SEA DOGS NOTEBOOK

GELINAS, PETERSEN IN RANKINGS
Goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas fell down a spot this week in the TSN CHL Player Rankings. Gelinas fell to number two this week in the QMJHL as Drummondville’s Marc-Olivier Vachon takes over the top spot. Also, after a week away from the rankings Nicholas Petersen was placed in the 14th position of the 15 players named.

This week’s rankings can be seen HERE.

HOT, HOT, HOT
For the third week in a row the Saint John Sea Dogs were named the hottest team in the QMJHL by Rogers Sportsnet. Saint John is currently on an 11 game winning streak which is the longest active streak in the country. They are also the only team in the CHL to have won their past 10 games.

“The Sea Dogs became the first team to rattle off a winning streak in double-digits this season,” said Patrick King in his junior hockey column. “Saint John beat Halifax and Rouyn-Noranda twice to extend its winning streak to 11 straight. Thanks in part to their balanced scoring, Saint John is racing ahead of the pack in the Atlantic Division, now nine points up on second-place Cape Breton.”

To read “Who’s Hot, Who’s Not” click HERE.

THE TEAM TO BEAT?
Hockey’s Future has taken notice of the Sea Dogs play this season. Writer Glenn Gawronski had an article on the well read website today about who are the contenders in the QMJHL this season. Gawronski names Saint John, Quebec, Gatineau, Cape Breton, Moncton, and Drummondville as serious contenders for the President’s Cup this year.

“The Saint John Sea Dogs find themselves atop the standings right now, mainly due to their depth, solid goaltending and strong coaching,” said Gawronski about the Sea Dogs. “They have also shown a real knack for winning the close games. Winger Steven Anthony (VAN) has led a balanced attack, while Russian rookie Stanislav Galiev has had a very smooth transition into the league out of the USHL. He still has a few holes in his game, but he’s more consistent than I had anticipated and I really like his overall skill level. Bringing in veteran Mike Hoffman (OTT) in the off-season has proven to be a nice move and Saint John has a terrific one-two punch on the blueline in Yann Sauve (VAN) and Simon Despres (PIT).”

“In net, overage goalie Marc-Antoine Gelinas is having a career year. Last season, he showed some signs that he would be able to handle a heavier workload, but not many observers expected this much success. But for the Sea Dogs to be there in the end, they will need another scoring threat up front, a bit more toughness, and a steadying influence on the blueline.”

He also mentions former Sea Dog goaltender Troy Passingham and the Windsor Spitfires. “While the Memorial Cup may still be six months away, the trade deadline is only eight weeks away,” he said. “Expect to see Windsor pull the trigger on a deal sometime in the next few weeks.”

To view the article click HERE.

GET WELL SOON
Former Saint John M.P. and rabid Sea Dogs fan Elsie Wayne suffered a stroke a few days ago.

Former Saint John mayor Norm McFarlane said he had noticed that Wayne wasn't in her usual seat during recent Saint John Sea Dogs hockey games.

"She sits across the ice from me," he told the Telegraph-Journal. "The last few games, even before last week, she hasn't been there. I knew she wasn't feeling well."

McFarlane called Wayne a mainstay at the rink and said she never misses games.

THIS WEEK’S GAMES
Thursday night the Sea Dogs host the Baie-Comeau Drakkar at Harbour Station at 7:00 pm. Of course with this being a Thursday game it’s a “Golden Year Gala” night. This game will feature special discounted tickets for fans aged 60 and over ($10 upper bowl, subject to a box office surcharge), with classic pop music from the fifties and early-sixties set to be mixed into the arena DJ’s playlist.

On Saturday the Dogs host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7:00 pm. It’s “Sea Dogs Night Out” featuring the 97.3 The Wave (not so) extreme team. The last time these two met there were four fights in what saintjohnseadogs.com is calling a “brouhaha.”