Alumdate: It's been quite a season for Sea Dogs alumni in the AHL

AHL

It's been an eventful year for Saint John Sea Dogs alumni in the American Hockey League.

While the highlight has to be Matthew Highmore earning an invite to this week's AHL All-Star Classic in Laval, it's been an impressive year for several Sea Dogs alumni - especially those who are first-year pros.

William Dufour, who has appeared in one game with the New York Islanders this season, sits 11th in AHL rookie scoring with 28 points in 44 games with the Bridgeport Islanders. He also sits fifth in rookie goals with 15.

Offensive defenseman Jeremie Poirier, meanwhile, has carried his scoring touch to the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers. Poirier sits in a tie for the rookie defenseman scoring lead with 26 points in 41 games, which also places him 14th in overall rookie scoring. Poirier also sits third in assists by rookies with 22.

Dufour and Poirier join Yan Kuznetsov (Calgary Wranglers), Vincent Sevigny (Bridgeport Islanders), Philippe Daoust (Belleville Senators), William Villeneuve (Toronto Marlies), Riley Bezeau (Charlotte Checkers), Raivis Ansons (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins) and Ryan Francis (Laval Rocket) as members of Saint John's 2022 Memorial Cup championship team to appear in AHL games this season.

The AHL's all-star break comes to an end on Friday. Here's a look at how Sea Dogs alumni performed in the first half.

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Matthew Highmore	SPR	45	11	33	44
William Dufour	BRI	44	15	13	28
Jeremie Poirier	CGY	41	4	22	26
Vincent Sevigny	BRI	34	4	11	15
Spencer Smallman	COL	38	7	6	13
William Villeneuve	TOR	33	2	11	13
Cedric Pare	BEL/COL	25	5	7	12
Yan Kuznetsov	CGY	36	2	9	11
Bokondji Imama	TUC	29	4	6	10
Philippe Daoust	BEL	9	2	5	7
Riley Bezeau	CLT	31	3	2	5
Brett Gallant	CLE	15	3	0	3
Raivis Ansons	WBS	32	1	2	3
Julien Gauthier	HFD	4	2	0	2
Oliver Cooper	CHI	8	2	0	2
Nathan Beaulieu	SD	4	1	0	1
Samuel Dove-McFalls	BAK	10	1	0	1
Ryan Francis	LAV	4	0	1	1
Matt Murphy	IA	3	0	0	0
Olivier Leblanc	CLE	7	0	0	0

A few things worth noting:

• Daoust has missed most of the season with an injury.
• Callum Booth (Coachella Valley Firebirds) is the only Sea Dogs goaltender to appear in an AHL game this season. He has played in two games with the Seattle Kraken affiliate.
• Francis (Trois-Rivieres Lions), Booth (Kansas City Mavericks), Olivier Cooper (Fort Wayne Komets), Matt Murphy (Iowa Heartlanders), Samuel Dove-McFalls (Fort Wayne Komets), Cedric Pare (Wheeling Nailers) and Olivier Leblanc (Kalamazoo Wings) have all spent quite a bit of time in the ECHL this season.
• Gauthier (New York Rangers) and Beaulieu (Anaheim Ducks) have spent most of the season in the NHL.
• At the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday night, Highmore participated in the puck control relay, fastest skater competition (13.904) and the breakaway relay. The next day he had three assists for the Atlantic Division in the AHL All-Star Challenge. 

and that’ll do it for AHL All Star Weekend! ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/gnB2TkurpM

— Springfield Thunderbirds (@ThunderbirdsAHL) February 7, 2023

In the quest for the Calder Cup, the Wranglers are tied with the Firebirds at the top of the AHL standings. The Marlies, meanwhile, are third in the Eastern Conference and fifth overall.