Notebook: Rogers TV releases schedule

Rogers TV is set to broadcast nearly every New Brunswick based QMJHL game this month.

The station announced earlier this week that it will broadcast 10 games this month (with one of those being in French). Unfortunately for Sea Dogs fans, the two games Rogers TV will not be airing involve the team: Sunday, March 14 against Bathurst and Sunday, March 21 against Moncton.

A small number of tickets are available for purchase in all three New Brunswick markets. The Sea Dogs averaged 1,444 fans in their eight home games this fall.

ROAD WOES

The Sea Dogs will try and do something they haven't done in over a year on Tuesday night: win a road game.

Saint John is 0-4-2-1 away from home this season and have been outscored 34-22. Going back to last season, the Sea Dogs have now lost 10 straight road games with their last win coming on Feb. 16, 2020 in Halifax - a wild 9-7 win over the Mooseheads.

The Sea Dogs will play four road games this month: two in Bathurst and two in Moncton.

COURTEAU SPEAKS

A few interesting tidbits from QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau in an interview with le Journal de Quebec.

• According to the newspaper, a seventh round of protected environments is expected to take place around Quebec before the start of the playoffs, which has a TBD start date. The league's sixth round of protected environments is scheduled for March 19-25.
• A decision on the OHL's season should be made by March 15.
• Courteau confirmed that a QMJHL Entry Draft of some sort will be held during the off-season. Unlike the NHL, most QMJHL teams need the draft in order to complete their roster for the upcoming season.
• Courteau said all 18 teams will return for next season.

ICE SCHEDULE

Anderson MacDonald and the Winnipeg Ice will begin the Western Hockey League regular season next Saturday against the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Ice will play a 24-game season between March 13 and April 27. All games will take place at Regina's Brandt Centre.

Unsurprisingly, MacDonald is the only player on the Ice's roster from east of Manitoba.

There will be plenty of eyes on Winnipeg this season thanks to Vegas Golden Knights first rounder Peyton Krebs who had five points in five AHL games before being assigned back to the WHL.

BREEN ENDS REGULAR SEASON

Lynden Breen and the University of Maine Black Bears ended the regular season with a 4-3 shootout victory over UMass Minutemen on Friday.

Breen had an assist and a shootout goal in the game. A fifth-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft, the 19-year-old finishes his freshman regular season with two goals and eight assists in 15 games.

The Black Bears finish the regular season with a 3-10-2 record. All of their games were played on the road due to COVID-19 protocols/restrictions, so their record is likely worse than what it could have been with a few home games sprinkled in.

All 11 Hockey East teams qualify for the single elimination style playoffs with seeds 1-5 receiving byes to the quarterfinals. Maine is currently ranked eighth and will have to play an opening road playoff game this Wednesday.

SMALLMAN UPDATE

Former Sea Dogs captain Spencer Smallman had another big night for the ECHL's Fort Wayne Komets on Friday, recording a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win over Alex D'Orio and the Wheeling Nailers.

Smallman now has five goals and three assists in seven games with the Komets going into play tonight.

The 24-year-old appeared in one AHL game with the Chicago Wolves before being assigned to Fort Wayne. It's certainly possible he could be back in the AHL soon - but a problem is that the Wolves are a split affiliate with Carolina and Nashville this season, so roster spots are harder to come by.

Three former Sea Dogs played in that Wheeling/Fort Wayne game on Friday: Smallman, D'Orio and Matt Murphy.

RANDOM THOUGHTS!

• Interesting tweet from Victoriaville reporter Matthew Vachon: the QMJHL had 13 relocations or expansions in the 1990s. Remarkable how stable the league has been over the past 10 years in comparison. Would be nice if that trend continued, but COVID could cause disruptions.
• With the way several active CHL players have performed in the AHL this season, you really have to wonder if we may see a push to make some changes to the next CHL-NHL agreement. 
• I truly don't know how important it is for leagues to have games broadcast on television anymore. The value is certainly less than it once was - but maybe there is still a lot of value in it. I don't know. There were more US college hockey games broadcast nationally in Canada this week than CHL games - and that trend seems like it will continue over the next month even with more CHL games being played. Doesn't seem ideal for the CHL - but again, maybe it's just not a big deal anymore.
• The IIHF Women's World Championship in Halifax and Truro has been pushed back a month to May 6-16. That could potentially cause some wrinkles in scheduling for the Mooseheads if the team is still playing games at that point.
• The National Basketball League of Canada officially announced Friday that it has cancelled its 2020-21 season and will attack anyone online who even brings up the idea that the league will not return next season. I've enjoyed every NBLC game I've attended and hope pro ball stays in the Maritimes whether it's in this league or not.
• Really saddened to hear that the Fredericton Royals are not expected to field a team for this upcoming New Brunswick senior baseball season (fingers crossed that there is one). I hope they can get things sorted out. Hard to picture senior baseball in this province without the Royals playing on Baseball Hill.