SEA DOGS NOTEBOOK

BOURRET IS BACK
Defenseman Gabriel Bourret will be back for the Sea Dogs’ three game road trip through Quebec that begins on Friday.

Bouuret was suspended by the team on January 12. The Sea Dogs news release stated that Bourret broke the teams “player conduct policy.” No further comment was be issued by the club. In most professional sports leagues, the player conduct policy has to do with player’s actions outside of the arena.

In 23 games this season he has two goals and four assists.

PALOV PICKS DOGS THIRD
Halifax Mooseheads Chronicle Herald reporter Willy Palov recently completed his post trading period team rankings. He picks Saint John to finish third behind Moncton and Victoriaville. Here is what he had to say:

3) Saint John Sea Dogs — It’s hard to imagine the No. 2 team in the CHL not being the favourite to win it all, but I have the Sea Dogs third because they did very little during the trade period. Their only noteworthy move was getting proven goalie Marco Cousineau from the P.E.I. Rocket, a deal which had to be made. But even though they might have been caught — or passed — by a handful of teams on paper, they have a season’s worth of stability and chemistry working to their advantage. The Sea Dogs won’t have to work a bunch of new faces into their lineup; they’ve already gelled.

To view the full article click HERE.

PAUL HURT IN FIGHT
The Cape Breton Post confirmed that Screaming Eagles defenseman Kalin Paul (upper body)did get hurt in his fight against Will Johnston two weeks ago at Harbour Station. It was an excellent tilt with “Will the thrill” coming out on top.

Here is a good video of the fight:


SWEET STATS
Metro News produced their annual QMJHL statistical analysis last week. Here is what they found out about Saint John.

Average age: 18
Average defenseman age: 17.7
Amount of rookies: 7
Amount of players 17 and younger: 10
Average height: 72.9 (highest in the league)
Average Weight: 182.5 pounds
Amount of players from Quebec: 9
Amount of players from Nova Scotia: 4
Amount of players from the Maritimes: 10

To view the full report click HERE.

KIRKPATRICK, BEAULIEU CONSIDERED
Forward Michael Kirkpatrick and defenseman Nathan Beaulieu were considered for offensive and defensive player of the week awards.

MAYER IN THE HOUSE
Former Saint John Sea Dogs goalie Robert Mayer took in Sunday's 6-0 home win over Chicoutimi with his young son Luca at Harbour Station. Mayer, a Montreal Canadiens prospect, is enjoying a break from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the East Coast Hockey League due to all-star festivisties.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?
The Telegraph-Journal chatted with some interesting people in its article about the Patrice Cormier incident.

"Did Patrice Cormier mean to hurt the player? No, he didn't,'' said former Sea Dogs coach/General Manager Jacques Beaulieu, who has coached for and against Cormier at the junior level. "Would he want to take that moment back if he could? Yes, I think he would.

"But the bottom line is that you are not allowed to hit someone in the head, no matter what. Players have to be conscious of what they are doing. They have to be careful, or careers will end over it."

Beaulieu is currently back in London as an assistant with the Knights of the OHL. The only time we could recall him coaching Cormier is at the 2008 ADT Canada/Russia Challenge at Harbour Station.

Team president Wayne Long also chimed in.

"Every team in the league was talking about it,'' Long said. "Anybody that is a fan of the game that looks at the tape of that incident is shocked. To see someone defenseless get hit like that and then for him to have convulsions, is very disturbing.

"I think as a league we need to not accept hits like this anymore. I think contact to the head has to be eliminated from hockey."

FULLERTON STILL ROLLING
Former Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Travis Fullerton has been named the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds male athlete of the week. Fullerton, who played in 76 games for the Sea Dogs between 2006-08, backstopped the top-ranked V-Reds to a pair of wins on the weekend, 6-1 over the St. Mary's Huskies and 2-1 over the Acadia Axemen. Fullerton leads Atlantic University Sport with a goals-against average of 1.88 in 15 games.

GOOD STUFF
The Canadian Red Cross received about $7,000 from fans at Harbour Station for its Haiti relief efforts. Fans made donations to the organization during a pair of Saint John Sea Dogs home games on the weekend.