of them will step up and push Corbeil.”
Russell also said he has given defenceman Richard Greer a conditional tryout with the Montreal Junior.
