PRE-GAME: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Shawinigan Cataractes

Game Day
Saint John Sea Dogs vs Shawinigan Cataractes
Today, October 3, 2009 @ 5:00 pm
Bionest Centre

Visiting Team: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 5-3-0-0
Last Season Record: 34-30-2-2 (3rd Atlantic)
Last Game: 7-4 loss @ Montreal on Friday
Leading Scorer: Danick Gauthier: 8-4-3-7
Notes: Sea Dogs have never won a game in Shawinigan… ranked the #10 team in the Canadian Hockey League this week… second game of a three game Quebec road swing… first game played at Shawinigan’s new Bionest Centre… Mike Hoffman is scratched with a hairline fracture in his foot… former Cataracte Nicholas Petersen is questionable to play. Mike Kelly wants Petersen to get more practice before suiting up… Mike Thomas will be serving the fourth game of a six game aggressor suspension.

Home Team: Shawinigan Cataractes
Record: 3-2-0-1
Last Season Record: 51-14-3-0 (2nd Telus Central)
Last Game: 4-3 Shootout loss yesterday @ Victoriaville
Leading Scorer: Pierre-Alexandre Vandall: 4-6-3-9
Notes: The Cataractes have four NHL drafted players: Maxime Legault (Buffalo), Dave Lebrecque (Philadelphia), Philippe Paradis (Carolina), Charles-Olivier Roussel (Nashville)… lost in the QMJHL final to Drummondville in seven games… acquired Alex Grant from the Sea Dogs at the holiday trading period for Nick Petersen and a draft pick… moved into the Bionest Centre last season… changed its logo last season while celebrating its fortieth anniversary.

Saint John vs Shawinigan:
Last Season (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS):
2-0-2-0-0-0
Home: 1-0-1-0-0-0
Road: 1-0-1-0-0-0
Goals For: 2
Goals Against: 5

All-Time (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS):
8-2-4-1-1-6
Home: 4-2-1-1-0-5
Road: 4-0-3-0-1-1
Goals For: 22
Goals Against: 31

Station Nation Facts:

• The Shawinigan Cataractes are the only original member of the QMJHL that has not located to another city.
• The team, and the QMJHL, celebrated their 40th anniversaries last season.
• They may be 40 years strong, but they have never won a President’s Cup.
• In just their second season in the League, the Shawinigan Bruins reached the final, but fell to the eventual Memorial Cup champion Remparts in five contests.
• In 1973-74, the team changed its name to “Dynamos”, but the team would still fall on tough times, missing the playoffs four consecutive seasons. Prior to the 1978-79 season, the team changed its name to “Cataractes”.
• The City of Shawinigan inaugurated a new 4,125 seat arena, the Bionest Centre. Since December 27, 2008, the Cataractes have made it their new home, leaving behind the Jacques-Plante arena, which was erected in 1937.
• In May 2009, this franchise reached the League final for the 2nd time in franchise history. The Cataractes pushed the series to Game 7, which they finally lost to the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
• The team’s notables over the years include: Claude Dolbec, Ron Lapointe, Stephan Lebeau, Patrice Lefebvre, Stéphane Robidas, Marc-André Bergeron, Jason Pominville and Denis Francoeur.
• The Cats have seven retired numbers and eight players. The numbers are 7, 14, 17, 18, 26, 27, 33.

Important Info:
Venue: Bionest Centre
Capacity: 4,125

Saint John Media: Radio- News 88.9 FM (http://www.news889.com/)
Live Video Streaming: http://www.qmjhl.mytelus.com/
Post-Game Coverage: http://www.stationnation.blogspot.com/