Notebook: Lapierre back to Bathurst

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SAINT JOHN - The Acadie-Bathurst Titan received an early Christmas gift on Wednesday.

The Washington Capitals announced that 19-year-old forward Hendrix Lapierre has been sent back to junior where he'll rejoin the Titan. Lapierre was acquired by the Titan in the off-season after recording eight goals and 23 assists in 21 games with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens last year.

Lapierre recorded one goal in six games with the Capitals.

The news is a huge boost to a Titan team that has gone just 2-6-0-2 in their past 10 games after a hot start.

Lapierre appeared in just one pre-season game with the Titan, recording a goal and an assist against Saint John. Oddly, it may be some time before the Sea Dogs see the Capitals prospect in action again. The two teams have already played each other four times and will meet three times between Dec. 18-31 - when Lapierre will likely be in Edmonton with Canada's world junior team. The Sea Dogs and Titan won't meet again until Feb. 23.

FRANCIS' IMPACT

In many ways, the Sea Dogs have looked like a different team since the return of Ryan Francis. 

The Sea Dogs are 3-1 since his return. That included a 4-3 win over the Halifax Mooseheads in his season debut.

"As the game against the Mooseheads wore on, Francis was even more dominant and the rest of the team followed him," wrote Willy Palov in his Chronicle Herald column. "That intangible quality will be invaluable in Saint John where they need that kind of spark, not to mention the elite production the former Cape Breton Eagles star will provide."

Francis has two goals and three assists in four games this season.

MEANINGFUL ROAD TRIP

Last weekend's road trip through Quebec had plenty of connections for Sea Dogs head coach Gordie Dwyer.

The trip started off in Quebec City where Dwyer captained the Remparts in 1997-98. The Remparts, who are celebrating their 25th anniversary this season, had Dwyer take part in a ceremonial faceoff before the game.

The Sea Dogs then headed to Shawinigan where Dwyer was the team's head coach for a short period in 2019-20 prior to the pandemic shutdown.

The trip ended in Drummondville, a spot that saw Dwyer record 69 points in 66 regular season games with the Voltigeurs in 1996-97.

MARITIMES VS QUEBEC

The Sea Dogs will be seeing plenty of unfamiliar teams over the next couple weeks.

After playing three games in Quebec last week, the Sea Dogs will play their next seven games against teams from outside the Maritimes. Four of those games will be at TD Station and three will be on the road.

The Sea Dogs are 2-1-0-0 against Quebec teams so far while the Maritimes Division as a whole is around .500.

Maritimes vs East Division: 3-4-0-0

Maritimes vs Central Division: 5-4-1-0

Maritimes vs West Division: 5-4-0-1

PINK IN THE RINK

The Sea Dogs will holding their Pink in the Rink game this Saturday.

This Saturday we will be hosting our annual Pink in the Rink game!

Join us at 7 PM as we take on Chicoutimi and show your support for cancer survivors by wearing pink. We will also be hosting a jersey raffle where you can win a game worn jersey! pic.twitter.com/06KzxuyJkG

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) November 8, 2021

JAY NAMED TO TEAM CANADA

Sea Dogs equipment manager Tyler Jay will be part of Team Canada White's staff for the upcoming Capital City Challenge in Ottawa, Hockey Canada announced last week.

66 under-17 players will be divided into three teams – Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red and Team Canada White – and will compete against Canada’s National Women’s Team at the event.

The Capital City Challenge replaces the cancelled World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

The event takes place Nov. 26 - Dec. 1 at TD Place.

CHL ON THE INTERNET

Some more CHL games will be streamed by CBC and TSN over the next two months.

The following games will be streamed for free on CBC GEM:

Fri., Nov 19th – Bathurst vs. Moncton (QMJHL) – 7pm AT 

Tues., Nov 23rd – Regina vs. Medicine Hat (WHL) – 7pm MT 

Wed., Dec 1st – Sudbury vs. Soo (OHL) – 7pm ET 

Wed., Dec 8th – Drummondville vs. Charlottetown (QMJHL) – 7pm AT 

Tues., Dec 14th – Saskatoon vs. Moose Jaw (WHL) – 7pm CT 

Wed., Dec 29th – Saginaw vs. Flint (OHL) – 7pm ET

The CHL noted that CBC GEM's "coverage will continue in the new year with a new schedule released in December."

The following games will be streamed on TSN.ca and the TSN app:

Sat., Nov. 20th Kitchener vs. London (OHL) – 4pm ET 

Fri., Nov. 26th Rouyn-Noranda vs. Halifax (QMJHL) – 7pm AT 

Fri., Dec 3rd Kamloops vs. Vancouver (WHL) – 7:30pm PT 

Thur., Dec 9th Victoriaville vs. Cape Breton (QMJHL) – 7pm AT 

Wed., Dec 17 Peterborough vs. Hamilton (OHL) – 7pm ET 

Mon., Dec 27 Edmonton vs. Regina (WHL) – 7pm CT

OTHER THINGS

• That tunnel fight that took place in the MHL between Fredericton and Miramichi has resulted in Brandon Milson receiving a 10-game suspension and Zachary Alchorn a nine-gamer.
• Just as we all predicted: a little over a month into the season the Moncton Wildcats received an honourable mention in the CHL Top 10. The Wildcats have won five straight games and are coming off a sweep of their three-game Quebec road trip.
• The MHL's Summerside Western Capitals are ranked second in the CJHL Top 20 rankings.
• Adam Bowness had his MHL rights traded from the Amherst Ramblers to the Miramichi Timberwolves.
• Former Sea Dogs forward Juraj Siska is playing with Slovakia at the 2021 Deutschland Cup.
• The QMJHL Cup is now a thing, which will showcase the top prospects for the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft. The Maritime portion of the event will take place Feb. 3-6 in Dartmouth.
• There will be no Atlantic Canadian teams playing the National Basketball League of Canada this season. Vice president of basketball operations, Audley Stephenson, said in a release that "it's time to shift our attention on moving forward so that we can rebuild the Atlantic Division to make it even better than what it was."