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.

KUZNETSOV LEFT OFF TEAM RUSSIA

Yan Kuznetsov will be spending much of the holiday season in Saint John.

The defenseman was left off Team Russia's roster for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer. The 19-year-old appeared in seven games with Russia at last year's tournament.

No players from North America were named to the Russian squad.

Which is, of course, a lie at best (if you can call it that) or a gross failure of player evaluation at worst.

And which doesn’t explain the absence of Daniil Gushchin, who belongs in their top six up front and who several of the selected forwards don’t hold a candle to.

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) December 14, 2021

Kuznetsov has a goal and two assists in three games since joining the Sea Dogs.

NO. 2

Yan Kuznetsov became just the 10th Sea Dogs player to wear No. 2 when he sported the number in his debut on Dec. 11.

Sam Dow most recently wore the number for seven games last season. Before that it hadn't been worn since Bailey Webster in 2017-18.

DUBE PICKED UP IN ECHL

A name to keep an eye on as the QMJHL's trade period opens on Sunday is overage forward Pierrick Dube, who had been playing with the ECHL's Trois-Rivieres Lions this season.

The Lions released Dube this past week and he was claimed off waivers by the Wheeling Nailers. Dube was then suspended by the Nailers on Thursday, presumably for not reporting to the club. Dube, a dual citizen, has reportedly joined the French national team for a tournament.

As mentioned by @ha_philippe, Pierrick Dubé, released by the Lions yesterday, has joined the men’s national team for France for a tournament in Poland this weekend.

— Andrew Zadarnowski (@AZadarski) December 14, 2021

Dube's QMJHL rights are currently owned by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. He 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.

SCHEDULE CHANGE?

According to a La Presse report, the QMJHL is planning to start its regular season in October moving forward.

Petite info: la #LHJMQ amorcera désormais sa saison en octobre. Le mois de septembre est plus chaud qu’avant, et c’est difficile de remplir les arénas à cette période de l’année, m’a expliqué Gilles Courteau.

— Alexandre Pratt (@alexandrepratt) December 13, 2021

This year's season began on Sept. 30 and the 2020-21 COVID season started on Oct. 2. The last "normal" season (2019-20) began on Sept. 19.

CHL ON TSN SCHEDULE

The CHL on TSN broadcast schedule was released this week and will feature three games from the QMJHL. An additional CHL game will be added for March 4, the news release notes.

TSN's opening night will feature an OHL/WHL doubleheader, which is interesting.

No other details on the broadcasts, such as who will be calling the games, has been released.

Stephane Leroux tweeted that RDS will also broadcast two to four games of this year's President Cup final.

NEW VIDEO BOARD

Gatineau's new Slush Puppie Centre is finally getting a much needed centre ice scoreboard installed.

😏 #CentreSlushPuppie pic.twitter.com/PGrrxh9I6w

— Olivier Beauregard (@OBeaure) December 17, 2021

GOALIE GOAL

Shawinigan goaltender Antoine Coulombe scored a goal on Friday in Drummondville.

OTHER THINGS

• The Sea Dogs are the only team in the QMJHL that has not allowed a shorthanded goal this season.
• The Sea Dogs have 15 wins in their first 29 games. They had 15 victories in 33 games last year.
• The QMJHL website has a story on the Sea Dogs' efforts to improve inclusivity in hockey,  which will be a focus at the 2022 Memorial Cup in June.
• Scott Wheeler of The Athletic writes that William Dufour's speed likely played a factory in Team Canada releasing the Sea Dogs forward last Sunday. "He moves well when he gets going but when he falls back onto his heels and has to start up again, he can drag behind," Wheeler wrote. "He was much better in the second game on a line with the Bedard-Roy duo, and scored on a beautiful shot from the slot under the bar before adding a secondary assist for his second point."
• The Athletic also has a piece on the season former Sea Dogs forward Joshua Roy is having with the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Like Dufour, Roy was cut by Team Canada last Sunday.
• The Telegraph-Journal's recap (paywall) of Friday's Sea Dogs-Wildcats game had a cool quote from Nicholas Blagden, who had a goal and an assist in the Moncton victory. Blagden said he had season tickets to the Sea Dogs his whole life and that nearly 100 friends and family were in the building on Friday to see him score his first goal of the season.
• The pre-tournament schedule for the World Junior Hockey Championship, which was supposed to begin on Sunday with Canada taking on Switzerland in Red Deer, has been delayed until at least Dec. 23, Hockey Canada announced Saturday.
• The Win Column has ranked Calgary Flames prospects through the first half of the season and there are a few notable names on the list.
• The Hockey News asks if former Sea Dogs defenseman Thomas Chabot has played his way onto Team Canada's Olympic squad.
• The schedule for Canada's university sport conferences is going to be a mess thanks to Omicron. The Dec. 30 men's hockey game between UNB and McGill in Fredericton has been cancelled.
• The Charlottetown Power are the latest team to join the Eastern Canadian Basketball League. They join Saint John, Summerside, Truro, Bathurst and Annapolis Valley in the league that is aiming to launch in mid-March.