Watch: Jurco's quarantine tricks

Quarantine life ain't all that fun - but at least there is some good content coming out of it.

The latest hockey tricks video comes from the master of hockey tricks videos: former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Tomas Jurco. It's been some time since we've seen Jurco release a trick video, so what a pleasant surprise it was when the Slovak uploaded this video to Instagram this past week.

View this post on Instagram

Quarantine brought some of my old tricks back 😜 can you do it ? Lets see ! Hope everyone stays safe and healthy !

A post shared by Tomas Jurco (@tomasjurco) on Mar 26, 2020 at 10:14am PDT

We've seen this kind of stuff from Jurco plenty of times in the past.

New webcast provider on the way

Watching Canadian Hockey League games will look a little different this coming this season.

It's been known for some time that the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League would be moving to a new webcast provider for the 2020-21 season, ending the Neulion era. By the sounds of it, the entire CHL will have a new look, according to league president Dan MacKenzie.

In The Hockey News' annual Future Watch magazine, MacKenzie noted that the CHL would be moving to a new webcast provider this coming season, with the goal seemingly to make a strong product from coast-to-coast.

“... offering more focus on the consistency of the broadcast product in all 60 arenas.” 2/2

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) March 27, 2020

The QMJHL has been with Neulion since the 2014-15 season. The video quality was a drastic improvement over the old Telus broadcasts but there were still some odd issues - the strangest being the setup for when games were broadcast by Rogers TV, Sportsnet or TVA Sports, which didn't allow users to listen to their team's audio broadcasts, which often times meant listening in a language you may not understand. This is a unique QMJHL issue that hopefully gets addressed.

In 2018, the American Hockey League switched webcasts provider to Hockey Tech, which offered users noticeably cheaper packages.

The QMJHL typically announces webcast information very close to the start of the season. Hopefully, we hear more details about this new provider sooner rather than later.

So... what now?

Just like that, the 2019-20 Canadian Hockey League season is over.

The CHL announced in a press release Monday night that playoffs and the Memorial Cup would not be held this season due to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic. While it's hard to think about hockey right now, let's try and do just that. We likely could all use a distraction for a bit.

So what now for the Saint John Sea Dogs? This is certainly an odd end to the season for the team, but chances are the season was soon coming to an end anyways. As previously mentioned, the Sea Dogs are one of the fortunate teams who are not greatly impacted by what's currently going on.

So as the off-season begins, here are some items to keep an eye on.

QMJHL Draft Lottery

To be held on a yet-to-be-determined date, the Sea Dogs, via the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, have the fourth best odds of winning the right to select first overall in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

Prise 2.

Voici les détails de la loterie du prochain repêchage.

Gatineau 9 chances sur 21 (42,9%)
Gatineau 6 sur 21 (28,6%)
Gatineau 3 sur 21 (14,3%)
Saint-Jean 2 sur 21 (9,5%)
Québec 1 sur 21 (4,8%)

Les @LesOlympiques auront donc 86% des chances de repêcher 1er. #tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) March 17, 2020

QMJHL Entry Draft

Originally scheduled for June 6 in Sherbrooke, the draft will take place OHL style and be held online this year. The league hasn't really come out and confirmed that the date will stay the same, but let's assume (and hope) for now that it will. Saint John currently has two picks in the first round: the Drakkar's lottery pick and Drummondville's 12th overall pick.

Trades

The Sea Dogs have at least one trade lined up to complete the Jeffrey Durocher/Nicolas Guay deal made in December. We'll see what happens beyond that. Saint John is in an interesting position because they're nearing their contender window but still have quite a few future draft picks that they could move to help out their current core.

Playoffs, Memorial Cup officially cancelled

SAINT JOHN - For the first time in the 102 year history of the Memorial Cup, the trophy will not be awarded.

The Canadian Hockey League announced Monday night that the playoffs and Memorial Cup tournament have been cancelled for 2020. The announcement comes just a few days after its three leagues cancelled the remainder of their respective regular seasons as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens around the globe.

From a CHL press release:

We have continued to monitor the latest updates and advice from all public health agencies and medical experts, and worked tirelessly to determine a scenario by which the balance of our season could be played. Unfortunately, given the troubling state of our global climate and public welfare, there is still too much risk and uncertainty to move forward in good conscience. 

With that in mind, CHL President Dan MacKenzie and Commissioners David Branch, Gilles Courteau, and Ron Robison have made the difficult decision to cancel the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL playoffs, and along with the support of Kia Canada as the presenting sponsor, to cancel the 2020 Memorial Cup which was scheduled to be held in Kelowna, B.C., May 22-31, 2020.

The CHL probably could have waited a bit longer before cancelling the rest of the post-season, but this was simply inevitable. All experts are warning that this pandemic will continue for months, and it seems unlikely that any sports in North America will be returning to normal anytime soon. It's probably best that many leagues start turning their focus to next season which, given the way things are going, could have some question marks as well.

While it's a tough day for all junior hockey followers, it's especially tough for teams like the Moncton Wildcats and Chicoutimi Sagueneens, who traded away most of their immediate future to make a run at this year's championship. Having a banner or two hanging above a rebuilding team often lessens the blow, but that won't be the case this year.

QMJHL Entry Draft moving online

The good news: the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft will take place.

The bad news: this year's draft will be online only rather than the typical small scale NHL style event.

The league made the announcement this morning, not long after reports came out that the Sherbrooke Phoenix were still moving forward with plans as if the draft would be held as normal. Sherbrooke was supposed to host this year's event on June 6.

The draft moving online will be unusual for the QMJHL, but it's rather common practice in other leagues. Even if the date stays the same, that doesn't rule out there being some sort of playoff/Memorial Cup later on. The OHL Draft, for example, typically takes place during the league's playoffs.

Yesterday, the QMJHL announced the cancellation of the remainder of the regular season. The QMJHL Draft Lottery will take place at a yet-to-be-determined date.

Teams have been scouting this year's draft class all year long, but there will still be some challenges with the sports at a stand still. Many players elevate their draft stock by having standout playoff runs at the midget AAA level - but obviously that won't happen this year with Hockey Canada shutting things down.

The QMJHL also cancelled its annual session today, which takes place just prior to the Draft.

QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau released the following statement this afternoon.

A message from the Commissioner to all players, officials, hockey and administrative staffs. #QMJHL pic.twitter.com/nyEVhYVn2a

— Gilles Courteau (@gcourteauhockey) March 18, 2020

In other news, the OHL and WHL followed the QMJHL's lead, cancelling the remainder of regular season play. The USHL, meanwhile, cancelled the rest of its season - including playoffs.

Regular season officially over

SAINT JOHN - The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League made the inevitable announcement this afternoon that the remainder of the regular season has been cancelled.

The QMJHL's regular season would have come to a close this Saturday but, obviously, that will not be happening - nor will it be happening in any other hockey league around the world.

On a more positive note, the league hasn't ruled out returning this season. There is still hope that some sort of playoff and Memorial Cup tournament - perhaps played later than scheduled - can happen. The reality of their being a league or national champion this season is growing increasingly unlikely, though.

As for the respective CHL playoffs, the odds of them taking place would appear to be a long shot at this point, but no firm decision is being taken by the CHL on playoffs just yet.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) March 17, 2020

The ECHL has already cancelled its regular season and playoffs while the AHL has cancelled its regular season but is waiting to see what develops in the future before making an announcement on playoffs.

With the regular season now officially declared over, the Saint John Sea Dogs finish with a record of 30-33-1-0 for 61 points. Based on points percentage - some teams played 64 games while others got only 63 in - the Sea Dogs finished sixth in the Eastern Conference and 11th in the league.

CDC recommendation further hurts chance of CHL's return

MONCTON - Another day, another sign that the cancellation of the remainder of the Canadian Hockey League season might be imminent.

The latest bad news (... but also good news, because this sounds like the right thing to do) came this evening when the US Centers for Disease Control announced its recommendation that all events featuring 50 or more people over the next eight weeks be cancelled or postponed.

Please note new ⁦@CDCgov⁩ guidelines: for the next 8 weeks, events in the US with 50 or more people should be canceled or postponed https://t.co/ELdLDYrWxd

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 15, 2020

Eight weeks from now puts us at mid-May. The Memorial Cup is scheduled to begin May 21.

Obviously, if things start to turn around quickly in the US and Canada, there's a chance of squeezing in some playoffs and perhaps pushing the Memorial Cup back a bit. Given where we're at right now, and listening to some projections of what the next eight to 12 weeks could look like, it's harder and harder to see junior hockey returning this season.

Remember that even if, somehow, the green light is instantly given to resume mass gatherings in mid-May, many players may not have seen the ice in weeks. Most community rinks are shutting their doors across the country. That would mean several days if not a week or two of practices for players, further delaying the start.

It may be time to try and start shifting our thoughts to the joys and positivity that come with training camp - a thought we could all use right now.

Reports: QMJHL sending imports home

HALIFAX - All signs continue to point towards Canadian junior hockey returning to normal later rather than sooner.

In the latest turn of events, it's been reported that the QMJHL has informed teams to make travel arrangements for import players to return home.

The @QMJHL sent out a memo today inviting all its teams to arrange for their European players to make travel plans home to re-join their families.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 14, 2020

According to TVA Sports, this includes both American and European players.

La LHJMQ est en train de mettre en œuvre une procédure pour retourner les joueurs européens en Europe et les Américains aux États-Unis. #tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) March 14, 2020

The Sea Dogs informed players and families on Friday that players would be returning home - including those from outside the country. Players were told to pack their belongings as if the season had concluded.

Tonight's news should come as no surprise with flying internationally becoming more and more of an issue. The way things are going, some players may not be able to return home for some time if they do not travel as soon as they can.

The Canadian government has also informed Canadians traveling abroad to return home - and other countries are no doubt considering similar actions if they are not already in place.

As this whole situation continues to evolve, it seems more and more likely that the rest of the Canadian Hockey League season will be cancelled. Hopefully that is not the case, but things would need to improve drastically in a very quick period of time to squeeze any kind of playoffs in.

Also tonight, the East Coast Hockey League announced it is cancelling the remainder of its season. Several Sea Dogs alumni were playing or played in the league this season.

Sea Dogs' bright future doesn't make this time any brighter

HALIFAX - Who would have thought a standing ovation for Zachary Bouthillier would have so much meaning.

Seeing the largest TD Station crowd of the season give a gutted Bouthillier - who gave his all in an 8-2 Saint John Sea Dogs loss to the Drummondville Voltigeurs - a roaring applause of appreciation was one of the best fan reactions I've seen in junior hockey.

Bouthillier has been Saint John's most valuable player all season long, giving his defensively challenged team a chance to win time and time again. If this had been Bouthillier's final game at TD Station, he would have gotten a similar response.

One week after that moment, here we are, trying to grapple with the fact that we may have seen the end of Bouthillier's time in Saint John.

Let's face it: there's a very realistic chance we may not see the Sea Dogs again until training camp opens in August. As a fan, that's a sobering fact. The Sea Dogs had, at minimum, eight games left to play this season, which included at least four home games. Even though most of us knew this season was going to end soon, we weren't ready for it to end this soon.

As a fan, it's a tough thought to handle. We'll see the Sea Dogs again at some point, but we may never see these Sea Dogs again. Bouthillier and his fellow overagers, Jeffrey Durocher and Nicholas Deakin-Poot, will never get their proper send off. Several other players will no doubt be traded or released. Even the coaching staff is a question mark heading into the 2020-21 campaign. Despite all that the Sea Dogs are, without question, one of the luckier teams dealing with this situation.

The last thing this blog is is a Moncton Wildcats sympathy website, but imagine what their fans and players are feeling. This team had a realistic shot at winning the Memorial Cup this season - and they traded away most of their future to do so. Now, they may not even get a chance to play for a trophy.

Sea Dogs players heading home

SAINT JOHN - Saint John Sea Dogs players are returning home.

A day after it was announced that the 2019-20 season had been paused, the Sea Dogs informed staff and families today that the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has given the green light for players to return home - including players from outside the country. The team is telling players to pack their belongings as if the season were over - even though play could resume at some point this spring.

With the NBA and other leagues announcing that they will not return to action for at least 30 days, it seems more and more likely that the Sea Dogs may have played their final game of the 2019-20 season. Hopefully that isn't the case, but it's a strong possibility at this point.

The Canadian Junior Hockey League, which falls under the Hockey Canada umbrella, announced today that they will not resume play this season. U Sports' University Cup tournament was cancelled following Thursday night's game.

The Canadian Hockey League, meanwhile, released the following statement about May's Memorial Cup tournament.

It remains our hope that the 2020 #MemorialCup will continue as scheduled, however more information will be shared as details around the balance of the 2019-20 #CHL season are determined as we work through these unprecedented circumstances. pic.twitter.com/BrR3fnyQIy

— CanadianHockeyLeague (@CHLHockey) March 13, 2020

The Sea Dogs released some ticketing information today. The team's office at TD Station will also remain closed until further notice.

CHL season officially "paused"

SAINT JOHN - The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League followed the rest of the sports world on Thursday, announcing that the remainder of the 2019-20 season has been put on pause.

Here is the news release from the Sea Dogs:

The Canadian Hockey League and its three regional leagues the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Hockey League, take the health and safety of our players, fans, volunteers, staff, and general public very seriously. CHL President Dan MacKenzie with Commissioners David Branch, Gilles Courteau, and Ron Robison have been monitoring the situation in regards to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) including what local, provincial, and federal health agencies have recommended. Following consultation with medical professionals and meetings today among the CHL Executive Council, and regional league Board of Governors, the CHL announces that the balance of the 2019-20 season and all hockey activity shall be paused immediately until further notice. 

Fans with tickets to remaining Sea Dogs regular season home games and/or playoffs should keep their tickets until further information is provided. 

The upcoming Sea Dogs Awards Banquet on March 24th has also been postponed.
Please keep your tickets until further information is provided. 

We thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.

The Sea Dogs have also, just like all sports teams, suspended practices and team gatherings for the foreseeable future. The players will remain in the area with their billet families.

Essentially all hockey in North America has paused with an unknown date of return. This has truly been a stunning 24 hours - and the most stunning part may be the fact that we have no idea when things will return to normal.

Given the timing of all this, there's a good chance the Sea Dogs have played their last regular season game. It's hard to say how the season will resume - if it does at all.

Things could be going better

SAINT JOHN - It's hard not to be a bit pessimistic about the Saint John Sea Dogs' fortunes following the past week of hockey.

The Sea Dogs are arguably having their worst stretch of play all season, losing four straight games and being outscored 26-8 in the process. Almost nothing has gone well for the Dogs since a solid 5-4 home win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Feb. 29 - which, at the time, gave hope that the Dogs may end the year on a high note.

But that win over the Eagles has certainly been forgotten. The Sea Dogs have been a disaster on defense during this four-game skid and the offense, which has bailed the team out on a number of nights this year, has struggled.

The Sea Dogs are averaging 4.35 goals against per game and 39.55 shots against per game - both are a league high. As previously mentioned, the Sea Dogs' shots on goal average was around mid- to lower-pack of the league for most of the year, meaning it was unlikely that the Dogs would sustain 3.5 to 4 goals per game - something we are starting to see recently.

All of this is to say - the Sea Dogs' playoff position is still very much up in the air. The team sits sixth in the Eastern Conference and, with four games remaining, have 61 points, placing them two points ahead of both the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and the Quebec Remparts. The top eight teams in the conference will make the playoffs (unless Halifax pulls off a minor miracle down the stretch).

Saint John's schedule isn't easy the rest of the way, but it's... perhaps the easiest of the three teams? Here's a look:

• Saint John: at Bathurst, at Moncton, vs Cape Breton, vs Cape Breton
• Baie-Comeau: at Chicoutimi, vs Victoriaville, vs Chicoutimi, at Rimouski, at Rimouski
• Quebec: vs Rimouski, vs Sherbrooke, at Chicoutimi, vs Chicoutimi

So... it may be more of a crawl to the finish line in the Eastern Conference.

It's worth noting as well that the Sea Dogs own the Drakkar's first round pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. The Drakkar currently sit 13th overall, just one spot out of the draft lottery. Given Saint John's past history in the lottery, this could be huge for the franchise moving forward.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 8-2

FINAL: Drummondville 8, Saint John 2

SAINT JOHN - A rough stretch continued to be rough for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday night.

The Sea Dogs lost their fourth straight game, falling 8-2 to the red hot Drummondville Voltigeurs at TD Station. The Volts have now won six straight games, including both games of their three-game Maritime road trip so far.

The first half of Saturday's game was fairly even, but as the game went on, the Volts slowly started to turn things on and ran away with the game in the third period. It was more of the same for the Sea Dogs - the team's defensive play was a mess, they couldn't generate much offensively and they hung their goaltender out to try. On top of that, the Sea Dogs were playing their third game in as many nights, which certainly didn't help.

As seems to often be the case, a former Sea Dog came back to hurt his old team with Isiah Campbell scoring and adding two assists. William Dufour had a hat trick while other singles came from Xavier Simoneau, Charles-Antoine Dumont, Jeremy Lapointe Mathieu Charlebois. Anthony Morrone made 28 saves in the win.

Charles Savoie and Kale McCallum scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier, who was visibly frustrated with his team, made 34 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Reds win AUS championship again

FREDERICTON - The UNB Reds are champions again - and so too are several former Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Reds captured their third straight Atlantic University Sport title last night at the Aitken Centre, defeating the Acadia Axemen 5-1. The Reds had already earned a spot in next week's University Cup national championship in Halifax, but last night's win likely means they'll be seeded in the No. 1 spot.

pic.twitter.com/XjUA8LRUIx

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) March 7, 2020

Former Sea Dogs forwards Samuel Dove-McFalls, Oliver Cooper and Stephen Anderson and defenseman Matt Murphy all dressed in last night's deciding game. Defensemen Olivier LeBlanc and Benjamin Gagne were all out of the lineup.

Anderson, playing in his fifth and final season with the Reds, finished the AUS playoffs with two goals and seven assists, placing him in a tie with Alexandre Goulet for the team scoring lead.

The Reds will be looking to win their second straight University Cup next week and eighth since 2007. They'll be joined at this year's eight-team tournament by the host Axemen, Saint Mary's Huskies, Guelph Gryphons, Ottawa GeeGees, Saskatchewan Huskies, UBC Thunderbirds and either the Western Mustangs or Concordia Stingers.

The University Cup begins Thursday at Scotiabank Centre.

Game Day 64: vs Voltigeurs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs play the third game of a three-in-three tonight at TD Station.

Following back-to-back 6-2 loses in Charlottetown on Thursday and Friday, the Sea Dogs will look to turn things around tonight against the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The Volts have won five straight - including a 6-5 overtime win in Bathurst last night - while the Dogs have lost three straight.

Game time is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 30-32-1-0 for 61 points (fourth Maritimes, sixth Eastern, ninth QMJHL) while the Voltigeurs are 35-24-2-0 for 72 points (second Central, third Western, sixth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-2 loss in Charlottetown last night. Joshua Roy and Jeffrey Durocher scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 48 saves in the loss. The Voltigeurs are coming off a 6-5 overtime loss in Bathurst last night. William Dufour had a hat trick for the Volts while singles came from Isiah Campbell, Xavier Simoneau and Nicholas Girouard. Anthony Morrone made 16 saves in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Voltigeurs this season while Drummondville is 0-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 6 in Drummondville where the Sea Dogs defeated the Voltigeurs 5-2. Brady Burns had a hat trick for Saint John with singles coming from Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Nicolas Guay. Jacob Dion and Isiah Campbell scored for Saint John. Noah Patenaude made 40 saves in the win. Anthony Morrone made 16 stops in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Charlottetown 6

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE - Finally, it's over.

For the final time this season, the Saint John Sea Dogs took on the Charlottetown Islanders. And for a final time this season, the Islanders defeated the Sea Dogs 6-2.

In what has felt like one of the more lopsided season series in team history, the Islanders won their eighth game of the season over Saint John in nine tries. The Sea Dogs have recorded just six wins over the Islanders over the past three seasons combined (a total of 27 games).

Friday's contest was one of the closer meetings of the year until the third period. Saint John trailed just 2-1 entering the final frame - but the Isles scored four times and recorded 18 shots en route to a 6-2 win.

This was the third straight game that saw the Islanders defeat the Sea Dogs by a score of 6-2. Charlottetown's last four games have all been 6-2 victories.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 63: at Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE - It's the final meeting of the regular season between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders - and for the Sea Dogs, this game couldn't come soon enough.

The Sea Dogs have lost seven of the eight meetings against the Islanders this year - including the past two games, which Charlottetown won both by score of 6-2. The Isles now carry  a five-game winning streak into tonight's match at Eastlink Centre.

Game time tonight is 7:30 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 30-31-1-0 for 61 points (fourth Maritimes, sixth Eastern, ninth QMJHL) while the Islanders are 32-25-5-0 for 69 points (third Maritimes, fifth Eastern, seventh QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Islanders met last night at Eastlink Centre where Charlottetown won 6-2. Gaetan Jobin scored a pair of goals for Charlottetown while singles came from Cedric Desruisseaux, Thomas Casey, Nikita Alexandrov and Justin Gill. Jeremie Poirier and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Matthew Welsh made 27 stops in the win. Noah Patenaude made 28 stops in the loss.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-6-1-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 7-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Last night. See above.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Charlottetown 6

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE - The struggles continue.

The Saint John Sea Dogs had another forgettable performance against the Charlottetown Islanders on Thursday night, falling 6-2 at Eastlink Centre. The result comes after the Isles defeated the Dogs by the same score on Sunday at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs have had a dreadful season series against the Islanders this year, losing seven of the eight meetings. Fortunately Friday night's game - the third straight between the two - will be the final meeting of the regular season.

Much like Sunday's game, the Islanders outplayed the Sea Dogs in all aspects of the game. Charlottetown led 3-0 after just one period with Saint John only recording four shots in the opening frame.

With Zachary Bouthillier still nursing a lower body injury, Noah Patenaude allowed six goals on 34 shots. The goals certainly weren't all on the Sea Dogs rookie goaltender though, with his team struggling defensively in front of him.

Gaetan Jobin scored a pair of goals for Charlottetown while singles came from Cedric Desruisseaux, Thomas Casey, Nikita Alexandrov and Justin Gill. Matthew Welsh made 27 stops in the win.

Jeremie Poirier and Brady Burns scored for Saint John.

Game Day 62: at Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders play the second of three straight games tonight at Eastlink Centre.

The Islanders defeated the Sea Dogs 6-2 at TD Station on Sunday. The season series has been rather lopsided with two meetings left; Charlottetown has won six of the seven games the Dogs and Isles have played against each other.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 30-30-1-0 for 61 points (fourth Maritimes, sixth Eastern, ninth QMJHL) while the Islanders are 31-25-5-0 for 67 points (third Maritimes, fifth Eastern, seventh QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Islanders met on Sunday at TD Station where Charlottetown won 6-2. Noah Laaouan scored twice for the Isles with singles coming from Cédric Desruisseaux, Nikita Alexandrov, Gaetan Jobin and Brett Budgell. Jeffrey Durocher and Jeremie Poirier scored for Saint John. Matthew Welsh made 28 saves in the win. Noah Patenaude made 43 stops in the loss.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-5-1-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 6-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: This past Sunday. See above.

City closer to dealing TD Station

SAINT JOHN - The City of Saint John is one step closer in handing over the keys of TD Station to a private organization.

According to multiple media reports, including Huddle, four groups have come forward and expressed interest in buying or leasing TD Station. Among the four groups is Scott McCain's JSM Sports Entertainment Inc., further confirming the Saint John Sea Dogs' interest in operating the facility.

Here's a look at the other three groups:

• ASM Global: One of the largest arena management companies in the world, ASM manages a number of CHL buildings, including Moncton's Avenir Centre and Quebec City's Videotron Centre.
• Spectra: Another big name arena management company, Spectra manages CHL buildings in London, Everett, Hamilton, Windsor, and a few others.
• Nustadia Recreation Inc.: The group has more smaller, recreational type arenas on their management list compared to ASM and Spectra. Their roster includes Moncton's Superior Propane Centre (where the Wildcats hold their pre-season games) and Dartmouth's RBC Centre (which houses the Mooseheads' practice rink).

By the sounds of it, a decision from the City on how to move forward could take some time. Either way, it's good to see some reputable organizations showing interest in TD Station.

We wrote more about the possible changes to TD Station ownership and management in January.

Sea Dogs clinch playoff spot

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are officially headed back to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs.

It's the first time since 2017 that the Sea Dogs will take part in the President Cup post-season. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, recording just 14 wins in 2017-18 and 13 last year.

It's official, WE'RE IN! #SeaDogs15

Your Sea Dogs are playoff bound! Packages are on sale now at the TD Station Box Office. 8 game and 16 game packages available. Dates, times and opponent are TBA. pic.twitter.com/Z6pqP4exI7

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) March 2, 2020

The Sea Dogs currently sit sixth in the QMJHL's Eastern Conference with 61 points, and if the playoffs started today they would face the third seeded Rimouski Oceanic. There isn't a whole lot of opportunity for movement in the standings with just seven games remaining in the regular season for the Dogs. The Charlottetown Islanders sit ahead of Saint John with 67 points while the Baie-Comeau Drakkar sit below them with 57 points.

The Sea Dogs and Islanders meet two more times this season - this Thursday and Friday at Eastlink Centre. Of Saint John's seven remaining games, six are against teams with above .500 records.

Nine of the 16 playoff spots in the league have been secured. Six of the teams that have clinched are in the Eastern Conference.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-2

FINAL: Charlottetown 6, Saint John 2

SAINT JOHN - It wasn't a good day for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Sunday afternoon at TD Station.

The team looked flat and struggled in all aspects, falling 6-2 to the Charlottetown Islanders. The Sea Dogs have just one win in seven tries against the Islanders this season - and the two meet in back-to-back contests at Eastlink Centre this Thursday and Friday.

Saint John was outplayed for most of the game, falling down 3-0 and allowing over 30 shots on goal before the midway mark of the game. The team was no doubt feeling the effects of Saturday night's game, but nothing seemed to go right for Saint John on Sunday.

Noah Laaouan scored a pair of goals for Charlottetown while singles came from Cédric Desruisseaux, Nikita Alexandrov, Gaetan Jobin and Brett Budgell. Matthew Welsh wasn't tested too much, making 28 saves in the win.

Jeffrey Durocher and Jeremie Poirier scored for Saint John. Noah Patenaude made 43 saves in the loss.

The Islanders will now carry a four-game winning streak into Thursday's game in Charlottetown.

The Sea Dogs website has a full recap.

Game Day 61: vs Islanders

SAINT JOHN - In an odd scheduling quirk, the Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders play the first of three consecutive meetings today at TD Station.

Following this afternoon's tilt, the Sea Dogs will travel to the Island to play back-to-back games against the Isles on Thursday and Friday. Charlottetown has won five of the six previous meetings this season.

Game time this afternoon is 3 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 30-29-1-0 for 61 points (fourth Maritimes, sixth Eastern, ninth QMJHL) while the Islanders are 30-25-5-0 for 65 points (third Maritimes, fifth Eastern, seventh QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 home win over the Cape Breton Eagles last night. Joona Lehmus, Ben Badalamenti, Joshua Roy, Anderson MacDonald and Jeffrey Durocher all scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 51 stops in the win. The Islanders are coming off a 6-2 home win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Friday. Thomas Casey scored two goals for Charlottetown while singles came from Liam Peyton, Brett Budgell, Ethan Crossman and Nikita Alexandrov. Matthew Welsh made 21 stops in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-4-1-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 5-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 24 at TD Station where the Islanders defeated the Sea Dogs 2-1. Brendon Clavelle and Cole Edwards scored for Charlottetown. Anderson MacDonald scored Saint John's lone goal. Matthew Welsh made 40 stops in the win. Zachary Bouthillier made 27 stops in the loss.