Catching up on alumni happenings

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Simon Despres is back in North American.

The 35-year-old signed with the ECHL's Fort Wayne Komets earlier this week. A professional hockey veteran, Despres has never appeared in an ECHL game.

“Simon has played at every level in our game and has had success. He’s played in the best leagues in the world alongside some of the best players in the game,” said Komets head coach Ben Boudreau in a news release. "He is a big-body defenseman with an ability to move the puck and produce points while being a physical presence and dominating defensively.”

Despres spent most of last season with the EIHL's Fife Flyers where he posted a goal and 10 assists in 41 games. He also appeared in 12 games with the Australian league's Melbourne Ice and nine games in the LNAH with the Saint-Hyacinthe Bataillon.

Despres hasn't spent a full season in North America since his final NHL campaign in 2016-17, where he appeared in just one game with the Anaheim Ducks. Despres struggled with concussions, ultimately ending his NHL career at 193 games.

The first overall pick in the 2007 QMJHL Entry Draft, Despres spent four seasons with the Saint John Sea Dogs which ended with a Memorial Cup title in 2011.

Following his NHL career, Despres has played in the KHL (Russia), DEL (Germany), SHL (Sweden), ICEHL (central Europe), EIHL (UK) and AIHL (Australia).

Joseph, Ozogany advance at Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Hockey Canada Images

Alexis Joseph and Team Canada will take on Finland in the semifinals of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Friday.

Canada improved to 3-0 at the tournament with a 7-4 win over Sweden on Wednesday. They opened the event with a 7-3 win over Switzerland on Monday and followed that up with a 6-1 victory over Slovakia.

Joseph, who has been playing on Canada's second line with Brock England and Ryerson Edgar, has a goal and two assists in the three games. His goal came in Wednesday's win.

They don’t ask how 🗣️

Alexis Joseph picks up his first of the tournament on a deflection off his leg to extend Canada’s lead on the power play!#GoDogsGo | #HlinkaGretzkyCup pic.twitter.com/yBimP8EgRw

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) August 6, 2026

The other semifinal will feature Slovakia taking on the United States. The bronze and gold medal games will take place on Saturday.

The Slovaks feature forward Oliver Ozogany, who was picked by the Sea Dogs in this year's CHL Import Draft. Ozogany, who has been skating on Slovakia's top line, has recorded an assist in three games.

Forward Matyas Cancik, who was also a 2026 CHL Import Draft pick of Saint John and a recent signee, has appeared in just one game with Czechia after suffering an injury in the team's tournament opener. The Czechs will face Switzerland in the fifth-place game on Friday.

Sea Dogs returning to Fredericton (for pre-season)

The Saint John Sea Dogs are returning to Fredericton.

The Sea Dogs will hit the Aitken Centre ice on Friday, Aug. 28 when they take on the Moncton Wildcats in QMJHL pre-season play. It will be a Wildcats home game.

The UNB Reds are marketing the game as "Gardiner MacDougall returns." MacDougall and the Wildcats also hosted the Sea Dogs in pre-season play last year at the Aitken Centre.

“It should be one of the marquee pre-season games,” said MacDougall in a Reds new release. “Both teams will have very competitive rosters with plenty of new players in the line-up. It will be a key foundational game for our team as we look to establish the positive habits necessary for success in the QMJHL.”

UNB has been a frequent pre-season destination for the Sea Dogs. The team also played three regular season games at the Aitken Centre last season, losing two of the three.

The Sea Dogs and Wildcats will meet a couple nights prior as well, facing off in St. Stephen. That will be Saint John's first game of the pre-season.

The Sea Dogs will play five games this pre-season.

Wed., Aug. 26: Moncton vs Saint John at St. Stephen's Garcelon Civic Center 

Fri., Aug. 28: Saint John vs Moncton at location Fredericton's Aitken Centre 

Sun., Aug. 30: Rimouski vs Saint John at Woodstock's AYR Motor Centre 

Fri., Sept. 4: Halifax vs Saint John at TD Station 

Fri., Sept. 11: Saint John vs Halifax at Dartmouth's RBC Centre

Tickets are now on sale for both the St. Stephen and Woodstock games. Tickets for the Fredericton game will be available beginning this Friday.

Sea Dogs announce five camp invites

The Saint John Sea Dogs announced five invites to the team's training camp earlier this week.

Here's a quick look at each invite.

G Pierce Brackett

The son of Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager Judd Bracket, Pierce Bracket is a 17-year-old netminder from Hingham, Mass. Listed at 6'2" and 165 lbs, Bracket has spent the past couple seasons with the Cape Code Whalers program. Last year with the under-16 team, he went 5-4-1 with a 2.18 goals against average in 19 games, according to Elite Prospects.

D Xavier Ayotte

An overage defenseman, Ayotte has spent the past two seasons in the QJHL. Last season split between the Princeville Titan and Terrebonne Cobras, Ayotte recorded three goals and 13 assists in 46 games. He added a goal in two playoff contests. The 6'4", 185 lbs d-man is listed as a member of the QJHL's Montreal Phoenix for the 2026-27 season.

D Ben Loucks

A Lexington, Mass. native, Loucks spent most of last season playing US prep school hockey at Middlesex School where he recorded a goal and an assist in 21 games. The 17-year-old is big – Elite Prospects lists him at 6'5" and 194 lbs. 

F Carson Ferdinand

A New Maryland native, Ferdinand spent last season with the under-18 Fredericton Caps where he posted nine goals and 18 assists in 34 regular season. He added four goals and three assists in 11 playoff games. Ferdinand, who will turn 17 in November, is the younger brother of Mathew Ferdinand, who has attended Sea Dogs training camp in the past.

F Wyatt Jinman

A 14th-round pick of the Mississauga Steelheads in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, Jinman has only appeared in five OHL games in his career. Jinman has spent most of his junior career in the OJHL, including last season with the Collingwood Blues where he posted seven goals and 22 assists in 48 games. Jinman, who will turn 19 in October, is listed at 6'3" and 165 lbs.

F Brayden Waterhouse

A Fredericton native, Waterhouse has spent the past two seasons with the Fredericton Caps. Last season, the 17-year-old recorded 18 goals and 32 assists in 37 regular season games and added six goals and six assists in 11 playoff contests. He also appeared in one game with the MHL's Edmundston Blizzard – who selected him 12th overall in the 2025 draft – last season.

Saint John's training camp will start later this month. The team's pre-season schedule begins on Wednesday, Aug. 26 when the Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats in St. Stephen.

Sea Dogs make two deals with Cataractes

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The Saint John Sea Dogs and Shawinigan Cataractes made a couple deals on the opening day of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League trade period.

The Sea Dogs acquired 20-year-old defenseman Julien Lanthier from the Cataractes in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick (originally Charlottetown's) and a conditional 2028 second-rounder. In a separate deal, Saint John traded forward William Yared to Shawinigan for a conditional 2029 second-round pick.

Lanthier will likely be a key piece on Saint John's backend this year – one that looks to make major improvements. The overager has appeared in 225 regular season QMJHL games split between the Cataractes and Baie-Comeau Drakkar. He's also appeared in 38 playoff games.

“Julien is one of the most experienced defensemen in the league,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release. “We are adding a reliable, high-character, two-way defenseman with more than 30 playoff games of experience who wants to win.”

Lanthier posted three goals and 12 assists in 43 regular season games last year. He added a goal and three assists in 11 playoff games.

Listed at 6'0" and 185 lbs, Lanthier was the 10th overall pick in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Yared, meanwhile, was rumoured to be on the move.

“After discussions with William, the timing made sense for a fresh start for him,” said Georgie in the team's press release. “We wish him the best of luck with his new team and in taking the next step in his hockey career.”

Yared was the fifth overall pick in the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft. He posted 24 goals and 31 assists in 106 games with Saint John split over two seasons.

It will be interesting to see how Yared performs in Shawinigan, who should have a good team this coming season.

The Sea Dogs visit Shawinigan on Jan. 14 while the Cataractes play in Saint John on Feb. 24.

The QMJHL's pre-season trade period ends on Sept. 2.

Joseph to wear an 'A' at Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Alexis Joseph has officially been named to Canada's roster for the upcoming Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Joseph was one of 22 players named to the team that will take part in the under-18 tournament beginning on Monday. The Saint John Sea Dogs forward will wear an 'A' on his sweater.

Meet the captains! / Voici nos capitaines! 🇨🇦

C: Landon DuPont (@HockeyAlberta)
A: Alexis Joseph (@HockeyQuebec)
A: Maddox Schultz (@hockeysask)#HlinkaGretzkyCup | #CoupeHlinkaGretzky pic.twitter.com/Yez2bgQhsd

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) August 1, 2026

Joseph was named to Canada's camp roster a couple weeks ago and was essentially a lock to make the team. Joseph has already represented Canada at both the under-17 and under-18 levels. 

The 17-year-old appeared in two games as an underager with Team Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championship this spring. Last fall, Joseph captained Canada Red to a gold medal at the U17 World Challenge, a tournament that saw him record six goals and seven assists in five games.

Other QMJHL players named to Canada's roster for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup include Sam Berthiaume (Cape Breton Eagles), Malik L'Italien (Halifax Mooseheads), Quinn Norman (Newfoundland Regiment) and Benjamin Veitch (Newfoundland Regiment).

The event takes place Aug. 3-8 in Edmonton. Canada will play Switzerland (Aug. 3), Slovakia (Aug. 4) and Sweden (Aug. 5) before the playoff round takes place Aug. 7-8. All of Canada's games will air on TSN.

Joseph is one of three Sea Dogs that will be playing in the tournament. Oliver Ozogany will play for Slovakia while Matyas Cancik was named to Czechia's roster.