Notebook: Joseph ranked second in 2027 draft rankings

JaimeLee Gouthro/Cape Breton Eagles

The 2027 NHL Draft hype for Saint John Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph continues to grow.

In The Athletic's 2027 draft rankings that were released this week, Joseph was ranked second behind Everett Silvertips defenseman Landon Dupont.

"Joseph, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 QMJHL draft, is a big, strong, athletic, pro-built at an early age center with skill and a strong skating stride," writes Scott Wheeler. "He was dominant at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in November, leading Canada Red to gold and the tournament in goals with six in five games, and has been a top player on a rebuilding under-.500 team in Saint John this year, playing to above a point per game."

Joseph finished his rookie season with 24 goals and 36 assists in 54 games. He added three assists in four playoff games.

Sea Dogs draft picks Jamie Glance and Finnegan Sears were both honourable mentions in the rankings. Both played with the USNTDP this season. Glance is committed to Boston University for the 2027-28 season while Sears is committed to Boston College.

MCCALLUM TURNS PRO

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Kale McCallum has signed with the ECHL's Trois-Rivieres Lions, it was announced this week. He made his debut on Friday, recording two shots in a 2-1 win over the Maine Mariners.

McCallum spent this past season with the NCAA's Providence College Friars where he posted five goals and nine assists in 31 games.

The 24-year-old spent parts of the previous three seasons with the UNB Reds.

McCallum, who played with the Saint John Vito's and at Rothesay Netherwood, spent the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons with the Sea Dogs before being traded to the Val-d'Or Foreurs.

COUTURE HONOURED

Former Sea Dogs goaltender Thomas Couture has been named Acadia University's male athlete of the year.

From Acadia athletics:

Couture delivered one of the top goaltending seasons in the country for the Acadia Axemen. The Acadia netminder led both the AUS and U SPORTS with 861 saves, while posting a .927 save percentage, the best mark in the conference and third-best in the nation. He also recorded 14 wins, ranking sixth in U SPORTS and third in the AUS, and finished the season with a 2.49 goals-against average, the third-best mark in the conference.

Couture’s consistent play between the pipes made him one of the most important players in the Axemen lineup all season. His outstanding year earned him AUS first team all-star honours and, on the national stage, he was named the U SPORTS men’s hockey Goaltender of the Year and a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian.

His selection made program history, as he became the first goaltender in Acadia history to be named U SPORTS Goaltender of the Year.

Couture spent the second half of the 2021-22 season with the Sea Dogs. He went 18-1-1 in the regular season and 2-2-0 in the playoffs.

OTHER THINGS

• Alexis Joseph is Saint John's nominee for the Marcel-Robert Trophy, which "is awarded annually to the student-athlete of the year—the player who best combines on-ice performance with academic success."
• Craig Eagles has a story on Sea Dogs head coach Brian Casey and the work he did with the team over the past few weeks.
• The OHL's Brampton Steelheads will play a pair of regular season games in Cornwall this October.
• There will be a new Memorial Cup champion this year: the London Knights were eliminated in the first round of the OHL playoffs by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
• The AHL has confirmed that the Bridgeport Islanders will move to Hamilton for the 2026-27 season.