Two Points For Huberdeau And Highmore

FINAL: Russia 1, Canada 4

Team Canada will advance straight to the semi-final at the 2013 World Junior Hockey Championship thanks to a 4-1 victory over Russia today.

Dougie Hamilton, Mark Scheifele, Jonathan Drouin, and Jonathan Huberdeau scored for the Canadians. Russia’s only goal came courtesy of Rouyn-Noranda Huskies forward Nikita Kucherov. Malcolm Subban made 21 saves in the win while former Lewiston Maineiacs goaltender Andrei Makarov made 44 in the loss.

Huberdeau finished the game with an empty net goal, an assist, two shots, and a +1 rating.

Here’s video of his assist that came in the first period.

And here’s his empty net goal that came at 19:32 of the third period.

Canada finishes the round-robin portion of the tournament with a perfect 4-0-0-0 record and receive a bye straight through to the semi-final on Thursday. They’ll play the winner of the United States – Czech Republic quarter-final game.

RECAP: Out With A Bang. Dogs Win 3-1.

FINAL: Moncton 1, Saint John 3

By Tim Lumsden

SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - After a cancelled game in Moncton yesterday, Saint John hosted the Wildcats on New Year's Eve at Harbour Station.

Sebastien Auger took the net for Saint John while Cole Holowenko started for Moncton.

FIRST PERIOD

The first penalty was handed out to Moncton as Yannick Veilleux took an interference penalty at 4:09.

A penalty to Pierre Durepos for holding at 6:02 sent the Wildcats to their own power play which resulted in Yannick Veilleux scoring the first goal of the game at 6:33.

Noah Zilbert snuck one by Holowenko at 10:40 to tie the score 1-1. Oliver Cooper grabbed the lone assist.

Zilbert added a second goal to his nightly total at 14:08 - and this one was a beauty as he went around a Moncton defenseman - giving the Sea Dogs a 2-1 lead. Cooper and Smallman snagged a point each with the assists.

Ryan Tesink and Yannick Veilleux both headed to the box at 16:41 after getting a pair of matching slashing calls for New Year's.

Stephen MacAulay was sent off for cross checking at 19:51. Also, Ryan Tesink got four for roughing after the whistle and Moncton's Racine was handed a penalty for roughing after the whistle.

Shots on goal for the first period were 18-6 in favour of Moncton.

GAMEDAY 37 - vs Wildcats

GAMEDAY

Moncton Wildcats vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Tonight at 7:30pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – A snowstorm cancelled their meeting yesterday, but the second half of the home-and-home series between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats will be played.

The Sea Dogs host the Wildcats tonight at 7:30pm at Harbour Station in the final Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game of 2012.

It’s been a memorable year for the Sea Dogs hockey club but the last few weeks certainly haven’t been good times. Saint John is currently on a four-game losing streak and are just 2-8-0-0 in their last 10 games. They have slipped to fifth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 14^th overall in the league with a 16-20-0-0 record.

One of Saint John’s problems over their losing streak has been the lack of offense. They’ve scored just two goals over the past three games and that includes being shutout once. Of course, it’s not all that surprising with Jonathan Huberdeau away with Team Canada and Kevin Gagne traded.

The Dogs are led by Ryan Tesink in Huberdeau’s absence. Tesink has 38 points in 34 games this season but has just one point during this four-game losing skid.

Saint John has had success against Moncton this season – their last win came against the Wildcats on December 14 – so the Dogs will be hoping that continues this evening.

Moncton enters action today with a 23-13-1-0 record for 47 points. They sit second in the division and seventh overall in the QMJHL. They are 6-3-1-0 in their last 10 games.

One of the Wildcats’ issues this season has been divisional play. They are just 8-8-1-0 against teams in the Maritimes. To put that in perspective, Saint John, who has seven fewer wins than the ‘Cats, is 9-10-0-0 in divisional play.

The ‘Cats are led offensively by Allain Saulnier who has 51 points in 37 games this season.

Sunday Night Stuff

What up? A few things…

• Former Sea Dogs goaltender Travis Fullerton made 21 saves this afternoon at Harbour Station as he helped the UNB Varsity Reds defeat the Russian Red Stars. Former Sea Dogs captain Mike Thomas took part in the ceremonial faceoff. Announced attendance was 2,307. UNBHockeyFans.com has more game coverage. UNB hosts Russia tomorrow afternoon at the Aitken Centre in Fredericton.
• At the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Matthew Highmore had a goal as Team Atlantic fell 6-3 to the United States. Highmore’s goal came at 18:11 of the first period on the power play and was assisted by Kyle Tibbo and Kameron Kielly. Team Atlantic is now 0-2 at the tournament.
• Tomorrow, Team Atlantic will take on Slovakia at 2:30pm. Team Quebec will face the United States at 8:30pm.
• Also tomorrow, Team Canada will play their final game of the preliminary round at the World Junior Hockey Championship as they take on the host Russians at 10am Atlantic. Jonathan Huberdeau has a goal and four assists so far at the tournament.

Sunday’s Sea Dogs – Wildcats game was postponed but tomorrow’s will go on as scheduled. The Dogs host the Wildcats at 7:30pm at Harbour Station in the annual New Year’s Eve match between the two rivals.

Today's Sea Dogs-Wildcats Game Postponed

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has announced that today’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats has been postponed due to the big time snow storm that has hit the region.

Environment Canada currently has Saint John and Moncton under a snowfall warning. There’s a lot of snow out there.

A new date for the game that was scheduled to take place today at 4pm the Moncton Coliseum has not been announced yet.

According to the Wildcats Twitter, “tickets for today will be valid at the makeup game date which will be announced at a later date. If you would like a refund that can be done at the Coliseum Box Office.

"Refunds will be available starting on Wednesday January 2nd If you would like a refund for Today's game vs Sea Dogs."

The Sea Dogs and Wildcats will play tomorrow night at Harbour Station in the annual New Year’s Eve game. Note that game time is 7:30pm. Family packages of two adult and two youth tickets are just $44.00 and all youth upper-bowl tickets are only $8.00.

Today’s storm has also postponed the Acadie-Bathurst-PEI game that was supposed to take place this afternoon in Bathurst.

Canada Beats US; Quebec Beats Atlantic

FINAL: United States 1, Canada 2

Team Canada survived a late United States attack and improved to 3-0 at the World Junior Hockey Championship thanks to a 2-1 victory on Sunday.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ryan Strome scored for Canada while Jacob Trouba connected for the US. Malcolm Subban and John Gibson were both solid in their respective nets.

Canada led 2-0 entering the third but Trouba scored at 11:02 of the third on the power play to make a game out of this one. The US had lots of pressure on in the final minute but could not tie it up.

Saint John Sea Dogs captain Jonathan Huberdeau helped set up Canada’s first goal with a nifty pass to Nugent-Hopkins.

Huberdeau also took a slashing penalty late in the game. He had no shots on goal in the game and was a +1.

Canada plays Russia tomorrow morning at 10am Atlantic time.

FINAL: Team Atlantic 2, Team Quebec 5

On the opening day at the World Under-17 Hockey Championship, Olivier LeBlanc and Team Quebec defeated Matthew Highmore and Team Atlantic 5-2.

LeBlanc assisted on Quebec’s opening goal scored by Julien Nantel. Cape Breton Screaming Eagles rookie forward Clark Bishop had both goals for Team Atlantic.

International Scouting Services has called LeBlanc a player to watch at this year's tournament. From the Hockey Canada website:

Mobile defenceman … loves to compete … excellent skating skills … above-average offence … very poised … plays with an edge … terrific shot … great agility and quickness … very aggressive on the puck carrier

Team Atlantic takes on Team USA this afternoon at 2:30pm. Quebec takes on the US tomorrow night.

POSTSCRIPT: Titan 5, Sea Dogs 1

A collection of recaps from last night’s 5-1 Saint John Sea Dogs loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan…

Our recap. The Saint John Sea Dogs returned to Harbour Station on Saturday night to face off against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap (paywall). The sports section of their website hasn’t been updated since before Christmas.

News 88.9’s recap. Featuring Tim Roszell’s goal calls.

The Canadian Press’ recap. At Saint John, N.B., Patrick Walsh had a goal and an assist and Jacon Brennan turned aside 26-of-27 shots as Acadie-Bathurst (14-20-5) handed the Sea Dogs (16-21-0) their fifth straight defeat.

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without Matthew Highmore (World Under-17s – Team Atlantic), Olivier LeBlanc (World Under-17s – Team Quebec), Jonathan Huberdeau (World Juniors – Team Canada), Justin Dickinson (healthy), David Weckworth (lower body), and Jurij Repe (hand) on Saturday night.

According to News 88.9, Jason Seed, Ryan Kelly, and Michael Mastrangelo have been removed from the roster. No big surprises there.

ABBOTT: Defenseman Michael Abbott, acquired on Boxing Day in a trade with Gatineau, made his Sea Dogs debut. He was beat to the puck on Bathurst’s first goal – a shorthanded marker – but made up for it by assisting on Stephen Anderson’s power play goal. He finished the game with one helper, one hit, and a -2 rating.

RECAP: Bad Times. Dogs Lose 5-1.

FINAL: Bathurst 5, Saint John 1

By Tim Lumsden

SN Staff

SAINT JOHN – The Saint John Sea Dogs returned to Harbour Station on Saturday night to face off against the Acadie Bathurst Titan.

Sebastien Auger took the net for Saint John while Jacob Brennan went in net for Bathurst.

FIRST PERIOD

The Sea Dogs went on the power play as Francois Godin was sent off for checking from behind at 3:05. Seconds later at 3:46 Bathurst went up on the board as Patrick Walsh scored a shorthanded goal.

The Dogs tied it up thanks to Stephen Anderson who found an open corner of the net at 4:31 during a power play. Durepos and Abbott each took assists on that one.

Bathurst wanted to keep their lead however, with Adam Stevens breaking the tie and raising the score 2-1 for Bathurst at 5:07.

Tensions were on the rise and finally broke at 7:37 as Cooper and Delorme dropped the gloves, each earning a five minute time out.

Ryan Tesink sent the Dogs to the penalty kill with a checking from behind penalty at 11:52.

The period ended with a score of 2-1 and shots on goal total of 14-6 in favour of Bathurst.

SECOND PERIOD

Bathurst kicked the period off with an early goal at 3:41 as Michael Beaudry slipped one by Auger.

Moments later at 4:57, Adam Zboril stretched the lead 4-1 with his quick goal.

Adam Stevens headed to the box for slashing at 5:24. 30 seconds later Delorme took the same penalty giving Saint John the two man advantage. The Dogs had some pressure on but could not connect.

Sea Dogs Lineup vs Titan

SAINT JOHN – Welcome to Harbour Station where the Sea Dogs will kick off the second half of their season tonight against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Due to injuries and international tournaments, Saint John’s lineup has some new additions. Here’s what are listed as the Sea Dogs line combinations and defense pairings:

Tesink – MacAulay – Anderson

A. Kelly – Cameron – Tsogkas

Cooper – Cuomo – Zilbert

Izacky – Smallman – Brown

Durepos – Abbott

McDonald – Duda

Mosher – Hade

Auger

Fournier

Sea Dogs scratches are: Justin Dickinson, Matthew Highmore, Olivier LeBlanc, Jonathan Huberdeau, David Weckworth, and Jurij Repe.

The Sea Dogs acquired Michael Abbott from the Gatineau Olympiques on Boxing Day. Justin McDonald and David Mosher are call ups from the Maritime Junior Hockey League.

As always, follow @station_nation on Twitter for in-game updates.

GAMEDAY 36 - vs Titan

GAMEDAY

Acadie-Bathurst Titan vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Tonight at 7:00pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – The Christmas break is over and the Saint John Sea Dogs are back in action tonight.

The Sea Dogs begin a stretch of three games in three days tonight at 7pm at Harbour Station where they will take on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Saint John will then play in Moncton tomorrow afternoon before hosting the Wildcats on Monday night.

Saint John enters play tonight with a 16-19-0-0 record and sit fourth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 13^th overall in the league. They are on a three-game losing streak and are 3-7-0-0 in their last 10. They’ll be looking to get the second half started on a positive note tonight.

With team captain Jonathan Huberdeau away with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, Ryan Tesink leads the Sea Dogs in scoring with 38 points in 33 games.

The Sea Dogs will also be missing a key part of their offense tonight in defenseman Kevin Gagne. The 20-year old is the second leading scorer amongst defensemen in the QMJHL but was traded by Saint John to Rimouski last week. The Gagne trade has been the Dogs only major move of the trading period so far.

Bathurst enters play this evening with a 13-20-4-1 record for 31 points. They sit fifth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 14^th overall in the league. The Titan are just one-point back of the Sea Dogs in the standings but have played three more games.

The Titan are led by Zach O’Brien who has 49 points in 36 games. Michael Beaudry, who was recently acquired from the Val-d’Or Foreurs, is second on the team in scoring with 47 points in 36 games.

Some Friday Night Stuff

A few things…

• Kevin Gagne made his Rimouski Oceanic debut tonight. He registered an assist, three shots, a +1 rating, and took a minor penalty as he helped the Oceanic defeat the Victoriaville Tigres 3-1. His assist came on an Anthony DeLuca goal in the second period.
• Rimouski sits second overall in the QMJHL standings. They are 10 points back of the league-leading Halifax Mooseheads.
• There was some exhibition action at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge tonight. Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier LeBlanc had an assist in Quebec’s 6-4 loss to Russia in Victoriaville. Elsewhere, Sea Dogs forward Matthew Highmore and Team Atlantic lost 5-3 to Finland.
• The Under-17 tournament gets underway for real tomorrow night. Team Atlantic will play Team Quebec at 8:30pm in Victoriaville.
• Happy 20th birthday to former Sea Dog Tomas Jurco.
• Reminder that the UNB Varsity Reds take on the MHL Red Stars of Russia on Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station. Plenty of tickets available. The game in Fredericton on Monday is sold out.
• The Saint John Mill Rats are on a roll. They won their sixth straight game tonight and improved to 10-7.

The Sea Dogs are back in action tomorrow night at 7pm at Harbour Station when they host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Saint John sits 13^th overall in the league with 32 points while Bathurst sits 14^th with 31 points.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Sea Dogs Notebook

UP NEXT

The Sea Dogs begin a rare three-in-three against divisional opponents on Saturday night. Saint John hosts the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7pm at Harbour Station to kick off the second half.

The Dogs then travel to Moncton on Sunday for the first part of the annual New Year’s home-and-home with the Wildcats. Game time is 4pm at the Moncton Coliseum. The second half of the mini-series between the two rivals is on Monday night at 7:30pm at Harbour Station.

Saint John will be without some regulars – including defenseman Kevin Gagne who was traded last week – so it’ll be interesting to what their lineup looks like.

The QMJHL holiday break ends tonight with six games on the schedule. Gagne and the Rimouski Oceanic host the Victoriaville Tigres this evening.

U-17

The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge begins tonight in Quebec with some exhibition action. Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier LeBlanc and Team Quebec take on Russia while Sea Dogs forward Matthew Highmore and Team Atlantic take on Finland.

Team Quebec and Team Atlantic begin the tournament by facing each other on Saturday night in Victoriaville.

The two teams are in Group B with Team Ontario, the United States, and Slovakia.

STREAK

The London Knights won their 22^nd straight game last night, beating the Windsor Spitfires 9-4 in Ontario Hockey League action.

According to the London Free Press, “the Knights are on the hunt to break the Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League record for most wins in succession. That record belongs to the 1983-84 Kitchener Rangers, who won 25 in succession, and Sorel who won 25 in 1973. Sorel is now the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.”

The Sea Dogs won 22 straight games in 2009, a streak that began on October 17 and ended December 13.

Canada Doubles Up Slovakia

FINAL: Canada 6, Slovakia 3

Team Canada survived a scare against Slovakia on Friday at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Canada trailed 2-0 and 3-1 but battled back to beat Slovakia 6-3 and improve to 2-0 at this year’s tournament.

Canada trailed 2-0 after an ugly first period that saw them get out shot 11-5. JC Lipon received a game misconduct for a hit to the head, ending his night.

Ryan Strome got Canada on the board early in the second but Marko Dano put the Slovaks back up by two at 10:35. Morgan Rielly, Ty Rattie, and Mark Scheifele would all score to give Canada a 4-3 lead heading into the third period. The biggest story line in the second period came when Anthony Camera was ejected for what the officials declared an illegal hit.

Strome and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored in the final frame to give Canada a come-from-behind 6-3 victory.

Shots overall were 30-28 in favour of the Canadians. Malcolm Subban made 25 saves.

Saint John Sea Dogs captain Jonathan Huberdeau helped setup Nugent-Hopkins’ third period marker. Huberdeau also had three shots on goal and a +2 rating.

Up next for Team Canada is a big test against the United States on Sunday. Coverage begins at 5am once again on TSN.

The Best Of 2012

2012 is coming to an end so many websites are recapping the year that was.

Over at Puck Daddy, in partnership with David Singer of HockeyFights.com, they’ve named the top 11 hockey fights from 2012. Coming in at No. 4 was this Grant West fight against the PEI Rocket’s Alex Gallant on February 11, 2012.

What a tilt.

“Singer thinks this fight could have been No. 1, and you can see why: Rabbit punches between friends, and those upper cuts from West were legit,” writes Puck Daddy.

The No. 2 fight took place at the Memorial Cup while the No. 1 took place in the QMJHL.

Over at Sportsnet.ca, Gerard Gallant’s comments about QMJHL officiating was named best CHL rant of the year. Gallant’s rant came after the Sea Dogs lost their opening game at the Memorial Cup to the London Knights. He was later fined.

Two Defensemen Called Up

It appears defensemen David Mosher and Justin McDonald have been called up by the Saint John Sea Dogs. From the Twitter:

Heading to Saint John tomorrow for a few games
— David Mosher (@dmosher9) December 26, 2012

Saint John tomorrow #seadogs
— Justin McDonald (@Donald4Mc) December 26, 2012

Mosher has played in one game with Saint John this season. He was a +1 in Saint John’s 5-1 win in Moncton on September 30. He had two assists in three pre-season games.

The 18-year old Halifax native has three assists in 24 games with the Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Truro Bearcats. He had seven points in 37 games with Truro last year.

Meanwhile, the 18-year old McDonald has nine goals and 15 assists in 24 games with the MHL’s Dieppe Commandos. He had a goal in three pre-season games with the Sea Dogs.

It’s no surprise to see two defensemen brought up. It’s unclear if David Weckworth or Jurij Repe will be healthy when the break ends. Olivier LeBlanc is away with Team Quebec at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Jason Seed, who is still on the team’s roster, is playing with the MHL’s Summerside Western Capitals. Veteran d-man Kevin Gagne was traded last week.

So, that leaves Steven Duda, Ryan Kelly, Benjamin Hade, Pierre Durepos, the newly acquired Michael Abbott, Mosher, and McDonald on the team’s backend.

The Sea Dogs return to action on Saturday when they host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7pm.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Dogs Make Another Move

While most are enjoying the day off, the Saint John Sea Dogs were busy making a trade.

The team announced this afternoon that they have acquired defenseman Michael Abbott from the Gatineau Olympiques in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2015.

“We have added another young [18-year old] defenseman to the hockey club,” said Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Mike Kelly in a team release. “We have followed this player through midget, the U17 program, and his progress in the Quebec league. When we had the opportunity to obtain his rights we felt he would be a solid addition.”

“He is a good skating puck moving D man who has a real good shot. He is also a good character kid and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to add him to our team,” Kelly also said.

Abbott, a St. John’s native, has two goals and three assists in 31 games with Gatineau this year. Last season with the PEI Rocket he registered a goal and seven assists in 46 games.

According to the Sea Dogs news release, “he was picked from the PEI Rocket during the Sherbrooke Phoenix’ expansion draft on June 6th and traded again to the Gatineau Olympiques on Aug. 20th.” He was originally drafted by the Rocket in the fourth-round of the 2011 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs currently have eight defensemen listed on their roster on their website and that doesn’t include Abbott. Olivier LeBlanc is away with Team Quebec at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Jason Seed is currently with the MHL’s Summerside Western Capitals, and the injury statuses of Jurij Repe and David Weckworth are unclear. Plus, they traded 20-year d-man Kevin Gagne last week. So, it’s safe to say the Dogs are a little thin on the backend at the moment.

The trade deadline is on January 8 and the Sea Dogs will surely make some more moves before then.

Saint John returns to action this Saturday when they host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7pm at Harbour Station. The Dogs then begin the annual New Year’s home-and-home with the Moncton Wildcats.

Photo: Olympiques website

Huberdeau Puts Up Three Points In Win

FINAL: Germany 3, Canada 9

Jonathan Huberdeau and Team Canada opened up the 2013 World Junior Hockey Championship with a 9-3 victory over Germany in Ufa, Russia.

Canada led just 2-1 after the first period but exploded in the second to lead 7-3 after 40 minutes. They added two more in the third to win 9-3.

The top line of Huberdeau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Mark Scheifele had a very productive day. Huberdeau was one of Canada’s top forwards, recording a goal, two assists, three shots on goal, and a +1 rating.

Also scoring for Canada was Scheifele (2), Nugent-Hopkins, Xavier Ouellet, Ryan Strome, Jonathan Drouin, Tyler Wotherspoon, and Ty Rattie. Malcolm Subban made 25 saves for the win in net.

Just as everyone expected, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defenseman Xavier Ouellet opened the scoring at 3:01 on the power play to give Canada a 1-0 lead.

Canada made it 2-0 at 9:36. Huberdeau sent a nice pass from the blue line down low to Nugent-Hopkins who beat German netminder Elmar Trautmann.

JC Lipon headed to the box at 19:03. Germany got on the board less than 30 seconds later as Kitchener Rangers forward Tobias Rieder scored, sending hundreds of Canadians to social media to overreact about the penalties and the goaltending

Shots in the opening frame were 14-12 in favour of Team Canada.

Huberdeau took a tripping penalty 21 seconds into the second period. While shorthanded, Mark Scheifele scored to make it 3-1 Canada.

On yet another man advantage at 4:24, Dougie Hamilton was along the boards and sent a perfect pass to Huberdeau who beat Trautmann blocker side to make it 4-1 Team Canada. A replay shown on TSN during intermission showed that the play should have been whistled offside.

First Half By The Numbers

The Saint John Sea Dogs enter the Christmas break with a 16-19-0-0 record for 32 points. They sit fourth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 13^th overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The Sea Dogs had some good stretches in the first half. They also had some bad stretches. In the end, they finished three games below the .500 mark. Most analysts predicted Saint John to finish around .500 and near the middle of the league standings, so they are right around where most thought they would be.

Here’s a closer look at how Saint John did statistically in the first half (all numbers according to league stats):

Sea Dogs Notebook

GAGNE

A few hours after officially being traded to the Rimouski Oceanic, Kevin Gagne thanked the Sea Dogs organization and fans on Twitter.

I would like to thank the entire Saint John Sea Dogs organization for everything they have done for me during these past 4 1/2 years!!
— Kevin Gagne (@KevinGagne21) December 22, 2012

And also all the support from our fans! #firstclass
— Kevin Gagne (@KevinGagne21) December 22, 2012

The Rimouski newspaper L’Avantage has plenty of coverage of the trade.

SeaDogsTV posted this Gagne highlight video on YouTube.

HUBERDEAU

Team Canada needed a shootout to beat Sweden 2-1 in world junior pre-competition play yesterday in Finland. Jonathan Huberdeau was Canada’s first shooter in the shootout and scored a nifty goal as usual.

Huberdeau and Team Canada open up the World Junior Hockey Championships on Boxing Day against Germany.

BEAULIEU

Nathan Beaulieu is having a solid month with the Hamilton Bulldogs. The Bulldogs website had an article on Beaulieu earlier this week.

“It has been a good month for me so far,” Beaulieu said Thursday. “I felt like I got my game back a little bit. I was struggling early on, I think I was trying to do too much. But I have been keeping it simple and offensively things have been a lot better.”

The former Sea Dogs defenseman has a goals and nine assists in 26 American Hockey League games this year.

Here We Go

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League trading period has officially begun.

This year’s trading period runs until Tuesday, January 8. All the transactions will be posted on the league website.

Well, this is certainly a different kind of trading period for the Saint John Sea Dogs. They’ll be sellers for the first time since the 2008-09 season. This will also be the first time in the Mike Kelly era that the Sea Dogs will be looking to sell rather than buy.

Saint John certainly has some assets that many teams will want. 19-year old Ryan Tesink should bring in a good return for the Dogs. It’ll be interesting to see if teams go after 20-year olds Stephen MacAulay and Pierre Durepos. And of course, there is Jonathan Huberdeau. What happens with Huberdeau is anyone’s guess at this point.

The Dogs acquired a few draft picks – including a first rounder – in the Kevin Gagne deal. With Saint John currently 13^th overall in the league, you have to think the Dogs may try and get their own first-round pick back from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

It's always difficult to see long time Sea Dogs get traded but that is just how junior hockey works. It's a cycle. And remember, Saint John doesn't have three straight 50-win seasons without the moves they made at the 2009 trade deadline.

This should be an interesting few weeks. We’ll have plenty of coverage. 

POSTSCRIPT: Mooseheads 5, Sea Dogs 1

A collection of recaps from last night’s 5-1 Saint John Sea Dogs loss to the Halifax Mooseheads…

Our recap. The Sea Dogs returned to Harbour Station on Friday to take on the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap (paywall). Friday night was an emotional one for the Saint John Sea Dogs, who bid farewell to 20-year-old defenceman Kevin Gagne after a 5-1 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads.

Metro Halifax’s recap. It will certainly be a happy holidays for the Halifax Mooseheads this year.

The Chronicle Herald’s recap. The Halifax Mooseheads head into the holidays on a high.

The Canadian Press’ recap. The Rimouski Oceanic are heading into the second half of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season in second place, on a six-game winning streak and with some new firepower on the blue-line.

News 88.9’s recap. Featuring Tim Roszell’s goal calls.

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. The Saint John Sea Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads mixed it up in Friday night’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action with the Mooseheads coming out on top of a 5-1 decision as 3,681 fans looked on at Harbour Station.

HalifaxMooseheads.ca’s recap. The Halifax Mooseheads entered the Christmas break on a high note Friday night in Saint John with a 5-1 win over the Sea Dogs.

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without Jason Seed (MHL – Summerside), David Weckworth (lower body), Jonathan Huberdeau (world juniors), Devon Oliver-Dares (personal reasons), Michael Mastrangelo (upper body), Jurij Repe (Division 1 world juniors/broken hand), Oliver Cooper (flu), and Justin Dickinson (upper body) on Friday night.

Halifax was without their top forwards in Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, and Martin Frk who are all away preparing for the World Junior Hockey Championships.

Report: Seed Staying In Summerside

SAINT JOHN – The Kevin Gagne trade means the Saint John Sea Dogs have an open 20-year old slot on their roster. The question is: who will fill it?

By the sounds of an article in the Summerside Journal Pioneer, it doesn’t appear defenseman Jason Seed will be filling that open slot. Summerside Western Capitals general manager Pat McIver told the newspaper that Seed has committed to the Maritime Junior Hockey League club for the remainder of the season.

From the Journal Pioneer:

McIver also announced that Seed has committed to the Capitals for the remainder of the season. Seed joined the Caps on Dec. 5, but there was a possibility he could return to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League if the Saint John Sea Dogs traded him. 

“When he flew home (to Ottawa) on the 19th after our game (against Campbellton) and after speaking with his parents and advisor, he called to advise us that he was staying,” said McIver. “He likes it here, likes the guys in the room and wants to help us win a championship.”

So… there's that. I guess this could mean a number of things. Maybe the Sea Dogs have other plans to fill the overage position? Or maybe Seed would just prefer to stick with and enjoy his time with the RBC Cup hosting Capitals for the rest of the year?

Seed had two goals and eight assists in 22 games with the Sea Dogs before joining the Western Capitals. He has six assists in six games with Summerside.

Also of note, the Western Capitals acquired former Sea Dog and MHL leading scoring Danny Chiasson from the Dieppe Commandos. The Journal Pioneer reports that, as part of the deal, Stephen Anderson’s MHL rights were traded to Dieppe.

And So It Begins

SAINT JOHN – Kevin Gagne gave a few waves to a cheering crowd as he was named the Saint John Sea Dogs’ hardest working player in a 5-1 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Friday night. As it turned out, that would be the final time Saint John fans got to see Gagne in a Sea Dogs uniform.

The team announced soon after Friday night’s game that the 20-year old defenseman had been traded to the Rimouski Oceanic along with a sixth-round pick in the 2014 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft. In return, the Sea Dogs received Rimouski’ first- and sixth-round picks in the 2013 draft and Cape Breton’s fourth-round pick in 2014.

Gagne has been with the Sea Dogs since the 2008-09 season and is one of the few players remaining from the Jacques Beaulieu era. He’s never been the star of the team, but has always been providing steady defensive play and, especially over the past couple seasons, helping out offensively. Gagne is easily one of the best skaters in the league. He leaves with two President Cup championships and a Memorial Cup title.

Gagne, a second-round pick of Saint John in 2008, his currently second in defensemen scoring with 34 points in 31 games.

“Kevin Gagné has not only been an outstanding player, competitor and leader for the organization for the past four and a half years, the example he provided defines how a young man should handle himself through the struggles of establishing himself as player for the Saint John Sea Dogs as well as through the good times of winning championships,” said Sea Dogs Head Coach and General Manager Mike Kelly in a team release. “His example of humility and selflessness in all situations is remarkable while his professionalism is certainly beyond his years.”

The Edmundston native will be going to a good organization, an organization the Sea Dogs defeated in four games to win the President Cup last year. The Oceanic currently sit second overall in the league with a 23-10-1-3 record.

“We wish Kevin all the best in the future and find it difficult to thank him enough for everything he has added to the Sea Dogs organization,” Kelly added.

The Oceanic visit Saint John on February 10. Rimouski’s lineup also features former Sea Dog Scott Oke and former Sea Dog draft pick Maxime Gravel.

The league's holiday trading period begins tomorrow. The question isn't if the Sea Dogs will make more moves, but when.

RECAP: Break Time. Dogs Lose 5-1.

FINAL: Halifax 5, Saint John 1

By Tim Lumsden

SN Staff

SAINT JOHN – The Sea Dogs returned to Harbour Station on Friday to take on the Halifax Mooseheads.

Sebastien Auger skated out to protect the Saint John net while Zachary Fucale started for Halifax.

FIRST PERIOD

Mackenzie Brown started the Dogs off with their first penalty at 7:02. He was sent off for interference.

Halifax served their first penalty at 15:37 as Luca Ciampini was called for checking from behind.

It was an entertaining first period with both teams exchanging scoring chances. Shots were 12-9 in favour of the Moose.

SECOND PERIOD

Halifax started off the second period with a bang as Stefan Fournier scored Halifax’s first goal only 21 seconds into the second period. The goal came unassisted thanks to a Saint John turnover.

Noah Zilbert took a slashing call at 10:26 sending the Dogs to the penalty kill.

The second period ended with a score of 1-0. Shots on goal in the second were 9-7 in favour of Halifax.

THIRD PERIOD

Stephen Anderson tied the game 1-1 with his goal at 3:13. MacAulay and Gagne grabbed the assists.

Moments later at 4:09, Matthew Boudreau pulled the Mooseheads into the lead as he scored the second Halifax goal.

Sea Dogs Lineup vs Mooseheads

SAINT JOHN – It’s a wet and dark December day in Saint John where the Sea Dogs will take on the Halifax Mooseheads this evening.

Here’s a look at tonight’s listed Sea Dogs lines and defense pairings:

Tesink – MacAulay – Anderson

A. Kelly – Cameron – Tsogkas

Izacky – Highmore – Zilbert

Cuomo – Smallman – Brown

Gagne – Duda

LeBlanc – Durepos

R. Kelly – Hade

Auger

Fournier

Sea Dogs scratches are: Jason Seed, David Weckworth, Jonathan Huberdeau, Devon Oliver-Dares, Michael Mastrangelo, Jurij Repe, Oliver Cooper, and Justin Dickinson.

As always, follow @station_nation on Twitter for updates.

GAMEDAY 35 - vs Mooseheads

GAMEDAY

Halifax Mooseheads vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Tonight at 7:30pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – The first half of the season comes to an end tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Although most teams (including the Sea Dogs) have played half their schedule already, today’s and tomorrow’s contests will be the final ones before the Christmas break which singles the unofficial ending of the first half. Following tonight’s 7:30pm contest at Harbour Station against the Halifax Mooseheads, the Sea Dogs don’t play again until December 29.

The game before the holiday break is always an interesting one. It’s as much a mental game as it is a physical one. Players can be caught looking ahead to returning home or thinking about the trading period that opens tomorrow instead of the game. We’ll see if that is the case tonight.

The Mooseheads are missing their best players tonight. Forwards Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, and Martin Frk are all away preparing for the World Junior Hockey Championships. Meanwhile, defenseman Konrad Abeltshauser is still out hurt. If the Sea Dogs want to beat the Mooseheads this season, tonight will probably be their best chance.

Halifax enters action today with a 28-3-1-1 record. They sit first overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and are ranked No. 1 in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings. Halifax has a nine-point lead on the second place Quebec Remparts.

With MacKinnon, Drouin, and Frk all away, Matthew Boudreau is Halifax’s leading scorer with 37 points in 33 games. Stefan Fournier, Luca Ciampini, and Darcy Ashley each have 36 points on the year.

Saint John enters play tonight with a 16-18-0-0 record for 32 points. They sit fourth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 13^th overall in the league. They are 4-6-0-0 in their last 10 and that includes are not-so-pretty 3-0 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last night.

The Dogs are also missing their leading scorer due to world junior play in Jonathan Huberdeau. Ryan Tesink has 38 points in 33 games and is the team’s leading scorer with Huberdeau gone.

POSTSCRIPT: Titan 3, Sea Dogs 0

A collection of recaps from last night’s 3-0 Saint John Sea Dogs loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan…

Our recap. The Saint John Sea Dogs took on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Thursday night at Harbour Station.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap (paywall). The Saint John Sea Dogs never found their groove in Thursday night’s 3-0 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at Harbour Station.

News 88.9’s recap. Featuring Tim Roszell’s goal calls.

The Canadian Press’ recap. At Saint John, N.S., Jacob Brennan stopped 29 saves for the shutout to help Acadie-Bathurst (13-19-5) beat the Sea Dogs (16-18-0) despite a 42-save performance from Saint John goaltender Sebastien Auger.

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. The Saint John Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan met for the third time in Thursday night’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. The Sea Dogs were defeated 3-0 by Bathurst with 2,892 fans present at Harbour Station.

SCRATCHES: Benjamin Hade, Jason Seed, Jonathan Huberdeau, Devon Oliver-Dares, Michael Mastrangelo, Jurij Repe, Justin Dickinson, and Jakub Izacky did not play for Saint John on Thursday night.

Izacky and Dickinson were both injured on Sunday in Charlottetown.

Huberdeau served the final game of his four-game suspension. He is now eligible for world junior play.

RECAP: Yikes. Dogs Lose 3-0.

FINAL: Bathurst 3, Saint John 0

By Tim Lumsden

SN Staff

SAINT JOHN – The Saint John Sea Dogs took on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Thursday night at Harbour Station.

Sebastien Auger skated into net for Saint John while Jacob Brennan stood guard for Bathurst.

FIRST PERIOD

Amazingly the first penalty of the game didn't come until Samuel Robert was called for holding at 13:39.

Next to the box was Jason Cameron at 17:31 for holding.

For the majority of the period, the Titan continued to play an offensive game, dominating the shots on goal with a total of 18-8.

SECOND PERIOD

Matthew Highmore spent some time in the box after getting called for hooking at 3:40.

Etienne Salvail was next to venture to time out land as he served a slashing penalty at 4:07.

Too many men on the ice lead the Sea Dogs to the penalty kill as Stephen Anderson served the penalty at 5:46.

Sea Dogs Lineup vs Titan

SAINT JOHN – Welcome to Harbour Station where the Sea Dogs will play their second-to-last game before the Christmas break. Saint John is taking on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan this evening.

Here’s a look at tonight’s listed Sea Dogs lines and defense pairings:

Tesink – MacAulay – Anderson

Cooper – Highmore – Zilbert

Cuomo – Cameron – Brown

A. Kelly – Smallman – Tsogkas

Gagne – Weckworth

LeBlanc – Durepos

R. Kelly – Duda

Auger

Fournier

Saint John’s scratches are: Benjamin Hade, Jason Seed, Jonathan Huberdeau, Devon Oliver-Dares, Michael Mastrangelo, Jurij Repe, Justin Dickinson, and Jakub Izacky.

Tonight is the final game of Huberdeau's four-game suspension. 

As always, follow @station_nation on Twitter for updates. 

GAMEDAY 34 - vs Titan

GAMEDAY

Acadie-Bathurst Titan vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Tonight at 7:00pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – With the world ending tomorrow or whatever, tonight could be final game in Saint John Sea Dogs history. The Sea Dogs host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan this evening at 7pm at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs enter action tonight with 16-17-0-0 record for 32 points. They sit fourth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 13^th overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They are 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 games and are coming off a road loss in PEI on Sunday.

Saint John will once again be without their best player. Even though he won’t be playing, tonight’s game is important for Jonathan Huberdeau as his four-game suspension will come to an end. Huberdeau was unable to play in today’s world junior pre-competition game due to the suspension.

With Huberdeau absent, Ryan Tesink leads Saint John in scoring with 38 points. Defenseman Kevin Gagne is second with 33.

It’s been a disappointing season for the Titan. They enter play today with a 12-19-4-1 record for 29 points. They sit fifth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 14^th overall in the league. The Titan are three points back of Saint John but have played three more games.

As the trade period approaches, the Titan have lost three straight and are 3-6-0-1 in their last 10 games.

Zach O’Brien leads Bathurst in scoring with 47 points in 34 games. The newly acquired Michael Beaudry is second on the squad in points with 46. The Titan traded Brandon Hynes and some draft picks to Val-d’Or in exchange for Beaudry last week.

The first half of the Sea Dogs season officially ends with tonight’s game. It unofficially ends with tomorrow night’s game against the Halifax Mooseheads, Saint John’s final game before the Christmas break. 

Some Trade Period Thoughts

Steve Turcotte of the Shawinigan newspaper Le Nouvelliste named the players he believes will be the most coveted during the holiday trading period.

Three members of the Saint John Sea Dogs – forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Ryan Tesink along with defenseman Kevin Gagne – made Turcotte’s list. Huberdeau came in at No. 2, Tesink, No. 3, and Gagne No. 5. Victoriaville Tigres forward Philip Danault came in at No. 1.

As Turcotte explains, Huberdeau would be No. 1 on everyone’s list if not for the lockout uncertainty. Most NHL expects believe a deal must be done by mid-January in order for there to be a season. Sportsnet’s Darren Millard tweeted this today.

breaking news,Deputy Commish Bill Daly states the point of no return is in and around mid-january.Much earlier than 2004/05.#sportsnet
— Daren Millard (@darenmillard) December 19, 2012

As Willy Palov explained in his column on Friday, Huberdeau probably won’t be traded until the last minute.

“Unless someone decides to take a huge gamble, Huberdeau likely won’t be traded until the last minute when everyone is sure of his status,” Palov wrote. “Even at that time, a deal might have to include major conditional elements to make the buyer feel comfortable.”

Tesink should get plenty of interest. He’s 19 with plenty of experience and also brings some grit and skill. I wouldn’t say it’s a lock he turns pro next season either, so there is the possibility he could return as an overage player.

Gagne will be a bit more difficult to move given that he is a 20-year old. He sits second in scoring by defensemen, so there still should be some interest.

The trading period begins on Saturday and runs until January 8.

Some other random thoughts…

Huberdeau On Cover Of THN

Hey look! It’s Jonathan Huberdeau front and centre on the cover of The Hockey News. Yup, magazines still exist.

This edition is loaded with world junior content. They predict Canada to finish first, so that’s cool. All the details of what’s in this edition can be found here.

Sea Dogs Notebook

NEXT GAME

The Sea Dogs play their final games before the world ends of the first half this week at Harbour Station. Saint John hosts the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Thursday at 7pm at the Halifax Mooseheads on Friday at 7:30pm.

This has the potential to be an interesting couple games. The Sea Dogs enter play with a 16-17-0-0 record and are three points ahead of the Titan and have played three fewer games. Meanwhile, the Mooseheads, the best team in the QMJHL, come to town missing Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, Martin Frk, and Konrad Abeltshauser.

Following Friday’s game, the Sea Dogs don’t play again until December 29. That is, of course, as along as the world doesn’t end on Friday.

IT’S COMING

The QMJHL trading period begins on Saturday and runs until January 8. It’s hard to say how many trades will go down - or when they will happen - but there will definitely be some as the Sea Dogs continue their rebuild. Could be an interesting few weeks.

PREVIEW

The Hockey Writers previewed Team Canada’s forwards for the world juniors today.

“Jonathan Huberdeau is considered one of the most NHL-ready players on Canada’s roster,” writes David O’Connor. “The third-overall selection of the Florida Panthers in 2011 would likely be in Sunrise right about now if not for the lockout. Huberdeau has starred for the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs for a few seasons now, and is expected to play a leadership role for Canada. An injury limited him in last year’s tournament, but he’ll be looked to for offensive sparks on the international-sized ice surface.”

Huberdeau will reportedly not play in Canada’s pre-tournament game on Thursday against Finland.

GALIEV

The Hershey Bears announced today that they have called up former Sea Dogs forward Stanislav Galiev from the ECHL’s Reading Royals.

According to the Bears news release, Galiev “paid immediate dividends, recording his first professional goal on November 28 before notching nine points (five goals, four assists) and a plus-seven rating in six December contests.  Among Galiev’s monthly highlights were two game-winning goals and his first professional hat trick on December 15.” Galiev finished his ECHL stint with six goals and seven assists in 12 games.

"He's been on fire," Reading coach Larry Courville told the Reading Eagle over the weekend. "One goal was in a dirty area in front of the net. That's an area that Hershey wants him to focus on."

Galiev had played in nine games with the Bears before the demotion to the ECHL. Hershey’s next game is on Wednesday against Norfolk.

Huberdeau Won't Play For Canada Thursday

According to TSN’s Mark Masters, Jonathan Huberdeau will not play in Thursday’s world junior pre-tournament game.

Huberdeau will miss pre-tournament game Thurs v Finns (final game of QMJHL suspension); Spott hasn't decided who'll replace him on top line
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) December 18, 2012

Team Canada takes on Finland at 10:30pm AST. The game can be seen on TSN.

Huberdeau missing Thursday’s game seems fair. His four-game Quebec Major Junior Hockey League suspension ends that night when the Saint John Sea Dogs host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at Harbour Station.

The International Ice Hockey Federation announced yesterday that Plymouth Whalers forward Stefan Noesen will not be allowed to play for Team USA at the world juniors due to a 10-game Ontario Hockey League suspension. The difference is that his suspension ends on January 11 which is after the tournament ends. Huberdeau’s suspension ends before the tourney begins on Boxing Day.

Last week, the Sea Dogs captain was named an alternate captain for Team Canada. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be captain while Scott Harrington will wear the other ‘A.’

"It's nice to be an assistant but it's not only the three guys," Huberdeau told the Calgary Herald. “That's what is great about these tournaments. Everybody here is a superstar with their own teams.

"They all know what to do but they can still help each other out here."

Not everyone was happy with Huberdeau getting an ‘A’ on his sweater though. Edmonton Journal hockey writer Bruce McCurdy wrote a blog post entitled “Hockey Canada coughed up the puck by honouring suspended Jonathan Huberdeau.”