Some Wednesday notes

The Saint John Sea Dogs have unveiled the pink jerseys they'll wear this weekend at TD Station.

According to the team, "Pink in the Rink Weekend is set for Friday, November 22 and Saturday, November 23 against the Charlottetown Islanders. Sea Dogs players will once again be wearing special, limited-edition pink jerseys during the game which will be available for purchase through in-arena raffles and online auction."

Fans can purchase discounted tickets for Pink in the Rink Weekend using the promo code “PINK” and $5 from every purchase will be donated directly to Breasts Ahoy. The promo code can be used online or at the TD Station Box Office.

Some other Wednesday notes...

• The Sherbrooke newspaper La Tribune has more on the news of Kyan Labbé asking for a trade from the Sea Dogs. The story confirms that Labbé's trade ask is due to the fact that Saint John already has two QMJHL suitable goaltenders on their roster.
• As mentioned during draft weekend, the QMJHL has created a Veterans Club. "Veterans will attend a few of their former team’s games each year, where they will be invited to meet fans, take photos with them and sign autographs," reads a QMJHL news release. Mike Thomas will be Saint John's representative. 
• Mikael Lalancette tweets that QMJHL attendance is up 3.2% compared to last year. Saint John is averaging 2,362 fans per game after 10 home games. Last year they averaged 2,698 after 10 home games. The Sea Dogs continue to head in the opposite direction of most teams.
• A lot going on in the BCHL as the player exodus continues following the NCAA rule change.

  This meeting is taking place today. It’s been scheduled for a week or more. Sounds like there will be some idea sharing on what BCHL brass want their league to be and best way to adapt. Sources I’m talking to are looking forward to their discussion. https://t.co/c8bJP1P9Vi

  — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 20, 2024

• And similar issues for the USHL, although likely not as severe.

  Junior Hockey - There was a meeting today in Plymouth involving USA Hockey, the USHL and the NAHL. Few details available but I imagine the 'changing landscape' was discussed.

  — Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) November 20, 2024

• Feels like there hasn't been a lot of talk about it, but the CHL USA Prospects Challenge takes place next week in London and Oshawa.
• Mentioned this last week. On Friday TSN picked up the Midco Sports broadcast of Denver/North Dakota, two of the top teams in NCAA hockey. Two of the top teams in the CHL (and two of the biggest markets), London and Kitchener, met on Tuesday with no national fanfare. Don't know what the solution is – or if TV even matters anymore – but something is off here.
• The Gatineau Olympiques are just 3-16-3-1 this season.
• The Charlottetown Islanders hosted the Shawinigan Cataractes in a school day game this morning at 11 a.m.
• The AHL's Utica Comets are 0-10-1-2 to start the season. Jeremie Poirier, Yan Kuznetsov and the Calgary Wranglers sit first with a 12-3-1-0 record.

Report: Labbé wants to play in QMJHL

Nanaimo Clippers

Goaltender Kyan Labbé is reportedly heading to the QMJHL – but it doesn't look like it will be with the Saint John Sea Dogs.

According to Sherbrooke radio station 107.7 Estrie, Labbé and his agent have reportedly requested a trade from the Sea Dogs. The 17-year-old was a fourth-round pick of Saint John in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft.

LHJMQ: le gardien Sherbrookois Kyan Labbé est de retour à la maison après un passage dans la BCHL. Il aurait demandé une transaction aux @StJohnSeadogs #LHJMQ

— Marc Bryson (@MbrysonCogeco) November 19, 2024

Labbé is committed to the NCAA's Union College for the 2026-27 season. The netminder has been playing with the BCHL's Nanaimo Clippers this season where he's posted a 2-1 record to go along with a 4.33 goals against average and a .889 save percentage.

Labbé is no longer listed on the Clippers website and he appears to be the latest player to jump from the BCHL to the CHL following the NCAA rule change. The BCHL has long been a league where NCAA recruits played before heading south of the border.

Last season, Labbé helped the Magog Cantonniers win the Telus Cup. He was named the tournament's best goaltender after being named the Quebec under-18 league's playoff MVP and top defensive player.

The biggest knock against Labbé is his size. Elite Prospects lists him at 5'9" and 161 lbs.

Requesting a trade from the Sea Dogs, if true, doesn't come as a huge surprise given Saint John's current goaltending situation. Charles-Edward Gravel has likely been Saint John's MVP so far this season and, given that he is an overager, dealing him to a contender at Christmas would be tricky. Then there's Justin Robinson who the team likely wants to hold onto – and get into some games – for future seasons.

The QMJHL's trading period opens next month.

Alumdate: Leaver, X-Men upset Reds again

ANTIGONISH, NS - Patrick Leaver has accomplished something very few goaltenders can say they've done in recent years: defeat the UNB Reds twice in one season.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs netminder stopped all 34 shots he faced on Saturday night as the StFX X-Men scored in the final minute to upset the top-ranked Reds 1-0 in Antigonish. According to the X-Men's game story, it was "the first regulation loss for UNB since February 4, 2023, and the first time UNB has been shutout since October, 2022."

UNB's year-long winning streak came to an end a couple weeks ago against the X-Men when Leaver made 51 saves in a 4-3 overtime victory at the Aitken Centre.

Classic UNB/StFX game. 35-save shutout for Patrick Leaver in 1-0 win. pic.twitter.com/P7WKsZTK5B

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) November 17, 2024

StFX upsetting UNB is nothing new. The Reds haven't lost a lot over the past 20 years, but many of the most painful blows have come against the X-Men, who's shot blocking and strong goaltending have made life difficult for UNB on many occasions.

The X-Men are now 7-6-0-1 on the season, placing them fourth in the AUS standings but just three points back of second. Leaver, who is still sporting his Sea Dogs mask from last season, has appeared in seven games, going 3-4 with a 4.22 goals against average and a .884 save percentage.

The losses to StFX have been the only blemishes on another great start to the year for UNB, who are 12-1-1-0. A lot of that success has been generated by former Sea Dogs captain Peter Reynolds, who is tied for the AUS scoring lead with 25 points and has posted a conference high 13 goals in 14 games.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 2-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Bathurst 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

BATHURST - Tyler Peddle scored the Saint John Sea Dogs' lone goal in a 2-1 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Tyler Wood and Louis-Francois Belanger scored for the Titan in the victory. Joshua Fleming made 28 stops.

Wood gave the Titan a 1-0 lead in the first period. It looked as though Eriks Mateiko had tied it in the second period but the captain's goal was called back due to an offside.

Peddle scored on a power play just 2:28 into the third to make it 1-1. It was his first goal since Oct. 25.

Belanger netted the winner at 15:11 of the third.

Charles-Edward Gravel made 35 saves in the loss.

The loss drops the Sea Dogs back below the .500 mark with an 11-12-0-0 record.

Game Day 23: at Bathurst

BATHURST - After ending a three-game losing streak on Thursday, the Saint John Sea Dogs will look to make it back-to-back wins tonight.

The Sea Dogs pulled off a major upset on Thursday, defeating the top-ranked Moncton Wildcats 6-2 at Avenir Centre. They'll play their fifth straight road game tonight, visiting the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7 p.m.

The Titan remain second in the Maritimes Division with a 13-7-0-0 record. This will already be the fifth meeting of the season between Bathurst and Saint John with the two splitting the series so far.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 11-11-0-0 for 22 points (third Maritimes/sixth Eastern/10th QMJHL) while the Titan are 13-7-0-0 for 26 points (second Maritimes/fifth Eastern/seventh QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-2 win in Moncton on Thursday. Eriks Mateiko scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Dylan Rozzi, Egan Beveridge, Olivier Duhamel and Elliot Dubé. Charles-Edward Gravel made 35 saves in the win. The Titan are coming off a 2-1 win in Charlottetown last night. Tyson Goguen and Dawson Sharkey scored for Bathurst. Mathis Langevin made 28 stops in the win.

Notebook: Crickard takes silver at U17

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard is back with the team after helping Team Canada Red win silver at the U17 World Challenge in Sarnia.

Canada Red won both of their preliminary round games and earned a bye to the semifinals where they defeated the United States 7-3. In the gold medal game, Red fell 3-1 to Team Canada White.

Along with Crickard, Red's roster included Sea Dogs draft pick Cameron Chartrand, who posted two assists in four games. The 16-year-old defenseman is committed to Boston College, but the recent NCAA rule change has certainly increased hope that he may report to Saint John. Chartrand is currently playing US prep school hockey with the Bishop Kearney Selects.

Eastern Canadian players stat lines at the U17 World Hockey Challenge:

Tynan Lawrence 5GP- 3G 3A
Chad Lygitsakos 4GP- 3G
Cameron Chartrand 4GP- 2A
Benjamin Cossette-Ayotte 5GP- 2A
Maddox Dagenais 4GP- 1A
Romain L’Italien 5GP-
Jayden Plouffe 5GP-

— Austin Robson (@ARobScouting) November 10, 2024

HENRY SIGNS
Sea Dogs draft pick Joshua Henry has committed to Lindenwood University for the 2027-28 season.

Lindenwood is one of the lesser known NCAA Division I schools, playing as an independent in the St. Louis suburbs. 

It's not often a player from the Maritime Hockey League commits to a Division I program. He has three assists in 12 games with the Fredericton Red Wings this season.

Henry, a 16-year-old defenseman, was a sixth-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. He played at Rothesay Netherwood last year.

DRAPEAU TO BCHL

While more and more players are departing the BCHL for the CHL, former Sea Dogs defenseman Nathan Drapeau is heading the other way.

The defenseman – who will turn 20 on Dec. 28 – has signed with the West Kelowna Warriors after appearing in 11 games with the Val-d'Or Foreurs this year.

"Nathan brings experience and poise to our back end," said Warriors head coach and general manager Simon Ferguson in a news release. "He’s a Memorial Cup champion who can quarterback our power play and play in all situations. He’s a highly-coveted player and we expect him to play a big role for us.”

Drapeau spent two seasons with the Sea Dogs, helping the club win the Memorial Cup in 2022.

He has spent the past two seasons in Val-d'Or. He did not play when the Foreurs visited Saint John a couple weeks ago.