Sunday, September 25, 2022

Notebook: Banner's up in Shawinigan

Shawinigan Cataractes Twitter
BATHURST - There's a new jumbo banner hanging in Shawinigan.

The Cataractes unveiled their 2022 President Cup championship banner before their season opener on Thursday. This is Shawinigan's first QMJHL title, and the large banner is hanging beside the equally large 2012 Memorial Cup championship banner.


The Cataractes defeated the Gatineau Olympiques 4-3 in overtime on Thursday.

The Edmonton Oil Kings, meanwhile, raised their 2022 WHL championship banner this weekend.
The Saint John Sea Dogs will hold a banner raising ceremony to celebrate their Memorial Cup victory prior to Saturday's home game against the Moncton Wildcats.

PRESS CONFERENCE
A few notes from commissioner Gilles Courteau's annual pre-season press conference, via Stephane Leroux: the normal playoff format is returning (fingers crossed, of course); the league hopes to have an in-person draft in June; and there is more to come on the potential sale of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in December.
The league also announced several new measures to "prevent problematic behaviours."

WHAT A YEAR
You ever sit back and think about what a wild 12 months we all experienced?
GARDINER NEWS
UNB Reds and former Sea Dogs head coach Gardiner MacDougall has been named head coach of Canada's men's team for the the 2023 FISU World University Games.

“This is a special lifetime opportunity and privilege to represent U SPORTS at this world championship,” said MacDougall in a Reds news release. “Events such as this bring out the very best in both our student-athletes and coaches, and we look forward to helping create a special high-performance journey of growth and achievement for our team.”

MacDougall previously coached Canadian teams at the 2007 and 2013 University Games.

The event takes place Jan. 12-22, 2023 in Lake Placid, New York.

In other Gardiner news, the Sea Dogs announced (prior to the postponement of Saturday's home opener) that they'll be releasing a very unique and limited edition sweater.
PREDICTIONS
Expectations are low for the Sea Dogs heading into the season.


IMPRESSIVE START
What a debut for Justin Poirier, the younger brother of Sea Dogs defenseman Jeremie Poirier.

The 16-year-old forward, who was selected fourth overall in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft, recorded a hat trick in his debut, helping the Baie-Comeau Drakkar defeat the Rimouski Oceanic 7-1 on Saturday.


The list of players who recorded a hat trick in their first career QMJHL game is pretty short.
OTHER THINGS
  • Former Sea Dogs forward Alex Drover recorded an assist in his first career WHL game, helping the Medicine Hat Tigers hammer the Lethbridge Hurricanes 9-1 on Saturday. The 20-year-old finished the game with a +1 rating, one shot on goal and 5/8 in the faceoff circle.
  • Whitehorse native Gavin McKenna, the first overall pick in this year's WHL draft, recorded four assists in his debut with the Tigers.
  • 18-year-old forward Alpha Barry, who the Sea Dogs acquired in a deal with the Victoriaville Tigres in August, has joined the QJHL's Valleyfield Braves, La Voix Regionale reports. Barry has been held pointless but has collected 12 penalty minutes in two games with the Braves. Barry skated in 49 contests with the Tigres last season.
  • 18-year-old Toronto defenseman Ryan Pryce, who attended Sea Dogs training camp as a free agent invite, has joined the OJHL's Georgetown Raiders. Pryce played in 43 games with the OHL's Sarnia Sting last season.
  • The CHL website writes about some well-known QMJHL players playing in different places this season. That includes 20-year-old forward Josh Lawrence, who is playing in Blainville-Boisbriand after four years in Saint John.
  • Lawrence was held pointless in his first two games with the Armada over the weekend. The Armada visit TD Station on Dec. 7.
  • Les2Rives.com has a story on Alexis Cournoyer making the Sea Dogs' roster. The 19-year-old appeared in just one career QMJHL game before this season and spent last year with the MHL's Grand Falls Rapids.
  • La Tribune has a story on Sherbrooke Phoenix forward Israel Mianscum, who was rumoured to be coming to Saint John in a trade involving Peter Reynolds. That deal, obviously, never happened.
  • The Ontario Hockey League doesn't begin its regular season until Thursday.
  • Quite a few teams around the CHL have announced helmet ads, including the Shawinigan Cataractes (Ford) and Acadie-Bathurst Titan (Pür & Simple).
  • The Baie-Comeau Drakkar had 2,463 fans attend their season opener on Saturday, one of the biggest crowds in years at the Henry Leonard Centre. There were long lines at the concessions due to a mechanical issue and labour shortages, the team explained on Facebook.
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