Taking a look at Saint John's roster

By Kevin Chambers and Lorne Webster
SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs recently announced their latest round of cuts from their training camp roster and announced a couple trades that have been confirmed. The Sea Dogs will now have a break before their next pre-season game, which is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8 at Harbour Station against the Charlottetown Islanders.

First, let's have a look at some of the players that were with the team last year and will not be returning this season - beginning with long time Sea Dog forward Matt Green who, unfortunately, became the victim of a numbers game in Saint John. Also no longer with the team are forwards Robbie Burt and Ben Reid; along with Kevin Gursoy who was dealt to Charlottetown. Defenceman Alexis Girard was also traded on Monday along with a draft pick in exchange for another defender in Carson Gallant, who was/is expected to become an affiliate player and report to the MHL's Campbellton Tigers.

What does this mean moving forward? Simply put, the Sea Dogs are going to be a very young team. It should come as no surprise that this will be the youngest team in the QMJHL (and quite possibly the CHL) with a roster that will include five 16-year old players along with eight 17-year olds on the 25-man roster to start the season. Recent moves also open up several positions that will cause players to not only see the opportunity, but to seize the moment and work even harder to earn one of these regular spots in the lineup.

Higgins trade completed; Pilon leaves

SAINT JOHN - The look of the Saint John Sea Dogs' defence core became much clearer on Wednesday.

The Sea Dogs officially acquired 20-year-old defenceman Tyler Higgins from the Gatineau Olympiques in exchange for a 12th-round pick in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft. This according to an Olympiques news release.

Higgins will join forward Anthony Boucher and defenceman Michael Campoli as the team's trio of overage players to start the season.

Higgins has been at Sea Dogs training camp on loan from the Olympiques. Higgins spent last season between the Val-d'Or Foreurs, Rimouski Oceanic and Olympiques, ending the year with nine assists in 51 games.

Meanwhile, defenceman Zack Pilon, a free agent invite from Ontario, has left the club and will be returning closer to home.

Want to thank the @SJSeaDogs for the past couple weeks.. I have decided to step down from the team to join the @SFBears ! Always has been a dream of mine since I was a kid to play for the bears and I’m really excited to get things rolling this year.

— Zack Pilon (@ZackPilon93) August 29, 2018

Pilon, who appeared in 43 games with the OHL's Flint Firebirds last season, is a Smiths Falls native.

Here's the defencemen who remain on Saint John's roster: Higgins, Campoli, Charlie DesRoches, Nathan Larose, Jeremy Poirier, Brendan Sibley and William Villeneuve. Sibley has yet to play this pre-season due to an injury suffered over the summer.

The Sea Dogs acquired 17-year-old defenceman Carson Gallant on Monday in exchange for 19-year-old d-man Alexis Girard. The initial plan was for Gallant to start the year with the MHL's Campbellton Tigers.

Sea Dogs release Green; acquire Gallant

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs announced a flurry of roster moves on Monday following the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's pre-season trade deadline.

The most notable move was the releasing of 20-year-old forward Matt Green. The 22nd overall pick in the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft has spent the past four seasons with Saint John, recording 36 points in 168 games.

“We want to thank Matt for his contributions on and off the ice” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a release. “He grew up as a Sea Dog from 16-years-old, was a model citizen, and won a President Cup with us in 2017. The overage rule is a tough one (QMJHL teams are only allowed three 20-year-olds on their roster) and we wish Matt the very best.”

The Hammonds Plains, NS native was selected in the second round after the Sea Dogs took his twin brother, defenceman Luke Green, with the first overall pick. Matt Green proved to be a decent defensive forward but was never able to add a lot of offence to his game - which hurt his chances of sticking around as one of the team's overage players.

The Sea Dogs also announced a couple trades. The first had already been reported, which saw forward Kevin Gursoy traded to the Charlottetown Islanders in exchange for a 2020 sixth-round pick. The pick could become a fourth-round selection depending on Gursoy's performance.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Moncton 2, Saint John 3 (OT)

ST. STEPHEN - Josh Lawrence has had no problem putting up points this pre-season.

Lawrence scored all three of the Saint John Sea Dogs' goals in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday afternoon at St. Stephen's Garcelon Civic Center.

The 16-year-old forward now has five goals and an assist in three pre-season games. He's been held without a goal in just one of the three games he has appeared in. This comes after he piled up the goals and assists in Saint John's training camp scrimmages.

Brady Burns, meanwhile, recorded two assists. Alex D'Orio made his first appearance of the pre-season, making 30 stops in the victory.

The Wildcats dressed a much more experienced lineup than they did on Wednesday night in Moncton where they were hammered 8-1 by the Sea Dogs. Veterans Jacob Hudson and Simon Le Coultre scored for the Wildcats. Charles-Antoine Lavallee made 12 stops while Alec MacDonald made 10.

The win improves the Sea Dogs' record to 4-0 in exhibition play. The team has next weekend off.

Report: Gursoy traded to Islanders

ST. STEPHEN - The Saint John Sea Dogs have traded forward Kevin Gursoy to the Charlottetown Islanders, according to Mikael Lalancette of TVA Sports.

In exchange, the Sea Dogs will receive a sixth-round pick in the 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft. Lalancette reports that the pick could become a fourth-round selection depending on Gursoy's performance.

Les Sea Dogs transigent Kevin Gursoy à Charlottetown en retour d’un choix de 6e tour 2020.

Ça pourrait devenir un choix de 4ème tour selon sa performance. #tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) August 26, 2018

Gursoy, 19, signed with the Sea Dogs last August after putting up 30 goals and 32 assists in 50 games with the GOJHL's Chatham Maroons in 2016-17.

The LaSalle, Ont. native recorded 11 goals and seven assists with Saint John last season. So far this pre-season, Gursoy has registered two goals and an assist in one game.

The QMJHL's summer trade deadline is tomorrow.

Demain, midi fin des transactions dans la LHJMQ. L'an passé, la veille de la date limite, 2 transactions, la journée de la date limite, 12.

— Martin Lahaie (@MartinLahaie) August 26, 2018

Pre-Season Game Day 4: vs Wildcats

ST. STEPHEN – The Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats meet for a second time this week today in St. Stephen.

The Sea Dogs, who dressed a lineup sprinkled with veterans and a handful of high end youngsters, hammered a much less experienced Wildcats squad 8-1 in pre-season action in Moncton on Wednesday night. Given how the ‘Cats have operated their training camp, today’s game could feature similar lineup styles.

This marks the first QMJHL pre-season game to be played at St. Stephen’s Garcelon Civic Centre, which is home to the MHL’s Aces. The Sea Dogs held an open practice at the old Border Arena in 2006 but have not returned until today.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 3-0-0-0 this pre-season while the Wildcats are 1-2-0-0. Last season, Saint John finished last overall in the QMJHL standings with a 14-43-9-2 record for 39 points while Moncton finished 14th overall with a 27-33-5-3 record for 62 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Wildcats met on Wednesday night in Moncton where Saint John skated away with an 8-1 win. Josh Lawrence scored twice while singles came from Nathan Larose, Maxim Cajkovic, William Villeneuve, Brady Burns, Yohan Plamondon and Nicholas Deakin-Poot. Moncton’s goal came Mark Rumsey. Tommy DaSilva made 21 saves in the win. Philippe Gaudreault and Alec MacDonald took the loss in the Moncton net, allowing eight goals on 34 shots.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 3-4-2-0 against the Wildcats last season while Moncton went 6-1-1-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: See above.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Wildcats: Radio voice Tim Roszell

Roszell joins Wildcats

MONCTON - In an unexpected turn of events, former Saint John Sea Dogs radio voice Tim Roszell has joined the Moncton Wildcats.

The Times & Transcript reported this morning (paywall) that Roszell will be the new voice of the rival Wildcats, replacing Marty Kingston. The Wildcats will continue to have games broadcast on the FM dial, which the Sea Dogs dropped this off-season.

Roszell's dismissal this summer left many fans outraged, partly because of Roszell's popularity and partly because it seemingly meant the end of Sea Dogs hockey on the radio.

The Sea Dogs announced plans this week on how the team's radio broadcasts will be replaced, hiring former Mooseheads radio voice John Moore to handle home games and Halifax based contests. Maritime road games will be called by various hosts while Quebec based games not be covered, meaning there will be no English audio available. In total, 56 games will be broadcast via an online stream.

"They made a business decision," Roszell told the Times & Transcript. "There's not much more to it than that."

Roszell had been the voice of the Sea Dogs since the 2006-07 season, calling all home and away games on News 88.9 and then 96.1 NewSong FM.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 8-1

FINAL: Saint John 8, Moncton 1

MONCTON - Maxim Cajkovic made quite the first impression.

The first overall pick in the CHL Import Draft had little trouble handling the Moncton Wildcats on Wednesday night at the Superior Propane Centre, recording a goal and two assists in the Saint John Sea Dogs' 8-1 blowout win.

Cajkovic and Josh Lawrence, who played on a line with Yohan Plamondon, seemed to have good chemistry. Lawrence had two goals - both of which were set up by Cajkovic - and an assist with Plamondon finishing with a goal and an assist.

Nathan Larose, William Villeneuve, Brady Burn and Nicholas Deakin-Poot also scored for Saint John. Tommy DaSilva made 21 saves in his first full game of the pre-season.

The Wildcats dressed very few players with any QMJHL experience, instead icing a lineup of mostly rookies. Saint John, meanwhile, had a mix of veterans and high end young players. The result of this game came as no shock.

Mark Rumsey scored Moncton's lone goal. Philippe Gaudreault allowed four goals on 18 shots while Alex MacDonald allowed four on 16 in the loss.

Pre-Season Game Day 3: at Moncton

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs put their perfect pre-season record on the line tonight.

The Sea Dogs, 2-0, take on the Moncton Wildcats, 1-1, tonight at the Superior Propane Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.

Both of Saint John's pre-season wins have come against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, defeating the defending Memorial Cup champions 2-1 at home on Sunday and 5-1 last night at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-0-0-0 this pre-season while the Wildcats are 1-1-0-0. Last season, Saint John finished last overall in the QMJHL standings with a 14-43-9-2 record for 39 points while Moncton finished 14th overall with a 27-33-5-3 record for 62 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 win in Bathurst last night. Kevin Gursoy scored twice while singles came from Matt Green, Aiden MacIntosh and Nathan Larose. Stewart Bagnell made 19 saves and Tommy DaSilva made nine. The Wildcats are coming off a 2-1 home loss to the Charlottetown Islanders last night. Ozzie King scored Moncton's lone goal. Philippe Gaudreault made 14 saves and Charles-Antoine Lavallee made 23.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 3-4-2-0 against the Wildcats last season while Moncton went 6-1-1-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 10 at Harbour Station where the Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs 6-4. Cole Reginato scored two goals for Saint John while singles came from Anthony Boucher and Cedric Pare. Jeremy McKenna scored twice for Moncton while singles came from Alexander Khovanov, James Phelan, Anderson MacDonald and Brady Pataki. Alex D'Orio made 28 stops in the loss. Mark Grametbauer made 34 in the win.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Wildcats: None.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 5, Bathurst 1

BATHURST - Kevin Gursoy and Matt Green led the Saint John Sea Dogs to a big pre-season win on Tuesday night at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Gursoy had two goals and an assist while Green had a goal and two helpers in the 5-1 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. The two veteran forwards played on the team's top line with 16-year-old Dawson Stairs (who registered an assist).

Aiden MacIntosh and Nathan Larose also scored for the Sea Dogs. 16-year-old defenceman Jeremie Poirier had two assists. Stewart Bagnell allowed a goal on 20 shots while Tommy DaSilva stopped all nine shots he faced.

Alexandre David scored Bathurst's lone goal. Felix-Anthony Ethier allowed five goals on 30 shots in the loss.

The Sea Dogs were opportunistic on the power play in this one, going 2-for-3. They were also solid on the penalty kill, killing off five of six Titan opportunities - which included a four-minute penalty in the second period.

Saint John is now 2-0 in the pre-season. The wins have been far from perfect, but it's a good start.

Stairs signs with Sea Dogs over NCAA

BATHURST - The Saint John Sea Dogs announced a significant signing on Tuesday, inking forward Dawson Stairs.

The 16-year-old was selected by the Sea Dogs in the seventh round of this year's QMJHL Entry Draft and attended training camp. He dropped in the draft because of his NCAA intentions and was expected to leave Dogs camp after 48 hours in order to maintain his eligibility.

That has all changed.

The Sea Dogs have signed the Fredericton native and he is expected to play in tonight's pre-season contest in Bathurst. Game time is 7 p.m. at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Normally this news would mean a guaranteed roster spot, but the opposite is going to happen in this case. Because of a league rule that limits the amount of 16-year-old players a team can carry on its roster (it's typically four but exceptions have been made to allow five), there is no room for Stairs. Instead he'll be an affiliate player, "joining the team throughout the season for practices, select games, and training."

Stairs spent last season at Rothesay Netherwood, recording four goals and 11 assists in 21 games. He'll join the South Kent Selects Academy in Connecticut for the 2018-19 season.

“It is an honour to join such a great organization” said Stairs in a news release. “Obviously the Sea Dogs had a tremendous draft and in two to three years’ time, this group is going to be an amazing team. It’s somewhere hockey players want to play.”

Stairs was ranked 26th by QMJHL Central Scouting entering the draft. Saint John has successfully added six of the top 30 ranked prospects from this year's draft class.

Saint John has seemingly turned their fortunes around when it comes to landing Maritime players with NCAA intentions. Josh Lawrence and Charlie DesRoches did so previously and both are expected to be on this year's squad.

Pre-Season Game Day 2: at Bathurst

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs play the second game of their pre-season schedule tonight in Bathurst.

The Sea Dogs and Titan met on Sunday night at Harbour Station with Saint John posting a 2-1 victory. Connor Richard and Kevin Mason scored for the Sea Dogs while Tommy DaSilva and Stewart Bagnell combined for the victory in net.

Both teams will likely dress different looking squads tonight. Game time at the KC Irving Regional Centre is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 this pre-season while Bathurst is 0-1-0-0. Last season, Saint John finished last overall in the QMJHL standings with a 14-43-9-2 record for 39 points while the Titan finished second overall with a record of 43-15-8-2 for 96 points and went on to win the President Cup and Memorial Cup.

Last games: The Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 2-1 on Sunday night at Harbour Station. Connor Richard and Kevin Mason scored for Saint John while Logan Timmons netted the lone Bathurst goal. Tommy DaSilva made eight saves and Stewart Bagnell made 11 in the win. Andrew MacLeod made 32 saves in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-8-0-0 against the Titan last season while Bathurst went 8-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: See above.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: None.

Sea Dogs announce first roster moves

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs have announced their first round of roster moves.

The following players have been cut from the team's training camp roster: forwards Robbie Burt (1999), Cade DeStefani (2001), Alex Fowke (2001), Zac Sirota (2000) and Daniel Surette (2001); defencemen Kale McCallum (2002) and Simon Trottier (2002); and goaltender Tuomas Bowland (2001).

According to the team, DeStefani, McCallum, Trottier and Bowland all left to maintain their NCAA eligibility. What's interesting is that the Dogs made no mention of talented forward Dawson Stairs (2002), who's believed to have NCAA intentions but is battling for one of the team's final - and coveted - 16-year-old spots.

The Sea Dogs have a plethora of high end 16-year-olds they would no doubt like to keep on their roster, but the league limit of four is hindering that idea. Teams have been granted permission in the past (including the Sea Dogs) to carry five, but six might be pushing it a bit too far.

Saint John selected five 2002 born players in the first two rounds of this year's draft: William Villeneuve, Jeremie Poirier, Josh Lawrence, Brady Burns and Charlie DesRoches.

The other cuts announced on Monday were long shots to make this year's team. Burt, as reported, was sent home of the first day of training camp after failing to meet off-season expectations.

The Sea Dogs also announced that defenceman Patrick Musico (2000) and forward Christopher Duchesne (2001) have signed as affiliate players. 2018 draft picks Alexandre O’Neill (2002) and Charles-Antoine Dumont (2002) have also gone home but are expected to be affiliate players this year.

Musico, a Sudbury native, will join the MHL's St. Stephen Aces for the upcoming season. The Sea Dogs will face the Moncton Wildcats in St. Stephen this coming Sunday.

Saint John returns to pre-season action tomorrow night in Bathurst. Game time is 7 p.m.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 2-1

FINAL: Bathurst 1, Saint John 2

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs opened the 2018 pre-season with a victory.

Connor Richard and Kevin Mason scored in the Sea Dogs' 2-1 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at Harbour Station. Tommy DaSilva and Stewart Bagnell combined for 19 saves in the win.

The Sea Dogs were predictably sloppy at times but carried much of the play, outshooting the Titan 34-20. Saint John dressed a mix of 2018 draft picks, free agents and a few returning players.

Saint John opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 11:27 of the first. Richard grabbed the puck at the blue line and went in on a breakaway, pulling off a nice toe drag and beating Titan netminder Andrew MacLeod upstairs.

The Sea Dogs had some quality chances early in the second but could not capitalize. First, Yohan Plamondon and Ben Reid had a two-on-one but the puck was stolen on a pass through the crease. Then, Jeremie Jacob had a short breakaway but was denied by the pad of MacLeod.

Saint John took a 2-0 lead at 4:48 of the the third. Brady Burns carried the puck behind the net and then skated out front, dishing a nice pass through the blue paint to an open Mason who scored.

The Titan got on the board at 7:05 of the final frame. Logan Timmons sped through the Saint John defence and beat Bagnell five-hole to make it a 2-1 game.

DaSilva stopped all eight shots in faced in 31:39 of action. Bagnell stopped 11 the rest of the way.

MacLeod played the full 60 minutes for Bathurst and made 32 saves in the loss.

Notebook: Lawrence showing off skill

SAINT JOHN - Josh Lawrence has been noticeable at Saint John Sea Dogs training camp for a couple reasons.

For starters, he sticks out right away because he's one of the smaller players at camp at just 5'09" and 163 lbs. But he has also sticks out for some of his incredible playmaking ability, picking up a handful of assists in Saturday's scrimmages alone.

He has found instant chemistry with Team Blue linemates William Poirier and Maxim Cajkovic - and it will be interesting to see if the trio sees some time together in pre-season play. But even when removed from those two - which he was on Saturday night - he has made some excellent passes, showing off his excellent vision.

Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News recently wrote that Lawrence is "fast and skilled," featuring the forward in his prospect "need to know" piece for the 2020 NHL Draft.

"He’ll put up a ton of points in the ‘Q,’" writes Kennedy. "Lawrence was taken 15th overall by the Sea Dogs because he was committed to Boston University at the time, but he has since signed with Saint John. The New Brunswick native was the leading scorer for Selects Academy in Connecticut, which is a solid developer of talent."

Pre-Season Game Day 1: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin QMJHL pre-season play tonight at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs will play seven games during this year's pre-season, and this will be the first of three they'll play over the next week.

Admission for tonight's game at Harbour Station - which features a rare Sunday start time of 7 p.m. - is free. The Dogs will likely dress a decent lineup and give the expected large crowd a good show.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/None

Records: This is the first game of the pre-season for both the Sea Dogs and Titan. Last season, Saint John finished last overall in the QMJHL standings with a 14-43-9-2 record for 39 points while the Titan finished second overall with a record of 43-15-8-2 for 96 points and went on to win the President Cup and Memorial Cup.

Last games: Saint John's last game was on March 17 at Centre 200 where they fell 8-3 to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Robbie Burt, Brendan Sibley and Cole Reginato scored for the Dogs. Tommy DaSilva made 32 stops in the loss. The Titan's last game was the Memorial Cup final on May 27 in Regina. Adam Holwell, Samuel Asselin and Ethan Crossman scored for Bathurst. Evan Fitzpatrick made 28 saves in the shutout win.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-8-0-0 against the Titan last season while Bathurst went 8-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 9 at Harbour Station where the Titan defeated the Sea Dogs 6-4. Cole Reginato, Anthony Boucher, Nathan Larose and William Poirier scored for Saint John. Antoine Morand had a pair of goals for Bathurst while singles came from Olivier Galipeau, Adam Holwell, Jeffrey Truchon-Viel and Mitchell Balmas. Matthew Williams allowed five goals on 33 shots in 40 minutes of play. Tommy DaSilva allowed one goal on 16 shots in the third. Joseph Murdaca made 28 stops for the Titan.

Notebook: Flynn joins Blue Jackets scouting staff

SAINT JOHN - Danny Flynn has found a new home.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs head coach has joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as an eastern amateur scout. Flynn will be based in Ontario.

Flynn, a Dartmouth native, spent last season working with fellow Dartmouth native Mike Johnston behind the WHL's Portland Winterhawks bench.

“I have taken a job with the Columbus Blue Jackets and will be based in Ontario. Leaving Portland was a hard choice, I really enjoyed working with the organization, staff and players,” Flynn said in a Winterhawks news release.

Flynn was head coach of the Sea Dogs in 2015-16 and 2016-17, guiding the team to a QMJHL championship in 2017. He was named QMJHL coach of the year that season. He left the Sea Dogs later that off-season and joined the Winterhawks.

Flynn will turn 61 next month, and you have to think his time behind junior hockey benches may have come to an end.

BEHIND THE BENCH
Speaking of coaches, the Sea Dogs will have a new face behind the bench this season in Stefan Legein. The Sea Dogs announced the hiring of Legein a couple weeks ago.

Legein, a former star with Canada's world junior team, spent last season as an assistant and video coach with the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads. His hockey career has had plenty of ups and downs, as the Canadian Press wrote about last year.

Legein has been running the Team Blue bench at Sea Dogs training camp. Brian Fleming has been working with Team Black and Jeff Cowan with Team White.

News and notes from Friday's scrimmages

By Lorne Webster | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The first full day of scrimmages at Saint John Sea Dogs training camp is in the books. Here are some news, notes and thoughts from the day.

• It is only day one but there are real signs for optimism with the latest rebuild in Saint John. There are a number of tough decisions to be made with the team’s impressive crop of 2018 draft choices. Even if the QMJHL does grant the Sea Dogs permission to dress five (or even six) 16 year-olds this season, there are sure to be at least three or more rookies who will be required to continue their development outside the QMJHL - and yet likely to be key contributors to the team next season.
• In the Friday morning scrimmage, the forward line of import Maxim Cajkovic, rookie Josh Lawrence and veteran William Poirier was dynamite. Their skill and puck movement was very evident.
• In the Friday afternoon scrimmage, the forward line of rookie Dawson Stairs, import Filip Prikryl and veteran Anthony Boucher was equally as impressive as the Cajkovic-Lawrence-W. Poirier combo.
• The coaching staff may have tipped their hands a bit with regards to likely defensive pairings to start the season. Sophomore Nathan Larose and his partner, rookie Jeremy Poirier, looked great together and really pushed the pace. Overager Michael Campoli and rookie William Villeneuve also impressed with their strong play together.
• Besides William Poirier and Anthony Boucher, returning forwards who appeared to get the memo to bring their “A” game right from the first whistle were Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Yohan Plamondon.
• Second year players Luke Wilson, Kevin Mason, Aiden MacIntosh and Jeremie Jacob were noticeable and each had several strong shifts.
• Speaking of noticeable – overage defenceman Tyler Higgins and rookie free agent forward James White (who is merely 17) are both impressive physical specimens – at 6’4" (+) and roughly 220 pounds each – who can skate as well. These two reportedly scored very high in the off-ice physical testing held on Thursday.
• Zack Pilon and Patrick Musico – a pair of free agent defencemen from Ontario – both looked strong in their first scrimmages at Harbour Station and they appear to be ready to challenge for a roster spot.
• The Sea Dogs' first draft choice in 2017, Brendan Sibley (round three, 52nd overall) was unable to participate in the opening day scrimmages due to an injury sustained during training this summer. Veteran Robbie Burt also did not skate with the team in the opening sessions.

Sea Dogs begin pre-season Sunday

SAINT JOHN - The first scrimmages of Saint John Sea Dogs training camp were held on Friday at Harbour Station, and on Sunday, the team will play their first game of the pre-season.

In an extremely rare Sunday night matchup (Saint John has played just a handful in franchise history), the Sea Dogs will host the Memorial Cup champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7 p.m. The game is free to attend (although fans must still pick up tickets) and the Dogs will likely put a decent lineup together to show off to the expected large crowd.

The Sea Dogs will play seven games this pre-season - four at home and three on the road. Three of Saint John's home games will be played at Harbour Station while the other will be at St. Stephen's Garcelon Civic Centre.

Here's Saint John's full pre-season schedule:

Sunday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. vs Bathurst (Saint John)
Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. at Bathurst (Bathurst)
Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. at Moncton (Moncton)
Sunday, Aug. 26 at 3 p.m. vs Moncton (St. Stephen)
Saturday, Sept. 8 at 3 p.m. vs Charlottetown (Saint John)
Thursday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. vs Moncton (Saint John)
Sunday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. at Moncton (Bouctouche)

The Sea Dogs have never played in St. Stephen before and have appeared in Bouctouche just once. They will not play in Quispamsis or Fredericton this year.

Saint John begins regular season play on Friday, Sept. 21 when they host the Memorial Cup hosting Halifax Mooseheads at Harbour Station.

Cajkovic brings hype to Dogs camp

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will have no shortage of hype at this year's training camp.

The Sea Dogs are coming off what appears to be - on paper, anyways - one of the best off-seasons in club history, landing several highly touted and hyped players.

Perhaps the most hyped up player coming to camp is Slovakian forward Maxim Cajkovic, who was the first overall pick in this year's CHL Import Draft. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic recently listed Cajkovic, 17, as a contender to be selected in the top five of the 2019 NHL Draft.

"Cajkovic now joins a young, rebuilding Saint John’s team in the QMJHL, where he should be afforded a big offensive role and the chance to really establish himself near the top of this class," writes Wheeler. "His impressive play continued at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he posted three points in as many games on a weak Slovakian team. Cajkovic is an athletic scorer who can flat out shoot the puck and make plays."

Cajkovic finished second on Team Slovakia in scoring at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, recording two goals and two assists in four games. Guillaume Lepage of NHL.com writes that Cajkovic raised his draft stock during the tournament.

"I'm fast, but I need to improve my skating every day," Cajkovic told NHL.com. "There's a lot of room for me to improve right now. I think I'm getting bigger and better, that's important for me."

Listed at 5'11" and 185 lbs, it will be interesting to see what Cajkovic can do with Saint John this season after putting up excellent numbers in the Swedish junior circuit a year ago. He'll be joining a young team that will likely struggle to score on some nights. Despite this, he definitely seems excited too be joining the Dogs, posting on Instagram throughout the summer about playing in Saint John.

Cajkovic will play on Team Blue at Sea Dogs training camp, the same squad as Josh Lawrence and Charlie DesRoches. The team hits the ice first, playing on Friday at 10 a.m. at Harbour Station.

Saint John's other pick in this year's Import Draft, 17-year-old Czech forward Filip Prikryl, also appeared at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, recording a goal and an assist in four games. He'll play on Team White at training camp.

Training camp roster observations

By Lorne Webster | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - Here are a few observations on the Saint John Sea Dogs' 2018 training camp roster, which was released on Tuesday afternoon.

• All but two players drafted this summer will be in Saint John to start Sea Dogs training camp. Only Jack Williams (US Draft 1st round, 1st overall) and Riley Bezeau (12th, 199th) are not reporting at this time. Williams, who has a verbal commitment to go to Northeastern University (NCAA) is currently playing in the under-17 5-Nations Cup in Slovakia with Team USA. The Sea Dogs remain hopeful that Williams will agree to join former South Kent Selects teammates Josh Lawrence and Charlie DesRoches in Saint John.
• Both of the Sea Dogs’ 2018 CHL import draft selections – Maxim Cajkovic (Slovakia) and Filip Prikryl (Czech Republic) – have arrived in Saint John after having played in the recent Hlinka-Gretzky tournament in Alberta.
• Seven of 15 players drafted in 2017 are reporting: Brendan Sibley (3, 52), Aiden MacIntosh (4, 63), Jeremie Jacob (6, 104), Stewart Bagnell (8, 145), Luke Wilson (9, 163), Josh MacDonald (10, 164) and Daniel Surette (12, 201). Of the eight not reporting – Max-Antoine Melancon (4, 73 - who was traded to Shawinigan for a 2019 second round pick), Lynden Breen (5, 83), Tim Noble (5, 87), Justin Hryckowian (11-, 83), Patrick Moynihan (12, 210) and Robby Griffin (12, 217) all appear to be maintaining their NCAA eligibility.
• Only one player from the 2016 draft class is reporting – Kevin Mason (7, 123). Players from the 2016 draft listed on the pre-season roster but not reporting include: Shane Bowers (2, 32 - Boston University), Matt Gould (6, 105 - NCAA) and Matthew Steinburg (10, 177 – NCAA).
• Only two players from the 2015 draft class are reporting – Alex D’Orio (1, 9) and Ben Reid (7, 119). Players from the 2015 draft listed on pre-season roster but not reporting are: Morgan Barron (4, 57 - Cornell) and Ben Mirageas (9, 154 - Providence).
• Only four 20 year-olds (1998 born) are listed on the training camp roster – Anthony Boucher (W/C), Matt Green (C), Michael Campoli (D) and Tyler Higgins (D). Pending any further roster moves, they will be battling for the three available overage spots.
• Six players who played for the Sea Dogs in 2017-18 - and were listed on the pre-season roster – are not listed on the current training camp roster: RW Ostap Safin (on import protected list), D Thomas Ashe, D Tyler Hungerbuhler, D Zachary Leclerc (loaned to Victoriaville), D Tyler Smith and G Matt Williams.
• In light of the Sea Dogs youth movement – and having missed the playoffs last season – all other returning players are expected to be on top of their game in order to earn a place on the 2018-19 regular season roster.
• Free agents listed on the training camp roster include:
• Tuomas Bowland (G – 2001-05-10 – 6’5” 196 lbs. – Chamcook NB)
• Christian Clark (C - 2000-02-08 – 5’10” 180 lbs. – Oshawa ON)
• Ryan Decker (LW – 2001-01-25 – 6’2” 190 lbs. – Cambridge MA USA)
• Christopher Duchesne (RW – 2001-06-23 – 5’5” 145 lbs. – Lasalle QC)
• Patrick Musico (D – 2000-03-16 – 6’2’ 187 lbs. – Newmarket ON)
• Zack Pilon (D – 2000-11-28 – 6’4” 203 lbs. – Ottawa ON)
• Zac Sirota (C – 2000-09-12 – 5’8’ 165 lbs. – Richmond Hill ON)
• James White (LW – 2000-09-25 – 6’4” 220 lbs – Vernon BC)

The Sea Dogs will hold scrimmages on Friday and Saturday at Harbour Station before facing the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in a pre-season tilt on Sunday night. The schedule can be found here.

Sea Dogs release training camp details

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs released details about their 2018 training camp on Tuesday.

Scrimmages will take place on Friday and Saturday at Harbour Station and, as always, are open to the public. Here's the schedule:

Friday, Aug. 17
10 a.m. – Black vs. Blue
2 p.m. – White vs. Black
7 p.m. – Blue vs. White

Saturday, Aug. 18 
10 a.m. – Black vs. Blue
2 p.m. – White vs. Black
7:30 p.m. – Blue vs. White and Best of 7 Team Challenge

Saturday's "Best of 7 Team Challenge" will include 5-on-5, 4-on-4, 3-on-3, shootouts and more, according to a press release.

Saint John's training camp has been broken into three different teams. The full roster can be seen on the team's website.

The Sea Dogs' first pre-season game is on Sunday night at Harbour Station when the team hosts the reigning Memorial Cup champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7 p.m. The game is free to attend but fans must pick up tickets.