Game Day 38: at Moncton

MONCTON - Even though there are a few months of season remaining, the Saint John Sea Dogs will play their final regular season game ever at the Moncton Coliseum today.

The Sea Dogs and Wildcats square off in a New Year's Eve matinee at 2 p.m. The two teams met on Friday night at Harbour Station.

The Dogs and 'Cats meet a few more times this season, but those games will be held in Saint John. The Wildcats will leave the Coliseum at the end of this campaign and move to a new arena downtown.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-19-5-2 for 29 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 15-16-3-3 for 36 points (4th Maritimes, 12th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Wildcats met on Friday night at Harbour Station with Saint John winning 4-3 in a shootout. Robbie Burt, Matt Green and Kevin Gursoy scored in regulation while Anthony Boucher scored the lone goal of the shootout. Jeremy McKenna, Daniil Miromanov and Alexander Khovanov scored for Moncton. Alex D'Orio made 43 saves in the win. Mark Grametbauer was pulled after allowing three goals on eight shots. Matthew Waite stopped all 16 shots he faced in relief.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 3-2-1-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 3-1-1-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: See above.

Safin, Salda back in action today

BUFFALO - The World Junior Hockey Championship continues today in Buffalo.

Ostap Safin, Radim Salda and the Czech Republic take on Belarus this afternoon at 1 p.m., which is a game they should win.

The Czechs, after opening the tournament with a 5-4 upset win over Russia, lost 3-1 to Sweden on Thursday, pushing their record to 1-1.

Through two games, Safin has a goal and an assist while Salda has been held pointless. Salda has been used in more of a defensive role than he has been in Saint John this season. He blocked quite a few shots in Thursday's game.

Other games today have Sweden taking on Switzerland, Finland facing Slovakia and Canada taking on Denmark.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 4-3 (SO)

FINAL: Moncton 3, Saint John 4 (SO)

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs survived a scare to end the 2017 portion of their schedule on a winning note.

The Sea Dogs blew a 3-0 lead but ultimately went on to defeat the Moncton Wildcats 4-3 in a shootout on Friday night at Harbour Station.

Robbie Burt, Matt Green and Kevin Gursoy all scored for Saint John. Anthony Boucher scored the only goal of the shootout.

Once again, the Sea Dogs allowed nearly 50 shots on net but got excellent goaltending. Alex D'Orio made 43 stops in 65 minutes of action and stopped all three shootout attempts he faced.

Jeremy McKenna, Daniil Miromanov and Alexander Khovanov scored for the Wildcats. Mark Grametbauer got the start but was pulled early in the second period after allowing a third Sea Dogs goal on just eight shots. Matthew Waite stopped all 16 shots he faced.

Saint John is now 3-0-1-0 in their past four games.

Game Day 37: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs play their final home game of 2017 tonight at Harbour Station.

The Moncton Wildcats are in town this evening to play the Sea Dogs at 7 p.m. It's the first of back-to-back games between the two, with a rematch taking place on Sunday at the Moncton Coliseum.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 10-19-5-2 for 27 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 15-16-3-2 for 35 points (5th Maritimes, 13th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles last night at Harbour Station. Cedric Pare scored Saint John's lone goal while Matt Williams made 45 saves in the loss. The Wildcats are coming off a 4-3 overtime win in Bathurst last night. Adam Capannelli, Jakob Pelletier, Julien Tessier and Anderson MacDonald all scored for Moncton. Mark Grametbauer made 25 saves in the victory.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-2-1-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 3-1-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 15 at the Moncton Coliseum where the Sea Dogs defeated the Wildcats 4-3 in overtime. Robbie Burt had two goals for Saint John while singles came from William Poirier and Cedric Pare. Dylan Seitz, Mika Cyr and Julien Tessier scored for Moncton. Alex D'Orio made 25 saves in the win. Mark Grametbauer made 21 stops in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 2-1 (OT)

FINAL: Cape Breton 2, Saint John 1 (OT)

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs opened up the second half of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season with a 2-1 loss to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Thursday night.

Phelix Martineau scored 1:36 into overtime to give the Screaming Eagles the extra point. The goal ended Cape Breton's five-game losing streak.

Martineau scored the Screaming Eagles' other goal as well, a second period marker that tied the game at 1-1. Kevin Mandolese made 20 stops in the victory.

Cedric Pare scored Saint John's lone goal in the first period. Matt Williams had a busy night in his first star performance, making 45 stops in the loss.

The loss ended Saint John's two-game winning streak.

HIGHLIGHTS

Game Day 36: vs Screaming Eagles

SAINT JOHN - The holiday break is over and the Saint John Sea Dogs return to action this evening.

Tonight's home game against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles will be the first official match of the "post-Joe Veleno era." The Sea Dogs captain was officially traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs last week.

Game time this evening is 7 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 10-19-4-2 for 26 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Screaming Eagles are 15-16-2-1 for 33 points (4th Maritimes, 12th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Charlottetown Islanders on Dec. 16 at Harbour Station. Brendan O'Reilly, Cole Reginato, Nathan Larose and Daniel Hardie scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made a career high 55 saves in the win. The Screaming Eagles are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Dec. 16 in Halifax. Peyton Hoyt and Jordan Ty Fournier scored for Cape Breton. Kyle Jessiman made 25 saves in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-1-1-0 against the Screaming Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 2-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 22 at Centre 200 where the Sea Dogs defeated the Screaming Eagles 5-4. William Poirier scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Samuel Leblanc, Matt Green and Thomas Ashe. Brooklyn Kalmikov scored twice for Cape Breton while solo markers came from Jordan Ty Fournier and Leon Gawanke. Matt Williams made 27 stops in the win. Kyle Jessiman was pulled after allowing five goals on 15 shots. Kevin Mandolese made seven saves in relief.

Safin scores in Czech win

The Czech Republic is off to a strong start at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Ostap Safin recorded a goal and an assist in the Czech Republic's tournament opening 5-4 upset win over Russia on Tuesday afternoon at Buffalo's Key Bank Center.



The Edmonton Oilers prospect also had two shots and was a +1 in the 14:13 of ice time he saw in the win.

Safin's Sea Dogs teammate, defenceman Radim Salda, was held pointless on the day in 16:35 of ice time. He recorded one shot and was a -1.

The Czechs were up 5-2 in the third at one point and managed to hang on despite a late press by the Russians. It's a big win for the squad as it opens up a real possibility of finishing second (or even first, perhaps) in their group.

The Czech Republic will face Sweden on Thursday at 5 p.m.

In other action on Tuesday, Sweden beat Belarus 6-1, Canada downed Finland 4-2 and the US won a close 9-0 game against Denmark.

World juniors begin today

The 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship begins today in Buffalo.

There are two Saint John Sea Dogs taking part in this year's tournament: forward Ostap Safin and defenceman Radim Salda. Both players will be skating for the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic will be playing in Group B with Russia, Sweden, Belarus and Switzerland. Most project the team to finish third in the group behind Sweden and Russia.

Here's a look at the team's schedule, which will be played entirely at Buffalo's Key Bank Center. All games will be broadcast on TSN.

Dec. 26 at 1 p.m. vs Russia
Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. vs Sweden
Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. vs Belarus
Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. vs Switzerland

The world juniors end on Jan. 5, meaning the Sea Dogs will be without their two imports until then - at the latest.

Safin, an Edmonton Oilers prospect, has 13 goals and 19 assists in 33 games with Saint John this season.

2017-18 #CHL Mid-Season Leaderboard lists @KaleClague of @bdnwheatkings tops for D, @filip_zadina of @HFXMooseheads first among rookies, @_morganfrost_10 of @OHLHoundPower best plus/minus: pic.twitter.com/qCvcOVxryT

— CanadianHockeyLeague (@CHLHockey) December 24, 2017

Salda is 11th in QMJHL rookie scoring with six goals and 16 assists in 33 games.

The Czechs also feature Halifax Mooseheads star forward Filip Zadina.

Sea Dogs acquire Plamondon

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs made another trade on Friday.

The Sea Dogs acquired left winger Yohan Plamondon from the Val-d’Or Foreurs in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2019 QMJHL Entry Draft, which had been previously acquired from the Gatineau Olympiques.

Plamondon, 17, was a third-round pick of Val-d'Or in the 2016 QMJHL Entry Draft. He recorded four goals and three assists in 36 games with the Foreurs in 2016-17.

This season, Plamondon has been playing in the Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA du Quebec (LHJAAAQ) this season where he has eight goals and 13 points in 24 games.

 “We’re very happy to acquire a player with his skill set and potential,” said Sea Dogs assistant general manager and head scout Anthony Stella in a news release. “Yohan is a very serious and hard-working person. There will be tons of opportunity for him in the coming seasons.”

As mentioned by @MLalancetteTVA last night, Yohan Plamondon was traded to @SJSeaDogs in exchange of 5th round pick in 2019. I just spoke to Yohan, he will be reporting to St. John. #LHJMQ @ForeursVD

— Gabriel Leblanc (@gabhockey46) December 22, 2017

With Christmas coming, the Sea Dogs will likely be quiet on the trade front over the next several days.

Veleno officially traded to Voltigeurs

SAINT JOHN - It's officially official: Joe Veleno has been traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

The Quebec Major junior Hockey League officially announced the trade earlier this afternoon. The deal, which has been all-but confirmed for a couple weeks now, ended up being what was originally reported.

Here is what the Saint John Sea Dogs are receiving in return:

• 2018 1st round pick (previously acquired from the Gatineau Olympiques)
• 2019 1st round pick (previously acquired from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
• 2020 1st round pick
• 2018 2nd round pick (previously acquired from the Quebec Remparts)
• 2020 2nd round pick (conditional)

According to a source, the 2020 2nd round pick will be returned to Drummondville in exchange for a 2019 2nd round pick. The issue is that the Voltigeurs currently do not have a 2019 2nd rounder. If Drummondville is unable to acquire one, Saint John will keep the 2020 2nd round pick and the Volts will send an additional 2020 3rd round pick.

Veleno has been sitting out of the Sea Dogs' lineup since the deal was reported. The first exceptional status player in QMJHL history finishes his Saint John career with 32 goals and 82 points in 138 career games. He added another 14 goals and four assists in 35 playoff games.

While Veleno never exploded offensively like many thought he would, he showed plenty of signs of "exceptional" skill. He never quite fit into Saint John's cycle, and it'll be interesting to see how he performs as a top player on a top team.

Veleno is projected to be a high pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, but is likely to be back in the QMJHL for the 2018-19 season.

This is definitely one of the biggest deals in franchise history, and is similar to the Alex Grant and Chris DiDomenico deals made in 2008-09. Many of the banners hanging inside Harbour Station can be traced back to those deals, and the Dogs are no doubt hoping this deal leads to similar accomplishments.

This is just day two of the QMJHL's trading period and the Sea Dogs will likely continue be active over the next couple weeks.

QMJHL trading season has begun

SAINT JOHN - One day into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's trading period, Joe Veleno is still a Saint John Sea Dog.

The QMJHL's annual trading period began earlier today with a few deals being announced. Veleno heading to the Drummondville Voltigeurs was not one of them.

According to Voltigeurs reporter Jonathan Habashi, the deal should be announced tomorrow.

Des détails administratifs empêcheraient la #LHJMQ d’officialiser l’échange de Joe Veleno, et ce, même si le marché des transactions est ouvert depuis ce matin. Le tout devrait se régler demain. @Voltigeurs_DRU @SJSeaDogs

— Jonathan Habashi (@JonathanHabashi) December 18, 2017

Reports indicate that Veleno will be traded to Drummondville in exchange for five draft picks: three first rounders and two second rounders.

Veleno has not played with Saint John since news broke of the trade.

Thank you @jveleno91 pic.twitter.com/k6PJ8seCxk

— Anthony Stella (@AnthonyStella_) December 16, 2017

Meanwhile, the Sea Dogs made a small trade that got a significant return last week, sending prospect Max-Antoine Melancon to the Shawinigan Cataractes in exchange for a second round pick in the 2019 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Melancon was a fourth-round pick of Saint John in the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft. He made his QMJHL debut on Saturday, recording a goal and an assist for the Cataractes.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 4-3 (OT)

FINAL: Charlottetown 3, Saint John 4 (OT)

SAINT JOHN - Daniel Hardie picked a good time to end his goalless streak.

Hardie scored the overtime winner for the Saint John Sea Dogs last night at Harbour Station, giving his team a 4-3 victory over the Charlottetown Islanders and giving the forward his first goal since Nov. 26.

The big story of the game was the performance of goaltender Alex D'Orio, who made 55 stops in the victory. That included 24 saves in the third period alone. The 55 saves made and 58 shots against were both career highs for D'Orio.

Hardie, Brendan O'Reilly, Cole Reginato and Nathan Larose all scored for Saint John. Cedric Pare had three assists.

Charlottetown goals came from Cayse Ton, Nikita Alexandrov and Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Dakota Lund-Cornish made 24 saves in the loss.

The win gives the Sea Dogs back-to-back 4-3 overtime victories to end the first half of the QMJHL's 2017-18 campaign.

Game Day 35: vs Islanders

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs play their final game of the first half tonight at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs, coming off a come-from-behind victory over the Moncton Wildcats last night, will take on the Charlottetown Islanders this evening.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 9-19-4-2 for 24 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Islanders are 20-11-1-0 for 41 points (3rd Maritimes, 9th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 overtime win in Moncton last night. Robbie Burt scored twice while singles came from William Poirier and Cedric Pare. Alex D'Orio made 25 saves in the victory. The Islanders are coming off a 6-1 win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles last night at Eastlink Centre. Samuel Meisenheimer scored two goals while singles came from Hunter Drew, Thomas Casey, Pascal Aquin and Olivier Desjardins. Matthew Welsh made 15 saves in the win.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-2-1-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 3-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 19 in Charlottetown where the Islanders defeated the Sea Dogs 6-2. Pascal Aquin and Gregor MacLeod each scored two goals for Charlottetown while solo markers came from Keith Getson and Saku Vesterinen. Saint John goals came from Ostap Safin and Alexis Girard. Matthew Welsh made 33 saves in the win. Matthew Williams made 38 stops in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 4-3 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 4, Moncton 3 (OT)

MONCTON - Robbie Burt scored at 3:04 of overtime to give the Saint John Sea Dogs a 4-3 win over the Moncton Wildcats on Friday night.

Burt's goal was his second of the night - and his second beautiful goal of the night. William Poirier and Cedric Pare also scored for Saint John. Daniel Hardie, Alexis Girard and Brendan O'Reilly each added a pair of assists. Alex D'Orio made 25 saves in the victory.

The Sea Dogs erased a 2-0 first period deficit and a 3-2 second period disadvantage en route to the victory. It was a hard fought and well earned win by Saint John.

The Wildcats had goals from Dylan Seitz, Julien Tessier and Mika Cyr. Mark Grametbauer made 21 saves in the loss.

Game Day 34: at Moncton

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs return to action tonight.

The Sea Dogs will play their final road game of the first half this evening in Moncton against the Wildcats. Game time is 7 p.m.

Saint John will likely be without captain Joe Veleno again. He is expected to be traded on Monday.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-19-4-2 for 22 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 14-16-2-1 for 31 points (5th Maritimes, 14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Gatineau Olympiques on Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station. Anthony Boucher and William Poirier scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 21 saves in the loss. The Wildcats are coming off a 7-1 loss in Rouyn-Noranda on Sunday afternoon. Nicholas Welsh scored Moncton's lone goal. Matthew Waite made 37 saves in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-2-1-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 3-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 26 at Harbour Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Wildcats 2-1. Radim Salda and Daniel Hardie scored for Saint John. Riley MacRae scored Moncton's lone goal. Matthew Williams made 36 saves in the win. Mark Grametbauer made 36 saves in the loss.

Dogs won't bid on 2019 Memorial Cup

Embed from Getty Images

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will not place a bid to host the 2019 Memorial Cup, the team confirmed on Thursday night.

Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie made the announcement at Market Square on Thursday at the team's town hall event. Head coach Josh Dixon was also on hand for the meeting with fans.

The Sea Dogs opted not to move forward with a bid some time ago, but this was the first time saying so publicly.

The Halifax Mooseheads have confirmed they are placing a bid. The Moncton Wildcats, who will have a new building to play in next season, are the only other QMJHL team that has express interest. The 'Cats have been quiet on the bidding process for some time, though.

The Mooseheads are well positioned in their cycle to host - unlike the Sea Dogs. It would be incredibly difficult for Saint John to ice a strong team next season, and most would agree its best the team take a pass on 2019 and build for another year.

George did say the team will look at bidding for the next QMJHL hosted Memorial Cup, which would be in 2022 if the CHL doesn't adjust the cycle again.

This season's Memorial Cup will be held in Regina.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Gatineau 4, Saint John 2

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs lost their third straight game on Sunday, falling 4-2 to the Gatineau Olympiques.

The Sea Dogs carried a 2-1 advantage into the third period only to allow three goals in the final frame. Saint John recorded just six shots in the third.

Saint John's power play provided some offence, going one-for-five on the night. Anthony Boucher and William Poirier scored for Saint John. Boucher also had an assist. Alex D'Orio made 21 stops in the loss.

Mitchell Balmas, Alex Breton, Alec Malo and Giordano Finoro scored for Gatineau. Tristan Berube made 28 saves in the win.

Balmas scored the lone goal of the first period. Saint John replied in the second with Boucher scoring at 3:23 and then Poirier putting Saint John in front with a power play marker at 13:58.

Some third period penalties proved costly for the Sea Dogs. At 10:29, Breton scored on the man advantage to make it 2-2. Then at 15:09 and Matt Green serving a four-minute high sticking penalty, Malo connected to put Gatineau back in front, 3-2.

The Olympiques added an empty net goal at 18:35 to make it a 4-2 final.

Game Day 33: vs Olympiques

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are back in action on home ice this afternoon.

The Sea Dogs take on the Gatineau Olympiques at 3 p.m. It's Bingo Day at the Station in support of the Empty Stocking Fund.

Saint John is expected to be without captain Joe Veleno again, who is awaiting a trade.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-18-4-2 for 22 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Olympiques are 16-10-2-2 for 36 points (5th West, 10th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-2 loss in Bathurst last night. Cole Reginato and Ostap Safin scored for Saint John. Matt Williams made 30 saves in the win. The Olympiques are coming off a 3-1 win in Charlottetown last night. Piere-Olivier Lacombe, Anthony Beauchamp and Mitchell Balmas scored for Gatineau. Mathieu Bellemare made 31 saves in the win.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Olympiques this season while Gatineau is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 1 in Gatineau where the Olympiques edged the Sea Dogs 2-1. Pier-Olivier Lacombe and Alexandre Landreville scored for Gatineau while Ostap Safin replied for Saint John. Tristan Berube made 23 saves in the win. Matthew Williams made 27 saves in the loss.

FINAL: Sea Dogs lose 5-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Bathurst 5

BATHURST - With their captain out of the lineup, the Saint John Sea Dogs had a rough night offensively in a 5-2 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Sea Dogs recorded just 10 shots on goal through the first 40 minutes. They had a better third period, putting 13 shots on net.

The team was no doubt a little shaken up after news came out last night that Joe Veleno would be traded in just over a week. Despite that and the offensive struggles, the Sea Dogs stayed in this game for much of the night. They were within one early in the third period but the Titan surged, adding two more in the 5-2 victory.

Saint John's power play also had a better performance than we've seen of late, scoring twice on six opportunities.

Cole Reginato and Ostap Safin scored for Saint John. Matt Williams made 30 saves in the loss.

Antoine Morand scored twice for Bathurst while singles came from Dawson Theede, German Rubtsov and Jeffrey Truchon-Viel. Joseph Murdaca made 21 stops in the win.

Veleno not dressed for Dogs in Bathurst

BATHURST - Has Joe Veleno's Saint John Sea Dogs career already come to an end?

The Sea Dogs opted not to dress Veleno for Saturday's contest against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, saying he is "day-to-day with an upper body injury," as per Tim Roszell. He is not with the team in Bathurst.

Following Friday night's news, it makes sense not to dress him. There's no point in risking him getting injured (or further injured - if he actually is injured) and having the trade called off.

The Sea Dogs have four games remaining before the QMJHL's trade period begins on Dec. 18 - tonight's game in Bathurst, tomorrow's against Gatineau, next Friday in Moncton and next Saturday against Charlottetown.

There's certainly a good chance Veleno does not dress for any of those games, either.

Following last night's news, the Sea Dogs have recalled forwards Ben Reid and Aiden MacIntosh from the MHL's St. Stephen Aces. Reid has appeared in seven games with Saint John this season while MacIntosh has yet to appear in a QMJHL game.

Sant John dressed 13 forwards and six defencemen for warm up on Saturday, which included recent call ups MacIntosh, Reid and Luke Wilson.

The Sea Dogs appear to be all in on rebuilding now, so more roster moves are likely on the way over the next couple weeks.

Game Day 32: at Bathurst

BATHURST - There is still hockey to be played even after last night's big news.

The Saint John Sea Dogs will take on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7 p.m. at the KC Irving Regional Centre, a building they have struggled in for some time.

The Sea Dogs are not expected to have captain Joe Veleno in their lineup following last night's news of a soon-to-be-confirmed blockbuster trade.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-17-4-2 for 22 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Titan are 17-8-4-2 for 40 points (2nd Maritimes, 6th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 loss to the Drummondville Voltiegurs on Wednesday night at Harbour Station. Joe Veleno scored twice for the Sea Dogs while Ostap Safin added a solo marker. Alex D'Orio made 23 saves in the loss. The Titan are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss in Rimouski last night. Noah Dobson and Justin Ducharme scored for Bathurst. Reilly Pickard made 32 saves in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-2-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 2-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 25 at Harbour Station where the Titan defeated the Sea Dogs 5-3. Samuel L'Italien scored twice for Bathurst while singles came from Ethan Crossman, Antoine Morand and Jordan Maher. Joe Veleno, Anthony Boucher and Robbie Burt all scored for Saint John. Reilly Pickard made 27 saves in the win. Alex D'Orio made 19 stops in the loss.

Report: Veleno will be traded to Drummondville

The Saint John Sea Dogs are on the verge of pulling off one of the biggest trades in franchise history, reports Mikael Lalancette of TVA Sports.

As reported by Lalancette, the Sea Dogs will trade captain Joe Veleno to the Drummondville Voltigeurs in exchange for several draft picks - which includes three first round selections.

Joseph Veleno passera aux Voltigeurs lors de la prochaine période de transactions. Plusieurs choix impliqués. #tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) December 9, 2017

Les choix reçus de Drummondville pour Joseph Veleno :

1er (Gat) 2018
1er (BLB) 2019
1er (Drum)2020
2e (Drum)2018
2e 2019#tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) December 9, 2017

The transaction will take place when the Christmas trading period opens.

The deal, which is presumably accurate, will be one of the largest made in the QMJHL in recent years. When five draft picks are involved it's usually large - when three first rounders are involved it's huge.

Veleno, who is expected to be a first round pick in this year's NHL Draft, was in an odd spot at this trade period. He has extremely high value given he will likely be back in the league next season.

The Sea Dogs just recently said publicly they would listen to calls for Veleno. Notably, the Sea Dogs have played the Voltigeurs twice in the past week. Sherbrooke, Halifax, Rouyn-Noranda and Quebec also expressed interest, according to Lalancette.

This deal is a lot to take in. We do know this: this trade accelerates Saint John's rebuild significantly - and it's safe to call it a rebuild now.

The QMJHL's trade period begins on Monday, Dec. 18. Saint John's final game prior to the deadline is Dec. 16 against Charlottetown.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Drummondville 4, Saint John 3

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs' inability to score on the power play proved costly on Wednesday night.

The Sea Dogs went 0/6 on the man advantage in a 4-3 loss to the Drummondville Voltigeurs at Harbour Station.

Saint John looked good at times but bad at other points. The team displayed some good offensive jump at points during the contest, but made a few costly defensive errors in this loss.

Joe Veleno netted a pair of goals and added an assist while Ostap Safin chipped in with one helper. Alex D'Orio made 23 saves in the loss.

Connor Bramwell, Cedric Desruisseaux, Robert Lynch and Nicolas Guay scored for Drummondville. Olivier Rodrigue made 26 saves in the win.

Game Day 31: vs Voltigeurs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs return home tonight, hosting the Drummondville Voltigeurs at Harbour Station.

Saint John is coming off a three-in-three weekend road trip through Quebec, which saw the team drop the first two games and then defeat the Quebec Remparts in a shootout to close out the journey.

Game time this evening is 7 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-16-4-2 for 22 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Voltigeurs are 19-8-1-1 for 40 points (2nd West, 4th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 shootout win in Quebec City on Sunday. Kevin Gursoy and Robbie Burt scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 34 saves in the victory. The Voltigeurs are coming off a 7-2 home win over the Sea Dogs on Saturday. Nicolas Guay scored a hat trick while singles came from Morgan Adams-Moisan, Robert Lynch, Cédric Desruisseaux and Nicolas Desgroseilliers. Olivier Rodrigue made 22 saves in the win.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Voltigeurs this season while Drummondville is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: This past Saturday at the Marcel Dionne Centre where the Voltigeurs defeated the Sea Dogs 7-2. Nicolas Guay scored a hat trick while singles came from Morgan Adams-Moisan, Robert Lynch, Cédric Desruisseaux and Nicolas Desgroseilliers. Ostap Safin and William Poirier scored for Saint John. Olivier Rodrigue made 22 saves in the win. Matt Williams made 32 stops in the loss.

Safin, Salda receive Czech invites

At least two Saint John Sea Dogs will be attending a world junior training camp.

Sea Dogs forward Ostap Safin and defenceman Radim Salda were both invited to the Czech Republic's camp, the team announced on Monday.

👥 | Filip Pešán nominoval na přípravný kemp před MS juniorů 2️⃣7️⃣ hráčů! Český tým se bude připravovat na vrchol sezony v 🇺🇸 Niagara Falls💪🏻 #U20CZE pic.twitter.com/pPwo0EHQ0w

— Hokejový nároďák (@narodnitym) December 4, 2017

It's not a huge surprise to see both invited. Safin is a lock to make the team while Salda's numbers speak for themselves. Still, Salda was a bit of a question mark given he was basically an unknown heading into this season.

Safin, an Edmonton Oilers prospect, leads the Sea Dogs in scoring and his third in QMJHL rookie scoring with 11 goals and 29 points in 30 games. This is his first season in the league.

Salda, who was passed over in the 2017 NHL Draft, is 10th in QMJHL defencemen scoring with six goals and 16 assists in 30 games. He has been one of the biggest pleasant surprises in the league this season.

At this point, it's a long shot any other Sea Dogs will receive invites to a world junior camp. Joe Veleno is the only Dog who has a shot. Canada will name its camp roster this week.

The world juniors begin on Boxing Day in Buffalo. The Czechs play in the tournament's opening game against Russia.

Two Sea Dogs named to U Sports team

Two former Saint John Sea Dogs have been named to the U Sports team that will take on Canada's national junior team later this month.

Goaltender Sebastien Auger and forward Stephen Anderson have both been named to the all-star team, which was announced on Monday.

The U Sports squad will face Canada on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. and Thursday, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m. at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. The games will be part of Canada's evaluation camp ahead of the World Junior Hockey Championship.

This is the third straight year a U Sports all star team has face Canada's junior team.

Auger, who spent four seasons with the Sea Dogs from 2011 to 2015, is in his third season with UQTR. He is 6-4 this year with an impressive 2.28 goals against average and a .917 save percentage.

Anderson, who played with the Sea Dogs from 2011 to 2014, is in his third season with UNB. He has 11 goals and nine assists 18 games to lead the Varsity Reds in scoring. His 11 goals is tied for the AUS lead.

Another notable on the U Sports team is UNB's Randy Gazzola.

There could be some Sea Dogs content on the Canadian side, but that seems unlikely. Joe Veleno is likely the only Saint John player who could get an invite. The camp invitations are expected to be announced this week.

The world juniors begin on Boxing Day in Buffalo.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 3-2 (SO)

FINAL: Saint John 3, Quebec 2 (SO)

QUEBEC CITY, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs ended their road trip on a winning note on Sunday.

Anthony Boucher scored the only goal of the shootout in a 3-2 Sea Dogs victory over the Quebec Remparts at Videotron Centre. This was the final game a three-in-three Quebec road swing for the Sea Dogs, who dropped their previous two games.

Saint John can hopefully build off this win moving forward. The Dogs played a solid road game in an intimidating building. The team blew a 2-0 lead but managed to keep things even and win the match in a shootout.

Alex D'Orio returned to action and was named first star, making 34 saves in the win. He made a few spectacular saves, particularly with his glove hand. He did not allow a goal in the shootout.

Kevin Gursoy and Robbie Burt scored for Saint John.

Quebec goals came from Tomas Dajcar and Philipp Kurashev. Olivier Chalifour allowed two goals on three shot before getting pulled. Dereck Baribeau made 33 stops the rest of the way.

Game Day 30: at Quebec

QUEBEC CITY, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs play the final game of their Quebec road trip this afternoon in Quebec City.

It's been a rough go on this trip so far for the Sea Dogs, who lost 2-1 in Gatineau on Friday and 7-2 in Drummondville last night.

Puck drop today is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Centre Videotron.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 7-16-4-2 for 20 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Remparts are 18-9-2-1 for 39 points (2nd East, 4th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-2 loss in Drummondville last night. Ostap Safin and William Poirier scored for Saint John. Matt Williams made 32 saves in the loss. The Remparts are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Charlottetown Islanders last night at Centre Videotron. Luke Kirwan and Olivier Mathieu scored for Quebec. Derek Baribeau made 32 saves in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Remparts.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 2-0-0-0 against the Remparts last season while Quebec went 0-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 25, 2016 in Saint John where the Sea Dogs defeated the Remparts 4-2. Nathan Noel had a hat trick for Saint John and Mathieu Joseph added a solo marker. Derek Gentile and Matthew Boucher scored for the Remparts. Alex D'Orio made 24 saves in the win. Evgeny Kiselev made 34 saves in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 7-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Drummondville 7

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs kept it close for much of the game, but the Drummondville Voltigeurs showed late why they are one of the QMJHL's top teams this year.

The Voltigeurs scored five third period goals in a 7-2 win over the Sea Dogs on Saturday night at the Marcel Dionne Centre. The game was Saint John's second match of a three-in-three road trip through Quebec that began with a 2-1 loss in Gatineau on Friday and ends on Sunday in Quebec City.

Drummondville captain Nicolas Guay scored a hat trick while singles came from Morgan Adams-Moisan, Robert Lynch, Cedric Desruisseaux and Nicolas Desgroseilliers. Other players with ridiculously long last names may or may not have scored as well. Nicolas Beaudin had three assists and Olivier Rodrigue made 22 saves in the win.

Ostap Safin and William Poirier scored for Saint John. Matt Williams made 32 saves in the loss.

For the second straight game, Safin opened the scoring. But two goals from Guay in the first would give Drummondville a 2-1 advantage after one.

Alumdate: Chabot scores first NHL goal

Embed from Getty Images

It was only a matter of time.

Thomas Chabot scored his first career NHL goal last night (and added two assists), helping the Ottawa Senators defeat the New York Islanders 6-5 in Brooklyn.



Chabot, who has been up-and-down between the NHL and the AHL all season, now has an impressive one goal and five assists in six games with the big club this year.

The case for keeping Chabot with the AHL's Belleville Senators seems to be the fact that he could still be a regular healthy scratch in Ottawa, and the Sens want him playing, not sitting. But, given Ottawa's struggles, you have to wonder if they may start playing him more in the NHL.

Chabot has had a good year in the AHL as well, recording two goals and five helpers in 13 games. Belleville's assistant coach is former Sea Dogs assistant Paul Boutillier.

Game Day 29: at Drummondville

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs continue their Quebec road trip tonight.

After falling 2-1 in Gatineau last night, the Sea Dogs will take on the Voltigeurs in Drummondville this evening. Game time is 8 p.m.

Following tonight's contest, the Sea Dogs play the final match of this three-in-three trip on Sunday afternoon in Quebec City.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 7-15-4-2 for 20 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Voltigeurs are 18-8-1-1 for 38 points (2nd West, 4th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 loss in Gatineau last night. Ostap Safin scored Saint John's lone goal while Matt Williams made 27 saves in the loss. The Voltigeurs are coming off a 5-2 home loss to the Rimouski Oceanic last night. Robert Lynch and Pavel Koltygin scored for Drummondville. Olivier Rodrigue only faced 14 shots but allowed four goals.

2017-18 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Voltigeurs. They meet again next Wednesday at Harbour Station.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-1-0-0 against the Voltigeurs last season while Drummondville went 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 10 at Harbour Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Voltigeurs 4-1. Simon Bourque, David Comeau, Spencer Smallman and Joe Veleno scored for Saint John. Andrew Shewfelt scored Drummondville's lone goal. Alex D'Orio made 18 saves in the win. Olivier Rodrigue made 40 saves in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 2-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Gatineau 2

GATINEAU, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs struggled to score on Friday night in Gatineau.

Ostap Safin scored Saint John's lone goal in a 2-1 loss to the Olympiques at the Robert Guertin Centre. The game kicked off a three-in-three Quebec road trip for the Dogs.

The Sea Dogs opened the scoring just 1:21 into the game. But the Olympiques quickly countered with Pier-Olivier Lacombe scoring at 6:05 and then Alexandre Landreville netted what proved to be the game-winner at 13:45.

Late in the third, the Sea Dogs came very close to tying the game and Joe Veleno even celebrated. But after review, the no-goal call stood. Veleno was clearly frustrated in the third, taking an unsportsmanlike conduct misconduct at 18:21.

Saint John's power play, which has been a difference maker in several games this season, went 0/4 on the night.

Tristan Berube made 23 stops in the win. Matt Williams made 27 saves in the loss.

Game Day 28: at Gatineau

GATINEAU, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin a three-in-three Quebec road trip tonight in Gatineau against the Olympiques.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a solid 2-1 home win over the Wildcats and have now won three of their past five games.

Saint John will look to keep things rolling this weekend in Gatineau, Drummondville and Quebec City. Game time Friday night is 8:30 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 7-14-4-2 for 20 points (sixth Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Olympiques are 12-10-2-2 for 28 points (fifth west, 11th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 win over the Wildcats at Harbour Station on Sunday. Radim Salda and Daniel Hardie scored for Saint John while Matt Williams made 36 saves in the victory. The Olympiques are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss in Quebec City on Wednesday. Mitchell Balmas scored both Gatineau goals. Tristan Berube made 20 saves in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Olympiques.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 2-0-0-0 against the Olympiques last season while Gatineau went 0-1-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 4, 2016 in Gatineau where the Sea Dogs defeated the Olympiques 6-3. Spencer Smallman, Thomas Chabot, Matthew Highmore, Kyle Ward, Samuel Dove-McFalls and Nathan Noel all scored for Saint John. Gatineau goals came from Yakov Trenin, Vitalii Abramov and Zack MacEwen. Alex Bishop made 15 saves in the win. Mathieu Bellemare made 32 stops in the loss.