By: Daniel Fink

With three practice days behind them, the Moose gear up for their two pre-season tilts this weekend in St. Paul, Minn. The antlered ones take to the ice against the Iowa Wild at TRIA Rink, the practice facility of the Minnesota Wild, on Friday and Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.

A flurry of roster moves on Wednesday saw the Moose roster grow by seven players, with 12 arriving from the Winnipeg Jets and five players being released from tryouts by Manitoba. Though the new arrivals will hit the ice for the first time with the Moose in game action, head coach Mark Morrison was pleased with what he saw from the rest of the group to open camp.

“Really good!” Morrison said of camp so far. “I thought pace was good, execution was pretty good. There’s a lot of excitement and enthusiasm out there, so it’s good.”

The Moose bench boss is heading into his sixth season with Manitoba. This is the first time the team will have pre-season games against an AHL opponent since Morrison took the helm. He’s looking forward to getting a clear look at the players battling for spots on the opening roster.

“I think the biggest thing is, the players who are trying out, they get up against the proper competition. So you can evaluate from there,” Morrison explained. “You know, it’s not really fair to evaluate when they’re playing against each other or just practices. So to play another American Hockey League team, it gives you a good idea.”

Players are also looking forward to the opportunity to show what they can do against players wearing different colours. Forward Chase Yoder re-signed with the Moose this summer, after splitting his first professional season between the Moose and the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals. Yoder appreciates the chance to push the pace against Iowa this weekend.

“It will be huge,” Yoder told media following Wednesday’s skate. “It’ll be nice to get some pre-season games in, get our feet under us a little bit and be ready for Chicago come the first week in October.”

Yoder cracked the opening roster for the Moose during the 2025-26 campaign. He played in eight of Manitoba’s first 12 games before being assigned to Norfolk. The Fairview, Texas native tallied 29 points (17G, 12A) in 37 games, with 22 points (14G, 8A) coming in his final 19 ECHL games. Yoder rejoined the Moose at that point and played 15 of the final 16 games, finishing the AHL season with four points (2G, 2A) in 23 games.

The 24-year-old forward re-signed with the Moose this summer. Yoder cited the relationships he built with his teammates and coaches as a key reason for remaining with the organization.

“I feel like we have a good, young core here. We all meshed pretty well last year, so I have some good buddies in the locker room over there,” Yoder detailed. “I feel like that’s the biggest thing. You want to have guys on the team that you enjoy being with because it’s a long season. It’s a grind. So you have to be with people you enjoy being around. Obviously the coaching staff here is tremendous and they helped me a lot last year.”

The Moose face off against the Iowa Wild in a pair of exhibition games at 2 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at TRIA Rink in St. Paul, Minn.

The Moose open the season Saturday, Oct. 2 at 2:00 p.m. when they host the Chicago Wolves for the Home Opener, presented by Canada Life. The teams get back at it Sunday, Oct. 3 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets for both games are available at mooosehockey.com/tickets.