Halifax Mooseheads forward Jordan Dumais won’t be returning to the ice on Saturday night after all, despite the end of his five-game, team-imposed suspension.
Dumais’ status was announced in a social media post a few hours before Game 2 of the Mooseheads’ playoff series against Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
“The timetable for his return remains uncertain,” read a statement from the team, indicating he had re-aggravated a lower body injury sometime this week, and therefore wouldn’t be playing.
No other details were provided by the Mooseheads, beyond the social media post.
The 19-year-old Montreal native, who was selected in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, was charged by Halifax Regional Police for impaired driving on March 1.
As a result, the team handed Dumais a five-game suspension that sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season along with the first game of the Mooseheads’ first-round playoff series against the Titan.
Halifax dropped Game 1 on home ice Friday night, falling 2-1 in overtime.
When announcing Dumais’ suspension on March 15, the Mooseheads said Dumais violated the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and the team’s code of conduct, and was suspended.
“The QMJHL and the Mooseheads demand exemplary behavior from all its players, both on and off the ice,’ the team’s statement said.
Dumais is scheduled to appear in Halifax provincial court on April 9 to face charges of operating a conveyance while impaired and operating a conveyance with a blood alcohol level of over .08.
He registered 47 points in 21 games for the Mooseheads this season, won MVP honours in 2023 during a dominant campaign where he racked up 140 points and led the league in scoring.
In November, Dumais became Halifax’s all-time point scorer when he picked up his 304th career point, breaking a record previously held by Nova Scotia’s Brandon Benedict.
He underwent surgery in January after re-aggravating an injury during his time with Team Canada at the world junior hockey championships.