DOGS DAILY: Prospects Lighting Up Midget

Three Saint John Sea Dogs prospects are lighting up the NB/PEI Major Midget Hockey League this season.

The Saint John Vitos, this year’s Telus Cup host team, sit first in the league with a 16-3-0 record – which is nine points ahead of the second-place Kensington Wild. The Vitos have scored a league high 86 goals in 19 games with Dogs prospects Alex Lafreniere, Ben Reid and Ian Smallwood providing major contributions.

Here’s a look at the Vitos’ scoring leaders, all of whom are in the top 12 in NB/PEIMMHL scoring.

Smallwood, a defenseman taken in the ninth-round of this year’s QMJHL Entry Draft by Saint John, is tied for the league lead in goals. Lafreniere, an 11^th-round pick of the Dogs, is fifth overall in league scoring.

Kallum Muirhead, an eighth-round pick of Saint John, leads the Charlottetown Islanders (no, not the Charlottetown Islanders) in scoring with seven goals and four assists in 15 games.

In other news…

• The Sea Dogs are in Moncton on Wednesday night to face the Wildcats once again. Conor Garland will be there after not being named to Team USA’s world junior camp roster.
• The chances of the Buffalo Sabres sending Jack Eichel to the Sea Dogs are growing increasingly slim, friends. He has nine goals and give assists in 27 games. #KeepTheFaith
• Will Thomas Chabot make Team Canada? Seems like a lot of people are saying no, including The Q News. 
• Speaking of Chabot, Hockey’s Future wrote this week “the fleet-footed transition player has a future in Ottawa, perhaps as early as next season.” Given how quickly Chabot has consistently progressed over his career, it wouldn't even be that shocking.
• Mike Hoffman, who has 14 goals an 12 assists with the Ottawa Senators this season, is going to get paid quite well this off-season if he can maintain this pace, writes The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation