Joseph named to Team CHL roster

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph was among the first four players named to Team CHL for this year's 2026 CHL USA Prospects Challenge.

The annual event, which is entering its third year, "will bring together many of the top players eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft as Team CHL faces the U.S. National Under-18 Team," states a CHL news release.

Along with Joseph, Carter Meyer of the Quebec Remparts was also named to the team. Non-QMJHL players invited were Brock England of the Seattle Thunderbirds and Dima Zhilkin of the Saginaw Spirit.

“Brock England and Dima Zhilkin are two dynamic, skilled forwards who generate offence,” said Karl Stewart, vice president and director of NHL Central Scouting, in the news release. “England is poised to have a breakout season after winning gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, while Zhilkin is poised to be a top scorer in the OHL. Alexis Joseph is that big, playmaking centre capable of being the difference-maker that all NHL teams covet, and Carter Meyer is a speedy centre with elite skills who is off to a great start in his first year in the CHL.”

Here's what the CHL said of Joseph:

A 6-foot-4, 210-pound centre from Lachenaie, Que., Joseph led all QMJHL 16-year-olds in scoring with 24 goals and 60 points in 54 games after Saint John selected him first overall in the 2025 QMJHL Draft. He finished second on the Sea Dogs in scoring and earned QMJHL Rookie All-Star Team honours. Internationally, Joseph captained Canada Red to gold at the 2025 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, leading the tournament with 13 points in five games and earning All-Star Team honours. After representing Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, he recorded one goal and two assists in five games while helping his country capture gold at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Joseph was also one of the first six players recently selected by NHL Central Scouting for the QMJHL Prospects Game, presented by BFL Canada, on October 28 in Gatineau. 

Joseph is set to become the 16th Sea Dog player to participate in either the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game or the CHL USA Prospects Challenge. Saint John’s 15 previous representatives include Jonathan Huberdeau, Nathan Beaulieu and Thomas Chabot. Most recently, Eriks Mateiko represented the club at the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

It's no surprise to see Joseph amongst the first players invited as most draft ranking publications have had him listed as an early first-round pick for a year now. Sea Dogs forward Jamie Glance also has a good chance of making Team CHL – where he would play against the program he spent the past two seasons at.

The QMJHL will host this year's CHL USA Prospects Challenge. The first game will be played Dec. 1 in Chicoutimi while the second will take place in Quebec City on Dec. 2.

USHL season underway

Embed from Getty Images

The United States Hockey League held its annual Fall Classic last week in Chicago.

The event, which brings all of the league's teams into one location to start the year, saw each club play two regular season games. The regular regular season begins this weekend with teams back on their home ice.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forwards Dylan and Matthew Krayer are both playing with the Tri-City Storm, who went 1-1-0-0 at the Fall Classic. Both recorded a goal and two assists.

There are also a few Sea Dogs draft picks playing in the USHL this season, which technically includes Finnegan Sears of the USNTDP. The program plays parts of its season in the USHL.

Here's how former Sea Dogs and draft picks performed at the Fall Classic.

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Dylan Krayer	TC	2	1	2	3
Matthew Krayer	TC	2	1	2	3
Matas Janulis*	CR	2	1	1	2
Finnegan Sears*	NTDP	2	0	1	1
Brian McFadden*	CHI	2	0	0	0

*Draft pick who has not played with Sea Dogs

The only goaltender currently playing in the USHL that was a Sea Dogs draft pick is 19-year-old Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz, who is entering his second season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. He's 1-0 so far, stopping 22 of 24 shots in Muskegon's 3-2 overtime win over the Waterloo Black Hawks.

Oddly enough, Matthew Krayer, Janulis and McFadden were all part of Saint John's 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft class. That class also included Zachary Morin, who previously played with the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms.

It'll be interesting to follow some of these players throughout the year, particularly those who could be future Sea Dogs. These are interesting (and challenging, depending on who you ask) times for the USHL as they try and compete against the CHL for talent.

Sea Dogs remain 7th in CHL Top 10

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

It's poised to be quite a weekend for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Not only will this be the Sea Dogs' home opening weekend, but they'll be doing so as one of the CHL's top ranked teams – playing against two of the other top ranked squads.

For a second straight week, the Sea Dogs were ranked seventh in the CHL Top-10. The team will host the Moncton Wildcats, who were ranked 10th, on Friday followed by the Cape Breton Eagles, who were ranked third, on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a road split in Newfoundland this past weekend.

Here's what the CHL website said of the Dogs.

Saint John split a pair of 4-2 decisions against the Newfoundland Regiment in St. John’s, led by three goals from Dylan Rozzi. Rozzi scored the Sea Dogs’ opening goal in both games, providing an early spark for his club. Alexander Donovan (1G-1A), Jamie Glance (2A) and Alexis Joseph (2A) each recorded two points, while draft-eligible defenceman Thomas Charbonneau scored his first goal as a Sea Dog. Buffalo Sabres prospect Samuel Meloche stopped 25 of 27 shots in his Saint John debut. The Sea Dogs now return home for an early test against two other ranked clubs, hosting No. 10 Moncton and No. 3 Cape Breton on consecutive nights.

The Wildcats are off to a 2-0 start because of course they are. The Eagles, meanwhile, dropped a pair of games in shootouts this past weekend while a number of their players remain away at NHL camps.

Friday's game at TD Station will begin at 7 p.m. while Saturday's will have a 4 p.m. start.

The Quebec Remparts were the only other QMJHL team to make this week's CHL Top-10, coming in at No. 8.

The WHL's Victoria Royals, who have never made it past the second round of the playoffs since relocating to the British Columbia capital in 2011, were ranked No. 1.

Hot start for Héroux in Val-d'Or

Mathieu Perrin/Val-d'Or Foreurs

Nolann Héroux had quite a Saturday.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs forward recorded a career high four assists in the Val-d'Or Foreurs' 6-3 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. It was Héroux's second game with the Foreurs following an off-season trade.

The 17-year-old has certainly been setup for success in his new home, starting the season on Val-d'Or's top line with Philippe Veilleux and Nathan Brisson. There's a legitimate chance Héroux could be amongst the league's point leaders this season if he stays on that line.

Two games into the regular season, Héroux sits in a tie for the second most assists in the QMJHL.

Héroux, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft, posted three goals and 10 assists in 39 games with the Sea Dogs last season. Saint John traded the speedy forward to Val-d'Or in June in exchange for a first-round pick and two second-rounders.

Also on the Foreurs this season is former Sea Dogs goaltender Arseni Radkov, who allowed three goals on 22 shots in the Foreurs' 4-3 season opening win over the Victoriaville Tigres on Friday.

Radkov and Héroux are just a couple of the former Sea Dogs to keep an eye on around the QMJHL this season. Here's the full list.

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Nolann Héroux	VDO	2	0	4	4
Chad Bellemare	SHE	2	2	0	2
Egan Beveridge	QUE	2	1	0	1
Cole Renaud	ROU	2	0	0	0
William Yared	SHA	2	0	0	0
Elliot Dubé	BLB	2	0	0	0
Vincent Croteau	SHE	0	0	0	0
Max Vilen	MON	0	0	0	0

Notebook: Crickard, Beaulieu win wild WHL debut

Swift Current Broncos

It was quite a Western Hockey League coaching debut for Travis Crickard and the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday.

The Broncos defeated the Prince Albert Raiders 5-2 in a game that was highlighted by an old school line brawl in the second period. Former Sea Dogs forward Jacob Beaulieu, also making his WHL regular season debut, was involved.

Haven't seen a legit 5 on 5 in awhile. #WHL
Swift Current Vs Prince Albert 09.19.26 #HFH pic.twitter.com/Yz7W8mpN0E

— Hockey Fight History (@HistoryOfFights) September 20, 2026

Crickard, the former head coach and general manager of the Sea Dogs, took over as Broncos head coach and general manager during the off-season.

Beaulieu was a free agent invite to Broncos training camp. The overage forward was also named part of the team's leadership group for the 2026-27 season.

The Broncos don't play again until Friday when they face the Moose Jaw Warriors.

SATURDAY FIGHTS

The Sea Dogs and Newfoundland Regiment had two fights within the first few minutes of the second period on Saturday.

The first saw a couple of Newfoundlanders drop the gloves as soon-to-turn-17-year-old Benjamin Veitch took on 19-year-old Jabez Seymour. 

Soon after, Matyas Cancik, in just his second career QMJHL game, took on 19-year-old Ryan Dwyer.

Both games this weekend were physical at times – which is often the case against Gordie Dwyer teams. It will be interesting to see if the Sea Dogs continue to lean into that style against other opponents.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Newfoundland 4

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

ST. JOHN'S, NL - The Newfoundland Regiment scored three times in the third period in a 4-2 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday at Mary Brown's Centre.

Phenwick MacLean's first QMJHL goal at 16:12 of the third was the difference. Alexis Michaud added an empty net goal in the final minute to make it a 4-2 final.

Matthew Frost, who also scored in Friday night's season opener, netted two goals for the Regiment. Antoine Proulx made 37 stops in the win.

Dylan Rozzi and Thomas Charbonneau scored for Saint John. Rafaël Courchesne made 19 stops in the loss.

Saint John scored three power play goals against the Regiment in Friday's win. On Saturday, that man advantage couldn't deliver as much, scoring just once on five opportunities. The Sea Dogs had nearly 40 shots in this game but many were from clean shooting lanes that Proulx was able to handle. The finish isn't quite there for the Dogs yet, but there are certainly signs that it will come with time.

On defense, the Sea Dogs gave up several odd man rushes, something the team will want to fix ahead of next weekend's games.

While the Sea Dogs may feel like they let this game slip away – they had a 2-1 lead early in the third – leaving Newfoundland with a season opening split isn't too bad.