Sea Dogs make several roster moves

Photo: Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Following the completion of the winter trading period, the Saint John Sea Dogs announced a number of roster moves on Wednesday.

The team has added three players to its roster for the second half, claiming defenseman Brandon Casey off waivers from the Rimouski Oceanic; signing free agent forward Zach Alchorn; and recalling forward Carter McCluskey.

Casey, 18, has appeared in nine games with the Oceanic this season and has been held pointless. The Newfoundlander registered three assists in 33 games last season. He was a fifth-round pick of Rimouski in 2018 after playing two seasons at Newbridge Academy.

Alchorn, 19, appeared in seven games with the Moncton Wildcats 2018-19. He has spent most of the past two seasons with the St. Stephen Aces/Fredericton Red Wings organization. In 13 MHL games this season, Alchorn - a former Saint John Vito - has six goals and five assists. 

McCluskey, 17, was a 14th-round draft pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2019 QMJHL Entry Draft and appeared in three pre-season games this year. Also a former Vito, McCluskey has recorded nine goals and eight assists in 12 games with the Grand Falls Rapids, placing him ninth in MHL scoring and second amongst rookies.

Overage goaltender Creed Jones, meanwhile, has been released by the team. The move doesn't come as a surprise after the Dogs acquired 20-year-old netminder Zachary Emond from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last week.

Jones struggled in his time with the Sea Dogs, posting a 1-3-0-1 record to go along with a 4.36 goals against average and a .872 save percentage. In this bizarre 2020-21 season, Jones will be remembered for having quarantined for 42 days over a three-month period.

Also released was 19-year-old forward Julian Vander Voet, who has spent the past two seasons with the club. Vander Voet appeared in just six games in the first half, recording a goal and an assist.

As previously reported, defenseman Ben Roode has been assigned to the MHL's Yarmouth Mariners.

In other roster news, rookie defenseman Hunter Gartley is expected to miss a few months of action due to an injury. It's still unclear if 20-year-old forward Vladislav Kotkov, who is currently attending San Jose Barracuda training camp, and 18-year-old defenseman Jan Hampl, who remains in the Czech Republic, will join the club.