Highlights And Lowlights Of 2013

The Sea Dogs went 16-48-1-3 in the year 2013 and were also swept in a playoff series. But you know what? There were some good things that happened in 2013. But there were also some bad things. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights and lowlights from the past year as well as a look ahead to 2014.

The Highlights

The 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft – It’s far too early to declare this draft a success, but it certainly looks like a good one. Noel, Thompson, Chabot, Dove-McFalls, Joseph, and others look like a solid foundation for this team’s rebuild.

Stephen MacAulay – The Sea Dogs traded the 20-year old to his hometown Mooseheads where he helped the club win their first President Cup and Memorial Cup not long after the passing of his mother. Definitely the feel good story of the year.

NHL Success – 2013 wasn’t the greatest year for the current edition of the club, but it was a great year for many former Sea Dogs. Several former Dogs made it to the NHL, highlighted by the performances of Jonatan Huberdeau, Charlie Coyle, and Eric Gelinas who are now regulars with their respective clubs. Huberdeau winning the Calder Trophy was a big deal.

Other Success – Travis Fullerton won another CIS Championship with the UNB Varsity Reds, Tomas Jurco won the Calder Cup with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Stanislav Galiev helped the Reading Royals win the ECHL’s Kelly Cup, and Robert Mayer won the Spengler Cup today.

Poutine – It finally arrived at Harbour Station.

2017 – The team announced that their goal is to host and win the Memorial Cup in 2017.

The Alumni Game – What a cool event this was and what a stacked roster the Sea Dogs had. Not many CHL teams have events like this. Huge props to everyone involved.

Sebastien Auger – What a goaltender. One of, if not the best this team has ever had. After all the struggles the Sea Dogs have had with developing goalies, it’s great to see Auger among the best in the QMJHL.

Robert Mayer Wins Spengler Cup

Robert Mayer is a Spengler Cup Champion.

The former Sea Dogs goaltender made 41 saves in a 5-3 HC Genève-Servette victory over CSKA Moscow to win the Spengler. Genève-Servette defeated Team Canada in yesterday’s semi-final to advance to the championship game. Mayer did not play in that game.

Mayer was reassigned to the Swiss National League A club for the annual holiday tournament by the Montreal Canadiens a couple weeks ago. In 11 games with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, the 24-year old is 3-6-2 with a 3.05 GAA and 0.896 SV%.

The netminder played two seasons with Saint John from 2007-2009.

Noel Gets Assist In Team Atlantic Loss

Sea Dogs forward Nathan Noel had an assist in Team Atlantic’s 5-1 loss to Team Ontario at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge today in Sydney.

Noel assisted on Nicholas Welsh’s third period power play goal, a goal that proved to be the only one scored for the Atlantic squad.

Sea Dogs defenseman Will Thompson is also part of Team Atlantic and took two minor penalties in this game.

The team's schedule doesn’t get any easier as they play the United States tomorrow night at Centre 200.

The above video is one of Noel’s goals from Team Atlantic’s pre-tournament game against the Czech Republic the other day.

In other news…

• Sea Dogs draft pick Jack Eichel has a goal and three assists in three games with the US at the World Junior Hockey Championship. The Americans play Canada tomorrow with first place in Group A on the line.
• Remember that kid Charlie Coyle waved to? Well he met that kid and his sister.
• Sea Dogs are back in action on Saturday against the Halifax Mooseheads at Harbour Station.

News & Notes From Sunday's Game

Some stuff from yesterday’s game…

• After all the struggles this team had in October and November, they end the month of December with three wins in their past four games.
• The Sea Dogs, who struggled mightily on the road for most of the first half, have now won three straight road games.
• Defenseman Bailey Webster made his QMJHL debut and had quite a day. He assisted on both Saint John goals to go along with one shot and one hit. He was named second star.
• Sebastien Auger was excellent as usual, making 30 saves for the win. Nice to see him getting rewarded with some wins of late. He nearly had a shutout but the Wildcats scored a power play goal with 18 seconds remaining in the game.
• Two of Kelly Bent’s four goals this season have come against the Wildcats in Moncton.
• Rookie forward Joey Richard had an assist on Bent’s goal. It was Richard’s first point since scoring in Baie-Comeau on October 25^th.
• Moncton’s nine-game winning streak came to an end with the loss.
• Christophe Lalonde’s goal scoring streak kept going though. With a goal in the final minute of the game, Lalonde has now scored in six straight games.
• Dillon Donnelly, reacquired in a trade, made his return to the Wildcats on Sunday. It was his first game with the club since December 18, 2009. He was thrown out of the game following a first period staged fight with Lukas Walter.
• Saint John had eight shots in each period. Weird.
• The Sea Dogs led after two periods for just the eighth time this year.
• Sea Dogs scratches were forwards Stephen Anderson (upper body), Jason Cameron (foot), Connor Donaghey (healthy), and Nathan Noel (Under-17s) along with defensemen Thomas Chabot (minor injuries), Michael Abbott (hand), and Will Thompson (Under-17s).
• Matthew Highmore wore an ‘A’ on his jersey.

RECAP: Out With A Bang. Dogs Win 2-1.

FINAL: Saint John 2, Moncton 1

MONCTON – Bailey Webster made quite an impact in his first Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game.

The 16-year old defenseman who was called up from the NB/PEI Major Midget Hockey League earlier this week helped setup both Saint John goals in a 2-1 Sea Dogs victory over the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday afternoon.

Plenty of other Sea Dogs had solid afternoons as the team closed out 2013 with a bang. It’s been a solid run of late for the rebuilding Port City squad who have now won three of their past four and three straight on the road.

Saint John’s victory also ended Moncton’s winning streak at nine games. The Wildcats picked up their ninth straight win on Saturday night at Harbour Station.

Like last weekend in Cape Breton, the Sea Dogs played a good road game. Saint John was also missing two of their best forwards today – Nathan Noal and Stephen Anderson – but still managed to produce enough offense to win. Spencer Smallman and Kelly Bent scored for the Dogs in this one while Sebastien Auger was Sebastien Auger, making 30 stops in the win and almost earning a shutout.

Moncton’s lone goal came from Christophe Lalonde. Alex Dubeau made 22 saves in the loss.

LIVE: Sea Dogs at Wildcats

MONCTON - Defenseman Bailey Webster will make his QMJHL debut this afternoon. Here are Saint John's line combos and defense pairings via @SeaDogsHockey.

Cooper-Highmore-Smallman

Cuomo-Hebert-Richard

Bent-Joseph-Zilbert

Walter-Dove-McFalls-Brown

LeBlanc-Repe

Weckworth-Webster

Doucet-McQuaid

Sebastien Auger

Antoine Landry

Sea Dogs scratches are forwards Stephen Anderson (upper body), Jason Cameron (foot), Connor Donaghey (healthy), and Nathan Noel (Under-17s) along with defensemen Thomas Chabot (minor injuries), Michael Abbott (hand), and Will Thompson (Under-17s).

GAMEDAY 37 - at Moncton

A preview of today's game...

Where and when: 4 pm AST, Moncton Coliseum

TV/Radio: Telus Webcast/News 88.9

Records: Saint John sits 6th in the Telus Maritimes Division with a 9-24-0-3 record for 21 points. Moncton sits 2nd in the Telus Maritimes Division with a 21-17-0-2 record for 44 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Wildcats played each other last night with Moncton winning 5-4. Christophe Lalonde had a goal and two assists for Moncton while Matthew Highmore had a pair of goals for Saint John.

Last meeting: See above.

2013-14 head-to-head: Saint John is 1-4-0-0 against Moncton while the Wildcats are 4-1-0-0 against the Sea Dogs.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Wildcats: None

Random stat: The Sea Dogs outshot the Wildcats 39-33 last night. It was just the sixth time this season that Saint John has outshot an opponent. 

SJ Notes: Nathan Noel and Will Thompson are away at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge... Mathieu Joseph made his QMJHL debut last night... Oliver Cooper's four-game goal scoring streak ended yesterday... Sea Dogs are giving up the most shots against per game in the league with a 37.57 average... Saint John has won two straight road games.

MON Notes: The Wildcats have won nine straight games, including three straight at home... Moncton leads the Rivalry Cup standings 4-1... Alex Dubeau leads all goaltenders in minutes played... 'Cats are 16-6-0-1 against Maritimes Division teams... Christophe Lalonde has scored in five straight games... it's pyjama day at the Coliseum... Ivan Barbashev is away at the World Juniors and Adam Holwell and William Bower are taking part in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Sunday Morning Notes

A few things…

• Forward Mathieu Joseph, a third-round pick of Saint John in a 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft, made his debut in the Sea Dogs’ 5-4 loss to the Wildcats last night. He had two shots, four hits, a +2 rating, and went 6/12 on faceoffs.
• Nicolas Hebert, acquired in a trade from Rimouski, made his Sea Dogs debut last night. He had one shot, two hits, a -1 rating, and went 10/20 on faceoffs. He also saw some time on Saint John’s penalty kill.
• Last night’s crowd of 4,100 was the biggest of the season and first over 4,000 this year.
• In exhibition action at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge yesterday, Team Atlantic defeated the Czech Republic 5-2 at Centre 200. Sea Dogs forward Nathan Noel had quite a game, recording two goals and two assists. Dogs defenseman Will Thompson is also part of that team.
• Team Atlantic plays Team Ontario tomorrow night at Centre 200.
• The Telegram had an article on Noel last week.
• NHL.com says Matthew Highmore is a prospect on the rise.
• Sea Dogs draft pick Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist in Team USA’s 6-3 victory over Slovakia yesterday at the world juniors.

RECAP: The Winning Streak Ends. Dogs Lose 5-4.

FINAL: Moncton 5, Saint John 4

SAINT JOHN – The Moncton Wildcats are on a serious roll right now.

The Wildcats won their ninth straight Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game with a 5-4 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday night at Harbour Station.

Christopher Caissy, Will Smith, Ryan Penny, Stephen Johnson, and Christophe Lalonde all scored for Moncton. Alex Dubeau made 35 saves in the win.

Matthew Highmore scored twice for Saint John while Jurij Repe and Stephen Anderson added singles. Sebastien Auger made 28 saves in the loss. Saint John's two-game winning streak came to an end with the defeat.

The Sea Dogs opened the scoring just 14 seconds into the game but that would be the only time in this game they would lead. Saint John came close to catching up to the ‘Cats at times but just couldn’t quite get the job done on this night. The Dogs did manage to outshoot the Wildcats 39-33, though.

There were no fights in this game but there was some rough stuff following buzzers. The two meet again tomorrow afternoon at the Moncton Coliseum.

QUICK CAP: Dogs Lose 5-4.

FINAL: Moncton 5, Saint John 4

SAINT JOHN - The Moncton Wildcats extended their winning streak to nine games with a 5-4 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs at Harbour Station on Saturday night.

Wildcats goals came from Christopher Caissy, Will Smith, Ryan Penny, Stephen Johnson, and Christophe Lalonde. Alex Dubeau made 35 saves in the win.

Matthew Highmore scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Jurij Repe and Stephen Anderson. Sebastien Auger made 28 saves in the loss.

More to come...

GAMEDAY 36 - vs Wildcats

GAMEDAY

Moncton Wildcats vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Tonight at 7:00pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – The second half of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season begins tonight.

For the Saint John Sea Dogs, their push to make the QMJHL playoffs begins this evening. The Dogs currently sit 17^th overall in the league with a 9-23-0-3 record and are nine points back of the Sherbrooke Phoenix who hold the final playoff spot.

Saint John’s first game of the second half will be tonight’s match against the Moncton Wildcats. The puck drops at 7pm at Harbour Station.

Saint John’s first half certainly wasn’t great, but they did end it on a high note with back-to-back road wins over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Hopefully they are able to pick up where they left off.

Oliver Cooper leads the Dogs in scoring with 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points in 35 games.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats ended the first half on an even more positive note by winning their eighth straight game last Saturday in Halifax. Moncton sits second in the Telus Maritimes Division and 10^th overall with a 20-17-0-2 record.

Conor Garland and Ivan Barbashev each have 37 points to lead the Wildcats in scoring.

These two teams meet again tomorrow afternoon in Moncton.

Dogs Recall Joseph And Webster

With Nathan Noel and Will Thompson joining Team Atlantic for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the Saint John Sea Dogs have called up some reinforcements.

The team announced this afternoon that they have recalled forward Mathieu Joseph and defenseman Bailey Webster. A press release states that “both players are expected to be available to play when Saint John opens the second half of the season against the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday, December 28th, at 7 p.m. at Harbour Station.”

Joseph, 16, was a third-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2013 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft. The Chambly, Quebec native has 11 goals and 36 points in 32 games this season with the College Antoine-Girouard Gaulois of the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League.

Joseph had an impressive showing in the pre-season with Saint John, registering a goal and an assist in three games.

Webster, also 16, was a seventh-round pick of the Dogs in the 2013 Q Draft. The PEI native has two goals and 14 points in 21 games this season with the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild of the NB/PEI Midget AAA Hockey League.

Webster played in two pre-season games with the Dogs, recording a goal.

The Sea Dogs play the Wildcats on Saturday night at Harbour Station and again on Sunday afternoon at the Moncton Coliseum.

Meanwhile, Team Atlantic plays the Czech Republic in exhibition action on Saturday at the Under-17s in Cape Breton.

Photo: LHMAAAQ

Eichel Named To Team USA

Sea Dogs draft pick Jack Eichel will play for Team USA at the 2014 World Junior Hockey Championships.

Team USA made their final cut this morning. Eichel was among the 13 forwards named to the defending champ’s 2014 squad. He's also the youngest player on the team.

Considered a top prospect for the 2015 NHL Draft, Eichel has 13 goals and nine assists in 10 United States Hockey League games with the US National Under-18 Team. He is sure to have quite a bit of attention on him at this year’s tournament, especially when Team USA faces Connor McDavid and Team Canada on New Year’s Eve.

The 17-year old has committed to play at Boston University next year. He was a 10th round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft.

The US plays their first game at 12:30pm Atlantic time on Thursday at against the Czech Republic, a game that can be seen on TSN.

HockeyProspect.com Releases First Rankings

HockeyProspect.com released their first rankings for the 2014 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft on Saturday.

Ranked No. 1 is American defenseman Chad Krys of the New Jersey Rockets. Forward Mitchell Balmas of the Cape Breton Tradesmen is the top ranked Atlantic Canadian, coming in at No. 2. Defenseman Michael Campoli of the Lac St-Louis Lions rounded out the top three.

Balmas currently sits second in Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League scoring with 15 goals and 38 points in 20 games with the Tradesmen. He’ll be paying with Nathan Noel, Will Thompson, and the rest of Team Atlantic at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge later this month on Cape Breton.

It’s looking like a pretty good year for Nova Scotians at the draft. HockeyProspect.com’s top 10 rankings can be found on their website.

The Sea Dogs sit 17^th overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and are nine points back of the 16^th-place Sherbrooke Phoenix who hold the final playoff spot. The teams that finish 17^th and 18^th miss the playoffs and will be involved in a coin toss to see who selects first overall at the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft in June.

Dogs Officially Acquire Hebert

The Saint John Sea Dogs have officially acquired 17-year old centre Nicolas Hebert from the Rimouski Oceanic in exchange for a 2014 fifth-round draft pick.

Hebert was the 12^th overall pick in the 2012 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft but has only recorded four goals and three assists in 89 career games.

"He's a former first round draft pick and we believe he has a lot of untapped potential," said Sea Dogs Head Coach and Co-General Manager Ross Yates in a release. "He's going to get more ice time here, and we're looking forward to seeing what he can bring to our team."

Hebert is listed at 5'11" and 184 lbs. He is expected to make his Sea Dogs debut when the team returns to action on December 28^th against the Moncton Wildcats.

The deal was reported by multiple people on Twitter last night and was confirmed by the league this afternoon.

Of note, the Sea Dogs now have the rights to four of the top 15 players selected in the 2012 Draft - Matthew Highmore (8th), Olivier LeBlanc (11th), Nicolas Hebert (12th), and Jack Eichel (15th).

The QMJHL trading period runs until January 7^th.

The Trade Period Begins Today

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s holiday trading period begins today.

A number of rumoured deals are expected to be made official by the league. Deals will be posted on the QMJHL’s website throughout the day.

As has been the case for the past several years, the Saint John Sea Dogs haven’t been involved in many rumours circulating the interweb. The only deal – so far - involving the Sea Dogs that is expected to take place is sending a fifth-round pick to Rimouski in exchange for 17-year old centre Nicolas Hebert.

The Sea Dogs should be sellers - although they may not do much - once again this season as their rebuild continues. Unlike last year, they do not have many older players to trade that would bring back a solid return.

The biggest asset Saint John has is Sebastien Auger who has been one of the league’s best goaltenders this season. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your view of things) for the Dogs is that there appears to be a few other quality netminders on the market which likely drives down the return the Dogs could get.

But, Auger is a 19-year old so he will likely be in the league next year as an overager. It certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing to have Auger on the Sea Dogs next season, which is why Saint John probably shouldn’t trade the ‘tender unless they can get a quality return.

Should be an interesting couple weeks, especially with Ross Yates and Christian Vermette running things instead of Mike Kelly. We’ll see what happens.

The trade period ends on January 7th.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

News & Notes From Saturday's Game

Cool photo from last night’s game via the Screaming Eagles Facebook page.

Some other stuff from the game…

• After all the losing streaks the Sea Dogs have had over the past couple months, the team will enter the Christmas break on a two-game winning streak – and both of them were road wins. Cool.
• Pretty sure this is just the second time all season the Dogs have won two straight.
• The Sea Dogs enter the break with a 9-23-0-3 record for 21 points and sit 17^th overall in the QMJHL. The Shawinigan Cataractes sit 18^th (and also have 21 points) and enter the break with back-to-back wins and are 6-4 in their last 10.
• Oliver Cooper got Saint John on the board at 13:48 of the first and then scored the game-winner at 8:41 of the third. He leads the team in goals with 14, three more than Nathan Noel’s 11. Cooper has also scored in each of his past four games.
• 23 seconds after Cooper’s first period goal, Stephen Anderson scored on a break. Despite only getting eight shots on goal in the first, Saint John led 2-1 heading into intermission.
• The Sea Dogs led 3-2 midway through the third period but still out shot the Eagles 9-3 in the frame. Cape Breton offense is struggling right now.
• Sebastien Auger was solid in this game, making 31 saves in the win.
• Anderson and Matthew Highmore each had two assists.
• After not even getting a shot on goal on Friday, Eagles leading scorer Cameron Darcy had one shot and two assists last night.
• Saint John didn’t shy away from physical play, out hitting Cape Breton 18-7. Thomas Chabot, Kelly Bent, and Stephen Anderson each had three hits.
• Sea Dogs top line of Highmore, Anderson, and Cooper was unreal.
• Lukas Walter had his 11^th fight of the season.
• The Sea Dogs were without forwards Jason Cameron (foot) and Noah Zilbert (lower body) along with defensemen Michael Abbott (hand) and Alexander McQuaid (healthy).

RECAP: Merry Christmas. Dogs Win 4-2.

FINAL: Saint John 4, Cape Breton 2

SYDNEY, NS – Well how about that.

The Saint John Sea Dogs, who have been in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s basement for most of the first half, will enter the Christmas break on a two-game winning streak. The Sea Dogs won their second straight road game in Sydney on Saturday night, defeating the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 4-2.

The win means the Dogs wrap up the first half with a 9-23-0-3 record and sit 17^th overall in the QMJHL standings. They enter the break on a positive note and hopefully some of the confidence they’ve gained from this weekend’s wins carry over into the second half.

Oliver Cooper scored twice in this one while Stephen Anderson and Kelly Bent added solo markers. Anderson and Matthew Highmore each had two assists. Sebastien Auger made 31 saves for the win in net.

Maxim Lazarev and Jeremy Beaudry had goals for the Eagles. Cameron Darcy added two assists. Alex Bureau made 17 saves in the loss.

Report: Dogs Will Acquire Hebert

L'Océanic envoie Nicolas Hébert, choix de 1ère ronde en 2012, aux Sea Dogs en retour d'un choix de 5e ronde.
— René Alary (@rene_alary) December 22, 2013

According to Twitter reports, the Sea Dogs will acquire 17-year old centre Nicolas Hebert from the Rimouski Oceanic when the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s trading period opens tomorrow.

Rene Alary of the Rimouski Journal L’Avantage reports that the Sea Dogs will send the Oceanic a fifth-round draft pick in return.

Hebert has two goals and an assist in 35 games with Rimouski this season. He had two goals and two assists in 54 games last year.

Hebert, who was the 12^th overall pick in the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft, will turn 18 in February. The Longueuil, Quebec native is listed at 5’11”, 184 on the Q site.

Canada Wins Gold In Trentino

Michael Kirkpatrick and Team Canada are returning home with Gold Medals.

Canada defeated Kazakhstan 6-2 in today’s Gold Medal Game at the 2013 Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy.

Kazakhstan scored 14 seconds into the game but that would be one of their few bright spots in this one. Team Canada was the better team – and the much, much more disciplined team - in this game. The third period was a wild one with penalties being handed out like Christmas presents, both Kazakhstan coaches being tossed from the game, and there were a couple of fights.

Kirkpatrick, who played four seasons with the Sea Dogs from 2007-2011, was held pointless in this game but did have two shots on goal. He finished the tournament with two goals and six assists in six games.

This year’s Canadian team was made up entirely of Atlantic University Sport players.

If you have the CBS Sports Network (it's just above the Sportsnet channels on Bell), the game is supposed to replayed there tonight at 8pm and again at 3am.

GAMEDAY 35 - at Cape Breton

GAMEDAY

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Cape Breton Screaming Eagles

Tonight at 7:00pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Centre 200 – Sydney, NS

PREVIEW

SYDNEY, NS – After a disappointing few weeks, the Saint John Sea Dogs have a chance to close out the first half with back-to-back road wins tonight in Cape Breton.

The Sea Dogs defeated the Screaming Eagles 3-2 last night at Centre 200, ending their five-game losing streak and 11-game road losing skid. Tonight, the Dogs face the same Eagles team at the same venue and at the same time for a chance to make it two straight wins.

Tonight’s contest is the final game before the Christmas break for both teams. It’s also the final game before the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s trading period begins.

Last night, Jurij Repe, Oliver Cooper, and Samuel Dove-McFalls all scored for Saint John. Sebastien Auger made 29 saves in net for the win. William Carrier and Kyle Farrell scored for Cape Breton while Chase Marchand made 20 stops in the loss.

Cape Breton has struggled to produce offense over the past couple games and they struggled to generate much of anything at times last night. They’ll try to have a better performance tonight.

"We know that it's unacceptable to play like that in our home rink and we need to come back with a really strong effort (Saturday) night,” Stephen Woodworth told the Cape Breton Post.

News & Notes From Friday's Game

Congrats to @Sam15D_M on his 1st QMJHL goal #StillOnlyOneMoreThanMe :) pic.twitter.com/kBWFsunDrA
— DK (@SeaDogsDK) December 21, 2013

Some stuff from last night’s game…

• The win ended the Sea Dogs’ five-game losing streak and also their 11-game road losing streak. This was their first road victory – and just third of the season – since October 6^th.
• Not a whole lot happened in the first period.
• After not giving Saint John any power plays in the first, Cape Breton got into some serious penalty trouble in the second. The Eagles took five minor penalties in the frame which allowed Saint John to score two power play goals and out shoot Cape Breton 11-4.
• Jurij Repe’s second period goal was originally given to Matthew Highmore. It was quickly changed and given to Repe.
• Repe also assisted on Oliver Cooper’s second period goal, giving the import defenseman a goal and assist in this game. He was named first star.
• Defenseman Oliver LeBlanc returned to the Saint John lineup after missing last Friday’s game with the flu. He made an impact too, firing the shot that Cooper deflected in.
• Cooper’s goal was his 12^th of the season which gives him sole possession of the team goal scoring lead. Who wants to bet Nathan Noel scores in tonight’s game?
• Samuel Dove-McFalls’ first career QMJHL goal at 12:44 of the third proved to be the winner. The 16-year old rookie forward played a pretty solid game despite taking an untimely penalty late in the third.
• Cape Breton’s leading scorer, Cameron Darcy, didn’t even have a shot on goal last night.
• William Carrier was in beast mode in the third period. He scored a beautiful goal to give the Eagles some life midway through the third.
• Sea Dogs scratches were defensemen Michael Abbott (hand) and Will Thompson (healthy) along with forwards Noah Zilbert (lower body) and Joey Richard (healthy).
• Shawinigan beat Quebec in a shootout last night to keep pace with Saint John in the overall standings.

RECAP: Another Streak Bites The Dust. Dogs Win 3-2.

FINAL: Saint John 3, Cape Breton 2

SYDNEY, NS – It’s obvious that the Saint John Sea Dogs aren’t going to be mailing in what is left of the first half.

The Saint John Sea Dogs produced a solid road performance and were rewarded for it on Friday night at Centre 200, defeating the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 3-2 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. The win ended Saint John’s five-game losing streak and 11-game road losing skid.

Samuel Dove-McFalls’ first career QMJHL goal, which came in the third period, ended up being the game winner. Jurj Repe, who was named the game’s first star, had a goal and an assist while Oliver Cooper scored his team leading 12^th of the year. Sebastien Auger was solid as usual and made 29 stops in the win.

William Carrier and Kyle Farrell had Cape Breton’s goals. Chase Marchand made 20 saves in the loss.

It certainly wasn’t a dominating performance by the Dogs but it got the job done. The Sea Dogs led 2-0 heading into the third and it was good to see them hang on and get rewarded for their efforts after a tough loss in Charlottetown last Friday.

The two teams meet again tomorrow night at Centre 200. It will be the final game before the Christmas break for both teams.

Canada Plays For Gold Tomorrow

Michael Kirkpatrick and Team Canada will play for gold at the 2013 Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy.

Team Canada, made up entirely of Atlantic University Sport players, advanced to tomorrow’s Gold Medal Game with a 2-1 victory over Russia this afternoon. Kazakhstan defeated the United States in the other semi-final and will be Canada’s opponent.

Canada went 2-1 in the preliminary round with their only loss coming against none other than Kazakhstan. Tomorrow’s game should be a good one.

Kirkpatrick sits in a tie for seventh in tournament scoring with two goals and six assists in five games.

Elsewhere…

• Sea Dogs draft pick Jack Eichel was named the USA’s Player of the Game in their 4-2 world junior pre-tournament loss to Sweden.
• Canada beat Finland 4-2 in pre-tournament action. QMJHL leading scorer Anthony Mantha had a goal in that game.
• If you have Eastlink TV, tonight’s Sea Dogs/Screaming Eagles game can be watched there.
• Sportsnet’s Friday Night Hockey will feature the Charlottetown Islanders taking on the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada at 8pm.

GAMEDAY 34 - at Cape Breton

GAMEDAY

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Cape Breton Screaming Eagles

Tonight at 7:00pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: Eastlink | Live: @station_nation

Centre 200 – Sydney, NS

PREVIEW

SYDNEY, NS – The first half of the 2013-14 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season comes to an end for the Saint John Sea Dogs this weekend.

The Sea Dogs are in Cape Breton to battle the Screaming Eagles tonight and tomorrow night at 7pm. With last Sunday’s game in Moncton getting cancelled, the Dogs will play game 34 of 68 this evening and 35 tomorrow.

It has not been a good first half for the rebuilding Sea Dogs. They sit in last place in the 18-team QMJHL with a 7-23-0-3 record. Shawinigan is tied with Saint John with 17 points but the Cataractes have played two more games.

Saint John got off to a decent start but the past two months have been rough to say the least. Going into tonight’s game they have lost five straight and are 1-8-0-1 in their last 10.

Oliver Cooper leads the Dogs in scoring with 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points. Rookie Nathan Noel also has a team high 11 goals.

Meanwhile, the Screaming Eagles are having their best season in years. They sit second in the Telus Maritimes Division and 10^th overall with a 19-13-0-3 record. They are 7-3 in their last 10.

American Cameron Darcy continues to lead Cape Breton in scoring with 22 goals and 26 assists for 48 points in 35 games.

New Date For Sunday's Postponed Game

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced today the new date for last Sunday’s postponed game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats.

The game, originally scheduled for December 15^th, will now take place on Wednesday, January 15^th at 7pm at the Moncton Coliseum.

Last Sunday’s game was cancelled due to a big time snow storm.

The game adds to what is already a busy month of January for the Sea Dogs. They will now play 13 games in January – seven at home and six on the road. The January 15^th contest will be played following a three-game Quebec road trip and before the beginning of a five-game homestand.

The Sea Dogs and Wildcats also meet on December 28^th and 29^th.

Saint John’s first half comes to a close this weekend with two games in Cape Breton.

Happy Holidays From The Sea Dogs

Via the Sea Dogs YouTube page:

Sea Dogs GM Search Makes SI.com

The Saint John Sea Dogs’ unconventional "help wanted ad" in their search for a new general manager has caught the attention of Sports Illustrated.

Allan Muir, SI’s NHL writer, had an article on SI.com today about the Sea Dogs’ search for a GM.

“We’ve had some great candidates apply already,” said Sea Dogs president Wayne Long, “but we just want it out there that the job is open and we are committed to the process.”

“We are being open-minded and will select the best candidate for sure,” Long added.

Head coach Ross Yates and head scout Christian Vermette have been splitting the GM duties since Mike Kelly was dismissed. The duo will be busy over the next couple weeks with the QMJHL’s trading period beginning on Sunday.

Some other stuff…

• Sea Dogs haven’t played a game in forever. They are in Cape Breton to take on the Screaming Eagles on Friday and Saturday night.
• Tomas Jurco on his first NHL goal: "It’s a great moment for me. It’s a great feeling. It’s something I’ve been dreaming about."
• Charlie Coyle scored his fourth goal of the season last night in Minnesota’s 3-2 shootout win over Vancouver.
• Jonathan Huberdeau has missed the past two Florida Panthers games with a foot injury. He hopes to return tomorrow in Ottawa.

Jurco Scores First NHL Goal [Updated]

Tomas Jurco scored his first National Hockey League goal on Tuesday night, opening the scoring for the Detroit Red Wings in a 5-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

Classic Jurco goal.

The goal came at 3:15 of the first period. The 20-year old finished the game with one shot and two hits in 12:54 of ice time. He also played 1:31 on the power play and was named the game's third star.

Jurco made his NHL debut with the Red Wings on Sunday. He should be featured in the next episode of HBO's 24/7.

The GM Search Begins

Since the Sea Dogs announced publicly yesterday via press release and their website that they are accepting applications for the team’s general manager position, there has certainly been some interesting feedback about the move on the interweb.

Our pal CJ of ‘Power Play with CJ’ fame explains why the Sea Dogs should hire him as their new GM via YouTube video.

He makes some solid points. This is the kind of creativity we need around here.

Sea Dogs Notebook

JURCO

Tomas Jurco made his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings in their 3-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday. The 20-year old had one shot and two hits in 16:45 of ice time. He also saw 1:27 of ice time on the power play.

Jurco, who leads the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in scoring, was placed on the Wings top line with Pavel Datsyuk and Daniel Alfredsson.

“When I first find out I’m coming here I have no idea that I’m going to start with Pav and Alfie,” Jurco told NHL.com. “I just found out before the game and it was a great feeling. I think we played pretty well. We didn’t score but we had some chances. It’s an unbelievable experience for me. It’s experience that you take. I know what to expect from other games and I know where I should get better and where I’m at right now. Just to be here gives me a lot, just to know where I’m at right now.”

MLive.com also has an article on the Slovak’s debut, which includes Mike Babcock’s take on how he played. Also, he nearly took off Ben Bishop’s head.

EICHEL SPEAKS

NHL.com had an article on Jack Eichel and his invitation to attend the US national junior team selection camp.

Eichel, who is committed to Boston University for next season, also spoke about being selected twice in the QMJHL Entry Draft and picked in the KHL Draft. He was a 10^th-round selection of Saint John in the 2013 Q Draft.

"I try not to think about that too much," Eichel said. "I guess it just opens up more options for you, which is always nice, but I'm really excited to go to BU."

So there’s that.

PASSINGHAM

Former Sea Dogs goaltender Troy Passingham (pictured above) saw some action for the CIS squad that took on the Canadian National Junior Team in an exhibition match in Toronto earlier this week. Team Canada won the game 3-0.

The Hockey Canada boxscore is a little confusing but it looks like Passingham allowed two goals on 16 shots in the third period.

Passingham, who is now playing with the Ryerson University Rams, was 1-1 with a 3.02 GAA and 0.897 SV% in two games with Saint John in 2007-08.

Sea Dogs GM Search Goes Public

This is something you don’t see every day.

The Saint John Sea Dogs sent out a press release this morning stating that they are accepting applications for the team’s general manager position. Head Coach Ross Yates and Head Scout Christian Vermette are currently sharing the duties on an interim basis.

Here’s the release:

The Saint John Sea Dogs are accepting applications for the team's general manager position.

The successful candidate must be ready to lead a young team toward a promising future.

"We are in a rebuild," stated Sea Dogs President Wayne Long. "And we want to continue the drive toward another championship."

In the interim, general manager duties are being shared between Sea Dogs Head Coach Ross Yates and Head Scout Christian Vermette.

Applications should be submitted to:

Wayne Long
President, Saint John Sea Dogs
waynelong@saintjohnseadogs.com

The closing date for applications is Friday, January 17, 2014.

Makes sense to make the search for a new GM public I guess. Just kind of odd to see the search for such a high profile position with a major junior hockey team made so public like this. Hopefully it works out.

You have to think this is a position that should draw plenty of interest. The Sea Dogs are a young team with assets to work with and want to host the Memorial Cup in 2017. 

Today's Game Postponed

Today’s Saint John Sea Dogs game in Moncton has, not surprisingly, been postponed due to a big time snow storm.

The teams have not announced a make-up date yet.

Environment Canada has issued a winter storm warning for much of the Maritimes. The Moncton and Saint John areas are expected to get roughly 30-40 cm of snow today.

The Sea Dogs, 7-23-0-3 and losers of five straight, play their final games of the first half next weekend in Sydney. They take on the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday, December 20^th and Saturday, December 21^st.

Red Wings Recall Tomas Jurco

Former Sea Dogs forward Tomas Jurco has reportedly been called up by the Detroit Red Wings and is expected to make his National Hockey League debut today against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

From the Detroit Free Press:

Justin Abdelkader left with a possible concussion in the first period of Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. General manager Ken Holland told the Free Press the Wings will call up Jurco in time for Sunday's afternoon game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Joe Louis Arena.

Jurco, selected in the second-round of the 2011 NHL Draft by Detroit, is having a solid season in the American Hockey League with the Grand Rapids Griffins. In 26 games, the 20-year old has 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points. He sits eighth in AHL scoring.

The skilled Slovak will become the eighth former Sea Dog to play in the NHL this season.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

News & Notes From Friday's Game

CHARLOTTETOWN – Wanted to get a feel for the new fan experience in Charlottetown so bought seat one in this row. Good view. Problem was seats 1-3 had been removed (thanks Eastlink Centre!). Why was it removed? Where did it go? Will it ever return home? So many questions.

Some other stuff from last night’s game…

• Tough loss for the Sea Dogs. Saint John was leading 1-0 for much of the game but Charlottetown scored twice in the final seven minutes to earn the victory.
• The game-winner was scored on a power play at 18:35 by Jack Nevins. Neither team could get a whole lot going on the power play until that point.
• Charlottetown really stormed out of the gate in the third period, outshooting Saint John 20-3.
• Not much else to say about Sebastien Auger at this point. He was excellent in net again, making 45 saves in the loss. He made a really nice glove save early in the third on a penalty kill.
• Oliver Cooper had Saint John’s lone goal, scoring at 3:33 of the first. He is now tied with Nathan Noel for the team lead with 11.
• Another tough game for Stephen Anderson. He had a bunch of quality scoring chances – six dangerous shots according to the league – but only came away with an assist in the game. You get the feeling that at some point he is going to go on a tear.
• Ross Yates was not too happy about the penalty calls late in the third.
• The Sea Dogs have now lost five straight games overall and 11 straight on the road. They have not won a road game since October 6^th in Bathurst.
• The Islanders ended a nine-game losing streak. Last month, the Sea Dogs ended a nine-game losing skid with a win against the Islanders. That’s just how things go.
• Saint John is now 1-1 in Friday the 13^th games this year.
• The Dogs led after the first period for just the fourth time this season and led after two for just the sixth time.
• The Sea Dogs were without defensemen Olivier LeBlanc (flu) and Michael Abbott (hand) along with forwards Joey Richard (healthy) and Connor Donaghey (healthy).
• With LeBlanc not playing, rookie Will Thompson took his spot on the team’s top power play unit.
• Shawinigan defeated Bathurst last night. Saint John is, for now, in last place.
• Someone in the arena kept blowing a whistle throughout the first period. Early in the second, an announcement was made and explained that if the whistle kept getting blown the fan would be thrown out of the building.
• Pretty sure the centre ice scoreboard at Eastlink Centre was built before Confederation.
• Unlimited amounts of country music played at the game.

RECAP: Heartbreaker. Dogs Lose 2-1.

FINAL: Saint John 1, Charlottetown 2

CHARLOTTETOWN – What a heartbreaker for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday night.

The Sea Dogs were producing a fairly solid road performance and were clinging to a 1-0 lead for much of the game. But the Charlottetown Islanders scored two goals in the final seven minutes – including the game-winner with less than two minutes to go – to defeat Saint John 2-1 at Eastlink Centre.

The win ends Charlottetown’s nine-game losing streak. Saint John has now lost five straight overall and 11 straight on the road.

The Sea Dogs were outshot in the first period 12-9 but had a lot of possession time. Oliver Cooper opened the scoring at 3:33, sweeping the puck in to give Saint John a 1-0 lead after one.

It was a back-and-forth second period with the Islanders outshooting the Dogs 15-14. Neither team could get a whole lot going on the power play.

In the third, Alexis Pepin tied the game up at 13:52 as he beat Sebastien Aguer five-hole.

Matthew Highmore took a high-sticking penalty at 15:31 and then Jeremy Doucet joined him at the box at 16:38 for high-sticking as well. With three seconds left in Doucet’s penalty, Charlottetown captain Jack Nevins scored to give the Isles a late 2-1 advantage.

GAMEDAY 33 - at Charlottetown

GAMEDAY

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Charlottetown Islanders

Tonight at 7:00pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Eastlink Centre – Charlottetown, PEI

PREVIEW

CHARLOTTETOWN – Someone is going to win tonight’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League contest between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders. Both teams could really use a win these days.

The Sea Dogs enter action on a four-game losing streak and are 1-8-0-1 in their last 10 games while the Islanders have lost nine straight and are 1-7-0-2 in their last 10. To say both teams could use a win is an understatement.

The two meet tonight at 7pm at Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown.

Charlottetown lost their ninth straight on home ice on Wednesday night, falling 5-4 in a shootout to the Moncton Wildcats. It’s been a bad few weeks for the Isles who were 11-8-1-2 a month ago. Today, they sit fourth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 13^th overall with a 13-16-1-4 record.

Rookie Daniel Sprong continues to lead the Isles in scoring with 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 points in 34 games. He is tied for the team lead in both goals and assists.

Meanwhile, the Dogs will look to end yet another losing streak with a win against Charlottetown. Saint John ended a nine-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Islanders on November 2^nd and ended an eight-game losing streak with a 3-2 shootout win over the Isles on November 27^th.

Saint John has two wins in their past 23 games – both against Charlottetown. But both of those matches were played at the friendly confines of Harbour Station. The Dogs have struggled on the road this year and have a record of 2-12-0-1.

Oliver Cooper leads the Port City in scoring with 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points in 32 games. Nathan Noel leads the squad in goals with 11.

VIDEO: Sir Charles Waving To A Kid

By now you have probably seen the photo of Charlie Coyle waving to a kid and then the kid acting all adorable and stuff. Now, via Deadspin via the NHL's YouTube page, there is video.

On a side note, those Minnesota Wild jerseys are basically Halifax Mooseheads jerseys.

Thanks to @HerdHistory for the video link

Sea Dogs Notebook

FRIDAY NIGHT

The Charlottetown Islanders will carry a nine-game losing streak into their home game tomorrow night against the Saint John Sea Dogs. Game time is 7pm at Eastlink Centre.

The Isles fell 5-4 in a shootout on Wednesday night to the Moncton Wildcats. Their nine straight loses ties them with Saint John for the second longest losing skid in the QMJHL this year. Shawinigan still holds the No. 1 spot with 11 straight loses.

Meanwhile, the Sea Dogs will carry a four-game losing streak into tomorrow night’s contest. Two of Saint John’s seven wins this season have come against Charlottetown – although both of those games were played at Harbour Station.

TEDDY BEAR TOSS

The Sea Dogs are also scheduled to be in action on Sunday afternoon in Moncton. The Wildcats will be holding their Teddy Bear Toss that game (pictured - click to enlarge)

SHAWINIGAN

In the Sea Dogs’ rear-view mirror, the Shawinigan Cataractes are inching closer and closer. The Cataractes are 3-6-0-1 in their last 10 games and now sit just two points back of Saint John for 17^th overall.

The Sea Dogs currently sit 17^th with a record of 7-22-0-3 for 17 points while the Cataractes sit 18^th (last-place) with a 6-24-2-1 record for 15 points. Saint John has played one more game than Shawinigan. The 16^th-place Sherbrooke Phoenix have 24 points.

It doesn’t matter a whole lot who finishes 17^th or 18^th overall for the QMJHL Entry Draft with the two being involved in a coin toss for the first overall pick. But, the positioning does have an impact on the CHL Import Draft order.

Ross Yates On Access "Q" Atlantic

Sea Dogs Head Coach and Co-General Manager Ross Yates was a guest on the latest episode of Access “Q” Atlantic.

In an interview with John Moore, Yates discusses Mike Kelly’s dismissal, some of the changes he has made, and the play of Sebastien Auger. Also of note, Yates says that he doesn’t believe the team will be very active during the upcoming holiday trade period.

To view the video, go to the Bell Aliant Community One website, click on the sports tab, then click on Access “Q” Atlantic and select episode seven. The interview begins near the 17:20 mark.

Sea Dogs Notebook

UP NEXT

Up next for the Sea Dogs is a Friday night contest in Charlottetown against the Islanders. Game time is 7pm at Eastlink Centre.

Two of Saint John’s seven wins this season have come against the Islanders. Meanwhile, Charlottetown has lost eight straight games heading into their game on Wednesday night against the Moncton Wildcats.

The Sea Dogs are also in action on Sunday afternoon in Moncton. The Port City squad wraps up their first half schedule with games in Sydney on December 20^th and 21^st.

DESERRES

Former Sea Dogs goaltender Jacob DeSerres (pictured) has been named the WHL men's hockey Graduate of the Month for November.

DeSerres has helped the University of Calgary Dinos enter the Christmas break as the top team in the CIS Men’s Hockey Top 10 Rankings. They sit first overall in the Canada West standings with a 15-0-1 record and have allowed just 25 goals in 16 games.

DeSerres, who helped Saint John win the Memorial Cup in 2011, has the league’s best goals against average (1.50), best save percentage (0.941), and most wins (9). He is also tied for the league lead in shutouts with three.

"Jacob had an exceptional month of November and was instrumental in the Dinos having a 7-0-1 record," said Dinos head coach Mark Howell in a release. "He stepped up when Lazaruk got hurt and carried the load in some big games and shone on every occasion. His game was in control throughout each game and created confidence for his team."

CRAIG’S LIST

Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier LeBlanc was ranked 68^th in Craig Button’s latest rankings for the 2014 NHL Draft. Button has plenty of other QMJHL players ranked around there but LeBlanc was the only Sea Dog to make the list.

LeBlanc sits fourth in Saint John scoring with five goals and 17 assists for 22 points in 32 games. All five of his goals have been scored on the power play.

Canadian Tire Has A Giant Goalie Mask

SAINT JOHN – For all I know this thing has been hanging from the ceiling of the East Side Canadian Tire for years. I just noticed it this weekend. So I took a photo of it. I then posted that photo here. That is what I did.

News & Notes From Saturday's Game

Some stuff from last night’s game…

• Definitely nice to see Saint John’s offense come alive last night and score six goals following a awful display on Friday. Unfortunately, the Sea Dogs were pretty bad defensively and that cost them big time.
• Also nice to see the Sea Dogs not just mail it in after getting down 6-1 in the second period. Oliver Cooper got Saint John within one in the third period but that would be as close as they would get.
• Cape Breton’s assistant coach mentioned on the Eagles post-game show that the game seemed to shift following Loic Leduc’s instigating infraction against Alexnader McQuaid midway through the second. The Sea Dogs scored four straight goals after that.
• How often do you see 15 goals scored in a hockey game? Halifax and Rouyn-Noranda combined for 20 goals on November 1^st and Rouyn-Noranda and Shawinigan combined for 19 on September 27^th.
• Don’t know about you, but I would much rather watch a game like this than a 2-1 game where there are a combined 30 shots.
• Cape Breton is on a roll right now. They have won four straight and are 8-2 in their last 10 games.
• The Screaming Eagles’ power play was rolling. They scored on each of their first three opportunities before cooling down in the third period. They finished the game 3-for-6.
• Cameron Darcy had a hat trick for the Screaming Eagles and Raphael Corriveau scored twice.
• Rarely do you see all four goaltenders get playing time in a game but that happened last night. Sebastien Auger, although he couldn’t have done much to stop the Eagles goals, allowed six goals on 27 shots and was replaced by Antoine Landry in the second. Chase Marchand was pulled after allowing Saint John’s fifth goal in the third and was replaced by Alex Bureau.
• The Sea Dogs only had four shots on goal in both the first and third periods. Bureau only made two stops in the third. 
• Spencer Smallman’s second period goal was his first since November 14^th.
• Matthew Highmore had three assists, moving him into third on the team in points with 22.
• Nathan Noel and Smallman each had a goal and two assists. Oliver Cooper had a goal and an assist.
• Marcus Cuomo had a good game, setting up two goals thanks to some hard work in the crease area. He was named third star.
• Alexander McQuaid’s assist on Jason Cameron’s third period goal was the first point of his QMJHL career.
• This was Saint John’s final home of the first half and last until December 28^th. They finished the first half with a 5-10-0-2 record at home.
• The Sea Dogs wore their black third jerseys for the second time this season.
• It was Christmas themed night at Harbour Station. The team had a Christmas themed intro video which featured the Nathan Noel/Nicolas Roy fight. Santa Clause was in the house.
• Before the game, Oliver Cooper was named the Irving Oil Player of the Month for November while the Canadian Tire Student of the Month was Samuel Dove-McFalls. Michael Abbott was also honoured for being the top fundraiser in the CHL’s MOvember challenge.
• The Sea Dogs were without forwards Lukas Walter (healthy) and Connor Donaghey (healthy) along with defensemen Will Thompson (healthy) and Michael Abbott (hand).

Eric Gelinas Has Made It Big

When NHL.com starts making headline puns about you, you have officially made it. 

Eric Gelinas scored the overtime winner in the New Jersey Devils' 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night. Gelinas was also named first star, had four shots, and two hits in 23:22 of ice time - the second most of any Devils player.