Notebook: Sea Dogs entering extended break

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie released a statement Wednesday evening as the QMJHL enters its extended holiday break.

"This longer pause gives our young men a chance to return home to their loved ones for the holidays," Georgie said. "The majority of them have not seen their families since the beginning of August. It also allows enough time to respect all proper provincial quarantine guidelines when travelling to their families and for when they return to their second home here in Saint John.

"At this point in time, we are planning to kick off the second half of the season in late January."

In a news conference on Tuesday, commissioner Gilles Courteau said the best case scenario for the league's return is games resuming - with a normal schedule - somewhere around Jan. 17-20. If regular travel is still not permitted by then, the league will look into holding several bubbles in late January.

Georgie also noted that Sea Dogs season ticket members will be reimbursed if the club does not host its planned 30 total home games this season.

ANOTHER QUARANTINE

You really have to feel for Sea Dogs goaltender Creed Jones.

Jones quarantined when he arrived in Rimouski for training camp; then quarantined when he was traded to Saint John; and is now in the final days of his third quarantine after a Sea Dogs staff member tested positive for COVID-19. He has spent 42 days in a hotel room over the past three months, as noted by the Peterborough Examiner in a now locked article about the overage netminder.

The article noted that Jones is considering spending the holidays with his billet family in Saint John to avoid a fourth quarantine when play is expected to resume in January - and who can blame him.

Jones has had his struggles this season, posting a 4.36 goals against average and a .872 save percentage. Hopefully he can avoid more quarantines in the second half and get more comfortable in the crease.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Jeremie Poirier has been named the QMJHL's defenseman of the month for November.

"Another year, another offensively charged season for Jeremie Poirier," reads a league press release. "The 18-year-old from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield posted points in six of seven November outings, three of which were multi-point affairs. The highlight of the month for the third-year veteran came at home against the Halifax Mooseheads on Nov. 14, when Poirier recorded just the second hat trick by a defenseman in Sea Dogs franchise history."

Poirier has five goals and 11 assists in 15 games this season. Four of his five goals came in November.

Halifax Mooseheads forward Bobby Orr, a former Sea Dogs prospect, was named the rookie of the month.

DRAFT RANKINGS

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic released his preliminary rankings of the top 64 players available for the 2021 NHL Draft.

Sea Dogs forward Joshua Roy was ranked 22nd.

"Roy’s not going to be a star at the next level but I have full faith that he’ll become an everyday NHL player who can play up and down the lineup," writes Wheeler. "There aren’t many prospects in this draft class I can say that about. I’ve got a lot of time for the way he plays, which isn’t even the style to which I’m typically drawn."

Other Sea Dogs notables listed: Fyodor Svechkov (50th), Guillaume Richard (honourable mention), Peter Reynolds (honourable mention) and Charlie DesRoches (honourable mention).

TOP Q PROSPECTS

The QMJHL website has an article on the top 10 NHL Draft eligible players from the QMJHL during the month of November. Sea Dogs forwards Peter Reynolds and Cam MacDonald both cracked the list.

ECHL UPDATE

An update on a story we've been covering for a few months now: the ECHL keeps getting closer and closer to having a franchise in Trois-Rivieres - but it is still not official.

However, it should be noted that no application for membership has yet been submitted to the league (although a signed lease agreement would be part of that application). pic.twitter.com/mmsKNJSyyh

— ECHL Week (@ECHLWeek) November 30, 2020

Deacon Sports and Entertainment also owns the ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers (who will not be playing this season) and are trying to land another expansion team in the Iowa City suburbs.