Notebook: Dogs slide to 9th in Top 10

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

An 0-2 start to the season has pushed the Saint John Sea Dogs down the CHL Top 10 rankings.

Saint John opened the season ranked third in the weekly rankings. After back-to-back losses to the Charlottetown Islanders over the weekend, the team has moved down to ninth.

It's Wednesday. You know what that means.
The @KiaCanada Top-10 Rankings.

📝: https://t.co/CylCI1LPC3 pic.twitter.com/fHN97QzYDf

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) October 6, 2021

The WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings were ranked first. Other QMJHL teams ranked were the Quebec Remparts (second), Acadie-Bathurst Titan (third) and Islanders (seventh). The Shawinigan Cataractes were an honourable mention.

The Sea Dogs face the Titan twice this weekend and the Islanders on Monday.

BOOTS IS BACK

In case you missed it last week, the Sea Dogs have rehired Paul Boutilier to work as a Defense Consultant.

Boutilier, well known around hockey for his defensive coaching, helped the Sea Dogs win the President Cup in 2017 as an assistant coach.

“To add the Saint John Sea Dogs to my client list feels great” said Boutilier in a team release. “Looking forward to working with Gord Dwyer, his coaching staff, and the contingent of defensemen Trevor Georgie has assembled. I strongly believe individuals can be taught and mentored to play ‘defence to win’ and develop into a group hard to generate offensive on. It is a responsibility that I welcome.”

For many teams this wouldn't be a major news story - but for a Sea Dogs squad that has struggled mightily defensively over the past few seasons and is hosting the Memorial Cup, this could be a very significant hire

BEZEAU FIGHT

Riley Bezeau had Saint John's first fight of the season on Saturday.

OPENER NUMBERS

The Sea Dogs played their 17th season opener last Friday at TD Station. The 4-2 loss to the Islanders pushed the team to 7-7-3 all-time in openers.

This was also the fourth time the Sea Dogs have kicked off regular season play against the PEI Rocket/Charlottetown Islanders franchise.

Here's a look at Saint John's all-time season opener results:

Sept. 16, 2005: St. John's 3, Saint John 2 
Sept. 15, 2006: Rimouski 2, Saint John 3 (OT) 
Sept. 13, 2007: Saint John 1, Lewiston 4 
Sept. 12, 2008: Saint John 3, Bathurst 2 (OT) 
Sept. 11, 2009: Saint John 4, Bathurst 3 (SO) 
Sept. 10, 2010: PEI 4, Saint John 6 
Sept. 8, 2011: Moncton 3, Saint John 1 
Sept. 20, 2012: Bathurst 3, Saint John 1 
Sept. 13, 2013: Saint John 5, Moncton 3 
Sept. 12, 2014: Saint John 2, Charlottetown 3 (SO)
Sept. 12, 2015: Halifax 2, Saint John 5 
Sept. 23, 2016: Saint John 2, Charlottetown 6
Sept. 21, 2017: Halifax 4, Saint John 1
Sept. 21, 2018: Halifax 5, Saint John 4 (OT)
Sept. 20: 2019: Halifax 3, Saint John 4

Oct. 2, 2020: Saint John 3, Bathurst 4 (OT)

Oct. 1, 2021: Charlottetown 4, Saint John 2

TOP 100

Four current Sea Dogs cracked The Hockey News' list of the top 100 players currently in the CHL. The four Dogs are:

54. Ryan Francis

74. Jeremie Poirier

75. William Villeneuve

96. William Dufour

Former Sea Dogs forward and current Sherbrooke Phoenix Joshua Roy was ranked 61st.

Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs was ranked first followed by Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats.

PREDICTIONS

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic has shared his picks for the 2021-22 CHL season.

Wheeler picks the Sea Dogs to win the Maritimes Division and defeat the Quebec Remparts in the President Cup final. He also picks the Sea Dogs to finish third at the Memorial Cup.

See the full picks and predictions here.

DOVE-MCFALLS NAMED REDS CAPTAIN

Former Sea Dogs forward Samuel Dove-McFalls has been named captain of the UNB Reds for the 2021-22 season.

“It’s a huge honour, and I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to be a leader for this group of players,” Dove-McFalls said in a release. “I can’t help but be excited for what is to come when I look at my teammates around the room.”

The 24-year-old is in his fourth season with the Reds. He has 15 goals and 20 assists in 49 career U Sports games. He's added two goals and three assists in 11 playoff games.

Dove-McFalls spent four seasons with the Sea Dogs, helping the team win the President Cup in 2017.

RICHARD OFF TO GOOD START
Sea Dogs draft pick Guillaume Richard got his NCAA career off to a strong start last weekend.

The 18-year-old defenseman recorded a goal and two assists in Providence College's 7-0 victory over Army.

Richard puts home Parker Ford's rebound after joining the rush for his first collegiate goal and second point of the night! Jamie Engelbert earns the secondary assist. pic.twitter.com/xSh80nPbfP

— PC Men's Hockey (@FriarsHockey) October 2, 2021

The Friars begin their Hockey East schedule on Thursday night against Merrimack.

Richard was a fourth-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect spent last season with the USHL's Tri-City Storm.

IMAMA BREAKS RINK

Boko Imama hits so big that he’s wrecking the arena. #yotes pic.twitter.com/yf6lMJMiRb

— Todd in Phoenix (@toddinphx) October 2, 2021

OTHER THINGS

• The Sea Dogs, Moncton Wildcats and Sherbrooke Phoenix are the only teams off to 0-2-0-0 starts. Saint John is tied with a number of teams for the fewest goals scored with four. They are also tied for the most goals against with nine.
• The Sea Dogs have a home-and-home with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan this weekend, beginning Friday at the KC Irving Regional Centre. The Titan are 2-0 following back-to-back wins over the Moncton Wildcats.
• Former Sea Dogs forwards Dawson Stairs and Nicholas Girouard started the season on Cape Breton's top line with Ivan Ivan.
• Former Sea Dogs defenseman Kale McCallum had three assists for the Val-d'Or Foreurs this past weekend.
• Saint John and Gatineau were the only teams to score shorthanded goals this past weekend.
• Willy Palov of The Chronicle Herald has the Sea Dogs ranked as the fourth best team in the QMJHL entering the season.
• Why haven't the Calgary Flames signed Ryan Francis to an entry-level contract? There are many potential reasons.
• CHL TV got off to a real rough start this past weekend in the QMJHL. We know what Saint John looked like while other teams had connection issues. Even Saturday's feed for usually-reliable-Charlottetown was glitchy at times. Hopefully things can turn around quickly.
• Really don't know what the Prince Albert Raiders were thinking with this one.
• Victoriaville's Nicolas Daigle and Massimo Siciliano have been suspended indefinitely by the QMJHL. The two have been charged with sexual assault and filming the alleged incident, which took place in June.
• TD Station concessions continue to fall behind Avenir Centre, who added a Mexi's Express and Candy Depot this off-season.
• Great to hear Victor Findlay and Sam Cosentino calling the Prince Albert/Regina game on CBC this past Saturday.