Sea Dogs Sign Bruins Prospect

The Saint John Sea Dogs made a significant free agent signing announcement this morning.

The club announced that they have signed Boston Bruins prospect Mitchell Dempsey. The 19-year old left-winger is taking part in Bruins development camp this week.

Dempsey played in just eight games in the OHL last season – two with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and six with the Kitchener Rangers – where he registered one assist and 10 penalty minutes.

“He's shown flashes of massive potential,” Greyhounds general manager Kyle Dubas told the Sault Star in October of 2013 when Dempsey was released by the club. “It's there, but it's up to Mitchell to bring it out and it wasn't going to happen here.”

The Sea Dogs are hoping a change of scenery will work wonders for the 6'4", 217 lbs. Cambridge, Ontario native.

"Sometimes people need a change of scenery and need the opportunity to reset their careers, and that is what we are offering Mitchell," said Sea Dogs General Manager Darrell Young in a release. "I've met with his family, his agent and members of the Boston Bruins organization. Everyone is in agreement that this is the best place for Mitchell to play.

"The Bruins still believe he is a legitimate NHL prospect. In Saint John, he will have the opportunity to be mentored by assistant coach Jeff Cowan. Jeff played the same way that Mitchell needs to play in order to play at the next level. In Saint John, he will have the opportunity to step in and contribute immediately."

Dempsey also played in 15 games with the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Kitchener Dutchmen, registering five assists.

In 78 career OHL games, Dempsey had two goals and nine assists. He was a first-round pick of the Plymouth Rangers in the 2011 OHL Draft.

Excited to get the ball rolling with @SeaDogsHockey and couldnt be more grateful for this oppurtunity #NB
— Mitch dempsey (@mitchdempsey95) July 7, 2014

Dempsey, a seventh-round pick of the Bruins in the 2013 NHL Draft, is expected to take part in Sea Dogs training camp next month.

Notebook: Free Agents Are Coming

Free agent news is coming…

.@SeaDogsHockey have dipped into the free agent market...stay tuned for news tomorrow morning....#SJSD10
— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SeaDogsHockey) July 7, 2014

JACKETS CAMP

Olivier LeBlanc, drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets last weekend, has been invited to the NHL club’s summer development camp.

The annual camp begins on Monday and operates until Thursday. According to the Blue Jackets website, “this year’s camp is highlighted by the inaugural CBJ Prospects 3-on-3 Tournament, set to be staged on Thursday, July 10 beginning at 4:30 p.m.”

LeBlanc was one of 28 players invited to Columbus’ camp. All seven of the team’s 2014 draft choices received invites.

ANDERSON’S FUTURE

The Sea Dogs currently have four 20-year olds on their roster: forwards Stephen Anderson and Mark Tremaine, goaltender Sebastien Auger, and defenseman Michael Abbott. That list will need to be cut down to three at some point.

The MHL’s Summerside Western Capitals are taking preparations if Anderson is the odd man out. The club reacquired his rights this past week.

“If we do get Stephen Anderson back, it’s going to be a pretty good deal,” said Caps general manager Pat McIver to The Guardian last week. “We will be getting an Island kid who has a ton of major junior experience, and had a good year with us the year he did play here.”

Anderson played in 31 games with the Caps in 2011-12, recording 19 goals and 17 assists. 

Game Host Wanted

The following was posted in the latest edition of the Dog Bytes Newsletter:

SEA DOGS SEEK GAME HOST    

Application Deadline: August 8, 2014    

Starting Date: September 19, 2014 

Position: Game Host  

Type of Position: Part Time - Seasonal

Job Description: 

Job Summary:
The Saint John Sea Dogs Hockey Club are looking for someone to join game day staff personnel to perform as the Game Host for all Sea Dogs Home Games during the 2014/2015 season and post-season. The Game Host will assist with all contests and promotional activity by following a in-depth game script provided by the Coordinator, Game Day Operations. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Act as the in-game host by executing on-ice or in-arena promotions and following the script, speaking to the crowd through a microphone.
- Engage the crowd during in-game promotional elements through a creative and energetic environment.
- Communicate on a game by game basis with Coordinator, Game Day Operations on ideas, preparation for promotions and the script.
- Choose contestants upon entry for in game promotions. Must be comfortable approaching the public.
- All other duties as assigned.  

Qualifications:
- Minimum of 1-2 years Emcee/Hosting experience required
- Must have a projecting and booming voice
- Ability to react quickly to situations as needed
- Ability to work with other staff in a fast paced environment
- Excellent verbal communication skills
- Ability to perform in front of a large audience
- Creativeness
- Must be professional at all times and have a fan friendly attitude
- Ability to follow directions at all times
- Flexible hours and availability
- Ability to stand on feet for 3-4 hours per game  

Please forward your resume via email to kyleferguson@saintjohnseadogs.com or by mail (contact information below): 

Contact Information:
Kyle Ferguson
Saint John Sea Dogs Hockey Club
99 Station Street, Suite 200
Saint John, NB, Canada, E2L 4X4
E-mail: kyleferguson@saintjohnseadogs.com
Tel. 506-632-9262
www.saintjohnseadogs.com

Nikita Lee (Li) Drafted By Sea Dogs

With their second pick in today’s Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, the Saint John Sea Dogs selected Russian winger Nikita Lee (alternate spelling, "Li").

According to a Sea Dogs news release, the 17-year old spent last season with Russia’s Moscow Spartak Under-18 team. Lee was selected by the Moscow Spartak in the first round (11^th overall) of the 2014 KHL draft.

There is some mystery surrounding this pick as there isn’t much info on Lee available on the interweb (he is No. 11 in white in the video above).

Sea Dogs general manager Darrell Young seemed pleased with the pick.

"Nikita is a highly-skilled, left-shooting right winger," Young said in the release. "We wanted to add someone with offensive ability to our stable of young forwards, and he understands the offensive side. He's also familiar with the North American game, having played with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Junior Knights program in Pennsylvania four years ago. He speaks perfect English - that's a huge factor for us."

The CHL website lists Lee as 6’00”, 150 lbs. Elite Prospects has him at 6’2”, 183 lbs.

Lee was the chosen by the Sea Dogs with the 65^th overall pick. The team also picked 5^th overall and took defenseman Jakub Zboril.

The Sea Dogs expect both imports at training camp next month.

Dogs Select Czech D-Man 5th Overall

The Saint John Sea Dogs used the fifth overall pick in today’s Canadian Hockey League Import Draft to select Czech defenseman Jakub Zboril.

Zboril is 1997 born, making him eligible for next year’s NHL Draft. He is listed at just under 6’1” and 185 lbs.

According to Elite Prospects, the d-man played in 36 games with HC Kometa Brno U20 last season and recorded five goals and 16 assists. In 27 games with the Czech Republic under-18 team, he registered four goals and six assists.

Jerome Berube of HockeyProspect.com calls Zboril a “two way defenseman who can play physical.”

"This big defenseman is as versatile as they come and has the potential to become a star in the National Hockey League,” writes Radoslav Vavrina of Hockey’s Future. “On the blue line, he tends to use his cannon shot often, which creates a lot of good opportunities, but he can pass the puck, as well. In his own zone, Zbořil either uses his body to flatten players to gain control of the puck, or he can accomplish this with his stick. The best thing about him is that he's a 2015 NHL Draft prospect and has more than a year to become a top prospect in his draft year."

Zboril is the younger brother of Adam Zboril who used to play with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Saint John picks again at 65^th overall.

Import Draft Day Has Arrived

The 2014 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft takes place today beginning at noon Atlantic time. The draft can be followed online here.

After finishing with the second worst record in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League regular season, the Saint John Sea Dogs will be selecting 5^th and 65^th overall in the two-round draft. The Sarnia Sting have the first overall pick while the Quebec Remparts, via a trade with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, will select second.

Darrell Young and the Sea Dogs will certainly be looking to improve on last year’s Import Draft performance. Led by former Sea Dogs general manager manager Mike Kelly, the team used the ninth overall pick to select Slovakian forward Juraj Siska who would end up not playing a single game with the club due to injury. As a result, the Dogs played with just one import last season – defenseman Jurij Repe – and he is not expected to return.

This will be the seventh time in franchise history that Saint John will pick in the top 10. Here is who they have taken in the past:

2005: 5th overall - Martin Bartos
2005: 41st overall - Felix Schutz
2006: 4th overall – David Stich
2007: 3rd overall - Robert Mayer
2009: 1st overall – Stanislav Galiev
2009: 4th overall – Tomas Jurco
2012: 34^th overall – Jurij Repe
2012: 52^nd overall – Jakub Izacky
2013: 9^th overall – Juraj Siska

I’m not even going to try and speculate on whom the Dogs may take today. Elite Prospects is going to have a busy day.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation