Senators Return Chabot To Saint John

The Saint John Sea Dogs’ defense has just gotten significantly better - again.

After getting the news on Sunday that Jakub Zboril would be returning to Saint John from Boston Bruins camp, it was announced today that Thomas Chabot would be heading back from Ottawa Senators camp.

Before sending Chabot back to junior, the Senators signed their 2015 first-round pick to a three-year, entry-level deal.

All nine Sea Dogs who attended NHL camps are now back with the team. After dressing a rookie filled defense core this past weekend, the additions of Zboril and Chabot will be huge.

Chabot has gotten better every season he’s been in Saint John, so it should come as no surprise that he was impressive at Sens camp. In pre-season games with Ottawa, the 18-year-old recorded two assists, six shots and was a +3.

In 66 games with the Sea Dogs last season, Chabot registered 12 goals and 29 assists. This came after recording one goal and 22 points in his rookie campaign.

Saint John hosts the Gatineau Olympiques on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Harbour Station.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 4-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Bathurst 4

BATHURST – Nicholas Blanchard’s goal with 5:01 left in regulation time was the difference in a back-and-forth, 4-3 Acadie-Bathurst Titan victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Sunday.

Blanchard’s late third period goal gave Bathurst their only lead of the game. Saint John opened the scoring and led a few different times. But every time the Sea Dogs attacked, the Titan did a great job at countering.

The first period was fairly uneventful with shots 11 apiece. Scoring chances gradually increased as the period went on.

In the second, Adam Marsh opened the scoring just 43 seconds in. Samuel Dove-McFalls fed him the puck as he crossed the line and then fired a perfectly placed wrister past Reilly Pickard.

The goals started to come fast and furious at 9:26 when Daniil Miromanov beat Marc-Antoine Turcotte glove side to tie things at 1-1. At 10:51 Saint John retook the lead thanks to Dove-McFalls putting in the rebound of a Luke Green point shot. But at 11:56 the Titan tied it up again as Jake Smith jammed the puck in.

It looked as though the Sea Dogs would exit the period with a 3-2 lead when Nathan Noel fired a cross ice pass to Mathieu Joseph who scored, giving the visitors a late lead. But with 25.9 seconds remaining, a pass from the boards found Mark Simpson in front who tied it up at 3-3. Shots in the goal filled second stanza were 18-10 in favour of Bathurst.

The Titan were buzzing early in the third and forced Turcotte to make a few nice saves. Then it was Saint John’s turn but Pickard stood tall.

Finally, at 14:59, the Titan broke the tie as Blanchard got behind the Saint John defense and beat Turcotte, making it a 4-3 final. Shots were 17-7 Titan in the third.

Bruins Send Zboril Back To Saint John

Saint John’s defense is about to get a major boost.

2015 draft picks Jake DeBrusk, Brandon Carlo & Jakub Zboril all being sent back to junior teams.

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) September 27, 2015

Zboril has not appeared in any games or camps with the Sea Dogs this year. He appeared in one pre-season game with the Bruins, the team that drafted him 13^th overall in this year’s NHL Draft.

In 44 games with the Sea Dogs last season, the 18-year-old Czech defender had 13 goals and 20 assists. He added one goal and two assists in five playoff games.

Thomas Chabot, an Ottawa Senators prospect, is now the only remaining Sea Dog at an NHL training camp.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

GAME DAY 6: at Bathurst

A preview of today’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan…

When and where: Today at 3 p.m., KC Irving Regional Centre

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are third in the Maritimes Division and eighth overall in the QMJHL with a record of 3-2-0-0 for six points. The Titan are fifth in the Maritimes and 13^th overall with a 1-3-1-0 record for three points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 win over the Islanders in Charlottetown on Friday. Mathieu Joseph, Daniel Del Paggio and Luke Green scored for Saint John while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 29 saves in the win. The Titan are coming off a 6-3 loss in Cape Breton on Friday night. Jeffery Tuchon-Viel, Campbell Pickard and Egor Popov scored for the Titan while Daniel Vautour made 36 saves in the loss.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs went 5-2-1-1 against the Titan last season while Bathurst went 4-5-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Aug. 21 in Bathurst where the Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 8-2 in pre-season action. Adam Marsh and Sam Povorozniouk each scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Thomas Chabot, Matthew Highmore, Adam Bateman and Luke Green. Egor Popov and Felix Boivin scored Bathurst’s goals.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: None

Random fact/stat: This will be the first regular season meeting between Joe Veleno and Antoine Morand – the two top picks in this year’s QMJHL Entry Draft.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 3-2

FINAL: Saint John 3, Charlottetown 2

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs handed the Charlottetown Islanders their first loss of the young QMJHL season in a very close contest Friday night, hanging on to a 3-2 win thanks to a late goal from Luke Green.

Saint John scored the loan goal of the opening frame when Mathieu Joseph took a feed from Samuel Dove-McFalls and tucked it in past a sprawling Daryl MacCallum. Also assisted on the goal was Bokondji Imama. The trio of players were all in their first game back from their respective NHL training camps.

The Islanders had a much stronger start to the second period scoring two quick goals. The first goal was by former Sea Dog Oliver Cooper and the second by rookie first round pick Shawn Boudrias. The two goals came just 56 seconds apart putting the Islanders ahead 2-1. The Sea Dogs would tie the game though before the end of the frame when Daniel Del Paggio broke up a pass between two Islander defenders and rushed in, scoring on a breakaway.

The final frame was tight checking for the most part with neither team taking many chances. The Sea Dogs did take the lead for good when Green skated in tight and jammed one in short side on MacCallum. Charlottetown would pull their netminder late but struggled to get the puck out of their own zone when the Sea Dogs fore checkers battled hard, hemming the Islanders in deep.

Captain Smallman

With only two players remaining at NHL training camps and their roster nearly normalized, the Saint John Sea Dogs have announced their leadership group for the 2015-16 season.

Forward Spencer Smallman, who recently returned from Carolina Hurricanes camp, will be the 13^th captain in team history. Entering his fourth year with the team, Smallman is one of the longest serving current Sea Dogs. He was a fourth-round pick of Saint John in the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft.

The departed Olivier LeBlanc and the graduated Mark Tremaine acted as team captains last season.

Meanwhile, head coach Danny Flynn also announced that forwards Bokondji Imama, Samuel Dove-McFalls and Matthew Highmore will serve as alternate captains.

According to a team release, “Flynn indicated there may be additions to the leadership group as the roster stabilizes, and throughout the season as well.”

The new letters will be on display tonight when the Sea Dogs take on the Islanders in Charlottetown at 7 p.m.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

GAME DAY 5: at Charlottetown

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders…

When and where: Tonight at 7 p.m., Eastlink Centre

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are third in the Maritimes Division and 11^th overall in the QMJHL with a 2-2-0-0 record for four points. The Islanders are first in the Maritimes and third overall with a 4-0-0-0 record for eight points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Mooseheads in Halifax last Saturday. Ryan Chiasson scored Saint John’s only goal. Alex Bishop was pulled after allowing three goals on seven shots and was replaced by Marc-Antoine Turcotte who made 22 saves in relief. The Islanders are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Screaming Eagles in Cape Breton on Sunday. Quinn O’Brien, Filip Rydstrom, Mitchell Balmas and Oliver Cooper all scored for Charlottetown. Matthew Weslsh made 33 saves in the victory.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 3-3-2-1 against the Islanders last season while Charlottetown went 6-2-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: August 15 in Pownal where the Islanders defeated the Sea Dogs 7-1 in pre-season play. Keith Getson had a hat trick for Charlottetown, Mitchell Balmas had two goals and singles came from Josh Shatford and Shawn Boudrias. Matt Green scored the only goal for the Sea Dogs. Alex Bishop allowed four goals on 24 shots in the game.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Islanders: Oliver Cooper, Will Thompson and Alex McQuaid

Random stat/fact: The Islanders, Gatineau Olympiques and Shawinigan Cataractes are the only undefeated teams remaining in the QMJHL. They are all 4-0-0-0.

Dogs Will Have Different Look Tomorrow

The Sea Dogs will have a different looking lineup tomorrow night in Charlottetown.

Because of reassignments, injuries and suspensions, the 2-2-0-0 Sea Dogs will be forced to dress a young defence core when they take on the 4-0-0-0 Charlottetown Islanders on Friday at Eastlink Centre.

Jason Bell has been suspended for tomorrow’s game and the Telegraph-Journal reports that Adam Bateman will be out with a lower body injury. Add Thomas Chabot (Ottawa) and Jakub Zboril (Boston) to the absentee list due to NHL camps and that’s a whole lot of experience that’s unavailable.

The team sent Pierre-Luc Luerette back to the MHL’s Campbellton Tigers this past week but recalled Vincent Martineau from midget AAA. They also signed Ontario d-man Austin Clapham.

SN’s Kevin Chambers projects Saint John’s defence to look something along the lines of:

Oliver Felixson – Luke Green

Bailey Webster – Austin Clapham

Shayne Dominie – Vincent Maritneau

That is a young looking ‘D’ core.

Some good news is that Saint John’s offence should be much improved compared to last weekend. Spencer Smallman (Carolina), Adam Marsh (Detroit), Samuel Dove-McFalls (Philadelphia), Mathieu Joseph (Tamp Bay) and Bokondji Imama (Tampa Bay) have all been sent back to the Sea Dogs by their respective NHL teams. Nathan Noel (Anaheim) was reportedly at the team’s softball game last night.

In related moves, forwards Ryan Kenny, Cedric Pare, Ben Reid and Will Kelly were all sent back down by the Dogs this week.

Meanwhile, the Islanders will be without one of their top scorers in Daniel Sprong (Pittsburgh) and their No. 1 netminder in Mason McDonald (Calgary).

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Sea Dogs Add Another Free Agent

View image | gettyimages.com

The Saint John Sea Dogs have added an Ontario free agent to their backend.

The team announced today that they’ve signed Toronto native Austin Clapham. In 56 games with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves last season, the defenseman registered two goals and five assists.

In 68 career OHL games, the 18-year-old has two goals and six assists. He was a fourth-round pick of the Wolves in the 2013 OHL Priority.

Clapham is listed at 6'1", 195 lbs.

"We are pleased to add another young, talented and promising defenceman to our group," Sea Dogs general manager Darrell Young said in a press release. "Austin is coming in knowing he will be battling for a spot in our lineup. He also understands we have a talented group, and the competition for playing time will be a daily challenge."

Saint John recalled defenseman Vincent Martineau, a third-round pick in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft, yesterday.

The Sea Dogs are still without two of their top defenseman in Thomas Chabot and Jakub Zboril due to NHL camps.

'Canes Send Smallman Back

The Carolina Hurricanes have sent Spencer Smallman back to the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Smallman was among a group of eight players reassigned to their junior clubs today. QMJHLers Clark Bishop, Nicolas Roy and Callum Booth were also sent back.

Smallman, 19, was a fifth-round pick of the Hurricanes at this year’s NHL Draft.

Last season with the Sea Dogs, the right winger had 23 goals and 33 assists in 66 games. He added one goal and three assists in five playoff games. He is expected to be a key part of the team's offense this year.

In 174 games over his three year career with the Sea Dogs, the Fredericton native has 37 goals and 60 assists.

Smallman is the first Sea Dogs player to be sent back from main NHL training camps. The team is still without Jakub Zboril (Boston), Thomas Chabot (Ottawa), Bokondji Imama (Tampa Bay), Mathieu Joseph (Tampa Bay), Adam Marsh (Detroit), Nathan Noel (Anaheim) and Samuel Dove-McFalls (Philadelphia).

Saint John takes on the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday on PEI.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Halifax 5

HALIFAX – A night after being shutout 4-0 in their home opener, the Halifax Mooseheads rebounded in a big way on Saturday against the Saint John Sea Dogs.

A hat trick from Maxime Forter led the Mooseheads to a 5-1 victory over the Sea Dogs. It was Halifax’s first win of the season – and that includes pre-season.

Halifax got off to a strong start and never looked back, scoring two goals on their first four shots. They chased Alex Bishop from the game in the second period after allowing three goals on seven shots in just 21:02 minutes of action.

After struggling in the first 40 minutes of the game, the Sea Dogs had a decent third period and even got within two goals at one points. They had a few chances to score again but could not beat Eric Brassard for a second time.

The Mooseheads opened the scoring on just their second shot of the game as Fortier scored on a wraparound at 9:51. Then at 17:36, Arnaud Durandeau scored his first career QMJHL goal, firing a bouncing puck from the slot past Bishop.

Just 1:02 into the second period, Vincent Watt fired a shot from the circle that that beat Bishop far side and giving the Mooseheads a 3-0 lead. That would be the end of Bishop’s night with Marc-Antoine Turcotte taking over.

Despite having a few power plays in the second, Saint John was only able to record four shots on goal. Halifax had 15.

Saint John got within two at 2:44 of third when Ryan Chiasson put in a Cedric Pare rebound, giving the winger his first QMJHL goal. But that would be as close as the Dogs would get as Fortier completed his hat trick, making it a 5-2 final.

GAME DAY 4: at Halifax

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads…

When and where: Tonight at 7 p.m., Scotiabank Centre

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are third in the Maritimes Division and seventh overall in the QMJHL with a 2-1-0-0 record for four points. The Mooseheads are last in the Maritimes and 16^th overall with a 0-2-0-1 record for one point.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 win over the Screaming Eagles in Cape Breton last night. Daniel Del Paggio, Jason Bell and Mathew Highmore scored for Saint John while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 36 saves in the win. The Mooseheads are coming off a 4-0 home loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last night. Eric Brassard made 25 saves in the loss.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 7-1-0-0 against the Mooseheads last season while Halifax went 1-6-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 21 at Scotiabank Centre where the Sea Dogs defeated the Mooseheads 4-1. Mark Tremaine scored two goals while singles came from Samuel Dove-McFalls and Braydon Blight. Timo Meier scored Halifax’s only goal. Alex Bishop made 27 saves in the win while Eric Brassard made 28 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Mooseheads: Kelly Bent

Random stat/fact: In the regular season and pre-season combined, the Mooseheads are 0-6-0-1 and have been outscored 39-17.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 3-2

FINAL: Saint John 3, Cape Breton 2

SYDNEY, NS – Marc-Antoine Turcotte is proving to be a great pickup for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The 20-year-old netminder had another solid outing on Friday night at Centre 200, making 36 saves in Saint John’s 3-2 victory over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The win improved the Dogs to 2-1-0-0 while the Eagles fell to 1-2-0-0.

The Sea Dogs had a strong road period in the first but the Screaming Eagles applied a lot of pressure throughout the final 40 minutes. Turcotte stood his ground and made some timely saves to ensure a Sea Dogs victory.

Saint John opened the scoring on a power play at 4:57. Joe Velno was in the corner and sent a short feed to Daniel Del Paggio who quickly made it 1-0. Then at 12:27 on another man advantage, Jason Bell ripped a point shot that beat Alexandre Belanger to make it 2-0.

Cape Breton got on the board soon after Saint John’s second goal. At 15:20, a point shot got stopped in some traffic but Pierre-Luc Dubois found the puck and beat Turcotte to make it 2-1 heading into the first intermission.

In a minor penalty filled second period, Matthew Highmore netted the only goal on a power play at 12:46. Bell was at the line and sent a great feed down low to the veteran forward who beat Belanger blocker side.

Turcotte was especially solid for the Sea Dogs late in the second when they killed off a lengthy five-on-three Cape Breton man advantage.

In the third, Alexandre Gosselin jammed the puck in at 9:20 to make it a one-goal game. The Eagles had some pressure late, but because of a penalty taken by Gosselin, they couldn’t get a whole lot going.

GAME DAY 3: at Cape Breton

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles…

When and where: Tonight at 7 p.m., Centre 200

TV/Radio/Webcast: Eastlink TV/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are third in the Maritimes Division and seventh overall in the QMJHL with a record of 1-1-0-0 for two points. The Screaming Eagles are fourth in the Maritimes and 12^th overall with a 1-1-0-0 record for two points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 loss on home ice to the Moncton Wildcats last Sunday. Sam Povorozniouk scored Saint John’s only goal while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 32 saves in the loss. The Screaming Eagles are coming off a 5-0 loss to the Islanders in Charlottetown last Saturday. Alexandre Belanger made 33 saves in the loss.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs went 5-4-0-0 against the Screaming Eagles last season while Cape Breton went 4-4-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 11 at Harbour Station where the Screaming Eagles pounded the Sea Dogs 8-3. Maxim Lazarev scored three goals for the Eagles while singles came from Olivier LeBlanc, Colby Tower, Marcus Hinds, Duncan MacIntrye and Evngeny Svechnikov. Nathan Noel had two goals for Saint John while Adam Bateman added a solo marker. Miguel Sullivan made 22 saves in the win. Sebastien Auger allowed five goals on 24 shots before getting pulled and replaced by Alex Bishop who made nine saves.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Screaming Eagles: Olivier LeBlanc

Random stat/fact: The Sea Dogs used four different goalies - Bobby Dugan, Blade Mann-Dixon, Alex Bishop and Sebastien Auger - against the Screaming Eagles last season.

Eight Sea Dogs Off To Main Camps

The Sea Dogs will be without eight of their regulars for at least a couple more games.

Eight players have been invited to attend main training camps with their respective NHL clubs. Nathan Noel is the only free agent invite heading to main camp while the others have all been drafted.

Here’s who is moving on to main camp:

Nathan Noel – Anaheim Ducks

Jakub Zboril – Boston Bruins

Spencer Smallman – Carolina Hurricanes

Adam Marsh – Detroit Red Wings

Thomas Chabot – Ottawa Senators

Samuel Dove-McFalls – Philadelphia Flyers

Bokondji Imama – Tampa Bay Lightning

Mathieu Joseph – Tampa Bay Lightning

Jason Bell was attending Calgary Flames rookie camp but was assigned back to Saint John today.

The Sea Dogs are on the road this weekend taking on the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and Halifax Mooseheads.

Meanwhile, there are quite a few former Sea Dogs attending NHL training camps as well. They are:

Bell Returned To Sea Dogs

Sea Dogs defenseman Jason Bell was among the cuts from Calgary Flames training camp.

Huge thank you to the @NHLFlames for the great opportunity at their rookie tournament! Excited to get back with the boys tomorrow night!

— Jason Bell (@Jasonbell_47) September 17, 2015

According to the Sea Dogs’ Twitter feed, Bell will be in Saint John’s lineup tomorrow night when they face the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in Sydney.

Bell, undrafted in this year’s NHL Draft, was a free agent invite to Flames rookie camp.

Saint John acquired the 18-year-old during the holiday trading period last season in the Olivier Leblanc deal. In 24 games with the Dogs, Bell posted three goals and five assists. He added an assist in three playoff games.

Notebook: Povorozniouk Off To Good Start

Sam Povorozniouk has gotten his QMJHL career off to a hot start.

In Saint John’s two games this past weekend, the free agent overager from the OHL had three goals and an assist. He also recorded an impressive nine shots.

Last season with the Windsor Spitfires, Povorozniouk had 15 goals and 24 assists in 68 games. His 15 goals last year were a career high.

Povorozniouk’s linemates also had a good opening weekend. Daniel Del Paggio had one goal and two assists while Joe Veleno had one goal.

UP NEXT

The Sea Dogs won’t play on Harbour Station ice again until Oct. 2 when they host the Gatineau Olympiqies. Saint John will play four road games between now and then, including two this weekend.

On Friday night in Sydney, the Sea Dogs will take part in the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles’ home opener. On Saturday, the Dogs will get their first look at the renovated Scotiabank Centre when they face the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Sea Dogs travel to Charlottetown and Bathurst the following weekend.

SEASON AHEAD

The website “Today’s Slapshot” has an article on the 2015-16 Sea Dogs, saying they are poised for success.

“This is not a rebuilding team, but instead one that could be one of the most dominant in the CHL this coming season,” writes Robert Nasso.

SMALLMAN PROFILE

The Carolina Hurricanes blog Cardiac Cane has a profile piece in Sea Dogs forward Spencer Smallman.

“Ultimately, Smallman’s lack of top-end skill will likely keep him out of a top-six role in the NHL, but his hard work ethic and buzz-saw type of play should make him an NHLer in the future,” writes Brett Finger.

CHABOT PROFILE

Hockey’s Future has a profile on Sea Dogs defenseman and Ottawa Senators prospect Thomas Chabot. The first round pick has been attending Senators rookie camp this past week.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 2-1

FINAL: Moncton 2, Saint John 1

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The Sea Dogs closed out their opening weekend with a disappointing 2-1 loss to their provincial rival, the Moncton Wildcats, on Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station.

The Wildcats carried much of the play in the first period and eventually opened the scoring on a beautiful passing play capped off by Will Smith. Had it not been for outstanding goaltending by Marc-Antoine Turcotte, Moncton could have struck more than once.

The Sea Dogs struck early in the second period on short breakaway by Sam Povorozniouk who continued his hot start and tied the game at one a piece. Much of the second period was hemmed up in the neutral zone although Turcotte, again, made some excellent saves.

The third period was very similar to the middle frame with a lot of tight checking neutral zone play. Kevin Klima eventually got a generous bounce and buried the game winner with just 4:14 left on the clock on what appeared to be a shot that was redirected in off a Sea Dog player, giving Moncton a 2-1 victory.

NOTES

• Samuel Dove-McFalls left early this morning for NHL training camp with the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Matthew Highmore was the captain for the Sea Dogs.
• Ryan Kenny played his first game of the season filling in for Dove-McFalls.
• Joe Veleno started the game at center on a line with Sam Povorozniouk and Daniel Del Paggio for the second consecutive game.
• Povorozniouk is on pace for 102 goals in his first QMJHL season.
• Grant Sonier made an appearance at Harbour Station today.
• Attendance - 2,693
• Zachary Malatesta picked up the first embellishment penalty at Harbour Station.
• Povorozniouk is tied for first in goals scored with three in two games.
• Veleno has one goal but still leads the team in plus/minus with a +4 rating after two games.

GAME DAY 2: vs Wildcats

A preview of today’s game between the Moncton Wildcats and Saint John Sea Dogs…

When and where: Today at 3 p.m., Harbour Station

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Wildcats are second in the Maritimes Division and fifth overall in the QMJHL with a record of 1-0-0-0 for two points. The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 for two points and sit third in the Maritimes and sixth overall in the league.

Last games: The Wildcats are coming off a 6-3 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last night at the KC Irving Regional Centre. Stephen Johnson had two goals while singles came from Kelly Klima, Will Smith, Maximillian Glaessl and William Bower. Zachary Fortin made 42 saves in the win. Saint John is coming off a 5-2 victory over the Halifax Mooseheads last night at Harbour Station. Sam Povorozniouk scored twice while singles came from Daniel Del Paggio, Joe Veleno and Matthew Highmore. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 30 stops in the win.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 2-6-0-1 against the Wildcats last season while Moncton went 7-2-0-0 against Saint John.

2014-15 Meetings:

Saint John 4 @ Moncton 8 (Mar 13 2015) Final
Moncton 6 @ Saint John 2 (Mar 8 2015) Final
Moncton 1 @ Saint John 3 (Feb 8 2015) Final
Moncton 3 @ Saint John 2 (Jan 10 2015) Final
Saint John 2 @ Moncton 3 (Jan 8 2015) Final SO
Saint John 5 @ Moncton 6 (Dec 28 2014) Final
Moncton 1 @ Saint John 7 (Oct 18 2014) Final
Saint John 0 @ Moncton 7 (Oct 17 2014) Final
Saint John 2 @ Moncton 5 (Sep 14 2014) Final

Last meeting: Feb. 28 in Bouctouche where the Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs 4-0 in pre-season action. Liam Murphy, Adam Holwell, Conor Garland and Eric Leger scored for Moncton. Zachary Fortin made 32 saves in the shutout win while Alex Bishop made 35 stops for Saint John.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Wildcats: None

Random stat/fact: This is the first game of the Rivalry Cup. Get excited.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 5-2

FINAL: Halifax 2, Saint John 5

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The Sea Dogs opened their 2015-16 campaign with a solid 5-2 victory over the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday night at Harbour Station.  

The Sea Dogs got off to a great start with two early goals off the stick of newcomer Sam Povorozniouk. The Mooseheads replied with a goal off the stick of Connor Moynihan.

The second period saw another quick strike taking just 45 seconds for Daniel Del Paggio to bulge the twine making it 3-1 for the Sea Dogs in a rather uneventful period.

Halifax had the quick strike in the third period taking just 2:06 for Danny Moynihan to get the Mooseheads back within one. Than the exceptional happened - Joe Veleno scored his first QMJHL goal on a nice feed from Povorozniouk to restore the two-goal cushion. Matthew Highmore sealed the deal making it 5-2 with under seven minutes to play in the period.

For a full recap, visit the Sea Dogs website.

NOTES  

• The video montage to kick off the season included plenty of pyro, some fireworks along and some Nickelback.
• The players that were not able to attend the game had young players - mostly from their billet family - skate out in their place.
• During the player introductions, Samuel Dove-McFalls drew a large applause when he skated back to help one of the young kids onto the ice.
• Ben Reid was the last player announced and was given a loud cheer from the locals.
• Joe Veleno started the game at centre on a line with Sam Povorozniouk and Daniel Del Paggio.
• Samuel Dove-McFalls was the captain for the game.
• Former Sea Dog Kelly Bent attempted to throw a big hit on Oliver Felixson only to get the worst of the hit, droping to the ice.
• The Sea Dogs’ top power play unit went with four forwards using Veleno, Povorozniouk, Highmore and Dove-McFalls.
• Attendance - 3956
• Joe Veleno has become the first player born in the new millennium to score in the CHL.
• Here is video of Veleno’s goal.
• Marc-Antoine Turcotte made some outstanding saves throughout the game. He was injured on the first Halifax goal but did stay in the game.
• In the regular season and pre-season combined this year, the Mooseheads are now 0-5-0-2.

VIDEO: Veleno Scores First QMJHL Goal

SAINT JOHN - Well, it happened.

Joe Veleno's first QMJHL goal. Exceptional. pic.twitter.com/CAK1mXmxDr

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) September 13, 2015

Another angle pic.twitter.com/XJ5fRTEqD9

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) September 13, 2015

Welcome to the Q, Joe Veleno.

The goal gave the Sea Dogs a 4-2 lead over the Halifax Mooseheads.

GAME DAY 1: vs Mooseheads

A preview of tonight’s game between the Halifax Mooseheads and Saint John Sea Dogs…

When and where: Tonight at 7 p.m., Harbour Station

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Mooseheads are 0-0-0-1 this season, placing them third in the Maritimes Division and eighth overall in the QMJHL. This will be the first game of the year for the Sea Dogs.

Last games: The Mooseheads are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss in Charlottetown last night. Ilya Putintsev, Otto Somppi and Vincent Watt all scored for the Moose while Eric Brassard made 36 saves in the victory. Saint John’s last game was a 4-0 pre-season loss to the Moncton Wildcats in Bouctouche on Aug. 28. Alex Bishop made 35 saves in the loss.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 7-1-0-0 against the Mooseheads last season while Halifax went 1-6-1-0 against Saint John.

2014-15 Meetings:
Saint John 4 @ Halifax 1 (Mar 21 2015) Final
Halifax 7 @ Saint John 4 (Mar 14 2015) Final
Halifax 1 @ Saint John 4 (Jan 3 2015) Final
Saint John 3 @ Halifax 1 (Dec 6 2014) Final
Saint John 4 @ Halifax 2 (Nov 7 2014) Final
Halifax 2 @ Saint John 5 (Oct 11 2014) Final
Halifax 0 @ Saint John 7 (Sep 27 2014) Final
Saint John 6 @ Halifax 5 (Sep 20 2014) Final OT1

Last meeting: March 21 in Halifax where the Sea Dogs defeated the Mooseheads 4-1. Mark Tremaine had a pair of goals for Saint John while Samuel Dove-McFalls and Braydon Blight added singles. Timo Meier had Halifax’s only goal. Alex Bishop made 27 saves in the win while Eric Brassard made 28 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Mooseheads: Kelly Bent

Random stat: Saint John scored four or more goals in seven of the eight games vs Halifax last year.

Notebook: The Season Has Arrived

It’s time.

The Saint John Sea Dogs open up the 2015-16 regular season on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Harbour Station when they host the Halifax Mooseheads. The Sea Dogs will be without a plethora of key, returning players, meaning several youngsters will literally be put into the spotlight.

The Mooseheads opened their season up on Friday, falling 4-3 in a shootout to the Islanders in Charlottetown.

Saint John also plays on Sunday, hosting the Moncton Wildcats at 3 p.m.

GREEN RANKED

Sea Dogs defenseman Luke Green was ranked 30^th in Craig Button’s September “Craig’s List” rankings.

Most major draft publications have Green projected to be a late first round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Val’d-Or’s Julien Gauthier, sixth, was the highest ranked QMJHL player in "Craig's List."

MEDIA GUIDE RELEASED

The QMJHL released its annual media guide in pdf format this week.

There is always one key piece of information to take from it – the dates of the holiday trading period. This year’s period will begin on Dec. 19, 2015 and end on Jan. 6, 2016.

ON THE TV

The Sea Dogs will be one of just two Maritimes Division teams to appear on MAtv this season.

The Quebec network released their full QMJHL broadcast schedule earlier this week. Saint John’s Nov. 21 game in Chicoutimi will air live on MAtv, giving Joe Veleno and company some airtime in Quebec.

The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are the only other Atlantic team that will air on MAtv this year.

The broadcast schedules for Sportsnet and TVA Sports have not yet been released.

Internet: Sea Dogs Will Be Good

Friends, enemies and others… hockey season has arrived.

With a new season comes our annual post of QMJHL previews from across the large land of the Internet. Happy clicking.

• The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy has SaintJohn finishing second overall in the league. 
• Jonathan Briggins of Sportsnet picks Saint John to finish second in the Maritimes behind the Charlottetown Islanders.
• Briggins also has a full preview of the 2012-16 Sea Dogs. 
• Buzzing the Net’s Mike Sanderson: "Saint John is the early favourite to run the league and win the President’s Cup, and their team on paper looks nearly dominant." 
• Joe Veleno is prepared for the pressure that awaits him in his rookie season, writes The Canadian Press. 
• Nolan Reid of Islanders Country believes the Sea Dogs are the team to beat in the Maritimes. 
• Willy Palov of The Chronicle Herald answers some questions regarding the Maritimes Division. 
• Stephane Leroux of RDS predicts Saint John to finish third in the division. 
• Jean-Francois Plante of the Gatineau newspaper Le Droit has the Dogs finishing third in the Maritimes Division, citing goaltending as an issue. 
• Steve Turcotte of the Shawinigan newspaper Le Nouvelliste has the Sea Dogs finishing third overall in the league. He has the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles finishing second, so the Sea Dogs technically couldn’t finish third. But who cares. It’s third! 
• Turcotte also looks at five questions around the league, with one of them being the impact of Joe Veleno.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

More Roster Moves Made Ahead Of Opener

The Sea Dogs have made a few other roster moves ahead of tomorrow’s season opener.

The team announced yesterday that they’ve signed free agent defenseman Shayne Dominie. The 18-year-old Newfoundlander was an 11^th-round pick of the Moncton Wildcats in the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft. He appeared in one of Moncton’s pre-season games this season.

In 28 games with the Central Ice Pak Midget AAA team last year, Dominie recorded five goals and 19 points. He added two goals in four playoff games.

The Sea Dogs, as expected, have also recalled forwards Cedric Pare and Alexandre Lafreniere along with defenseman Kyle Anderson.

According to a team release, “all four players will be available to play when the Sea Dogs open the regular season Saturday, September 12th, at 7 p.m. against the Halifax Mooseheads at Harbour Station.”

The four will help fill some of the holes left in Saint John’s lineup during NHL rookie and training camps. The Sea Dogs will be missing nine regulars.

In other news:

I'd like to thank the @SJSeaDogs for the experience of the past few weeks! Excited to be back with @TigerHockeyNews for the home opener tmr!

— Pierre-Luc Lurette (@pllurette) September 10, 2015

Lurette appeared in one pre-season game and was held pointless. He was a sixth round draft pick of Saint John in this year’s QMJHL Entry Draft.

Sea Dogs Open Season Ranked 6th

The Saint John Sea Dogs will open the 2015-16 regular season ranked as one of the top teams in the country.

The Canadian Hockey League released their pre-season BMO CHL Top 10 Rankings yesterday. The Sea Dogs, who many believe are good enough to be a strong contender this season, were ranked sixth.

The Shawinigan Cataractes were the top ranked QMJHL team, coming in at No. 2. The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles were ranked eighth and the Sherbrooke Phoenix were an honourable mention.

Here are BMO CHL Top 10 Rankings for this week:

1. Brandon Wheat Kings

2. Shawinigan Cataractes

3. Niagara IceDogs

4. Kelowna Rockets

5. London Knights

6. Saint John Sea Dogs

7. Seattle Thunderbirds

8. Cape Breton Screaming Eagles

9. Erie Otters

10. Red Deer Rebels

Honourable Mention:

Sherbrooke Phoenix
Ottawa 67’s

Portland Winterhawks

The Sea Dogs open the season tomorrow night when they host the Halifax Mooseheads at 7 p.m. They will also host the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

SN Predicts The 2015-16 Season

By SN Staff

The QMJHL’s 2015-16 regular season begins tonight with the President’s Cup champion Rimouski Oceanic hosting the highly touted Shawinigan Cataractes.

Here are our predictions for the season ahead.

WEST DIVISION

Lorne Webster

1. Sherbrooke - Led by Jeremy Roy (SJ), Alexis Vanier (SJ) and Carl Neill (VAN), the Phoenix have one of the league’s best defensive units. Daniel Audette (MTL), Julien Pelletier (CLB), Kay Schweri and Guillaume Gauthier are all proven goal scorers. Evan Fitzpatrick (17) is a fine young goaltender and has veteran Alexandre Legace to support him.

2. Val-d'Or - The Foreurs have both offense and size clearly in their favour. Four of last year's 'top 40' point getters - Anthony Beauregard, Anthony Richard (NAS), Nicolas Aube-Kubel (PHI) and big Julien Gauthier (2016 eligible) - play in the valley of gold. Led by former Sea Dog Jack vanBoekel at 6'7", the Foreurs have 12 players 6'2" or taller. Etienne Montpetit and 2015 first round draft choice Dereck Baribeau are promising in goal. However, their defence, headed by Olivier Galipeau, could determine where Val-d'Or finishes in the end.

3. Rouyn-Noranda - There is plenty to be excited about in Rouyn-Noranda this year. They are a solid team top to bottom. However, with only two 20-year-olds and four 19-year-olds on the opening roster, experience may be the team's only notable concern. Francis Perron (OTT), Julien Nantel (COL), J-C Beaudin (COL) and new import Martins Dzierkals (TOR) should provide an offensive spark. Jeremy Lauzon (BOS) and Phillippe Myers lead a solid core on defence in front of a fine duo in net - Samuel Harvey and Jeremy Belisle.

4. Gatineau - You can never say never when Benoit Groulx is in charge. With veterans Yan-Pavel Laplante (PHO), Yakov Trenin (NAS) and Tommy Veilleux (NAS) upfront and a solid defence lead by Alexandre Carrier (NAS) and Elie Berube, the biggest question could be "can free agent goalie Bo Taylor (from Ontario) stop enough pucks to allow Gatineau to push for the top?"

5. Blainville-Boisbriand - Many reporters - including yours truly - expected the Armada to struggle last year in the start of a reload. But led by three outstanding 20-year-olds (Martel, Jevpalovs & Walcott), BBA made a valiant run. Samuel Montembault (FLA) may well be one of the top 2-3 goaltenders in the QMJHL and pesky Philippe Sanche has shown an excellent ability to score. However, one has to wonder if Joel Bouchard can pull all the right strings again.

6. Drummondville - The Voltigeurs are clearly in rebuild mode but, by going all in a couple of years ago in a failed run for the President’s Cup, the cupboards are somewhat lacking. With veterans Justin Guenette and Sergei Boikov (COL) on defense, Drummondville will try to keep their goals against down. Joey Ratelle is the most recognizable name upfront - but could be gone after the Christmas break. Unfortunately, it looks like it could be a tough year in Drummondville.