Notebook: Chantler returning to GOJHL

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

HALIFAX - Jacob Chantler is returning to the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

🚨 🚨 🚨 The Lincs have acquired Memorial Cup Champion, Jacob Chantler! Jacob suited up for the Saint John Sea Dogs last season, join us in welcoming him to the Stonetown! @519sportsonline @GOJHL pic.twitter.com/teMuynRkUV

— St. Marys Lincolns (@stmlincolns) August 25, 2022

Chantler, who appeared in 38 games with the Sea Dogs last season and recorded five goals and four assists, has appeared in 49 GOJHL games split over four seasons with the London Nationals and Strathroy Rockets. He'll now suit up for the St. Marys Lincolns.

The 20-year-old forward was not on Saint John's training camp roster. As an overager, he would have had a difficult road to making this year's team.

The Lincolns begin the regular season on Sept. 9.

UP NEXT
The Sea Dogs return to pre-season play on Friday night, taking on the Halifax Mooseheads in Dartmouth.

Saint John will play back-to-back games against the Mooseheads - but the second contest won't be until Sept. 9 in Fredericton. The Sea Dogs will have their veteran players in camp at that time.

The Sea Dogs, now 2-2-0-0 this pre-season, have four pre-season games remaining. Along with the pair against the Mooseheads, the Sea Dogs will face the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sept. 11 (in Fredericton) and Sept. 18 (in Lameque, NB).

Saint John's game on Wednesday was supposed to be held in Lameque but was moved to the KC Irving Regional Centre. The Sept. 18 contest will now be in the northeastern New Brunswick town.

MAKING HISTORY

William Dufour became just the 25th player in Canadian Hockey League history and third in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League history to win the Memorial Cup and world junior gold in the same season.

Only 25 players have won the #MemorialCup and #WorldJuniors gold in the same season. Here are the latest:

2022: William Dufour (SNB) 🇨🇦
2017: Jeremy Bracco (WSR) 🇺🇸
2016: Olli Juolevi (LDN) 🇫🇮
2010: Cam Fowler (WSR) 🇺🇸
2009: Ryan Ellis (WSR) 🇨🇦 https://t.co/TGXsvbME8q

— Paul Krotz (@Paul_Krotz) August 23, 2022

As many have pointed out, Dufour is also the first to win the Memorial Cup before the world junior gold (and hopefully the last).

NEW SMILE

The world juniors be like that sometimes.

Down two teeth, up a gold medal #Isles pic.twitter.com/z9h2omwnTF

— Nicole Shirman (@nicolefshirman) August 22, 2022

THE NEXT POIRIER

Justin Poirier, the younger brother of Sea Dogs defenseman Jeremie Poirier, will officially be joining the Baie-Comeau Drakkar this season.

‼️Justin Poirier est officiellement un Drakkar‼️

Justin a reçu la confirmation qu'il commencera la saison à Baie-Comeau! 🎉

Bienvenue à bord Justin! 👏#RamonsEnsemble pic.twitter.com/rwfMFsr5sx

— 🦀Drakkar de Baie-Comeau🦀 (@DrakkarBAC) August 24, 2022

The younger Poirier, who is a forward and won't turn 16 until next month, had 33 goals and 49 points in 37 games in the Quebec under-18 circuit last season. The Drakkar selected Poirier with the fourth overall pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft,

GAGNE SIGNS WITH KOMETS

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Benjamin Gagne has signed with "UNB south," better known as the ECHL's Fort Wayne Komets

Gagné (@22BGagne) is a @UNBAthletics product, playing the previous three seasons with the Reds. The 6’0 defender also played with Drummondville, Québec, and Saint John in the QMJHL, logging 299 games and accumulating 105 points. pic.twitter.com/UKYWmQX6RG

— Fort Wayne Komets (@FWKomets) August 22, 2022

Gagne becomes the latest Reds alumnus to sign with the Komets. The 23-year-old has spent the past three seasons with Gardiner MacDougall's club.

Gagne spent the second half of the 2018-19 season with the Sea Dogs, recording four goals and 12 assists in 30 games.

PARE SIGNS WITH NAILERS

Former Sea Dogs forward Cedric Pare has signed with the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers.

"Cedric is a player who really solidifies our center position," said Nailers head coach Derek Army in a news release. "He is a big, mobile player, who can score and is strong on faceoffs. He played all of last year in the AHL, so we are looking forward to him bringing that experience here, and being a great fit for our team, just as his brother is."

Pare, 23, appeared in 41 AHL games with the Belleville Senators last season, recording four goals and six assists. He spent the 2020-21 campaign in the ECHL with the Utah Grizzlies where he registered 40 points in 67 games as a rookie.

A former draft pick of the Boston Bruins, Pare spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs, helping the club win the President Cup in 2017.

GALLANT IS BACK

Sea Dogs legend Brett Gallant is returning to the American Hockey League's Cleveland Monsters for another season.

🚨 ROSTER UPDATE 🚨

Guys, this is not a drill - 𝗚𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞!!! https://t.co/Cb0OdsBBM1 pic.twitter.com/0uZCJp4mW8

— Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) August 23, 2022

From the Monsters' press release:

A 6’0”, 192 lb. left-shooting native of Summerside, PE, Gallant, 33, ranks among the Monsters’ all-time leaders in penalty minutes (629, 1st) and games played (275, 2nd), and helped the Monsters claim the 2016 Calder Cup. In four career NHL appearances for the New York Islanders in 2013-14, Gallant registered 17 penalty minutes and an even rating and added 20-14-34 with 1,491 penalty minutes and a -66 rating in 463 career AHL appearances for the Syracuse Crunch, Bridgeport Islanders, and the Monsters spanning parts of 13 seasons from 2009-22.

Gallant spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs, including the inaugural 2005-06 campaign. He's one of the few players from that 2005-06 roster still playing high level hockey.

OTHER THINGS

• The QMJHL's regular season begins in less than one month (Sept. 22). Saint John's first game is at TD Station on Sept. 24 against the Titan.
• Raivis Ansons, who is expected to play in the AHL this season, was named the No. 12 prospect in the Pittsburgh Penguins system by PensBurgh.
• In a review of the Calgary Flames' pipeline, Corey Pronman of The Athletic lists Jeremie Poirier in the "has a chance to play" in the NHL category.
• Pronman has William Dufour ranked as the No. 2 under-23 player in the New York Islanders' system. "Dufour projects as a second-line winger with a chance to be a major value pick by the Islanders in the mid rounds," writes Pronman.
• The Cape Breton Eagles are trying to find ways to increase attendance this season, reports CTV Atlantic.
• The WHL's Portland Winterhawks, who rebranded their logo last summer, have new jerseys.

"The new uniforms and logo were created to provide the Winterhawks with a distinct identity"

After kicking off our rebrand last summer, we're proud to wrap it up with the unveiling of our new primary uniforms.

LEARN MORE » https://t.co/d3CO51na1Y pic.twitter.com/Oc1QO2ti38

— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) August 24, 2022