Game Day 28: at Baie-Comeau

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

BAIE-COMEAU, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin a three-game Quebec road trip tonight.

The Sea Dogs, losers of six straight, will try and turn things around when they take on the Drakkar at 8 p.m. Atlantic. It's the first meeting of the season between the two, who currently occupy the bottom of the QMJHL standings.

The Drakkar have been at the bottom of the standings all season and have just five wins in 28 games. The Sea Dogs, meanwhile, have slid outside the playoff picture thanks to a very rough few weeks, one that has certainly turned this season's momentum heading in the wrong direction.

Saint John will try and get things back on the right track during this road trip. The Sea Dogs have been better on the road than at home this season, posting a respectable 5-6-1-0 record away from TD Station.

Following this game the Sea Dogs will visit the Chicoutimi Sagueneens and Quebec Remparts.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/Sea Dogs Audio Network

Records: The Sea Dogs are 10-16-1-0 for 21 points (ninth Eastern/17th QMJHL) while the Drakkar are 5-19-2-2 for 14 points (10th Eastern/18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 home loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday. Angelo Fullerton and Alexander Donovan scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 35 saves in the loss. The Drakkar are coming off a wild 7-6 overtime win over the Sagueneens on Sunday. Kyle Powers had a hat trick for Baie-Comeau while singles came from Shawn Pearson, Alexis Mathieu, Mattias Gilbert and Kieran Litterick. Justin Giguere made 43 stops in the win.

Big game in Baie-Comeau

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Going into the season, not many people had this Wednesday night game in Baie-Comeau circled.

But here we are in early December and this suddenly feels like the biggest game of the season for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs have lost six straight games and seven of their past 10. They sit 17th overall in the 18-team QMJHL, placing them outside the league's playoff picture. They made a change in their hockey operations on Monday, allowing head coach Travis Crickard to put all of his attention into improving the on-ice product. 

There is definitely some panic here. But as the schedule makers fate would have it, the Sea Dogs have been granted a golden opportunity to start turning things around. The Drakkar are the lone team that sit below the Sea Dogs in the standings (seven points below them, in fact) and are just 2-10-0-1 on home ice this season.

Saint John, meanwhile, has been better on the road than at home this season, posting a 5-6-1-0 record.

It's just one game – a December one at that – but it sure feels like there's a lot on the line here. A win by the Sea Dogs would be a confidence booster, no doubt, proving that they can win a game they should – on paper – win. A loss though... it wouldn't be good.

Georgie takes back GM title

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs made a shakeup on Monday.

Team president Trevor Georgie is taking back the general manager role, the job he held from 2016 to 2023. Travis Crickard, who had been both head coach and general manager for the past year, will continue as head coach only.

“Travis is an excellent coach," Georgie said in an afternoon news release. "This adjustment allows him to focus fully on leading our group on the ice, which is where he makes the greatest impact. Our club has traditionally operated with separate GM and head coach roles, and returning to that model is the right step for our team at this time."

The Sea Dogs lost their sixth straight game on Sunday and they sit 17th overall with a 10-16-1-0 record. They have the second worst winning percentage in the QMJHL.

While the Sea Dogs still fall under the rebuilding category, this is not where most thought – or hoped – Saint John would be on Dec. 8. They have a young but high end roster, one that hasn't been able to reach its potential yet.

The season isn't quite half over, but it certainly felt like something had to happen to get things back on track.

Georgie held the general manager role for Saint John's 2017 President Cup championship and the 2022 Memorial Cup title. He's shown that he's not afraid to make big moves and will take big swings – something that adds a lot of intrigue to this year's holiday trade period, which opens in just a couple weeks on Dec. 19.

Crickard has been with the Sea Dogs since 2021 when he joined as an assistant coach. He took over as head coach in 2022 and took on the general manager title in 2024.

Removing the general manager role from Crickard should alleviate some stress on him – but also add some pressure. His job now will solely be to figure out how to unlock this roster's potential, which may not be a simple task.

The Sea Dogs will look to end their losing streak on Wednesday night when they visit the Baie-Comeau Drakkar – the only team that sits below them in the standings.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Moncton 4, Saint John 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs simply couldn't generate enough offense in a 4-2 loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs went up 2-0 in the first period but the team was unable to maintain that lead against a very hot Wildcats squad. Moncton went on to score three times in the opening frame to take a 3-2 lead – and the visitors would hold that score for much of the game.

Saint John was only able to generate 12 shots in the final two periods combined with a handful of those coming with the Sea Dogs pressing in the final couple minutes. Shots overall were 39-23 in favour of Moncton.

On the flip side, the Sea Dogs were able to keep it close with the Wildcats once again – although it was almost the complete opposite of Thursday's game when the Dogs were rolling offensively (recording 49 shots on goal) but struggling on defense. 

Goaltender Justin Robinson had a strong game in net, making 35 saves in the loss. Angelo Fullerton and Alexander Donovan scored Saint John's goals.

Moncton had a pair of goals from Alex Mercier and singles from Gabe Smith and Preston Lounsbury. Lounsbury iced the game with an empty netter at 19:19 of the third.

The loss was Saint John's sixth straight – with three of those coming against Moncton. The Sea Dogs are now 10-15-1-0 on the season, keeping them 17th overall.

Game Day 27: vs Wildcats

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will try once again to snap their losing skid against the Moncton Wildcats.

The Sea Dogs fell 7-4 in Moncton on Thursday night, which extended their losing streak to five games. The two will meet again this afternoon – this time at TD Station. Game time for Saint John's teddy bear toss game is 3 p.m.

Halls = decked 🎄❄️

See this year's Christmas jerseys in action starting this Sunday for Teddy Bear Toss at 3:00 p.m. against the Wildcats!

🎟️ » https://t.co/6iKEhaRiX4#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/DbVg07DZ70

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) December 4, 2025

It's been a rough stretch for the Sea Dogs – but Thursday's game did have some positives. Saint John was able to fight back from a 4-1 deficit and tie it up at 4-4 early in the third period. While the Dogs weren't able to take the lead, getting back into the game – against one of the QMJHL's top teams – was at least a positive sign.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, are on a 7-0-0-1 run and now have the league's second best winning percentage.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/Sea Dogs Audio Network

Records: The Sea Dogs are 10-15-1-0 for 21 points (ninth Eastern/17th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 18-6-2-1 for 39 points (second Eastern/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off that 7-4 loss in Moncton on Thursday. Alexis Joseph, Alexander Donovan, Olivier Duhamel and Olivier Groulx all scored for Saint John. Rafaël Courchesne made 26 saves in the loss. The Wildcats are coming off a 3-1 win over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Friday. Caleb Desnoyers, Kuzma Voronin and Preston Lounsbury scored for Moncton. Rudy Guimond made 31 stops in the win. 

A night of QMJHL hockey outdoors

TROIS-RIVIERES, QC - The temperatures were low but the vibes were high at the Hippodrome racetrack on Friday night.

The Victoriaville Tigres edged the Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in the second game of the 55 Cup, a four-team tournament that also includes the Drummondville Voltigeurs and Shawinigan Cataractes. Victoriaville and Drummondville will meet in Sunday's final while Sherbrooke and Shawinigan will play for third on Saturday.

The Hippodrome is quite a venue, with horse racing on this site dating all the way back to 1830. This was my 14th outdoor hockey game and fourth non-NHL – but a couple of those non-NHL games were played the day after an NHL game at the same venue. The Hippodrome had an impressive setup given that these QMJHL games are the highlight of a week long hockey festival.

The most challenging part of the event was finding the entrance. Once fans made their way in, they were greeted to an area of food trucks and sponsorship activations.

There was also a merchandise trailer.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 7-4

FINAL: Saint John 4, Moncton 7

Daniel St-Louis/Moncton Wildcats

MONCTON - It wasn't a win, but the Saint John Sea Dogs at least made a game of it on Thursday at Avenir Centre.

The Sea Dogs managed to climb out of a 4-1 deficit and tie it 4-4 early in the third period. But the red hot Moncton Wildcats fired off three goals in the final frame to take it 7-4.

The loss extended Saint John's losing streak to five games – but the Sea Dogs at least showed some resilience in this game. Much of this losing skid has seen Saint John get down and stay down.

The Sea Dogs got off to a rough start, going down 2-0. Saint John started to gain some momentum though and Alexis Joseph made it 2-1 at 14:39 – only to have the Wildcats score two minutes later. Saint John's inability to carry momentum has been a problem.

Saint John outshot Moncton 22-6 in the second period and exited the frame down 4-3. It was an unexpected outburst given that the Sea Dogs have struggled in second periods of late.

Olivier Groulx tied it up at 4-4 at 2:27 of the third with a shorthanded marker. But the Wildcats would go on to score three to make it a 7-4 final.

Shots were 49-33 in favour of Saint John, which was certainly a positive. Defensively the struggles continue with the Sea Dogs having now allowed seven of more goals in four of their past five games.

Joseph, Groulx, Alexander Donovan and Olivier Duhamel all scored for Saint John. Rafaël Courchesne made 26 stops in the loss.

Teddy Mutryn and Caleb Desnoyers each scored twice for Moncton while singles came from Niko Tournas, Adam Fortier-Gendron and Matthew Virgilio. Rudy Guimond made 45 stops in the win.

Game Day 26: at Moncton

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to put a bad weekend behind them tonight.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a three-in-three that saw them fall in each contest and get outscored 20-7. Saint John has dropped four straight games and allowed at least five goals in each of them.

Unfortunately for the Sea Dogs, their schedule doesn't get any easier.

Saint John will travel to Moncton tonight to take on the Wildcats at 7 p.m. Moncton is one of the hottest teams in the league right now, going 8-1-0-1 over their past 10 games.

A positive for the Sea Dogs: the Wildcats have been very average on home ice this season, going 5-4-1-0 – and one of those losses was against Saint John.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/Sea Dogs Audio Network

Records: The Sea Dogs are 10-14-1-0 for 21 points (ninth Eastern/17th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 16-6-2-1 for 35 points (second Eastern/third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Cape Breton Eagles in Fredericton on Sunday. Alexis Joseph and Angelo Fullerton scored for Saint John. Rafaël Courchese was pulled after allowing four goals on 12 shots. Justin Robinson stopped all 26 shots he faced in relief. The Wildcats are coming off a 3-2 shootout win in Drummondville on Sunday. Alex Mercier and Teddy Mutryn scored for Moncton. Rudy Guimond made 32 saves in the win.

Dogs look to turn things around vs 'Cats

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to turn things around on Thursday night against the Moncton Wildcats.

While it's a mismatch on paper – the Wildcats are 16-6-2-1 overall and sit second in the Eastern Conference – the Sea Dogs, 10-14-1-0, have had recent success at Avenir Centre. Saint John is 1-0 in Moncton this season and are an impressive 10-7-1-1 over the past five seasons.

Saint John will need all the positivity and good vibes they can generate given their recent struggles. The Sea Dogs head into Thursday's game on a four-game losing streak and went a disappointing 3-8-0-0 in November. Eight of their 11 games last month were played at TD Station/Aitken Centre.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, have been heading in the opposite direction. They are 8-1-0-1 in their last 10 games and have collected points in each of their past six games.

The Sea Dogs and Wildcats meet Thursday night in Moncton and Sunday afternoon in Saint John. This will certainly be a challenging couple games for the Dogs but, at the same time, there is an opportunity here to really turn their momentum around.

These are the first two of 10 games the Sea Dogs will play in December. Just four of those 10 games will be played at TD Station.

Some other news and notes...

• The Sea Dogs are now averaging nearly four goals against per game (3.96) and have allowed five or more goals in each of their past four games. 
• Saint John has allowed the first goal in each of their past three games.
• The Wildcats currently sit third overall in the league with 35 points. Only Chicoutimi and Blainville-Boisbriand – who each have 37 points – have better records.
• Wildcats captain Caleb Desnoyers enters play Thursday on a six-game point streak. He posted two goals and three assists during Moncton's three-in-three Quebec road trip last weekend. With Team Canada's world junior selection camp roster expected to be announced next week, Desnoyers is likely a little extra motivated to have a strong few games.
• After lighting up the Sea Dogs last weekend, Cape Breton Eagles forward Romain Litalien was named the QMJHL 's player of the week. Litalien now has four goals and seven assists in six games against Saint John this season.
• Newfoundland's Justin Larose continues to lead the QMJHL in scoring with 43 points (17 goals and 26 assists) in 26 games. His 26 assists leads the league.
• Shawinigan's Felix Lacerte has scored a league high 22 goals in 23 games.
• There will be four outdoor QMJHL games played this week at a racetrack in Trois-Rivieres. Victoriaville, Sherbrooke, Drummondville and Shawinigan will each play two games between Thursday and Sunday.

Notebook: The Beaulieu/Murphy fight

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Jacob Beaulieu is getting plenty of praise for his fight against Will Murphy during Saturday's game against the Cape Breton Eagles.

Beaulieu, listed at 5'9" and 175 lbs, dropped the gloves with Murphy, listed at 6'4" and 211 lbs, during the first period. Both players were given fighting majors and game misconducts.

The game was 1-1 at the time and the Saint John Sea Dogs went on to lose the game 7-3. Saint John allowed four goals in the second period and were outshot 17-8.

After the game, the fight brought this interesting response from Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard, calling his team's response "sad."

Really interesting comments from Travis Crickard on Jacob Beaulieu’s fight with Will Murphy.

Calls his team’s response to the fight “sad.” pic.twitter.com/nT3hf5nXoz

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) November 30, 2025

DUFOUR DEBUTS

William Dufour made his Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins debut on Friday.

Dufour had one shot and was a +1 in the Penguins' 4-1 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He played on the team's third line with Aidan McDonough and Gabe Klassen. 

Former Sea Dogs forward Boko Imama was also in the Penguins' lineup. Raivis Ansons did not dress.

On Saturday, Dufour posted three shots and was a -2 in the Penguins' 6-2 loss to the Hershey Bears. Imama also played in that game, recording 14 penalty minutes.

Dufour has been on a professional tryout with the Penguins for a few weeks. These were his first AHL games since last season's Calder Cup Playoffs.

GLANCE SCORES VS CHL

17-year-old forward Jamie Glance, a sixth-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft, scored twice in the USNTDP's victory over Team CHL in this year's CHL USA Prospects Challenge.

Glance had an empty net goal in the United States' 4-2 win over Team CHL in the opening game and then scored again as the Americans fell 4-3 in the second game. The USA won the event by scoring in "super overtime."

Jamie Glance gives USA a 3-1 lead on the power-play! pic.twitter.com/uQwoeKRI23

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 27, 2025

Glance is in his second year with the USNTDP and is committed to Boston University for the 2027-28 season.

A month to forget for Sea Dogs

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs began November one game over .500, sitting 11th overall in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and were coming off a two-game sweep of the Cape Breton Eagles.

A month later, the Sea Dogs are leaving November four games below .500, sitting second-last in the QMJHL and were swept on home (sort of) ice by the Eagles.

It was a brutal month for the Sea Dogs to say the least. Let's look at some numbers.

• Saint John went 3-8-0-0 during November, a disappointing record any month, but especially this one given that the team played eight of their 11 games on home ice (when you include the Fredericton game).
• The Sea Dogs are now 5-9-0-0 at home this season after going 2-6 at TD Station/Aitken Centre in November. 
• The Sea Dogs entered November with a respectable -2 goal differential. It's now at -15 after getting outscored 45-32 during the month. That's a goals per game average of 2.91 and a goals against per game average of 4.09. The last-place Baie-Comeau Drakkar are currently averaging 4.26 goals against per game.

If the QMJHL playoffs started today, the Sea Dogs would not be in them. They have the second fewest points (21) and second worst winning percentage (.420).

This team is struggling big time right now. The numbers show it. The eye test shows it.

The fan frustration with this team's recent results is nothing like I've seen since, well, ever. And it makes sense. A reminder that this franchise has not won a playoff series since 2017. A reminder that this franchise has delivered only a few months of success since 2017. The Sea Dogs have finished above .500 just twice since 2017 – and one of those seasons was the weird COVID year of 2020-21 when they finished one game over.

If there is any fan base in junior hockey that understands the highs and lows of the junior hockey cycle, it's Sea Dogs fans. When this fan base is losing patience, that says something.