Harbour Station officially renamed

SAINT JOHN - Harbour Station has officially been renamed TD Station.

The TD Bank Group purchased the naming rights to the Saint John Sea Dogs home arena earlier this month. The name change is part of a five-year sponsorship agreement between the bank and hockey club.

“We’re thrilled with the announcement of TD Station,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release. "The name maintains some of the history of the original and we look forward to what the future holds here. ‘Sea Dogs win the President Cup/Memorial Cup at TD Station’ has a nice ring to it.”

Harbour Station has had the same name since it was completed in 1993. The name is a tribute to the rail stations that once stood on the grounds.

Signage outside the arena has not been changed yet and it will likely take some time before everything gets changed over. The Harbour Station website also hasn't adjusted yet.

The Sea Dogs won't play any pre-season games at TD Station this year. They'll make their 2019-20 debut in the building on Sept. 20, hosting the Halifax Mooseheads on opening night.

Sea Dogs roster nearing completion

SAINT JOHN - 10 players have been released from the Saint John Sea Dogs training camp roster.

The Sea Dogs announced the moves on Monday night. Most teams around the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League made a sweep of cuts while some announced their final rosters.

Here are the latest cuts from Sea Dogs camp:

Riley Bezeau (F)
Alexandre O’Neill (F)
Connor Richard (F)
Charles Savoie (F)
Carson Gallant (D)
Nicolas Kakouras (D)
Connor McCluskey (D)
Eliott St-Pierre (D)
Tommy Da Silva (G)
Mathias Savoie (G)

With those cuts, and with today's announced trades, the Sea Dogs have 15 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders remaining (that's not including Mathias Savoie, who will remain with the club with Zachary Bouthillier heading off to Toronto Maple Leafs camp, or the newly acquired d-man Olivier Desroches).

Sea Dogs make minor trades

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs made a few minor deals ahead of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's summer trade deadline.

The Sea Dogs acquired 18-year-old defenseman Olivier Desroches from the Shawinigan Cataractes in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round pick. A second-round pick of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in 2017, Desroches split the season between Shawinigan and Quebec midget AAA Terrebonne.

According to Shawinigan based reporter Steve Turcotte, the pick could become a third.

Olivier Desroches prend le chemin de Saint-John contre un R5 2022.
Choix conditionnel qui pourrait devenir un R3 #cataractes

— steve turcotte (@steveturcotte) August 26, 2019

(Update: The Cataractes website notes that the pick will become a third if Desroches plays 60 games with Saint John.)

Given Saint John's defensive depth, it seems unlikely Desroches will make the squad unless other, unexpected moves are made.

As was reported over the weekend, the Sea Dogs traded 16-year-old forward Charles-Antoine Dumont and a 2021 seventh-round pick to the Drummondville Voltigeurs in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Dumont, a 2018 sixth-round pick, had a goal in two pre-season games with Saint John this year. He appeared in the Voltigeurs' pre-season game on Sunday, registering an assist.

Dumont recorded 20 goals and 52 points in 42 games with the QMAAA's Lévis Chevaliers last season.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Halifax 4, Saint John 2

ST. STEPHEN, NB - The Saint John Sea Dogs dropped their second straight pre-season game to the Halifax Mooseheads on Friday night.

The Sea Dogs opened the scoring before allowing four straight Mooseheads goals in a 4-2 loss at St. Stephen's Garcelon Civic Center. Saint John controlled much of the play for the first period but the Mooseheads seemed to gain momentum after each goal they scored.

Saint John's penalty kill struggled again, allowing two goals on five chances. On Thursday in Dartmouth, the Dogs gave up three power play goals in a 4-3 loss to the Moose. This obviously isn't ideal but it's certainly not time to worry - Saint John didn't dress their full defence core in either game.

Nicholas Guay and Jeremie Poirier scored for Saint John while Josh Lawrence picked up two assists. Zachary Bouthillier played the full game, allowing four goals on 30 shots.

Senna Peeters, Seva Losev, Samuel Dube and Said Abi-Faycal scored for Halifax. Tyler Casely made 17 saves in the first half of the game. Jonathan Pickrem made 14 stops in the second half.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

This was Saint John's final pre-season game for two weeks. There will likely be several cuts made soon.

Pre-Season Game Day 4: vs Mooseheads

ST. STEPHEN, NB - The first portion of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's pre-season comes to a close tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

This evening's match against the Halifax Mooseheads will be Saint John's final game until Sept. 6. For many players, tonight will be the final time they get to try and impress the Sea Dogs' hockey operations staff.

The Sea Dogs and Mooseheads met last night in Dartmouth with Halifax winning 4-3.

Game time at St. Stephen's Garcelon Civic Centre is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-1-0-0 this pre-season while Halifax is 1-2-0-0. Last season, the Sea Dogs finished ninth overall in the Eastern Conference with a record of 13-49-2-4 for 32 points while the Mooseheads finished first with a record of 49-15-2-2 for 102 points.

Last games: The Mooseheads edged the Sea Dogs 4-3 in Dartmouth last night. Senna Peeters had a pair of goals for Halifax while singles came from Gavin Hart and Samuel Dube. Cole McLaren made 42 stops in the victory. William Poirier, Dawson Stairs and Maxim Cajkovic scored for Saint John. Mathias Savoie allowed two goals on 11 shots in the first half of the game. Noah Patenaude allowed two goals on 16 shots in the second half.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-6-1-1 against the Mooseheads last season while Halifax finished 8-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: See above.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Halifax 4

DARTMOUTH, NS - A back-and-forth affair ended on the wrong side for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Thursday.

The Sea Dogs gave up two late third period goals in a 4-3 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads at the RBC Centre in Dartmouth. It was Saint John's first loss of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League pre-season and Halifax's first win.

Saint John led the shot clock by a large margin for most of the night and controlled much of the play. Penalties proved to be very costly though, with the Mooseheads scoring three power play goals on seven opportunities. Many of Saint John's regular d-men did not dress for this game.

Senna Peeters, Halifax's top pick in this year's CHL Import Draft, had a pair of goals while singles came from Gavin Hart and Samuel Dube. Cole McLaren played the entire game in net, making 42 stops in the victory.

William Poirier, Dawson Stairs and Maxim Cajkovic scored for Saint John. Mathias Savoie allowed two goals on 11 shots in the first half of the game. Noah Patenaude allowed two goals on 16 shots in the second half.

The Sea Dogs website has a game recap.

Pre-Season Game Day 3: at Halifax

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to improve to 3-0 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League pre-season play tonight.

The Sea Dogs will make their first ever visit to the RBC Centre in Dartmouth where they'll face the Halifax Mooseheads. Game time is 7 p.m.

This is the first of back-to-back meetings between the two clubs. They'll meet again on Friday night in St. Stephen.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-0-0-0 this pre-season while the Mooseheads are 0-2-0-0. Last season, the Sea Dogs finished ninth overall in the Eastern Conference with a record of 13-49-2-4 for 32 points while the Mooseheads finished first with a record of 49-15-2-2 for 102 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-1 win in Bathurst on Tuesday night. The Mooseheads are coming off a 4-2 loss in Sydney on Tuesday.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-6-1-1 against the Mooseheads last season while Halifax finished 8-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Poirier a projected first rounder in preliminary NHL Draft rankings

HALIFAX - While all NHL Draft eyes will be focused on Alexis Lafreniere and the Rimouski Oceanic this season, the Saint John Sea Dogs defence will be worth watching as well.

In The Athletic's pre-season rankings of the 31 prospects available for the 2020 NHL Draft, Sea Dogs defenceman Jeremie Poirier is ranked 21st. Fellow Dogs d-men William Villeneuve and Charlie DesRoches were mentioned as players to keep an eye on.

Poirier's name has been hovering around the midway mark of the first round in many draft publications. In Future Considerations' preliminary rankings, the d-man was ranked 17th followed by DesRoches at No. 38, Josh Lawrence at No. 46, Villeneuve at No. 47 and Brady Burns at No. 86.

In a recent ranking produced by The Hockey Writers, Poirier was ranked at No. 31, Villeneuve at No. 78, DesRoches at No. 79 and Joona Lehmus at No. 80.

While the Sea Dogs may not have a highly elite player like Lafreniere on their roster (or so it appears, anyway), they make up for that NHL Draft eligible talent in depth. Saint John could have a strong year at the NHL Draft, much like they did in 2011 when five players (Jonathan Huberdeau, Nathan Beaulieu, Zack Phillips, Tomas Jurco and Ryan Tesink) were taken and in 2015 when seven (Jakub Zboril, Thomas Chabot, Samuel Dove-McFalls, Mathieu Joseph, Spencer Smallman, Bokondji Imama and Adam Marsh) Dogs heard their names called.

Beside Lafreniere and Poirier, other QMJHL players being placed in the first round in preliminary rankings include Justin Barron (Halifax), Hendrix Lapierre (Chicoutimi), Dawson Mercer (Drummondville), Mavrik Bourque (Shawinigan) and Theo Rochette (Chicoutimi).

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-1

FINAL: Saint John 4, Bathurst 1

BATHURST - The Saint John Sea Dogs had the better team on paper and on the ice Tuesday at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

The Sea Dogs didn't have much trouble with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, winning their second game of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League pre-season by score of 4-1.

Returnees Jeremie Jacob, James White, Josh Lawrence and Maxim Cajkovic all scored for Saint John. Tommy DaSilva stopped all 18 shots he faced in the first half of the game. Mathias Savoie made 11 saves in the second half.

Saint John dressed a seemingly more "loaded" and experienced lineup than the Titan - especially up front. The Titan ended up outshooting the Sea Dogs 30-28, but much of those shots came on power plays, which the home side had six of.

Sea Dogs killer Cole Rafuse, who had seven goals and five assists in nine games against Saint John last season, scored the Titan's lone goal. Tyriq Outen made 14 saves in the first two periods. Matthew Dunsmoor stopped all 10 shots he faced in the third.

Pre-Season Game Day 2: at Bathurst

BATHURST - The pre-season continues tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Following a solid 6-3 win over the Charlottetown Islanders in Quispamsis on Sunday, the Dogs travel to the KC Irving Regional Centre to take on the Titan. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Titan had the worst record in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season - finishing 10 points back of the Sea Dogs - and are likely in for another long year as they rebuild from their 2018 Memorial Cup championship.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/None

Records: Both teams are 1-0-0-0 this pre-season. Last season, the Sea Dogs finished ninth overall in the Eastern Conference with a record of 13-49-2-4 for 32 points while the Titan finished 10th with a record of 8-54-5-1 for 22 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-3 win over the Charlottetown Islanders on Sunday at the qplex. The Titan are coming off a big 9-2 win in Moncton on Sunday.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 5-4-0-0 against the Titan last season while Bathurst finished 5-3-1-0 against Saint John.

Dogs announce first camp cuts

QUISPAMSIS - The Saint John Sea Dogs have announced their first roster moves of training camp.

Here's what's happened:

• Players released from training camp: Jonathan Beers (F), Samuel Campbell (F), Cade Destefani (F), William Gagnon (F), Cole Kimble (F), Carter McCluskey (F), Robert Orr (F), Olivier Bourassa (D), Anthony Cliche (D), Isaac Dixon (D), Dylan Macleod (D), Alex Wynter (D), Stewart Bagnell (G), and Justin Pace (G).
• Cliche and Orr, both 2019 draft picks, left camp to maintain their NCAA eligibility.
• There was an announcement made regarding a couple notable absences at camp. Defenseman Brendan Sibley, who never could find his groove at the major junior level, and forward Yohan Plamondon, who had 21 points in 39 games last season, have both opted not to attend camp and will pursue junior 'A' options.
• Overage defenseman Sacha Roy, who was traded to Saint John in the off-season from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar as part of the Alex D'Orio deal, "has elected to no longer pursue his hockey career and will not be playing in the 2019-20 season," according to the team.
• Connor Richard is listed day-to-day after taking a big open ice in the first period of Sunday's pre-season game.
• There are now 20 forwards, 10 defensemen and four goalies remaining at Sea Dogs camp.   

There are no big surprises with any of these moves. The biggest news is Roy - a player that would have provided some nice sandpaper to a young defence core - opting to retire.

The cuts make for some interesting battles to follow for the final few roster spots. The Sea Dogs will play three more pre-season games this week, beginning Tuesday night in Bathurst.

Dogs sign another 2002-born d-man

QUISPAMSIS - The Saint John Sea Dogs continue to go all in on youth with their defence core.

On Sunday, the Sea Dogs announced the signing of 17-year-old defenceman Kale McCallum. The signing means Saint John will have five 2002-born players on their defence core this season in McCallum, Charlie DesRoches, Jeremie Poirier, William Villeneuve and Joona Lehmus.

“This is a special signing for the Sea Dogs," said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release. "Kale is a very smart, talented, and mobile defenceman. He is a multi-sport athlete who gives us another quality 17-year-old blue liner to join our 2002-born nucleus. He grew up watching the Sea Dogs and his family have been Season Ticket Holders for many years. He wants to be part of what is being built right here in his backyard and win a President Cup and Memorial Cup one day. He will help us do that.”

McCallum, a Quispamsis native, spent the 2017-18 season with the Saint John Vito's before joining Rothesay Netherwood last season. He was an eighth-round pick of the Sea Dogs in 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft.

McCallum looked good in Sunday's pre-season win over the Charlottetown Islanders at the qplex and has had a strong training camp.

It will be interesting to see how Saint John's defence performs this season. They are a young and still inexperienced group - but are also extremely talented and have the potential to surpass expectations. McCallum and Lehmus will be the only two of the group without a season of experience under their belt.

Saint John's next pre-season game is this Tuesday in Bathurst against the Titan.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-3

FINAL: Charlottetown 3, Saint John 6

QUISPAMSIS - The Saint John Sea Dogs opened up the 2019 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League pre-season with a solid victory over the Charlottetown Islanders at the Quispamsis qplex, winning 6-3.

Returning forward Alexis Belisle led the way with two goals while singles came from free agent Connor McCluskey and draft picks Charles Savoie, Charles-Antoine Dumont and Carter McCluskey.

Justin Gill, Cameron Brown and Charles-Olivier Nadeau scored for Charlottetown.

Stewart Bagnell started the game in net for the Dogs and made 10 stops on 11 shots. 2019 draft pick Justin Pace took over midway through the game and allowed two goals on 11 shots.

Isaak Pelletier and Nolan Boyd combined to made 33 saves in the Charlottetown net.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Pre-Season Game Day 1: vs Islanders

QUISPAMSIS - The Saint John Sea Dogs open up the 2019 pre-season this afternoon at the qplex.

The Sea Dogs will face the Charlottetown Islanders today at 3 p.m. Both squads have been holding practices and scrimmages over the past few days.

This is the first of three meetings between the two squads this pre-season.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/None

Records: This is the first game of the pre-season for both teams. The Sea Dogs finished 13-49-2-4 for 32 points while the Islanders finished 40-21-4-3 for 87 points.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 2-5-0-2 against the Islanders last season while Charlottetown went 7-1-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 24 at Eastlink Centre where the Islanders defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3 in a shootout. Jordan Maher, Daniel Hardie and Xavier Fortin scored for Charlottetown while Saint John goals came from William Poirier, Filip Prikryl and Jeremie Jacob. Matthew Welsh made 24 saves in the win. Zachary Bouthillier made 53 stops in the loss.

Pre-season begins Sunday at qplex

QUISPAMSIS - The pre-season begins on Sunday for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs will play their first match of the 2019 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League exhibition season on Sunday against the Charlottetown Islanders. Game time is 3 p.m. at the Quispamsis qplex.

This will also be the first pre-season game for the Islanders, who finished fourth in the league's Eastern Conference last season but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

Sunday's game kicks off a busy week of action for the Sea Dogs. On Tuesday the team will travel to Bathurst to take on the Titan at the KC Irving Regional Centre. Then on Thursday, the Dogs will make their first ever visit to Dartmouth's RBC Centre where they'll take on the Halifax Mooseheads. The week wraps on Friday with a "home game" against the Mooseheads at St. Stephen's Garcelon Civic Center.

Following Friday's game, the Sea Dogs will break until Friday, Sept. 6, where they'll return to action to host the Islanders in the first QMJHL exhibition game to be held at Grand Falls' Centre E.& P. Sénéchal.

Saint John will close out the pre-season on Friday, Sept. 13 at Charlottetown's Eastlink Centre against the Isles followed by a game on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Fredericton's Aitken Centre against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

The regular season begins on Sept. 20 for the Sea Dogs where they'll host the Mooseheads at Harbour Station.

Dogs, TD announce partnership

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs made a major announcement on Wednesday morning in the Harbour Station parking lot.

The Sea Dogs and TD Bank Group confirmed a long rumoured major partnership - which includes the naming rights to Harbour Station. Interestingly, the new name of the arena was not announced nor confirmed - that will come at a later date, according to a press release.

The Sea Dogs and Harbour Station have been trying to find a naming rights partner for several years now. The failure to find a partner had/has caused some friction with the team's lease arrangement, which has been in the news some this summer.

Wednesday's announcement is good news for the Dogs, the building and the City of Saint John, who still own the building. The deal should give all sides some financial relief.

The news release states that this is a five-year sponsorship agreement, which begins this year. TD will host minor hockey practices with the Sea Dogs, deploy hockey-based community initiatives and elevate the in-game experience through music events.

It'll be interesting to see what other benefits come from the deal. Since Scotiabank purchased the naming rights to the Halifax Metro Centre, the building has undergone some extensive upgrades, which include new concessions, seats, floor and clock. Harbour Station will no doubt, at the very least, get some fresh looks.

The Sea Dogs don't play any pre-season games at Harbour Station this year. The team's first game will be the regular season opener on Friday, Sept. 20 against the Halifax Mooseheads.

Sea Dogs making "big announcement" Wednesday

SAINT JOHN - Some added excitement and intrigue has been added to the opening of Saint John Sea Dogs training camp.

In a press release sent out on Tuesday, the Sea Dogs said they'll be making a "big announcement" at 9 a.m. Here's the the release:

The Saint John Sea Dogs are gearing up for their 15th season and we’re inviting everyone to join us for a big announcement. As our players step on the ice to kick-off Training Camp 2019, we have a new off-ice teammate joining us in Saint John and we need you ready to welcome them on Wednesday, August 14th at 9:00 a.m. in the east end parking lot of Harbour Station. 

We invite our Season Ticket Members, our partners and members of the media to attend and join us in welcoming this new teammate to the Saint John Sea Dogs family. 

The Saint John Sea Dogs have been a staple of hockey in New Brunswick for 15 years and have shared unparalleled success with the community during that time. Three President Cup Championships and a 2011 Memorial Cup have been won by the Port City’s team and brought home to where they belong, right here in Saint John, NB. We’re ready to show you what’s next! 

Doors to the event will open at 8:00 a.m. with the announcement taking place at 9:00 a.m. Light refreshments and snacks will be served. This is a free event.

The first idea that comes to mind is, at long last, a naming rights deal for Harbour Station. Team president Trevor Georgie told the Telegraph-Journal that "this new sponsor has deep-rooted ties to New Brunswick and growing regional ties."

Given Georgie's comments and the fact that the Sea Dogs' graphic for this event has green text, you have to think TD might be the party involved. Frank McKenna is the obvious New Brunswick connection and the company recently opened a huge corporate office in Moncton. They also have a green logo.

The Sea Dogs and Harbour Station have been trying to find a naming rights partner for several years now, and not having the rights sold has created some issues and friction with the team's lease arrangement - which has created some press this off-season. Hopefully, if this announcement is about naming rights for the building, this resolves some of those issues and gives both sides a financial boost.

We'll get some answers tomorrow morning.