Notebook: First half's final week

Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Mooseheads

The first half of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League season comes to an end this week.

For the Saint John Sea Dogs, they'll reach the official halfway point of their 64-game season on Thursday when they play game 32.

The Sea Dogs will take on the Halifax Mooseheads in a home-and-home beginning on Wednesday at TD Station. The two teams will then travel to Halifax and play on Thursday night.

Thursday will be the final day of QMJHL games until after Christmas. The holiday trade period begins on Friday.

Saint John has a 12-17-1-0 record, placing them 17th overall. They won't be able to match the record they posted in last year's first half (16-16-0-0). The Sea Dogs recorded just five wins in the second half last year, which is something the team will obviously look to improve on.

BEEN A LONG TIME

The Sea Dogs are now 2-1 in overtime this season thanks to back-to-back wins this past week.

The Sea Dogs have yet to go to a shootout this year. The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada are the only other team that hasn't gone to a shootout yet. Almost every team in the QMJHL – with the exception of the Sherbrooke Phoenix (one) – have played in multiple.

Saint John took part in three shootouts last season, winning all three. Their last shootout was on Dec. 14, 2024.

GOALIE POINTS

Rafaël Courchesne assisted on Angelo Fullerton's overtime winner on Thursday, giving the Sea Dogs rookie goaltender two helpers on the season.

Several goaltenders have recorded two assists in a single season for Saint John. Only four Sea Dogs goaltenders have ever recorded more than two assists in a single season with the most recent being Alex D'Orio in 2017-18.

Here's a look at the Sea Dogs franchise record for most assists by a goaltender in a single season (click to enlarge).

In terms of career numbers, D'Orio has the most, recording six helpers over his two-and-a-half seasons with the Sea Dogs.

SHORTHANDED SUCCESS

The Sea Dogs have had one of the QMJHL's best penalty kills for most of the season – and with that has come some shorthanded offensive success.

The Sea Dogs have scored six shorthanded goals in 30 games, which (heading into Sunday's action) is good for a tie for third most in the QMJHL. The Newfoundland Regiment have a league high eight while the Val-d'Or Foreurs have scored seven.

Four of Saint John's six shorthanded goals have come on the road.

Captain Olivier Groulx leads the team with two shorthanded markers while Alexis Joseph, Angelo Fullerton, Zachary Morin and Olivers Murnieks each have one.

DOG BOWL BACK

The Sea Dogs announced last week that the Dog Bowl high school hockey tournament will return for a second year.

From the Sea Dogs: 

The 2026 Dog Bowl Tournament presented by Dino Contracting will feature two divisions, AA and AAA, with four teams in each. Kennebecasis Valley High School, St. Malachy’s Memorial High School, St. Stephen High School, and the defending champion Sussex Regional High School will compete in the AAA division, while Harbour View High School, Saint John High School, Simonds High School and Hampton High School square off in the AA division.

The tournament kicks off Saturday, Jan. 10 at 10 a.m., when the Saint John High School Greyhounds take on the Hampton High School Huskies in the AA opener. All four single-elimination semifinals will be played on day one, with the winners advancing to the championship games on Sunday, Jan. 11. The AA final is scheduled for 10 a.m., followed by the Sea Dogs facing the Newfoundland Regiment at 3 p.m. The AAA final is set for 7 p.m., following the Sea Dogs game.

Once again this year, the tournament MVP will be invited to Sea Dogs training camp. Last year that was Sussex High School forward Bryce Cunningham.

LET'S TALK RINK DIMENSIONS

There's been a lot of talk about the rink dimensions for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games, so let's talk about some unique QMJHL rink dimensions.

According to the QMJHL's 2025-26 media guide, there are only four arenas in the league that are not NHL standard size (200x85).

 

Chicoutimi: 200x100

Drummondville: 190x85

Rouyn-Noranda: 190x85

Val-d'Or: 190x85

All four of these arenas are quite old, obviously. Drummondville is expected to undergo a significant renovation in the coming years while Chicoutimi is still trying to lock in a new building.

THE OTHER POIRIER

Jeremy Poirier – not to be mistaken with Jeremie Poirier – has committed to Air Force Academy beginning in 2027-28.

The 19-year-old defenesman was a first-round pick of Saint John in the 2023 QMJHL American Draft.

Air Force lands a commitment from '06 D Jeremy Poirier, who is originally from New Hampshire. He's currently with the Cranbrook Bucks of the BCHL. He previously played at Holderness and with the NH Avalanche. pic.twitter.com/1Y3UYUQdYy

— Mike McMahon (@MikeMcMahonCHN) December 8, 2025

Poirier has appeared in 23 games with the BCHL's Cranbrook Bucks this season, posting 10 assists. He's also played in one USHL game with the Lincoln Stars.

OTHER THINGS

• FloHockey reviews Saint John's holiday jerseys.

  Holiday Jersey Feature: QMJHL's Saint John Sea Dogs@QMJHL | @SJSeaDogs #qmjhl #lhjmq #GoDogsGo #Holiday pic.twitter.com/uul56qXg7o

  — FloHockey (@FloHockey) December 14, 2025

• The Hockey Writers projects Latvia's roster for the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship and includes Sea Dogs forward Olivers Murnieks on the top line. We'll have to wait and see if Murnieks is healthy enough to play. He hasn't appeared in a QMJHL game since Dec. 4.
• Former Sea Dogs forward Dawson Theede is back with the National Lacrosse League's Halifax Thunderbirds for another season. Theede had three goals and two assists in Halifax's 9-8 overtime win over the Buffalo Bandits on Saturday.
• The Guardian has a story on former Sea Dogs defenseman Matt MacLean, who is back with the MHL's Summerside Western Capitals.
• Former Sea Dogs forward Coen Miller was recently traded again in the MHL. Miller was dealt from the Western Capitals to the Miramichi Timberwolves last month but he never suited up for the team. On Dec. 4, the Timberwolves traded Miller to the Grand Falls Rapids. The 19-year-old forward has a goal and two assists in four games with Rapids.
• The Win Column has a story on former Sea Dogs defenseman Yan Kuznetsov and his impressive play with the Calgary Flames this season. The 23-year-old has two goals and three assists in 19 NHL games.
• Caleb Desnoyers of the Moncton Wildcats was the lone player from the QMJHL invited to Team Canada's world junior selection camp, which is underway in Niagara. Gardiner MacDougall is an assistant coach.
• Corey Pronman's latest NHL Draft rankings over at The Athletic certainly made some noise this past week. Pronman has Fredericton native Tynan Lawrence, who is currently in his second season with the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks, ranked first overall and Penn State's Gavin McKenna fourth.
• Like the OHL and QMJHL, the WHL will be holding a prospects game this season, the league announced last week.