DOGS DAILY: Fights Have Happened

After Dawson Theede was traded to Bathurst on Monday, a lot of Sea Dogs fans expressed their concern over the lack of toughness and physical presence on this year’s team. Saint John may not be the most physical squad in the league this season, but when it comes to fighting, they are amongst the league leaders.

While fighting doesn’t give a complete picture of how physical a team is, it is considered an attribute. And based on Saint John’s fighting numbers, the Sea Dogs aren’t afraid to mix it up in comparison to the rest of the QMJHL.

According to HockeyFights.com, the Sea Dogs have had 31 fights this season – the second most in the league. Entering action tonight, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles led the league in fisticuffs with 32.

Shockingly, Nathan Noel continues to lead the Sea Dogs in fights this year with five in 33 games. Nico Blachman has four while Bokondji Imama, Adam Marsh, Spencer Smallman and Theede all have three. Entering play tonight, no player in the league had more than six fights this season.

Speaking of Theede, he made his debut with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan tonight in Rimouski.

In other news…

• The Sea Dogs have recalled forward Cody Grant from the MHL’s County Aces. Grant, 17, has two goals and four assists in 27 games with the Aces this season. Grant was an eighth-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft but has not appeared in a regular season game.
• The Sea Dogs also announced today that defensemen Vincent Martineau and Ian Smallwood have been returned to their midget clubs while forward Ryan Chiasson has been sent back to the Dieppe Commandos.
• Grant and the newly signed Mark Kennedy are expected to be available for Saint John this weekend when they travel to Bathurst on Saturday and host Rimouski on Sunday.
• According to Screaming Eagles play-by-play man Patrick McNeil, Olivier LeBlanc was suspended one-game for a hit during Sunday’s game against Saint John. The suspension has not been posted on the QMJHL website.
• What has been posted on the QMJHL website is $500 fine to the Sea Dogs for an incident apparently involving Daniel Del Paggio and a fan during the Imama/Bent incident game last month. According to the league, the fine is for “inappropriate behavior after the game against a fan.”
• Sportsnet’s QMJHL blog features some notes on the QMJHL’s trading period.
• With Finland winning gold, Russia silver and USA bronze at this year’s world juniors, it sets up and stacked Group B for next year’s tournament featuring Russia, USA, Canada, Slovakia and Latvia. That pool will play in Toronto.
• Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon is happy to be working with Gerard Gallant into the future.
• Some guy freaked out at Chris DiDomenico for (allegedly!) diving during a Spengler Cup game.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation