Sea Dogs recall top prospects

The Saint John Sea Dogs will have a younger look this weekend.

The Sea Dogs announced on Thursday that they have recalled three 16-year-olds from the Dartmouth Steele Subaru Major Midgets - defenceman Brendan Sibley, forward Luke Wilson and goaltender Stewart Bagnell.

Sibley and Wilson have yet to appear in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League games. Sibley was Saint John's top pick in the 2017 Entry Draft (third round, 52nd overall) while Wilson was a ninth-round selection. According to the Sea Dogs, Wilson has committed to the team after considering hockey and education options.

Wilson has been playing <em>Really</em> well lately.  Would not be surprised if he gets a nice long look. https://t.co/QwQVUKJpja

— Al Rankin (@HP_AlRankin) November 30, 2017

Bagnell, an eighth-round pick, was recalled by the Sea Dogs earlier this season as an injury replacement. He made his QMJHL debut on Nov. 3, making 30 saves in a loss in Chicoutimi.

All three players helped Steele Subaru win the 2017 Monctonian AAA Challenge championship earlier this month.

The Sea Dogs also announced that defenceman Thomas Ashe and goaltender Joel Goguen have been returned to the MHL's Amherst Ramblers.

The Sea Dogs will be without forward Cole Reginato (suspension) and Nick Deakin-Poot (presumably still injured) this weekend, while Alex D'Orio's (lower body) status seems to still be in question given the recalling of Bagnell.

Saint John plays their first game of a three-in-three on Friday night in Gatineau. Game time is 8:30 p.m.

Bless the Maritimes Division

The Maritimes Division is pretty weird this season - and it's awesome.

Just seven points separate the top team in the division and the fifth-place squad. Three teams have all spent time at the top - the Moncton Wildcats, Halifax Mooseheads and now the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Titan are 7-3 in their past 10 games and have taken over top spot with a one-point lead on the Mooseheads. The Mooseheads and Wildcats have been struggling a bit over the past few weeks - particularly the Wildcats - which has allowed Bathurst to climb to the top.

Following a 2-1 loss in Saint John on Sunday, Moncton has lost five straight and are just 2-7-0-1 in their past 10 games, placing them just two games over the .500 mark after a terrific start.

The best story in the QMJHL remains the Charlottetown Islanders, who are incredibly 15-9-1-0, placing them third in the Maritimes and eighth overall. The Isles are in year zero - or perhaps even minus-one - of a rebuild following last season's run and were projected to have a season similar to Moncton's a year ago. But they are somehow 8-2 over their past 10 games and have been one of the league's hottest teams over the past month.

On a 14-3 run as @IslandersHKY roll over the division leading Acadie Bathurst Titan 4-0. Matty Welsh stellar 35sv shutout. Liam Peyton Bar Down his 1st as a Isle. The train chugs back to Quebec for 3 in 3 this weekend

— Cory Arsenault (@CoryArsenault) November 29, 2017

While the Saint John Sea Dogs remain in the division basement, they are now only eight points back of fifth-place. Given how teams in the Maritimes seem to stay hot or stay cold for periods of time, the Dogs could gradually make their way up if they can regularly win some games.

While the Division may not be stacked like in year's past or have a championship favourite, this is entertaining stuff. We all love comebacks and lead changes, and the Maritimes Division standings could offer a full season of those things.

Lafreniere leaves Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs announced a roster move on Monday.

Forward Alexandre Lafreniere, who has been used sparingly by the Sea Dogs all season, has left the team due to personal reasons.

Forward Alexandre Lafreniere has left the team for personal reasons and has been removed from the active roster. The #SeaDogs wish Alexandre the best in his future. pic.twitter.com/kzD2mg9xj3

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) November 27, 2017

Lafreniere appeared in 14 games this season, recording a goal and two assists. He has not seen action since Nov. 4.

An 11th-round pick of Saint John in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft, Lafreniere has appeared in 29 career QMJHL games over three seasons, registering two goals and four assists.

A graduate of the Saint John Vito's, the 18-year-old spent most of last season in the MHL, appearing in games with the Amherst Ramblers, Woodstock Slammers and St. Stephen Aces.

The Sea Dogs return to action on Friday night in Gatineau.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 2-1

FINAL: Moncton 1, Saint John 2

Lorne Webster | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs recovered nicely from a bad loss - less than 24 hours earlier - by beating the arch rival Moncton Wildcats 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station.

Radim Salda and Daniel Hardie scored for Saint John while Matt Williams had 36 saves.

Riley MacRae replied for the Wildcats while Mark Grametbauer also stopped 36 shots.

NOTES

• The Sea Dogs controlled much of the play in the first period. Moncton opened the scoring while skating shorthanded at 10:28 when Simon Le Coultre's long up ice pass found MacRae in full stride at the Sea Dogs blue line. MacRae broke in all alone and fired a laser over Williams' shoulder.
• While skating four-on-four in the dying seconds of the first, Joe Veleno won a face off to himself at the Moncton blue line, skated into the slot and fed a nice pass to a streaking Salda. The rookie import defenceman wired a wrist shot past Grametbauer with under a second left in the period.
• The guys in stripes controlled the tempo in the middle frame, handing the visitors six power plays and the hosts two.
• The Sea Dogs got the lead at 11:15 of the second when Hardie corralled the rebound of a Robbie Burt shot and slid it past Grametbauer.
• The Sea Dogs held tight through a furious Wildcats onslaught in the closing minutes to seal the victory.
• As Tim Roszell said in his post game comments, the Christmas Bells were ringing behind Williams - as the Wildcats found iron on at least four occasions throughout the game. Sea Dogs fans were loving Williams and his best friends in this match.

Game Day 27: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to rebound this afternoon at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs got off to a decent start on Saturday night against the Halifax Mooseheads but fell apart quickly, ultimately falling 7-1.

Saint John will look to get back in the win column today against the Moncton Wildcats. Game time is 2 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 6-14-4-2 for 18 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 13-10-2-1 for 29 points (4th Maritimes, 9th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-1 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads last night at Harbour Station. Kevin Gursoy scored Saint John's only goal. Matt Williams allowed four goals on 18 shots while Joel Goguen allowed three goals on 14 shots. The Wildcats are coming off a 5-1 loss on home ice to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Thursday. Brady Pataki scored Moncton's lone goal. Mark Grametbauer made 23 stops in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-2-1-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 3-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 15 at the Moncton Coliseum where the Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3 in overtime. Brady Pataki scored twice for Moncton while singles came from Julien Tessier and Mika Cyr. Cedric Pare scored twice for Saint John while Robbie Burt added a solo marker. Mark Grametbauer made 32 saves in the win. Matt Williams made 25 stops in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 7-1

FINAL: Halifax 7, Saint John 1

SAINT JOHN - A sluggish start to the second period and an off night on the power play proved costly for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday night.

The Halifax Mooseheads scored three times in the second period en route to a 7-1 victory over the Sea Dogs at Harbour Station. Saint John's power play, which has been a major part of the team's offence all season, went 0/7.

Arnaud Durandeau recorded a natural hat trick for Halifax while singles came from Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Walter Flower, Filip Zadina and Connor Moynihan. Blade Mann-Dixon made 30 saves in the win.

Kevin Gursoy scored for Saint John. Matt Williams allowed four goals on 18 shots in 40 minutes of action. Joel Goguen made 11 saves in the third period.

Game Day 26: vs Mooseheads

SAINT JOHN - Coming off a solid road win on Wednesday, the Saint John Sea Dogs look to keep thing rolling tonight against the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Sea Dogs have won two of their past three games, the latest being a 5-4 win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Wednesday.

Puck drop tonight is 7 p.m. at Harbour Station. It's Teddy Bear Toss night, meaning can throw stuffed animals onto the ice following the Sea Dogs' first goal.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 6-13-4-2 for 18 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 14-7-4-0 for 32 points (2nd Maritimes, 7th Maritimes).

Last game: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 win in Cape Breton on Wednesday night. William Poirier scored twice while singles came from Samuel Leblanc, Matt Green and Thomas Ashe. Matt Williams made 27 saves in the win. The Mooseheads are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss in Charlottetown last night. Otto Somppi and Maxime Fortier scored for Halifax. Alexis Gravel made 31 stops in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-0-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 17 at Scotiabank Centre where the Sea Dogs defeated the Mooseheads 7-2. Daniel Hardie had a hat trick for Saint John; Cedric Pare scored twice; and single came from Ostap Safin and Matt Green. Connor Moynihan and Filip Zadina scored for Halifax. Matt Williams made 25 saves in the win. Alexis Gravel allowed four goals on 19 shots before being pulled. Blade Mann-Dixon made 10 stops in relief.

Mooseheads release 2019 Memorial Cup campaign

The Halifax Mooseheads have launched their campaign to host the 2019 Memorial Cup.

The Mooseheads released the following video on social media Thursday night.

Next year we'll celebrate 25 seasons in Moose Country and we want junior hockey's greatest prize to join the party. #Halifax2019 pic.twitter.com/K8z923w2Ph

— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) November 23, 2017

The Mooseheads are the first team to release a campaign like this for 2019. Both the Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats have previously expressed interest in hosting, but it has been quiet on both fronts for some time.

At last check, teams were expected to submit official applications in December.

In 2012, the Sea Dogs produced a similar campaign to the Mooseheads'... and we all know how that ended.

Porter back on the east coast

As has been evident this week, the hockey world works in cycles.

Earlier this week it was revealed that defenceman Marcus Tesink - who had been with the Saint John Sea Dogs all season - was joining the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs. Tesink was joining the team in part because Chiefs defenceman Brendon O'Reilly had left the team to join the Sea Dogs.

On Thursday, former Sea Dogs goaltender Cody Porter announced on social media that he was joining the MHL's Amherst Ramblers. Porter may get some playing time because the Ramblers' regular backup, Joel Goguen, recently signed as an affiliate with Saint John and has been backing up Matt Williams with Alex D'Orio injured.

Excited to announce that I will be joining the @AmherstRamblers of the MHL. Grateful for the opportunity and excited to rock the purple in NS. Crazy that this will be my 5th team of 2017 but as always I’ve just tried to make the most and take advantage of every opportunity given. pic.twitter.com/RNbeeB1ZQ5

— Cody Porter (@CodyPorter31) November 23, 2017

The roster shuffling is particularly interesting because its happening on different coasts. Tesink goes from Saint John to the BCHL; O'Reilly from the BCHL to Saint John; and Porter from Saint John to the BCHL to Amherst.

Porter, 20, appeared in two games with Saint John this season, recording a 1-1 record to go along with a 2.54 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. His one win was a shutout victory over the Charlottetown Islanders.

After being let go by the Sea Dogs, Porter joined the West Kelowna Warriors.

The Sea Dogs recently called up two Ramblers - Goguen and defenceman Thomas Ashe. Amherst's leading scorer and captain is ex-Dog Jordan King.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 5-4

FINAL: Saint John 5, Cape Breton 4

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs seem to enjoy playing at Centre 200.

The Sea Dogs picked up another win in Sydney this season - their second - on Wednesday night, defeating the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 5-4.

Williams Poirier scored a pair of goals while singles came from Samuel Leblanc, Matt Green and Thomas Ashe. Nick Deakin-Poor had two assists. Matt Williams made 27 stops in the win.

It was a solid road win by the Sea Dogs, who have now won two of their past three games - a good stretch for a team that has won six games all season.

It was nice to see some of the Saint John's secondary scoring step up in this game - and it was nice to see the Sea Dogs win a game through even strength scoring. Saint John's penalty kill also came through when it had to, especially in the third period.

Both the Sea Dogs and Screaming Eagles were missing regulars due to suspensions and injuries.

Cape Breton had two goals from Brooklyn Kalmikov and solo markers from Jordan Ty Fournier and Leon Gawanke. Kyle Jessiman allowed five goals on 15 shots in just under 40 minutes of play. Kevin Mandolese stopped all seven shots he faced in relief.

Game Day 25: at Cape Breton

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to get back on track tonight in Cape Breton after a rough outing on Sunday in Charlottetown.

Following a strong 7-2 win in Halifax last Friday, the Sea Dogs were thumped 6-2 by the Islanders on Sunday.

The Sea Dogs will look get back in the win column tonight when they face the Screaming Eagles. Game time is 7 p.m. at Centre 200.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 5-13-4-2 for 16 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Screaming Eagles are 12-9-1-1 for 26 points (5th Maritimes, 10th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-2 loss in Charlottetown on Sunday. Ostap Safin and Alexis Girard had Saint John goals. Matt Williams made 38 stops in the loss. The Screaming Eagles are coming off a 5-2 win in Moncton on Sunday. Tyler Hylland, Egor Sokolov, Phelix Martineau, Mathias Laferriere and Peyton Hoyt scored for the Screaming Eagles. Kevin Mandolese made 40 stops in the win.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-1-0 against the Screaming Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 2-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 22 at Harbour Station where the Screaming Eagles defeated the Sea Dogs 6-5 in overtime. Drake Batherson netted a hat trick for Cape Breton while singles came from Brooklyn Kalmikov, Ryan Francis and Adam McCormick. Daniel Hardie, Ostap Safin, Samuel Leblanc, Matt Green and Alexandre Lafreniere scored for Saint John. Kevin Mandolese was pulled after allowing two goals on eight shots. Kyle Jessiman made 19 saves in relief. Alex D'Orio made 33 saves in the loss.

Dogs will have different look Wednesday

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs will have a different looking lineup on Wednesday night when they face the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at Centre 200.

The Sea Dogs announced on Tuesday that defenceman Thomas Ashe has been recalled from the MHL's Amherst Ramblers. The 17-year-old is in his first season with the Ramblers, recording one goal in 18 games.

Ashe, 6’0″ and 182 lbs., was a ninth-round pick of Saint John in the 2016 QMJHL Entry Draft. He has yet to appear in a regular season Q game - which will likely change tomorrow.

With Samuel Duchesne suspended for Wednesday's match, Brendan O'Reilly's unknown injury status and Marcus Tesink no longer with the club, the Sea Dogs were down to five defencemen prior to Ashe's recall.

O'Reilly was injured early in Sunday's Sea Dogs loss in Charlottetown. Duchesne will serve a one-game suspension on Wednesday for taking part in a second fight during the same stoppage on Sunday. Tesink, meanwhile, has reportedly joined the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs - the team O'Reilly left to join the Sea Dogs.

Best of Luck to @marcustesink who is taking his talents to @Chiefs_Hockey #BCHL #RoadToTheRBC

— Brad Tesink (@Tsink7one) November 21, 2017

The Chiefs are hosting the RBC Cup this year.

Tesink appeared in 15 games with Saint John, recording two assists. He had not appeared in a game since Nov. 10.

The Sea Dogs will also be without forwards Cole Reginato and Robbie Burt on Wednesday due to suspensions. Goaltender Alex D'Orio missed both of last weekend's games due to an injury.

Game time at Centre 200 is 7 p.m.

Three Sea Dogs suspended

SYDNEY, NS - Suspensions have been handed down for Sunday's third period altercation between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders.

The suspensions for the Sea Dogs are as follows:

• Six games for Cole Reginato - four for physical abuse towards an official; one for being an aggressor; and one for code accumulation.
• Two games for Robbie Burt for boarding.
• One game for Samuel Duchesne for second fight on the same stoppage of play.

The only Islander to be suspended, as expected, was Drew Hunter, who fought Duchesne in what was the second fight of the same stoppage.

All of this took place after Burt put a huge hit - which resulted in a two-game suspension - on Charlottetown's Samuel Meisenheimer.

Wednesday's altercation came as a surprise as the Sea Dogs have been playing quite disciplined of late and have faced very little supplementary discipline this season compared to year's past.

The Sea Dogs lead the QMJHL in fights this season with 16.

Reginato, Burt and Duchesne will miss Saint John's Wednesday game in Sydney against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The loss of Reginato, who started Sunday's game on the top line with Joe Veleno and Ostap Safin, is a big one.

Suspensions loom for Sea Dogs

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI - Who will be available to play for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Wednesday night is certainly in question.

Following a literally rough game in Charlottetown on Sunday, several Sea Dogs are likely facing suspensions.

At 4:06 of the third period in Saint John's 6-2 loss to the Islanders, Robbie Burt put a big hit on Samuel Meisenheimer. Burt was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding on the play.

Vid of Burt hit at the end of this vid. 5 min major it appears. pic.twitter.com/f3m7quDBUk

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) November 19, 2017

Following the hit, Cole Reginato dropped the gloves with Sam King and then Samuel Duchesne fought Hunter Drew.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 6-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Charlottetown 6

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI - The Saint John Sea Dogs didn't look like a team coming off one of their biggest wins of the season.

The Sea Dogs allowed three first period goals and never recovered in a 6-2 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Sunday afternoon at Eastlink Centre.

Saint John recorded a 7-2 upset win in Halifax on Friday night and had Saturday to prepare for Sunday's contest. But the Dogs couldn't carry that momentum over in a loss to one of the league's hottest teams.

The Dogs also struggled to stay disciplined on Sunday, something that hasn't been an issue of late. The Islanders scored three power play goals on eight opportunities.

Gregor MacLeod and Pascal Aquin each scored twice for Charlottetown while singles came from Keith Getson and Saku Vesterinen. Matthew Welsh made 33 saves in the win.

Ostap Safin and Alexis Girard scored for Saint John. Matt Williams made 38 saves in the loss.

Game Day 24: at Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI - The Saint John Sea Dogs look to make it back-to-back wins today in Charlottetown.

The Sea Dogs are coming off one of their best victories of the season, defeating the Halifax Mooseheads 7-2 at Scotiabank Centre on Friday. It was Saint John's first regulation time win since Oct. 6 in Charlottetown.

The Islanders, meanwhile, will look to stay hot. The team is 8-2 in their past 10 games and have won two straight.

Game time today is 3 p.m. at Eastlink Centre.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 5-12-4-2 for 16 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Islanders are 12-8-1-0 for 25 points (4th Maritimes, 9th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-2 win in Halifax on Friday night. Daniel Hardie netted a hat trick, Cedric Pare had two goals and singles came from Ostap Safin and Matt Green. Matt Williams made 25 stops in the win. The Islanders are coming off a 3-2 shootout win in Moncton last night. Nathanial Doyon and Hunter Drew scored for the Islanders. Matthew Welsh made 36 saves in the win.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-1-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 2-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 19 at Eastlink Centre where the Islanders edged the Sea Dogs 3-2. Cayse Ton, Pascal Aquin and Matthew Grouchy scored for Charlottetown. Cedric Pare and Nathan Larose had Saint John goals. Matthew Welsh made 26 saves in the win. Alex D'Orio made 21 stops in the loss.

News & Notes: Dogs look to keep momentum rolling Sunday against Isles

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI - What will the Saint John Sea Dogs have for an encore? That's the big question heading into Sunday's Sea Dogs game in Charlottetown.

Saint John is coming off one of its best - and few - wins of the season, defeating the Halifax Mooseheads 7-2 at Scotiabank Centre on Friday night. It was a victory that felt long overdue after weeks of close losses for the Sea Dogs.

Friday's win was Saint John's first regulation time victory since Oct. 6 - which came against the team and in the building the Dogs will face on Sunday. The Sea Dogs have had trouble picking up and maintaining momentum all season, so it'll be interesting to see how the team performs tomorrow against the Islanders.

Saint John and Charlottetown have headed in opposite directions since that Oct. 6 meeting at Eastlink Centre, which the Sea Dogs won 4-0. While the Dogs have just two wins since then, the Isles have been one of the hottest teams in the QMJHL. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games.

The Sea Dogs will be the rested team on Sunday with the Isles playing in Moncton this evening. Game time tomorrow is 3 p.m.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 7-2

FINAL: Saint John 7, Halifax 2

HALIFAX - Well, would you look at that.

Led by Daniel Hardie, the Saint John Sea Dogs had an offensive outburst on Friday night at Scotiabank Centre, upsetting the Halifax Mooseheads 7-2.

The win was Saint John's first regulation time victory since Oct. 6. The win also ended a five losing streak and a seven game road losing skid.

Play was pretty even until a couple of quick Saint John goals midway through the second, which made it 4-2 Sea Dogs. The goals seemed to deflate Halifax and - combined with some opportunistic scoring - gave the Dogs momentum for the rest of the game.

Daniel Hardie scored a hat trick, Cedric Pare scored twice and singles came from Ostap Safin and Matt Green. Radim Salda recorded four assists. Matt Williams made 25 saves in the victory.

Saint John's power play had another strong night, going 3/5.

Connor Moynihan and Filip Zadina scored for the Mooseheads. Alexis Gravel was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots. Blade Mann-Dixon allowed three goals on 13 shots in relief.

Game Day 23: at Halifax

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs return to action tonight following a week off.

The Sea Dogs will try and snap a five-game losing skid this evening in Halifax. Game time against the Mooseheads is 7 p.m.

Halifax sits second in the Maritimes Division and is an impressive 6-1-2-0 at home.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Eastlink TV/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-12-4-2 for 14 points (6th Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 12-6-3-0 for 27 points (2nd Maritimes, 6th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar last Friday at Harbour Station. Nicolas Deakin-Poot, Robbie Burt and Daniel Hardie all scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 29 stops in the loss. The Mooseheads are coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix last Saturday in Halifax. Cooper Jones, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Raphael Lavoie scored for the Moose. Blade Mann-Dixon made 21 saves in the victory.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Opening night at Harbour Station where the Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 4-1. Maxime Fortier scored twice for Halifax while singles came from Filip Zadina and Xavier Parent. Daniel Hardie scored for Saint John. Alexis Gravel made 31 stops in the win. Alex D'Orio made 24 saves in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Mooseheads: Goaltender Blade Mann-Dixon

Sea Dogs sign, recall Joel Goguen

The Saint John Sea Dogs made another roster move on Thursday, signing and recalling goaltender Joel Goguen.

Goguen, 18, attended Sea Dogs training camp as a free agent. He will now be an affiliate with the team.

The Cocagne, New Brunswick native has appeared in eight games with the MHL's Amherst Ramblers this year, posting a 3-3-1 record with a 2.45 goals against average and a .920 save percentage.

According to a Sea Dogs press release, Goguen "spent most of last season with the Kent Koyotes of the New Brunswick Junior Hockey League (NBJHL)."

The recall indicates that regular Saint John backup goaltender Matt Williams remains injured. The team has been using Stewart Bagnell as a backup for the past few weeks.

Yesterday, the Sea Dogs signed 20-year-old defenceman Brendan O'Reilly.

Saint John is back in action on Friday night in Halifax, facing the Mooseheads at 7 p.m.

Canada Russia Series ends tonight

MONCTON - Joe Veleno and Team QMJHL wrap up the 2017 Canada Russia Series tonight at the Moncton Coliseum.

Veleno had a strong performance on Tuesday night in Charlottetown, helping set up the game winning goal in a 3-1 Team QMJHL victory.

Tuesday's win gave the CHL an edge in the series heading into tonight's finale.

According to the CHL website, "up 9-6 in points, a QMJHL win on Thursday in Moncton would secure a third straight series victory for the Canadian Hockey League."

Some other notes...

• Nice to see a crowd of 3,613 at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown on Tuesday. The attendance number was just shy of s sell out, apparently.
• This is the first time a Canada Russia Series game has been played in Moncton since Nov. 22, 2005. Team QMJHL won that game 6-4.
• Samuel Harvey will start in goal again tonight, according to media reports. He may play himself into a world junior camp invite.

Photo: Vincent Ethier

Sea Dogs sign overage defenceman

The Saint John Sea Dogs got some defensive help on Wednesday.

The team announced the signing of 20-year-old defenceman Brendan O'Reilly earlier in the day. He has been added to the club's roster.

O'Reilly has been playing with the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs this season where he has a goal and three assists in 13 games.

A native of Southlake, Texas, O'Reilly spent the previous three seasons with the WHL's Tri-City Americans. In 153 career WHL games, O'Reilly had three goals and 13 assists.

Given his numbers, O'Reilly seems to be more of a defensive defenceman rather than an offensive one. Either way, he adds some much needed experience to Saint John's backend. Other than Bailey Webster, the Sea Dogs' D care is fairly young and inexperienced.

O'Reilly is listed at 6’3″ and 209 lbs as the Sea Dogs continue to add size to their lineup.

The defender joins Webster and Cole Reginato as the team's overage players. Saint John has had just two overage players on its roster most of the season.

Saint John's next game is on Friday night in Halifax against the Mooseheads.

Photo: Elite Prospects

Veleno has strong game for Team QMJHL; new 2018 draft rankings released

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI - Joe Veleno was one of Team QMJHL's standout players in Game 5 of the Canada Russia Series on Tuesday night.

Veleno was praised throughout Sportsnet's broadcast for his strong play with and without the puck. The Saint John Sea Dogs captain finished the game with one assist (which came on Drake Batherson's game-winning goal in the third period), no shots, an even rating and 3/5 in the faceoff circle.

This was the first game of the QMJHL portion of the 2017 Canada Russia Series. The Russians and CHL entered the game tied in points at 6-6. The final game of the series takes place on Thursday in Moncton.

This was Veleno's first career game in the annual series, which is used to determine Canada's world junior team.

Batherson, Shawn Boudrias and Nicolas Guay scored for the QMJHL Samuel Harvey was terrific in net, making 25 stops in the win.

Veleno no doubt wanted to have a strong game after sliding way down Craig Button's latest 2018 draft rankings. The Sea Dogs forward has been projected as a top 10-15 pick by most draft publications, but Button's November rankings at TSN.ca had him ranked 25th.

Future Considerations' Fall rankings have Veleno ranked seventh.

Jeff Marek's November rankings had Veleno at No. 6.

A recent mock draft conducted by The Hockey News had Veleno going eighth overall to the Arizona Coyotes.

Photo: Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

Saint John's painful amount of one-goal losses

SAINT JOHN - Losing 18 of your first 22 games is frustrating enough, but the Saint John Sea Dogs' 2017-18 season has been extra painful.

Following Friday's shootout loss to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, the Sea Dogs have now lost 11 games by a single goal. Four other loses have been decided by two goals.

Date	Opponent	Score	Goal Dif.
Sept. 21	vs Halifax	4-1	3
Sept. 23	vs Cape Breton	3-1	2
Sept. 28	vs Charlottetown	2-1 (OT)	1
Sept. 29	at Moncton	6-4	2
Oct. 7	vs Blainville-Boisbriand	8-1	7
Oct. 12	at Bathurst	2-1	1
Oct. 14	vs Moncton	3-2	1
Oct. 15	at Moncton	4-3 (OT)	1
Oct. 19	at Charlottetown	3-2	1
Oct. 21	vs Chicoutimi	4-3 (SO)	1
Oct. 22	vs Cape Breton	6-5 (OT)	1
Oct. 25	at Bathurst	5-3	2
Oct. 28	vs Val-d'Or	4-2	2
Nov. 2	at Baie-Comeau	5-4	1
Nov. 3	at Chicoutimi	6-0	6
Nov. 4	at Shawinigan	3-2 (OT)	1
Nov. 9	vs Sherbrooke	5-4	1
Nov. 10	vs Baie-Comeau	4-3 (SO)	1

The Sea Dogs are also 1-6 in games that go to overtime or shootout.

The large amount of one-goal losses is typical of a young team. But there's something about this year's - perhaps it's the amount of consecutive defeats - that make them stick out.

You can say what you want about Saint John's season so far, but if they had been able to win just a few more of these one-goal games, they'd be in much better shape in the standings.

The Sea Dogs have a tough weekend coming up, travelling to Halifax to face the Mooseheads on Friday and taking on the red hot Islanders in Charlottetown on Sunday.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 4-3 (SO)

FINAL: Baie-Comeau 4, Saint John 3 (SO)

Lorne Webster | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN – It was David "DK" Kelly night at Harbour Station Friday evening. But the Saint John Sea Dogs' spirited comeback fell short in another tough loss - this time 4-3 in a shootout to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

The Sea Dogs honoured DK during an emotional ceremony prior to the game to recognize his 800th match behind the bench. Much like his idol (and former lead singer of The Tragically Hip) Gord Downey, DK's courageous battle to "live with cancer" has been a major source of inspiration to his #TeamDK followers around the world.

After on-ice presentations of mementos from Game 800 on Thursday by team owners, players as well as his Mom, sister and nephew (DK's motivation for the infamous monkey bandaid tattoo), a series of video tributes were played from friends, colleagues and former players such as:

• Jeff Marek and Colby Armstrong (Sportsnet CHL Hockey)
• Oliver Felixson - who is also living with cancer and recovering in Finland
• Majority Owner Scott McCain 
• Sea Dogs Memorial Cup coach Gerard Gallant (now with Vegas Golden Knights)
• Alex Grant (Sea Dogs inaugural draft choice)
• UNB Varsity Reds Mike Thomas, Olivier LeBlanc, Matt Murphy, Stephen Anderson and Oliver Cooper
• Matthew Highmore (now with AHL Rockford)
• Ron McLean and Tara Sloan (Sportsnet's Hometown Hockey)
• QMJHL Commissioner Gilles Courteau
• Jonathan Huberdeau (Sea Dogs inaugural Hall of Fame member and current Florida Panther)
• Thomas Chabot (Ottawa/Belleville Senators)
• Sam Cosentino (Sportsnet CHL Hockey)

As for the game itself, a 52 save performance by Justin Blanchette (49 in regulation and overtime plus all three in the shootout) and a shootout goal by Edouard St-Laurent proved to be the difference in this contest.

Jordan Martel had a pair of goals for the Drakkar and Gabriel Fortier added another.

Robbie Burt, Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Daniel Hardie replied for the Sea Dogs after the hosts had fallen behind 3-0 early in the second period. Alex D'Orio had 31 saves in total for Saint John.

Game Day 22: vs Drakkar

SAINT JOHN - The Baie-Comeau Drakkar are in town tonight to face the Saint John Sea Dogs.

This is the final game of a three-game road trip through the Maritimes for Baie-Comeau, who picked up a 3-2 win in Halifax last night.

Saint John played last night at home, losing their fourth straight game.

Game time this evening is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-12-4-1 for 13 points (6th Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Drakkar are 9-9-0-1 for 19 points (4th East, 13th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 home loss to the Sherbrooke Phoenix last night. Anthony Boucher, Matt Green, Kevin Gursoy and Radim Salda scored. Alex D'Orio made 34 saves in the loss. The Drakkar are coming off a 3-2 win in Halifax last night. Ivan Chekhovich, Isaiah Gallo-Demetris and Jean-Simon Bélanger scored for the Drakkar. Antoine Samuel made 31 saves in the win.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Drakkar this season while Baie-Comeau is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 2 in Baie-Comeau where the Drakkar defeated the Sea Dogs 5-4. Jordan Martel scored twice for Baie-Comeau while singles came from D'Artagnan Joly, Jean-Simon Bélanger and Gabriel Fortier. Landon Quinney, William Poirier, Cedric Pare and Joe Veleno scored for Saint John. Antoine Samuel made 31 saves in the win. Alex D'Orio made 36 saves in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-4

FINAL: Sherbrooke 5, Saint John 4

SAINT JOHN - It happened again.

The Saint John Sea Dogs lost yet another one-goal game on Thursday night at Harbour Station, falling 5-4 to the Sherbrooke Phoenix in Quebec Major Junior Hockey league action.

Saint John is now 4-12-4-1 on the season and have dropped four straight. The record is painful enough, but adding to that pain is the fact that 10 of Saint John's 17 losses this season have been decided by a single goal.

Thursday's game was like so many others. The Sea Dogs weren't terrific - both teams were quite sloppy - and there were certainly areas for improvement, but this was a winnable game right until the end. It was a back-and-forth contest with a few lead changes, ending with Nicolas Poulin's late third period goal.

Poulin had two goals for Sherbrooke while singles came from Yaroslav Alexeyev, Hugo Roy and Benjamin Tardif. Evan Fitzpatrick made 31 stops in the win.

The Phoenix ended a seven-game losing streak with the victory.

Anthony Boucher, Matt Green, Kevin Gursoy and Radim Salda scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 34 saves in the loss.

Game Day 21: vs Phoenix

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to end a a three-game losing streak tonight at Harbour Station.

Saint John won its last home game, ending a lengthy loosing skid. Despite that big upset win over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, the Sea Dogs struggled on their three-game road trip in Quebec last week, dropping all three matches.

Game time this evening is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-11-4-1 which is good for 13 points (6th Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Phoenix are 6-8-3-2 for 17 points (6th West, 15th QMJHL)

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss in Shawinigan on Saturday. Ostap Safin and Joe Veleno scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 32 stops in the loss. The Phoenix are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss on home ice to the Charlottetown Islanders last Saturday. Kevin Gilbert had two goals while singles came from Felix Robert and Nicolas Poulin. Brendan Cregan made 26 stops in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Phoenix.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 2-0-0-0 against the Phoenix last season while Sherbrooke went 0-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 12, 2016 in Saint John where the Sea Dogs pounded the Phoenix 7-2. Bokondji Imama had four goals in that game while Mathieu Joseph had three. Yaroslav Alexeyev and Anderson MacDonald scored for Sherbrooke. Alex D'Orio made 24 saves in the win. Justin Blanchette made 33 saves in the loss.

Remparts trade Smallwood to Eagles

In a surprise move, defenceman Ian Smallwood was traded to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Tuesday.

The move came as a surprise because it was the Quebec Remparts that traded him to Cape Breton (for a 2018 ninth-round pick) and not the Saint John Sea Dogs. The 18-year-old has spent parts of the past two seasons with the Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs apparently removed him from their protected list after he was cut from training camp, allowing his rights to be picked up by the Remparts.

Smallwood started the season in the MHL with the Woodstock Slammers but was later traded to South Shore Lumberjacks. In 17 MHL games this season, the St. John's native has two goals and 13 assists.

Smallwood was a ninth-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft. He spent most of the 2015-16 season with the Saint John Vito's.

By the sounds of it, the defenceman could soon be in Cape Breton's lineup. There's little doubt he will put up huge numbers against Saint John in a future meeting, because that's just how things go.

.@CBSEHockey have acquired Ian Smallwood from Quebec for a 9th Rd Pick. Smallwood will sign as an AP & will be in Charlottetown Wednesday

— Kris Abbott (@EastlinkKris) November 7, 2017

Some other MHL news...

• There were some doubters about this happening, but Nico Blachman is indeed joining the St. Stephen Aces, the team announced Monday. The former Sea Dogs forward started the year with the Rimouski Oceanic before leaving the club.
• Ben Reid made his return to the Aces this past weekend and scored a goal in Saturday's game.
• Former Sea Dog Jordan King, the captain of the Amherst Ramblers, sits third in MHL scoring with 11 goals and 27 points in 16 games.
• Further west, Bryson Michel has a goal in 12 games with the CCHL's Nepean Raiders.

18 Thoughts: Checking in on our friends from Windsor

We know the Saint John Sea Dogs are off to a rough start, but how about those other teams that played this past May in Windsor?

The Sea Dogs were joined by the host Windsor Spitfires, OHL champion Erie Otters and WHL champion Seattle Thunderbirds at last season's Memorial Cup. All three, along with the Sea Dogs, were expected to take steps back this year - and they have, but none as large as Saint John (yet, at least).

The Spitfires have gotten off to a decent start and sit fourth in the OHL's Western Conference with an 11-6-1-0 record.

After four straight 100 points seasons, the Otters are finally taking a step back. They are currently 8-7-2-1, which is a respectable start.

Out west, the Thunderbirds are fourth in the Western Conference with a 9-5-1-1 record.

Saint John is by far off to the roughest start of last year's Memorial Cup teams, sporting a record of 4-11-4-1. They could eventually catch up, depending on how the rest of their seasons go.

It's always interesting to follow other Memorial Cup participants to compare rebuilds/retools. As we know, the Sea Dogs and Shawinigan Cataractes, who met in the 2012 tournament, seem forever stuck in the same cycle.

To the notes...

FINAL: Sea Dogs lose 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 2, Shawinigan 3 (OT)

SHAWINIGAN, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs suffered their third loss in as many days on Saturday, going winless on their first Quebec road trip of the season.

In an early Saturday match, the Sea Dogs blew a 2-0 first period lead at the Gervais Auto Centre, falling 3-2 in overtime to the Shawinigan Cataractes.

Saint John's power play had another strong performance, going 2/3 on the day. Saint John's strong start to the game was offset by a bad finish. The Dogs were outshot 19-5 in the third period and allowed the game-winning goal just 52 seconds into overtime.

Adding to the pain of this loss was that Shawinigan's game-winner came off the stick of Cameron Askew, the overage player who could fit into Saint John's lineup. Askew doesn't appear to be heading to the Port City at this time.

Gabriel Sylvestre and Antoine Demers also scored for the Cataractes. Lucas Fitzpatrick made 30 stops in the win.

Ostap Safin and Joe Veleno had Saint John goals. Safin opened the scoring just 1:54 into the game and Veleno scored with 10 seconds remaining in the first.

Alex D'Orio made 32 stops in the loss.

Saint John remains last overall in the QMJHL standings with a 4-11-4-1 record for 13 points. Even worse, Saint John's league low .325 win percentage is .087 below the team that sits above them in the standings.

This road trip, which was against teams that surround the Sea Dogs in the bottom of the standings, was a big chance for the squad to gain some ground. The hole Saint John finds themselves in now will be difficult to climb out of.

Game Day 20: at Shawinigan

SHAWINIGAN, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs will try to salvage a win today in the final game of their Quebec road trip.

After a decent opening game on Thursday in Baie-Comeau - which ended in a 5-4 Sea Dogs loss - Saint John got roughed up last night in Chicoutimi, losing 6-0 to one of the QMJHL's worst offensive teams.

The Dogs will try to close out this trip with a win - or even just a point - today in Shawinigan. Puck drop against the Cataractes is 5 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-11-3-1 for 12 points (6th Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Cataractes are 6-10-1-0 for 13 points (6th East, 17th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-0 loss in Chicoutimi last night. Stewart Bagnell allowed six goals on 36 shots in his QMJHL debut. The Cataractes are coming off a 4-3 win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs last night on home ice. Cameron Askew scored twice for Shawinigan while singles came from Alex Plamondon and Jeremy Manseau. Mikhail Denisov made 25 saves in the win.

2017-18 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Cataractes.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-1-0-0 against the Cataractes last season while Shawinigan went 1-0-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 11 in Shawinigan where the Cataractes defeated the Sea Dogs 3-0. Alex D'Aoust, Brandon Gignac and Denis Yan all scored for Shawinigan. Mikhail Denisov made 25 saves in the shutout win. Callum Booth made 17 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Cataractes: None

FINAL: Sea Dogs lose 6-0

FINAL: Saint John 0, Chicoutimi 6

CHICOUTIMI, Que. - It was an ugly one on Friday night.

The Saint John Sea Dogs struggled to generate offence all night long in a 6-0 loss to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens at the Georges Vezina Centre. It was the first time this season that Saint John failed to score a goal in a game.

The Sea Dogs looked flat for a lot of the night and never really had much sustained offensive pressure. They fired 28 shots on net, but only eight were considered dangerous.

While this probably wasn't the worst Dogs game of the year, it wasn't a pretty one - and it's hard to hide the fact that they gave up six goals (all at even strength) to one of the league's worst offensive teams that traded away its top player yesterday.

With the Sea Dogs playing the second game of a three-in-three and backup Matt Williams injured, Stewart Bagnell made his QMJHL debut in net. Despite giving up six goals, Bagnell played well, especially in the first period. He made 30 stops in the loss.

Kevin Klima and Zachary Lavigne each scored twice for Chicoutimi while singles came from Liam Stevens and Vincent Milot-Ouellet. Alexis Shank made 28 saves for his second shutout of the season.

Game Day 19: at Chicoutimi

CHICOUTIMI, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to build off last night's close loss this evening.

The Sea Dogs got their three-in-three road trip off to a decent start, falling 5-4 in Baie-Comeau to the Drakkar last night. The Dogs trailed most of the game but had a strong third period, which the club will hope to replicate for 60 minutes tonight.

This will be the second meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Sagueneens but the first (and only) in Chicoutimi. Game time is 8:30 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-10-3-1 for 12 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Sagueneens are 5-8-2-0 for 12 points (5th East, 16th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 loss in Baie-Comeau last night. Landon Quinney, William Poirier, Joe Veleno and Cedric Pare all scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 36 stops in the loss. The Sagueneens are coming off a 2-1 shootout win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Sunday at home. Felix-Antoine Marcotty scored the lone regulation time goal for the Sags. Zachary Bouthillier made 34 saves in the win.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-0-0-1 against the Sagueneens this season while Chicoutimi is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 21 at Harbour Station where the Sagueneens defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3 in a shootout. Olivier Galipeau, German Rubtsov and Jeremy Diotte scored for Chicoutimi. Cole Reginato scored twice for Saint John and Bailey Webster added a solo marker. Alexis Shank made 35 saves in the win. Alex D'Orio made 31 stops in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-4

FINAL: Saint John 4, Baie-Comeau 5

BAIE-COMEAU, Que. - Another third period comeback came up just short this time for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs scored twice in the third but were unable to net the equalizer, falling 5-4 to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar at the Henry Leonard Centre on Thursday night. Saint John was coming off a 5-4 overtime win that saw them erase a two-goal third period deficit.

It was another night of bad breaks and missed opportunities for the Sea Dogs, much like most of the team's games over the past month. They simply can't quite get over this hump.

The good news for Saint John was that this was a decent road game and should give the club some confidence heading into their next two contests. Thursday's match was the first game of a three-in-three for the Dogs.

Landon Quinney, William Poirier, Cedric Pare and Joe Veleno all scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 36 saves in the loss.

Jordan Martel scored twice for Baie-Comeau while singles came from D'Artagnan Joly, Jean-Simon Belanger and Gabriel Fortier. Antoine Samuel made 31 saves in the win.

Williams injured; Bagnell recalled

BAIE-COMEAU, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs made a roster move this afternoon.

The team announced that goaltender Stewart Bagnell has joined the club for its three-in-three Quebec road trip, which begins this evening in Baie-Comeau.

According to Sea Dogs broadcaster Tim Roszell, the recall is due to an injury to Matt Williams.

.@SJSeaDogs G Matt Williams has a lower-body injury, prompting the recall of G Stewart Bagnell from Steele Subaru @NSMMHL #PortCityRise

— Tim Roszell (@TimGRoszell) November 2, 2017

The news is especially noteworthy because it's highly unlikely Alex D'Orio start all three games of this trip, meaning Bagnell or a healthy Williams will get a start.

Bagnell, 16, was an eighth round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. He has been playing with the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League's Steele Subaru Major Midgets this year.

According to a Sea Dogs press release, Bagnell "is in his second season with Steele Subaru. In ten games, he is 8-2 with a 2.20 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage."

Saint John's road trip continues tomorrow in Chicoutimi and Saturday in Shawinigan.

Game Day 18: at Baie-Comeau

BAIE-COMEAU, Que. - A three-in-three Quebec road trip begins tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs will kick off their first Quebec visit of the season tonight in Baie-Comeau. Game time is 8:30 p.m.

After tonight's match, the Sea Dogs will head to Chicoutimi to face the Sagueneens on Friday and then go to Shawinigan to play the Cataractes on Saturday.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-9-3-1 for 12 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Drakkar are 6-8-0-1 for 13 points (4th East, 15th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 overtime win over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Sunday at Harbour Station. Ostap Safin scored twice while singles came from Anthony Boucher, Cole Reginato and Radim Salda. Matt Williams made 26 saves in the win. The Drakkar are coming off a 4-3 win over Shawinigan on Sunday. Gabriel Fortier scored twice while singles came from D'Artagnan Joly and Ivan Chekhovich. Antoine Samuel made 33 stops in the win.

2017-18 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Drakkar.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 2-0-0-0 against the Drakkar last season while Baie-Comeau went 0-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 19 at the Henry Leonard Centre where the Sea Dogs defeated the Drakkar 4-1. Thomas Chabot, Nathan Noel, Joe Veleno and Simon Bourque all scored for Saint John. Gabriel Fortier scored for Baie-Comeau. Alex D'Orio made 23 saves in the win. Antoine Samuel made 33 saves in the loss.

Important road trip ahead for Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs begin one of their biggest road trips of the season on Thursday.

In terms length, it's big. The Sea Dogs will play three games in three days in Quebec, visiting Baie-Comeau on Thursday, Chicoutimi on Friday and Shawinigan on Saturday. Perhaps more importantly, though, is that this trip is important in terms of the standings.

Yes, it's early, but this road trip could have a big impact on the playoff picture come March. Here's a look at the bottom of the QMJHL's overall standings heading into Wednesday's action:

While this trip will have an impact on the standings, it could also have a major impact on the Sea Dogs' immediate future. These are three winnable games, and for a team that has struggled to close out wins over the past month, this is a huge opportunity to gain some momentum.

The Sea Dogs have not played Baie-Comeau or Shawinigan yet this season. The Sagueneens visited Harbour Station on Oct. 21, defeating the Sea Dogs 4-3 in a shootout.

Thursday and Friday's games begin at 8:30 p.m., respectively. Saturday's contest will be a 5 p.m. start.