Sunday, October 31, 2021

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-3

FINAL: Halifax 3, Saint John 4
Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN
- Ryan Francis recorded a goal and an assist in his first game of the season to help the Saint John Sea Dogs defeat the Halifax Mooseheads 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at TD Station.

Francis, who had been with the American Hockey League's Stockton Heat on a tryout basis, was noticeable on the ice all day long, creating a number of scoring opportunities for a team that has struggled to do so at times this year.

The overager finished the game with three shots - all of which were considered dangerous. Besides his goal, he had a couple of other great chances in the game, deflecting a shot just wide in the first period and was denied on a breakaway in the third.

Riley Bezeau, Brady Burns and Evgeny Sapelnikov also scored for Saint John. Jeremie Poirier added two assists while Jonathan Lemieux made 26 saves in the win.

It was a fairly solid afternoon for the Sea Dogs who jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the second period. The Mooseheads replied with two goals in that middle frame, but Saint John was able to keep the train on the tracks and earn the win - something that has not been easy in the early goings of this season.

Halifax got within one late in the game but the Sea Dogs were able to hold off the visitors' attack in the final minute.

Halifax goals came from Cameron Whynot, Elliot Desnoyers and Markus Vidicek. Brady James made 32 saves in the loss.

Game Day 12: vs Mooseheads

SAINT JOHN - For the first time in a long time, the Saint John Sea Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads will meet in a regular season game.

The last regular season meeting between the two was on Nov. 14, 2020 at TD Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Mooseheads 4-3 in a shootout. The two did face each other in the pre-season with Saint John defeating Halifax 3-2 in a shootout.

Including pre-season play, the last four meetings between the Dogs and Moose have all been decided in overtime or a shootout.

Game time today on this Halloween Sunday is 3 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-5-0-2 for 10 points (fifth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/16th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 6-3-0-1 for 13 points (third Maritimes/fifth Eastern/ninth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday at TD Station. Peter Reynolds scored twice for Saint John while William Dufour added a single. Jonathan Lemieux made 27 saves in the loss. The Mooseheads are coming off a 3-2 home loss to the Gatineau Olympiques on Friday. Attilio Biasco and Zachary L'Heureux scored for Halifax. Brady James made 31 stops in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: This is the first meeting between the two.

2020-21 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-0-1-1 against the Mooseheads last season while Halifax went 2-0-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Sept. 24 in pre-season play where the Sea Dogs defeated the Mooseheads 3-2 in a shootout. William Dufour and Cole Foston scored for Saint John while Halifax goals came from Markus Vidicek and Senna Peeters. Jonathan Lemieux made 33 saves in the win. Brady James made 38 stops in the loss.

Saturday, October 30, 2021

Notebook: Dufour on fire

Micheal Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN
- Saint John Sea Dogs forward William Dufour was named to the QMJHL's Team of the Week on Monday after recording four goals and three assists in three games the week prior.

The New York Islanders prospect is off to a strong start again this week, registering a goal and two assists in Friday's 4-3 Sea Dogs loss to the Charlottetown Islanders.

Dufour now has 10 goals in 11 games this season which continues to lead the league (as of Saturday afternoon). His three-point night on Friday also pushed him into third overall in scoring with 18 points (again, as of Saturday).

Dufour entered Saturday tied with a few others for the most goals in the entire CHL.

COMING UP
The Sea Dogs are back in action on Sunday, hosting the Halifax Mooseheads at 3 p.m. at TD Station.

This will be the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Mooseheads. The last time they met in regular season play was Nov. 14, 2020.

Following Sunday's contest, the Sea Dogs will play 10 straight games against Quebec-based teams. That stretch gets rolling on Thursday when the team begins in a three-in-three road trip with stops in Quebec City, Shawinigan and Drummondville.

The Sea Dogs' next home game isn't until Nov. 12.

SPOOKY SUNDAY
Sunday will mark the sixth time in Sea Dogs history that the team has played on Halloween. Saint John is 3-2-0-0 all-time in games played on Oct. 31.

2021-22: ? vs Halifax

Francis reassigned to Saint John

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN
- It's official: Ryan Francis is on his way back to the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The American Hockey League's Stockton Heat announced Saturday that Francis has been released from his tryout with the club and will make his way back to Saint John for his final season of junior hockey.
Francis appeared in four games with the Heat but was held pointless.

The Sea Dogs were confident throughout the past month that Francis, a Calgary Flames prospect who remains unsigned by the organization, would return at some point early this season. Chris Dobson of Rogers TV first reported the news on Friday.
It's a massive addition to a Sea Dogs team that has struggled to consistently produce offense beyond the top line of William Dufour, Brady Burns and Josh Lawrence. Reuniting Francis with Peter Reynolds will ideally create another strong line of scoring for the Sea Dogs.

Francis led Saint John in scoring last season, registering 50 points in 32 games split between the Sea Dogs and Cape Breton Eagles.

The Sea Dogs host the Halifax Mooseheads on Sunday afternoon a 3 p.m. before hitting the road for a challenging three-in-three in Quebec.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Charlottetown 4, Saint John 3
Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN
- Xavier Simoneau scored with 2:48 remaining in the third period to lift the Charlottetown Islanders to a 4-3 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday night at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs had a strong opening half in this game, leading 2-0 after one period. Saint John was noticeably more physical and was delivering on both the power play and penalty kill.

The Islanders began to press as the game hit the midway mark. Charlottetown tied the game in the second period and then took a 3-2 advantage on a four-on-three power play to start the third. Even after Peter Reynolds tied it up, the Islanders would not go away. Simoneau netted the winner late in the third, beating Jonathan Lemieux with a shot from the slot.

Simoneau, Patrick Guay, Patrick LeBlanc and Brett Budgell all scored for Charlottetown. Rookie netminder Oliver Satny made 21 saves in the win.

The Islanders are now 3-1 against the Sea Dogs this season.

Reynolds scored twice for Saint John while Dufour netted a goal and added two assists. Lemieux made 27 saves in the loss.

Friday, October 29, 2021

Game Day 11: vs Islanders

SAINT JOHN - It's not been the smoothest of starts, but the Saint John Sea Dogs enter the final weekend of October with a .500 record.

Saint John's 4-4-0-2 record isn't tremendous - but it's also far from horrible. The team has the opportunity to earn a couple of wins this weekend against opponents that sit above them in the Maritimes Division standings: Charlottetown and Halifax. Wins this weekend would be a major confidence boost heading into November and a tough Quebec road trip.

Game time tonight against the Islanders is 7 p.m. at TD Station.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-4-0-2 for 10 points (fourth Maritimes/sixth Eastern/12th QMJHL) while the Islanders are 7-4-0-0 for 14 points (first Maritimes/second Eastern/third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 shootout win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday at the KC Irving Regional Centre. Evgeny Sapelnikov, Peter Reynolds and Josh Lawrence all scored for Saint John. Jonathan Lemieux made 39 stops in the win. The Islanders are coming off a 2-0 victory over the Gatineau Olympiques last night at Eastlink Centre. Jakub Brabenec and Brett Budgell scored for Charlottetown. Jacob Goobie made 31 saves in the shutout victory.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-2-0-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 2-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Thanksgiving Monday at Eastlink Centre where the Sea Dogs defeated the Islanders 3-1. Riley Bezeau, William Dufour and Cam MacDonald all scored for Saint John. Michael Horth scored Charlottetown's lone goal. Jonathan Lemieux made 38 saves in the win. Jacob Goobie made 21 stops in the loss.

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-3 (SO)

FINAL: Saint John 4, Bathurst 3 (SO)
Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
BATHURST - The Saint John Sea Dogs escaped the KC Irving Regional Centre with a 4-3 shootout win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday afternoon.

The Sea Dogs led 3-1 halfway through the second period. Riley Kidney scored late in the second to make it a one-goal game and then Jacob Melanson scored at 16:36 of the third period - a period that saw Bathurst outshoot Saint John 14-5 - to send the match into extra time.

After killing off a penalty in overtime, Peter Reynolds and William Dufour both scored in the shootout to secure Saint John the extra point.

Overall it wasn't a bad road game by the Sea Dogs who were no doubt feeling the impacts of playing last night on home ice. The Titan hadn't played since Friday at home.

The Titan have now lost three straight games - two of which have come against Saint John.

Reynolds, Evgeny Sapelnikov and Josh Lawrence scored in regulation for the Sea Dogs. Jonathan Lemieux, who started last night, made 39 saves in the win.

Kidney, Melanson and Dylan Andrews scored for Bathurst. Jan Bednar made 34 saves in the loss

Game Day 10: at Bathurst

BATHURST - The Saint John Sea Dogs won't have much time to think about last night's disappointing 4-3 loss to the Moncton Wildcats.

The Sea Dogs hit the road to take on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan this afternoon at 3 p.m. It's already the fourth meeting between the two this season but the last one until Dec. 18.

The Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 5-4 this past Wednesday at TD Station.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Records: The Sea Dogs are 3-4-0-2 for eight points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/14th QMJHL) while the Titan are 6-2-0-1 for 13 points (first Maritimes/second Eastern/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 home loss to the Moncton Wildcats last night. William Dufour scored a pair of goals while Olivier Picard netted a solo marker. Jonathan Lemieux made 32 saves in the loss. The Titan are coming off a 3-0 home loss to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Friday. Chad Arsenault made 33 saves in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-0-1 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 2-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: This past Wednesday at TD Station where the Sea Dogs edged the Titan 5-4. William Dufour scored two goals for Saint John while singles came from Jeremie Poirier, Cole Foston and Brady Burns. Liam Kidney scored twice for Bathurst while Logan Chisholm and Jacob Melanson also scored. Noah Patenaude made 39 saves in the win. Jan Bednar made 36 stops in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Moncton 4, Saint John 3
Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN
- Miles Mueller's goal late in the third period ended up being the game-winner as the Moncton Wildcats upset the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3 at TD Station on Saturday night.

Mueller scored his first of the season at 16:36 of the final frame, tapping the puck in on a two-on-one. That goal gave the Wildcats a 4-2 advantage at the time.

William Dufour got Saint John back within one on a six-on-three power play at 18:41. The Sea Dogs pressed for an equalizer in the final minute but could not connect.

Dufour scored two goals for Saint John in the loss while Olivier Picard added a solo marker. Jonathan Lemieux made 32 saves in the loss.

Mueller, Francis Langlois, Maxim Barbashev and Vincent Labelle scored for Moncton. Thomas Couture was very good in net, making 42 saves in the victory.

It has not been a smooth start to the season for Saint John, and this loss along with some struggles against Cape Breton last weekend show that there is plenty of work still to do. The Sea Dogs have another tough test ahead of them, travelling to Bathurst on Sunday.

Saturday, October 23, 2021

Game Day 9: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - The Moncton Wildcats and Saint John Sea Dogs meet for the first time this season tonight at TD Station.

After playing each other constantly in the restart, the Sea Dogs and Wildcats will meet just twice before the Christmas break - tonight and again on Dec. 17.

Game time is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Records: The Sea Dogs are 3-3-0-2 for eight points (fifth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/13th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are also 3-3-0-0 for six points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/16th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Wednesday at TD Station. William Dufour scored twice while singles came from Jeremie Poirier,  Cole Foston and Brady Burns. Noah Patenaude made 39 saves in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 4-0 home loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Sunday. Vincent Filion made 28 saves in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Wildcats.

2020-21 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 8-5-0-0 against the Wildcats last season while Moncton went 5-7-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Sept. 12 during the pre-season where the Sea Dogs defeated the Wildcats 6-2 in Dieppe. William Dufour had two goals for Saint John while Olivier Picard, Peter Reynolds, Riley Bezeau and Josh Lawrence also scored. Gabriel Bernier and Etienne Morin scored for Moncton. Jonathan Lemieux made 26 saves in the win. Vincent Filion made 29 stops in the loss.

Report: Crete to join Sea Dogs

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The Saint John Sea Dogs are reportedly adding a forward to their roster.

According to JF Plante of Le Droit, 19-year-old forward Yanic Crete is set to join the team.
Crete retweeted Plante's tweet, which would seem to confirm the news.

Crete spent the 2019-20 season with the OHL's Ottawa 67's where he recorded seven goals and three assists in 41 games. In 2018-19, Crete recorded two assists in 14 games with the 67's along with 13 goals and 15 assists in 48 games withe CCHL's Hawkesbury Hawks.

The L'Original, Ont. native did not play last season due to the pandemic.

Crete was a third-round pick of Ottawa in the 2018 OHL Draft.

Elite Prospects has Crete listed at 6'1" and 179 lbs.

If Crete is with the Sea Dogs to stay, that likely means one of the bottom four forwards - Cole Foston, Adam Bowness, Carter McCluskey and Nico Laforge - will be sent down at some point. Laforge, it's believed, couldn't be sent down until Christmas due to his age.

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-4

FINAL: Saint John 5, Bathurst 4
Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN
- Brady Burns scored what proved to be the winner at 3:22 of the third period to give the Saint John Sea Dogs a 5-4 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Wednesday at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs came out with a strong first period, outshooting the Titan 23-11. Overall at even strength, this was one of Saint John's better performances of the year - but penalties were costly.

All four of Bathurst's goals came on the power play. The visitors had seven man advantage opportunities in the game while Saint John went 0/3. Saint John's penalty kill did, however, come up big in the third period to ultimately secure the win.

This was Saint John's first victory of the season over Bathurst after dropping the first two matches. The win also pushes the Sea Dogs to the .500 mark for the first time this year.

Along with Burns' goal, William Dufour scored twice while Jeremie Poirier and Cole Foston added solo markers. Noah Patenaude made 39 saves to earn his second straight win.

Bathurst had a pair of goals from Liam Kidney and singles from Logan Chisholm and Jacob Melanson. Jan Bednar made 36 saves in the loss.

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Notebook: Bishop backs up Leafs

Embed from Getty Images
Former Sea Dogs goaltender Alex Bishop was the Toronto Maple Leafs backup goaltender on Saturday night against Thomas Chabot and the Ottawa Senators.

The Leafs were forced to sign Bishop, currently a member of the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, due to Petr Mrazek's injury and salary cup issues.
The Leafs won the game 3-1 with Jack Campbell playing the full 60 minutes in net.

Bishop spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs between the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons. He also played with the Quebec Remparts and Val-d'Or Foreurs in the QMJHL - and later the MHL's Summerside Western Capitals.

The 24-year-old is in his fourth season with the Varsity Blues.

Game Day 8: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - Another test awaits the Saint John Sea Dogs this evening.

The Sea Dogs host the 6-0-0-1 Acadie-Bathurst Titan this evening at TD Station. It's early, but a Saint John win tonight would really help the team in the standings and, ideally, give them some momentum moving forward.

This is the third meeting of the season between the two with Bathurst having won both previous matchups.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-3-0-2 for six points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/14th QMJHL) while the Titan are 6-0-0-1 for 13 points (first Maritimes/first Eastern/first QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday at TD Station. Jeremie Poirier had a hat trick for Saint John while Peter Reynolds netted the winner. Noah Patenaude made 28 stops in the win. The Titan are coming off a 4-3 home win over the Charlottetown Islanders on Sunday. Jaxon Bellamy, Joseph Henneberry, Riley Kidney and Cole Huckins all scored for the Titan. Jan Bednar made 39 saves in the win. 

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-1 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 9 at TD Station where the Titan defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3 in a shootout. Dylan Andrews, Riley Kidney and Logan Chisholm scored for Bathurst while Saint John goals came from Carter McCluskey, William Dufour and Evgeny Sapelnikov. Jan Bednar made 30 stops in the win. Jonathan Lemieux made 34 stops in the loss.

Saturday, October 16, 2021

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-3 (OT)

FINAL: Cape Breton 3, Saint John 4 (OT)
Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN
- Peter Reynolds scored on a breakaway at 1:20 of overtime to lift the Sea Dogs to a 4-3 victory over the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday at TD Station.

It was far from a perfect game as the Sea Dogs looked stuck in neutral for much of the night, unable to generate much of anything offensively. The team got off to good start thanks to two goals from Jeremie Poirier in the first 12 minutes of the game but couldn't keep the momentum going.

It wasn't until a Saint John power play at 14:00 of the third period did the Sea Dogs really start to get going. The team created plenty of quality scoring chances and were finally rewarded at 16:26 at even strength when Poirier completed his hat trick.

Reynolds scored the overtime winner to give the Sea Dogs the extra point and split the weekend series with the Eagles.

Noah Patenaude had a solid performance in net for Saint John, making 28 stops in his first start of the year.

Jack Campbell, Jeremy Langlois and Sean Larochelle scored for Cape Breton. Nicola Ruccia made 29 saves in the loss.

Francis debuts; Cajkovic and Veleno score in AHL opening night action

Syracuse Crunch Twitter
Ryan Francis made his American Hockey League debut on Friday night in Stockton.

Francis, playing on the team's fourth line, was held pointless in the Heat's 1-0 overtime loss to the Tucson Roadrunners. Former Moncton Wildcat Jakob Pelletier also made his AHL debut in the game.

Francis remains with the Heat on a professional tryout. He still has not been signed to an entry-level deal by the Calgary Flames.
The Sea Dogs remain optimistic that Francis, an overager, will return to the club at some point.

19-year-old defenseman Yan Kuznetsov, Saint John's first-round pick in this year's CHL Import Draft, also played Friday for the Heat.

The Heat and Roadrunners play again on Saturday night in Stockton.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-4 (SO)

FINAL: Cape Breton 5, Saint John 4 (SO)
Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN 
- The Cape Breton Eagles defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs 5-4 in a shootout on Friday night at TD Station.

Ivan Ivan netted the shootout winner to give the Eagles the extra point. Former Sea Dogs Dawson Stairs (one goal, two assists and a shootout goals) and Nicholas Girouard (one goal and one assist) both had strong performances against their old club.

Connor Trenholm and Jeremy Langlois also scored for the Eagles. Rookie netminder Remi Delafontaine made 44 saves in the victory.

The Sea Dogs got off to a rough start once again and spent most of the night playing from behind. Penalties proved to be a problem with Saint John playing shorthanded on seven occasions. Cape Breton did not give Saint John any power plays.

William Dufour scored a pair of goals for Saint John while Carter McCluskey and Cam MacDonald added singles. Jonathan Lemieux was pulled late in the first period after allowing three goals on 12 shots. Noah Patenaude allowed a goal on 24 shots in relief.

Friday, October 15, 2021

Game Day 6 & 7: vs Eagles

SAINT JOHN - The Cape Breton Eagles make their long awaited return to TD Station this weekend.

The Eagles take on the Saint John Sea Dogs tonight and Saturday in the Port City. It's the team's first trip to Saint John in nearly a year.

There are plenty of new faces on both sides since their last meeting in November of 2020. Two new faces on the Eagles side are familiar faces in Saint John: forwards Nicholas Girouard and Dawson Stairs. The two ex-Dogs will take on their former club for the the first time this weekend.

Game time for both games is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV 

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/Required/Required

Records: The Sea Dogs are 1-3-0-1 for two points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/17th QMJHL) while the Eagles are 1-2-2-1 for five points (fourth Maritimes/sixth Eastern/11th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-1 win in Charlottetown on Monday afternoon. Riley Bezeau, William Dufour and Cam MacDonald scored for Saint John. Jonathan Lemieux made 38 stops in the win. The Eagles are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes on home ice on Wednesday. Nicholas Girouard scored both of Cape Breton's goals. Nicolas Ruccia made 25 stops in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Eagles.

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Notebook: Eagles coming to town

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN
- For the first time in nearly a year, the Saint John Sea Dogs and Cape Breton Eagles will square off.

The Eagles were the last Nova Scotia club the Sea Dogs faced last season, falling in a wild 8-6 contest on Nov. 18, 2020 at Centre 200. That game ended up being Saint John's last until the restart in March.

The last time the Eagles were in Saint John was on Halloween of 2020.

The Eagles will have a couple of familiar faces in their lineup when they take on the Sea Dogs on Friday and Saturday at TD Station. Former Sea Dog Nicholas Girouard leads the team in scoring with five goals and three assists while Dawson Stairs has a goal and three helpers.

BASKETBALL IS BACK
Basketball is returning to TD Station.

The Eastern Canadian Basketball League announced this week that Saint John is officially the second franchise in the new Maritimes-based hoops circuit. The team will be called the Saint John Union.
Truro was announced as the league's first franchise. The league expects to have four to six teams when it tips off next March, reports the Telegraph-Journal (paywall).

The Saint John Riptide, formerly the Mill Rats, of the National Basketball League of Canada were the last professional basketball team to call Saint John home. They took a one-year absence from the league in 2019 but never returned.

DOGS IN THE SHOW
Nine former Sea Dogs started the 2021-22 season in the NHL. According to the CHL, that's the most of any QMJHL team.

They are: Mike Hoffman (Montreal Canadiens), Nathan Beaulieu (Winnipeg Jets), Jonathan Huberdeau (Florida Panthers), Charlie Coyle (Boston Bruins), Jakub Zboril (Boston Bruins), Matthew Highmore (Vancouver Canucks), Julien Gauthier (New York Rangers), Thomas Chabot (Ottawa Senators), and Mathieu Joseph (Tampa Bay Lightning).

Unsurprisingly, the London Knights led all CHL clubs with 32 players on opening night NHL rosters.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

NHL season begins for former Sea Dogs

Embed from Getty Images
Will a former Saint John Sea Dog raise the Stanley Cup for a third straight season?

Mathieu Joseph and the Tampa Bay Lightning have lifted the trophy the past two seasons. Joseph remains the only Sea Dogs alumnus to win the Stanley Cup.

Joseph and the Lightning certainly have a shot at a third straight championship - but a number of other former Dogs will be in contention as well.

Here's the full list of former Sea Dogs who will start the 2021-22 season in the NHL (in no particular order):

Mike Hoffman - Montreal Canadiens
Nathan Beaulieu - Winnipeg Jets
Jonathan Huberdeau - Florida Panthers
Charlie Coyle - Boston Bruins
Jakub Zboril - Boston Bruins
Matthew Highmore - Vancouver Canucks
Julien Gauthier - New York Rangers
Thomas Chabot - Ottawa Senators
Mathieu Joseph - Tampa Bay Lightning

Eric Gelinas (Carolina Hurricanes), Joe Veleno (Detroit Red Wings) and Alex D'Orio (Pittsburgh Penguins) will all start the season in the AHL it appears but have a chance of being called up at some point.

The Rangers bench also features former Sea Dogs coaches Gerard Gallant, Mike Kelly and Jim Midgley.

One player who is noticeably absent from this list: Tomas Jurco, who doesn't appear to have signed anywhere yet. He appeared in three games with Slovakia at Olympic qualifying.

The NHL season begins tonight in Tampa.

Monday, October 11, 2021

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-1

FINAL: Saint John 3, Charlottetown 1
Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
CHARLOTTETOWN
- Jonathan Lemieux was tremendous in net as the Saint John Sea Dogs earned their first victory of the season on Monday afternoon at Eastlink Centre.

Lemieux, making his fifth straight start, made 38 saves and carried a shutout into the final few minutes in Saint John's 3-1 victory over the Charlottetown Islanders.

The Islanders dominated the opening frame, outshooting the Sea Dogs 14-5. Even after Riley Bezeau opened the scoring 22 seconds into the second period, the ice continued to be tilted in Charlottetown's favour.

Lemieux came up huge on a few occasions before William Dufour got the Sea Dogs some insurance at 13:43 of the third period. Michael Horth scored at 16:09 to make it a one-goal game but Cam MacDonald sealed the win with a long empty net goal at 18:36.

Charlottetown outshot Saint John 39-24. Jacob Goobie made 21 stops in the loss.

While it wasn't pretty at times, this was a huge road win for the Sea Dogs against a tough opponent. After an 0-3-0-1 start, this win should gain the team some confidence as they head into an "easier" stretch of games.

The Islanders, meanwhile, fall to 3-2-0-0 and have scored just two goals over their past two games.

Game Day 5: at Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders meet for a third time this season today at Eastlink Centre.

The Islanders won both previous matchups, defeating the Sea Dogs 4-2 at TD Station on Oct. 1 and 5-2 in Charlottetown the following day.

The Sea Dogs sit at 0-3-0-1 and are the only team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League without a win. The Islanders, meanwhile, are 3-1-0-0 and are coming off their first loss of the season, a 2-0 defeat in Halifax on Saturday.

Game time for this rare Monday afternoon contest is 3 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/Required/Required

Records: The Sea Dogs are 0-3-0-1 for zero points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/18th QMJHL) while the Islanders are 3-1-0-0 for six points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/fifth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday. Carter McCluskey, William Dufour and Evgeny Sapelnikov scored for Saint John. Jonathan Lemieux made 34 saves in the loss. The Islanders are coming off a 2-0 loss in Halifax on Saturday. Jacob Goobie made 30 saves in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-2-0-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 2 at Eastlink Centre where the Islanders defeated the Sea Dogs 5-2. Brett Budgell scored a pair of goals for Charlottetown while singles came from Sam Oliver, Patrick Guay and Xavier Simoneau. Peter Reynolds and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Jacob Goobie made 23 saves in the win. Jonathan Lemieux made 29 stops in the loss.

Sunday, October 10, 2021

Notebook: Francis scores in AHL pre-season

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
Ryan Francis scored in his pre-season debut with the AHL's Stockton Heat on Friday.

Francis scored a power play goal in the third period to help the Heat defeat the Bakersfield Condors 3-0. The Saint John Sea Dogs forward recorded the one shot on goal and also took a tripping penalty.

Defenseman Yan Kuznetsov, Saint John's top pick in the CHL Import Draft, also suited up for the Heat.
The Sea Dogs still expect Francis, an overager who has not been signed by the Calgary Flames, to return to Saint John at some point.

"Stockton has some injuries up front so they're going to need Ryan to play in games for them," Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie told the Telegraph-Journal (paywall) last week. "It delays his return but we still expect him back."

Stockton begins regular season play on Friday against the Tucson Roadrunners.

REMATCH WITH ISLANDERS
The Sea Dogs are back in action on Thanksgiving Monday, traveling to Charlottetown to face the Islanders at 3 p.m.

It'll be the third meeting of the season between the two. The Islanders defeated the Sea Dogs 4-2 at TD Station on Oct. 1 and 5-2 at Eastlink Centre the next day.

The Sea Dogs are still looking for their first win of the season after falling 4-3 in a shootout to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday. The Islanders, meanwhile, are coming off their first loss of the season, falling 2-0 in Halifax on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs and Islanders also meet on Oct. 29 at TD Station.

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3 (SO)

FINAL: Bathurst 4, Saint John 3 (SO)
Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN
- Ben Allison scored the only goal of the shootout as the Acadie-Bathurst Titan defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3 on Saturday at TD Station.

Dylan Andrews, Riley Kidney and Logan Chisholm scored for Bathurst in regulation time. Jan Bednar made 30 saves in the win.

The victory improves the Titan to 4-0-0-0 on the young season. They are also 2-0-0-0 against the Sea Dogs this year.

Carter McCluskey, William Dufour and Evgeny Sapelnikov scored for Saint John. Jonathan Lemieux, making his fourth straight start, made 34 saves in the loss.

The loss drops the Sea Dogs to 0-3-0-1 on the year. Another tough test awaits them on Monday afternoon when they take on the Charlottetown Islanders. Hopefully the Dogs can take some of the momentum gained from this contest into that matchup.

Game Day 4: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will try once again to get their first win of the season.

The Sea Dogs are off to an 0-3-0-0 start following a 5-2 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last night at the KC Irving Regional Centre. The Sea Dogs had a better start - despite allowing a goal 11 seconds in - but struggled late, allowing three third period goals.

The Sea Dogs and Sherbrooke Phoenix enter action today as the only QMJHL teams that haven't earned a point yet.

Game time tonight at TD Station is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV 

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/Required/Required 

Records: The Sea Dogs are 0-3-0-0 for zero points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/18th QMJHL) while the Titan are 3-0-0-0 for six points (first Maritimes/first Eastern/first QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs fell 5-2 to the Titan last night in Bathurst. Ben Allison, Jacob Melanson, Marc-Andre Gaudet, Riley Kidney and Logan Chisholm scored for the Titan. Saint John goals came from William Dufour and Brady Burns. Chad Arsenault made 31 saves in the win. For Saint John, Jonathan Lemieux was pulled in the third period after allowing four goals on 20 shots. Noah Patenaude allowed a goal on 10 shots in relief.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Last night. See above.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: None.

Titan to watch: Hampton native Jaxon Bellamy has three assists in three games this season.

Friday, October 8, 2021

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Bathurst 5
Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
BATHURST
- It was bad, then it was good, and then it was bad again.

The Saint John Sea Dogs dropped their third straight game on Friday at the KC Irving Regional Centre, falling 5-2 to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. The loss drops the Sea Dogs to 0-3-0-0 on the young season while the Titan improve to 3-0-0-0.

The two meet again on Saturday at TD Station.

The Titan scored just 11 seconds into the game and it looked as though the Sea Dogs were on their way to another rough first period - but Saint John turned things around quickly. William Dufour scored at 10:20 with the Sea Dogs outshooting the Titan 9-1 at the time. Then at 13:05, Brady Burns connected to give the Dogs a 2-1 lead.

Saint John controlled most of the play in the opening frame but things started to even out as the second period moved along. Jacob Melanson scored at 18:06 of the second to make it 2-2 heading into the third.

The Titan scored at 2:05 of the third and again at 2:53, chasing Jonathan Lemieux from the Saint John net. Then at 8:49 on a power play, Jaxon Bellamy fired a bomb from the point to give the Titan a commanding 5-2 advantage.

Bathurst goals came from Melanson, Bellamy, Ben Allison, Marc-Andre Gaudet and Riley Kidney. Chad Arsenault made 31 saves in the win. Only five of Saint John's 33 shots were considered "dangerous" by the official scorers.

Dufour and Burns scored Saint John's goals. Lemieux allowed four goals on 20 shots before getting the hook in the third. Noah Patenaude allowed a goal on 10 shots in relief.

Game Day 3: at Bathurst

BATHURST - The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

After starting the season with back-to-back losses to the Charlottetown Islanders last weekend, the Sea Dogs are back in action tonight, beginning the first half of a home-and-home with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Titan are off to a 2-0-0-0 start with back-to-back wins over the Moncton Wildcats. The Titan have a stacked lineup even without Hendrix Lapierre, who remains at Washington Capitals training camp.

Game time at the KC Irving Regional Centre is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/Required/Required

Records: The Sea Dogs are 0-2-0-0 for zero points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/18th QMJHL) while the Titan are 2-0-0-0 for four points (first Maritimes/first Eastern/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-2 loss in Charlottetown on Saturday. Peter Reynolds and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Jonathan Lemieux made 29 saves in the loss. The Titan are coming off a 5-2 win in Moncton on Saturday. Riley Kidney scored a pair of goals for Bathurst while singles came from Harijs Brants, Ben Allison and Noah Ryan. Chad Arsenault made 29 saves in the win.

2021-22 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Titan.

2020-21 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs went 5-6-1-0 against the Titan last season while Bathurst went 7-4-0-1 against Saint John.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Notebook: Dogs slide to 9th in Top 10

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
An 0-2 start to the season has pushed the Saint John Sea Dogs down the CHL Top 10 rankings.

Saint John opened the season ranked third in the weekly rankings. After back-to-back losses to the Charlottetown Islanders over the weekend, the team has moved down to ninth.
The WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings were ranked first. Other QMJHL teams ranked were the Quebec Remparts (second), Acadie-Bathurst Titan (third) and Islanders (seventh). The Shawinigan Cataractes were an honourable mention.

The Sea Dogs face the Titan twice this weekend and the Islanders on Monday.

BOOTS IS BACK

Boutilier, well known around hockey for his defensive coaching, helped the Sea Dogs win the President Cup in 2017 as an assistant coach.

“To add the Saint John Sea Dogs to my client list feels great” said Boutilier in a team release. “Looking forward to working with Gord Dwyer, his coaching staff, and the contingent of defensemen Trevor Georgie has assembled. I strongly believe individuals can be taught and mentored to play ‘defence to win’ and develop into a group hard to generate offensive on. It is a responsibility that I welcome.”

For many teams this wouldn't be a major news story - but for a Sea Dogs squad that has struggled mightily defensively over the past few seasons and is hosting the Memorial Cup, this could be a very significant hire

BEZEAU FIGHT
Riley Bezeau had Saint John's first fight of the season on Saturday.


Monday, October 4, 2021

MHL season underway

Saint John Sea Dogs
Nearly every team in the Maritime Junior Hockey League will have at least one player with some sort of Saint John Sea Dogs connection this year.

Whether they be an alumnus, draft pick, free agent pickup or training camp attendee, there are plenty of notable names to follow across the MHL.

A few of the more notable names include Brendan Sibley, Julian Vander Voet and Benjamin Roode, all of whom were regulars with the Sea Dogs in the past.

Here's a look at the full list:

Amherst Ramblers: Adam Bowness

Campbellton Tigers: Jack Dickie

Edmundston Blizzard: Brendan Sibley

Fredericton Red Wings: Kobe Burt,  Zach Alchorn, Logan Carruthers and Mathias Savoie

Grand Falls Rapids: Yannick Bastarache

Miramichi Timberwolves: Jeremie Jacob

Summerside Western Capitals: Josh MacDonald, Max-Antoine Melancon and Sam Dow

Truro Bearcats: Brady Stone and Frederic Plourde

Valley Wildcats: Luke Wilson, Julian Vander Voet and Justin Bourque

Yarmouth Mariners: Benjamin Roode

Summerside was ranked 10th in the Canadian Junior Hockey League rankings this past week while Fredericton was 13th. The Capitals will host the Fred Page Cup in May.

Sunday, October 3, 2021

Francis heading to Heat camp

Calgary Flames
Ryan Francis is no longer at Calgary Flames training camp - but he's not coming back to Saint John just yet.

The Flames announced Sunday that the Saint John Sea Dogs forward has been assigned to the American Hockey League's Stockton Heat where he'll take part in the team's training camp. The Heat will play pre-season games on Oct. 8 and Oct. 10 against the Bakersfield Condors.

A fifth-round pick of the Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft, Francis has not been signed to an entry-level deal by Calgary. He appeared in Calgary's 4-1 pre-season victory over the Seattle Kraken Saturday in Kent, Washington, home of the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds.
Francis, an overager, is eligible to play professional hockey this season but it still seems more likely he'll make his way back to Saint John at some point in the near future. Francis will play a major role on this year's Sea Dogs team.

In 17 games with the Sea Dogs last season, Francis registered 10 goals and 19 assists. He added four goals and six assists in six playoff games.

Yan Kuznetsov, a 19-year-old defenseman and Saint John's first-round pick in this year's CHL Import Draft, will also take part in Heat training camp.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Charlottetown 5
CHARLOTTETOWN
- The Saint John Sea Dogs came up short against the Charlottetown Islanders once again on Saturday.

The Islanders, like they did on Friday,  grabbed a 3-0 lead en route to a 5-2 win at Eastlink Centre. The night before, the Isles defeated the Dogs 4-2 at TD Station.

The loss drops the Sea Dogs to 0-2 to start the season. There's certainly no reason for panic this early in the year, but it's obviously not an ideal start. The schedule also doesn't get much easier with two games against the 2-0 Acadie-Bathurst Titan coming up and then another matchup with the Islanders.

Saint John looked better as a whole in this game compared to Friday. Peter Reynolds scored shorthanded and Brady Burns scored on a power play. The Sea Dogs went 1/5 on the power play a night after going 0/5.

Jonathan Lemieux made 29 saves in the loss.

Brett Budgell scored twice for Charlottetown while singles came from Sam Oliver, Patrick Guay and Xavier Simoneau. Jacob Goobie made 23 saves in the win.

Saturday, October 2, 2021

Game Day 2: at Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders square off again tonight.

The two teams began regular season play last night at TD Station where the Islanders edged the Sea Dogs 4-2. Saint John got off to a slow start, allowing the Islanders to grab a 3-0 lead. The Sea Dogs got better as the game went on but an empty net goal by Xavier Simoneau in the final minute ended the comeback attempt.

The Sea Dogs will look to get off to a better start tonight and try and create more quality scoring chances. The team also went 0/5 on the power play.

Game time this evening at Eastlink Centre is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 27 cohorts of 100 people each (2,700)/Required/Required

Records: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 for zero points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 16th league) while the Islanders are 1-0-0-0 for two points (second Maritimes, third Eastern, fifth league).

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Islanders met last night in Saint John where Charlottetown earned a 4-2 win. William Trudeau, Noah Laaouan, Brett Budgell and Xavier Simoneau scored for Charlottetown. Josh Lawrence and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Jacob Goobie made 27 saves in the win. Jonathan Lemieux made 25 stops in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: See above.

Friday, October 1, 2021

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Charlottetown 4, Saint John 2
Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN
- Game one didn't go as hoped for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

A slow start proved to be costly for the Sea Dogs in a 4-2 season opening loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday at TD Station.

The Islanders scored twice in the first 8:13 of the game and took advantage of a seemingly sluggish Saint John team. The Sea Dogs got better as the period - and the game - went along but were never able to even the score. They got within one late in the third but that would be as close as they'd get.

The Sea Dogs, who were missing their best offensive weapon in Ryan Francis, also struggled on the power play, failing to score on five opportunities.

William Trudeau, Noah Laaouan, Brett Budgell and Xavier Simoneau scored for Charlottetown. Jacob Goobie made 27 saves in the win

Josh Lawrence and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Jonathan Lemieux made 25 stops in the loss.

The Islanders led 2-0 after the opening period thanks to goals from Trudeau and Laaouan. Saint John had three power plays and outshot Charlottetown 13-10 in the first but it was the Isles getting the better of the chances.

Charlottetown took a 3-0 lead at 8:39 of the second period when Budgell put a rebound past Lemieux in close. 

Lawrence would get the Dogs on the board at 11:13 of the middle frame. William Dufour found the wide open Lawrence down low who beat Goobie top corner to make it a 3-1 contest.

Saint John got within one at 11:53 of the third. The Islanders turned the puck over in the corner and it found an open Burns in front. That made it a 3-2 game. Moments later, it looked as though the Sea Dogs had tied the game but the goal was called off with the whistle blowing due to Foston taking a tripping penalty.

The Sea Dogs pulled Lemieux with one-minute remaining. Just 7.2 seconds after taking a timeout, Simoneau used his reach and scored an empty net goal to make it a 4-2 final.

Game Day 1: vs Islanders

SAINT JOHN - What is sure to be a wild, eventful and hopefully complete season begins tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs, at long last, are hosting the Memorial Cup - and what a year to host it. A season that's about the Great Comeback of Junior Hockey is also about, well, just getting the season off the ground and rolling as smoothly as possible.

No matter what happens, it'll be a year that won't be forgotten in Saint John. A Memorial Cup year in a pandemic. It's going to be quite a ride.

To top all that off, the Sea Dogs open the season tonight against the Charlottetown Islanders, a team they could be battling with at the top of the standings all year. Game time tonight at TD Station is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/Required/Required

Records: This is the first game of the 2021-22 regular season for both clubs.

2021 pre-season records: The Sea Dogs went 6-1-1-0 in the pre-season while the Islanders went 2-6-0-0.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 shootout win in Halifax last Friday. William Dufour and Cole Foston scored for Saint John. Jonathan Lemieux made 33 saves in the win. The Islanders are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday. Noah Laaouan scored the Islanders' lone goal. Jacob Goobie made 22 stops in the loss.

2021 pre-season head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 2-0-0-0 against the Islanders in the pre-season while Charlottetown went 0-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Aug. 25 at the Aitken Centre where the Sea Dogs defeated the Islanders 8-1 in pre-season play. Josh Lawrence had a hat trick for Saint John while singles came from Charles Savoie, Kanaga Mangala, Loik Miville, Peter Reynolds and Nico Laforge. Charlottetown's goal came from Daniel Kline. Noah Patenaude made 27 saves in the first 40 minutes of play while Ventsislav Shingarov stopped all 16 shots he faced in the third. Paolo Marabello allowed a goal on 22 shots in the first half of the contest. Jacob Leblanc allowed seven goals on 28 shots in the second half.