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.