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.
“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.
“Chase is a throwback defenseman that adds some more toughness,” said Steelheads head coach Everett Sheen in a release. “We look forward to having his leadership and presence on the back end.”
SJ coach Greg Gilbert NOT mincing words in pre-game show about his team.
— Patrick McNeil (@cbepbp) October 31, 2020
"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."
Gilbert seemed much happier with his club following Saturday's game - a pretty solid 5-3 win over the Eagles."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
— Patrick McNeil (@cbepbp) October 31, 2020
Similar to last night Trevor Georgie spoke about installing "vicious accountability" in SJ dressing room.
"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).
LOSING MONEY
Even with some fans in the stands, Maritimes Division QMJHL clubs will be taking significant financial hits this season.
In an interview with Radio Canada, Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie said the Sea Dogs will report a loss of at least $1 million this season. Obviously the team is hurt by the limited building capacity, but Georgie added that losing some sponsors due to the pandemic and having the rink filled almost entirely with season ticket members (who are likely to purchase fewer items at games due to their frequent attendance, according to Georgie) will also hurt the club's books.
In the same article, Eagles president Gerard Shaw believes that this model will not be sustainable past this season.
VILLENEUVE FEATURE
The Athletic had a lengthy profile on William Villeneuve this past week, touching on a number of subjects.
A few of the highlights:
- Villeneuve's mono diagnosis in his rookie season (January 2019) impacted him into October of that year.
- I like this quote: “If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody’s going to do it for you,” he explained. “I don’t hesitate. The difference is a fraction of a second. If you hesitate a fraction of a second, you’ve lost your advantage over your opponent. If my instinct tells me to (join the rush), I’m going to go right away.”
- He reads about himself online, so he's aware of what people are knocking him for.
- The Dogs considered making Villeneuve the team's captain this season but didn't want to put more pressure on him with Greg Gilbert trying to overhaul the squad's playing style.
MUNDEY SPEAKS
Wayne Mundey, a senior advisor with the Sea Dogs and a long-time scout for the St. Louis Blues, spoke with the Montreal newspaper The Suburban last week. He spoke about his time working in hockey (which included a stint as a referee in the World Hockey Association!) and what his role actually is with the Sea Dogs.
ECHL SIGNINGS
A couple notable ECHL transactions involving Sea Dogs alumni have taken place recently.
After five seasons with the UNB Reds - which included three national championships - Stephen Anderson has signed with the ECHL's Florida Everblades. Anderson spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs between 2011 and 2014.
Chase Stewart, meanwhile, has signed with the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads. The Steelheads acquired Stewart's rights from Fort Wayne Komets where the defenseman appeared in 30 games last season and 25 the season prior. Stewart spent the 2016-17 season with the Sea Dogs.
The Everblades are scheduled to begin the ECHL season on Dec. 11 while the Steelheads will debut on Jan. 15.
GATINEAU RINK UPDATE
The chances of the Gatineau Olympiques returning to the Robert Guertin Centre are getting slimmer.
It was announced a few weeks ago that the building will continue to be used as a shelter for the area's homeless population into the spring. The Olympiques were forced to move into the Baribeau Arena to start the season, a move that's looking more and more permanent for this season.
The team's new arena, the Slush Puppie Centre, continues to come along.
Our New Home ... Le Centre Slush Puppie @LesOlympiques @LHJMQ #cantwait #lhhmq #newrink pic.twitter.com/RBc3HI2bcy
— Louis Robitaille (@LouisRobitaille) October 30, 2020
The Sea Dogs, of course, won their first QMJHL championship at the Robert Guertin Centre in 2011.
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