QMJHL takes a holiday pause

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is officially on a pause.

In a not-so-surprising announcement on Monday, the league confirmed that it will be "pausing its activities" from Dec. 1 until Jan. 3. According to the statement, "the decision was communicated to QMJHL Members and General Managers during a meeting held earlier today."

With the Quebec City bubble over, only four teams - the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, Val-d'Or Foreurs, Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Rimouski Oceanic - would be able to play games because of travel restrictions.

“The current situation with the pandemic in the regions in which we operate makes it extremely difficult to play games,” QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau said in the statement. “With the Holidays just around the corner, the provinces in the Maritimes have restricted access and travel, while red zone restrictions in Quebec do not permit us to play.”

The Jan. 3 restart is a nice thought, but it seems very unlikely unless there is a dramatic reduction in COVID-19 spread over the next few weeks. Even if out-of-province players returned to their markets on Boxing Day, the 14-day quarantine would keep them out of action. Add to that the fact that players won't be able to go from quarantine to game action without some practice... mid-January seems like the absolute earliest we'll see QMJHL games.

Considérant qu'il faudra une quarantaine obligatoire pour les joueurs avant de recommencer à jouer, on peut alors penser que la pause des activités de la #LHJMQ va s'étirer jusqu'aux alentours du 20 janvier prochain.

La Ligue fera un bilan de son expérience à Québec demain AM.

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) November 30, 2020

The Saint John Sea Dogs' first game after the holiday break is scheduled for Jan. 6 in Cape Breton. The team has not played since Nov. 18 due to a team staff member testing positive for COVID-19 and travel restrictions being placed on the Saint John region.

While intra-provincial restrictions are an issue, so too is travel within the Atlantic Bubble. And while placing the six Maritime teams in a bubble of their own could be a solution, that seems more unlikely than what is being proposed in Quebec (bubbles have proven to be quite expensive as well). The six Maritime teams have not received provincial government funding like the 12 Quebec teams have been given, meaning ticket revenue - the little they can get, at least - is a necessity.

The league will be holding a media conference tomorrow where some questions about the league's restart plan may be addressed.

Notebook: Patenaude invited to Swiss camp

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Noah Patenaude has been invited to Switzerland's world junior training camp.

According to a news release, the team's training camp begins Dec. 6 in Switzerland. After a first round of the cuts, the reaming players will travel to the Edmonton bubble on Dec. 13. The team is scheduled to make its final cuts on Dec. 23 after two pre-tournament games (Dec. 20 vs USA and Dec. 22 vs Sweden).

Congrats @Noahpatenaude1 ! Good luck! https://t.co/PDPTDfXtPF

— Anthony Stella (@AnthonyStella_) November 23, 2020

Four goaltenders were invited to the camp and the team is expected to carry three for the tournament. Patenaude, a dual Canadian/Swiss citizen, is the only one of the four currently playing in North America. 

Patenaude has arguably been Saint John's MVP this season, posting a 4-6 record to go along with a 3.62 goals against average and a .889 save percentage.

Former Sea Dogs goaltender Robert Mayer played for Switzerland at the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championship.

SCHEDULE CHANGES

The QMJHL confirmed Tuesday that Saint John's weekend games have been postponed.

The Sea Dogs were scheduled to host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday and Halifax Mooseheads on Sunday. Saint John's games last weekend were also postponed along with Wednesday's match against Moncton.

Officially, Saint John's next scheduled game is next Thursday, Dec. 3 against the Cape Breton Eagles at TD Station. The Saint John area will have to be out of the orange phase and back into the yellow for there to be any chance of that game happening.

No games are scheduled in the Maritimes this weekend.

AUS SEASON CANCELLED

Atlantic University Sport announced Wednesday that the conference's winter sport season - which includes hockey - has been cancelled.

There was a bit of good news though. The "AUS will allow member-driven competition for the upcoming winter semester," meaning exhibition games are still possible.

Wednesday's announcement impacts several Sea Dogs alumni who were set to play for AUS squads this season. There was definitely some initial worries about players leaving U Sports programs to turn pro, but that seems like less and less of a problem given how few leagues around the globe have managed to get going - and stay going - during the pandemic.

More travel issues for the QMJHL

Two more Maritimes Division teams are officially on a break from game play.

The Charlottetown Islanders and Halifax Mooseheads will both be unable to play home or away games due to travel restrictions that were confirmed on Tuesday. They join the Moncton Wildcats and Saint John Sea Dogs as Maritime clubs currently on the sidelines due to restrictions.

The restrictions for Prince Edward Island and the Halifax area will last for at least two weeks and then be reevaluated. The Moncton and Saint John regions are both in the orange phase for an undetermined amount of time.

The Mooseheads did not play this past Saturday and postponed Wednesday's scheduled game after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

Due to the temporary restrictions on gatherings by @nsgov due to COVID-19, @HFXMooseheads games from now until at least Dec 9 will be postponed to a future date. We will share updates as soon as we have more information. For ticketing inquiries, contact @TicketAtlantic

— Scotiabank Centre (@ScotiabankCtr) November 24, 2020

The Islanders, meanwhile, appeared poised to play this Wednesday on home ice, announcing Monday they had received an exemption from the provincial government to continue playing. The province said in a since deleted social media post Monday night that the Islanders had in fact not been granted any kind of exemption. On Tuesday morning, the Isles confirmed that they would not be playing any games while PEI remains outside the Atlantic Bubble.

Positive case numbers continue to creep up in the Saint John and Moncton areas - although at a slower pace than what we saw a few days ago. At a news conference on Tuesday, provincial health officials said there would be more positive cases in the coming days, which doesn't bode well for a quick return to the yellow phase.

Everything is a mess

SAINT JOHN - This time last week, the Saint John Sea Dogs were cruising.

The team had won three straight; they looked poised to finally win a road game; and the club had signed one of their top prospects in Simon Hughes.

The past few days have shown just how quickly things can turn in COVID times.

It's unclear when the Sea Dogs - along with the other five Maritimes Division clubs - will be action again. Three of the six teams - Saint John, Halifax and Cape Breton (sort of) have been shutdown directly by COVID while three of the six - Saint John, Moncton and Charlottetown (maybe?) - have some kind of travel restriction in their market.

Things are, as they say, not good.

Here's a breakdown of what we know.

Saint John Sea Dogs

A Sea Dogs staff member tested positive for COVID-19 last Thursday. Fortunately, that person did not travel with the team to Sydney last week. No players or other staff members have tested positive (that we are aware of). The team won't be able to play any games until the Saint John region is moved out of the orange phase and back into the yellow. 11 new cases were announced in the region on Monday.

Moncton Wildcats

Like the Saint John region, the Moncton area is in the orange and will not be able to play games until they're flipped back into yellow. The new case count isn't growing as quickly as the Saint John area, which is good.

Halifax Mooseheads

The Mooseheads postponed their games this past Saturday and this coming Wednesday due to a staff member testing positive for COVID. The employee had not been in contact with any players or hockey staff, the team said in a statement. When they'll resume play hasn't been confirmed. The New Brunswick government has also issued a travel advisory for anyone returning from the Halifax area due to community spread of the virus.

Sea Dogs release COVID update

SAINT JOHN - Amid rumours and speculation circulating around comment sections, the Saint John Sea Dogs released a COVID-19 update that provided a bit of clarity.

On Thursday, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced that a Sea Dogs staff member had tested positive for COVID-19.

Here's the statement:

Our Team, led by our team Covid Manager, is working closely with public health, our medical team, and League officials to ensure the safety of everyone.

The safety and health of everyone is our top priority.

All of our players are in confinement as well as the majority of our staff. 

Testing is ongoing and no new positive cases have been reported within the organization. The staff member who tested positive is sick and in isolation. 

It is not travel-related. The staff member has not been outside the Atlantic Bubble since prior to training camp.

No other staff members or players have been outside the Atlantic Bubble since joining the team for training camp.

The staff member experienced sudden onset of multiple symptoms following this past weekend and received a covid test the same day. They have been vigilant and in isolation since that date.

The staff member has not visited any of the following businesses this month, who have publicly listed exposure notices: Five and Dime, Freddie’s Pizza, Eighty Three Bar Arcade, and the Water Street Dinner Theatre.

We hope everyone continues to stay safe during these unprecedented times.

The statement was released just before the Province of New Brunswick placed the Saint John region back into the orange phase. Seven positive COVID-19 cases in the region were announced at a news conference on Friday.

The orange phase means sports teams can only practice amongst themselves, meaning games are unlikely to take place until Saint John returns to yellow. "Recreational and sport organizations may operate but are limited to practices and/or skills and drills within a single team," reads the government website.

The Moncton region was placed into the orange phase on Thursday. Meanwhile, in Nova Scotia, new restrictions placed on the Halifax area appear to mean the Mooseheads will have to further reduce Scotiabank Centre capacity beginning next week.

Sea Dogs staff member tests COVID positive

SAINT JOHN - COVID-19 hit the Maritimes Division hard on Thursday.

Not long after the New Brunswick government announced that the Moncton region would be going back into the orange phase, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League confirmed that a Saint John Sea Dogs staff member had tested positive for COVID-19.

The positive test means the Sea Dogs are suspending in-person team activities.

From the news release:

The league issued a memo to Sea Dogs' executives in which it outlined the following steps to take in accordance with COVID-19 protocols:

• Players and staff will now be isolated
• Members of the organization who have been in contact with the infected person will be tested 
• Public Health Officials have been contacted by the League. They are exploring the nature of all contacts between players and staff. Any additional findings will be shared with the team and the League.

The Cape Breton Eagles, who played the Sea Dogs last night, will not be competing until the investigation by Public Health Officials is complete.

The Sea Dogs staff member who tested positive did not travel with the team to Sydney this week, according to reports.

The league announced that Saint John's next three games - Friday in Charlottetown, Sunday in Bathurst and Wednesday at home against Moncton - have all been postponed. Cape Breton was scheduled to play in Moncton this week and those games have been postponed as well.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 8-6

FINAL: Saint John 6, Cape Breton 8

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs let a good start go to waste on Wednesday night at Centre 200.

The Sea Dogs let a 3-1 first period lead slip away in a wild and entertaining 8-6 loss to the Cape Breton Eagles. The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Sea Dogs and extended their road losing skid. Saint John remains winless away from home this season, falling to 0-4-2-1.

The Eagles took control of the game in the second period, scoring three goals on just eight shots. Nathan Larose's power play goal with 1:20 remaining in the middle frame put the Eagles up by two - a goal that felt like a bit of a back-breaker after Saint John's tying goal just prior was called off due to a kicking motion.

Saint John made a game of it in the final few minutes of the third thanks to a couple goals from Brady Burns. Cam MacDonald had a glorious chance to tie the game at 7-7 in the final minute but fired the puck into the pads of William Grimard, missing a wide open goal.

William Villeneuve was called for a hold with 45 seconds remaining with Saint John's net empty. Felix Lafrance iced the game with an even strength empty netter at 19:46, making it an 8-6 final.

Lafrance and Shawn Element both scored a pair for Cape Breton while singles came from Larose, Connor Trenholm, Ryan Francis and Jarrett Baker. Grimard made 35 stops in the win.

Along with Burns' pair, Saint John goals came from Joshua Roy (two), Leighton Carruthers and Dawson Stairs. Noah Patenaude made 26 stops in the loss.

Game Day 15: at Cape Breton

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to win their first road game of the season tonight at Centre 200.

The Sea Dogs are 0-3-2-1 away from TD Station, joining the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies as the only other active team that is winless on the road.

This is Saint John's first trip to Cape Breton this regular season. The two teams have met twice in Saint John with each team winning once.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 5-5-3-1 for 14 points (fourth Maritimes, sixth QMJHL) while the Eagles are 6-8-0-0 for 12 points (sixth Maritimes, eighth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 shootout win over the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday. Jeremie Poirier scored all three of Saint John's regulation-time goals. Creed Jones made 31 stops in the win. The Eagles are coming off a 4-3 loss in Charlottetown on Saturday. Shawn Element, Nathan Larose and Felix Lafrance scored for Cape Breton. William Grimard made 35 stops in the loss.

2020-21 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-1-0 against the Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Halloween at TD Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Eagles 5-3. Nicholas Girouard scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Joshua Roy, Peter Reynolds and Riley Bezeau. Nathan Larose, Shawn Element and Felix Lafrance scored for the Eagles. Noah Patenaude made 29 saves in the win. Nicolas Ruccia made 44 stops in the loss.

Notebook: Quebec bubble begins

Jonathan Roy/QMJHL

The QMJHL's Quebec City "protected environment" kicked off on Tuesday afternoon with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada taking on the Victoriaville Tigres.

It was just the third game of the season for the Armada and their first match since Oct. 4.

The Armada, Tigres, Drummondville Voltigeurs, Quebec Remparts, Gatineau Olympiques, Shawinigan Cataractes and Chicoutimi Sagueneens are all taking part in the event. Games count towards the regular season standings. There was some concern about the Voltigeurs joining due to an undetermined COVID-19 test result, but the club received clearance on Tuesday.

The league also announced that the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Val-d'Or Foreurs will venture outside their divisions this weekend, travelling to Baie-Comeau and Rimouski. The four cities are currently not in Quebec's red zone classification. The Sherbrooke Phoenix, who have been red zoned and didn't have time to meet the Quebec City bubble requirements, will be the only team sidelined this week.

Phoenix head coach and general manager Stephane Julien was not overly optimistic about his team returning to action anytime soon, telling Le Tribune that he doesn't expect the club to play another game in the calendar year.

MORE ON HUGHES

The Sea Dogs announced Monday that 16-year-old forward Simon Hughes "will join the Sea Dogs later this week and will begin training and practicing with the club."

News came out Sunday that Hughes, a second-round pick of Saint John in June's QMJHL Entry Draft, had signed with the Sea Dogs after parting ways with his US prep school.

“We’re happy to welcome Simon and his family to Saint John,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release. “He adds size, skill, and offensive depth to our team. He’s only 16 and hasn’t played or practiced for a number of weeks so we will be patient with him. Our coaching and training staff will work with him over the coming weeks to get him into game shape and help him adjust to the pace and life of a Major Junior player.”

.@SJSeaDogs 2nd Rd Pick Simon Hughes anxious to join team as 16 yr old rookie this week. @HockeyPEI #QMJHL pic.twitter.com/qA8IErFRMf

— John Moore (@rinkrant) November 15, 2020

Hughes signs with Sea Dogs

Twitter/John Moore

SAINT JOHN - Simon Hughes has signed with the Saint John Sea Dogs.

According to radio broadcaster John Moore, the 16-year-old forward will be joining the Dogs after starting the year with Rhode Island-based prep school Mount St. Charles Academy.

Rhode Island hockey reporter Mark Divver reported earlier this week that Hughes had returned home after continuous stops and starts in the prep school schedule due to COVID-19.

Hughes was a second-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft and many thought he had a strong chance of making this year's team. He did not attend the team's training camp, which featured a much smaller roster than usual due to COVID (in a normal year he may have attended and stayed for 48 hours).

The Stratford, PEI native registered 17 goals and 42 points in 38 games with the Charlottetown Knights last season.

"One of the most underrated players in the draft," Sea Dogs assistant general manager Anthony Stella wrote in June about Hughes. "Very smart, skilled and has size to add to his tools. We couldn’t believe he was there at 38 and it was a no-brainer pick for us. For a player with so much talent and is still so raw, Simon has the potential to be one of the better players in this entire draft."

Hughes was ranked 60th by HockeyProspect.com for the QMJHL Entry Draft while Central Scouting had him 34th.

"When he’s on his game, he’s a dominant player with his skills and great vision," wrote HockeyProspect.com.

Hughes joins forward Leighton Carruthers and defensemen Nathan Drapeau and Hunter Gartley as 16-year-olds on the Sea Dogs.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-3 (SO)

FINAL: Halifax 3, Saint John 4 (SO)

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - After a blowout win on Friday, the Saint John Sea Dogs needed a shootout to earn a victory on Saturday.

Alex Drover netted the only goal of the shootout and Jeremie Poirier scored all three of Saint John's goals in regulation time, guiding the Sea Dogs to a 4-3 win over the Halifax Mooseheads at TD Station. Saint John has now won three straight games and have improved to .500 on the year.

Saint John dominated much of the first period despite trailing 2-1. The Mooseheads played better the rest of the way, but the Dogs always seemed to have a slight edge. Even when trailing, it felt like this was Saint John's game to win.

It was the third time this season that the Dogs and Moose met and all three have required extra time. Halifax won the previous two matches - one in overtime and the other in a shootout.

The Sea Dogs have been showing noticeable signs of improvement over the past few games which has been great to see. Saint John will look to carry that momentum onto the road this coming week where they are 0-3-2-1.

Creed Jones made his return to the Sea Dogs net Saturday, making 31 saves in the win. He looked shaky at times in the first half of the game but was strong in the second half - particularly in the final 10 minutes of the third and shootout.

Lucas Robinson, Bobby Orr and Kyle Petten scored for Halifax. Brady James made 41 stops in the loss.

Game Day 14: vs Mooseheads

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to win a third straight game this evening at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs host the Halifax Mooseheads tonight. It's the third meeting of the season between the two but the first in Saint John. Halifax has won both of the previous contests - one in overtime and the other in a shootout.

A win by the Dogs tonight would put them at .500 heading into a three-game road stretch.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/93 CFBC/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-5-3-1 for 12 points (fifth Maritimes, seventh QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 5-5-2-1 for 13 points (third Maritimes, fifth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 9-4 home win over the Moncton Wildcats last night. Cam MacDonald had a hat trick; Charlie DesRoches and Nicholas Girouard had two goals each; and singles came from Liam Leonard and Charles Savoie. Noah Patenaude made 23 saves in the win. The Mooseheads are coming off a 7-6 shootout loss in Bathurst last night. James Swan, Justin Barron, Brendan Tomilson, Jason Horvath, Sonny Kabatay and Bobby Orr scored for Halifax. Alexis Gravel made 44 saves in the loss.

2020-21 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-0-1-1 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 7 in Halifax where the Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 5-4 in overtime. Bobby Orr, Elliot Desnoyers, Jordan Dumais, Brendan Tomilson and Jason Horvath all scored for Halifax. Brady Burns, Cam MacDonald, Jeremie Poirier and Peter Reynolds had Saint John goals. Alexis Gravel made 30 saves in the win. Noah Patenaude made 31 stops in the loss.

Watch: Sea Dogs score four quickly

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs' offense finally broke through last night, guiding the team to a big 9-4 win over the Moncton Wildcats at TD Station.

The six-goal second period featured the Sea Dogs scoring four goals in a 1:49 span.

Great coverage by Moncton. pic.twitter.com/zVshi7xmOn

— Denis Leblanc (@DenisL_1981) November 14, 2020

The six goals scored in the middle frame is the most the Dogs have scored in a single period this season. The nine total goals scored is also a season high.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 9-4

FINAL: Moncton 4, Saint John 9

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - A six-goal second period lifted the Saint John Sea Dogs to a second straight win over the Moncton Wildcats on Friday at TD Station.

After a fairly even first, the Sea Dogs exploded in the middle frame - something we haven't seen often from this team - scoring just 19 seconds in and then, later on, three goals in a 1:01 span. Saint John went on to win the contest 9-4.

The nine goals scored by Saint John was a season high. The team has struggled to get its offense firing on all cylinders all year long, but hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

Cam MacDonald had a tremendous game at both ends of the ice, scoring a hat trick along with a +4 rating, four shots and a team high seven hits. 

Nicholas Girouard and Charlie DesRoches both scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Liam Leonard and Charles Savoie. Noah Patenaude made 23 saves in win.

Yoan Loshing, Owen Stammer, Charles-Antoine Pilote and Alexis Daniel scored for Moncton. Dakota Lund-Cornish made 34 stops in the loss.

Game Day 13: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - You'll never guess who the Saint John Sea Dogs are playing tonight...

For the fourth time in less than two weeks and for a fourth time in five games, the Sea Dogs will take on the Moncton Wildcats. Moncton won the first two games at Avenir Centre before the Sea Dogs came out victorious on Tuesday night at TD Station.

Game time tonight at TD is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/93 CFBC/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 3-5-3-1 for 10 points (sixth Maritimes, eighth QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 5-6-0-0 for 10 points (fifth Maritimes, seventh QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Wildcats met on Tuesday night at TD Station with Saint John winning 4-2. Joshua Roy, Riley Bezeau, Brady Burns and Alex Drover all scored for Saint John. Connor Richard and Yoan Loshing scored for Moncton. Noah Patenaude made 21 stops in the win. Dakota Lund-Cornish made 34 stops in the loss.

2020-21 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-2-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 2-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: This past Tuesday. See above.

Notebook: Hughes returning home

Elite Prospects

One of the Saint John Sea Dogs' top prospects is returning to Canada.

Forward Simon Hughes, a second-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, has reportedly returned home after a short stint at Mount St. Charles prep school in Rhode Island.

'04 F Simon Hughes has left Mount St. Charles & returned home to Canada. Word is stops & starts in schedule because of COVID took a toll. Hughes is 2nd round pick of @SJSeaDogs

— Mark Divver (@MarkDivver) November 12, 2020

The 16-year-old is fairly highly touted prospect, recording 17 goals and 42 assists with the Charlottetown Knights last season.

It's unclear where he'll end up for the remainder of the season, but Grand Falls do own his MHL rights.

REYNOLDS WATCH

Peter Reynolds is catching the eye of some scouts early on this season.

Reynolds, playing in his first QMJHL season, was featured in Future Considerations' top-10 list of draft eligible players for October.

“Reynolds is a speedy skater who can get to top-end speed really quite quickly,” said scout Dylan Galloway. “On top of his great straight away speed and three-step acceleration, I liked the few flashes I saw of his edge work, he was able to change direction in a few instances and it was particularly evident around the puck in the offensive zone.”

Reynolds has four goals and three assists in 12 games. He has cooled down a bit lately, being held pointless in five of his past seven games.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-2

FINAL: Moncton 2, Saint John 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs had one of their best showings of the season on Tuesday night at TD Station.

Despite allowing the first goal, the Sea Dogs controlled most of the game, skating to a fairly solid 4-2 win over the Moncton Wildcats. The victory ended a three-game losing streak for the Sea Dogs, a streak that included two loses against Moncton last week.

Joshua Roy, Riley Bezeau, Brady Burns and Alex Drover all scored for Saint John. Noah Patenaude made 21 saves in the win.

The Sea Dogs outshot the Wildcats 38-23 in the game. Moncton struggled to get much going offensively, especially in the middle part of the game. The Dogs scored twice on 10 shots in the second period while the 'Cats failed to register any quality scoring chances.

Moncton goals came from Connor Richard and Yoan Loshing. Dakota Lund-Cornish made 34 saves in the loss.

This was just Saint John's third win of the season and second in regulation time. Maybe, just maybe, this is the win that gets this team rolling. We'll soon find out with the squad back in action on Friday and Saturday at TD Station.

Game Day 12: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to get back on track when they take on the Moncton Wildcats tonight at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs have lost three straight games - two of which came against the Wildcats in Moncton last week. The Dogs and 'Cats also meet on Friday night in Saint John.

Saint John sits alone in the Maritimes Division basement with a 2-5-3-1 record while the Wildcats sit two points ahead of them with a .500 record. Who would have predicted that?

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-5-3-1 for eight points (sixth Maritimes, eighth QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 5-5-0-0 for 10 points (fifth Maritimes, seventh QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss in Halifax on Saturday. Brady Burns, Cam MacDonald, Jeremie Poirier and Peter Reynolds all scored for Saint John. Noah Patenaude made 31 stops in the loss. The Wildcats are coming off a 6-4 loss in Charlottetown on Friday. Gabriel Fortier, Dominic Leblanc, Charles-Antoine Pilote and Jordan Spence all scored for Moncton. Nicholas Sheehan made 26 saves in the loss.

2020-21 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-2-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 2-0-0-0.

Last meeting: Last Friday at Avenir Centre where the Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3. Philippe Daoust scored twice for Moncton while singles came from Jordan Spence and Alexis Daniel. Liam Leonard, Nicholas Girouard and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Dakota Lund-Cornish made 29 stops in the win. Creed Jones made 45 in the loss.

Four Sea Dogs games rescheduled

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - A number of Saint John Sea Dogs games were rescheduled by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Monday.

The league announced it's stretching its Christmas break to 15 days "in order to give its players and staff a well-deserved break," according to a press release.

"The QMJHL understands the importance of giving players and staff a moment to re-energize and spend time with their families in the middle of this challenging season," read the statement. "The regular season schedule has been reorganized accordingly to give a two-week break to teams."

The Sea Dogs' last game of the first half is on Dec. 19. The team will not return to action until Jan. 6. 

Here are the Sea Dogs games impacted:

• Dec. 28 vs Cape Breton will be played Dec. 3
• Dec. 30 at Moncton will be played Dec. 9
• Dec. 31 vs Moncton will be played Nov. 25
• Jan. 3 vs Bathurst will be played Feb. 3

The move doesn't come as a huge shock as Maritimes Division teams are in a bit of a jam with the 14-day quarantine situation. When non-Atlantic players leave the Atlantic bubble for the holidays, they'll need to isolate for 14 days upon returning (assuming that rule is still in place, which it likely will be). Even if players returned on Boxing Day, they'd still miss three games (Jan. 6, Jan. 8 and Jan. 9). So... not sure what's going to happen with that, but this Christmas break extension helps out some at least.

Rescheduling the above games seems like an easy task given what the league has been going through the past few weeks. Some more bad news came out on Monday: Sherbrooke is turning into a red zone on Thursday and it's reportedly too late for the club to enter the Quebec City bubble.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-4 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 4, Halifax 5 (OT)

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs' penalty kill woes proved costly on Friday night.

The Halifax Mooseheads scored three times on the man advantage - including the overtime winner - in a 5-4 victory over the Sea Dogs at Scotiabank Centre.

Saint John entered the game with the league's worst penalty kill (66.7%) amongst active QMJHL teams and it had another rough night, allowing the Moose to score three times on seven opportunities. This comes after allowing two power play goals on Friday.

On the flip side, Saint John's power play had a great night, scoring on three of four chances. The Sea Dogs' offense had a decent night, particularly in the second period when the team scored four times on 14 shots. The Dogs were also quite a bit more physical than what we've seen of late (although it did cost them penalties a couple of times).

The Dogs let a two-goal lead slip away in the third period, a frame that saw Halifax outshoot Saint John 15-6. It was the same story we've seen all year: the Sea Dogs just can't quite put a 60-minute performance together that doesn't have costly missteps.

Saint John now sits at 2-5-3-1 on the year. They have lost three straight games and remain winless on the road.

Halifax had goals from Bobby Orr, Elliot Desnoyers, Jordan Dumais, Brendan Tomilson and Jason Horvath. Alexis Gravel made 30 stops in the win.

Saint John goals came from Brady Burns, Cam MacDonald, Jeremie Poirier and Peter Reynolds. Noah Patenaude made 31 stops in the loss.

Game Day 11: at Halifax

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to earn their first road win of the season tonight in Halifax.

The Sea Dogs, 0-3-1-1 on the road this season, take on the Halifax Mooseheads at 7 p.m. at Scotiabank Centre. The Dogs have lost back-to-back games - both losses to the Moncton Wildcats at Avenir Centre.

This is the second meeting of the season between the Dogs and Moose.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Eastlink TV/93 CFBC/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-5-2-1 for seven points (sixth Maritimes, 10th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 4-5-2-0 for 10 points (fifth Maritimes, seventh QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 loss in Moncton last night. Liam Leonard, Nicholas Girouard and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Creed Jones made 45 stops in the loss. The Mooseheads are coming off a 5-4 home win over the Charlottetown Islanders last night. Elliot Desnoyers recorded four goals while William Robitaille added a solo marker. Brady James made 41 saves in the win.

2020-21 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-0-0-1 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 17 at Scotiabank Centre where the Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 5-4 in a shootout. Markus Vidicek scored twice for Halifax while singles came from Zachary L'Heureux and Elliot Desnoyers. Riley Bezeau, Joshua Roy, Josh Lawrence and Alex Drover scored for Saint John. Cole McLaren made 37 stops in the win. Creed Jones made 23 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Moncton 4

MONCTON - 10 games into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season and there's no doubt that the Saint John Sea Dogs are not where they want to be.

The Sea Dogs fell to 2-5-2-1 on the year with another road loss on Friday, blowing two one-goal leads and losing 4-3 to the rebuilding Moncton Wildcats. Saint John was outshot 49-32 in the game and the score could have been much worse if not for the strong play of netminder Creed Jones.

Saint John's penalty kill, which entered the game with an ugly 67.9% rating, struggled once again, allowing two power play goals which proved to be costly.

It felt like the Sea Dogs had a good chance of winning despite the Wildcats carrying quite a bit of the play. Saint John couldn't get much going in the third and allowed two Moncton goals - including the game-winner at 8:23 on a nice tip by Alexis Daniel.

10 games in, the Sea Dogs have plenty of work ahead of them.

There was some good news for Saint John in this game. Both Liam Leonard and Brady Burns scored their first goals on the season and Jones, who has struggled, had his best game as a Dog. Nicholas Girouard scored Saint John's other goal.

Philippe Daoust scored twice for Moncton while singles came from Daniel and Jordan Spence. Dakota Lund-Cornish made 29 stops in the win.

Game Day 10: at Moncton

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats meet again tonight at Avenir Centre.

The two teams played the first of 12 meetings on Wednesday with the Wildcats winning 3-1. Saint John will play the Moncton in three of their next four games.

The Wildcats have won three straight contests, pushing their record to .500. The Sea Dogs will be looking for their first road win of the season this evening.

Game time is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/93 CFBC/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-4-2-1 for seven points (sixth Maritimes, 10th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 4-4-0-0 for eight points (third Maritimes, fifth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Wildcats met on Wednesday night at Avenir Centre where the home team won 3-1. Gabriel Fortier, Jacob Stewart and Francis Langlois scored for Moncton. Dawson Stairs scored Saint John's lone goal. Dakota Lund-Cornish made 35 stops in the win. Noah Patenaude made 25 stops in the loss.

2020-21 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Wednesday night. See above.

Key stretch beginning for Sea Dogs

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - It's early (very early), but the Saint John Sea Dogs are entering a key stretch of their first half schedule.

The Sea Dogs have struggled so far this season, posting a 2-4-2-1 record. No game has been easy, but the team's upcoming stretch is, in theory and on paper at least, "easier" than what they've played so far.

Saint John's next five games will all be against either the Moncton Wildcats (4-4-0-0) or Halifax Mooseheads (3-5-2-0), two teams in the early goings of rebuilds. The Sea Dogs have lost to both teams this season, with both of those loses coming on the road where Saint John remains winless.

Here's a look at Saint John's next five games:

Friday, Nov. 6 at Moncton

Saturday, Nov. 7 at Halifax

Tuesday, Nov. 10 vs Moncton

Friday, Nov. 13 vs Moncton

Saturday, Nov. 14 vs Halifax

Following this stretch, the Sea Dogs visit the Cape Breton Eagles (4-6-0-0) on Nov. 18.

While it is indeed early, it's obvious that this team could use some positive momentum and confidence moving forward. Picking up some points along the way would be great as well. The team's slow start can certainly be overcome (a team going on a 2-4-2-1 run after starting the year 30-10, for example, wouldn't be overly noticeable) but there's no question that this is not the opening most had hoped for.

A few other notes...

• The Wildcats enter Friday's game on a three-game winning streak.
• The Sea Dogs play mid-week games this week (Wednesday's 3-1 loss), next week (Nov. 10 vs Moncton) and the following week (Nov. 18 at Cape Breton).
• Saint John's offense continues to be a bit of a mystery. They've led the league in shots per game (37.12) all season but are averaging 3.02 goals per game. Only the Wildcats have a worse goals per game average (2.86) in the Maritimes Division.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 3-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Moncton 3

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs couldn't generate enough offense on Wednesday night.

The Sea Dogs struggled to create a ton of quality scoring chances throughout the game. When they were able to create good opportunities, goaltender Dakota Lund-Cornish shut the door, leading the Moncton Wildcats to a 3-1 win at Avenir Centre.

Saint John outshot Moncton 36-28 and had a good share of puck possession but, like a lot of games this season, just didn't look quite right. This is a team that is still struggling to find its stride - even after a what seemed like a promising win on Saturday over the Cape Breton Eagles.

Dawson Stairs scored Saint John's lone goal, a power play marker in the third period. Noah Patenaude made his third straight start and made 25 stops in the loss.

The loss dropped the Sea Dogs to 2-4-2-1 on the season, placing them last in the Maritimes Division. They remain winless on the road.

Moncton, who have now won three straight, had goals from Gabriel Fortier, Jacob Stewart and Francois Langlois. Lund-Cornish made 35 stops in the win.

Game Day 9: at Moncton

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats meet for the first time this season tonight at Avenir Centre.

Tonight's match replaces the postponed October game between these two, which got pushed when the Moncton region was placed into the COVID orange phase. The Sea Dogs and Wildcats will get to know each other quite well over the next couple weeks, meeting four times between now and Nov. 13.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/93 CFBC/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-3-2-1 for seven points (fifth Maritimes, ninth QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 3-4-0-0 for six points (sixth Maritimes, 13th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-3 win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday at TD Station. Nicholas Girouard scored twice while singles came from Joshua Roy, Peter Reynolds and Riley Bezeau. Noah Patenaude made 29 saves in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a wild 7-6 overtime win in Bathurst on Friday. Jordan Spence recorded a hat trick; Francois Langlois had two goals; and singles came from Connor Olson and Jacob Hudson. Nicholas Sheehan made 24 stops in the win.

2020-21 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 3-5-0-0 against the Wildcats last season while Moncton went 5-3-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: These two met in pre-season play on Sept. 25 at TD Station where the Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs 3-2 in overtime. Dominic Leblanc scored twice for Moncton while Jacob Hudson netted the overtime winner. Jeremie Poirier and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Dakota Lund-Cornish made 21 saves in the win. Creed Jones made 36 stops in the loss.

The MHL season is underway

There will be plenty of familiar faces skating in the Maritime Hockey League this season.

Several Saint John Sea Dogs alumni, draft picks and past training camp attendees will be playing in the league, which kicked off its shortened 2020-21 season this past weekend.

Highlighting the list are a number of 2017 Sea Dogs draft picks, including Aiden MacIntosh (Amherst), Brendan Sibley (Edmundston), Jeremie Jacob (Miramichi), Luke Wilson (Valley), Josh MacDonald (Summerside) and Daniel Surette (Yarmouth). Of the 15 players Saint John selected in 2017, none are currently playing with the Sea Dogs.

A few other notable Sea Dogs alumni playing in the MHL include Patrick Musico (Fredericton), Jordan Spadafore (Miramichi), Carson Gallant (Truro) and Luke Wilson (Valley).

Here's a breakdown of all the MHL players who have Sea Dogs connections (if we missed someone, drop us a comment).

Amherst: Aiden MacIntosh (alumni)

Campbellton: Sam Dow (acquired via trade; not listed on Campbellton's active roster)

Edmundston: Brendan Sibley (alumni), Antoine Lyonnais (signee)

Fredericton: Zach Alchorn (signee) Connor McCluskey (2019 training camp attendee and brother of Sea Dogs draft pick Carter McCluskey), Justin Lush (2017 training camp attendee), Patrick Musico (alumni), Logan Carruthers (brother of Sea Dogs forward Leighton Carruthers)

Grand Falls: Carter McCluskey (2019 draft pick), Isaac Dixon (2020 training camp attendee)

Miramichi: Jeremie Jacob (alumni), Jordan Spadafore (alumni), Daniel Moody (2020 training camp attendee)

Notebook: Gilbert on changing Dogs' ways

Greg Gilbert is trying to get his club to play at a higher pace.

In an interview with Rogers TV's Craig Eagles, the Saint John Sea Dogs head coach explained what style of play he's trying to get his team to move towards.

“We are implementing a style that we are moving all the time,” Gilbert told Eagles.

“Playing at a slower pace or pacing themselves having a minute-long shift and stuff like that is exactly the opposite of how I want us to play.

“We want 35 to 40 second shifts of high tempo and high energy where they are always moving and staying fresher for longer rather than playing at a slower pace.”

The Sea Dogs earned their first win in regulation-time on Saturday, improving their record to 2-3-2-1. The team has had more rough stretches than good, but Gilbert said he's seen glimpses of the style he's looking for.

Gilbert had a lot to say in the interview, which also touched on the team's scoring woes, defensive play and the leadership group.

GILBERT NOT PLEASED

Greg Gilbert didn't hide his feelings about his team's performance this season in an interview with Patrick McNeil that aired on Saturday's Cape Breton Eagles radio pre-game show.

Gilbert called out his team which, at the time, was coming off another disappointing overtime loss.

SJ coach Greg Gilbert NOT mincing words in pre-game show about his team.

"We have skill guys who are supposed to be goal scorers, you look down the line and see 0, 1 goals, because they think it's a fancy game. Won't shoot the puck, go to tough areas, and it's costing us games."

— Patrick McNeil (@cbepbp) October 31, 2020

"Trying to change the culture, some days it's like pulling teeth. Because they've able to do what they've been able to do last two years, it's hard habits to break."- GG

Similar to last night Trevor Georgie spoke about installing "vicious accountability" in SJ dressing room.

— Patrick McNeil (@cbepbp) October 31, 2020

Gilbert seemed much happier with his club following Saturday's game - a pretty solid 5-3 win over the Eagles.

"You go into the dressing room after and you ask them how they feel, and they're all tired, and they're bumped up and bruised, and I say that's what it takes to win," the coach told the Telegraph-Journal (paywall).