Sea Dogs add another assistant

Soo Greyhounds

The Saint John Sea Dogs have rounded out their coaching staff for the 2026-27 season.

Joining Jim Hulton's staff will be Daniel Nikandrov, who will be an assistant coach with the Sea Dogs. The team made the announcement on Thursday.

“We are pleased to welcome Danny to the Sea Dogs,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a release. “He came highly recommended as a player’s coach who builds strong relationships and connects well with young athletes. Having served as a captain during his OHL career, he understands what it takes to compete at this level. Danny was excited about the opportunity to return to the East Coast, and we believe he’ll be an outstanding fit alongside Jim, Guy, and the rest of our coaching staff.”

Nikandrov, 31, spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Prior to that he spent a season as an assistant at StFX University and three other seasons as an assistant at York University.

York is where Nikandrov's playing days ended. His junior career saw him play with the OHL's Sarnia Sting and Peterborough Petes.

The Greyhounds announced on Monday that Nikandrov and fellow assistant coach Brendan Taylor would not return to the club this fall. 

“We want to sincerely thank Danny and Tayls for everything they’ve done for our program and our players, both on and off the ice,” said Greyhound general manager Kyle Raftis in a release. “Their dedication, professionalism, and commitment have had a tremendous impact on our organization. We’re grateful for the contributions they’ve made during their time with the Greyhounds and wish them nothing but continued success in the next chapter of their careers.”

Soo recently named Drew Bannister their new head coach, replacing John Dean.

Nikandrov will join Hulton and fellow assistant Guy Girouard behind the Saint John bench this season. Hulton and Girouard were officially hired last month. Director of hockey operations and assistant coach Kyle MacDonald is the only member of last season's coaching staff set to return.

Sea Dogs alumni on the move

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Fresh off capturing a Calder Cup championship, former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman William Villeneuve has re-signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Villeneuve signed a two-year deal with the Leafs, the club announced on Wednesday.

From the team's release:

Villeneuve, 24, skated in 61 games with the Marlies last season, recording 30 points (3 goals, 27 assists) while adding 23 points (2 goals, 21 assists) in 24 playoff games en route to a Calder Cup championship. In 226 career AHL games, he has collected 120 points (12 goals, 108 assists). Villeneuve made his NHL debut on April 11, 2026, against the Florida Panthers.

The 24-year-old has spent his entire pro career with the Maple Leafs organization, which was highlighted by a Calder Cup title with the Marlies last month.

A few other Sea Dogs alumni happenings from the past few weeks...

• Josh Lawrence is on the move yet again, signing with HK Olimpija Ljubljana of the ICEHL (which features clubs from around Central Europe). The 24-year-old spent last season in Russia and Slovakia, which was capped off by helping HK Nitra win the Slovak Extraliga. Since turning pro, Lawrence has played in Switzerland, Finland, Russia, Slovakia and now Slovenia.
• Tomas Jurco is returning home, signing with his hometown team, HC Kosice of the Slovak Extraliga, earlier this month. The 33-year-old has spent most of the past five seasons in the KHL and had a brief stint in Switzerland. Jurco hasn't played in a Slovakian league since he was a teenager.
• Nathan Beaulieu has been named an assistant coach of Florida Atlantic University’s Division Il hockey club, which is based in Boca Raton. According to the University Press, Florida Atlantic is coming off a College Hockey South DII Championship. Beaulieu spent last season as an assistant coach at Saint Mary's University.
• Fresh off helping the Florida Everblades win an ECHL championship, Oliver Cooper has signed with the Fredericton Express of the Beausejour Senior Hockey League. The 31-year spent all of last season in the ECHL, recording 25 points in 65 regular season games and another five points in 19 post-season contests. Cooper is a Fredericton native who played four seasons with UNB.
• Aiden MacIntosh is heading overseas. After finishing his final season at York University and helping the Evansville Thunderbolts win a SPHL championship, the 25-year-old has signed with Montpellier in France for the 2026-27 season.
• Former Sea Dogs assistant coach Stefan Legein is returning to the AHL's Belleville Senators for another season. This will be Legein's third season as an assistant with Belleville.

Moncton, Quebec named 2028 Memorial Cup host finalists

The 2028 Memorial Cup will be hosted by either the Moncton Wildcats or Quebec Remparts.

The Canadian Hockey League announced Monday that the two cities are the finalists to host the 2028 tournament, which is the next time the QMJHL has the event.

According to a news release, "Moncton and Quebec were selected by the 2028 Memorial Cup Site Selection Committee, an independent panel of five individuals with extensive experience across the sports landscape. As the first step in the process, the committee reviewed submissions from QMJHL clubs that declared their intent to bid before identifying the two finalist clubs that would advance."

The Newfoundland Regiment and Gatineau Olympiques were believed to also have interest in hosting the event.

Both Moncton and Quebec City have hosted the Memorial Cup in the past – but neither have done so in their new buildings. The Moncton Coliseum hosted the 2006 tournament while Colisee Pepsi hosted a few times, most recently in 2015.

“The Memorial Cup holds a special place in our game because of the players, fans, volunteers, and communities who bring it to life each year,” said Dan MacKenzie, president of the CHL, in a news release. “Moncton and Quebec are two proud hockey markets with deep connections to this championship, passionate fan bases, strong organizational leadership, and a clear understanding of what it takes to host an event of this calibre. We are confident either city would provide an exceptional stage for the 2028 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota, and we thank all of the QMJHL clubs that expressed interest in being part of this process.”

The 2028 host city is expected to be announced by the end of October.

The Rimouski Oceanic were the most recent QMJHL host, holding the event in 2025. The last Maritime city to host was Saint John in 2022.

The OHL's Guelph Storm will host the 2027 Memorial Cup.

2027 NHL Draft hype underway for Saint John

Mathieu Savidant/Saint John Sea Dogs

With Alexis Joseph on their roster, the Saint John Sea Dogs were already a team to watch for the 2027 NHL Draft.

Now, with Jamie Glance officially a Sea Dog, the team will have even more attention on them.

Joseph was ranked as the third best player available for the 2027 NHL Draft by Daily Faceoff last week while Glance was ranked 27th.

"Joseph really impressed me when I watched him at the U-17 World Challenge training camp a year ago," writes Steven Ellis. "In one game, in particular, he had an incredible four goals and five points – a scrimmage, sure, but he was clearly a step ahead of the rest."

The Hockey News recently released a list of five QMJHL players to watch for the 2027 NHL Draft (which was published before Saturday's Glance signing). Joseph was included. 

"He has a fantastic offensive brain that allows him to run a power play and find deft passes in the slot, a trait pretty rare for a player his size, and possesses a very respectable wrist shot that can beat junior goalies easily," writes Rory Arthur.

Joseph had 24 goals and 36 assists in 54 games during his rookie season. It'll be interesting to see what he can do production wise with a better (on paper, at least) supporting cast around him – a cast that now includes Glance.

"Glance plays a highly detailed game – a lot of what he does well doesn’t get rewarded on the scoresheet," writes Ellis. "He forces giveaways, does a good job of chasing after attackers, and draws penalties as well as anyone on the USNTDP this past year. It just feels like every time I zeroed in on Glance, he made something happen."

Glance led the USNTDP under-18 team in scoring last season, posting 23 goals and 33 assists in 62 games.

The Sea Dogs have not had a player selected in the first-round of the NHL Draft since Joe Veleno in 2018. They haven't had two players picked in the opening round since 2015 when Jakub Zboril and Thomas Chabot were both drafted.

Carter Meyer of the USNTDP – who reportedly wants to leave the program early to join the Quebec Remaprts – was ranked fifth. Quebec's James Scantlebury was ranked 29th.

Quebec's lone regular season visit to Saint John is sadly on a Thursday night (Nov. 12). They also meet on Friday, March 12 in Quebec City.

Defenseman Landon DuPont, who recently announced he's leaving the Everett Silvertips to join the University of Michigan, was ranked first by Daily Faceoff.

Glance signs with Sea Dogs

Mathieu Savidant/Saint John Sea Dogs

Jamie Glance is officially a Saint John Sea Dog.

After months of speculation, the Sea Dogs announced Saturday – on July 4, fittingly – that the American forward has been signed to a QMJHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.

Glance, who will turn 18 in September, just completed his second and final season with the USNTDP. He's projected to be a first-round pick in next year's NHL Draft.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Jamie to the Sea Dogs,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release. “Jamie is an offensive weapon. He is a pure goal-scorer. He will be a great addition to our team and elevate others around him. He wants to win in Saint John, and after completing two years with the NTDP, this is the natural next step for him.”

Glance led the USNTDP under-18 team in scoring last season, posting 23 goals and 33 assists in 62 games. He also appeared in five games at the IIHF U18 World Championship, recording a goal and four assists.

Glance was selected by Saint John in the sixth-round of the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft. A New Hampshire native, Glance is committed to Boston University, a commitment currently scheduled to begin in 2027-28.

While the signing was made official on Saturday, this is not a new development. The signing has been expected to cross the finish line for a few months now.

Obviously, this is a huge addition to Saint John's offense, especially with the expected departure of Olivers Murnieks. It also makes the Sea Dogs one of the most intriguing teams to watch in terms of the NHL Draft with Glance joining forces with Alexis Joseph. There should be no shortage of scouts at TD Station this year.

Questions remain on Murnieks, Svensk

The 2026 CHL Import Draft is over but some questions still remain for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The biggest question: what's the status of Olivers Murnieks? Nothing has been made official, but it certainly looks like the Latvian forward will play for Boston College beginning this fall.

Murnieks was selected in the fourth-round of last weekend's NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. In an article on the Sabres website, the team wrote that "the 6-foot-1 centre is committed to Boston College and expected to start there this fall."

"But we’re excited to see what he does," said Jerry Forton, Buffalo's assistant general manager. "It was a big step for the Boston College staff – who we put a lot of faith in, we’re very close with – to bring him in this fall."

The Sea Dogs have said that Murnieks' home for the 2026-27 season would likely be decided by the NHL team that selected him – and it's looking like Buffalo would prefer him playing NCAA hockey. But we'll see how things play out over the next few weeks.

With uncertainty around Murnieks' future, Saint John made three selections in this year's Import Draft, picking Czech forward Matyas Cancik, Slovakian forward Oliver Ozogany and Finnish defender Vertti Svensk.