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Thursday, September 2, 2021

Notebook: Less than one month away

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League regular season is less than a month away.

The regular season begins on Thursday, Sept. 30 with the President Cup champion Victoriaville Tigres hosting the Shawinigan Cataractes. The following night, Friday, Oct. 1, is when the season really gets going with all 18 teams in action - including the Sea Dogs hosting the Charlottetown Islanders at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs and Islanders meet again the following night at Eastlink Centre.

Before the regular season gets going, the Sea Dogs still have four pre-season games remaining. They'll take on the Moncton Wildcats in Fredericton on Friday, Sept. 10; travel to Dieppe to face the Wildcats on Sunday, Sept. 12; host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at the Aitken Centre on Saturday, Sept. 18; and close out exhibition play on Friday, Sept. 24 in Halifax.

STATS AND STUFF
Here's a quick look at some pre-season stats as the QMJHL enters the Labour Day break.
  • Saint John has scored a league high 33 goals in five pre-season games. A lot of that may have to do with the defensive units their opponents dressed - but it's still a positive sign.
  • Carter McCluskey and Nico Laforge each have a team high eight points.
  • Vince Elie, who has been cut from the team's camp roster, still leads the team in goals with five. McCluskey, Josh Lawrence and Peter Reynolds each have four.
  • Laforge leads the team in assists with five.
  • Noah Patenaude has allowed just one goal on 41 shots. Olivier Brideau (four goals against on 52 shots) and Ventsislav Shingarov (five goals against on 63 shots) also had strong performances before departing.
MACARTHUR VS SJ
Bennett MacArthur's three-point performance against Saint John last Saturday in Bathurst was a reminder of just how good he's been against the Sea Dogs over the past year.

2020-21 regular season: 12GP, 11G, 3A
2021 playoffs: 3GP, 3G, 1A
2021 pre-season: 1GP, 2G, 1A

ON THE FARM
The Sea Dogs are going to have a few guys playing with the Gatineau Intrepide this season.
NOEL SIGNS WITH GROWLERS
Newfoundlander and former Sea Dogs forward Nathan Noel has signed with the ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers.

Since turning pro in 2017, Noel has played in 71 games in the AHL and 62 in the ECHL. He did not play last season.

The 24-year-old played four seasons with the Sea Dogs, helping the club win the President Cup in 2017.

BENT STAYING IN ALLEN
Former Sea Dogs forward Kelly Bent is returning for another season with the ECHL's Allen Americans. The Americans announced the re-signing last week.

Bent, 26, appeared in 18 games with Allen last season, recording one goal and 71 penalty minutes in 15 games. Before joining Allen, he played in four games with the ECHL's Kansas City Mavericks.

Bent spent the 2013-14 season with the Sea Dogs where he recorded four goals, two assists and 120 penalty minutes in 56 games.

PROMOTIONS
In a sign that things are continuing to trend towards normal times, teams are starting to announce their promotional schedules for the 2021-22 season.

Listed in the Acadie-Bathurst Titan's pocket schedule, notable promos at the KC Irving Regional Centre this year include a "Fiesta Night" on Nov. 5 and a Throwback Night on Feb. 18.

Speaking of throwback, the Quebec Remaprts will wear four different alternate jerseys this season in honour of their 25th anniversary (for this version of the franchise, anyways).
The Halifax Mooseheads have also unveiled their promo schedule, which includes a 90s night on Nov. 27.
The Cape Breton Eagles, meanwhile, will retire Chris Culligan's No. 7 on Feb. 3.

OTHER THINGS
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