2021 comes to a close

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Not matter what you make of 2021, it was a year none of us will forget.

Just think about the things we witnessed over the past 12 months. The Sea Dogs didn't play their first game of the year until March 9 and food and drinks were banned at what ended up being their final home game. The team played in a provincial championship into May. Everyone entering a QMJHL building had to show proof of vaccination. Oh, and the franchise was finally awarded the hosting rights to a Memorial Cup tournament.

That's just a few of the bizarre/remarkable things we saw. The Mooseheads and Eagles opted out of the "playoffs." The Titan and Islanders played a playoff series in Shawinigan. The Tigres surprisingly won the President Cup while the OHL and WHL did not name a league champion.

What a year. And let's face it - a lot of these things really sucked. Hopefully 2022 will be filled with more enjoyable, memorable moments. Those hit different.

With the year coming to a close, here's a look at our most read posts from the past 12 months.

10. Busy trade period begins Sunday
9. Report: Sea Dogs acquire overager Sevigny
8. Dufour having quite the season
7. Reports: Sea Dogs to acquire Volts' Dufour
6. The Titan appear to be in trouble

5. Notebook: QMJHL will require vaccination

4. Report: Gilbert won't return as head coach

3. Report: Crickard joining Sea Dogs' staff

2. Sea Dogs left off Swiss roster

1. Report - Sea Dogs add Chantler from OHL

Thank you for reading and may 2022 bring more hockey news than news news.

QMJHL extends season pause

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's regular season pause will extend until at least the week of Jan. 17.

The league made the unsurprising yet disappointing news on Thursday. The league had originally planned to return from its holiday break this coming Monday, Jan. 3 with games resuming on Jan. 7.

From the QMJHL:

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today announced an extension to its Holiday break until January 14, 2022 as the increase of COVID-19 cases across its communities in Eastern Canada remains a concern.

Players will now report back to their teams no later than January 14, 2022. The QMJHL favours the return of its players within the team environment at this date for three main reasons:

1. Create a safe environment for players and staff; 

2. Support and facilitate their return to school; 

3. Allow them to practice and work out.

Updated QMJHL COVID-19 protocols will include a series of preventive testing before the arrival of players and staff within the team environment. Additional measures will be announced in the upcoming days.

The League’s regular season schedule will resume in the week of January 17, with postponed games to be rescheduled at a later date.

The league's next scheduled game is for Wednesday, Jan. 19. The Saint John Sea Dogs are currently scheduled to return to action on Thursday, Jan. 20 on home ice against the Quebec Remparts. The team has not played since Dec. 18.

COVID cancels/postpones world juniors

These unprecedented times produced another unprecedented event on Wednesday with the cancellation - or maybe postponement? - of the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championship in Alberta.

The announcement comes after a few more positive COVID-19 cases amongst players, resulting in more forfeited games.

From the IIHF:

In addition to ensuring the health and safety of participants, the Council has determined that with another forfeiture – the third forfeited game in two days – the sportive integrity of the event has been compromised, and the event must be cancelled.

The good news, it seems, is that the IIHF will look into rescheduling the tournament for this summer. That's positive news for both players and fans (and also ensures the IIHF/Hockey Canada gets to keep its sponsorship, ticket and TV revenue).

I'm told when players were informed of the cancellation, they were also informed work will continue to find a possibility. Many challenges remain in actually hosting. June, July and August on the table per Tardif just now during the press conference.

— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) December 29, 2021

Tardif making it clear he wants to “restart the competition in a better way.”

As reported, this summer is their focus.

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) December 29, 2021

This news comes at a time when the IIHF has been heavily criticized for its quick cancellation of the World Women's Under-18 Championship and a number of other events scheduled for January.

Sea Dogs left off Swiss WJC roster

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Noah Patenaude and Vincent Despont were both left off Switzerland's submitted roster for the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Both Saint John Sea Dogs players will miss the tournament due to injuries. From Swiss Hockey News:

In net, Lucas Rötheli (concussion, did not participate in the preparation) and Noah Patenaude (slightly banged up) will not be part of the roster. On defense, Giancarlo Chanton tested positive for Covid while still in Switzerland and had to stay home. Vincent Despont suffered an injury.

On offense, Raymond Fust did not make the cut as he is slightly bruised. The one player having tested positive for Covid-19 while in Canada, Simon Knak, got a second positive result. He has to isolate and will thus not be part of the team for the tournament.

Patenaude left for the Swiss camp having not played since Dec. 4 due to an injury. The 19-year-old was part of last year's Swiss team.

Despont, who would have been taking part in his first world junior tournament, was injured in camp.

Switzerland did not play any pre-tournament games due to COVID.  The team's first preliminary round game is Monday against Russia.

With Patenaude and Despont both missing the tournament, there are no current Sea Dogs taking part in the event. Fyodor Svechkov, a first-round pick of Saint John in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, is playing for Russia.

The Sea Dogs are on pause until at least Jan. 7 - and that might be a good thing for the team's blue line. Despont, Charlie DesRoches and William Villeneuve are all currently nursing injuries.

Notebook: Swiss game cancelled by COVID

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Noah Patenaude, Vincent Despont and Team Switzerland will head into World Junior Hockey Championship action without any pre-tournament play.

Switzerland was scheduled to play the Czech Republic on Thursday in Red Deer but the game was cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols.

It’s my understanding that one player from CZE/SUI has tested positive. That positive test will need to be confirmed. This game has been postponed for precautionary reasons. The player will be isolated. All players are tested every day. Stay tuned, as they say. https://t.co/xabs9SYo7L

— Bobby Margarita (@TSNBobMcKenzie) December 23, 2021

Switzerland's first game of the tournament is scheduled for Monday against Russia. They'll also play the United States (Dec. 28), Slovakia (Dec. 30) and Sweden (Dec. 31) in the preliminary round. All of those games will be played in Red Deer.

BIG JANUARY GAMES

If the QMJHL (including the three New Brunswick based clubs) does indeed resume play on Jan. 7, the Sea Dogs have some big games coming up.

Here's a look at some of January's marquee Sea Dogs games:

Jan. 8 vs Sherbrooke

Jan. 20 vs Quebec

Jan. 21 vs Gatineau

Jan. 27 at Charlottetown

If the league's pause goes further into January, those games against Quebec based clubs may be logistically challenging to reschedule for later in the year. Fingers crossed they happen as it would be great to see how Saint John's new lineup stacks up against some of the league's top teams.

The Sea Dogs venture to Quebec just one more time this season, visiting Baie-Comeau, Chicoutimi and Rimouski in early February.

Titan make another major move

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The Acadie-Bathurst Titan made another major move on Thursday, acquiring defenseman Miguel Tourigny from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

Tourigny leads all QMJHL defensemen in scoring with 40 points. He also leads all d-men in goals with 19.

In exchange for Tourigny, the Titan sent a 2023 second-round pick (Drummondville) to the Armada along with second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2024.

The Titan seemed likely to be in the market for a defensemen after already dealing Jaxon Bellamy and Lane Hinkley in the trade period.

Bathurst's offense, which was already quite good, has been given a major boost over the past week with the acquisitions of Tourigny; the QMJHL's leading scorer in Felix Lafrance; and Thomas Belgarde. The Titan are all in and are definitely a President Cup contender.

Eight of the league's top 12 scorers now play in the Maritimes Division. The four leading scorers amongst defensemen also play in the Maritimes. It's going to be quite a second half - whenever play resumes.

Trades will likely take a pause until after Christmas weekend. The trade period is scheduled to end on Jan. 6.

Alumdate: Zboril done for the season

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Jakub Zboril's season is over.

Zboril suffered a torn ACL in the Boston Bruins' Dec. 2 win over the Nashville Predators. He underwent successful surgery on Dec. 16 but is expected to miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

"It's a brutal setback for Zboril, who was starting to finally see some extended playing time at the NHL level," writes NBC Sports. "He also was playing pretty well, too."

Zboril recorded three assists in 10 games with the Bruins this season. He had nine helpers in 42 contests with the club last season.

“I went through that injury twice,” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said Tuesday, via NESN. “With today’s modern medicine he should have an easier rehab and be fine coming out of it. But for his sake, he was playing good hockey for us, earned a spot in the lineup on a regular basis and you’d hope that because of that he was playing with more confidence and more certainty in his game every night and that it would have only gotten better. So, unfortunately for him, and the team, obviously, he’s going to be done for the year. Hopefully there’s no complications in his rehabilitation and can help us again next year.”

The Bruins have had a trying start to the season and sit fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 14-10-2 record. Zboril's teammate, former Sea Dogs forward Charlie Coyle, has seven goals and 14 points this season.

Several other ex-Dogs have been hit with injuries this season. Matthew Highmore hasn't played with Vancouver since Oct. 28 because of an injury; Mike Hoffman has been in-and-out of Montreal's lineup with injuries; and Joe Veleno suffered an injury with Detroit a few weeks ago that cost him a few games.

Notebook: Some trade period updates

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

As it usually does, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League trade period has quieted down after a busy opening few days. Here are a few updates.

• If you missed it, the Vincent Sevigny deal is official. “Vincent brings valuable experience having won the President Cup” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release Monday. “He played an integral role shutting down the other teams’ best players throughout the playoffs and in the President Cup Finals last season. Now he’ll have the opportunity to try and win another with us this season.” 
• In the Telegraph-Journal (paywall), Georgie added that "I expect more moves to come to add to the team."
• In an interview with RDS, Georgie was asked about Saint John's goaltending tandem of Jonathan Lemieux and Noah Patenaude. Georgie said that, as Memorial Cup hosts, they are evaluating every position on the team prior to the Jan. 6 trade deadline.
• Charlottetown's blue line was already excellent and became even better with the acquisition of Jeremie Biakabutuka from Rimouski. The question for the Islanders, like it seems to be every year, is if they have the offense to get it done. They were eliminated in the bubble last year on a 2-0 loss to Victoriaville.
• In the Cape Breton Post, Patrick McNeil writes about why, because of several factors, this may be a quieter trade period than originally anticipated across the league.
• Craig Eagles shares his latest thoughts on the trade period.

INNISS SUSPENDED

Sea Dogs defenseman Christopher Inniss has been suspended two games for a high stick in Saturday's contest against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Inniss was handed a five-minute major and match penalty for the high stick at 7:48 of the opening frame. The Sea Dogs went on to lose the game 4-3.

Inniss has a goal and four assists in 30 games with Saint John this year.

COVID THINGS

Here's a quick look at all the COVID-19 related things you don't want to hear about:

• Remparts president Jacques Tanguay told le Soleil that he hopes QMJHL games will resume as soon as they can - even if it's without fans. Not sure if every team feels that way, but we'll see what happens.
• The World Junior Hockey Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer will be played in front of 50% capacity crowds. Eating and drinking will not be permitted. 
• NHLers won't be going to the Olympics, which sucks. Jonathan Huberdeau likely would have become the first Sea Dog to ever play for Team Canada at an Olympic Games. Thomas Chabot also had a shot at making the team.
• Atlantic University Sport has paused all competition until at least Jan. 19. The games lost are not expected to be made up later in the year. The conference is confident they will complete the 2021-22 season.
• The AHL All-Star Game, scheduled to take place in Laval in February, has been called off due to COVID. Laval was supposed to host the event last year as well, but that was postponed.

QMJHL season put on pause

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League won't be returning from its holiday break until at least Jan. 7.

Following an owners meeting Tuesday morning, the league announced that it has paused activities until early January due to the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The league was originally scheduled to return from its holiday break on Dec. 28.

From the league:

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today announced a pause to its activities until January 7, 2022 in light of the recent increases of COVID-19 cases in Eastern Canada.

The health and safety of all players and staff members remains our top priority. Therefore, it is appropriate under the current circumstances to remain cautious and to extend the Holiday break.

Players will report back to their clubs on January 3, 2022. The QMJHL is currently working on updated protocols which will include preventive testing prior to the arrival of players and staff within the team environment.

The League’s regular season schedule will resume on Friday, January 7. Postponed games will be rescheduled at a later date.

The decision means the next game for the Saint John Sea Dogs is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 7 at TD Station when they host the Moncton Wildcats. Five of the team's games have been postponed.

Dec. 28 vs Cape Breton

Dec. 30 at Bathurst

Dec. 31 vs Bathurst

Jan. 2 at Moncton

Jan. 4 at Halifax

The New Brunswick government announced Tuesday that it will move the entire province into level two of its always changing winter plan on Dec. 27. The updated level two section includes a line stating "professional leagues practices only for a single team at a time, no games allowed."

Is a QMJHL season pause coming?

A Dec. 28 return for Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play is certainly in question following an announcement by the Quebec government this afternoon.

With COVID-19 cases rising rapidly in the province, Quebec has reintroduced some of its tough restrictions, including the immediate closure of sports and entertainment venues to spectators.

While it appears QMJHL games could carry on in the province behind closed doors, it would be a big financial blow to teams. Simply playing those games also could become more and more difficult with the virus transmitting amongst young people so quickly. This has all brought up the question: should the league hit the pause button and wait out this wave?

Je n'ai pas de confirmation qui va en ce sens, mais je ne serais pas surpris que la LHJMQ décide de suspendre sa saison, le temps que les choses se stabilisent.

Ça m'apparaît très difficile de continuer à jouer dans le contexte actuel même si cela est possible à huis clos. https://t.co/fiLMP0PlqB

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) December 20, 2021

Several of the Quebec based clubs tweeted Monday that the league's owners will meet Tuesday to discuss a next move. Some, like the Sagueneens, have already released ticket refund details for upcoming games.

The QMJHL began its holiday break on Saturday and is scheduled to resume action on Dec. 28.

The six Maritimes Division clubs can - at the time of this writing anyways - play with limited building capacities. But again, it may be best to take a break and hope most of these games can be rescheduled at a later time in front of full, safer buildings.

Islanders, Titan swing major deals

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The Charlottetown Islanders and Acadie-Bathurst Titan continued to load up on the opening day of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's holiday trading period.

The Islanders pulled off a major deal Sunday, acquiring 19-year-old goaltender Francesco Lapenna from the Drummondville Voltigeurs along with a 2022 seventh-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick (Shawinigan) in exchange for 18-year-old netminder Jacob Goobie; 17-year-old forward and Quispamsis native Sam Oliver; and third- and forth-round picks in 2024.

Lapenna, viewed by many as one of the top goaltenders in the league, is 9-12 with a rebuilding Voltigeurs team this season with a 2.99 goals against average and a .906 save percentage. The acquisition gives the Islanders more experience in net.

“We are very excited to add Francesco to our team. He is an elite veteran goalie with a proven track record," Islanders general manager Jim Hulton said in a news release. “We would also like to thank Sam and Jake for their contributions to the Islanders. We wish them much success in the future.”

The Titan, meanwhile, acquired 20-year-old forward Felix Lafrance and 19-year-old forward Thomas Belgarde from the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in exchange for prospect Cael MacDonald, a second-round pick in 2022 (Drummondville) and a first-round pick in 2024.

Lafrance enters the holiday break as the QMJHL's leading scorer with 50 points in 26 games. He sits second in the league in goals with 23.

Report: Sea Dogs acquire overager Sevigny

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SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs have reportedly acquired 20-year-old defenseman Vincent Sevigny from the Victoriaville Tigres.

According to Zakary Mercier of the Victoriaville newspaper La Nouvelle Union, the Sea Dogs acquired Sevigny by dealing three draft picks to the Tigres. The deal has not been officially announced by the QMJHL yet.

Le défenseur de 20 ans des @TigresVicto Vincent Sévigny a été échangé aux @SJSeaDogs en retour d'un choix de 2e ronde en 2022 (de Gatineau), un choix de 3e ronde en 2023 (de Rouyn-Noranda) et d'un choix de 2e ronde en 2024 de Saint John. #LHJMQ

— Zakary Mercier (@ZakaryMercier) December 19, 2021

Steve Turcotte first reported Sevigny-to-the-Sea-Dogs on Saturday.

Sevigny has seven goals and 21 assists in 25 games with the Tigres this season. He comes to Saint John on an eight-game point streak.

A Quebec City native, Sevigny helped the Tigres win the President Cup last season. He registered five goals and 19 points in 26 regular season games and added another four goals and 10 points in 19 playoff contests.

Sevigny was a second-round pick of Victoriaville in the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft held in Saint John.

The Sea Dogs will obviously need to make another roster move with Sevigny being an overager. The Tigres have already found a replacement, acquiring 20-year-old d-man Samuel Desgroseilliers from the Moncton Wildcats in a separate deal.

A full list of trades can be found on the QMJHL website.

The holiday trading period opened on Sunday and ends on Jan. 6.

Busy trade period begins Sunday

Tigres website

SAINT JOHN - What will likely be the biggest holiday trading period (in terms if acquisitions, at least) in Saint John Sea Dogs franchise history begins Sunday.

As Memorial Cup hosts, we've known all season that the Sea Dogs would be buyers. But given how the first half went - which was perhaps highlighted by the past two games - the Sea Dogs appear on their way to being major, major buyers. Time will tell.

Many teams have been in this position before, obviously. What's a bit unique about Saint John is the amount of assets they have to work with. The team has accumulated plenty of draft picks and prospects that can be dealt to improve the team for the second half.

Here's Saint John's current bank of draft picks, according to the French fan boards:

2022: 1-1CHA-2-2GAT-7-7VIC- 8-9-10MON-10GAT-11-12-13-14 

2023: 1SHE-2-3ROU-4-5-6-10-11-13-14

2024: 1-2-3-5-6-7-7VDO-8-9-10-11-12-13-14

The QMJHL's trading period ends on Jan. 6.

Steve Turcotte of le Nouvelliste is reporting that the Sea Dogs are set to acquire overage defenseman Vincent Sevigny from the Victoriaville Tigres on Sunday. Sevigny, who helped the Tigres win the President Cup last season, has seven goals and 26 points in 24 games with Victoriaville this season.

With Sevigny being an overager, another move will obviously be needed in order to make room on Saint John's roster.

Turcotte is also reporting that overage forward Pierrick Dube, recently released by the ECHL's Trois-Rivieres Lions, wants to return to the QMJHL and three teams are interested: the Sea Dogs, Shawinigan Cataractes and Gatineau Olympiques. Dube's rights are currently owned by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Bathurst 4, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Hendrix Lapierre made his presence felt on Saturday at TD Station.

Lapierre scored twice and added an assist in the third period to help the Acadie-Bathurst Titan defeat the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3.

The Washington Capitals prospect tied the game at 9:42 of the third and then put the Titan in front 3-2 with a power play marker at 18:27. Just 24 seconds later, Josh Lawrence put in a rebound to even things back up at 3-3.

At 19:09, Bennett MacArthur put in the rebound of a Cole Larkin shot to once again put Bathurst in front. Lapierre was given the second assist on the goal.

Saint John was unable to tie things back up, suffering a frustrating loss on home ice for a second straight night. The Sea Dogs outshot the Titan 44-40 in the game - including 23-10 in the second period alone - and played most of the night a defender or two short, losing Christopher Inniss to ejection in the first period and Charlie DesRoches to injury in the second.

The Sea Dogs close out the "first half" with a 15-12-0-3 record for 33 points. The team's lineup will likely look different when they return from the holiday break.

Jacob Melanson also scored for the Titan on Saturday. Chad Arsenault made 41 stops in the win.

Lawrence, William Dufour and Nathan Drapeau scored for Saint John. Jonathan Lemieux made 36 saves in the loss.

Notebook: Quebec capacities coming down

COVID-19 restrictions are coming to all 18 arenas in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Like New Brunswick, the Quebec government has announced that capacity at arenas must not exceed 50% and social distancing must be maintained. The new rules begin Monday, meaning the 12 Quebec-based clubs can have full capacity at their games this weekend.

Confirmé : les capacités d'assistances seront réduites à 50% dès lundi dans la LHJMQ.

- maximum de six personnes par bulle familiale;
- distanciation d’un banc entre les bulles familiales;
- retrait des billets debout;
- port du masque en tout temps;
- passeport vaccinal.

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) December 17, 2021

The six Maritimes Division clubs have similar restrictions now in place. Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia are taking similar routes.

The big unknown, of course, is how long these restrictions will be in place. The QMJHL is scheduled to return from its holiday break on Dec. 28.

MORE CHANGES COMING

Saturday's Sea Dogs game at TD Station will be interesting with first come first serve style seating due to the province's mandatory order that began on Friday night, which limits capacity at sports and entertainment facilities at 50%.

The Sea Dogs confirmed in an email to fans on Friday that some of Saturday's setup will be temporary.

We released information (Thursday) about other important changes for this game, including first-come first serve seating, social distancing, TD Station concessions being closed, and the City of Saint John closing the Pedway. Please read through the changes for the game on Saturday so you can plan your visit accordingly.

Please note that these are not long-term solutions, but simply how we are best managing this Saturday's game given current public health guideline changes and the quick turnaround. We will continue to work with TD Station and Public Health as things evolve and work on the optimal experience for you moving forward.

Last season the Sea Dogs had a socially distanced seating map setup, which will presumably be making its return.

Game Day 30: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs play their final game before the holiday break tonight at TD Station.

It's been an up-and-down first few months of the season for the Sea Dogs who sit sixth in the Eastern Conference and ninth overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They'll look to earn their 16th victory of the season tonight when they host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7 p.m.

The Titan have also had an up-and-down first half but have picked things up a bit lately, going 6-3-1-0 in their past 10 games.

This will be Saint John's final game until Dec. 28 (fingers crossed hockey is still being played by then).

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 50%/Required/Required

Records: The Sea Dogs are 15-11-0-3 for 33 points (fourth Maritimes/sixth Eastern/ninth QMJHL) while the Titan are 14-11-1-2 for 31 points (fifth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/13th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 home loss to the Moncton Wildcats last night. William Dufour, Charlie DesRoches, Riley Bezeau and Cam MacDonald scored for Saint John. Jonathan Lemieux was pulled after allowing three goals on six goals. Ventsislav Shingarov allowed a pair of goals on 25 shots in relief. The Titan are coming off a 3-2 loss in Halifax on Thursday. Cole Huckins and Hendrix Lapierre scored for Bathurst. Chad Arsenault made 25 saves in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-1-0-1 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 2-1-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 24 in Bathurst where the Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 4-3 in a shootout. Evgeny Sapelnikov, Peter Reynolds and Josh Lawrence all scored for Saint John. Dylan Andrews, Riley Kidney and Jacob Melanson scored for Bathurst. Jonathan Lemieux made 39 stops in the win. Jan Bednar made 34 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-4

FINAL: Moncton 5, Saint John 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - A bad start was bad news for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday night at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs allowed the Moncton Wildcats to score four times on their first seven shots of the game in a 5-4 loss. Goaltender Jonathan Lemieux was pulled at the 6:50 mark of the opening frame after allowing three goals on six shots.

Ventsislav Shingarov, called up by the Sea Dogs to replace Noah Patenaude while away with Switzerland's world junior team, allowed the first shot he faced but settled in after that. Shingarov allowed two goals on 23 shots in relief.

Despite trailing 4-1 after one, the Sea Dogs didn't have the worst of opening periods, outshooting the Wildcats 20-13. The Dogs slowly mounted their comeback as the game went along, turning a 5-1 deficit into 5-4 early in the third. Much of that was due to Saint John's power play, which went 3-for-5 against Moncton's struggling penalty kill.

Saint John couldn't get a ton going offensively in the third period. Despite pulling Shingarov in the final minute and applying some offensive zone pressure, the Sea Dogs could not net an equalizer.

William Dufour, Charlie DesRoches, Riley Bezeau and Cam MacDonald scored for Saint John.

Connor Olson had a pair of goals for Moncton while singles came from Nicholas Blagden, Yoan Loshing and Thomas Auger. Thomas Couture made 38 stops in the win.

Game Day 29: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - For the first time in a long time, the Saint John Sea Dogs will face the Moncton Wildcats.

The two rivals will meet for just the second time this season tonight at TD Station. Their lone previous matchup was on Oct. 23 when the Wildcats edged the Sea Dogs 4-3 in Saint John.

Including tonight's contest, Saint John and Moncton are scheduled to meet three times between now and Jan. 7. Fingers crossed that COVID-19 cooperates.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/Required/Required

Records: The Sea Dogs are 15-10-0-3 for 33 points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/seventh QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 14-9-3-1 for 32 points (fourth Maritimes/fifth Eastern/eighth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-4 home win over the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Sunday. Charlie DesRoches scored a pair of goals while singles came from Nico Laforge, Jeremie Poirier, Jacob Chantler, Yan Kuznetsov and Riley Bezeau. Jonathan Lemieux made 31 stops in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 4-3 win in Sydney on Wednesday. Francesco Iasenza, Yoan Loshing, Jacob Stewart and Alexis Daniel all scored for Moncton. Vincent Filion made 28 stops in the win.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 23 at TD Station where the Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3. Francis Langlois, Maxim Barbashev, Vincent Labelle and Miles Mueller scored for Moncton. Saint John had a pair of goals from William Dufour and a solo marker from Olivier Picard. Thomas Couture made 42 stops in the win. Jonathan Lemieux made 32 stops in the loss.

Sea Dogs player tests positive for COVID-19

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced Thursday that a Saint John Sea Dogs player has been placed in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.

From the league:

Following a positive test result for Covid-19, a player from the Saint John Sea Dogs has been placed in isolation.

In accordance with QMJHL Covid-19 protocols that have been approved by Public Health Officials from each of the four provinces in which the league plays, all team players and staff members were tested, and all the results came back negative. As a precaution, a second test was administered, and all the results were once again negative.

We continue to work closely with Public Health Officials in each province and are following the situation closely to ensure the security and well-being of all those involved.

The Sea Dogs are still scheduled to play their final two games before the holiday break on Friday and Saturday at TD Station. Saturday's game will be played in front of a crowd limited to 50% capacity due to the province's mandatory order beginning late Friday night.

The QMJHL announced Tuesday that a player from the Quebec Remparts has been placed in isolation while the OHL has had to postpone several games this weekend for COVID related reasons.

The Ontario government announced Wednesday that the OHL's 17 Ontario based teams will be limited to 50% capacity. The Quebec government is announcing new measures to limit the spread of the variant Thursday evening. Thursday's Montreal Canadiens game at the Bell Centre will be played without fans.

Important to note the Canadiens have been assured by the government "that beginning with our games in January, we will return to a partial capacity scenario and be able to host fans once more."

Natural assumption there is it will be a while before they return to full capacity.

— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) December 16, 2021

The Maritime Junior Hockey League is postponing most of its games until January. Atlantic University Sport is on break for exams but hasn't made any announcements regarding its return after Christmas.

The bad times are back

SAINT JOHN - New COVID-19 guidelines for Saint John Sea Dogs home games were released on Wednesday.

The news comes a couple days after the provincial government introduced a mandatory order that will come into place late Friday night in an effort to reduce the spread of the new variant. One of the protocols included in the order is limiting capacity for Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Maritime Junior Hockey League games in the province to 50%.

Here's what Saturday's Sea Dogs home game - the team's final contest before the holiday break - will look like:

• All patrons entering TD Station must be double vaccinated and have a valid government ID.
• Masks must be worn at all times.
• Social distancing must be maintained at all times. This includes a revised seating plan.
• All concessions will be closed.
• The pedway will be closed 1 1/2 hours before and 1 1/2 hours following the game.
• No one will be permitted in the lobby except to enter and exit the building.

According to the team, "the revised seating plan will have seats sectioned off and social distanced. All fans will be required to socially distance from those outside of their groups, this means one row to the front and behind, and three seats in between each group.

"Ushers will be available to aid in seating, and you will be seated on a first come, first serve basis, not based on the seats on your tickets. The only exception being those that require accommodation for mobility issues and disabilities. If you are concerned about seating, we strongly suggest arriving early to select your seats."

While no new tickets will be sold for Saturday's game, all who have already purchased seats will be permitted into the building.

ECHL's Lions release overager Dube

Trois-Rivieres Lions

Could a marquee overage player be on his way back to the QMJHL?

The ECHL's Trois-Rivieres Lions released 20-year-old forward Pierrick Dube on Monday. The news comes with some intrigue given that it was reported a couple days ago that the Saint John Sea Dogs were looking into bringing Dube back to junior hockey.

Les @SJSeaDogs auraient fait une offre à Pierrick Dubé #Lions pour revenir dans la @LHJMQ.#LHJMQ

— Charles Ouellet (@ouelletcharles1) December 11, 2021

Dube split last season between the Quebec Remparts and Chicoutimi Sagueneens, scoring a combined 17 goals and 11 assists in 24 games. He added nine goals and five assists in nine playoff games.

A native of Lyon, France, Dube spent the three previous seasons with the Remparts. He was selected 18th overall in the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft held in Saint John.

His QMJHL rights were traded to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in June but he opted to turn pro. In 10 games with the Montreal Canadiens ECHL affiliate this year, Dube has a goal and three assists.

While Dube plays international hockey for France, he is considered a dual citizen like Noah Patenaude and Vincent Despont, meaning he does not take up an import spot. He does take up an overage spot though, and Saint John's are currently filled by defenseman Christopher Inniss, forward Ryan Francis and goaltender Jonathan Lemieux.

The Drakkar, who sit 16th overall in the standings, will likely try and move Dube if he does indeed return to the QMJHL. The league's holiday trading period opens on Sunday - although overage players can be moved beforehand.

Dufour released from Team Canada camp

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs forward William Dufour was one of the final eight players released from Team Canada's national junior team selection camp on Sunday.

Dufour, Zach Dean (Gatineau, QMJHL), Luke Evangelista (London, OHL), Jack Finley (Spokane, WHL), Vincent Iorio (Brandon, WHL), Joshua Roy (Sherbrooke, QMJHL), Hendrix Lapierre (Acadie-Bathurst, QMJHL) and Ryan Tverberg (University of Connecticut) were the final cuts announced Sunday evening. Defenseman Daemon Hunt (Moose Jaw, WHL) is unable to participate in the tournament due to injury.

Dufour currently sits third in QMJHL scoring with 44 points and fourth in goals with 20. The New York Islanders prospect will turn 20 in January, meaning this was unfortunately his final crack at playing in the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Dufour appeared in both of Canada's camp games against a team of players from U Sports. He scored in Sunday's contest while playing on a line with Roy and Regina's Connor Bedard.

Of the cuts, Lapierre is certainly a big surprise given that he started the season with the Washington Capitals before being reassigned to Bathurst.

Only four QMJHL players made Canada's 25-man roster for this year's world juniors: forwards Elliot Desnoyers (Halifax), Mavrik Bourque (Shawinigan) and Xavier Bourgault (Shawinigan) along with defenseman Lukas Cormier (Charlottetown).

Canada begins pre-tournament play on Dec. 19 against Switzerland.

The world juniors begin on Boxing Day in Edmonton and Red Deer.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 7-4

FINAL: Val-d'Or 4, Saint John 7

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs got back in the win column on Sunday afternoon at TD Station.

A three-goal third period propelled the Sea Dogs to a 7-4 victory over the Val-d'Or Foreurs. Charlie DesRoches scored a pair of goals for Saint John while singles came from Nico Laforge, Jeremie Poirier, Jacob Chantler, Yan Kuznetsov and Riley Bezeau. Jonathan Lemieux made 31 saves in the win.

The Sea Dogs were in control for much of the game but Val-d'Or's power play kept them in the contest. The Foreurs went an impressive 4-for-6 on the man advantage, which allowed them to get within a goal of the Sea Dogs in the third period.

Jeremy Michel's second of the game at 16:10 of the third period cut Saint John's lead to 5-4. DesRoches quickly got Saint John some insurance, finishing off a nice passing play with Ryan Francis and Brady Burns at 17:57.

The Foreurs pulled their goaltender late in game but couldn't get the same man advantage magic that worked throughout. Bezeau scored into an empty net at 19:46 to make it a 7-4 final.

Alexandre Doucet and Zackary Michaud also had Val-d'Or goals. Philippe Cloutier was pulled after allowing five goals on 21 shots in the second period. Tristan Boileau allowed a goal on 18 shots in relief.

Game Day 28: vs Foreurs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to rebound this afternoon at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs simply weren't clicking quite right on Saturday night, falling 5-3 to the Charlottetown Islanders. Saint John entered the game on a three-game home winning streak.

Saint John will look to get back in the win column this afternoon against the Val-d'Or Foreurs. The Foreurs are concluding a three-in-three road trip after a 5-3 loss in Moncton on Friday and a 5-1 loss in Bathurst last night.

Game time today is 3 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Records: The Sea Dogs are 14-10-0-3 for 31 points (fourth Maritimes/sixth Eastern/10th QMJHL) while the Foreurs are 11-14-2-0 for 24 points (fourth West/seventh Western/16th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-3 home loss to the Charlottetown Islanders last night. Adam Bowness, Jeremie Poirier and Josh Lawrence scored for Saint John. Jonathan Lemieux made 24 saves in the loss. The Foreurs are coming off a 5-1 loss in Bathurst last night. Alexandre Doucet scored Val-d'Or's lone goal. Tristan Boileau made 33 saves in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Foreurs this season while Val-d'Or is 0-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 19 in Val-d'Or where the Sea Dogs defeated the Foreurs 5-1. Brady Burns had a hat trick for Saint John while singles came from Carter McCluskey and Jacob Chantler. Alexandre Doucet scored Val-d'Or's only goal. Jonathan Lemieux made 24 saves in the win. Philippe Cloutier made 32 stops in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-3

FINAL: Charlottetown 5, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs suffered a 5-3 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Saturday night at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs, missing William Dufour from their lineup due to world junior camp and adding Yan Kuznetsov to the backend, looked disjointed in the first period and struggled to get organized, falling behind 2-0.

Saint John got better as the game went on but could never even things up. Trailing by a goal, they pressed hard in the final few minutes of the match before Patrick Guay scored into an empty net at 19:42 of the third to secure an Islanders victory.

Jakub Brabenec scored twice for Charlottetown while singles came from Guay, Sam Archibald and Brett Budgell. Oliver Satny made 34 stops in the win.

The Islanders were missing their leading scorer in Xavier Simoneau (injury) and best defenseman in Lukas Cormier (world junior camp).

Adam Bowness, Jeremie Poirier and Josh Lawrence scored for Saint John. Jonathan Lemieux made 24 stops in the loss.

Game Day 27: vs Islanders

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are back home tonight for a major Maritimes Division showdown against the Charlottetown Islanders.

The Islanders sit first in both the Maritimes Division and Eastern Conference with 38 points. The Sea Dogs sit second in the Maritimes and third in the conference with 31 points (and they've played one fewer game). Every game against the Islanders is a chance for the Dogs to close the gap between the two in the standings.

Charlottetown has won three of the four meetings against Saint John so far this season. This the first time they've met since October and both clubs will be missing key regulars due to either world junior camps or injuries.

Game time tonight at TD Station us 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Records: The Sea Dogs are 14-9-0-3 for 31 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/sixth QMJHL) while the Islanders are 18-7-2-0 for 38 points (first Maritimes/first Eastern/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 loss in Victoriaville on Sunday. William Dufour scored Saint John's lone goal. Jonathan Lemieux made 23 stops in the loss. The Islanders are coming off a 5-0 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last night at home. Jacob Goobie allowed three goals on 23 shots while Oliver Satny allowed a goal on eight shots.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-3-0-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 3-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 29 in Saint John where the Islanders defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3. Patrick Guay, Patrick LeBlanc, Brett Budgell and Xavier Simoneau scored for Charlottetown. Peter Reynolds had a pair of goals for Saint John while William Dufour also scored. Oliver Satny made 21 stops in the win. Jonathan Lemieux made 27 saves in the loss.

Notebook: Patenaude, Despont invited to Swiss WJC camp

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONTREAL, Que. - Noah Patenaude and Vincent Despont will have an opportunity to represent their country at the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship.

The two Saint John Sea Dogs were named to Switzerland's 29-man camp roster last week. The camp is scheduled to begin Dec. 13 with the team departing for Canada two days later, according to a news release.

Of course, Patenaude's participation will likely be reliant on his health. The netminder was injured during Saturday's Sea Dogs game in Sherbrooke and he did not dress for Sunday's contest in Victoriaville.

Patenaude, who will turn 19 on Christmas Eve, appeared in one game for Switzerland at last year's world juniors. He's having a solid season with Saint John, posting a 7-4 record to go along with a 2.96 goals against average and a .914 save percentage.

Despont, in his first season with Saint John, has three assists in 25 games.

This year's world juniors take place Dec. 26 - Jan. 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer. Switzerland's first game is against Russia in Red Deer on Dec. 27.

SAPELNIKOV JOINS BELARUS

Forward Evgeny Sapelnikov, Saint John's only official import player until the signing of Yan Kuznetsov, has joined Belarus for the World Junior Hockey Division 1-A Championship, which takes place Dec. 12-18 in Denmark.

Sea Dogs forward Evgeny Sapelnikov will be representing Belarus at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Division 1-A Championships, which take place Dec. 12-18th.

Congratulations Evgeny! pic.twitter.com/eBoaPEfbuV

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) December 6, 2021

Sapelnikov missed this past weekend's Sea Dogs games due to joining the national team. A second-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year's CHL Import Draft, Sapelnikov has five goals and three assists in 23 games.

Belarus opens the tournament against Denmark on Dec. 12.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sea Dogs defenseman Jeremie Poirier was named to the QMJHL's Team of the Week on Monday.

Poirier recorded two goals and four assists in four games this past week, helping the Sea Dogs collect three victories. He now sits third in QMJHL defensemen scoring with 27 points in 26 games. He is also tied for the lead in defensemen assists with 20.

Also making the Team of the Week was Kale McCallum, a former Sea Dogs defenseman now with the Val-d'Or Foreurs. McCallum had five assists in two games with the Foreurs last week.

Top 10 Sea Dogs Memorial Cup Moments: #1 - Thomas lifts the trophy

(Ed. Note: In honour of 2022 Memorial Cup tickets going on sale to the general public, we've been counting down the top 10 Sea Dogs moments in Memorial Cup history. With tickets now on sale, here's the exciting finale!)

#1 - Mike Thomas lifts the Memorial Cup

The top moment in Saint John Sea Dogs Memorial Cup history is the most obvious.

The Sea Dogs became the first team from Atlantic Canada to win the trophy after a 3-1 win over the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors in the 2011 championship game.

New Maryland native Mike Thomas, who had been with the club since the 2006-07 season, lifted the trophy first.

The Memorial Cup will be lifted on TD Station ice this June when Saint John hosts the 2022 Memorial Cup. Ticket packages are now on sale to the general public.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 2-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Victoriaville 2

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs ended their three-game road with a frustrating 2-1 loss to the Victoriaville Tigres on Sunday.

Neither team could find the scoreboard for the majority of the game. The Tigres finally broke the ice at 10:14 of the third period when Maxime Pellerin wired a hard wrist shot top corner on Jonathan Lemieux. 

Saint John had a great opportunity to even the game up when they headed to a power play at 13:08. Despite having their top power play unit out for the entire two-minute span and maintaining puck possession in the offensive zone for most of it, the Sea Dogs could not beat Tigres netminder Nathan Darveau or the defenders who blocked numerous shots.

Pellerin scored again at 16:00 after Lemieux lost track of the puck and was caught out of position. The Sea Dogs pressed hard for the rest of the game and William Dufour finally converted at 19:40. But that would be all the Sea Dogs could get.

Saint John, playing their third game in as many days and no doubt feeling some fatigue, struggled to generate scoring chances for much of the game, firing 17 shots on goal through the first 40 minutes. They added 17 more in the third period alone.

Lemieux was excellent in the loss, making 23 stops. He made several huge stops early in the game when things were still scoreless.

The loss ends Saint John's winning streak at six games. They head home having won two of the three games they played on this trek through Quebec.

Top 10 Sea Dogs Memorial Cup Moments: #2 - DeSerres gets his redemption

(Ed. Note: In honour of 2022 Memorial Cup tickets going on sale to the general public on Dec. 6, we're counting down the top 10 Sea Dogs moments in Memorial Cup history.)

#2 - Jacob DeSerres gets his redemption

In the 2010 Memorial Cup final, Jacob DeSerres was in net for all nine goals against as Taylor Hall and the Windsor Spitfires defeated the host Brandon Wheat Kings 9-1 to win their second straight championship.

A year later, DeSerres made it all the way back to the Memorial Cup final - and he delivered one of his best performances as a Saint John Sea Dog.

The overage netminder made 34 saves in Saint John's 3-1 victory and was named the game's first star. He came up huge on several occasions as the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors pressed hard for an equalizer throughout the second half of the game.

Even after Jonathan Huberdeau had made it a 3-1 game late in the third, DeSerres made a huge stop on Devante Smith-Pelly to secure the win.

Game Day 26: at Victoriaville

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs will try to sweep their three-game Quebec road trip today in Victoriaville.

It's been a solid trip for the Sea Dogs so far with a 6-3 win in Blainville-Boisbriand on Friday and a 5-1 victory last night in Sherbrooke. The two victories have stretched Saint John's win streak to five games.

After facing the Western Conference leaders last night, the Sea Dogs will face a Tigres team that sits last in the conference with an 8-12-3-1 record. The Tigres, the reigning President Cup champions, have lost four straight.

Game time today at Colisee Desjardins is 5 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Records: The Sea Dogs are 14-8-0-3 for 31 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/sixth QMJHL) while the Tigres are 8-12-3-1 for 20 points (fourth Central/eighth Western/17th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 win in Sherbrooke last night. Ryan Francis, Cam MacDonald, Charlie DesRoches, Christopher Inniss and Jeremie Poirier all scored for Saint John. Noah Patenaude made 35 saves before leaving the game in the second period with an injury. Jonathan Lemieux made 12 saves in relief. The Tigres are coming off a 6-5 home loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Friday. Maxime Pellerin and Conor Frenette both scored twice for Victoriaville while Jeremy Michaud added a single. Nikolas Hurtubise made 31 stops in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Tigres. 

2020-21 head-to-head: These two did not meet last season.

Last meeting: Nov. 10, 2019 in Victoriaville where the Sea Dogs defeated the Tigres 3-2 in overtime. William Villeneuve, Maxime Cajkovic and Jeremie Poirier all scored for Saint John. Mikhail Abramov and Conor Frenette scored for Victoriaville. Tommy DaSilva made 35 stops in the win. Tristan Cote-Cazenave made 25 saves in the loss.

Top 10 Sea Dogs Memorial Cup Moments: #3 - Phillips and Huberdeau 2-on-1

(Ed. Note: In honour of 2022 Memorial Cup tickets going on sale to the general public on Dec. 6, we're counting down the top 10 Sea Dogs moments in Memorial Cup history.)

#3 - Zack Phillips and Jonathan Huberdeau 2-on-1

The Saint John Sea Dogs were clinging to a 2-1 lead in the third period of the 2011 Memorial Cup final.

The host Mississauga St. Michael's Majors were pressing hard at times ever since they got within a goal in the second period. If you were a Sea Dogs fan watching this third period, you likely had hands covering your eyes at times.

But at 16:17 of the third, Zack Phillips and Jonathan Huberdeau teamed up on a two-on-one that gave their fans a huge sigh of relief (and presumably a few cheers).

Check out 1:26 of the below video.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 5, Sherbrooke 1

SHERBROOKE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs made a statement on Saturday in Sherbrooke.

The Sea Dogs rolled into the Palais des Sports Léopold-Drolet and earned a 5-1 victory over the Western Conference leading Sherbrooke Phoenix. Despite being outshot for most of the night and the Phoenix controlling the play at times, the Sea Dogs seemed calm and collected throughout.

Saint John opened the scoring and led 3-1 after one as the team continues to improve its starts. Saint John's penalty kill had a strong game and so to do its goaltending duo of Noah Patenaude - who left the game with an injury in the second period after making 35 saves - and Jonathan Lemieux, who made 12 stops in relief.

Ryan Francis, Cam MacDonald, Charlie DesRoches, Christopher Inniss and Jeremie Poirier scored for Saint John. Poirier, Peter Reynolds, William Dufour each had two assists.

Sherbrooke's offense - which entered the contest as the league leader in goals per game with an average of 4.08 - could only score once, and that came off the stick of Xavier Parent in the first period.

Goaltender Ivan Zhigalov allowed five goals on 24 shots in the loss.

The Sea Dogs have now won five straight games and conclude their road trip on Sunday in Victoriaville.

This was just the third home loss of the season for the Phoenix.

Game Day 25: at Sherbrooke

SHERBROOKE, Que. - One of the most anticipated Saint John Sea Dogs games of the season takes place tonight in Sherbrooke.

The Sea Dogs, winners of four straight, will face Joshua Roy and the Western Conference leading Phoenix tonight at 7 p.m. Sherbrooke has been at or near the top of the standings all season long and currently own a record of 16-5-1-0.

Roy, who the Sea Dogs traded to the Phoenix last season, currently sits tied for the league lead in scoring with 42 points. The Montreal Canadiens prospect hasn't had the nicest things to say about the Sea Dogs since his departure.

This is the second game a of three-game Quebec road trip for Saint John. They started it off with a 6-3 win in Boisbriand last night and will conclude it tomorrow afternoon in Victoriaville.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Records: The Sea Dogs are 13-8-0-3 for 29 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/sixth QMJHL) while the Phoenix are 16-5-1-0 for 33 points (first Central/first Western/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-3 win over the Armada last night in Boisbriand. Josh Lawrence scored a pair of goals while singles came from Olivier Picard, Brady Burns, William Dufour and Peter Reynolds. The Phoenix are coming off a 3-1 win in Quebec City on Thursday. Xavier Parent scored twice and Joshua Roy added an empty netter. Ivan Zhigalov made 19 stops in the win.

2021-22 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Phoenix.

2020-21 head-to-head: These two did not meet last season.

Last meeting: Dec. 7, 2019 at the Palais des Sports Léopold-Drolet where the Phoenix defeated the Sea Dogs 7-3. Taro Jentzsch scored a pair for Sherbrooke while singles came from Patrick Guay, Julien Anctil, Benjamin Tardif, Bailey Peach and Nathaël Roy. Brady Burns, Joshua Roy and Nicolas Guay scored for Saint John. Thomas Sigouin made 27 stops in the win. Tommy DaSilva allowed four goals on 16 shots for Saint John while Noah Patenaude allowed two on 22 shots.  

Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-3

FINAL: Saint John 6, Blainville-Boisbriand 3

BOISBRIAND, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs began their latest three-game Quebec road trip with a 6-3 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Friday.

Josh Lawrence and William Dufour both had three-point nights while Noah Patenaude made 36 saves to secure the victory.

Lawrence had a pair of goals while Dufour, Olivier Picard, Brady Burns and Peter Reynolds added singles. While the Sea Dogs were outshot for much of the game, the match never really felt out of their control after they grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period.

The Sea Dogs have now won four straight games with their last defeat being that ugly 6-5 shootout loss in Rouyn-Noranda. They've moved into third place in the Eastern Conference.

Zachary Roy, Jonathan Fauchon and Alexandre Joncas scored for the Armada. Olivier Leclair made 19 saves in the loss.