Friday, June 3, 2005 | By Philip Croucher, Halifax Daily News

Al MacAdam will be back behind the bench next season for the Halifax Mooseheads.

The former National Hockey League assistant coach inked a new two-year deal with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team yesterday. MacAdam, 53, was hired in January after the team fired longtime bench boss Shawn MacKenzie, but signed on only for the remainder of this past season.

Also yesterday, the team gave a two-year contract extension to general manager Marcel Patenaude, which will see him remain in Halifax through the 2007-08 campaign.

"I'm very pleased to have the two key members of the hockey team signed long term," said Mooseheads majority owner Bobby Smith, who is in Chicoutimi, Que., for tomorrow's league entry draft. "I think the stability is important - for the players that we have on the team and that we'll be bringing onto the team; to know that, hopefully, those guys will be with us for a long time."

MacAdam, a former NHL forward who spent from 2000 to 2004 as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, led Halifax to outstanding second-half record of 23-6-4, which was second only to the Rimouski Oceanic.

In the playoffs, the Mooseheads made it to the league final, before being swept in four straight games by Rimouski.

"That was Al's first experience with junior hockey, and I think he was looking forward to it, but I think he didn't want to jump into it on a long-term basis right away," said Smith, who wanted to sign the Morell, P.E.I., native to more a lengthy contract back in January.

"After half a season, I think he enjoys it, and he enjoys working with young players. I think he's very good at it and, hopefully, he's going to be doing this for a long time."

There is no specific out-clause in MacAdam's contract should another NHL job opportunity come his way, but if something does arise, Smith said he would not be held back.

"I like working with the people that I'm surrounded by here," MacAdam said last night from Chicoutimi. "I also feel the philosophy of the team fits mine, as far as where we want to be every year. I like the plan that they have in that sense.

"We want to be competitive every year, and we think we will be again this season."

As for Patenaude, the team's GM still had one-year left on a three-year contract signed back in the summer of 2003. Since joining the team in 2000, Patenaude has led Halifax to the league final twice.

"I've been very impressed with Marcel from Day 1," Smith said. "I have a long term outlook on this franchise and I want Marcel making decisions that are best in the long-term interst of the team. This is a good way to have it, I think."

As well yesterday, the team inked assistant coach Chris Donnelly to a new two-year deal, and re-signed goaltending coach Patrick Dallaire. Defensive coordinator Cam Russell is also expected to be back next season.