Notebook: Where will Dwyer land?

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Will Gordie Dwyer be back behind a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League bench this season?

The chances are looking decent.

In a blog post Wednesday, Craig Eagles reported that "two sources have confirmed that Dwyer is the leading candidate for the vacant head coaching position with the Cape Breton Eagles."

The Eagles have been without a head coach since Chadd Cassidy stepped down from his position a couple weeks ago.

Dwyer, who took over as Sea Dogs head coach last summer, was fired by the club following their first-round playoff loss to the Rimouski Oceanic. He also has QMJHL coaching experience with the PEI Rocket/Charlottetown Islanders and Shawinigan Cataractes.

RICHARD SIGNS

Defenseman Jeremie Richard, Saint John's top pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, officially signed with the club on Wednesday.

“Richard is a player that Anthony Stella and our scouting staff were very high on and we are thrilled that we were able to select him at the spot that we did” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release. “We have had the chance to get to know him and his family, and are so happy that they will get the opportunity to enjoy his hockey journey close to home, and develop in his home province.”

The Sea Dogs selected Richard in the third-round, 37th overall. Even as a 16-year-old, he'll likely have a fairly prominent role of Saint John's backend with the likes of Vincent Sevigny, Yan Kuznetsov, William Villeneuve, Jeremie Poirier and Nathan Drapeau all moving on.

Richard helped the Moncton Flyers win the Telus Cup this past season. The Moncton native had five goals and 20 points in 28 regular season games with the Flyers.

THOMPSON JOINING FLYERS

Who will be the next head coach of the Sea Dogs? The team currently has a vacancy with Gardiner MacDougall returning to his regular role as head coach of the UNB Reds.

It looks like one potential candidate can be crossed off the list: former Saint John Flame Rocky Thompson. It's been reported that Thompson will be joining John Tortorella's staff in Philadelphia.

Sounds like PHI adding Rocky Thompson to its coaching staff

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 14, 2022

Thompson worked with the Sea Dogs as an advisor prior to the Memorial Cup. Thompson coached the Windsor Spitfires' 2017 squad that had a similar layoff after an early playoff exit.

Thompson, who worked most recently with the San Jose Sharks, joining the Sea Dogs seemed like a long shot given that the team is in the very early stages of a rebuild. 

INTERVIEW

Cam MacDonald and Zach Welsh were guests on The High Button Podcast to discuss winning the Memorial Cup.

SEASON TICKETS

The Sea Dogs have released details on 2022-23 season tickets.

Sea Dogs Fans! We want YOU to join us for the 2022-23 season!

Season Ticket Benefits include:
20% at Sea Dogs styles
Savings on walk up tickets
Private Season Ticket Member entrance
Access to exclusive team events

And MORE!

📰: https://t.co/1CdPG8n9hD pic.twitter.com/0HssCuaLei

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) July 20, 2022

ALUMNI NEWS

A quick rundown of what some former Sea Dogs have been up to recently.

• Defenseman Olivier Leblanc has signed a one-year, two-way AHL/ECHL deal with the Cleveland Monsters. The 26-year-old appeared in 16 AHL games with the Monsters last season and 19 contests with ECHL Kalamazoo.
• Forward Cole Reginato has re-signed with the SPHL's Huntsville Havoc for the 2022-23 season. “Reggie is a heart and soul guy who is a staple in our room.” said assistant coach Stuart Stefan in a news release. “He’s always willing to stand up for his teammates and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time in clutch moments. We know he’s a fan favourite and we’re excited to have him back.”
• Forward Boko Imama has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Arizona Coyotes. Imama made his NHL debut this past season, appearing in four games. He also appeared in 54 games with the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners.
• Forward Spencer Smallman has signed a two-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche organization. Smallman joins the Stanley Cup champion's organization after winning the AHL's Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves.
• Forward Matthew Highmore has a signed a one-year, two-way deal with the St. Louis Blues. Highmore spent this past season with the Vancouver Canucks, playing in 46 games.

OTHER THINGS

• The shortest off-season in Sea Dogs franchise history is underway. Training camp begins Aug. 15 with the club's first pre-season game taking place Aug. 17 in Fredericton.
• The QMJHL website has a story on Nicholas Blagden and his work on creating awareness about mental health.
• Christopher Foulds of Kamloops this Week is not a fan of how the host team situation currently works at the Memorial Cup. "The above five are asterisk champions," writes Foulds in a column. "Three others are legitimate Cup holders as they won it all by either claiming their league championships or making it to their league finals en route to the Memorial Cup tournament."
• Gardiner MacDougall's resume, which now includes a Memorial Cup championship, helped Soo Greyhounds forward Cole MacKay commit to the UNB Reds for the 2022-23 season, reports The Daily Press.
• Checked out The Birthplace of Hockey Museum in Windsor, NS a couple weeks ago. Cool spot if you're ever in the area. Some interesting Maritime hockey artifacts. They also have a frisbee golf course.