Sea Dogs Change Walk-Up Price Set-Up

SAINT JOHN – After eight seasons of the same ticket pricing set-up, the Saint John Sea Dogs are changing things up for the 2013-14 season.

Beginning this season, sections V, A, B, M, L, and K in the lower bowl – the prime seating behind/beside the benches and penalty boxes - will be the same price as the horseshoe. The non-center ice lower bowl seats will be a little less while the upper bowl seats will continue to be the cheapest in the building.

This kind of price set-up isn’t all that common around here but is the norm at larger venues.

According to the Sea Dogs website, here are the prices:

2013-2014 Regular Season Walk-Up Prices are:

	Adult	Senior*/Student	Youth**
Horseshoe/Centre Ice Lower	$18.00	$17.00	$14.50
Non-Centre Ice, Lower	$17.50	$16.50	$14.00
Upper Bowl	$15.50	$14.50	$12.00

- Horseshoe seats are the blue padded upper bowl seats (first 3 rows of UB)

- Centre Ice Lower Includes Sections V, A, B, K, M, L (the 3 centre ice sections on each side)

- Prices include all applicable taxes
- Each ticket is subject to a $1 service fee.
- *Senior is 60 years and older.
- **Youth is ages 2 - 14. Under 2 years is free.

The season ticket/flex pack pricing setup has not been changed and remains the same as it has always been.

LeBlanc Didn't Make Team Canada

Olivier LeBlanc was not among the seven Quebec Major Junior Hockey League players to crack Team Canada’s roster for the Under-18 Ivan Hlinka tournament.

The final roster for the tournament was named today following the completion of the squad’s summer selection camp held in Toronto.

LeBlanc, who was solid in his first QMJHL season with Saint John last year, can now look forward to Sea Dogs training camp which begins in just a couple weeks. He’ll be a big part of Saint John’s defense core this season.

Canada’s defense for the tournament is headlined by Barrie’s Aaron Ekblad. Sherbrooke’s Carl Neill and Gatineau’s Alexandre Carrier also made the team as defensemen.

Both of Canada's goaltenders are from the Q – Bathurst’s Mason McDonald and Chicoutimi’s Julio Billia. QMJHL forwards Clark Bishop of Cape Breton, Daniel Audette of Sherbrooke, and Alexis Pepin of Charlottetown also made the team.

The annual tournament begins on August 5th with Canada taking on the Czech Republic. 

Sea Dogs Notebook

GAME HOST

The Sea Dogs announced last week that they are still looking for a new Game Day Host for the 2013-14 season.

From the Sea Dogs:

The Game Day Host will co-ordinate in-game promotions and pump up the crowd at Sea Dogs games. The successful candidate will need to be available for all 34 Sea Dogs home games. Being energetic, fun and a team player goes a long way. Experience on a microphone is an asset. Resumes can be sent to info@saintjohnseadogs.com.

The Sea Dogs are also putting out a general call for Game Day volunteers. Volunteers receive a ticket to each home game. Interested fans can send resumes to info@saintjohnseadogs.com.

Kyle Ferguson stepped down as Game Day Host earlier this off-season.

PHILLIPS

The Minnesota Wild website had an article on former Sea Dogs forward Zack Phillips last week.

"Next year, I'm going to go in with more confidence," Phillips said. "It makes it a lot easier to stick to your game. It should be an easier year and I'm excited to get it started."

Phillips, who will play with the Wild’s new AHL affiliate in Iowa this season, recorded eight goals and 19 assists in 71 games with the Houston Aeros last year.

BUS TRIP

The Titan are organizing a bus trip to the Sea Dogs home opener at Harbour Station on September 21^st. Via their Facebook page, here’s the info:

- Date, September 21st 2013

- Departure from the KC Irving at 1PM

- Stop in Moncton

- Game Time 7PM (return after game)

- Price, 60$ per person (Includes bus fare and game ticket)

Reservation: Annette Thibodeau 546-2755 or Iréne Theriault 546-4774.

New 3rd Line Grind Tonight At 6pm

‘Tis a rainy day in Saint John, so why not sit down beside your FM radio/computer/tablet/phone and listen to tonight’s episode of 3^rd Line Grind? Seriously, why not? WHY NOT.

Here’s what’s coming up on tonight's program:

• Sea Dogs news roundup
• Some QMJHL news happened this week
• Olympic roster talk
• Dunkin Donuts stats
• Lots of other stuff

Tune in tonight from 6-7pm on Local 107.3 FM in the Saint John area, listen live online at localfm.ca, or check us out on Rogers channel 949 and Aliant 824.

Also, follow us on Twitter @3rdlinegrnd and like us on Facebook to keep up to date on show happenings.

Sea Dogs Have New Athletic Therapist

The Saint John Sea Dogs will have a new Athletic Therapist for the 2013-14 season.

It was announced this week that John-Paul (JP) Laciak has been named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League club’s new Athletic Therapist. Last season, Laciak was the trainer for the Oakville Blades of the Ontario Junior ‘A’ Hockey League.

"I am excited to join a great organization like Saint John, who won the Memorial Cup just two seasons ago," said Laciak in an OJHL press release.  "I am lucky to join a staff that includes Coach/GM Mike Kelly, and President Wayne Long has been nothing but welcoming."

Thanks to all for the congrats, and to @SeaDogsHockey for welcoming me so warmly. Can't wait for training camp and to get this thing going!
— John-Paul Laciak (@JPLaciak) July 24, 2013

Here’ some more info on him from the OJHL release:

The native of Malton, Ontario is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, as well as Sheridan College, and is a certified Athletic Therapist.  His career in the OJHL began in 2011, when he was hired by then Oakville Blades owner Carlo Coccimiglio and he has spent the past two seasons with the club, while also working this past year for the Blades' Team Doctor, Dr. Ben Fryer, at Dynamic Health and Performance (DHP) in Oakville.  This past season, he was also named the Trainer for the OJHL South Division All-Star Team that competed at the 2012 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge that took place in Wellington, Ontario.  During his OJHL stint, Laciak was also fortunate to have done some work with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, working alongside their Athletic Therapist Paul Ayotte, where he was able to learn the ins and outs of the professional game, with an eye towards reaching his ultimate goal of the National Hockey League.

Laciak takes over for Jeff Kelly who, according to the Twitter of equipment manager David Kelly, left the team to do other things.

Have to say thanks to @jkellyAT for everything in his 6 seasons with us, he is like a brother to me and we are all going to miss him alot!
— David DK Kelly (@SeaDogsDK) July 23, 2013

With Jeff Kelly gone, that leaves only David Kelly and Mike Kelly as Kellys behind the bench. Times are changing, you guys.

Canucks Re-Sign Sauve

The Vancouver Canucks announced today that they have re-signed former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Yann Sauve. No contract details were in the team’s news release.

From the release:

Sauve, 23, split the 2012-13 season with the Chicago Wolves and the ECHL Kalamazoo Wings. In 17 games with the Wolves, he posted two assists and 10 penalty minutes. The 6’3”, 220 lbs. defenceman registered 19 points (10-9-19) and 40 penalty minutes in 32 games with the Wings. 

The Montreal, QC, native was originally selected by Vancouver 41st overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Sauve has played in five career NHL games with the Canucks, all of those coming in the 2010-11 season. He was the first Sea Dog to appear in a regular season NHL contest.

The first overall pick in the 2006 QMJHL Entry Draft played with Saint John for four seasons from 2006-07 to 2009-10.

It was announced a couple weeks ago that the Canucks prospect will take part in the Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Weekend next month.

Alumni Weekend Promo Video

Here’s a video promoting the Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Weekend that was posted on the Sea Dogs Foundation’s YouTube page.

If you haven’t purchased your tickets/ticket packages yet, all the info can be found on the Harbour Station website.

Also, follow @SeaDogsAlumni on Twitter for the latest info on the game. Some unreal items are up for grabs at the auction.

Former Sea Dogs Sign Pro Deals

A few former Saint John Sea Dogs have signed professional contracts over the past week.

Last Thursday, the Ottawa Senators officially announced the re-signing of forward Mike Hoffman to a one-year, two-way contract. Hoffman was a fifth-round pick of the Sens in the 2009 NHL Draft and has played in four career games with Ottawa.

Hoffman battled a collarbone injury this past season and only played in 41 AHL games with the Binghamton Senators, recording 13 goals and 15 assists. He was pointless in three NHL games.

Former Sea Dogs tough guy Brett Gallant re-signed with the New York Islanders last week. From Islanders Point Blank:

The Islanders have re-signed restricted free agent forward Brett Gallant to a one-year, two-way deal, the team has confirmed to Point Blank. 

According to CapGeek.com, Gallant gets a pay raise in the AHL of $75,000 up from $65,000 last year. If he plays in the NHL, the deal is valued at $550,000 down from $610,000 although he has yet to play in an NHL game.

Gallant recorded no points and 202 penalty minutes in 42 AHL games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery in March.

Here Are Some Important Dates

SAINT JOHN – Hockey season is roughly a month away from beginning in the Port City.

Today, the Sea Dogs announced some important dates regarding ticket purchasing for the upcoming 2013-14 campaign.

Aug. 1st - Pre-season tickets on sale for season ticket holders

Aug. 9th - Pre-season tickets on sale to general public

Sept. 8th - Season ticket/Flex Packs available for pick up at Season Ticket Holder Barbecue and Pre-season game vs. Moncton Wildcats

Sept. 8-13th - Flex Pack regular season priority seat selection

Sept. 13th - Regular season tickets on sale to general public

Ticket info can be found on the Sea Dogs website.

Saint John begins pre-season play on August 17^th when they host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7pm at the qplex. The Sea Dogs also announced today that “all tickets are $10.00 plus a $1.25 service charge and are available online at qplex.quispamsis.ca.”

Saint John also plays a pre-season home game on Saturday, August 24^th against the Titan at Harbour Station. The Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Game takes place that afternoon. Their one other home exhibition contest is on September 8th against the Moncton Wildcats

The Sea Dogs open the regular season on September 13^th in Moncton. Their home opener is Saturday, September 21^st against the Titan.

It's Radio Show Day

Coming off one of their best shows of the season, 3^rd Line Grind looks to keep things rolling tonight on the radio airwaves.

Here’s what we’re talking about tonight at 6pm on Local 107.3 FM:

• Sea Dogs news roundup
• Latest NHL signings
• NHL scheduling and Olympics
• ESPY Awards recap
• All-Star Games: what are they good for?
• Other stuff

Tune in tonight from 6-7pm on Local 107.3 FM in the Saint John area, listen live online at localfm.ca, or check us out on Rogers channel 949 and Aliant 824.

Also, follow us on Twitter @3rdlinegrnd and like us on Facebook to keep up to date on show happenings.

Sea Dogs Notebook

HOFFMAN

Former Sea Dogs forward Mike Hoffman has re-signed with the Ottawa Senators. From TSN:

The Ottawa Senators have signed centre Mike Hoffman one-year, two way contract on Wednesday. 

The restricted free agent will earn $660,000 at the NHL level and $67,000 in the American Hockey League.

Hoffman scored 13 goals and 15 assists in 41 AHL games with the Binghamton Senators last year. He also played three NHL games with Ottawa but went pointless. His playing time was limited last season due to a collarbone injury.

The Kitchener native played as an overage player with Saint John in 2009-10.

FISHING

Buzzing The Net had their annual post of what some CHL players are doing for work this summer up on their site on Wednesday. Featured this year was Sea Dogs forward and PEI fisherman Stephen Anderson.

"It keeps you in shape," Anderson said. "You're throwing around 300-pound collectors around all day, so you get your upper body strength going for sure. The time passes quickly, so it's a win-win situation."

GELINAS

As the Fire Ice blog explains, there’s a chance we could see former Sea Dogs defenseman Eric Gelinas starting next season with the New Jersey Devils.

“I just want to be here and do my thing and if it works out, it’s going to be beneficial for me and I’m going to be happy about it, but I don’t want to set my bars so high,” he said. “I just want to keep everything simple and just enjoy the moment and try to prove myself that I can play here on a regular basis.”

Gelinas, who won the Memorial Cup with Saint John in 2011, is attending Devils development camp this week. He spent last year in the AHL but did make his NHL debut in the spring.

The Devils Army Blog also had a prospect profile on Gelinas this week.

ORGANIZATIONAL RANKINGS

Hockey Prospectus released their latest NHL organizational rankings a couple weeks ago. Check those out if you’re interested. Maybe you’re not. I don’t know.

Spoiler alert: Danick Gauther and the Tampa Bay Lightning are ranked first.

One Month Until Pre-Season Opener

SAINT JOHN - Got some news for you: the Saint John Sea Dogs’ pre-season begins one month from today.

The Sea Dogs will host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on August 17^th at the qplex in Quispamsis. It’s the first of six pre-season games for the Dogs with the first four of those contests being played against the Titan. The other two will be against the Moncton Wildcats.

Saint John’s 2013 training camp begins on August 14^th.

This year’s training camp and pre-season has plenty of intrigue with quite a few open roster spots and a large crop of new prospects coming in. Saint John picked 16 players in June’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, including third overall pick Nathan Noel.

Also, remember to get your ticket packages for the Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Weekend being held Friday August 23^rd to Sunday, August 25. It’s going to be cray cray. Info is available on the Harbour Station website.

Two Dogs Prospects Invited To Quebec Camp

Two Saint John Sea Dogs prospects have been invited to Quebec’s under-17 summer evaluation camp. Those chosen for the team will represent the province at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge this December.

Forward Samuel Dove-McFalls and defenseman Thomas Chabot, who were both selected by Saint John in the 2013 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, were among the players invited. Dove-McFalls is on Team White at the camp while Chabot is on Team Blue.

Chabot, selected 22^nd overall by the Sea Dogs in June, recorded six goals and 20 assists in 41 games with the Lévis Commandeurs of the Quebec Midget AAA circuit.

Dove-McFalls, selected 47^th overall by the Dogs, registered 15 goals and 26 assists in 28 games with the Lac St-Louis Tigres Espoir squad.

On-ice activities begin tomorrow at the camp. Roster info and the full schedule can be found here.

Four other Sea Dogs prospects have a chance to take part in the Under-17 Challenge as well. Nathan Noel, Will Thompson, Bailey Webster, and Christopher Smith were all invited to attend Team Atlantic camp.

This year’s World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will take place in Cape Breton beginning on December 29th.

Sea Dogs At NHL Development Camps

National Hockey League summer development/rookie/prospect camps are winding down. Most teams have completed theirs while a handful are still taking place.

Quite a few former Saint John Sea Dogs received camp invites. Here’s who went where (according to camp rosters found on the interweb):

Nathan Beaulieu – Montreal Canadiens
Mathieu Corbeil – Vancouver Canucks
Kevin Gagne – Anaheim Ducks
Danick Gauthier – Tampa Bay Lightning
Eric Gelinas – New Jersey Devils
Jonathan Huberdeau – Florida Panthers
Stephen MacAulay – Montreal Canadiens
Charlie Millen – Toronto Maple Leafs
Charles-Olivier Roussel – Nashville Predators
Zack Phillips – Minnesota Wild

We couldn’t find a St. Louis Blues development camp roster, so not sure on Ryan Tesink. Former Sea Dogs prospect Maxime Gravel was invited to Montreal Canadiens development camp while draft pick Wiley Sherman, a Harvard commit, went camping with the Boston Bruins.

And on a somewhat related note, Alex Grant signed a one-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks last week.

Additions Made To Alumni Game Roster

Three more players have confirmed that they will be taking part in the Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Game.

The Sea Dogs Foundation and Children's Wish Foundation announced via press release today that defensemen Yann Sauve and Eric Gelinas along with goaltender Robert Mayer have been added to the roster.

Sauve, the first overall pick in the 2006 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, played five games with the Vancouver Canucks in 2010-11. A second-round pick of Vancouver in the 2008 National Hockey League Draft, Sauve spent this past season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings.

The Sea Dogs acquired Gelinas in a deal during the holiday trading period in 2010-11. It worked out well as Gelinas helped the Sea Dogs win the 2011 President Cup and Memorial Cup. A second-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2009, Gelinas made his NHL debut this past season.

Mayer just signed a two-year extension with the Montreal Canadiens. Although he has not seen NHL action, he has been a backup. Mayer has spent his entire pro career in the Canadiens system, mostly with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs.

The Sea Dogs announced several other players who will play in the game back in June.

The Inaugural Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Weekend will be held from Friday, August 23rd to Sunday, August 25th. The game will take place at Harbour Station at 1:30 PM on Saturday, August 24^th featuring former Saint John Sea Dogs vs. UNB Varsity Reds alumni. Ticket packages are on sale now.

Today’s press release also named some of the players who will be suiting up for the V-Reds. Their roster will include former Sea Dogs goaltender Travis Fullerton, Craig Soke, Dion Campbell, Kyle Werner, Ryan Burgoyne, Ryan Seymour, Stacy Smallman, Jordan Clendenning, Kevin Werner, Chad Denny, and Steve Pearce.

3rd Line Grind Returns Tonight

3rd Line Grind returns to the radio airwaves this evening.

Here’s what going on on tonight’s program:

• Sea Dogs News
• QMJHL News
• NHL Draft talk
• NHL Trades/Signings/Kovalchuk
• Homeless guy gets donut thrown at him

Tune in tonight from 6-7pm on Local 107.3 FM in the Saint John area, listen live online at localfm.ca, or check us out on Rogers channel 949 and Aliant 824.

Also, follow us on Twitter @3rdlinegrnd and like us on Facebook to keep up to date on show happenings.

Four Dogs Prospects Invited To Atlantic Camp

Four Saint John Sea Dogs draft picks have been invited to the Team Atlantic World Under-17 summer evaluation camp.

Forward Nathan Noel, defensemen Will Thompson and Bailey Webster, and goaltender Christopher Smith all received invites to the camp. All four were drafted by Saint John in June’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

Noel (Shattuck St. Mary’s) and Thompson (Rothesay Netherwood) were both first-round selections by the Dogs at this year’s draft. Smith (St. John’s Privateers) was a fifth-rounder while Webster (Cornwall Thunder) was a seventh-rounder.

According to the Hockey New Brunswick website, “Team Atlantic summer camp will be taking place at the Millennium Centre at St. FX University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia from July 14th to 18th.

“Intra-squad games will take place July 16th at 8pm, July 17th at 8pm and July 18th at 12:30pm.”

The list of the 44 players who will take part in the camp can be found here.

This year’s World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will take place in Cape Breton beginning on December 29^th. 

MacAulay Signs With AHL Bulldogs

One of junior hockey’s winningest players has signed an American Hockey League contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

Canadiens and Hamilton Bulldogs General Manager Marc Bergevin announced today the signing of former Sea Dogs forward and free agent Stephen MacAulay to a one-year American Hockey League contract for the 2013-2014 season.  As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Thrilled to be part of the @CanadiensMTL @BulldogsAHL organization and start my pro career off in the fall!!
— Stephen MacAulay (@smacaulay9) July 8, 2013

MacAulay was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the sixth-round of the 2010 NHL Draft but never signed with the club. After winning his second Memorial Cup in May, he received an invite to Canadiens development camp which took place last week where he earned a contract.

The Cole Harbour native spent four-and-a-half seasons with Saint John before being traded to Halifax last winter. His junior career saw him win four regular season titles, play in four President Cup finals, win three President Cups, play in three Memorial Cups, and win two Memorial Cups.

According to the Bulldogs website, “MacAulay compiled 155 points (71 goals, 84 assists) in 280 regular season games and 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists) in 75 post-season games.”

MacAulay joins former Sea Dogs Nathan Beaulieu and Robert Mayer in the Montreal system. Former Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant is also an assistant coach with the Habs.

This Ticket Is In The Hockey Hall Of Fame

TORONTO – I was at the Hockey Hall of Fame last week and snapped the above picture (just look at that glare!).

If you can’t tell, it’s a season ticket holder ticket from the Sea Dogs’ first ever regular season game from back in 2005. Nice to see the St. John’s Fog Devils are represented in the Hall in some way.

QMJHL News & Notes

The Moncton Wildcats named Darren Rumble their new head coach earlier this week.

Rumble had a long pro hockey career, playing 193 games in the NHL and many more in the AHL and other leagues. According to the Wildcats website, “he started his coaching career in 2004 with the Springfield Falcons of the AHL and has over nine years of solid coaching experience including two as Head Coach with the Norfolk Admirals. His most recent assignment was as an assistant coach in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds.”

His coaching career also includes a stop in Lewiston where he was an assistant coach with the Maineiacs (R.I.P.).

Here’s the press conference:

Rumble takes over for Danny Flynn who was relieved of his coaching duties a few months ago.

Some other QMJHL news…

• Rimouski Oceanic general manager Philippe Boucher is the new GM and head coach of the Quebec Remparts, taking over for Patrick Roy. Buzzing The Net has more details.
• TSN analyst Craig Button apologized to the Screaming Eagles via Twitter about the rant he went on after William Carrier was selected in the NHL Draft. “My apologies for making unnecessary comment about on not being able to beat a midget team,” Button tweeted. “It was wrong. Season was tough enough.”
• A new QMJHL blog, Awesome As Puck, has a list of all the players taken by QMJHL teams in the CHL Import Draft. The Sea Dogs selected Slovak Juraj Siska ninth overall if you haven’t heard.
• Stefan Fournier signed with the Montreal Canadiens.

Habs Re-Sign Mayer; Millen Going To Leafs Camp

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed former Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Robert Mayer.

General Manager Marc Bergevin announced the signing yesterday. Mayer agreed to a two-year, two-way American Hockey League / National Hockey League contract for the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons.  As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Mayer went 16-17-3 with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs last season to go with a 2.93 goals against average and a 0.908 save percentage. It was reported a few months ago that Mayer planned to play in Europe next season but obviously things changed.

The Swiss goaltender has spent his entire pro career within the Montreal system, playing with the Bulldogs and the East Coast Hockey League’s Cincinnati Cyclones. He has never played in a NHL game but has been a backup with the club.

Mayer played with Saint John in 2007-08 and 2008-09. He’s been the only – and likely last – European goaltender the Sea Dogs have ever had.

In other former Sea Dogs goaltender news, Charlie Millen (pictured) received an invite to Toronto Maple Leafs development camp.

Millen, the son of broadcaster Greg Millen, played three games with Saint John in 2011-12, going 0-2-0-0 with a 5.38 goals against average and a 0.831 save percentage. He’s played for a bunch of teams since then and spent the 2012-13 campaign with the Ottawa Jr. Senators of the Central Canada Hockey League.

Maple Leafs development camp begins on Tuesday. The full roster can be found here.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

LeBlanc Invited To Under-18 Camp

Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier LeBlanc has been invited to attend Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp which will be held July 25-29 at the MasterCard Centre in Toronto.

42 players were invited to the camp and 22 of them will play for Team Canada at the annual Ivan Hlinka tournament. This year’s tourney is scheduled for August 5-10 in Piestany, Slovakia and Breclav, Czech Republic.

LeBlanc was one of nine players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to receive an invite. The others were Julio Billia (Chicoutimi), Mason McDonald (Bathurst), Alexandre Carrier (Gatineau), Carl Neill (Sherbrooke), Nicolas Aube-Kubel (Val-d’Or), Daniel Audette (Sherbrooke), Clark Bishop (Cape Breton), and Alexis Pepin (Charlottetown). Rouyn-Noranda Huskies prospect Julien Nantel was also invited while Halifax Mooseheads head coach Dominique Ducharme will be an assistant coach.

LeBlanc had a solid rookie season with Saint John last year, recording four goals and 14 assists in 60 games. The 11th overall pick in the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft also registered a goal and three assists in six games with Team Quebec at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

The Best Atlantic Team Ever?

Which team was better? The 2011 Saint John Sea Dogs or the 2013 Halifax Mooseheads?

It’s something that will likely be debated in Atlantic Canada for decades. Both teams had a record tying 58 regular season wins, each won the President Cup and Memorial Cup, and both capped off their seasons by having a handful of players taken early in the NHL Draft.

The two teams were very similar. They were built through the draft, they dominated offensively, and were pretty much the best team in the Canadian Hockey League all season long.

That’s why, when talking about the greatness of one, it’s difficult to not mention the other. But that is just what TSN.ca columnist Alex J. Walling has done.

His column, posted on July 2^nd, begins with this:

The Halifax Mooseheads have completed the best hockey year ever in this part of the country. There have been great Maritime teams in the past, but none come close to the team and individual accomplishments of the Mooseheads and some of their star players this year.

And ends with this:

It doesn't get any better. They are the best ever hockey team in Atlantic Canada.

Everyone has an opinion and statements like that wouldn’t be too upsetting if the Sea Dogs were at least mentioned and recognized. But they’re not. At All. Nor are the 2001 Saint John Flames or any of Saint John’s other championship hockey teams.

We’re sorry if this post comes across as whiny but stuff like this is annoying. When people don’t spell the city name correctly it’s annoying. When people don’t mention the Sea Dogs in discussions about the greatest Atlantic Canadian hockey teams ever it’s annoying.

We could break the column down more – but we won’t. Maybe Walling just (hopefully) left a couple paragraphs out before sending or something. Let’s hope.

Check out the column HERE.

And on a side note, the Saint John championship parade was way better.

Sea Dogs Select Siska 9th Overall

The Saint John Sea Dogs acquired a Slovakian centre in Wednesday’s 2013 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

Saint John used the ninth overall selection to pick Juraj Siska who spent the 2012-13 season with HC Nitra in Slovakia's Under-20 league. He registered a point-per-game in 27 contests, scoring 12 goals and adding 15 assists.

Siska, who the CHL website lists at 6’2” and 194lbs, just turned 17 this past May.

"Juraj Siska is a big forward who can play a power game," said Sea Dogs head coach and General Manager Mike Kelly in a team release. "We know he is recovering from an injury that could potentially delay his arrival, but we felt it would be worth the wait. Those big forwards can dominate as 18 and 19 year olds and we feel he will compliment the speed and skill of the players we currently have. We are thrilled to have Juraj as part of the Sea Dog family." 

Siska was also a third-round selection by HC Slovan Bratislava in the KHL Draft but, judging by what Kelly said in the team release, it doesn’t sound like there will be any issues getting him to report to Saint John.

The Sea Dogs could definitely struggle offensively this season with their young roster but hopefully Siska will be able to step in and help out.

“Skilled pivot who played as an underager at the 2011 U17,” tweeted Sean Lafortune of McKeen’s Hockey. “Has the ability, agility and tricky one on one.”

Elite Prospects has more stats on Siska. Here’s a video of him scoring a goal at some tournament:

Saint John also had the 69^th overall pick in the Import Draft but did not use it. Siska and defenseman Jurij Repe are expected to be the club’s import players for the 2013-14 campaign.