Former Sea Dogs on the move

Saint John Sea Dogs

A couple former Saint John Sea Dogs are on the move.

On the opening day of NHL free agency, the Montreal Canadiens signed Mike Hoffman to a three-year contract worth an average annual value of $4.5 million.

Hoffman spent last season with the St. Louis Blues where he recorded 17 goals and 19 assists in 52 games. He added one goal in four playoff games.

This will be Hoffman's fourth NHL team after stints with the Blues, Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators.

Hoffman played a season-and-a-half of junior hockey in nearby Drummondville. He spent the 2009-10 season with the Sea Dogs where he recorded 46 goals and 39 assists in 56 games as an overager, winning the QMJHL's most valuable player award.

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Kings traded Bokondji Imama to the Arizona Coyotes last week in a deal that involved three other players.

Imama has yet to appear in an NHL game and has spent much of the past four seasons in the AHL with the Ontario Reign. There will certainly be more playing opportunities with the Coyotes given their lineup situation over the next few seasons.

Thank you Boko for being a leader on the ice and in the community for four years! Your influence and fights will be missed. pic.twitter.com/23BxIqoQIG

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) July 27, 2021

Imama, 24, spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs, helping the club win the President Cup in 2017.

Spencer Smallman, meanwhile, has re-signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. According to the Hurricanes, the one-year, two-way "deal will pay Smallman $735,000 at the NHL level or $70,000 at the American Hockey League level."

Smallman, 24, lit up the ECHL with the Fort Wayne Komets before sticking with the AHL's Chicago Wolves for the remainder of the season. The former Sea Dogs captain had two assists in six games with the Wolves.

"Spencer has continued to improve each season since turning pro," said Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell. "He took another positive step in his development last season and we hope he can take another step forward next year."

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Eric Gelinas is also in the Carolina system.