Wednesday, June 11, 2025

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.


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.

NEXT GEN
If you've been following the Sea Dogs since the early days, here's another reminder of how old you are: Madison Bouchard, who was selected by Saint John in the 10th round of this weekend's QMJHL Entry Draft, is the son of former Sea Dogs forward Dave Bouchard.
Dave Bouchard, now 38, appeared in 34 games with Saint John in 2006-07, recording 15 goals and eight assists. He was released by the team after the infamous flag signing incident, which generated a lot of media attention at the time.

NB PLAYERS
Here's the full list of New Brunswick players picked in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.
ECHL PROTECTED LISTS

Teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided they meet the guidelines as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.

Here are the Sea Dogs alumni who were protected:

Atlanta: Ryan Francis

Fort Wayne: Matt Murphy and Nick Deakin-Poot

Iowa: Nathan Noel and Nico Blachman

Orlando: Kelly Bent

Trois-Rivieres: Zachary Emond and Nicolas Guay

Tulsa: Drew Elliott

The ECHL's season came to a close on Saturday with the Guay, Vincent Sevigny and the Trois-Rivieres Lions winning the Kelly Cup.

OTHER THINGS
  • The Sea Dogs selected Nolann Héroux with the 10th overall pick on Friday night. Other 10th overall picks by the Sea Dogs: Cedric Pare (2015), Pierre Durepos (2009) and Steven Anthony (2007).
  • Only two PEI-born players were selected in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft – and one of them was goaltender Jase MacPherson, who went 29th overall to Saint John.
  • Craig Eagles has scouting reports on a number of Sea Dogs draft picks.
  • The AHL's Calder Cup final will feature the Charlotte Checkers (affiliate of the Florida Panthers) taking on the Abbotsford Canucks (Vancouver Canucks). The series begins Friday in Charlotte. Riley Bezeau of the Checkers is the lone Sea Dogs alumnus playing in the series. Bezeau, who is suspended for Game 1 due to a check-to-the-head major penalty from Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final, has three goals in four playoff games.
  • Other things coming up:
    • Both the MHL and QJHL will hold their drafts this Saturday.
    • The NHL Draft takes place June 27-28.
    • The CHL Import Draft takes place July 2.
  • Skimming through the tender signings on the NCDC website, one of the Woodstock Slammers' signings was goaltender Zachary Bridgeo, who was Saint John's backup goaltender for a few games this past season when Justin Robinson was out with an injury. Bridgeo played in 31 games with the MHL's Fredericton Red Wings last year.
  • Speaking of the Slammers, Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Travis Crickard is a Slammers alumnus, appearing in 20 games with the club in 2006-07. The Sea Dogs will play a pre-season game in Woodstock on Sept. 5.
  • Been keeping an eye on the Australian Ice Hockey League as one does. Former Sea Dogs forward Zack Phillips of the Melbourne Mustangs sits 12th in league scoring with four goals and 20 points in 11 games.
  • One notable player not picked at last weekend's QMJHL Entry Draft: forward Brock Lyons, who recorded just under a point-per-game with the Saint John Vito's this past season. QMJHL Central Scouting projected Lyons to be a fourth round pick.
  • A sign of the times: the Mooseheads are asking Halifax regional council for $1.6 million to upgrade the practice facility they lease in Dartmouth, reports CBC. The expansion "would enhance the Mooseheads' ability to attract top talent, putting the team on the same level as NCAA teams, universities and colleges."

1 comment:

  1. got to love traffic studies ..... one more thing to deter attendance of games.BRUTAL!!

    ReplyDelete