It's September

Did you know that it's September?

Regular season Saint John Sea Dogs hockey finally returns this month after what feels like nearly a full month of training camp (probably because it nearly has been!).

The Sea Dogs will begin regular season play in just over a week on Thursday, Sept. 21 at Harbour Station when they host the very skilled Halifax Mooseheads. Saint John's 2017 President Cup championship banner will be raised to the rafters before the game.

The Dogs and Mooseheads also meet this Friday in Halifax for a preseason game.

Here's a full look at what's on the Sea Dogs' schedule this month:

Thursday, Sept. 14: Preseason vs Moncton (Aitken Centre)
Friday, Sept. 15: Preseason at Halifax (Scotiabank Centre)
Thursday, Sept. 21: vs Halifax (Harbour Station)
Saturday, Sept. 23: vs Cape Breton (Harbour Station)
Thursday, Sept. 28: vs Charlottetown (Harbour Station)
Friday, Sept. 29: at Moncton (Moncton Coliseum)

A few notes on the schedule:

• The Sea Dogs will play at UNB Fredericton's Aitken Centre for just the second time in team history this week. Their last visit came all the way back in 2006 when they took on the Lewiston Maineiacs in a game that was attended by roughly seven people.
• Preseason games at Scotiabank Centre are rare.
• As mentioned in previous posts, there will be plenty of 2018 NHL Draft talent on the ice when the Mooseheads and Sea Dogs meet this season. Veleno, McIsaac, Zadina, etc.
• The Sea Dogs will play in the final Wildcats home opener to ever take place at the Moncton Coliseum. If you're coming to the game, dress for beach weather.

Meanwhile, the first annual "Sea Dogs Day" will take place this Sunday in King's Square. The fan festival is weather permitting.

Photo: Marc Henwood

Several Sea Dogs taking part in NHL rookie camps

Several current and former Saint John Sea Dogs are taking part in NHL rookie camps this year.

Most NHL clubs held their rookie camps this past weekend, which included major tournaments in Traverse City, Toronto, Buffalo and Penticton.

Here's a look at all the current/former Sea Dogs taking part in rookie camps:

Boston Bruins - Cedric Pare
Boston Bruins - Jakub Zboril
Calgary Flames - Samuel Dove-McFalls
Carolina Hurricanes - Callum Booth
Carolina Hurricanes - Julien Gauthier
Carolina Hurricanes - Spencer Smallman
Chicago Blackhawks - Matthew Highmore
Chicago Blackhawks - Nathan Noel
Edmonton Oilers - Ostap Safin
Los Angeles Kings - Bokondji Imama
Montreal Canadiens - Simon Bourque
Ottawa Senators - Thomas Chabot
Phoenix Coyotes - Adam Marsh
Pittsburgh Penguins - Alex D'Orio
Tampa Bay Lightning - Mathieu Joseph
Winnipeg Jets - Luke Green

The Bruins and Penguins are playing in a tournament in Buffalo with the Sabres and Devils. In Traverse City, the Red Wings are hosting the Hurricanes, Rangers, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Wild, Stars and Blues. The Penticton tournament features the Oilers, Canucks, Flames and Jets. In Toronto, the Senators, Maple Leafs and Canadiens are all playing.

The Florida rookie tournament was cancelled for obvious reasons. The Lightning rookies headed to Nashville to play the Predators rookies as an alternative.

The Kings, meanwhile, will host the Vegas Golden Knights rookies for a pair of games this week. The Coyotes are playing in the Prospect Showcase with the Sharks, Ducks and Avalanche.

Dixon officially named head coach

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs officially named Josh Dixon the team's new head coach on Friday morning.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for me,” Dixon said in a press release. “I’m grateful to Mr. McCain, Trevor Georgie and the board of directors for giving me this chance. I’m also grateful to my wife and family for allowing me to pursue my goal and my dream job, and to J.P. Barry and Pat Brisson at CAA for helping prepare me.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the tradition of excellence and empowerment that the Sea Dogs have been known for throughout their history.”

Dixon has spent the past couple years with the CAA sports agency, acting as director of player development.

The Oakville, Ont. native previously spent four seasons with the Western Hockey League's Swift Current Broncos as an associate coach and was an assistant coach with the Regina Pats from 2011-14. He's also worked as an assistant coach at a few Canadian universities.

REPORT: Dixon to be named new Sea Dogs head coach

Josh Dixon will be named the new head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs, according to reports.

The team announced this afternoon that a press conference would be held on Friday moning at Harbour Station to officially name the club's new bench boss. Since then, media reports have circulated about Dixon's hiring.

Rogers TV's Aaron Kennedy and TVA Sports' Mikael Lalancette are reporting the Dixon news.

BREAKING: New head coach of #SJSeaDogs will be Josh Dixon. Former associate with Swift Current & assistant with Regina. Newser Friday am.

— Aaron Kennedy (@scoop88) September 7, 2017

Josh Dixon sera le prochain entraîneur-chef des Sea Dogs. #tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) September 7, 2017

As his Elite Prospects page indicates, Dixon has a strong coaching resume, spending a number of years working as an assistant coach at the university level with Carleton, Calgary and Mount Royal. He's also worked as an assistant coach with the WHL's Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos.

According to LinkedIn, Dixon has been working at CAA Sports as the Director of Player Development since July, 2015. It's worth pointing out that Dixon is connected with Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie and assistant GM Anthony Stella on LinkedIn.

The Sea Dogs have been without a head coach since Danny Flynn stepped down earlier this summer.

Assuming Jeff Cowan stays on as an assistant coach, the Sea Dogs are still in need of one more assistant coach.

Friday's press conference will be at 9 a.m.

Bourque, Chabot to play in Rookie Tourney

Two former Saint John Sea Dogs will be action next weekend when the 2017 Rookie Tournament begins in Toronto.

Simon Bourque will suit up with the Montreal Canadiens while Thomas Chabot will play with the Ottawa Senators. The two defencemen played together with the Sea Dogs last season but will face off against one other when the Sens and Habs meet on Saturday at Ricoh Coliseum.

There will be plenty of familiar names in action at the tournament, which will also includes Toronto Maple Leafs rookie. The Canadiens' roster can be seen here, Senators' roster here and Maple Leafs' roster here.

Below is the tournament schedule:

Friday, Sept. 8: Montreal vs. Toronto, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 9: Ottawa vs. Montreal, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 10: Toronto vs. Ottawa, 4 p.m.

Paul Boutilier, who left the Sea Dogs this off-season to join the AHL's Belleville Senators as an assistant coach, will be an assistant with Ottawa's rookie squad.

Both Bourque and Chabot have a year of junior eligibility remaining. Chabot's time is certainly over, but there is a chance Bourque could be sent back. If sent back to the QMJHL, Bourque will almost certainly be flipped to another team in exchange for draft picks.

In other news, the Habs have given former Sea Dogs defenceman Eric Gelinas an invite to the team's training camp. Gelinas spent last season with the Colorado Avalanche and AHL's San Antonio Rampage.

Sea Dogs reassign six; lose Perry

The Saint John Sea Dogs announced a number of roster moves on Friday, reducing the team's training camp lineup to 24.

C Nicholas Cardone, C Kevin Mason, F Yanik Chagnon, D Zachary Leclerc, D Brendan Sibley and D Ian Smallwood were all reassigned by the team.

Of the six, Smallwood is perhaps the most surprising. The 18-year-old has appeared in 20 games with Saint John over the past couple seasons but, due to recent acquisitions, has slid down the team's depth chart.

Sibley, meanwhile, was the team's top pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. Another year of development will likely be better for the 16-year-old in the long run.

The Sea Dogs also (officially) announced on Friday that defenceman Marcus Tesink has been claimed off waivers from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles while forward Brock Perry has been lost off waivers to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

Perry, 19, had split last season between the OHL's Sarnia Sting and, oddly, the team that claimed him - the Armada.

Saint John's camp roster now consists of two goalies, eight defencemen and 14 forwards.

Saint John continues preseason play on Sept. 14 in Fredericton, hosting the Moncton Wildcats.