Sea Dogs Notebook

TRACADIE

Wednesday’s game in Tracadie-Sheila was an interesting experience. The rink was quite small and was probably close to 3/4 full. For whatever reason most of the fans stood during the game and sat during intermission. Wild times in Tracadie.

UP NEXT

Well, the Sea Dogs next pre-season game isn’t until Friday, September 7 when they travel to Amherst to take on the Moncton Wildcats. Saint John has four pre-season games remaining – two against Moncton and two against Halifax.

Main training camp – which will include veteran players - begins on September 4.

HURRY UP

The Chronicle Herald’s Will Palov argues that the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s training camps/pre-season are too long this year with the start of the regular season being pushed back.

“The start of the season was pushed back two weeks so that everyone could start the year with a complete lineup,” writes Palov.

“All that achieves is an excruciatingly long and pointless pre-season and a more compressed regular season. Chopping two weeks out of the regular season calendar meant scheduling more weekday games and cramming in more games around the weekends.”

Plenty of pros to cons to starting the season later.

NHLPA

A few former Sea Dogs have been invited to the NHLPA’s 2012 Rookie Showcase. The event takes place this coming Tuesday in Toronto.

From the NHLPA website:

Panini America and Upper Deck – the official trading card partners of the NHLPA and the NHL - will be photographing the rookies for the first time ever in their new official NHL team uniforms. The photos will be used for upcoming trading cards and memorabilia items. EA Sports will also be taking head scans of the rookies to be used in their upcoming NHL 13 video game.

Nathan Beaulieu, Charlie Coyle, and Tomas Jurco will be featured at this year’s event.

PASHER

Kraig Pasher has confirmed to me that he has been cut by the Saint John Sea Dogs. #qmjhl #lhjmq #seadogs
— Jeremy Fraser(@EvenStrengthQ) August 24, 2012

Pasher had no points in two pre-season games.

SEGALLA

Ryan Segalla, a Hanover, Mass. native who the Sea Dogs selected in the eighth round of the 2011 QMJHL Entry Draft, has committed to the University of Connecticut.

@goalmouthradio Thank you. Excited to be at UConn in a few years.
— Ryan Segalla (@rsegalla) August 23, 2012

Segalla, a defenseman, is no longer Sea Dogs property. He was picked up by the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the expansion draft. He recorded six goals and six assists in 28 games at Salisbury Prep last year.

UConn will join the Hockey East Association in 2014-15.

PATCHES

The Sea Dogs are selling a limited number of 2011 and 2012 Memorial Cup jersey patches. They can be purchased for $30 apiece and can be bought at Sea Dogs Styles or online.

PANTHERS

NHL.com has named Jonathan Huberdeau the top prospect in the Florida Panthers organization. The Panthers currently have one of the best prospect pools in hockey.

"We've got a lot of skill now, we've got a lot of size, we've got a lot of depth, and we've got a real solid group of young prospects," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said during development camp. "Our organization is very deep right now."

Also on NHL.com, Corey Masisak has Huberdeau centering the Panthers second line between Scottie Upshall and Peter Mueller.

BROWN

CJ104, who plays today’s best music according to their website, has an article on Mackenzie Brown which includes audio clips from Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Mike Kelly.

Brown has two goals and an assist in two pre-season games this season. He recorded a goal and an assist in 13 games with Saint John last year.