RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 5-3

FINAL: Val-d’Or 3, Saint John 5

By Lorne Webster | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - It was Halloween at the Station on Saturday night in Saint John. The home town Sea Dogs had more tricks than treats for their visitors from Val-d'Or and came away with a solid 5-3 win over the Foreurs. The win snapped a three-game losing streak and allowed Saint John to jump back into second place in the Maritimes Division, three points behind the Moncton Wildcats - who lost 7-3 in Bathurst - with one game in hand. 

Adam Marsh, Thomas Chabot, Dan Del Paggio, Matthew Highmore and Jakub Zboril each had a goal for Saint John. Nathan Tremblay had two goals and Shawn Ouellette-St-Amant one for Val-d'Or.   

1st Period

Former Sea Dog Jack vanBoekel was penalized during his first shift back on Harbour Station ice. The Sea Dogs power play was buzzing but a few close misses and several big saves by Foreurs' rookie goaltender Dereck Baribeau kept the game scoreless until close to the nine-minute mark. At that point, Marsh one-timed a rebound off a Mathieu Joseph shot to open the scoring. The Sea Dogs' power play did click at 14:46, when Chabot's blast from the point made it 2-0. However, Val-d'Or responded with a power play goal of their own when a point shot banked off Tremblay past a screened Marc-Antoine Turcotte at 17:18.

2nd Period

The Sea Dogs got off to a great start in the second period and, before the one-minute mark, Del Paggio completed a multi-pass two-on-one with Nathan Noel by chipping the puck just over Baribeau from near the goal line to restore a two goal lead. Saint John's power play would cash in again at 15:29, when Highmore dug the puck out of a scramble and slid it past a fallen Baribeau to extend the Sea Dogs' lead to 4-1. Just past the 17-minute mark, Ouellette-St-Amant snuck in behind Saint John's defence and finished with a nifty deke to the backhand. The period ended with the hosts up 4-2.

   

3rd Period

After a hard fought first half of the third period, the Foreurs drew within one, when Tremblay converted off a scramble by flipping the puck just over Turcottte at 10:21.  Roughly a minute later, Turcotte absolutely robbed Val-d'Or star Julien Gauthier with an acrobatic save to keep Saint John in front. Then, at 12:12, a heavy shot from the point by Zboril found its way through a crowd and past Baribeau to set the final score at 5-3.

GAME DAY 18: vs Foreurs

A preview of tonight’s game between the Val-d’Or Foreurs and Saint John Sea Dogs…

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

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

Records: The Foreurs are second in the West Division and fourth overall in the QMJHL with a 10-6-2-1 record for 23 points. The Sea Dogs are third in the Maritimes Division and 11^th overall with a 9-7-1-0 record for 19 points.

Last games: The Foreurs are coming off a 6-2 loss to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in Sydney last night. Julien Gauthier and Alexis Pepin had goals for Val-d’Or while Etienne Montpetit made 39 saves in the loss. The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last night at Harbour Station. Mathieu Joseph and Jakub Zboril scored for Saint John while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 30 stops in the loss.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-1-0-0 against the Foreurs last season while Val-d’Or went 1-0-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 13, 2014 at the Air Creebec Centre where the Foreurs downed the Sea Dogs 4-2. Julien Gauthier, Anthony Beauregard, Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Anthony Richard all scored for Val-d’Or while Saint John goals came from Thomas Chabot and Justice Dundas. Etienne Montpetit made 26 saves in the win while Sebastien Auger made 30 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Foreurs: Jack vanBoekel

Random stat/fact: Mathieu Joseph has five goals and six assists in 11 October games.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 5-2

FINAL: Rouyn-Noranda 5, Saint John 2

By Lorne Webster | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies rode into Harbour Station as the QMJHL's first place team and proved they are a serious contender for the Presidents Cup, earning a convincing 5-2 victory over the Sea Dogs Friday evening. The Huskies - an extremely solid team top to bottom - generally out worked and out hit the talented Sea Dogs to hand the hosts their third straight loss.

Antoine Waked led the charge for Rouyn-Noranda with a two goal performance.  Gabriel Fontaine, J-C Beaudin and Martins Dzierkals added singles for the Huskies, while Mathieu Joseph and Jakub Zboril replied for Saint John. 

1st Period

Before the game was a minute old, Waked bounced on a loose puck in the slot and ripped a shot into the top corner to open the scoring. Just before the 12-minute mark, the Sea Dogs’ power play finally broke through to tie the game. Spencer Smallman bolted into the high slot and wired a low wrist shot that rattled off both goal posts to a streaking Joseph, who buried the rebound past Chase Marchand. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made a number of big saves to allow Saint John to finish the period tied 1-1. 

2nd Period

Just prior to the three-minute mark, Marchand absolutely robbed Nathan Noel in close to preserve the tie. Then, a little over a minute later, the Huskies victimized Saint John's four-forward power play, when Waked received a lovely two-on-one feed from Francis Perron and chipped the puck just over Turcotte's shoulder to give Rouyn-Noranda a 2-1 lead. At 11:51, Fontaine's laser from the right face-off circle banked off the post and made it 3-1 for the visitors. The lead was extended to 4-1, when Beaudin corralled a turnover and rifled a shot over Turcotte's glove at 14:40. The Sea Dogs drew within two, when Zboril unloaded a bullet from the point past a screened Marchand to end the period 4-2 in favour of Rouyn-Noranda.    

   

3rd Period

The Sea Dogs ran into some penalty trouble, which led to a five-on-three power play for the Huskies early in the third period. Toronto Maple Leafs' prospect Dzierkals’ one-timer from the right circle found the back of the net at 1:50 to restore Rouyn-Noranda's three-goal lead. Things turned ugly near the midpoint of the third, when Anthony Wojcik's vicious check from behind leveled Julien Tessier. Despite Tessier being down for several minutes - and requiring the help of a pair of team mates to get off the ice - referees Jonathan Langille and Todd Thomander felt that Wojcik's action only warranted a double minor. In light of a few recent suspensions following league reviews, it will be interesting to see if the QMJHL sees it differently. 

GAME DAY 17: vs Huskies

A preview of tonight’s game between the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Saint John Sea Dogs…

When and where: Tonight at 7:30 p.m., Harbour Station

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

Records: The Huskies are first in the West Division and first overall in the QMJHL standings with a 13-1-3-1 record for 30 points. The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes Division and 10^th overall with a record of 9-6-1-0 for 19 points.

Last games: The Huskies are coming off a 4-1 win over the Islanders in Charlottetown last night. Jean-Christophe Beaudin, Gabriel Fontaine, Francis Perron and Antoine Waked all scored for Rouyn-Noranda while Chase Marchand made 25 saves in the victory. The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss in Moncton on Sunday. Sam Povorozniouk, Spencer Smallman and Nathan Noel all scored for Saint John while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 37 saves in the loss.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-1-0-0 against the Huskies last season while Rouyn-Noranda went 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 12, 2014 at Iamgold Arena where the Huskies defeated the Sea Dogs 5-1. Jeremy Lauzon, Francis Perron, Mathieu Lemay, Mathieu Boucher, and Jean-Christophe Beaudin scored for Rouyn-Noranda while Saint John’s lone goal came from Samuel Dove-McFalls. Alexandre Belanger made 30 saves in the win while Alex Bishop made 23 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Huskies: None

Random fact/stat: Jean-Christophe Beaudin had one goal and three assists in two games against Saint John last season.

Under-17 Challenge Begins This Weekend

Pre-tournament action for the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge begins tomorrow in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, BC.

Canada has split their roster into three teams – black, red and white. The two Sea Dogs who are taking part in the event – forward Joe Veleno and goaltending prospect Alex D’Orio – will both play for Canada Black.

Veleno, who the Sea Dogs drafted first overall in this year’s QMJHL Entry Draft, has two goals and eight assists in 15 QMJHL games this year. Obviously, the Dogs will be without Veleno for the tournament, which ends on Nov. 7.

According to Elite Prospects, D’Orio, the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft, has a 2.59 goals against average and a .909 save percentage in six games with the Quebec midget AAA Magog Cantonniers this season.

There are a few other QMJHL players on the Canada Black roster. Also, Shane Bowers, the highly touted Halifax native who didn’t report to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, is on the squad. Bowers has three goals and two assists in eight games with the United States Hockey League’s Waterloo Black Hawks.

Here is Team Black’s schedule:

Friday, Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. AST – vs Sweden (pre-tournament)

Sunday, Nov. 1 at 5:30 p.m. AST – vs Canada White

Monday, Nov. 2 at 10 p.m. AST – vs Czech Republic

Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 10 p.m. ADT – vs United States

The Hockey Canada website has broadcast and webcast information.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

#OnceASeaDogAlwaysASeaDog: Where Are They Now - Part 2

By Lorne Webster | SN Staff

In our first alumni report, we listed the former Sea Dogs currently playing professionally in the NHL, AHL or ECHL along with those in the CIS. However, per EliteProspects.com, there are many currently playing professionally in Europe, as well as in junior and senior leagues throughout eastern Canada.  

Czech Republic (3)

David Stich - HC Vitkovice (D1)

Jurij Repe - HC Kladno (D2)

Jakub Izacky - HC Novy Jicin (D3)

France (3)

Francis Charland - Bordeaux

Jonathan Laberge - Lyon

Maxime Dubuc - Neuilly-sur-Marne

Germany (2)

Nick Peterson - Iserlohn

Russia (3)

Alexei Dostoinov - Avtomobilist Yekaterinbourg

Felix Schutz - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod

Nikita Li (Lee) - Spartak Moskva

Slovakia (1)

Mathieu Corbeil - HC Banska Bystrica

Sweden (1)

Martin Bartos - Vanersborgs (D2)

Switzerland (1)

Chris DiDomenico - Langnau SCL Tigers
Robert Mayer - Geneve-Servette

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 4-3 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 3, Moncton 4 (OT)

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

MONCTON – The Saint John Sea Dogs were looking to bounce back after suffering a 4-2 setback to the Moncton Wildcats less than 24 hours earlier. It didn’t happen on Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum as the Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3 in overtime.

The Sea Dogs carried the play for most of the early going but it was the Wildcats getting on the board first when Jacob Sweeney ripped a one timer for his first goal of the season. Later in the frame, Nathan Noel was called for boarding and Will Smith took exception, prompting a spirited tilt between the two lightweights. Just moments after that altercation it was Sam Povorozniouk jumping all over a juicy rebound off Sebastien Dupre, which tied the game at 1-1. That’s how the opening period would end.

The second period saw plenty of special teams action with both sides taking a total of four minor penalties - two of which were offsetting minors. Oddly enough with all the power plays that were there to be had it was a Spencer Smallman’s shorthanded goal that would be the only tally of the period, giving the Sea Dogs a 2-1 lead going into the third period.

The Wildcats came out flying in the third period and it took just 28 seconds for Conor Garland to find the back of the net, tying the game at 2-2. The Wildcats would take the lead just before the five-minute mark when Manuel Wiederer notched a power play marker. The Sea Dogs would answer though with 9:05 left in the third period when Noel put one past Dupre and sending the game to overtime.

The overtime frame didn’t last long tough, taking just 18 seconds for Garland to lift one over the shoulder of Marc-Antoine Turcotte and give the Wildcats a 4-3 win.

GAME DAY 16: at Moncton

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

When and where: Today at 3 p.m., Moncton Coliseum

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes Division and seventh overall in the QMJHL with a record of 9-6-0-0 for 18 points. The Wildcats are first in the Maritimes and third overall with a 10-5-1-0 record for 21 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Wildcats met last night at Harbour Station with Moncton posting a 4-2 victory. Stephen Johnson, Zack MacEwen, Will Smith, and Conor Garland scored for Moncton while Saint John goals came from Mathieu Joseph and Matthew Highmore. Zachary Fortin made 29 saves in the win while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 27 in the loss.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-2-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Last night.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Wildcats: None.

Random stat/fact: Saint John's struggling power play has been slightly better on the road this season than at home. On the road they are running at 10.8% (third worst in the league) while at home they have a rating of 9.1% (worst in the league).

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 4-2

FINAL: Moncton 4, Saint John 2

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs renewed their rivalry with the Moncton Wildcats in the first of back-to-back affairs at Harbour Station on Saturday night, falling 4-2.

The Wildcats got off to a quick start scoring just 1:22 into the opening period on a goal by Stephen Johnson that beat Marc-Antoine Turcotte through the wickets. Adam Marsh had a great chance on a breakaway but was turned aside by Zach Fortin moments later. Despite some back and forth action from both sides the first period would end 1-0 in favour of the Wildcats.

The Sea Dogs started the second period by successfully killing the remainder of a long four-minute double minor to Thomas Chabot that carried over from the end of the first period. Shortly after the penalty kill, Mathieu Joseph capitalized on a Wildcats turnover in their own zone to even the score at 1-1. Moncton would regain the lead with 6:06 left in the middle frame. After the Sea Dogs were unable to clear the zone, Zach McEwen would tip one past Turcotte to make it 2-1 ‘Cats. The Wildcats would extend their lead to 3-1 with just 57 seconds left in the second on a goal by Will Smith that came just before Turcotte was bowled over.

Matthew Highmore would get the Sea Dogs back within one at the 11:58 mark in the final stanza by slamming a puck past Fortin. That would be as close as the Sea Dogs would come though after an empty net goal by Conor Garland sealed the deal for the Wildcats. The Sea Dogs’ power play continued to struggle and went 0/6 in this contest.  

GAME DAY 15: vs Wildcats

A preview of tonight’s game between the Moncton Wildcats 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 Wildcats are first in the Maritimes Division and third overall in the QMJHL with a record of 9-5-1-0 for 19 points. The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes and seventh overall with a record of 9-5-0-0 record for 18 points.

Last games: The Wildcats are coming off a 5-2 loss in Halifax on Thursday night. Maximillian Glaessl and Manuel Wiederer scored for the Wildcats while Sebastien Dupre made 31 saves in the loss. The Sea Dogs are coming off an 8-3 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on home ice on Thursday. Adam Marsh had a hat trick while singles came from Mathieu Joseph, Nathan Noel, Matthew Highmore, Joe Veleno, and Daniel Del Paggio. Alex Bishop made 29 saves in the victory.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Sept. 13 at Harbour Station where the Wildcats edged the Sea Dogs 2-1. Will Smith and Kevin Klima scored for Moncton while Sam Povorozniouk had Saint John’s lone goal. Sebastien Dupre made 27 saves in the win while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 32 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Wildcats: None

Random stat/fact: The Wildcats have lost three straight road games.

Manatee: Mooseheads Moving To Saint John

The Manatee, as per usual, nails it.

Halifax Mooseheads finally moving to Saint John https://t.co/s3rECi322C pic.twitter.com/YmhSUC9p0D

— The Manatee (@TheManateeMag) October 21, 2015

Read the full article here.

#OnceASeaDogAlwaysASeaDog - Where Are They Now?

By Lorne Webster | SN Staff

At the most recent Wallace McCain Alumni Weekend, a large number of fans were curious as to where their favorite Sea Dogs had gone. Station Nation will be working with the Sea Dogs alumni association to provide regular updates throughout the season. But to kick things off, we will simply list the players that are currently playing professionally in the National Hockey League, American Hockey League or East Coast Hockey League - as well as those representing their school at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) level. In upcoming reports, SN will also take a look at the other alumni that are still playing in various leagues around the world.

NHL (8)

Jonathan Huberdeau - Florida Panthers

Nathan Beaulieu - Montreal Canadiens

Simon Despres - Anaheim Ducks

Mike Hoffman - Ottawa Senators

Charlie Coyle - Minnesota Wild

Eric Gelinas - New Jersey Devils

Tomas Jurco - Detroit Red Wings

Stanislav Galiev - Washington Capitals

AHL (5)

Alex Grant - Springfield, MA (ARI)

Zack Phillips - Providence, RI (BOS)

Brett Gallant - Lake Erie, OH (CLB)

Kevin Gagne - San Diego, CA (ANA)*

Yann Sauve - Portland, ME (FLA)

ECHL (6)

Charles-Olivier Roussel - Norfolk, VA (EDM)

Ryan Tesink - Quad City, IL (MIN)

Mike Kirkpatrick - Adirondack, NY (CGY)

Danick Gauthier - Wichita, KS

Scott Howes - Brampton, ON (MON)

Jacob DeSerres – Colorado

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 8-3

FINAL: Bathurst 3, Saint John 8

SAINT JOHN – Adam Marsh is heating up at the perfect time for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

With a hat trick in Saint John’s 8-3 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Thursday night at Harbour Station, Marsh now has five goals over his past three games. It’s great timing for a team that has struggled to score at times this year.

Marsh also had an assist in Saint John’s third straight victory. Joe Veleno and Mathieu Joseph each had a goal and two assists. Solo markers came from Nathan Noel, Matthew Highmore and Daniel Del Paggio. Thomas Chabot added three assists.

Overlooked in Saint John’s offensive explosion is goaltender Alex Bishop. After a rocky start to the season, the second-year netminder has wins in back-to-back games thanks to a 29-save performance in this one.

The Titan didn’t make it easy, even leading at one point in the second period. But Bathurst’s defense, along with goaltender Reilly Pickard, couldn’t stop the wave of Sea Dogs goals that came in the second half of the game. Antoine Morand, the player picked after Veleno at this year’s QMJHL Entry Draft, had two goals while Daniil Miromanov added a single.

After failing to convert on their first man advantage opportunity of the game, the Sea Dogs were awarded a 42 second five-on-three power play at 17:30. Head coach Danny Flynn then took what proved to be an effective time out as Marsh scored at 18:03 to make it 1-0 Saint John.

It was fairly solid period by the Dogs until the final seconds of the frame. With 2.7 seconds remaining, Miromanov beat Bishop to make it a 1-1 game.

Saint John retook the lead at 5:01 of the second when Noel beat Pickard with a wrist shot from the slot. A little over three minutes later, Morand scored his first and then scored again at 10:18, giving Bathurst a 3-2 lead. 15 seconds later, Chabot fed Highmore who ripped one past Pickard to tie things at 3-3.

At 12:06, Saint John retook the lead thanks to Veleno’s shorthanded goal. The exceptional player was buzzing after the marker. Then at 15:22 and while shorthanded again, Joseph stole the puck from Pickard behind the night and scored to make it 5-3 Sea Dogs. Saint John then took a 6-3 advantage at 17:21 when Marsh made a centering pass that went off a Titan defender and in.

Del Paggio got the scoring going in the third period when he connected at 6:05 – thanks to a nice feed from Veleno. Then with 21 seconds left Marsh completed the hat trick to make it an 8-3 final.

GAME DAY 14: vs Titan

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

When and where: Tonight at 8 p.m., Harbour Station

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

Records: The Titan are sixth in the Maritimes Division and 17^th overall in the QMJHL with a record of 3-10-1-0 for seven points. The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes and eighth overall with an 8-5-0-0 record for 16 points.

Last games: The Titan are coming off a 5-2 loss in Cape Breton to the Screaming Eagles on Sunday. Christophe Boivin scored both Bathurst goals in the second period. Daryl MacCallum was pulled after allowing two goals on four shots and was replaced by Reilly Pickard who allowed three goals on 21 shots. The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 win in Gatineau on Sunday. Adam Marsh, Nathan Noel and Matthew Highmore all scored for Saint John while Alex Bishop made 28 saves to earn his first win of the season.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Sept. 27 in Bathurst where the Titan edged the Sea Dogs 4-3. Daniil Miromanov, Jake Smith, Mark Simpson and Nicholas Blanchard all scored for the Titan while Sea Dogs goals came from Adam Marsh, Samuel Dove-McFalls and Mathieu Joseph. Reilly Pickard made 25 saves in the win while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 42 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: None

Random stat/fact: This is really something.

Happy 700th CONSECUTIVE regular season game behind the bench tonight @SeaDogsDK !! Not even cancer could break your record #Champ 🎉🎉

— Dominique (@DominiqueOzelie) October 22, 2015

Stadium Journey Reviews Harbour Station

Stadium Journey, a website dedicate to reviewing sports stadiums around the world, released it’s first official review of Harbour Station today.

Overall, Harbour Station was given a 3.9/5 FANFARE score. The score is determined trough rating food and beverage, atmosphere, neighbourhood, fans, access, return on investment and extras.

Not surprisingly, the arena ranked highly in neighbourhood, access, return on investment and extras. The building also got a surprisingly good atmosphere rating when considering how quiet the place is on a typical night.

The major knock, which also doesn’t come as a surprise, came in the food and beverage category. I’d say the 2/5 is being generous.

The entire review with explanations can be found on their website. It’s a very cool site if you’ve never been.

It’s difficult to compare how Harbour Station stacks up to other QMJHL rinks because the reviews are all conducted – for the most part – by different writers and based on one game. You’re probably going to have a much better experience at a rink when it’s packed and rocking than some random September game.

For example, the Moncton Coliseum was given a 4/5 rating, and I think just about everyone, including Wildcats fans, would agree that Harbour Station is a much better building. Scotiabank Centre was given a 4.3/5 rating. Shawinigan’s rink was given the same rating as Harbour Station. The “epicentre of junior hockey,” Budweiser Gardens in London, has a 4.1/5 rating.

The People Went Long

According to all major media outlets, Sea Dogs president and Liberal candidate Wayne Long has won the Saint John-Rothesay riding.

CBC numbers show a fairly big win for Long over Conservative incumbent Rodney Weston.

Former MP Weston concedes to Wayne Long. pic.twitter.com/qXFkl4s84h

— CHSJ News (@chsjnews) October 20, 2015

And this brings SN’s coverage of the 42^nd Canadian federal election to an end.

GAME DAY: 42nd Federal Election

The 42^nd Canadian federal election finally comes to an end today, meaning we can all go back to complaining about regular commercials rather than campaign ads.

Sea Dogs president Wayne Long, who has been with the team since before day one, is running for the Liberal party in the Saint John-Rothesay riding. Long faces a tough battle by going up against Conservative Rodney Weston who is seeking reelection. It should be a fun race to follow tonight.

The Telegraph-Journal (paywall) has a good take on the riding today.

Sea Dogs players, although not all are eligible to vote, have backed Long in the past. Here’s what Thomas Chabot tweeted last night.

All the team want to wish the best of luck to our president @WayneLongSJ. #SeaDogs #Family

— Thomas Chabot (@ThomasChabot1) October 19, 2015

Be sure to vote today.

Ed. note: please don't view this as some kind of bizarre political message. I don't even live here.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 3-2

FINAL: Saint John 3, Gatineau 2

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

GATINEAU - The Sea Dogs played their third game in three days as part of their road trip through Quebec against the Gatineau Olympiques on Sunday afternoon, earning a 3-2 victory.

Saint John got off to a great start in this game when Adam Marsh broke in and powered a wrist shot past Bo Taylor at 2:44. Later in the frame, Bokondji Imama and Jonathon Masters would drop the gloves in a fairly even tilt. The Sea Dogs would hold on to the lead after the first period despite being outshot 16-5.

The second period saw the Sea Dogs take advantage of a power play opportunity at 6:55 and doubled their lead to 2-0. Nathan Noel took a one-time slap shot at a yawning cage, beating a fallen Taylor for his first goal of the season. The Olympiques would draw within one before the end of the period when Yan Pavel Laplante scored a shorthanded goal to make it a 2-1 game at 17:57.

The Sea Dogs regained their two-goal lead at the 6:50 mark of the final frame when Matthew Highmore pulled off a nice deke move on Taylor to put the Sea Dogs out in front 3-1. Later in the period at 12:04, Laplante would strike for the Olympiques again netting his second of the game and closing the gap to 3-2. That’s as close as the Olympiques would come though as the Sea Dogs hung on for the 3-2 victory and secured Alex Bishop his first win of the season.

GAME DAY 13: at Gatineau

A preview of today’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Gatineau Olympiques…

When and where: Today at 5 p.m., Robert Guertin Centre

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV (not SJ)/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are third in the Maritimes Division and 10^th overall in the QMJHL with a 7-5-0-0 record for 14 points. The Olympiques are fourth in the West Division and eighth overall with a record of 7-4-0-1 for 15 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-3 win in Blainville-Boisbriand yesterday. Sam Povorozniouk had a pair of goals while singles came from Adam Marsh, Spencer Smallman and Mathieu Joseph. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 21 saves in the win. The Olympiques are coming off a 3-0 loss in Rimouski on Friday. Mathieu Bellemare allowed two goals on 18 shots in the loss. Gatineau registered 40 shots in the loss.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Olympiques this season while Gatineau is 0-0-0-1.

Last meeting: Oct. 2 at Harbour Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Olympiques 4-3 in a shootout. Daniel Del Paggio, Luke Green and Bokondji Imama had Saint John goals while Yan Pavel Laplante scored twice for Gatineau and Vitalii Abramov added a solo marker. Saint John scored on all three of their shootout attempts. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 37 saves in the win while Mathieu Bellemare made 22 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Olympiques: Joey Richard

Random stat/fact: The Sea Dogs are averaging 3.06 goals against per game – the fourth fewest in the league – while allowing the fourth most shots against per game (33.10).

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 5-3

FINAL: Saint John 5, Blainville-Boisbriand 3

By Lorne Webster | SN Staff

BOISBRIAND - In their second game of a three-in-three in western Quebec, the Saint John Sea Dogs were in Blainville-Boisbriand to face the Armada. A week after arguably the most embarrassing performance by the Sea Dogs in recent memory, Saint John played an excellent road game and were rewarded with a well earned 5-3 victory over the Armada.

Sam Povorozniouk, with a pair, Spencer Smallman, Adam Marsh and Mathieu Joseph all scored for Saint John. Philippe Sanche, with two goals, and TJ Melancon replied for Blainville-Boisbriand.

1st Period

Following strong penalty killing by Matthew Highmore, Smallman opened the scoring with a shorthanded marker from the high slot - on the Sea Dogs' first shot of the game - at 3:11. Later, Joe Veleno stole the puck in the offensive zone and fed Povorozniouk, whose shot eluded Samuel Montembault's glove at 14:11. However, less than a minute later, Sanche snuck into the slot and fired a bullet just under the crossbar to make it a one goal game again. The Sea Dogs' league-worst power play was unable to capitalize on four man advantage opportunities, including a brief five-on-three. 

2nd Period

At 7:50, Povorozniouk took advantage of a poor clearing pass by Montembault and snapped the puck behind the scrambling goalie to get his second of the night and restore the Sea Dogs’ two-goal lead. But as was the case in the first period, the Armada responded quickly. On a power play - with Mathieu Joseph down after blocking a shot - Melancon tipped a pass past Marc-Antoine Turcotte, at 9:05, to make it 3-2 for Saint John. Roughly a minute after Melancon's goal, Montembault stoned Joseph on a shorthanded breakaway. However, at 16:44, Marsh took a feed from Highmore and rifled a wrist shot from the right face-off circle to the top corner on the short side to extend the Sea Dogs' lead to 4-2.

   

3rd Period

The Armada held a distinct territorial advantage in the third period, thanks largely to eight minutes in penalties against Saint John - despite a few "no calls" in favour of Blainville-Boisbriand. In fact, the Sea Dogs did not record a shot on goal until just over four minutes remaining. Sanche's blast from the point, on a power play at 16:19, gave the hosts energy for a final push. However, Joseph corralled a turnover and deposited an empty net goal at 19:40 to set the final score at 5-3.

GAME DAY 12: at Blainville-Boisbriand

A preview of today’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and St. John’s Fog Devils Montreal Junior Blainville-Boisbriand Armada…

When and where: Today at 5 p.m., Centre d'excellence Sports Rousseau

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are third in the Maritimes Division and 12^th overall in the QMJHL with a record of 6-5-0-0 for 12 points. The Armada are fifth in the West Division and 11^th overall with a 5-4-2-0 record for 12 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming a 5-2, 40 shot loss in Victoriaville last night. Bokondji Imama and Thomas Chabot scored for Saint John while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 19 saves in the loss. The Armada are coming off a 4-1 loss in Bathurst last Sunday. Antoine Crete-Belzile scored Blainville-Boisbriand’s lone goal while Mark Grametbauer made 29 stops in the loss.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Armada this season while Blainville-Boisbriand is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Last Saturday at Harbour Station where the Armada pounded the Sea Dogs 6-0. Guillaume Bergeron-Charon scored twice while singles came courtesy of Charlie Roy, Joel Teasdale, Philippe Sanche and Nathanael Halbert. Samuel Montembault made 28 saves in the shutout win while Alex Bishop made 32 stops in the loss. Saint John registered 36 minutes in penalties during the game and had three players suspended.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Armada: None

Random stat/fact: Including last Saturday, the Armada have had two shutouts this season.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 5-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Victoriaville 5

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs began their first road trip through the province of Quebec by dropping a 5-2 decision to the Victoriaville Tigres.

The first period saw plenty of back and forth action, including both teams having a chances on breakaways. Sam Povorozniouk’s short breakaway chance was stopped by Olivier Tremblay and rookie star Maxime Comtois had his chance thwarted by Marc Antoine Turcotte. The goaltenders were both on point in the opening frame, keeping the game deadlocked 0-0.

After going over 34 minutes with no goals, the two sides would tally three in the final six minutes of the middle stanza. Bokondji Imama would dent the twine first with 5:19 left in the second period by pushing one past Tremblay. Just 40 seconds later the Tigres would even the contest. After Thomas Chabot was unable to cradle a bouncing puck, Marc Beckstead jumped on it and buried the puck past Turcotte to even the contest. Imama and Tristan Pomerleau took off setting roughing minors at 17:04, allowing Chabot to take advantage of the open ice by going inside out on a Tigres defender before firing one past Tremblay. That gave the Sea Dogs a 2-1 edge entering the final period.

In the third, the Tigres would even the score on a two-on-one goal by Mario Huber at 6:50. Later in the frame at 10:57, Carl Marois would wrist one top corner on Turcotte to put the Tigres ahead in the game for the first time. Less than a minute later Beckstead would find the back of the net again, making it 4-2. The Tigres would ice the game when Huber netted his second on the game into the empty net, securing a 5-2 victory for the Tigres.

Dove-McFalls Needs Knee Surgery

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. – Before tonight’s game, Sea Dogs play-by-play man Tim Roszell delivered some bad news on the team's injury front.

Samuel Dove-McFalls, a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in this year’s NHL Draft, will need surgery on his right knee and could miss up to 12 weeks, reported Roszell on the 96.1 NewSong FM pre-game show.

Dove-McFalls missed two games earlier this month with an injury but returned to the lineup last Saturday in Saint John’s 6-0 loss to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Roszell said the third-year Sea Dog reaggravated the injury this week.

Dove-McFalls has played in just five games this season, recording one goal and two assists. In 123 career QMJHL games the 18-year-old has 21 goals and 26 assists.

The injury is a significant loss for Saint John. Not only does Dove-McFalls provide some offense, he’s also an excellent defensive forward and provides leadership up front.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

GAME DAY 11: at Victoriaville

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Victoriaville Tigres…

When and where: Tonight at 8 p.m., Colisee Desjardins

TV/Radio/Webcast: TVA Sports/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 record of 6-4-0-0 for 12 points. The Tigres are third in the East Division and eighth overall with a record of 6-5-1-0 for 13 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an ugly 6-0 home loss to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Saturday. Alex Bishop allowed six goals on 38 shots in the loss. The Tigres are coming off a 7-4 win in Charlottetown on Saturday. Maxime Comtois and Jacob Lapierre each scored twice while singles came from Carl Marois, Anthony Gingras and Bradley Lalonde. James Povall made 39 saves in the win.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-0-1-0 against the Tigres last season while Victoriaville went 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 18 at Harbour Station where the Tigres defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3 in overtime. Antoine Marcoux, Jake Barter and former Sea Dog Nikita Li had goals for Victoriaville in regulation while Carl Marois scored in OT. Daniel Del Paggio, Nathan Noel and Adam Marsh scored for Saint John. The Dogs chased Olivier Tremblay from the net after he allowed three goals on nine shots. Chase Marchand stopped all 35 shots he faced in relief. Sebastien Auger made 35 saves in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Tigres: None

Random stat/fact: This is the fourth straight game that will see the Tigres face a team from the Maritimes Division. They went 3-0 on an Atlantic road trip last weekend.

Chabot Named To Team QMJHL

Thomas Chabot was the only Sea Dog named to the QMJHL’s roster for the 2015 CHL Canada Russia Series. The league unveiled its roster today.

It’s no surprise to see the Sea Dogs defenseman on the list. Hockey Canada uses the event to evaluate potential players for the world junior team and there is no doubt that Chabot, a first round pick of the Ottawa Senators, is on the radar for this year’s and/or next year’s team.

Chabot, in his third season with Saint John, has two assists in four games this season.

Also on the team will be former Sea Dog and current Cape Breton Screaming Eagle Olivier Leblanc. The full roster can be seen here.

The event, formally known as the Subway Super Series, will visit the QMJHL last once again this year. They’ll play Nov. 17 in Rouyn-Noranda and Nov. 19 in Halifax.

Meanwhile, two Sea Dogs were among the 66 players named to Team Canada for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which will take place Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.

Sea Dogs forward Joe Veleno and goaltending prospect Alex D’Orio both cracked the Canadian roster. Both were first round picks of the Sea Dogs in this year’s QMJHL Entry Draft.

The 66 players will eventually be divided into three national teams for the event.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Report: League Suspends Three Sea Dogs

Mikael Lalancette of TVA Sports is reporting that three Sea Dogs have been suspended following Saturday’s travesty at Harbour Station.

Les Sea Dogs écopent de 3 suspensions: Luke Green (3 matchs), Jakub Zboril (2 matchs) et Nathan Noel (2 matchs) pour leur geste contre BLB.

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) October 13, 2015

The league has posted an article on their website regarding the Green suspension. At the time of this post, none of these suspensions had been posted on the league's suspension page. UPDATE: They have been added, confirming the suspensions.

All of this happened during a 6-0 loss to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Saturday at Harbour Station, a game that was ugly in more ways than just the final score. Saint John ended the contest with 17 infractions, 36 minutes in penalties and had 11 penalty kills.

All of these suspensions come at a terrible time for the Dogs who begin a three-in-three Quebec road trip on Friday. They’ll now be without one of their best defensemen for all three games and without two of them for two matches. Meanwhile, Nathan Noel is Nathan Noel so he’ll obviously be missed up front.

Sea Dogs forward Joe Veleno was suspended for last Friday’s game due to a hit from behind. Defenseman Jason Bell has also had to serve a couple of suspensions this season due to fighting/instigating.

All of these suspensions... and the Sea Dogs are one month into the regular season.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation