Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Acadie-Bathurst 4, Saint John 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs suffered a third straight loss on Sunday, falling 4-2 to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Justin Robinson made 36 saves as the Titan outshot the Sea Dogs 40-27. Noah Reinhart and Coen Miller scored for Saint John.

Joseph Henneberry scored a pair of goals for Bathurst while Milo Roelens and Bobby Orr added singles. Colby Huggan had two assists. Antoine Keller made 25 saves in the win.

The Sea Dogs are now 0-3 since returning from the Christmas break — which coincides with the trading of captain Peter Reynolds.

Saint John heads into 2024 with a 13-18-3-2 record for 31 points, placing them ninth in the Eastern Conference and 15th overall in the QMJHL.

Game Day 36: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs close out 2023 with a home game against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan this afternoon.

It's been a rough start to the second half for Saint John, falling 10-3 to the Cape Breton Eagles on Thursday and 7-2 to the Moncton Wildcats last night.

The Sea Dogs return home today for a New Year's Eve 2 p.m. start. This is Saint John's first home game since Dec. 9.

Country artist Robyn Ottolini will be performing at the game.

Don't miss the Nashville New Year's Eve pre-show and Happy Hour with country singer Riley Taylor!

TD Station doors open at 12:30pm on Sunday with $5 beer and caesars until 1:30pm.

🎟️: https://t.co/LvsBJIdk9O#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/hvAZd4eT6a

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) December 29, 2023

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 13-17-3-2 for 31 points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Titan are 16-17-1-2 for 35 points (fourth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/10th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-2 loss in Moncton last night. Pavel Simek and Mathis Gauthier scored Saint John's lone goals. Patrick Leaver made 30 saves in the loss. The Titan are coming off a 7-3 win over the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday. Ty Higgins, Matthew McRae, Joseph Henneberry, Igor Mburanumwe, Blake Pilgrim-Edwards, Milo Roelens and Dawson Sharkey scored for Bathurst. Joshua Fleming made 23 saves in the win.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 7-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Moncton 7

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs were on the wrong side of a lopsided score for a second straight game on Saturday.

The Moncton Wildcats pulled away from the Sea Dogs in the second period en route to 7-2 victory at Avenir Centre. The game followed a similar script to Thursday's 10-3 Sea Dogs loss, which saw the Cape Breton Eagles pull away after a close opening frame.

Pavel Simek opened the scoring at 6:46 of the second period only to have the Wildcats score twice to take a 2-1 lead. Mathis Gauthier scored in the final minute of the frame to tie things up at 2-2. But Moncton would retake the lead in the second and never look back, scoring twice in the middle frame and adding three more in the third.

Olivier Boutin, Yoan Loshing, Oscar Plandowski, Thomas Auger, Preston Lounsbury, Shawn Carrier and Connor Trenholm all scored for Moncton. Rookie Caleb Desnoyers and affiliate Ryan Hackett each had three assists. Keegan Warren made 22 saves in the win.

Patrick Leaver played the entire game in net for Saint John, allowing seven goals on 37 shots in the loss.

Game Day 35: at Moncton

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs got their post-Christmas schedule off to a rough start on Thursday.

The Sea Dogs allowed six goals in the second period in a 10-3 loss to the Cape Breton Eagles. The final 40 minutes of that game weren't pretty — and the Sea Dogs will no doubt look to make some improvements tonight.

Saint John faces a Moncton Wildcats team tonight that also suffered a rough loss on Thursday. The Wildcats trailed 6-0 at one point in a 6-2 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Game time tonight at Avenir Centre is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 13-16-3-2 for 31 points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/14th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 21-8-2-2 for 46 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/fifth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 10-3 loss in Cape Breton on Thursday. Brody Fournier scored twice for Saint John while Kency Pierre-Noel added a single. Justin Robinson and Patrick Leaver each allowed five goals in the loss. The Wildcats are coming off a 6-2 loss in Bathurst on Thursday. Shawn Carrier and Etienne Morin scored for Moncton. Jacob Steinman allowed six goals on 32 shots in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 10-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Cape Breton 10

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SYDNEY, NS - A dominant second period pushed the Cape Breton Eagles to a 10-3 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Thursday at Centre 200.

In the first game back from the Christmas break for both teams, the Eagles broke a 1-1 first period tie by scoring six goals in the middle frame. It was all Eagles with shots 20-6 in favour of the home side.

The Eagles, the league's worst offensive team in the first half, showed off some depth with eight different players scoring in the win. Three goals came from Olivier Houde with singles coming from Cole Burbidge, Charles-Antoine Lavallee, Luke Patterson, Conor Shortall, Emile Ricard, Jude Campbell and Cam Squires.

Nicolas Ruccia made 23 saves in the win.

Newcomer Brody Fournier scored twice for Saint John along with Kency Pierre-Noel. Justin Robinson was pulled in the second period after allowing five goals on 22 shots. Patrick Leaver allowed five goals on 19 shots in relief.

You never really know what you're going to get from teams coming out of the Christmas break. This was a rough one for Saint John, one that they'll need to move on from quickly with back-to-back games coming up this weekend.

Game Day 34: at Cape Breton

SYDNEY, NS -  The Saint John Sea Dogs return to action tonight with a different look.

Captain and leading scorer Peter Reynolds was traded to the Halifax Mooseheads just before Christmas. In exchange for Reynolds, the Sea Dogs received overage forward Brody Fournier.

Fournier will likely be used in Saint John's top-six to help fill the void left by Reynolds, who was having a career best season offensively. Saint John will also be without forward Eriks Mateiko, who is playing with Latvia at the world juniors.

Forward Chad Bellemare, who had been a healthy scratch in Saint John's lineup of late, was also traded away.

This new-look Sea Dogs team will face their first test tonight, visiting the Cape Breton Eagles. The first game after Christmas is often an interesting one.

Game time is 7 p.m. at Centre 200.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 13-15-3-2 for 31 points (fourth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/12th QMJHL) while the Eagles are 17-16-1-0 for 35 points (third Maritimes/sixth Eastern/ninth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 overtime win in Halifax on Dec. 16. Peter Reynolds scored a pair of goals for Saint John while Noah Reinhart added a single. Justin Robinson made 26 saves in the win. The Eagles are coming off a 4-3 shootout win in Moncton on Dec. 16. Cam Squires, Luke Patterson and Cam MacDonald all scored for Cape Breton. Nicolas Ruccia made 25 saves in the win. 

Rough start for Mateiko, Latvia

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's been a rough start to the IIHF World Junior Championship for Eriks Mateiko and Team Latvia.

The Latvians are off to an 0-2 start, falling 6-0 to Sweden on Boxing Day and 10-0 to Team Canada on Wednesday. The good news for Latvia: the toughest games, on paper at least, are behind them. The team's two remaining preliminary round games will see them take on Finland (who fell to Germany on Wednesday) and the Germans.

Mateiko had one shot in 15:07 of ice time on Boxing Day. He followed that up with two shots in 18:16 of ice time against Team Canada.

Latvia is back in action on Friday against Finland.

The only other Saint John Sea Dogs connection at this year's tournament is equipment manager Tyler Jay, who is working with the Canadian squad. Canada is off to a 2-0 start following wins over Finland and Latvia.

Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko and equipment manager Tyler Jay facing off today at the #WorldJuniors 🙌#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/JwieB8Jair

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) December 27, 2023

The Spengler Cup is also underway with Team Canada kicking off the event with a 4-0 win over Frölunda HC on Boxing Day. The Canadian roster features three former Sea Dogs: forward Chris DiDomenico and defensemen Nathan Beaulieu and Eric Gelinas.

DiDomenico had an assist in Team Canada's first game. The squad returns to action on Thursday against host HC Davos.

Davos features former Sea Dogs forward Tomas Jurco. Beaulieu, Gelinas and Jurco were all members of Saint John's 2011 Memorial Cup championship team.

Three ex-Dogs named to Team Canada's Spengler Cup roster

Hockey Canada

Three former Saint John Sea Dogs will represent Canada at this year's Spengler Cup.

Forward Chris DiDomenico along with defensemen Nathan Beaulieu and Eric Gelinas were all named to Team Canada's roster for the annual event, which will take place Dec. 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland.

DiDomenico, who is playing with HC Fribourg-Gottéron in the Swiss National League this year, is no stranger to the Spengler Cup. The 34-year-old will be playing in his seventh Spengler. He's collected five goals and 10 assists in 22 career games at the event.

Beaulieu, who is playing with EHC Kloten of the National League, will be playing in his first Spengler Cup. The 31-year-old is playing overseas for the first time in his career.

Gelinas, who is with HC Ajoie of the National League, will also be playing in his first Spengler Cup. The 32-year-old has been playing overseas since the 2018-19 season.

Beaulieu and Gelinas were both part of Saint John's 2011 Memorial Cup championship team.

Canada's first game is on Boxing Day against Frolunda HC.

HC Davos, the host team, features former Sea Dogs forward Tomas Jurco — who was also part of that 2011 Saint John team.

Reynolds traded to Mooseheads

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads pulled off a major pre-Christmas trade on Friday evening.

The Sea Dogs traded overage captain and leading scorer Peter Reynolds to the Halifax Mooseheads in exchange for 20-year-old forward Brody Fournier and a 2025 first-round pick (Moncton).

The deal is... surprising but also not surprising. It seemed like if Reynolds was going anywhere, it would be Halifax. But there has been speculation that the Moose were looking at other overagers, which made this deal seem like a lower probability. But here we are — and now Reynolds has a shot at playing in another Memorial Cup.

Reynolds is having the best season of his QMJHL career, posting 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points in 32 games, placing him seventh in league scoring. Oddly enough, he scored twice — including the overtime winner — and added an assist in Saint John's win last Saturday in Halifax.

Champion. Captain. Sea Dog.

Thank you, Pete!#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/g4VuTGPnkZ

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) December 22, 2023

The Fredericton native was a second-round pick of Saint John in the 2019 QMJHL Entry Draft and joined the club for the 2020-21 season after opting to play junior hockey over college. He recorded 70 goals and 88 assists in 166 games with the Sea Dogs.

Reynolds will provide some needed offensive punch for the Mooseheads, which has been an issue for the club this season.

Fournier, a native of Lombardy, Ont., has spent the past two seasons with the Mooseheads after signing with the club as a free agent. He has 13 goals and 13 assists in 35 games with Halifax this year. He'll presumably slide into Saint John's top-six to fill the void left by Reynolds.

The Sea Dogs are back in action on Dec. 28 when they visit the Cape Breton Eagles. The Mooseheads host the Charlottetown Islanders the same night.

Saint John and Halifax meet again on Feb. 8 at Scotiabank Centre.

The QMJHL's trade deadline is Jan. 6.

Some numbers from the first half

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The biggest statistical story of the Saint John Sea Dogs' first half was no doubt the play of captain Peter Reynolds.

Reynolds enters the holiday break sitting seventh in league scoring with 44 points, placing him just seven points back Mathieu Cataford, the league-leader. The overage forward leads the Sea Dogs in goals (20) and assists (24).

Reynolds has matched his career high for points in a season (which was set last year while appearing in just 43 games) and has already set a new career high for goals (previous high was 18, set in 2021-22).

Vince Elie's offensive contributions has likely been the biggest surprise. Elie has already surpassed his 2022-23 totals for points (he has 33 this season), goals (14) and assists (19). His consistency has allowed the Sea Dogs to have two fairly solid scoring lines.

Here's a look at a few other stats from the first half, beginning with some team numbers.

• The Sea Dogs have a 13-15-3-2 record for 31 points, placing them fourth in the Maritimes Division, seventh in the Eastern Conference and 12th in the QMJHL.
• Saint John's disappointing home record of 6-9-2-1 is one of the reasons why they sit below .500 at the break. The Sea Dogs have the fewest home wins in the QMJHL. They are 7-6-1-1 on the road.
•  Saint John is 2-3 in overtime and 0-2 in shootouts.
• The Dogs are 8-4-3-0 when scoring first.
• Record against each division:
• Maritimes: 9-8-2-2
• East: 2-2-1-0
• West: 2-3-0-0
• Central: 0-2-0-0
• Saint John's power play (16.5%) ranks 15th while their penalty kill (76%) is also 15th.
• Goals for-goals against by period:
• First: 29-35
• Second: 35-46
• Third: 40-40
• Saint John is averaging 3.17 goals per game (11th best) and 3.77 goals against per game (15th best). They are also averaging 28.31 shots per game (13th) and 32.05 shots against per game (15th).
• The Sea Dogs have outshot opponents just 10 times this season.
• The Sea Dogs had just two shots in a second period on Nov. 25 (a 4-0 loss to Rouyn-Noranda), placing them in a tie for the fewest shots in a second period this season.

Gallant, Kelly named honourary coaches for CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Only four players from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League have been named to the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game — and Saint John Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko was not one of them.

Defensemen Spencer Gill (Rimouski) and Tomas Lavoie (Cape Breton) along with forwards Raoul Boilard (Baie-Comeau) and Maxim Masse (Chicoutimi) were the only QMJHL players named to the event's roster, which will take place Jan. 24 at Moncton's Avenir Centre.

The 18-year-old Mateiko, who will likely play a key role for Latvia at this year's World Junior Hockey Championship, has 15 goals and 15 assists in 28 games with the Sea Dogs.

Another notable omission was Baie-Comeau forward Justin Poirier, who enters the holiday break as the QMJHL's league leader in goals (25 in 34 games).

The full roster can be found here.

There will be a couple Sea Dogs connections behind the bench. Former Sea Dogs head coaches Gerard Gallant and Mike Kelly have both been named honourary coaches for the event.

Gallant will be part of Dan Lacroix's (Moncton) Team Red staff while Kelly will join Jim Hulton's (Charlottetown) Team White.

Sea Dogs acquire Miller from Phoenix

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs made one of the first deals of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League trading period on Sunday, acquiring 17-year-old forward Coen Miller from the Sherbrooke Phoenix.

In exchange for Miller, the Sea Dogs sent 17-year-old forward Chad Bellemare and a 10th-round pick in the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft to the Phoenix.

Miller is in his first QMJHL season, posting two goals and three assists in 18 games with Sherbrooke. He was a third-round pick of the Phoenix in 2022.

The Bedford, NS native split last season between the under-18 Cole Harbour Wolfpack and the MHL's South Shore Lumberjacks. Miller posted a solid 14 goals and 12 assists in 23 games with the Lumberjacks.

Bellemare, meanwhile, skated in 24 games with the Sea Dogs during the first half, recording five assists. He also appeared in two games with the club last season.

A fourth-round pick of Saint John in 2022, Bellemare has exceptional speed and skating but hasn't quite found his finish at the QMJHL level. He was a healthy scratch the past few games — presumably in anticipation of this deal.

The Sea Dogs visit Sherbrooke on Feb. 25.

The QMJHL's holiday trade period ends on Jan. 6.

The QMJHL's trade period has begun

The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League trade period opened on Sunday.

It's an intriguing year for the Saint John Sea Dogs in that it could be eventful or could be quite quiet. It's obvious that the Sea Dogs would have interest in acquiring younger players and draft picks but, at the same time, they aren't under a huge amount of pressure to deal players away given their ages.

“I hope to acquire some draft picks, get younger and remain competitive,” Sea Dogs general manager Anthony Stella recently told The Hockey News. “Our goal is to keep playing entertaining hockey, continue to be in every single game. We’re committed to win another championship.”

The biggest question mark for the Sea Dogs is overage captain Peter Reynolds, who is having a career best season and sits seventh in league scoring. The decision to stay or go is ultimately up to Reynolds and there are only a select few contending teams that may be looking for an overage upgrade.

There are certainly a number of Saint John players other teams may be interested in acquiring but, again, given their ages, the Sea Dogs aren't under a huge amount of pressure to make deals. But if something like this summer's Cole Burbidge trade comes up, we could see some activity.

The other area to keep an eye on is playing time. The Sea Dogs may look to create some space for players like Egan Beveridge, Matthew MacLean and Benjamin Amyot so they can play more crucial minutes in the second half.

The Sea Dogs are back in action on Dec. 28 when they visit the Cape Breton Eagles. The QMJHL's trade period ends on Jan. 6.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 3, Halifax 2 (OT)

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs are heading into the holiday break with a victory.

Peter Reynolds scored on a power play at 3:54 of overtime to give the Sea Dogs a 3-2 victory over the Halifax Mooseheads at Scotiabank Centre on Saturday night. The victory comes a night after the Mooseheads edged the Sea Dogs 5-4 in overtime.

Saint John controlled much of the play on Friday and were unfortunate not to come away with a win. Play on Saturday was much more even. Saint John led 2-0 after one but the Mooseheads scored twice in the middle frame to even things up. Shots ended 28-28.

Reynolds scored a pair of goals for Saint John, giving him 20 on the season. Noah Reinhart also connected while Joseph Ianniello added two assists. Justin Robinson made 26 saves in the win.

Reece Peitzsche and Brody Fournier scored for Halifax. Jack Milner made 25 saves in the loss.

The win gives the Sea Dogs a 13-15-3-2 record at the break. They head home on a 2-0-1-0 run.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-4 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 4, Halifax 5 (OT)

HALIFAX - Despite heavily outshooting the Halifax Mooseheads for parts of the game, the Saint John Sea Dogs fell 5-4 in overtime on Friday at Scotiabank Centre.

Brady Schultz netted the winner at 3:19 of overtime to give the Mooseheads the extra point and end a two-game losing streak. Mathieu Cataford scored a hat trick for Halifax while Ethan Larmand also added a single. Jack Milner made 34 stops in the win.

Jacob Beaulieu, Egan Beveridge, Kency Pierre-Noel and Vince Elie scored for Saint John. Patrick Leaver made 16 saves in the loss.

Saint John outshot Halifax 38-21 overall, which included 17-4 in the third period. But Saint John could never pull away from the Mooseheads, who stayed within a goal of the Sea Dogs or led. This felt like a game the Sea Dogs let slip away from them.

Despite outshooting the Mooseheads 9-4 in the opening frame, the Sea Dogs trailed 2-1 after one. Beaulieu opened the scoring at 9:40 but Cataford scored twice — once on a power play and another shortly after a man advantage ended — to give the home side the lead.

At 11:53 of the second, the Sea Dogs tied the game again when Beveridge converted. Just under two minutes later, Larmand put in a rebound to once again put Halifax in front.

The Sea Dogs would tie things up and head into the dressing room with a 3-3 tie. At 18:06, Pierre-Noel flew through Halifax's defense and beat Milner with a deke, netting yet another beautiful goal.

Elie put in a rebound at 7:48 of the third to give Saint John a 4-3 lead. The Sea Dogs controlled much of the third, outshooting the Mooseheads 17-2 at the final commercial break of the period. But not long after play resumed, a Cataford shot went off Elie's stick, through some traffic and past Leaver to make it a 4-4 game.

In overtime, Schultz won the game at 3:19, speeding down the wing, cutting in front and beating Leaver upstairs to make it a 5-4 final.

Game Day 32 & 33: at Halifax

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs conclude the first half of the season this weekend in Halifax.

The Sea Dogs take on the Halifax Mooseheads Friday and Saturday night at Scotiabank Centre. Following Saint John's Saturday game, the team won't be in action again until Dec 28.

The Mooseheads sit second overall in the Quebec MARITIMES Hockey League but are just 3-5-2-0 in their last 10 games and have dropped two straight. They remain without three key players — Jordan Dumais, Jake Furlong and Mathis Rousseau — due to the world juniors.

Both games start at 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 12-15-2-2 for 28 points (fifth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/13th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 21-9-3-0 for 45 points (first Maritimes/second Eastern/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 win over the Mooseheads on Saturday at TD Station. Peter Reynolds, Danny Akkouche and Noah Reinhart scored for Saint John. Patrick Leaver made 13 saves in the win. The Mooseheads are coming off an 8-4 home loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Wednesday. Liam Kilfoil, Owen Phillips, Mathieu Cataford and Jake Todd all scored for Halifax. Jack Milner allowed seven goals on 27 shots while Sam Madgett allowed a goal on nine shots.

QMJHL changes name to include Maritimes

In a move that seemingly came out of nowhere, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is no more.

The league announced a major rebrand on Thursday, renaming itself to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and introducing an English-specific logo. The name change means the acronym "QMJHL" in English and "LHJMQ" in French remain the same.

From the QMJHL's news release:

By doing so, the League wished to specifically incorporate the Maritimes within the League’s brand identity. Most teams in the Maritimes Division have been integral members of major junior hockey in Eastern Canada for over 20 years, significantly contributing to the League’s success since the expansion of the “Q” out East.

“Recognizing the immeasurable contributions of our six Maritimes-based franchises to the growth of our League has been of paramount importance since I have taken on the role of Commissioner,” commented Mario Cecchini. “Out of respect for our clubs in the Maritimes and their fans, it has been a priority for me to include them in the name of the League. The vote to change the designation was unanimous.”

This is one of the first major moves by new commissioner Marion Cecchini. This has been a topic of discussion amongst fans and media for many years but never seemed to have a lot of traction at the league level. 

The timing of this decision is a bit odd. This is a move that should have been done many years ago, but to change it mid-season is not something you see too often. The banner on the league's website has already been adjusted.

Seven QMJHL players make Team Canada

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Seven players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League have cracked Team Canada's roster for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship in Sweden.

The list is headlined by three members of the Halifax Mooseheads: forward Jordan Dumais, defenseman Jake Furlong and goaltender Mathis Rousseau. Forward Markus Vidicek attended camp but was one of the players cut on Wednesday.

Another headliner is Gatineau Olympiques defenseman Tristan Lunaeu, who has been with the NHL's Anaheim Ducks to start the season. Most NHL players who join Team Canada are returned to junior following the tournament — and he will be a huge trade piece if that is the case.

Here's a look at the seven players from the QMJHL to make the team.

Goaltenders (2)

Mathis Rousseau (Halifax Mooseheads) 

Samuel St-Hilaire (Sherbrooke Phoenix)

Defencemen (4)

Jake Furlong (Halifax Mooseheads) 

Maveric Lamoureux (Drummondville Voltigeurs) 

Tristan Luneau (Gatineau Olympiques) 

Noah Warren (Victoriaville Tigres) 

Forwards (1) 

Jordan Dumais (Halifax Mooseheads)

Eight players from the WHL and five from the OHL made the team. Two NCAA players also made the squad. 

Canada will play three pre-tournament games before opening the event on Boxing Day against Finland.

Rimouski to host 2025 Memorial Cup

The Memorial Cup is heading back to Rimouski.

The Canadian Hockey League announced Monday that the Rimouski Oceanic have been awarded the hosting rights to the 2025 tournament. The city previously hosted in 2009.

“We are very excited to be coming back to Québec, in the city of Rimouski for the 105th edition of the Memorial Cup,” said Dan MacKenzie, president of the CHL, in a news release. “I want to express my gratitude for the work and time dedicated by our selection committee, who were presented with two very strong bids. I’d like to thank the Shawinigan Cataractes for putting forward an outstanding bid and making the decision by the committee extremely difficult. On behalf of the Canadian Hockey League, we are looking forward to working with the Océanic organization and the city of Rimouski to put together what will be a memorable event in 2025.”

It's the first time the Memorial Cup will be hosted in Quebec since 2015 in Quebec City. Halifax hosted in 2019 and Saint John in 2022.

The only other team to bid on the 2025 event was the Shawinigan Cataractes, who previously hosted in 2012. The Moncton Wildcats opted not to bid after seemingly being told it would go to a Quebec city.

The event is still a ways in the future, but this decision could have a big impact on the upcoming QMJHL trade period. With Rimouski locked in as host and Shawinigan no longer in the running, both team's now know their priorities heading into the trade window.

The 2024 Memorial Cup will be hosted by the OHL's Saginaw Spirit. The WHL's Kamloops Blazers hosted the 2023 event.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-2

FINAL: Halifax 2, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Noah Reinhart scored with 1:48 remaining in regulation time to give the Saint John Sea Dogs a 3-2 win over the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday night at TD Station.

Reinhart redirected a Nate Tivey shot past Mooseheads goaltender Jack Milner not long after Saint John had failed to convert on a power play. The goal gave Saint John their first lead of the night.

The Sea Dogs were able to take advantage of a Mooseheads team missing some key players. Shots ended 29-15 in favour of Saint John and 11-4 Sea Dogs in the third period alone. Halifax has struggled to generate secondary scoring of late and that was even more evident with Jordan Dumais and Markus Vidicek both out of the lineup.

Mathieu Cataford opened the scoring at 16:03 of the second period but the Sea Dogs quickly responded with Peter Reynolds connecting at 16:44.

Liam Kilfoil put Halifax back in front at 4:01 of the third but Danny Akkouche, who was a healthy scratch last night, tied things up again at 14:35.

Patrick Leaver made 13 saves in the win while Milner made 26 in the loss.

The win ended a three-game losing streak for the Sea Dogs, who have just two games remaining before the holiday break.

Game Day 31: vs Mooseheads

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are about to see a whole lot of the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Sea Dogs play the Mooseheads three straight times to close out the first half of the season. The two meet tonight at 7 p.m. at TD Station and again next Friday and Saturday in Halifax.

Tonight will be Saint John's final home game until New Year's Eve. It hasn't been a great first half for the Dogs on home ice, posting a 5-9-2-1 record. They are tied with the Shawinigan Cataractes for the fewest home wins in the league.

The Mooseheads, meanwhile, have been struggling of late and are just 5-3-2-0 in their last 10 games. They'll soon be missing several key players due to Team Canada world junior selection camp.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 11-15-2-2 for 26 points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/14th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 21-7-3-0 for 45 points (first Maritimes/second Eastern/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 loss in Charlottetown last night. Darien Reynolds, Luka Benoit and Pavel Simek all scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 18 saves in the loss. The Mooseheads are coming off a 5-4 overtime win over the Gatineau Olympiques last night. Mathieu Cataford netted a hat trick while Markus Vidicek and Jordan Dumais also scored. Jack Milner made 20 saves in the win.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Charlottetown 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs came up just short in a 4-3 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday at Eastlink Centre.

Islanders netminder Aksels Ozols made 34 saves in a first star performance. The Sea Dogs outshot the Islanders 37-22 in the game.

Kyle Powers, Michael Horth, Matthew Butler and Ross Campbell all scored for Charlottetown, who pushed ahead of Saint John in the standings with the victory.

Darien Reynolds — in his first QMJHL game — along with Luka Benoit and Pavel Simek all scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 18 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs have now dropped three straight games with three games remaining — all against the Halifax Mooseheads — before the holiday break.

Game Day 30: at Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN - Coming off a rough loss to one of the league's best teams on Wednesday, the Saint John Sea Dogs will look to rebound tonight against the Charlottetown Islanders.

The Sea Dogs had strung together some solid performances ahead of Wednesday's match with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. But it wasn't a pretty showing in a 6-1 loss, a defeat the Sea Dogs will no doubt try and improve upon tonight.

This is just the third meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Islanders, who each have 29 points and are fairly close in most statistical categories.

Game time tonight is 7:30 p.m. at Eastlink Centre.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 11-14-2-2 for 26 points (fifth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/13th QMJHL) while the Islanders are 12-16-1-1 for 26 points (fifth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/13th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-1 loss to the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Wednesday. Mathis Gauthier scored Saint John's lone goal. Patrick Leaver made 33 saves in the loss. The Islanders are coming off a 7-4 win over the Gatineau Olympiques last night. Michael Horth netted a hat trick while singles came from Kyle Powers, Ross Campbell, Lucas Romeo and Cole Huckins. Carter Bickle made 28 stops in the win.

Sea Dogs sign free agent Reynolds; Nationals acquire Woods

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs made a roster on Thursday, signing free agent forward Darien Reynolds.

If Reynolds' name sounds familiar, he attended Sea Dogs training camp this year. The team said he "voluntarily left camp" and was among the Aug. 28 cuts.

“We’re really happy to announce the addition of Darien today as we continue to build for the future,” said Sea Dogs general manager Anthony Stella in a release. “He adds size and physicality to our lineup. We’re excited to get started and see where his development takes him.”

Reynolds has been playing at Stanstead College in Quebec. Elite Prospects has him recording two goals and five assists in eight games this year.

The 17-year-old had 17 goals and 18 assists in 32 games with the under-18 Sydney Rush last season. He also appeared in one MHL game with the Amherst Ramblers.

As Stella noted, Reynolds is a fairly big body. He's listed at 6'3" and 190 lbs.

It's an interesting time of year as a number of teams will bring in players to see what works and what doesn't before the QMJHL's trade deadline in early January. Saint John could also be without two forwards soon because of the World Junior Hockey Championship: Eriks Mateiko and Pavel Simek.

While Reynolds has been added to Saint John's active roster, Francis Woods no longer appears on it. Woods only appeared in five games with Saint John, recording two assists. The CCHL's Rockland Nationals announced earlier this week that they had acquired the rights to the forward.

The Nationals are extremely pleased to announce that they have acquired the rights to 2005 Forward Francis Woods from the @SJSeaDogs of the QMJHL.

The 6’3” 215 pound Gatineau native has spent the majority of the past 3 seasons with the Val D’Or Foreurs and Saint John Sea Dogs. pic.twitter.com/ZMDKTt7Bw4

— Rockland Nationals (@RocklandNatsJrA) December 6, 2023

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-1

FINAL: Drummondville 6, Saint John 1

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - It was a rough night for the Saint John Sea Dogs at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs struggled to generate offense all night long in a 6-1 loss to the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Saint John registered just 18 shots in the game with 11 being classified as dangerous.

Saint John's lone goal came in the second period when Mathis Gauthier put in a big rebound. That made it 3-1 at the time. It never really felt like Saint John was in the game despite the score staying somewhat close in the first half of the match.

While it wasn't a great showing by the Sea Dogs — you have to respect the team they were playing. The Volts have been rolling of late and looked quite good at both ends of the ice. The team has now won five straight and sits first in the Western Conference.

Vsevolod Komarov, Luke Woodworth, Maveric Lamoureux, Mikael Diotte, Justin Cote and Renaud Poulin all scored for Drummondville. Backup netminder Louis-Felix Charrois made 17 saves in the win.

Patrick Leaver made 33 stops in the loss.

Game Day 29: vs Voltigeurs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs face an unfamiliar foe tonight at TD Station.

For the first time this season, the Sea Dogs will take on the Drummondville Voltigeurs. It's been just over a year (Dec. 3, 2022) since these two last met.

After a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, the Voltigeurs have a strong roster of veteran players led by the likes of Tyler Peddle, Luke Woodworth, Ethan Gauthier and many others. The Volts currently sit first in the Western Conference and third overall in the QMJHL.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, a loss that ended a three-game winning streak.

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

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 11-13-2-2 for 26 points (fifth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/13th QMJHL) while the Voltigeurs are 17-8-3-1 for 38 points (first Central/first Western/third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Sunday. Eriks Mateiko scored Saint John's lone goal. Justin Robinson made 25 saves in the win. The Voltigeurs are coming off a big 10-3 home win over the Quebec Remparts on Sunday. Ethan Gauthier had a hat trick; Lukas Landry and Sam Oliver each scored twice; and singles came from Tyler Peddle, Drew Elliott and Loic Goyette. Riley Mercer made 16 saves in the win.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 2-1 (OT)

FINAL: Chicoutimi 2, Saint John 1 (OT)

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs' winning streak came to an end on Sunday — but it wasn't for lack of trying.

The Sea Dogs dropped a closely contested, hard fourth and entertaining game 2-1 in overtime to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens at TD Station.

Eriks Mateiko scored Saint John's only goal. Chicoutimi netminder Raphael Precourt was excellent in the Sagueneens crease, stopping several excellent Saint John scoring chances. Precourt made 27 saves in the win.

Justin Robinson made 25 stops in the loss.

Samuel Vachon and Thomas Desruisseaux scored for Chicoutimi, who had a three-game losing streak come to an end.

Both meetings between these two went to overtime this season with each squad winning once.

After a scoreless opening period, it was beginning to look like the Sea Dogs may never crack Precourt. Finally at 16:05 of the second and Precourt caught out of position following a scramble, Mateiko opened the scoring to make it 1-0 Saint John. The goal was reviewed while the teddy bears were cleaned off the ice but it was declared a goal.

The Sagueneens quickly tied it back up though. At 17:44, Vachon ripped a shot past Robinson to make it 1-1 heading into the third.

Chicoutimi, who entered the game with the league's best power play, had two man advantages in the third period but couldn't score on either. The game would require extra time with shots just 8-5 in favour of Saint John in the final frame.

In overtime, Desruisseaux had the puck and cut through the crease, sliding it into an open cage to give Chicoutimi the extra point.

Game Day 28: vs Sagueneens

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs look to keep rolling this afternoon.

The Sea Dogs have won three straight games and are coming off a 6-3 home win over the Cape Breton Eagles last night. Saint John trailed 2-0 early but improved as the game went along.

Saint John hosts a Sagueneens team that got roughed up, 8-2, in Moncton last night. The Sags carry a three-game losing streak into today's match.

Today's contest also includes the team's annual Teddy Bear Toss and intermission performances from a Michael Buble impersonator. Game time is 3 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 11-13-1-2 for 25 points (fourth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/12th QMJHL) while the Sagueneens are 13-12-2-2 for 30 points (third East/fifth Eastern/ninth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-3 win over the Cape Breton Eagles last night. Matteo Mann, Reid Calder, Noah Reinhart, Kency Pierre-Noel, Eriks Mateiko and Mathis Gauthier all scored for Saint John. Patrick Leaver made 33 saves in the win. The Sagueneens are coming off an 8-2 loss in Moncton last night. Emmanuel Vermette and Jonathan Prud'homme scored for Chicoutimi. Raphael Precourt and Mathys Fernandez split the loss in net. 

Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-3

FINAL: Cape Breton 3, Saint John 6

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - It was far from a masterpiece, but the Saint John Sea Dogs pulled off a 6-3 win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday at TD Station.

The victory extends Saint John's winning streak to three games and ends a three-game losing streak against the Eagles.

The Sea Dogs got off to a rough start, falling behind 2-0 just 4:39 in. It took some time for Saint John to get the engines going and they weren't getting a lot of bounces or calls going their way. But the Dogs kept pushing and were eventually rewarded, really turning things around as the game progressed.

Saint John scored twice in the second period to take a 3-2 lead into the third — despite being outshot 28-14 through 40 minutes. The Dogs made it 5-3 at 8:20 of the third but the Eagles got back within one just 18 seconds later. Like Thursday's game, the Sea Dogs did a good job at not allowing their opponent to grab momentum. Eriks Mateiko added some insurance at 9:19 to give Saint John some breathing room.

Along with Mateiko, Matteo Mann, Reid Calder, Noah Reinhart, Kency Pierre-Noel and Mathis Gauthier all scored for Saint John. Reinhart also had three assists while Reynolds and Elie each added two. Patrick Leaver made 33 saves in the win.

Angelo Fullerton, Cam Squires and Emile Ricard scored for Cape Breton. Nicolas Ruccia was pulled in the third period after allowing five goals on 32 shots. Jakub Milota made five saves in relief.

"Riding Tide" series debuts

The Saint John Sea Dogs' new docu-series, "Rising Tide," debuted on YouTube Friday.

The series gives a behind the scenes look at the Sea Dogs, much like what many NHL teams have been producing in recent years.

The first episode really gets fans more familiar with Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard. It also includes some behind the scenes moments from Sea Dogs training camp; the day the leadership group was announced; and the season opener in Bathurst.

Game Day 27: vs Eagles

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to extend their winning streak to three games tonight at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-0 home win over the Val-d'Or Foreurs last Sunday and a solid 7-4 road win in Moncton on Thursday. Tonight they'll host the Cape Breton Eagles at 7 p.m.

Saint John has struggled against Cape Breton this season, posting a 0-2-1-0 record.

Tonight's match will feature a performance from "fake Reba" as the Sea Dogs' concert series continues.

Let me tell you where to go, oh 🎶

Our Holiday Party is THIS WEEKEND with Reba and Michael Bublé tribute acts as well as Teddy Bear Toss! Tickets are available at the box office or online at https://t.co/LvsBJIcMkg.#GoDogsGo | @LegendsConcert pic.twitter.com/Jf3axc13vL

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) December 1, 2023

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 10-13-1-2 for 23 points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/14th QMJHL) while the Eagles are 14-13-0-0 for 28 points (third Maritimes/sixth Maritimes/11th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-4 win in Moncton on Thursday. Peter Reynolds had a hat trick while singles came from Vince Elie, Noah Reinhart, Eriks Mateiko and Kency Pierre-Noel. Patrick Leaver made 32 saves in the win. The Eagles are coming off a 4-3 shootout win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. William Shields, Angelo Fullerton and Cam MacDonald all scored for Cape Breton. Jakub Milota made 29 saves in the win.

Sea Dogs rolling into December

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs certainly ended November with a bang.

The Sea Dogs won their third straight road game on Thursday night in Moncton, defeating the Wildcats 7-4. The Sea Dogs end November with four wins in their past five games and five wins in their past eight.

Thursday's victory pushed Saint John into fourth in the Maritimes Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 10-13-1-2 record for 23 points. They have two big games coming up on home ice this weekend, both against teams they are chasing in the standings — Cape Breton (28 points) on Saturday night and Chicoutimi (30 points) on Sunday afternoon.

The Sea Dogs are 0-2-1-0 against the Eagles this season and 1-0-0-0 against the Sagueneens.

Much of Saint John's recent success has run through Peter Reynolds, Vince Elie and Eriks Mateiko, all three of whom had tremendous Novembers.

Reynolds: 11 games, 10 goals, 10 assists

Elie: 12 games, eight goals, eight assists

Mateiko: 12 games, eight goals, eight assists

Other forwards, like Pavel Simek and Noah Reinhart, also had strong offensive performances in November. The defense certainly improved from some ugly performances in October and the team continues to get solid goaltending from Patrick Leaver and Justin Robinson.

Saint John's power play, which was woeful early in the season, has also turned a corner in recent weeks.

Reynolds, as of Friday night, sat in a tie for fifth in QMJHL scoring with 37 points. He's already nearing his career high for points in a season (44), which was set last year.

Peter Reynolds also becomes the first player in Sea Dogs history with five games of 3 or more goals in franchise history. Breaks tie atop charts with Danick Gauthier, Jonathan Huberdeau, Michael Kirkpatrick and Nathan Noel. https://t.co/v4uA9b5PrG

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) December 1, 2023

All of this comes at an interesting time with the QMJHL's trading period set to begin in a couple weeks. It's still hard to say how many moves the Sea Dogs may make, but a number of players certainly put on strong auditions for contending teams this past month.