Free agents added to Sea Dogs roster

A number of free agents have been added to the Saint John Sea Dogs' online roster. 

Not including the recently signed Alexander Donovan, the 18-year-old University of Denver commit who signed with the Sea Dogs a couple weeks ago, eight forwards, two defensemen and two goaltenders have been added.

One noticeable attribute: size. There is some serious height and weight amongst this group of additions.

These adds along with the incoming draft class (both from the QMJHL Entry Draft and CHL Import Draft) should make for an interesting training camp. It's safe to say that Saint John's roster could get quite a revamp compared to what they ended last season with.

The team is expected to hold a development camp next month but no details have been announced yet.

Here's a quick look at the group of invites.

Forwards

Niko Baljak - the 16-year-old from Laval is big, listed at 6'5" and 181 lbs. He played in 24 games with the QJHL's Laval Prime last season along with 10 games at the Canadian prep school Viking VC Hockey.

Josh Frenette - the 19-year-old from Oshawa is listed at 6'4" and 209 lbs. He spent last season with the NAHL's Maryland Black Bears where he posted 10 goals and 15 assists in 58 games. He spent the previous season in the OJHL.

Alexis Gauthier - the 18-year-old spent last season with the Bourget Collège under-18 team, recording 12 goals and 45 assists in 62 games. He's listed at 5'10" and 141 lbs.

Tristan Gravenor - the 19-year-old from Montreal spent last season in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League where he recorded 16 goals and 24 assists in 53 games with the Portage Terriers. He's listed at 6'2" and 179 lbs.

Video: Behind the scenes with Sea Dogs at QMJHL Entry Draft

The Saint John Sea Dogs have posted an interesting behind the scenes look of the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft.

The 15-minute video includes some of the team's scouting meetings, player interviews, highlights from the draft floor and a few interviews.

More coverage of this year's draft can be found here.

Notebook: Calder Cup final tied 1-1

Ian Yount

The AHL's Calder Cup final is heading to British Columbia tied 1-1.

The Charlotte Checkers tied the best-of-seven series with a 3-2 overtime win on Sunday. This comes after the Abbotsford Canucks took Game 1 by a final score of 4-3 in double overtime.

The next three games will all be played in Abbotsford beginning with Game 3 on Tuesday night.

Riley Bezeau is the lone Saint John Sea Dogs alumnus on either roster. He was serving a one-game suspension for a checking-to-the-head major penalty in Game 1 and did not dress for Game 2.

Bezeau has appeared in four playoff games with the Checkers, recording three goals.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Sea Dogs announced that they are looking to fill a number of game day operations positions for this coming season.

One of those openings includes a mascot performer. The team is looking for someone to "embody the spirit and character of Fleaburn, the team’s mascot." The requirements include "strong communication skills (non-verbal)."

The team is also looking for videoboard operators and game day staff. 

Sea Dogs prospects drafted into MHL

MHL

Three Saint John Sea Dogs prospects were selected in Saturday's Maritime Hockey League Draft.

Saint John Vito's forward Eliot Tozer, who was a 12th-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, was taken with the first pick of the second-round (13th overall) by the Bouctouche-based West Kent Steamers.

Tozer was the first player from the Vito's picked on Saturday. Forward Brock Lyons, the younger brother of former Sea Dogs forward Kiefer Lyons, was drafted by the Amherst Ramblers with the next pick. Lyons was not selected in the QMJHL Entry Draft despite Central Scouting projecting him as a fourth-round pick.

Two Sea Dogs prospects were taken in the eighth-round. Rothesay Netherwood defenseman Jesse Dunlap, a fourth-round pick of the Sea Dogs this year, was taken 88th overall by the Bathurst-based Chaleur Lightning while Kensington Wild goaltender Jase MacPherson, a second-round pick of the Sea Dogs, was selected 95th overall by the Summerside Western Capitals.

Newfoundlander Ethan Jones of the East Coast Blizzard was drafted first overall by the Valley Wildcats. The full draft results can be found on the MHL website.

The QJHL also held its draft on Saturday. Defenseman Benjamin Amyot, who has spent the past two seasons with the Sea Dogs, was taken in the second-round, 17th overall by the Valleyfield Braves.

MacDougall named CHL Coach of the Year

Gardiner MacDouagll was named the CHL Coach of the Year on Friday.

MacDouagll, who led the Saint John Sea Dogs to the 2022 Memorial Cup title, guided the Moncton Wildcats to a QMJHL championship in his first year as head coach.

From the CHL:

Named in recognition of former Ottawa 67s head coach and the CHL’s all-time winningest coach Brian Kilrea, the Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award is presented annually to the Canadian Hockey League’s top coach. Gardiner MacDougall becomes the first head coach in Moncton Wildcats history to win the CHL Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award. In his debut QMJHL season, MacDougall led the Wildcats to a 53-9-2-0 record and a .844 points percentage – eighth-best all-time in the QMJHL and 10th-best in the CHL since 2000. Under his guidance, Moncton captured the Jean-Rougeau Trophy as QMJHL regular season champions for the first time since 2005–06. Their CHL-best defensive showing (2.25 goals-against average) ranked fifth in QMJHL history, while their 144 goals against tied for the 11th-fewest in CHL history. The Wildcats also led the CHL in goal differential (+150), regulation losses (9), and penalty kill (86.4%), while setting franchise records in wins (53), points (108), regulation losses, goals against, and points percentage.

According to the CHL, he joins Craig Hartsburg (1994-95) and Gerard Gallant (2009-10) as the only coaches to win the award in their first season. Gallant, who is a PEI native like MacDougall, won the award as head coach of the Sea Dogs. He also won the award the following season.

The long-time head coach of the UNB Reds, MacDougall won U Sports coach of the year honours three times with the latest coming in 2023-24.

It will be interesting to see what MacDougall and the Wildcats are like next season. In normal times they'd likely be heading for a rebuild, but the team has gotten some American commitments in recent weeks and announced the return of goaltender (and Yale commit) Rudy Guimond on Friday.

QMJHL players to win awards on Friday included Mathieu Cataford of the Rimouski Oceanic (CHL Scholastic Player of the Year) and Maxwell Jardine of the Charlottetown Islanders (CHL Humanitarian Player of the Year).

Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna was named CHL Player of the Year. It's still unclear where he'll play next season despite speculation that he is leaning towards a commitment to Penn State.

Notebook: Changes coming to Station Street

Big changes are coming to Station Street – changes that will definitely impact traffic flow to and from Saint John Sea Dogs games.

Bike lanes are being added from the ball hockey pad all the way down Station Street and onto City Road, essentially connecting the Harbour Passage to the walking bridge. The change will see Station Street reduced from four lanes to three.

From the city's press release:

In 2025, Station Street and City Road, stretching from Smythe Street to just east of the Stanley Street pedestrian bridge, will undergo a road diet, transforming the current four-lane roadway into a more efficient and accessible space for all users. This project will convert the existing four vehicle lanes into three, introducing dedicated bike lanes on both sides of the road alongside the curb. The remaining three vehicle lanes will accommodate two through lanes, one in each direction, and a center turning lane for motorists.

The city adds that "traffic studies confirm that the lane reductions will maintain acceptable service levels, ensuring smooth vehicle flow while repurposing historically overbuilt roadway space."

We'll see how this change goes, although the TD Station parking lot seems to be a lot less popular these days due to the increased costs in recent years.

FUTURE MEM CUPS

Le Soleil reports that, at this time, three teams have expressed interest in hosting the 2028 Memorial Cup: Moncton, Quebec and Gatineau.

The only issue for a potential Moncton bid is where the team will be at in their cycle come 2028. Quebec and Gatineau, both in the early stages of a rebuild, could very well be at the top of the league in three years.

All three franchises have hosted previously but none have done so in their new buildings.

The 2026 Memorial Cup will be held in Kelowna while the 2027 edition will be hosted by an OHL city. Notably, le Soleil also reports that the tournament format could change come 2027.

Sea Dogs sign free agent Donovan

Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs are the latest Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League team to dip their toe into the American free agent market.

The Sea Dogs announced Wednesday the signing of 18-year-old forward Alexander Donovan to a QMJHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. The Connecticut native is eligible for this year's NHL Draft and is ranked 197th amongst North American skaters by Central Scouting.

“As we continue to shape our roster for next season we are delighted to announce the signing of Alex Donovan,” said Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Travis Crickard in a news release. “Alex has demonstrated scoring punch and a winning mentality in helping his Shattuck St. Mary’s team win the U18 National Championship last season along with his international experience. He is a quick, gritty player with a high level of hunger to improve who Sea Dogs fans will enjoy watching.”

In 58 games with Shattuck St. Mary’s in US Prep play last season, Donovan posted 45 goals and 46 assists. It was his fourth season at the prestigious hockey school.

Donovan also appeared in two USHL games with the Sioux Falls Stampede last season.

Listed at 5'11" and 170 lbs, Donovan played with Team USA at last year's Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he recorded a goal and four assists in five games, finishing in a tie for the team's scoring lead.

The forward is committed to the NCAA's University of Denver for the 2026-27 season, one of college hockey's best programs in recent years. He was selected first overall by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the 2023 QMJHL American Draft.

Donovan's time with the Sea Dogs may be short, but he could add some serious offensive firepower to a team that struggled to score last season. The Sea Dogs finished with a league low 2.38 goals per game.

Saint John is looking much stronger offensively to start this season compared to how they ended the last with the additions of Donovan; at least a couple forwards from their 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft class; their returning players; plus the potential for more impact adds through the CHL Import Draft and free agency.

NCDC expansion teams have names, logos

Charlotte County's new junior hockey teams now have names and logos.

The NCDC officially announced Tuesday that the St. Stephen-based franchise will be called the St. Croix Seawolves while the Blacks Harbour-based squad will be named the Eastern Charlotte Kingfishers. Both teams have the same owner, Ted Colley.

From the NCDC:

The Seawolves name was submitted by a resident of Lachine, Que. Season tickets were awarded to the winners of both team-naming contests, but as the resident lived far from St. Croix, N.B., that winner was happy to see the season tickets instead go to a member of the St. Croix community.

The Kingfishers were the name of a local minor hockey team more than 30 years ago. That name was submitted three times, so there was an extra draw to select the winner of the season tickets.

Both teams will play in the New England Division of the NCDC, along with the fellow expansion Woodstock Slammers and Presque Isle Frontiers. The league has an updated footprint on their website.

Crickard on Saint John's 2025 draft

Vincent Ethier / QMJHL

QUEBEC CITY – Travis Crickard's been through Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Drafts in the past – but none quite like this.

The 2025 edition was Crickard's first draft as the general manager of the Saint John Sea Dogs, a team that entered the weekend with the first overall pick and another two selections in the opening round.

"Pretty stressful going through it the first time," Crickard said shortly after the 12-round draft ended on Saturday at Quebec City's Videotron Centre. "Fortunately we hired a scouting staff that's relatively experienced, so that was really helpful to me. It was kind of understanding strategy more than anything. I think there's some other teams that are kind of in the same cycle as we are, and they would give me insight into maybe what they're thinking and what we should do, so that was helpful."

The Sea Dogs leave the draft with forward Alexis Joseph, considered by most to be the top player in this draft class; another first-rounder in forward Nolann Héroux; and 10 other prospects.

Crickard explained that while Saint John, obviously, wanted to leave the draft with the best players they could get, they also wanted to increase their bank of picks for this draft and future years. The team took a number of timeouts before making picks, ultimately moving down a couple times in exchange for additional selections.

The Sea Dogs considered moving down from pick No. 10 but opted to keep the selection.

"The guys are happy about who we got, so I need to trust them with their job. I'm happy about that, too."

With the NCAA rule change, there was much talk about an increase in Americans being picked during this year's draft. The Sea Dogs picked three on Saturday: forward Everett Baldwin in the second round; forward Finnegan Sears in the sixth round and defenseman Oskar Drabczynski in the seventh round. None were in attendance. 

"There'll be some work," Crickard said in getting the three to report. "We've had discussions with them leading into the draft, following them throughout the year. But we trust what we're doing with our recruitment to bring players in and whether it's this year or next year, we trust that we'll be able to get to them here."

Notebook: New playoff format coming

Vincent Ethier / QMJHL

QUEBEC CITY - Prior to Friday's first round, the QMJHL announced an adjustment to its playoff format.

Beginning this season, teams will be reseeded based on the overall standings from the second round onward rather than the third round.

From the league:

The first round will continue to be played intra-association (East and West), but from the second round onwards, series will be determined by overall standings.

Previously, the first two elimination rounds were played within the association.

The QMJHL has also decided to abolish its four divisions (West, Central, East and Maritimes), retaining only an association ranking and an overall ranking.

The QMJHL also announced Friday that its streaming will move to FloSports.

IN THE HOUSE

Former Sea Dogs in attendance at this year's draft included William Dufour, Jeremie Poirier, William Villeneuve, Thomas Couture, Nikolas Hurtubise, Marshall Lessard, Brady Burns and Charlie DesRoches.

Along with those former Sea Dogs, current players Dylan Rozzi, William Yared, Olivier Groulx and Cameron Chartrand were in attendance.

Lions win ECHL championship

QUEBEC CITY - The Trois-Rivieres Lions are Kelly Cup champions.

The Lions defeated the Toledo Walleye 4-1 on Saturday at Colisee Videotron, taking the ECHL's championship series in five games. It's the first Kelly Cup title for the Lions who completed their fourth season in the league.

The Lions, who are the ECHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, include former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Nicolas Guay and defenseman Vincent Sevigny. Both had assists in this game.

Guay finished the playoffs with five goals and eight assists in 21 playoff games. Sevigny, meanwhile, had two goals and five assists in 18 playoff games. The d-man was recently called up to the AHL's Laval Rocket for a brief stint during the post-season.

Un moment en solo pour Vincent Sévigny qui savoure le triomphe des siens. #echl pic.twitter.com/URINLiaZEd

— Matthew Vachon (@MatthewVachon_) June 7, 2025

The two are the first Sea Dogs alumni to win the Kelly Cup since Olivier Leblanc helped the Florida Everblades win the trophy in 2023.

Lions netminder Luke Cavallin made 48 saves in Saturday's win. He was named playoff MVP.

This is the third time since 2019 that the Walleye lost in the Kelly Cup final. That 2019 loss came against the Newfoundland Growlers – the only other Canadian club to win the Kelly Cup.

In the AHL, Riley Bezeau and the Charlotte Checkers are still waiting on an opponent for the Calder Cup final. The Abbotsford Canucks currently lead the Texas Stars 3-2 in the Western Conference final. No matter the matchup, the AHL's championship series will begin Friday in Charlotte.

A look at Saint John's 2025 draft class

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

QUEBEC CITY - The 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft has come to an end and the Saint John Sea Dogs welcomed 12 new prospects.

The Sea Dogs, thanks to a couple trades, made 12 selections over the two-day draft. That included two picks in Friday's opening round.

Saint John selected seven forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.

The Sea Dogs selected three Americans this weekend. As for Canadians, four players picked were from Atlantic Canada while the rest were from Quebec.

Here's a look at Saint John's 2025 draft class.

Round 1, 1st overall - C Alexis Joseph (6'4", 198 lbs)

More on Joseph here.

Saint John picks 12 players at 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft

Vincent Éthier/QMJHL

QUEBEC CITY - The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft has come to a close.

The Sea Dogs selected 12 players in the 12-round draft. The team took seven forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.

A full recap of Friday's opening round can be found here. You can check out more about the first overall pick, Alexis Joseph, here.

More to come.

	Player	P	H	W	Team
RD 1, 1	Alexis Jospeh	C	6'4"	198	Collège Esther-Blondin
RD 1, 10	Nolann Héroux	C	5'7"	150	St-Eustache
RD 2, 29	Jase MacPherson	G	6'1"	180	Kensington
RD 2, 38	Everett Baldwin	D	5'11"	173	St. George's School
RD 4, 58	Jesse Dunlap	D	5'9"	180	Rothesay Netherwood
RD 6, 94	Finnegan Sears	LW	5'11"	167	Rivers School
RD 6, 109	Cole Renaud	LW	6'0"	172	St-Hyacinthe
RD 7, 112	Oskar Drabczynski	LD	5'11"	185	Avon Old Farms
RD 10, 165	Julien Lacroix	D	6'4"	155	College Saint-Hiliare
RD 10, 176	Madison Bouchard	C	5'9"	159	Jonquière
RD 11, 184	Sam Pitcher	G	5'10"	151	Tri-Pen
RD 12, 202	Elliot Tozer	C	5'11	164	Saint John

QMJHL Entry Draft completes first round

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

QUEBEC CITY - The opening round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft has come to a close.

18 players – only four of whom were not forwards – were selected in the first round. It was also a Quebec heavy opening round.

Here's a quick recap of what went down inside Videotron Centre on Friday night.

		Player	P	H	W	Team (Prov)
1	SNB	Alexis Joseph	C	6'4"	198	Esther-Blondin (QC)
2	RIM	Zack Arseneault	RW	5'11"	169	Saint-François (QC)
3	HAL	Malik L'Italien	LD	6'2"	191	Stanstead (QC)
4	QUE	Thomas Charbonneau	LD	6'2"	168	Shattuck St. Mary's (QC)
5	NFL	Benjamin Veitch	C	6'2"	199	York-Simcoe (NL)
6	NFL	Quinn Norman	LD	6'0"	159	Vaughn (NL)
7	CHA	Antoine Provencher	C	5'11"	180	Charles-Lemoyne (QC)
8	NFL	Phenwick MacLean	C	6'1"	167	Dartmouth (NS)
9	QUE	James Scantlebury	C	5'8"	171	Bishop Kearney (QC)
10	SNB	Nolann Héroux	C	5'7"	150	St-Eustache (QC)
11	VIC	Deryk Lemaire	C	6'1"	194	Magog (QC)
12	GAT	Louis-Étienne Halley	RW	6'3"	193	St-Eustache (QC)
13	GAT	Clément Landry	LD	6'3"	217	Laval-Montreal (QC)
14	CAP	Olivier Charron	C	5'9"	181	Châteauguay (QC)
15	SHA	Frédéric Bergeron	C	6'0"	168	Trois-Rivières (QC)
16	SHE	Emrick Nolette-Robidoux	RW	5'11"	161	St-Hyacinthe (QC)
17	QUE	Carter Meyer	C	5'11"	162	Rivers School (MA)
18	RN	Jayden Pominville	C	5'8"	141	Esther-Blondin (QC)

Sea Dogs select Joseph first overall

QUEBEC CITY - The Saint John Sea Dogs selected forward Alexis Joseph with the first overall pick in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs made the selection Friday evening at Quebec City's Videotron Centre. Saint John earned the right to select first overall after winning the league's draft lottery a few weeks ago.

Joseph is the seventh player in Sea Dogs franchise history to be selected first overall. He follows Joshua Roy (2019), Joe Veleno (2015), Luke Green (2014), Simon Despres (2007), Yann Sauve (2006) and Alex Grant (2005).

Got our guy 😎

With the first overall pick in the 2025 #QDraft, the #SJSeaDogs are proud to select from College Esther-Blondin, Alexis Joseph!#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/yMwbzeMzSm

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) June 6, 2025

QMJHL Central Scouting ranked Joseph as the No. 1 player available for this year's draft in their final rankings. A number of other draft experts also predicted the forward to be taken with the top pick.

Joseph's most noticeable attribute is his size. At 15-years-old he's listed at 6'4" and 192 lbs, certainly making him physically ready for major junior hockey.

There has been hype around Joseph for a number of years, including some talk of him applying for exceptional player status a year ago. He posted 25 goals and 28 assists in 39 games with the Phénix du Collège Esther-Blondin in the Quebec AAA circuit during the 2023-24 season. 

QMJHL moves streaming to FloSports

QUEBEC CITY – The QMJHL will have a new webcast provider next season.

The league announced a seven-year deal with FloSports on Friday. FloHockey will stream all 576 QMJHL regular season games, playoffs and special league events through 2032.

“We always want to offer more to our fans, and this agreement with FloSports is a step in that direction," said QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini in a new release. "It's a historic partnership that will give our fans a new and improved webcasting experience. Technology is advancing at breakneck speed, and we want to be at the front of the parade in terms of customer experience. What's more, FloSports subscribers will also be able to watch games from the American League, ECHL and LHM18AAAQ, among others.”

As Cecchini noted, FloSports currently owns the streaming rights to the AHL, ECHL, USHL and a number of other hockey leagues. Subscribers will have access to all of that, a nice bonus that CHL TV didn't offer.

FloHockey also creates written, video and audio content, so QMJHL fans will have that to look forward to as well.

The potential bad news for QMJHL followers: the reviews of FloSports' streaming services and technical support are mixed, so we'll see how this plays out. The good news is that most QMJHL teams have built very strong streaming setups that should carry over to this new provider.

The announcement likely means CHL TV is dead with the QMJHL and WHL both moving away from the platform. The WHL recently announced an agreement with Victory+, which will make all games available for free beginning next season.

Here's FloHockey's current pricing setup. The annual subscription fee works out to be $203.88. The QMJHL league pass on CHL TV cost $129.99 this past season – but that didn't include playoff games.

The QMJHL, OHL and WHL have all been streamed on the subscription based CHL TV since 2021.

It's QMJHL Entry Draft day

Draft day has arrived.

The opening round of the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft will take place tonight at Quebec City's Videotron Centre beginning at 8 p.m. Atlantic. Rounds 2-12 will be held Saturday morning beginning at 11 a.m. Atlantic.

The Saint John Sea Dogs are poised to have a busy evening, currently holding the first, 10th and 18th overall selections.

Here's where the Sea Dogs are currently scheduled to pick this weekend.

Round 1, 1st overall 

Round 1, 10th overall (via Cape Breton) 

Round 1, 18th overall (via Moncton)

Round 2, 29th overall (via Blainville-Boisbriand)

Round 6, 94th overall 

Round 6, 109th overall (via Rimouski) 

Round 7, 112th overall 

Round 9, 148th overall 

Round 11, 184th overall 

Round 12, 202nd overall

Saint John last picked first overall in 2019, selecting forward Joshua Roy. Other first overall selections by the Sea Dogs include Joe Veleno (2015), Luke Green (2014), Simon Despres (2007), Yann Sauve (2006) and Alex Grant (2005).

6'4", 192 lbs centre Alexis Joseph is likely to be selected first overall by the Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs selected three times in the first-round of last year's draft, picking forward William Yared (fifth overall), forward Dylan Rozzi (eighth) and defenseman Cameron Chartrand (19th).

This is obviously a huge day for the Sea Dogs franchise. This draft class along with last year's will be the foundation for the club's next championship run.

Draft day is always an exciting and intriguing day – but perhaps none more than this year's. With the NCAA rule change, we could see some big swings, we could see more Americans picked, we could see some panic and we could see more drama than usual. It's a great time of year.

All the picks will be posted live on the QMJHL's website while the first-round can be watched live on Eastlink TV and TVA Sports.

Joseph appears poised to be top pick

Phénix du Collège Esther-Blondin

Less than 24 hours until the opening round of the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft, all signs continue to point towards Alexis Joseph being the first overall selection.

The 6'4", 192 lbs forward was ranked No. 1 in QMJHL Central Scouting's final rankings. This week, Puck Preps also ranked Joseph as the No. 1 player available, which comes after previously having forward James Scantlebury ranked first.

"For the team that drafts Joseph, I think you’re getting one of the higher ceiling players to come out of the province in quite some time and a future superstar center for your franchise," writes Austin Robson of Puck Preps.

If everything we're hearing is right, Collège Esther-Blondin Phénix forward Alexis Joseph will be the first pick of the 2025 QMJHL Draft. Puck Preps Eastern Canadian scout Austin Robson believes that’s the right call for the @SJSeaDogs.

Full episode👇

🔗 https://t.co/1yRSlgLzj4 pic.twitter.com/fpzMns2GNm

— Puck Preps Eastern Canada (@PuckPrepsEastCa) June 3, 2025

The Saint John Sea Dogs will select first overall Friday night at Quebec City's Videotron Centre. The first-round will take place Friday beginning at 8 p.m. Atlantic while the remaining 11 rounds will be held Saturday morning.

Joseph told Le Journal de Montreal this week that the QMJHL has always been his No. 1 option, further solidifying him as the likely first overall selection. The big question about Joseph – and a lot of the players being picked this weekend – is how long do they plan to stay in the league?

One interesting note on Joseph is that one of his representatives is former Sea Dogs defenseman Charles-Olivier Roussel, who now works with the Wasserman agency. 

In a Journal de Quebec article, Roussel wouldn't confirm how long Joseph plans to stay in the league, citing he – and all players in the QMJHL – will look at their options on a year-to-year basis.

2025-26 schedule released

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs will begin the 2025-26 season on home ice.

The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League released its full regular season schedule on Wednesday. The Sea Dogs will begin the campaign with a pair of home games against the Cape Breton Eagles Sept. 19-20.

Saint John's first road games will be the following weekend when they visit the Halifax Mooseheads for two matches Sept. 26-27.

The regular season ends March 21 with the Sea Dogs visiting the Eagles.

Here are a few other highlights:

• The Sea Dogs will play in the Moncton Wildcats' home opener on Friday, Oct. 4. That game will feature the Gilles-Courteau Trophy championship banner raising.
• The Chicoutimi Sagueneens will pay an early season visit to Saint John (Oct. 5) as their arena boards get replaced. Victoriaville and Baie-Comeau are also having the new boards installed.
• The Sea Dogs will host the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Thanksgiving Monday (Oct. 13) in a 3 p.m. start.
• The Sea Dogs will make their first trek to St. John's since the 2007-08 season Oct. 24-25 where they'll face the Regiment for the first time. They also travel to Newfoundland Feb. 11-12.
• Saint John will make their first of four trips into Quebec Nov. 6-9 (Rimouski, Drummondville and Victoriaville). They'll also make Quebec trips Dec. 10-13 (Baie-Comeau, Chicoutimi and Quebec); Jan. 14-17 (Rouyn-Noranda, Val-d'Or and Blainville-Boisbriand) and Feb. 19-22 (Shawinigan, Sherbrooke and Gatineau).
• As was announced Tuesday, the Sea Dogs will play three "home" games in Fredericton: Sunday, Nov. 30 vs Cape Breton; Thursday, Jan. 8 vs Gatineau; and Sunday, Feb. 1 vs Baie-Comeau.
• The Sea Dogs play their final games before the Christmas break Dec. 17-18, facing the Mooseheads in a home-and-home series. They resume play Dec. 28-29 with a home-and-home against the Charlottetown Islanders.
• The Regiment make their first visit to Saint John on New Year's Eve. That Wednesday game will start at 2 p.m.
• Saint John's Saturday, Feb. 14 game against the Shawinigan Cataractes will be a 3 p.m. start. The Sea Dogs will then host the Victoriaville Tigres on Family Day (Monday, Feb. 16) in a 3 p.m. start. That weekend has typically been the team's "One For All" festivities.
• The Sea Dogs play their final regular season home game on Saturday, March 14 with a 4 p.m. start against the Mooseheads. The team will close out the year with three straight road games: March 15 at Charlottetown, March 20 at Cape Breton and March 21 at Cape Breton.
• The Sea Dogs will play seven straight home games Nov. 15-30 (which includes an Aitken Centre game). Their longest stretch of road games is just four, which they'll do twice.

Saint John's full schedule can be found here. The pre-season schedule is also available.

Also of note, the first QMJHL Prospects Game will take place Tuesday, Oct. 21 in Sherbrooke and will feature the league's 40 best players eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.

Notebook: Dwyer sticks with Regiment

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Former Saint John Sea Dogs head coach Gordie Dwyer will be moving to Newfoundland with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan organization.

The Newfoundland Regiment officially named Dwyer the club's head coach and general manager on Tuesday. The Dalhousie, NB native has been the head coach and GM of the Titan for the past three seasons following his firing from the Sea Dogs at the end of the 2022 playoffs.

Former Sea Dogs equipment manager Tyler Jay is also moving with the Titan to Newfoundland, as is director of hockey operations and video coach Matthew Smith.

“I’m honoured to lead the Newfoundland Regiment alongside Tyler and Matthew, building on the foundation we established in Bathurst,” said Dwyer in a news release. “The appetite for hockey in Newfoundland is electric. We are committed to building a team that is driven and competes in a way that honours the tremendous history of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.”

The Regiment will play their first regular season game on Thursday, Sept. 18, hosting the Moncton Wildcats.

DRAFT SOON

When exactly is this weekend's QMJHL Entry Draft?

The Remparts shared some event details on social media earlier this week. The first-round will begin at 8 p.m. Atlantic on Friday night. The Sea Dogs currently own three picks in the opening round – including the first overall selection.

The remaining 11 rounds will begin on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. Atlantic. 

Quebec City's Videotron Centre also hosted the draft back in 2019 when the Sea Dogs selected Joshua Roy with the first overall pick.

Sea Dogs finalize two trades

Vincent Éthier / CHL

The first Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League trade period of draft week opened on Tuesday and the Saint John Sea Dogs completed two deals.

The biggest transaction involved the Sea Dogs receiving a 2025 first-round pick (originally Moncton's) and a 2027 first-round pick (Rimouski) from the Rimouski Oceanic in exchange for two 2026 third-round picks (Rimouski and Sherbrooke), two 2026 fourth-round picks (Saint John and Rimouski) and a 2026 fifth-round pick (Rimouski).

This deal completes the Eriks Mateiko trade, which happened during the holiday trade period. According to the Sea Dogs, this is the largest return for an import player in league history.

Saint John's other Tuesday transaction saw them swap 2025 second-round picks with the Moncton Wildcats, which completes the Connor Trenholm deal. The Sea Dogs traded their own second-round pick to Moncton in exchange for Blainville-Boisbriand's.

With these deal finalized, here's an updated look at where Saint John is currently scheduled to pick at this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

Round 1, 1st overall 

Round 1, 10th overall (via Cape Breton) 

Round 1, 18th overall (via Moncton)

Round 2, 29th overall (via Blainville-Boisbriand)

Round 6, 94th overall 

Round 6, 109th overall (via Rimouski) 

Round 7, 112th overall 

Round 9, 148th overall 

Round 11, 184th overall 

Round 12, 202nd overall

If things stay as they are, this would be the second straight year that the Sea Dogs pick three times in the first-round.

The first-round of the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft takes place Friday night at Quebec City's Videotron Centre. The remaining rounds will be held Saturday morning.

Sea Dogs to play three "home" games in Fredericton

Three Saint John Sea Dogs "home" games will be played in Fredericton this season.

The QMJHL and the team made the announcement Tuesday afternoon – one day prior to the league's full schedule being released. The games have been labelled the "Capital City Series."

The following three games will be played at UNB Fredericton's Aitken Centre.

Sunday, Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. vs Cape Breton

Thursday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. vs Gatineau

Sunday, Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. vs Baie-Comeau

“There is a tradition and connection between the Sea Dogs and the City of Fredericton,” said Sea Dogs president Trevor Georgie in a news release. “We have had many great players from Fredericton and have deep connections to UNB. There are also many fans from the area who regularly make the drive down Highway 7 to TD Station to support the Sea Dogs. They obviously have a strong hockey history with the Reds men’s and women’s programs, but also dating all the way back to the AHL’s Fredericton Express and Canadiens.”

According to the news release, the "Sea Dogs will pay tribute to one of those historic Fredericton franchises with a special theme jersey to be revealed later this year."

No regular season QMJHL game has ever been played at the Aitken Centre. The Moncton Wildcats did, however, host a playoff game in the building during the 2015 post-season due to a scheduling conflict at the Moncton Coliseum. 

The Sea Dogs and UNB have gotten closer and closer over the past few years. Along with sending a number of players to the Reds program, the Sea Dogs have regularly played pre-season games at the Aitken Centre plus there's what happened with Gardiner MacDougall temporarily joining the team for the 2022 Memorial Cup.

Mann, Peddle not signed by NHL clubs

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Matteo Mann and Tyler Peddle are officially free agents.

Neither were signed by their respective NHL club by the June 1 deadline, meaning their rights have been relinquished. Both were selected in the seventh-round of the 2023 NHL Draft: Mann was picked 199th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers while Peddle was taken 224th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Mann appeared in one game with the ECHL's Reading Royals at the end of the 2023-24 season. Peddle, meanwhile, joined the AHL's Cleveland Monsters at the end of this year's regular season but did not appear in any games.

Mann just completed his overage season of junior hockey, recording six goals and eight assists in 56 games with the Saint John Sea Dog. The 6'6", 234 lbs defenseman will presumably play some form of pro or university hockey this coming season.

#LetsGoFlyers prospects Carter Sotheran, Matteo Mann and Brian Zanetti are officially free agents as of June 1, 2025.

— Dylan H. Robillard (@HendrixHockey_) June 1, 2025

His father, Trent Mann, is currently a player development and scouting advisor for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Peddle has one season of junior eligibility remaining – and not signing with Columbus just about guarantees he'll be back in the QMJHL for his overage season. In 54 games with Saint John this year, the Antigonish native recorded 15 goals and 14 assists.

It’s out there already. But confirming #CBJ did not sign Tyler Peddle or Martin Rysavy before today’s deadline thus relinquishing their rights.

— Mark Scheig (@mark_scheig) June 1, 2025

It doesn't come as a big shock that neither were signed. It was reported a few weeks ago by Columbus media that Peddle would not be signed by the Blue Jackets.

Knights down Tigers for Memorial Cup title

RIMOUSKI, QC – The London Knights are Memorial Cup champions.

After a tight first period, the Knights blew it open in the second en route to a 4-1 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers in Sunday's championship game. This is London's third Memorial Cup title and first since 2016.

This was London's second straight appearance in the Memorial Cup final – and they got some redemption. The Knights fell to the host Saginaw Spirit in last year's championship, falling behind early and were never able to pull themselves fully back into the game.

The Knights seemed to learn from last year's errors, leading 1-0 after one. They added three in the second period – and another that was called off due to goaltender interference – to take a commanding 4-0 lead into the third.

https://t.co/bkKt3a63eM pic.twitter.com/gyLsHeEGri

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) June 2, 2025

Gavin McKenna gave the Tigers some life 2:43 into the third and appeared to make it 4-2 later on – only to have the goal called back because of a missed high stick earlier in the play. The Tigers pressed, but just couldn't get through London's defense.

For Medicine Hat, this is a tough one for many reasons. In normal times there would be optimism that McKenna could carry them back to the Memorial Cup next year. But with speculation that McKenna is NCAA bound, there are all kinds of uncertainty around the Tigers roster.

The WHL continues to struggle at the Memorial Cup. They have not won a national title since the Edmonton Oil Kings were victorious in 2014.

The Moncton Wildcats, who fell to the Knights in Friday's semifinal, finished in third-place with a 1-3 record. The host Rimouski Oceanic went 0-3.

Sea Dogs things at this year's HHOF exhibit

RIMOUSKI, QC – The Hockey Hall of Fame's mobile exhibit made another trip to the Memorial Cup this year.

With the Rimouski Oceanic hosting, there were as an added amount of QMJHL artifacts on display. That included a number of Saint John Sea Dogs items.

A mainstay of the exhibit has been Jonathan Huberdeau's jersey from the 2010-11 season. 

Five Sea Dogs questions heading into draft week

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

We're less than a week away from the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft taking place in Quebec City.

The first-round of the draft will take place next Friday at Videotron Centre while the remaining rounds will be held on Saturday.

The Saint John Sea Dogs own the first overall pick in this year's draft. Who they'll select is just one of the questions facing the team heading into next weekend.

Here's five questions facing the Sea Dogs heading into the draft.

1. What will a Crickard draft look like?

This will be the first draft as Saint John's general manager for Travis Crickard. He wasn't overly busy during the holiday trade period, so we weren't able to get a great read on what his style will be as a GM. The organization seems to be committed on returning to competing/contention in 2026-27, but how they get there will be interesting. Will Crickard take some big swings? Be more conservative? Shake up any of the core already in place? We'll see.

2. Who will Saint John take at No. 1?

This is certainly the biggest question that everyone around the league will have heading into Friday's first-round. The stars seem to be aligning for Alexis Joseph to be taken first overall – but we'll see. The QMJHL Entry Draft is known for its drama and the NCAA rule change could create a chaotic draft. Let's remember that Saint John has a number of new faces on the scouting side as well, along with Crickard.

3. What impact will the NCAA rule change have?

There's a lot going on here and a lot to digest. Over the past decade, Saint John has been one of the more aggressive teams when it comes to drafting players with NCAA intentions, some years more than others. Results have varied, but it's probably safe to say that the Sea Dogs will remain as aggressive – if not more – with the rule change. There are a couple key questions facing the Sea Dogs (and all teams) heading into this weekend:

• Are players still using the USHL as a real threat? If a player from these parts would still prefer to play junior hockey in Nebraska (no offense to Nebraska), all the power to them. But... I don't know, it's not going to be a great look or sign for the QMJHL as a whole if they continue to lose players to the USHL even after this rule change.
• How long will these college bound players stay in the QMJHL? We're starting to now see some players with junior eligibility remaining make the bounce to college hockey. I'm not sure how many players will be making the jump early, but it's something to keep in mind when drafting and building teams moving forward.

The NCAA impact will definitely be the most interesting storyline to follow at this year's draft.

Moncton's season ends with semifinal loss

Vincent Éthier / CHL

The Memorial Cup continues to elude the Moncton Wildcats.

Gardiner MacDougall and the Wildcats fell 5-2 to the London Knights in the semifinal game of the 2025 Memorial Cup on Friday, ending their hopes of a national championship. London advances to Sunday's final where they'll face the Medicine Hat Tigers.

This was the third time in franchise history that the Wildcats earned a spot in the tournament. They've come up short all three times with their closest victory being a loss in the 2006 championship game.

Maybe it was the tougher competition or something else, but the Wildcats just didn't look like themselves over the past few weeks. They struggled to produce consistent, 60-minute performances and let opponents control play for lengthy stretches.

Despite Friday's loss, it was quite the season for the Wildcats, who won the QMJHL's regular season title and Gilles-Courteau Trophy. Moncton went 53-9-2-0 during regular season play.

It was a rough tournament for the QMJHL with the league's only win coming in the game that put the Wildcats and Rimouski Oceanic against each other. The Wildcats finish with a 1-3 record while the Oceanic went 0-3.

The QMJHL won every Memorial Cup tournament from 2018 to 2023 (there were no tournaments in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic). The OHL's Saginaw Spirit won last season, defeating London in the final.

Medicine Hat will try and capture the WHL's first national title since the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014.

Notebook: Mateiko's season ends in a loss

Vincent Éthier / CHL

Eriks Mateiko and the Rimouski Oceanic were eliminated from the Memorial Cup on Wednesday, falling 6-2 to the Moncton Wildcats. The former Sea Dogs captain was the lone Sea Dogs alumnus participating in the event.

Wednesday's game was likely Mateiko's last in the QMJHL. Mateiko had a goal in three games at the tournament after posting seven goals and four assists in 18 playoff games. 

The Wildcats don't feature any former Sea Dogs players but do have a few former coaches on their staff – including Gardiner MacDougall.

The Wildcats face the London Knights in the Memorial Cup semifinal on Friday at 8 p.m. The winner advances to Sunday's championship game against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

PEDDLE NOT SIGNING

Tyler Peddle is reportedly about to become a free agent.

According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the Columbus Blue Jackets will not sign the Sea Dogs forward ahead of the June 1 deadline, making him a free agent. Peddle was a seventh-round pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Told #CBJ will not be signing F Tyler Peddle or F Martin Rysavy by the June 1 deadline, relinquishing their rights to the players.
Peddle, 20, was a 7th-round pick (No. 224 overall) in 2024, while Rysavy, 22, was a 7th-round pick (No. 197 overall) in 2021.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) May 24, 2025

Peddle joined the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, for a short period after Saint John's season ended. He did not appear in any AHL games.

Peddle is eligible to return to Saint John for his overage season. He posted 15 goals and 14 assists in 54 games this past season.

Wildcats move on to semifinal

Vincent Éthier / CHL

The Moncton Wildcats overcame an ugly start to keep their Memorial Cup hopes alive on Wednesday.

The Wildcats were heavily outplayed in the first period but rebounded in the final 40 minutes for a 6-2 win over the Rimouski Oceanic in round robin play. The win pushes Moncton into Friday's semifinal against the London Knights while Rimouski's season ends with the loss.

St. Andrews native Gabe Smith scored a pair of goals for Moncton while singles came from Julius Sumpf, Juraj Pekarcik, Etienne Morin and Alex Mercier. Mathis Rousseau made 32 saves in the win.

The Wildcats trailed 2-1 after the first period and were outshot 17-6. But Moncton turned things around in the second period, scoring twice to take a 3-2 lead into the third.

Morin put the Wildcats up 4-2 with a goal just 4:02 into the third. They secured the win with a pair of empty net goals late in the period.

It was a far from a perfect game for Moncton, but it was certainly a better showing and result than their 3-1 loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers on Monday. The Wildcats were able to get their offense going, something they've struggled with at this tournament.

The Wildcats will look to carry this momentum into Friday's semifinal against the Knights, which will obviously be their biggest game of the season. The semifinal winner will play the Tigers in Sunday's championship game.