Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Notebook: Thursday is the big day

Kevin Chambers/Station Nation
Thursday will be a defining day in the Saint John Sea Dogs' quest to lift the Memorial Cup on home ice this June.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's trade deadline is Thursday at 1 p.m. Atlantic, per the Times & Transcript (paywall). Whether the team wins or doesn't win the Memorial Cup in a few months, the Sea Dogs' actions - or inactions - on Thursday will be analyzed for years to come. No pressure!

The Sea Dogs head into deadline day with plenty of assets to make deals with. Here are the picks the team currently hold, via the French fan boards:

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

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

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

Saint John also has a big group of prospects from the 2021 draft they could use in deals.

The Sea Dogs are expected to acquire Elliot Desnoyers from the Halifax Mooseheads. It's hard to imagine the Sea Dogs not making more moves given the assets they have, but time will tell.

SEVIGNY HONOURED
New Sea Dogs defenseman Vincent Sevigny has been named the QMJHL's d-man of the month for December.


Vincent Sevigny will be afforded the opportunity to challenge for the 2022 Memorial Cup thanks to a recent trade to the tournament host Saint John Sea Dogs. However, his last month of play with the Tigres was a highlight in itself. The veteran blueliner made his way onto the scoresheet in every December matchup, including a four-point outing against the Cape Breton Eagles on the 9th. That was one of four multi-point efforts for Sevigny in the month. He finishes his career in Victoriaville with 97 points in 208 games, not to mention a 2021 President Cup title.

Sevigny heads to the Port City ranked fourth among all rearguards in scoring with 28 points in 25 games. He started the season with invites to NHL training camps from both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.

The Sea Dogs acquired the overager from the Tigres in exchange for three draft picks on Dec. 20. It's the only official deal the team has made during the holiday trade period.

MHL HAPPENINGS
A few of Sea Dogs related notes from the Maritime Junior Hockey League.

Former Sea Dog Benjamin Roode has been named the MHL's defenseman of the month for December, the league announced Monday. From the MHL's news release:

The 19-year-old from Dartmouth, NS averages over 25 minutes per game for the Eastlink South-leading Yarmouth Mariners. His four points for the month were tied for the third-most among blueliners in December and Roode took no penalties in his six games played. On the scoresheet, Roode had one goal and one assist in a win December 1st against Truro, one assist in a win against Pictou County the following night, and one assist in a win over Valley on the 11th .

Mariners Head Coach Laurie Barron says, “Ben Roode plays against the other team's top unit every night, is on our top powerplay unit, and is the first one over the boards on the penalty kill.”

Roode appeared in two games with the Sea Dogs during the 2020-21 season.

Antoine Lyonnais of the Valley Wildcats, who acted as backup netminder for the Sea Dogs during a game last season, was an honourable mention for MHL goaltender of the month.

Over the weekend, the Miramichi Timberwolves and Campbellton Tigers made a significant trade.

Miramichi trades Jeremie Jacob, Jeremie Hebert and future considerations to Campbellton for Daryk Dube-Plouffe, MacLaren Dick, the rights to Sam McKinney, the rights to Liam Travis, 2nd round pick (Grand Falls) in the 2022 draft, conditional 5th round pick in the 2023 draft and future considerations.

Jacob, 20, appeared in 82 games with the Sea Dogs over two seasons. The Tigers are just two points back of second-place Edmundston in the Eastlink North Division.

The MHL's regular season is currently set to resume Jan. 20.

REGINATO TO THE ECHL
Former Sea Dogs forward Cole Reginato has been called up to the ECHL's Greenville Swamp Rabbits. The callup was apparently short lived.
Reginato is in his second season with the Southern Professional Hockey League's Huntsville Havoc where he has five goals, seven points and 58 penalty minutes in 24 games. The 24-year-old joins a growing list of players from smaller pro leagues that have recently made the jump to the ECHL to fill rosters that have been hit by COVID or related callups.

Reginato spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs and helped the club win the President Cup in 2017.

RESCHEDULED WJC
There are many obstacles facing the IIHF in their attempt to reschedule this year's cancelled World Junior Hockey Championship. There seems to be a chance the 2022 Memorial Cup, scheduled for June 4-13 in Saint John, could lead right into the world juniors.

"But there is also another plausible window to do it: Tardif and sources I’ve talked to have suggested June, particularly mid to late June once the CHL season is finished," writes Corey Pronman in The Athletic. "And yes, that would lead directly into the 2022 NHL Draft."

It won't be an easy task to reschedule this thing.
WJC TO THE MARITIMES?
Hockey Canada is scheduled to host the World Junior Hockey Championship again in 2025. A host city has not been named yet. Could the event be making its way to the Maritimes?
Over the past decade, the tournament has been held in basically every region of Canada except the Atlantic area. It makes sense that it would be Halifax's turn again. The only question is if Hockey Canada will be okay with holding it in an area without an NHL sized venue.

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