For starters, veteran defenceman Yann Sauve was not included on the roster. No clear reason as to why he is not listed has been released. It is, hovever, unlikely that he will return to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after signing an entry level contract with the Vancouver Canucks earlier this year.
Sauve is in a similar position as Nicholas Petersen and Mike Hoffman were a year ago. Both were projected to be placed in the American Hockey League, but were surprisingly sent back to Saint John. Petersen chose to attend Sea Dogs training camp while Hoffman decided to focus on Ottawa Senators camp.
Last season, Sauve recorded seven goals and 29 assists in 61 regular season games. The first overall pick in the 2006 QMJHL Entry Draft, the Rigaud, Quebec native added five goals and 10 assists in 21 playoff games. In 290 career regular season and playoff games, Sauve has 26 goals and 96 assists.
Also not on the roster was forward Nicholas Pard. Like Sauve, Pard would have been an overager this season.
When inquiring to the Sea Dogs organization about Pard’s omission, all Station Nation was told was that Pard will play Junior “A” hockey in his home province of Quebec this season.
Last season, Pard recorded 15 goals and 12 assists in 64 regular season matches. In the post-season, he registered five goals and four assists in 13 playoff games. Drafted by Saint John in the fourth round of the 2006 QMJHL Entry Draft, Pard has 31 goals and 22 assists in 106 regular season and playoff games.
Pard made headlines last season when he was involved in an altercation at a Sean Kingston concert at Harbour Station last fall.
With Pard and Sauve both potentially gone, Captain Mike Thomas, goaltender Karel St. Laurent, undrafted forward Michael Kirkpatrick, and defenceman Christian Morin make up the teams crop of returning 20-year olds at camp. Also invited was overage tough guy Chuckie Schembri who spent the majority of last season in the Maritime Junior “A” Hockey League.
what is pard thinking... seriously...
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