Tuesday, June 28, 2011

SEVERAL DOGS EARN CAMP INVITES

Five Saint John Sea Dogs were drafted into the National Hockey League this past weekend and now several others have received camp invites.

Current Sea Dogs Scott Oke, Alexandre Beauregard, Danick Gauthier, Pierre Durepos, and Ian Saab have all received invites to either summer or fall camps. Former Sea Dog Jacob DeSerres also received a camp invite while fellow graduating players Mike Thomas and Michael Kirkpatrick have both signed American Hockey League contracts.

Oke, ranked 44th by Central Scouting entering the draft, did not hear his name called on Saturday. But, the 18-year old forward will be attending Dallas Stars rookie camp next week.

"The fact that he had to sit out every second game or so because he played for a team that had drafted players and older players needing to play kind of limited his development," Central Scouting's Chris Bordeleau told NHL.com. "But we could see he has potential as a very good skater with size, good puck skills and playmaking ability."

Oke recorded five goals and five assists in 54 regular season games and added a goal and five helpers in 18 playoff games.

Although Oke wasn’t selected, the Sea Dogs were still strongly represented at the draft in Minnesota. Jonathan Huberdeau, Nathan Beaulieu, and Zack Phillips were all selected in Friday’s first round while Tomas Jurco and Ryan Tesink had to wait until Saturday to hear their names called.

Beauregard and Gauthier both received invites to Phoenix Coyotes rookie camp in September. Gauthier had 11 goals and 19 assists in the regular season and three markers and an assist in the playoffs. Beauregard, acquired by the Sea Dogs during the holiday trading period, had seven goals and six assists in 28 games with Saint John in the second half. He had another goal and a pair of assists in the post-season.

DeSerres, an overage goaltender with Saint John last year, will be attending Coyotes development camp next week. DeSerres set team records with a 2.22 goals-against average and four shutouts, winning the Jacques Plante Trophy as the league's best puckstopper.

“They want to meet me and get to know me and I’ll work with Sean Burke a bit, the goaltending coach,” said DeSerres in a team release. “There’s lots of opportunity in the system. Hopefully something happens when I’m down there.”

Of note, the Portland Pirates were named the Coyotes AHL affiliate just a few days ago.

Rock solid defenseman Pierre Durepos will attend summer and fall camps with the Los Angeles Kings. Durepos, one of the most underrated defenders in the QMJHL, had three goals and 27 assists in the regular season and a goal and four helpers in the playoffs.

Lastly, defenseman Ian Saab received an invite to Vancouver Canucks camp in September. Saab, who the Sea Dogs acquired in the Lewiston Maineiacs (RIP) dispersal draft, had three goals and five assists in the regular season and another two assists in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Thomas signed with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons a few weeks ago and Kirkpatrick signed with the Winnipeg Jets’ new farm team in St. John’s.

Then of course there is Steven Anthony, Mathieu Corbeil, Stephen MacAulay, Eric Gelinas, Simon Despres, and Stanislav Galiev from last year’s squad who were all previously drafted.

Source: Sea Dogs website; Photo Credit: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

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