Villemaire Is Back

A few hours after the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League trading period came to an end, the Saint John Sea Dogs made a surprising announcement.

The team announced that 20-year old forward Maxime Villemaire will be joining the Dogs for the second half of the season. Saint John acquired Villemaire during last year’s holiday trading period and helped the club win the President Cup.

Villemaire has spent this season with the East Coast Hockey League’s Gwinnett Gladiators where he has collected an assist and 43 penalty minutes in 15 games.

The Dogs acquired Villemaire from the Drummondville Voltigeurs last year. He registered eight goals and three assists in 16 regular season games with Saint John and added three helpers in 13 playoff contests. He is infamously remembered for his player card incident that forced Saint John to forfeit a win last season.

The 6-foot-2, 219-pound forward will bring some more toughness to the Sea Dogs lineup along with some skill. He’ll help protect Saint John’s rookie-filled lineup along with Ian Saab, another 20-year old who had been playing professional hockey but has returned to the Dogs for the second half.

Villemiare, Saab, and Pierre Durepos will be Saint John’s trio of overage players. Not many people would have predicted that at the beginning of the season.

The Sea Dogs hit the road for a three-in-three in Quebec this weekend.