Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-4

FINAL: Saint John 6, Halifax 4

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs closed out the calendar year - and the decade - with a 6-4 win over the Halifax Mooseheads on Tuesday,

Jeffrey Durocher led the way, recording a hat trick in the New Year's Eve matinee contest at Scotiabank Centre. In three games since joining the club, the overage forward has four goals and an assist.

Jordan Spadafore, Dawson Stairs and Brady Burns also scored for Saint John. Noah Patenaude made 21 saves in the victory.

The Sea Dogs trailed 2-0 after the first period despite outshooting in the Mooseheads 15-8. Durocher scored twice in the opening minute of the second period and the Sea Dogs added two more in the frame to lead 4-2. Halifax made it close in the third, but Durocher secured the win with an empty net goal.

Jeffrey Burridge, D'Artagnan Joly, Senna Peeters and Zack Jones scored for the Moose. Alexis Gravel allowed four goals on 24 shots in 40 minutes of play. Cole McLaren allowed one goal on eight shots in the third.

This victory puts Saint John above the .500 mark with a 19-18-1-0 record.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 38: at Halifax

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs close out the decade this afternoon at Scotiabank Centre.

The Sea Dogs face the Halifax Mooseheads in a New Year's Eve afternoon game. Game time is 2 p.m.

Saint John has had Halifax's number this season, winning four of the five previous meetings - and those games featured a much more "loaded" Mooseheads team than the one they will take on this afternoon.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 1-0 home win over the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday. Kale McCallum scored Saint John's lone goal while Zachary Bouthillier made 43 saves in the shutout win. The Mooseheads are coming off a 5-3 loss in Sydney on Sunday. Zack Jones, Kevin Gursy and Jordan McKenna scored for Halifax. Cole McLaren made 40 saves in the loss.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 4-1-0-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 1-4-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 14 at TD Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Mooseheads 4-2. Nicolas Guay scored two goals for Saint John while Jordan Spadafore and William Villeneuve added solo markers. Patrick Kyte and Landon Miron scored for Halifax. Zachary Bouthillier made 24 saves in the win. Cole McLaren made 35 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Mooseheads: Forward Kevin Gursoy.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 1-0

FINAL: Moncton 0, Saint John 1

SAINT JOHN - A 43-save performance by Zachary Bouthillier led the Saint John Sea Dogs to a 1-0 win over the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday at TD Station.

Bouthillier was brilliant in the Sea Dogs net, making several spectacular saves to earn his first shutout win since the 2017-18 season when he was a member of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. In typical Bouthillier fashion, he had a few adventures with the puck, but the bounces were on his side all game long.

Defenseman Kale McCallum scored the lone goal of the game, beating Wildcats netminder Dakota Lund-Cornish following a great feed from Jeffrey Durocher.

The Wildcats had plenty of scoring chances but simply couldn't beat Bouthillier. Their frustration showed throughout the game, especially in the third period when they recorded 15 shots.

Lund-Cornish, making his second start with the Wildcats, made 25 saves in the loss.

The win pushed Saint John back to the .500 mark with an 18-18-1-0 record. They also improved to 3-1 against the Wildcats this season.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 37: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs return to home ice this afternoon.

The Sea Dogs host their provincial rivals, the Moncton Wildcats, today at 3 p.m. It's just the fourth meeting of the season between the two clubs and the Sea Dogs have won two of the previous three meetings.

The Wildcats are missing some regulars from their lineup but are still a loaded hockey club.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 17-18-1-0 for 35 points (fourth Maritimes, sixth Eastern, 12th QMJHL) while Wildcats are 25-9-0-0 for 50 points (first Maritimes, second Eastern, third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-2 loss in Bathurst last night. Ben Badalamenti and Jeffrey Durocher scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 27 stops in the loss. The Wildcats are coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Charlottetown Islanders yesterday on home ice. Zachary L'Heureux, Jacon Hudson and Elliot Desnoyers scored for the Wildcats. Dakota Lund-Cornish made 15 stops in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-1-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 1-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 11 in Saint John where the Sea Dogs defeated the Wildcats 3-1. Alex Drover, Josh Lawrence and Jeremie Poirier scored for the Dogs. Jordan Spence scored for Moncton. Zachary Bouthillier made 43 stops in the win. Charles-Antoine Lavallee made 24 saves in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Wildcats: Radio broadcaster Tim Roszell.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Bathurst 5

BATHURST - The first game back from the Christmas break proved to be a struggle once again for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs' three-game winning streak came to a close with a 5-2 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday at the KC Irving Regional Centre. It was the first game in two weeks for both clubs.

As previously noted, the Sea Dogs have long history of struggling in their first post-Christmas game. The team is now 4-11 all-time.

The Titan scored three times in the second period on Saturday to propel them to their first win in six tries against Saint John this season. Saint John had a 19 shot third period but could only beat Titan goaltender Tristan Berube, who made 39 saves in the victory, once in the frame.

Remy Anglehart, the Titan's leading scoring with Shawn Element traded, scored twice while singles came from Mathieu Desgagnes, Cole Huckins and Anderson MacDonald.

Saint John goals came from Ben Badalamenti and the newly acquired Jeffrey Durocher. Zachary Bouthillier made 27 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 36: at Bathurst

BATHURST - The second half begins today in Bathurst for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs closed out the first half by winning their final three games and going on an 8-2 run, giving them a .500 record of 17-17-1-0. They'll look to get above the .500 mark this afternoon against the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's last-place team.

Game time at the KC Irving Regional Centre is 4 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 17-17-1-0 for 35 points (fourth Maritimes, sixth Eastern, 12th QMJHL) while the Titan are 5-22-3-3 for 16 points (sixth Maritimes, 10th Eastern, 18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 home win over the Halifax Mooseheads on Dec. 14. Nicolas Guay scored two goals while singles came from Jordan Spadafore and William Villeneuve. Zachary Bouthillier made 24 saves in the win. The Titan are coming off a 3-0 loss in Moncton on Dec. 14. Tristan Berube made 35 stops in the loss.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 5-0-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 0-4-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 13 in Bathurst where the Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 6-3. William Villeneuve, Brady Burns, Matt Gould, Joshua Roy, Josh Lawrence and Dawson Stairs scored for Saint John. Mathieu Desgagnes had two Bathurst goals while Shawn Element added a solo marker. Noah Patenaude made 48 stops in the win. Tristan Berube was pulled after allowing six goals on 26 shots through 40 minutes. Felix-Anthony Ethier made five stops in the third.

Sea Dogs begin second half at a familiar spot and time

SAINT JOHN - The first game back from the Christmas break is rarely a beautifully played hockey game - and the Saint John Sea Dogs' win-loss record shows just that.

The Sea Dogs have traditionally struggled in the first game back from the break, winning just four times over the 14 season period. Last year's victory - a 6-1 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan - marked the first time the club won its first post-Christmas game since 2009.

Here's a look at how the Sea Dogs have performed in the first post-vacation game over the years:

Dec. 27, 2005: PEI 2, Saint John 5

Dec. 27, 2006: Saint John 3, Halifax 5

Dec. 28, 2007: Saint John 9, Bathurst 2

Dec. 27, 2008: Saint John 3, Bathurst 4 SO

Dec. 27, 2009: Saint John 5, Bathurst 4

Dec. 30, 2010: Saint John 4, Bathurst 5

Dec. 28, 2011: Saint John 3, Bathurst 4

Dec. 29, 2012: Bathurst 5, Saint John 1

Dec. 28, 2013: Moncton 5, Saint John 4

Dec. 28, 2014: Saint John 5, Moncton 6

Dec. 28, 2015: Bathurst 6, Saint John 5 OT

Dec. 28, 2016: Saint John 0, Bathurst 3

Dec. 28, 2017: Cape Breton 2, Saint John 1 OT

Dec. 28, 2018: Saint John 6, Bathurst 1

This year, the Sea Dogs return to action in Bathurst once again, a place they are very familiar with. Of the 14 all-time post-Christmas games, the Sea Dogs have played seven of them at the KC Irving Regional Centre. That included a five season run from 2007 to 2011. It's an odd scheduling quirk.

Saturday's contest will also be the ninth time the Sea Dogs have returned to action on Dec. 28.

Game time Saturday in Bathurst is 4 p.m.

Grant, Dido to play in Spengler Cup

A couple Saint John Sea Dogs legends will be playing for Team Canada this holiday season.

Forward Chris DiDomenico and defenseman Alex Grant have both been named to Canada's roster for this year's Spengler Cup tournament in Switzerland. The team plays their first game this afternoon against HC Ocelari Trinec. Game time is 3:15 p.m. and can be seen on TSN.

DiDomenico, who played with the Sea Dogs from 2006 to 2008, is a Spengler Cup veteran. This will be his fifth visit to Davos with Team Canada. Last year, the Woodbridge, Ont. native had a goal and an assist in four games.

The 30-year-old is back playing with the SCL Tigers of the Swiss league, recording eight goals and 18 assists in 27 games this year. "Dido" played with the Tigers from 2014 to 2017 before returning to North America to join the Ottawa Senators. After spending the full 2017-18 season on this side of the ocean, DiDomenico returned to Switzerland last year.

Grant is playing with Jokerit, a Finnish based KHL team, for the second straight season. He has four goals and 12 assists in 37 games this year. The 30-year-old will be playing in his first career Spengler Cup and will join fellow Nova Scotian Andrew MacDonald on the Canadian backend.

The first player to ever be draft by the Sea Dogs, Grant played with Saint John from 2005 to 2008, captaining the team to the league semifinals in 2008.

Both Grant and DiDomenico were traded by the Sea Dogs during the 2008-09 trade period, deals that played key parts in acquiring players that led to Saint John's Memorial Cup championship in 2011.

Canada's next game will be either tomorrow or Saturday depending on today's result.

The Spengler Cup championship game will be played on New Year's Eve as usual.

Dogs, Oceanic complete big deal

Embed from Getty Images

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs and Rimouski Oceanic swapped overagers on Sunday in what turned out to be a surprisingly large deal.

The Sea Dogs will be receiving overage forward Jeffrey Durocher along with Rimouski’s first round pick in 2022, Rimouski's second round pick in 2020 and Gatineau’s third round pick in 2022 in exchange for Nicolas Guay, Saint John's first round pick in 2020 and Drummondville's third round pick in 2022.

#TransactionsLHJMQ 🔁@oceanicrimouski
➡ Saint John : Jeffrey Durocher (99-01-13), 2nd round 2020, 1st round 2022, 3rd round 2022 (GAT)
@SJSeaDogs
➡ Rimouski : Nicolas Guay (99-06-18), 1st round 2020, 3rd round 2022 (DRU) pic.twitter.com/A2GhjujZfz

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) December 15, 2019

This deal doesn't appear to be quite completed though, which Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie hinted at in a news release.

“This trade is about the present and the future,” said Georgie. “Jeffrey Durocher has a lot of experience in the League, he plays hard and has been a captain before. I spoke with him earlier today and he is excited about the direction we’re going and looks forward to get to Saint John after Christmas. There are also other elements to this trade that we can’t share right now that align perfectly with our core and will be very important to our future cup runs.”

Guay, Saint John's captain, was acquired from Drummondville at this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. He leaves as the team's leading scorer this season, posting 16 goals and 26 assists in 35 games. He joins a Rimouski team that is trying to load up for a long playoff run.

Durocher will join Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Zachary Bouthillier on Saint John's overage group. A former captain in Gatineau, Durocher has nine goals and 12 assists in 34 games this season with the Oceanic.

It was a very busy day of trades around the league. The QMJHL website has the full list of transactions.

Reports: Guay off to Rimouski

SAINT JOHN - Anybody who stuck around for the end of the Saint John Sea Dogs' win over the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday night got the impression that captain Nicolas Guay was heading to a new home.

Guay could be seen hugging teammates as he left the ice following the 4-2 win. He was named the game's first star (which had been pencilled in pre-puck drop) and the video board showed a "Thanks Nic!" message as he stepped out onto the ice.

The Sea Dogs captain has in fact played his final game with the club. The overager will be traded to the Rimouski Oceanic in what radio broadcaster John Moore tweets is "a complex deal including players and picks."

Nicolas Guay says good-bye to @SJSeaDogs as he leaves for @oceanicrimouski #QMJHLTrades pic.twitter.com/82KGVtPR07

— John Moore (@rinkrant) December 15, 2019

Reports indicate that one of the pieces coming to Saint John will be 20-year-old forward Jeffrey Durocher, who will replace Guay as the team's third overager. Durocher has nine goals and 12 assists in 34 games with the Oceanic.

Transactions #LHJMQ : Nicolas Guay sera échangé à l’Océanic. Jeffrey Durocher va terminer son stage junior avec les Sea Dogs. #tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) December 15, 2019

Losing Guay is a big loss for the Sea Dogs. He was a key driver of Saint John's offense on many nights and brought some experience to a young club. Durocher, assuming the trade reports are accurate, brings some leadership as well, having worn the 'C' for part of the 2018-19 season with the Gatineau Olympiques.

Other piece(s) are likely coming to the Sea Dogs in the deal. We shall see what happens when the trading period opens for business tomorrow.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-2

FINAL: Halifax 2, Saint John 4

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are entering the Christmas break on a winning streak.

The Sea Dogs won their third straight game on Saturday night at TD Station, defeating a depleted Halifax Mooseheads team 4-2. It was the final night of action in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for two weeks.

Nicolas Guay, playing in what appeared to be his final game as a Sea Dog, scored twice while Jordan Spadafore and William Villeneuve added singles. Zachary Bouthillier made 24 saves in the win.

The Mooseheads were missing several key regulars due to injuries and international play. Despite outshooting Halifax 39-26, the Sea Dogs never really dominated the Moose, allowing them to hang around. Cole McLaren had a strong game in net, making 35 saves.

Patrick Kyte and Landon Miron scored Halifax's goals.

The win evened up Saint John's win-loss record at 17-17-1-0, placing them sixth in the Eastern Conference and 12th overall at the midway point of the season. Given some of the rocky times the team had during the first half, a .500 winning percentage ain't bad at all.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 35: vs Mooseheads

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs close out the first half of the season tonight against a depleted Halifax Mooseheads team.

The Sea Dogs have had success against the Mooseheads this season, and the visitors will have their hands full tonight due to injuries and international play. The Mooseheads will be without Jared McIsaac (Team Canada), Benoit-Olivier Groulx (Team Canada), Raphael Lavoie (Team Canada), Senna Peeters (IIHF U20 Division 1 World Championship) Marcel Barinka (World Junior A Challenge) and Justin Barron (injured).

A Sea Dogs win tonight would even up their win-loss record at 17-17-1-0. Game time is 7 p.m. at TD Station.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 16-17-1-0 for 33 points (fifth Maritimes, seventh Eastern, 13th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 15-14-2-1 for 33 points (fourth Maritimes, sixth Eastern, 12th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-3 win in Bathurst last night. William Villeneuve, Brady Burns, Matt Gould. Joshua Roy, Josh Lawrence and Dawson Stairs all scored for Saint John. Noah Patenaude made 48 stops in the win. The Mooseheads are coming off a 5-0 home loss to the Charlottetown Islanders last night. Alexis Gravel made 27 stops in the loss.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 3-1-0-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 1-3-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 2 at Scotiabank Centre where the Sea Dogs edged the Mooseheads 4-3. Ben Badalamenti, Julian Vander Voet, William Villeneuve and Matt Gould all scored for Saint John. Halifax goals came from Raphael Lavoie, Maxim Trepanier and Senna Peeters. Zachary Bouthillier made 34 stops in the win. Alexis Gravel made 10 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-3

FINAL: Saint John 6, Bathurst 3

BATHURST - Joshua Roy appears to have found his stride.

After a slow start to his Quebec Major Junior Hockey League career, the Saint John Sea Dogs rookie forward has been playing noticeably better over the past couple weeks. His strong play continued on Friday night, recording a goal and two assists to lead the Sea Dogs to a 6-3 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

William Villeneuve, Brady Burns, Matt Gould, Josh Lawrence and Dawson Stairs also scored for the Sea Dogs, who were once again without key forwards Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Maxim Cajkovic.  Saint John's young players are producing right now, especially Roy, who now has two goals and six assists over his past five games.

Goaltender Noah Patenaude had a busy night, stopping 48 shots in the win - which included an 18-save first period. Patenaude has now won each of his past five starts.

Mathieu Desgagnes scored twice for Bathurst while Shawn Element added a solo marker. Tristan Berube allowed six goals on 26 shots through two periods. Felix-Anthony Ethier stopped all five shots he faced in the third.

The Sea Dogs are now an impressive 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are 16-17-1-0 on the year and can even up their win-loss record - and leapfrog the Halifax Mooseheads in the standings - with a win in their final game of the first half tomorrow night.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 34: at Bathurst

BATHURST - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to keep some strong play going tonight.

Thanks to a 3-1 win over the Moncton Wildcats on Wednesday, the Sea Dogs are now 7-3 in their last 10 games. They'll look to continue that upward trend this evening, taking on the last-place Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7 p.m. at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

The Titan have been playing much better in recent weeks and are coming off a big 5-1 home win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Wednesday.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 15-17-1-0 for 31 points (fifth Maritimes, eighth Eastern, 14th QMJHL) while the Titan are 5-20-3-3 for 16 points (sixth Maritimes, 10th Eastern, 18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-1 win over the Moncton Wildcats on Wednesday at TD Station. Alex Drover, Josh Lawrence and Jeremie Poirier scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 43 stops in the win. The Titan are coming off a 5-1 home win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Wednesday. Remy Anglehart and Shawn Element both scored twice while Bennett MacArthur added a single. Tristan Berube made 29 stops in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 4-0-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 0-3-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 24 at TD Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 5-1. Maxim Cajkovic scored two goals for Saint John while singles came from Brady Burns, Matt Gould and Dawson Stairs. Logan Chisholm scored for Bathurst. Zachary Bouthillier made 34 stops in the win. Felix-Anthony Ethier was pulled after allowing four goals on 15 shots. Tristan Berube allowed a goal on 30 shots in relief.

Will QMJHL reduce its schedule?

MONCTON - For one reason or another, I am on the Charlottetown Islanders mailing list. My inbox received an interesting email on Thursday, asking fans to complete a survey regarding the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's schedule.

Here's what the survey started with:

The QMJHL commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to assist it in its consideration of potentially reducing the schedule. 

This survey will explore in depth the different impacts this change may have on the regular season. Thank you for taking the time to answer this survey: the information that will be collected is fundamental and crucial to the success of this study. 

Please note that all results are confidential.

There has been talk over the past few years about the QMJHL shortening its current 68-game schedule, which would be the first decrease in quite a while. The Sea Dogs played a 70-game schedule in their first three seasons in the QMJHL.

Reducing the league's schedule makes sense for a lot of reasons. A major issue seems to be revenue - will teams lose out on ticket sales by playing fewer games or will it be offset by those fans just choosing to attend other games on the schedule instead?

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-1

FINAL: Moncton 1, Saint John 3

SAINT JOHN - Zachary Bouthillier is back - and he let everyone know it on Wednesday night.

After missing Saint John's three-game road trip last week with an injury, the Sea Dogs' goaltender made a triumph return to the lineup, leading his club to a 3-1 win over the Moncton Wildcats at TD Station.

Saint John scored on their first shot of the game but struggled to generate much of anything offensively for most of the night. With forwards Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Maxim Cajkovic both out with injuries, the team's adjusted lines just couldn't seem to click. The Sea Dogs relied on Bouthillier, who made 43 saves, once again to lead them to a win.

Alex Drover, Josh Lawrence and Jeremie Poirier scored for the Sea Dogs.

The Wildcats, despite missing several of their best players due to injuries and international play, controlled the play for much of the game but ran into a hot goaltender. The 'Cats have struggled of late and have now lost three straight games.

Jordan Spence scored Moncton's only goal. Charles-Antoine Lavallee made 24 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 33: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - It may be mid-December, but the Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats will meet for just the third time this season tonight.

The two rivals have split the season series so far with the third matchup taking place this evening at 7 p.m. at TD Station.

Both teams are 6-4 in their past 10 games and are coming off three-game Quebec road trips.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 14-17-1-0 for 29 points (fifth Maritimes, eighth Eastern, 14th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 22-8-0-0 for 44 points (first Maritimes, second Eastern, third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-3 loss in Sherbrooke on Saturday. Brady Burns, Joshua Roy and Nicolas Guay scored for Saint John. Tommy DaSilva was pulled after allowing four goals on 22 shots. Noah Patenaude allowed two goals on 22 shots in relief. The Wildcats are coming off a 6-3 loss in Drummondville on Saturday. Jeremy McKenna had two goals while Alexander Khovanov added a single. Olivier Rodrigue allowed five goals on 41 shots.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 13 in Moncton where the Wildcats hammered the Sea Dogs 9-0. Jakob Pelletier had a hat trick in that game; Jeremy McKenna two goals; and singles came from Mark Rumsey, Mika Cyr, Zachary L'Heureux and Alexander Khovanov. Charles-Antoine Lavallee made 21 stops in the win. Zachary Bouthillier allowed nine goals on 41 shots. Noah Patenaude stopped all nine shots he faced.

Dogs ending half with favourable schedule

SAINT JOHN - The opportunity is there for the Saint John Sea Dogs to end the first half of the 2019-20 season with a bang.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a fairly successful Quebec road trip, going 2-1 with their lone loss coming against the league leading Sherbrooke Phoenix. The team has been playing noticeably better over the past few weeks - even before the Josh Dixon firing - and are 6-4 in their last 10 games.

Saint John sits at 14-17-1-0 with three games remaining before the Christmas break, meaning the team could even up it's win-loss record this week. While nothing has come easy for this Sea Dogs team, winning all three games this week is not an impossible task.

On Wednesday, the Sea Dogs host the No. 3 team in the QMJHL, the Moncton Wildcats. The 'Cats have hit their first road bump of the season recently, going 6-4 in their last 10 games and are coming off back-to-back losses in Quebec last weekend. The bigger story heading into Wednesday's game is who won't be in Moncton's lineup. Captain Jakob Pelletier will miss the game (and Canada's world junior camp) with an upper body injury; No. 1 goaltender Olivier Rodrigue is away at Team Canada camp; star rookie Zachary L'Heureux is injured; and Alexander Khovanov may be away prepping with Russia's world junior team (I haven't seen this official anywhere). On top of that, head coach John Torchetti's status remains unknown with what the team is calling "personal reasons."

This will be, shockingly, just Saint John's third game against the Wildcats this year, with the clubs splitting the season series so far.

Dogs announce roster moves

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs announced a few roster moves this afternoon.

Here's what went down:

• As we already knew, forward Aiden MacIntosh has been reassigned to the MHL's Fredericton Red Wings. MacIntosh has been playing with the Red Wings for a couple weeks now and has two goals and three assists in five games. The 18-year-old had been used sparingly by the Sea Dogs this season, posting a goal and two assists in 13 games.
• Riley Bezeau has been called up from the MHL's Campbellton Tigers, where he has six goals and nine assists in 20 games. Bezeau was a 12th-round pick of the Sea Dogs in 2018 and has yet to appear in a QMJHL game. He was the first overall pick in this year's MHL Draft.
• Defenseman Patrick Musico has been reassigned to the MHL's Grand Falls Rapids. Musico has appeared in just seven games with Saint John this season and was a healthy scratch on most nights. Musico played in two games with the Rapids this past weekend.

Meanwhile, the Sea Dogs will be without forward Julian Vander Voet this week due to a three-game suspension.

Sea Dogs forward Julian Vander Voet has been suspended three games for a checking to the head penalty during Friday's game against Drummondville.

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) December 9, 2019

The Sea Dogs still have two forwards on their roster - Alexis Belisle (last played Nov. 15) and Jeremie Jacob (played this past Saturday, which was his first game since Nov. 15) - who have been listed as healthy scratches for nearly a month now.

The QMJHL's trade period begins this Sunday.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 7-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Sherbrooke 7

SHERBOOKE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs were no match for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's top team on Saturday night.

The Sherbrooke Phoenix scored three times in the first period and another three in the second en route to a 7-3 win over the Sea Dogs. The Phoenix, also ranked No. 1 nationally, improved to 15-0 on home ice this season.

Taro Jentzsch had two goals for Sherbooke while singles came from Patrick Guay, Julien Anctil, Benjamin Tardif, Bailey Peach and Nathael Roy. Thomas Sigouin made 27 stops in the win.

The Sea Dogs had goals from Brady Burns, Joshua Roy and Nicolas Guay. With Zachary Bouthillier still injured and Noah Patenaude playing the night before, Tommy DaSilva got the start and allowed four goals on 16 shots in just under 24 minutes of action. Patenaude made 20 stops in relief.

The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Sea Dogs. They had also won four straight road games before this loss.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Game Day 32: at Sherbrooke

SHERBROOKE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs face a big test tonight.

The Sea Dogs travel to Sherbrooke this evening where they'll take on the league leading - and CHL ranked No. 1 - Phoenix at 7 p.m. Sherbrooke has been cruising all year, especially at home where they are a perfect 14-0.

Saint John, meanwhile, has won three straight overall and four straight on the road.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 14-16-1-0 for 29 points (fifth Maritimes, eighth Eastern, 14th QMJHL) while the Phoenix are 23-4-2-0 for 48 points (firth Central, first Western, first QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-2 win in Drummondville last night. Brady Burns had a hat trick while Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Nicolas Guay recorded solo markers. Noah Patenaude made 40 saves in the win. The Phoenix are coming off a 6-3 home win over the Moncton Wildcats last night. Felix Robert had two goals while singles came from Nathael Roy, Jaxon Bellamy, Bailey Peach and Alex-Olivier Roy. Samuel Hlavaj made 40 saves in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Phoenix this season while Sherbrooke is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 23 at TD Station where the Phoenix defeated the Sea Dogs 4-1. Bailey Peach scored twice while singles came from Yann-Felix Lapointe and Felix Robert. Nicolas Guay scored for Saint John. Samuel Hlavaj made 21 stops in the win. Zachary Bouthillier made 27 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-2

FINAL: Saint John 5, Drummondville 2

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs picked up one of their biggest wins of the season on Friday night.

Brady Burns scored a hat trick to lead the Sea Dogs to a 5-2 win over the No. 5 seeded Drummondville Voltigeurs at the Marcel Dionne Centre. Nicholas Deakin-Poot and former Voltigeur Nicolas Guay also scored for Saint John.

Noah Patenaude was the big story again, making 40 stops to earn his third straight victory. He was a bit shaky in Gatineau on Wednesday, but the rookie netminder appeared to be in the same form he was in last Sunday at TD Station. Zachary Bouthillier is nursing a lower body injury.

Saint John has now won three straight games overall and four straight on the road. They are also 2-0 in the Jeff Cowan era. We'll see how they handle the league's best, the Sherbrooke Phoenix, on Saturday.

Drummondville had goals from Jacob Dion and Isiah Campbell. Anthony Morrone made 16 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs take on the Phoenix in Sherbrooke tonight at 7 p.m.

Game Day 31: at Drummondville

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs continue their Quebec road trip tonight.

Following a somewhat strange 8-4 win in Gatineau on Wednesday, the Sea Dogs travel to Drummondville where they'll take on the Voltigeurs. Saint John has won back-to-back games heading into this evening's contest.

Game time is 8:30 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 13-16-1-0 for 27 points (fifth Maritimes, eighth Eastern, 14th QMJHL) while the Voltigeurs are 18-12-0-0 for 36 points (second Central, third Western, fifth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an 8-4 win in Gatineau on Wednesday. Josh Lawrence, Dawson Stairs, Nicolas Guay, Jeremie Poirier, Kale McCallum, Alex Drover, Matt Gould and Maxim Cajkovic scored for Saint John. Noah Patenaude made 22 saves in the win. The Volts are coming off a 7-2 win over the Quebec Remparts on Wednesday. Xavier Simoneau and Nicholas Girouard each scored twice while singles came from Jacob Dion, Kaylen Gauthier and Isiah Campbell. David Bowen made 30 stops in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-2-0-0 against the Voltigeurs last season while Drummondville went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 17 in Drummondville where the Voltigeurs defeated the Sea Dogs 9-2. Nicholas Girouard, Nicolas Guay, Joe Veleno and Gregor MacLeod all scored twice for Drummondville while Marc-Olivier Duquette added a single. William Poirier and Luke Wilson scored for Saint John. Anthony Morrone made 17 saves in the win. Zachary Bouthillier made 53 saves in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 8-4

FINAL: Saint John 8, Gatineau 4

GATINEAU, Que. - A rough start was quickly forgotten for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Wednesday night.

Despite allowing three goals on the first four shots they allowed, the Sea Dogs overcame that early first period deficit to defeat the Gatineau Olympiques 8-4 at the Robert Guertin Centre. This was Saint John's first game since Jeff Cowan was named the team's interim head coach - and it was good to see the Dogs fight through some adversity and collect a deserved victory.

Despite going down 2-0 early, the game never really felt out of reach for the Sea Dogs. Saint John battled back to tie it up at 3-3 heading into the first intermission and then dominated the second, scoring four times and outshooting the Olympiques 11-6, to take a commanding 7-3 lead.

Goaltender Noah Patenaude, coming off his best performance in the QMJHL on Sunday, never looked very comfortable in net. Fortunately his offense backed him up with eight different players scoring in the win.

Josh Lawrence, Dawson Stairs, Nicolas Guay, Jeremie Poirier, Kale McCallum, Alex Drover, Matt Gould and Maxim Cajkovic scored for Saint John. Patenaude made 22 saves in the win.

Gatineau goals came from Kieran Craig, William Dagenais, Pier-Olivier Roy and Charles-Antoine Roy. Remi Poirier was pulled after allowing four goals on 17 shots. Creed Jones allowed three goals on 15 shots in the final half of the game.

Gatineau has now lost seven straight games.

Game Day 30: at Gatineau

GATINEAU, Que. - The Jeff Cowan era officially begins tonight.

Cowan, now the team's interim head coach following the firing of Josh Dixon on Monday, will run the show for the first time this season. What kind of changes could we see? We'll find out tonight.

The Sea Dogs will be taking on a rather dysfunctional Gatineau Olympiques team that, like the Sea Dogs, has been feeling some heat from a frustrated fan base this season. The Olympiques have just seven wins this season and have lost six straight.

Game time tonight is 8:30 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 12-16-1-0 for 25 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 15th QMJHL) while the Olympiques are 7-17-3-0 for 17 points (fourth West, eighth Western, 17th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 overtime win over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Sunday at TD Station. Brady Burns and Maxim Cajkovic scored for Saint John. Noah Patenaude made 38 stops in the win. The Olympiques are coming off a 7-4 loss in Baie-Comeau on Saturday. Charles-Antoine Roy, Alexandre Hogue, Matthew Grouchy and Kieran Craig scored for Gatineau. Remi Poirier made 30 stops in the loss.

2019-20 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Olympiques.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-1-1-0 against the Olympiques last season while Gatineau went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 7, 2018 in Gatineau where the Olympiques edged the Sea Dogs 6-4. Connor LePage had two goals for Gatineau while singles came from Giordano Finoro, Shawn Boudrias, Darien Kielb and Gabriel Bilodeau. Robbie Burt had two goals for Saint John with Aiden MacIntosh and Maxim Cajkovic scoring as well. Creed Jones made 27 saves in the win. Alex D'Orio made 22 stops in the loss.

Notebook: MacIntosh back in MHL

SAINT JOHN - Aiden MacIntosh has found a new home.

MacIntosh, who had a goal and two assists in 13 games with the Sea Dogs this season, is back in the Maritime Hockey League where he dressed for the Fredericton Red Wings on Saturday night. It was MacIntosh's first game in the MHL since the 2017-18 season.

The 18-year-old had been used sparingly by the Sea Dogs this season, and it makes sense for him to be playing somewhere he'll get ice time. It didn't take long for MacIntosh to find the scoresheet, recording a goal and an assist for the Red Wings in his debut.

In a radio interview during the first intermission of Sunday's Sea Dogs game, Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie said MacIntosh hopes to return to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League at some point.

Meanwhile, Sea Dogs forwards Alexis Belisle and Jeremie Jacob have been healthy scratches for a couple weeks now - much like MacIntosh had been.

Reports: Cowan to stay interim head coach for remainder of season

SAINT JOHN - It wouldn't come as a surprise to see Jeff Cowan remain interim head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs for the remainder of the 2019-20 season - and reports indicate that may just happen.

TVA Sports' Mikael Lalancette reports that Cowan will finish the season as the club's bench boss.

On m’indique que Jeff Cowan va terminer la saison comme entraîneur-chef chez les Sea Dogs. On verra ce que l’équipe fait ensuite. #tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) December 2, 2019

RDS' Stephane Leroux reports something similar.

En discussion avec Trevor Georgie le DG des #SeaDogs lors de notre baladodiffusion"Sur la Glace" il mentionne qu'il y a de tres bonnes chances qu'aucun entraîneur ne soit engagé d'ici la fin de la saison-On a confiance en Jeff Cowan qui a été adjoint avec 4 ent.differents #LHJMQ

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) December 2, 2019

Cowan was named Sea Dogs interim head coach following Josh Dixon's firing this morning. Cowan has been a part of the team's coaching staff since the Mike Kelly era in 2013-14.

“Jeff has been behind the bench with us for seven seasons as an assistant coach or associate coach," said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release. "He has worked under four different head coaches, we won a President Cup together in 2017, and now want to give him the opportunity to lead behind the bench and in the room. He has lots of playing experience and life experience that he can share with our young group. He has lived the highs and lows of a pro hockey player and knows what it takes.”

Cowan will be behind the Sea Dogs bench on Wednesday when the club visits the Gatineau Olympiques. Game time is 8:30 p.m.

Dixon move had to be made

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs' decision to fire head coach Josh Dixon comes as no surprise - but at the same time, the announcement was surprising.

It appeared that the Sea Dogs were going to ride with Dixon this season no matter how south things turned. There have been numerous loses and stretches of poor play that were textbook "coach killer" moments - but nothing happened. On top of that, the team has been playing noticeably better (although still consistently underperforming, many would argue) which makes the timing of Dixon's firing an interesting one.

According to a team press release, president and general manager Trevor Georgie said that timing was due to a 30-game check point.

Dixon leaves the Sea Dogs with a woeful record of 39-108-12-6 in 165 regular season games - but the ugly numbers can only be blamed on him so much. His first season was basically year zero of Saint John's rebuild and last year the real, slow climb upward began. Even great, experienced coaches could only do so much with what those rosters consisted of.

This season was supposed to be different though. Not a championship caliber team, but a team that showed signs of growth and potential. That hasn't exactly happened so far, with the team just not looking right. When the Sea Dogs get off to good starts, they fall apart late. When they have bad starts, they turn it on too late to make a comeback. Consistency has been an issue. There have been too many games lost against teams they are capable of beating. Sure, these issues are all signs of a young, rebuilding team - but this same team needs to show that they are learning from these problems and making fixes. That hasn't been seen - and now they'll try to do so with Jeff Cowan running the show.

BREAKING: Dixon done

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs have fired head coach Josh Dixon.

The team made the announcement this morning via press release. While it is not shocking to see Dixon relieved of his duties, the timing is interesting. There were a number of times over the past few months that seemed like a more logical time to make this move. Perhaps Saturday's collapse against the Shawinigan Cataractes was the final straw.

Jeff Cowan has been named the team's interim head coach.

More to come...

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 2-1 (OT)

FINAL: Blainville-Boisbriand 1, Saint John 2 (OT)

SAINT JOHN - Maxim Cajkovic was the overtime hero on Sunday at TD Station.

Cajkovic converted on a two-on-one with Nicolas Guay 53 seconds into the extra frame to give the Saint John Sea Dogs a 2-1 win over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

Cajkovic, who had been held pointless over the past two games, recorded a goal and an assist in the game. Brady Burns also scored while goaltender Noah Patenaude had his best performance as a Sea Dog, making 38 stops to earn his second straight win.

It was a fairly evenly played contest on Sunday. The Sea Dogs held control for much of the second half with the Armada feeling the fatigue of playing their third game in three days. The Armada had a few chances late in the third to pull ahead, but Patenaude was terrific and made the the stops he had to make.

The win erased some of the memories of Saturday's ugly collapse against the Shawinigan Cataractes. The Dogs now head out onto the road for three straight.

Simon Pinard scored the Armada's lone goal. Backup Olivier Adam made 40 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 29: vs Armada

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to start a new winning streak today.

The Sea Dogs had their three-game winning streak come to a rough ending last night, blowing a 3-0 lead in a 4-3 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes. Today they'll be taking on a St. John's Fog Devils Monteal Junior Blainville-Boisbriand Armada team that will be playing its third game in three days.

Game time this afternoon is 3 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-16-1-0 for 23 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 15th QMJHL) while the Armada are 13-12-1-1 for 28 points (third West, sixth Western, 13th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes last night at TD Station. James White, Brady Burns and William Villeneuve scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 32 saves in the loss. The Armada are coming off a 3-0 loss in Halifax last night. Emile Samson made 43 saves in the loss.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Armada this season while Blainville-Boisbriand is 0-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 9 in Boisbriand where the Sea Dogs defeated the Armada 6-2. Nicholas Deakin-Poot had a hat trick in that game while singles came from Dawson Stairs, Ben Badalamenti and Matt Gould. Blake Richardson and Luke Henman scored for the Armada. Zachary Bouthillier made 40 saves in the win. Olivier Adam made 31 saves in the loss.