The Halifax Mooseheads will hit the ice without their captain for the upcoming Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) playoff campaign, as Jake Furlong is slated to undergo a season-ending shoulder surgery after picking up a knock last week.
In a release on Wednesday, the club confirmed that the Upper Tantallon, N.S., native will head to San Jose in the coming weeks for the medical procedure and will miss the entire QMJHL playoffs.
Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell described Furlong’s absence as a “major loss” for the team.
“He is a leader for us both on and off the ice,” Russell said in a statement.
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“This is a disappointing way for Jake to end his season, but his health is first and foremost for the future of his hockey career and we wish him all the best.”
Furlong left the ice after suffering a shoulder injury during the first period of a clash with the Moncton Wildcats on March 16.
The 20-year-old has played his entire QMJHL career with Halifax and is ranked third all-time for career points earned by a Mooseheads defenceman, with a total of 132. Furlong was selected in the fifth round by the San Jose Sharks during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft before signing a three-year contract with the team in October 2023.
After wrapping up the regular season with a 7-4 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs, the Mooseheads are set to kick off round one of the QMJHL playoffs against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at Scotiabank Centre on Friday.
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