Thursday, May 7, 2026

Notebook: Murnieks scores with Latvian national team

Ansis Ancovs/Latvian Ice Hockey Federation
It's been an eventful year for Olivers Murnieks at the international level.

The Saint John Sea Dogs forward played for Latvia at this year's World Junior Championship and the recent U18 World Championship. Now he's joined the Latvian men's team ahead of the IIHF World Championship – and scored in his debut.
Latvia won the friendly 3-2 in overtime against Norway. 

Latvia's first game of the men's worlds is May 16 against Switzerland. 

Murnieks posted a goal and five assists in seven games at the U18 worlds, a tournament that may have given his NHL Draft stock a boost, writes Daily Faceoff. 

FINAL BEGINS FRIDAY
The Gilles-Courteau Trophy final begins Friday night at Avenir Centre.

The Moncton Wildcats will try to become the first team since the 2011 and 2012 Saint John Sea Dogs to win back-to-back QMJHL championships. It won't be easy though as they'll be facing a Chicoutimi Sagueneens team that finished just one point behind them in the regular season standings.

Wildcats defenseman Max Vilen is the lone former Sea Dog playing in the series. Vilen, who is on Moncton's second defensive pairing, has two goals and six assists in 15 playoff games.

Game 1 is Friday followed by Game 2 on Saturday. The series shifts to Chicoutimi for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. All games will air on TSN.

VELENO DEBUTS
Former Sea Dogs forward Joe Veleno made his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut on Wednesday.

Veleno played 8:33 and had one shot along with five hits in the Montreal Canadiens' 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo leads the second round playoff series 1-0.

Veleno appeared in 61 games with the Habs during the regular season but did not see any action in the first round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

The 26-year-old did not get the opportunity to skate in the playoffs during his previous NHL seasons, which had stops with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks.

FLAMES SIGN BLAGDEN

"A player who brings compete, edge, and presence every time he steps on the ice," the Flames said of Blagden in a Facebook post. "Exactly what this team is built on."

The 23-year-old spent parts of two seasons with the Sea Dogs, including the second half of Saint John's 2022 Memorial Cup season.

Blagden just completed his fourth and final season with the UNB Reds. 

Blagden is known for his physical play and fighting abilities, which should make him a popular player in the BSHL.

LELAND BACK WITH TIGERS
Former Sea Dogs assistant coach Greg Leland is returning to the Campbellton Tigers.

Leland has been the head coach of the Maritime Junior Hockey League's Grand Falls Rapids for the past four seasons and guided the team to their first playoff appearance this year. The team announced Thursday morning that the two had parted ways.

Not long after the Rapids announcement, the Tigers announced that Leland would be their new head coach. He was the head coach and general manager of the club from 2016 to 2020.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue my coaching career in Campbellton, a place where I spent four memorable years helping rejuvenate the program and reaching a league final," Leland said in a news release. "Having familiarity with the organization, owner Pierre Girard, and general manager Charles Leblanc will help make this a seamless transition. Pierre, Charles and I share the same vision when it comes to rebuilding the culture and continuing to move the program forward. We understand that success starts with bringing in quality people who are also quality hockey players, while surrounding them with a strong support staff that gives them every opportunity to succeed. We know there will be a lot of work ahead, but that challenge is what makes the opportunity so rewarding.”

The Tigers were 15-29-6-2 this past season and ended the year on a 23-game losing streak.

Leland was an assistant coach with the Sea Dogs from 2007 to 2015.

CENTENNIAL CUP
The Centennial Cup national junior A championship is underway in Summerside.

The action began Thursday afternoon. The host Summerside Western Capitals, who had their season come to an end in Game 7 of the Maritime Junior Hockey League semifinals, played their first game on Thursday night against Manitoba champion Niverville Nighthawks.

The MHL champion Truro Bearcats play their first game on Friday night against the Greater Sudbury Cubs.

The Capitals feature former Sea Dogs defenseman Matthew MacLean and goaltender Justin Robinson.

The Journal Pioneer has a story on the Capitals' preparations, which included reaching out to former Sea Dogs coaches Gerard Gallant and Gardiner MacDougall.

OTHER THINGS
  • In an interview with The Athletic, QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini commented on US expansion and the league slowing down the process: "And while we’ve slowed it down a bit, if you look over the next five years, it’s certainly something that we want to see happen."
  • The Swift Current Broncos held a press conference and meet-and-greet for new head coach and general manager Travis Crickard this week. Swift Current Online has a recap of the event.
  • Looks as though former Sea Dogs forward Vince Elie, who just completed his overage season with the Shawinigan Cataractes, may not be joining the NCAA's Clarkson Golden Knights.
  • Former Saint John Flames forward Rocky Thompson, who was a consultant with the Sea Dogs during their 2022 Memorial Cup run, has been named an assistant coach with the New York Islanders. Thompson was the head coach of the Islanders' AHL affiliate in Bridgeport this past season.
  • Wildcats defenseman Matthew Virgilio has committed to Yale University. 
  • Val-d'Or Foreurs forward Philippe Veilleux, who recorded 43 goals and 96 points this past season, has committed to Northeastern University, joining a lengthy list of QMJHL players set to play for the Hockey East school in the coming years.
  • New Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka has a New Brunswick connection: he spent the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons playing with the MHL's Woodstock Slammers. He led the team in scoring during the 2008-09 season. Former Sea Dogs forward Andrew Langan played 11 games with Woodstock that season.
  • Speaking of former Slammers players, Saint John native Brad Tesink had the Prince George Spruce Kings in the conference finals in the BCHL. Tesink is in his first full season as head coach of the Spruce Kings.
  • Been watching quite a bit of the OHL playoffs through FloHockey, which picks up the local TV coverage most of the time. It's too bad Rogers TV isn't broadcasting QMJHL games in New Brunswick anymore.
  • The TV crews that will broadcast the QMJHL final have been announced.
  • The schedule for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup has been released. The under-18 tournament begins Aug. 3 and ends with the gold medal game on Aug. 8. All games will be played at Edmonton's Rogers Arena or the attached Downtown Community Arena.
  • It seems like we're not going to see a USHL/CHL merger anytime soon (if ever). We could be getting USHL expansion instead, apparently.
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