Notebook: NHL CS Releases First Rankings

Four Sea Dogs made NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary “players to watch” list for September.

Defenseman Luke Green was the highest ranked Sea Dog, given a ‘B’ rating, indicating a second to third round candidate.

Defensemen Bailey Webster and Oliver Felixson and forward Nathan Noel were all given ‘C’ ratings, meaning fourth/fifth/sixth round candidates.

Saint John and Charlottetown were the only QMJHL teams with four players ranked.

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Jack vanBoekel, now with the Val-d’Or Foreurs, was given a ‘C’ ranking as well.

CHANGE OF PLANS

According to a news release issued by the Sea Dogs yesterday, the team will reintroduce its roster before Friday’s home match against the Gatineau Olympiques.

All of the Sea Dogs who were at NHL camps have returned, which will allow the team to dress a full lineup for the first time this season.

Because of this, the annual ‘Pink in the Rink’ has been moved to Saturday when the Sea Dogs take on the Shawinigan Cataractes Saturday, Oct. 10 when the Sea Dogs take on the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada at Harbour Station. According to the team, “all Sea Dogs players will be wearing special, limited-edition pink jerseys during the game. Fans can win a jersey by purchasing raffle tickets throughout Harbour Station, and at specially-marked tables on the concourse, until the end of the second period.”

DOMINIE SENT DOWN

With the return of Jakub Zboril and Thomas Chabot, the Sea Dogs have reassigned defenseman Shayne Dominie to the MHL’s South Shore Lumberjacks.

The Sea Dogs signed Dominie a few weeks ago to help fill some of the holes on the backend. In two games with Saint John, the 18-year-old recorded one assist.

Dominie has spent the past two seasons with the Central Ice Pak midget AAA squad.

McKEEN’S ON GREEN

McKeen’s Hockey had an article on 10 QMJHL players to keep an eye out for with regards to this year’s NHL Draft. Sea Dogs defenseman Luke Green was one of those players and was labelled a potential riser.

“Probably the closest to rising into that core group, Green is an offensively gifted offensive defensemen who can shoot as well as he can pass and carry the puck,” writes Scott Wheeler. “A gifted handler, Green can manage the game and a powerplay from the backend. The former QMJHL first overall selection (2014) isn’t a physical defender, but he’s efficient at closing gaps with his skating and an active stick defensively.”

Green is off to a good start this season, recording one goal and two assists in six games.

HP RANKINGS

HockeyProspect.com recently unveiled their top 50 September rankings for the 2016 NHL Draft. It won’t be a spectacular draft for the QMJHL this year; they had just four players ranked in the top 30 of HP’s rankings.

Green was the only Sea Dogs player ranked, coming in at No. 36.

The top 30 can be viewed for free.

HF ON VELENO

Hockey’s Future had a brief mention of Joe Veleno’s QMJHL debut in an article last week.

ONE TO WATCH

Speaking of Veleno, the Chronicle Herald’s Willy Palov listed him as one of the 10 QMJHL players to watch in a column a couple weeks ago.

MORE VELENO

And here’s a John Moore video on Veleno.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation