After months of uncertainty, the Sea Dogs will play their first game of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League regular season tonight against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. This should be the beginning of an upswing for the Sea Dogs, who have suffered a few rough years of rebuilding after winning the President Cup in 2017.
On paper, Saint John's lineup is stacked and looks poised for a three-year run. But the Sea Dogs - led by new head coach Greg Gilbert - need to show that promise on the ice. They have this season to figure things out before the pressure to win really hits next year.
Game time this evening at the KC Irving Regional Centre is 7 p.m.
TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/CFBC 930 AM/QMJHL Live
2020-21 records: This is the first game of the regular season for both clubs.
2019-20 records: The Sea Dogs finished the shortened season with a 30-33-1-0 record for 61 points (fourth Maritimes, sixth Eastern, 11th QMJHL) while the Titan were 12-40-8-4 for 36 points (sixth Maritimes, 10th Eastern, 18th QMJHL).
Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 pre-season overtime loss to the Moncton Wildcats last Friday at TD Station. Jeremie Poirier and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Creed Jones made 36 stops in the loss. The Titan are coming off a 10-4 pre-season home loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Sept. 20. Alexis Dubé, Yannic Bastarache, David Doucet and Mathieu Desgagnés scored for Bathurst. Tommy DaSilva allowed six goals on 25 shots. Pierre-Vincent Guignard allowed for goals on 16 shots.
2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 7-1-0-0 against the Titan last season while Bathurst went 1-6-0-1 against Saint John.
Last meeting: Sept. 3 in Bathurst where the Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 9-4. Cam MacDonald scored a hat trick for Saint John; Peter Reynolds and Dawson Stairs both scored twice; and singles came from Leighton Carruthers and Alex Drover. Nolan Mozer, Dylan Andrews, Ben Allison and Carter Ansems scored for Bathurst. For Saint John, Carmine-Anthony Pagliarulo allowed three goals on 17 shots while Noah Patenaude allowed a goal on 13 shots. For Bathurst, Tommy DaSilva allowed five goals 28 shots while Jack Howatt allowed four goals on 14 shots.
Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: Goaltender Tommy DaSilva and assistant coach Greg Leland.
Titan to watch: Ben Allison finished second in QMJHL pre-season scoring with five goals and eight points. His five goals tied for the league high.
Random stat: The Sea Dogs are 7-6-2 all-time in season openers. This is the third time that the Sea Dogs will begin a season in Bathurst (2008, 3-2 OT win; 2009, 4-3 SO win).
Notes: Alex Drover led the Sea Dogs in pre-season scoring with eight points. He also had a team high six assists... Cam MacDonald and Charlie DesRoches each had a Sea Dogs high four goals in the pre-season... Ben Allison led the Titan in pre-season scoring with eight points and goals with five... Dylan Andrews and Dylan Champagne led Bathurst in assists with four.
Out of town:
Halifax at Cape Breton - 7:00 PM ADT
Charlottetown at Moncton - 7:00 PM ADT
Shawinigan at Chicoutimi - 7:00 PM EDT
Drummondville at Rouyn-Noranda - 7:00 PM EDT
Blainville-Boisbriand at Sherbrooke - 7:00 PM EDT
Gatineau at Val-d'Or - 7:00 PM EDT
Rimouski at Victoriaville - 7:00 PM EDT
Next game: The Sea Dogs play their home opener tomorrow night at 7 p.m. against the Charlottetown Islanders.
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