Saturday Was Junior 'A' Draft Day

A few Saint John Sea Dogs prospects/players were taken in today’s Maritime Junior ‘A’ Hockey League Entry Draft.

Forward Declan Smith, a fourth round pick by the Sea Dogs in last month’s QMJHL Entry Draft, was taken in the third round by the Pictou County Weeks Crushers. Smith played with the Cape Breton West Islanders of the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League last season where he recorded 21 points in 30 games.

Sea Dogs defenseman Will Thompson was take in the fifth round by the Woodstock Slammers. In his rookie season with Saint John last year, the Fredericton native registered three goals and seven assists in 41 games.

Lastly, goaltender Christopher Smith was an eighth round selection of the expansion St. Stephen County Aces. Smith spent most of last season with St. John’s Privateers of the Newfoundland Major Midget Hockey League but did appear in one game with Saint John.

According to The Q News, 29 players who are QMJHL property were taken in today’s MHL Entry Draft.

The Quebec Junior Hockey League (yeah... it's called that now) also held their draft today. Defenseman Marshall Rifai, an eighth round pick of the Sea Dogs in May, was taken 120^th overall by Vaudreuil-Dorion. Rifai recorded 16 points in 17 games with the Lac St-Louis Tigers last season.

With the 201^st overall pick, Valleyfield picked 17-year old forward Chris Sarault who was an eighth round pick of the Sea Dogs last year. Sarault spent last season with the Colorado Thunderbirds Under-16 team where he recorded 12 points in 36 games.

A few other notes…

• The expansion Aces had the first overall pick in the draft and selected Moncton Flyers left winger Liam Conrad.
• Saint John Vito’s forward Tyler Copeland was taken third overall by the Campbellton Tigers.
• Caleb Stairs, a Fredericton Canadiens forward who appears on Saint John’s pre-season roster, was a ninth round pick of the Aces.
• It certainly looks like Marcus Tesink will be playing in the Moncton area next season. Tesink, who was taken in the fifth round by the Moncton Wildcats in May’s QMJHL Entry Draft, was picked in the third round by the Dieppe Commandos on Saturday.

Photo credit: Bryan Willett