Taking a look at Saint John's roster

By Kevin Chambers and Lorne Webster
SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs recently announced their latest round of cuts from their training camp roster and announced a couple trades that have been confirmed. The Sea Dogs will now have a break before their next pre-season game, which is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8 at Harbour Station against the Charlottetown Islanders.

First, let's have a look at some of the players that were with the team last year and will not be returning this season - beginning with long time Sea Dog forward Matt Green who, unfortunately, became the victim of a numbers game in Saint John. Also no longer with the team are forwards Robbie Burt and Ben Reid; along with Kevin Gursoy who was dealt to Charlottetown. Defenceman Alexis Girard was also traded on Monday along with a draft pick in exchange for another defender in Carson Gallant, who was/is expected to become an affiliate player and report to the MHL's Campbellton Tigers.

What does this mean moving forward? Simply put, the Sea Dogs are going to be a very young team. It should come as no surprise that this will be the youngest team in the QMJHL (and quite possibly the CHL) with a roster that will include five 16-year old players along with eight 17-year olds on the 25-man roster to start the season. Recent moves also open up several positions that will cause players to not only see the opportunity, but to seize the moment and work even harder to earn one of these regular spots in the lineup.

Higgins trade completed; Pilon leaves

SAINT JOHN - The look of the Saint John Sea Dogs' defence core became much clearer on Wednesday.

The Sea Dogs officially acquired 20-year-old defenceman Tyler Higgins from the Gatineau Olympiques in exchange for a 12th-round pick in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft. This according to an Olympiques news release.

Higgins will join forward Anthony Boucher and defenceman Michael Campoli as the team's trio of overage players to start the season.

Higgins has been at Sea Dogs training camp on loan from the Olympiques. Higgins spent last season between the Val-d'Or Foreurs, Rimouski Oceanic and Olympiques, ending the year with nine assists in 51 games.

Meanwhile, defenceman Zack Pilon, a free agent invite from Ontario, has left the club and will be returning closer to home.

Want to thank the @SJSeaDogs for the past couple weeks.. I have decided to step down from the team to join the @SFBears ! Always has been a dream of mine since I was a kid to play for the bears and I’m really excited to get things rolling this year.

— Zack Pilon (@ZackPilon93) August 29, 2018

Pilon, who appeared in 43 games with the OHL's Flint Firebirds last season, is a Smiths Falls native.

Here's the defencemen who remain on Saint John's roster: Higgins, Campoli, Charlie DesRoches, Nathan Larose, Jeremy Poirier, Brendan Sibley and William Villeneuve. Sibley has yet to play this pre-season due to an injury suffered over the summer.

The Sea Dogs acquired 17-year-old defenceman Carson Gallant on Monday in exchange for 19-year-old d-man Alexis Girard. The initial plan was for Gallant to start the year with the MHL's Campbellton Tigers.

Sea Dogs release Green; acquire Gallant

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs announced a flurry of roster moves on Monday following the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's pre-season trade deadline.

The most notable move was the releasing of 20-year-old forward Matt Green. The 22nd overall pick in the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft has spent the past four seasons with Saint John, recording 36 points in 168 games.

“We want to thank Matt for his contributions on and off the ice” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a release. “He grew up as a Sea Dog from 16-years-old, was a model citizen, and won a President Cup with us in 2017. The overage rule is a tough one (QMJHL teams are only allowed three 20-year-olds on their roster) and we wish Matt the very best.”

The Hammonds Plains, NS native was selected in the second round after the Sea Dogs took his twin brother, defenceman Luke Green, with the first overall pick. Matt Green proved to be a decent defensive forward but was never able to add a lot of offence to his game - which hurt his chances of sticking around as one of the team's overage players.

The Sea Dogs also announced a couple trades. The first had already been reported, which saw forward Kevin Gursoy traded to the Charlottetown Islanders in exchange for a 2020 sixth-round pick. The pick could become a fourth-round selection depending on Gursoy's performance.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Moncton 2, Saint John 3 (OT)

ST. STEPHEN - Josh Lawrence has had no problem putting up points this pre-season.

Lawrence scored all three of the Saint John Sea Dogs' goals in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday afternoon at St. Stephen's Garcelon Civic Center.

The 16-year-old forward now has five goals and an assist in three pre-season games. He's been held without a goal in just one of the three games he has appeared in. This comes after he piled up the goals and assists in Saint John's training camp scrimmages.

Brady Burns, meanwhile, recorded two assists. Alex D'Orio made his first appearance of the pre-season, making 30 stops in the victory.

The Wildcats dressed a much more experienced lineup than they did on Wednesday night in Moncton where they were hammered 8-1 by the Sea Dogs. Veterans Jacob Hudson and Simon Le Coultre scored for the Wildcats. Charles-Antoine Lavallee made 12 stops while Alec MacDonald made 10.

The win improves the Sea Dogs' record to 4-0 in exhibition play. The team has next weekend off.

Report: Gursoy traded to Islanders

ST. STEPHEN - The Saint John Sea Dogs have traded forward Kevin Gursoy to the Charlottetown Islanders, according to Mikael Lalancette of TVA Sports.

In exchange, the Sea Dogs will receive a sixth-round pick in the 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft. Lalancette reports that the pick could become a fourth-round selection depending on Gursoy's performance.

Les Sea Dogs transigent Kevin Gursoy à Charlottetown en retour d’un choix de 6e tour 2020.

Ça pourrait devenir un choix de 4ème tour selon sa performance. #tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) August 26, 2018

Gursoy, 19, signed with the Sea Dogs last August after putting up 30 goals and 32 assists in 50 games with the GOJHL's Chatham Maroons in 2016-17.

The LaSalle, Ont. native recorded 11 goals and seven assists with Saint John last season. So far this pre-season, Gursoy has registered two goals and an assist in one game.

The QMJHL's summer trade deadline is tomorrow.

Demain, midi fin des transactions dans la LHJMQ. L'an passé, la veille de la date limite, 2 transactions, la journée de la date limite, 12.

— Martin Lahaie (@MartinLahaie) August 26, 2018

Pre-Season Game Day 4: vs Wildcats

ST. STEPHEN – The Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats meet for a second time this week today in St. Stephen.

The Sea Dogs, who dressed a lineup sprinkled with veterans and a handful of high end youngsters, hammered a much less experienced Wildcats squad 8-1 in pre-season action in Moncton on Wednesday night. Given how the ‘Cats have operated their training camp, today’s game could feature similar lineup styles.

This marks the first QMJHL pre-season game to be played at St. Stephen’s Garcelon Civic Centre, which is home to the MHL’s Aces. The Sea Dogs held an open practice at the old Border Arena in 2006 but have not returned until today.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 3-0-0-0 this pre-season while the Wildcats are 1-2-0-0. Last season, Saint John finished last overall in the QMJHL standings with a 14-43-9-2 record for 39 points while Moncton finished 14th overall with a 27-33-5-3 record for 62 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Wildcats met on Wednesday night in Moncton where Saint John skated away with an 8-1 win. Josh Lawrence scored twice while singles came from Nathan Larose, Maxim Cajkovic, William Villeneuve, Brady Burns, Yohan Plamondon and Nicholas Deakin-Poot. Moncton’s goal came Mark Rumsey. Tommy DaSilva made 21 saves in the win. Philippe Gaudreault and Alec MacDonald took the loss in the Moncton net, allowing eight goals on 34 shots.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 3-4-2-0 against the Wildcats last season while Moncton went 6-1-1-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: See above.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Wildcats: Radio voice Tim Roszell