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Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Notebook: COVID postponements return

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
It was inevitable that COVID-19 would force the postponements of some Quebec Major Junior Hockey League games in the second half. Still, Tuesday's news was not something anybody wanted to hear.

The league has postponed this weekend's pair of contests between the Charlottetown Islanders and Cape Breton Eagles "due to a COVID-19 outbreak." The QMJHL has come across as quite transparent with case reporting over the past couple years, but Tuesday's news release was noticeably vague.

Both the Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League have had a fairly large amount of games postponed since the Omicron variant arrived. But, both leagues have since gotten things much more under control and have had far fewer postponements in recent weeks.

COVID seems to be hitting hockey leagues across the Maritimes right now. The Maritime Junior Hockey League announced the postponement of six more games Tuesday while the NB/PEI Major U18 Hockey League postponed its showcase event last weekend.

UP NEXT
The Sea Dogs are scheduled to play three road games this week (unless COVID has other plans).

The Dogs return to Halifax on Thursday to face the Mooseheads at 7 p.m. It's a rematch of last Friday's eventful contest that saw a few players suspended. Speaking of suspensions, Halifax forward Zachary L'Heureux is back in action after serving a lengthy one of his own.

On Saturday the Sea Dogs and Titan face off for the first time since the trade deadline. Both teams have loaded up and are among the championship contenders in the league. This game is a 4 p.m. start in Bathurst.

Then on Sunday, Philippe Daoust, Thomas Couture and the Sea Dogs visit Jonathan Lemieux and the Moncton Wildcats. That game is also a 4 p.m. start.

THE STANDINGS
The good news for the Sea Dogs is that the Islanders finally lost a game on Monday, falling 5-4 in overtime. The bad news is that the Islanders lost to Bathurst, giving the Titan a pair of points and Charlottetown one.

Heading into play this week, Charlottetown continues to lead the Eastern Conference with a 27-7-3-0 record for 57 points. The Quebec Remparts are second with 53 points; the Titan are third with 46; and the Sea Dogs are fourth with 45.

Every game will be critical the rest of the way as the Sea Dogs try and gain some ground on the teams sitting in front of them.

GARTLEY HONOURED
Sea Dogs defenseman Hunter Gartley, who is currently playing with the Grand Falls Rapids, was named one of the MHL's players of the week.

The defenseman has appeared in four games with the Rapids, posting a goal and an assist. He played in five games with the Sea Dogs in the first half of the season.

Former Sea Dogs forward Luke Wilson, currently the captain of the Valley Wildcats, and former defenseman Benjamin Roode, now with the Yarmouth Mariners, were also named players of the week.

GOOBIE VS DOGS
It's probably a good thing the Sea Dogs likely won't see Jacob Goobie again this season.

After making a career high 45 saves in the Drummondville Voltigeurs' 2-1 win over the Sea Dogs on Sunday, Goobie is now 3-1 with a 1.75 goals against average and a .943 save percentage in four games against Saint John this season. His three previous starts were with the Islanders.

Goobie did not play against the Sea Dogs last season. In 2019-20 he posted two wins, allowing eight goals on a total of 71 shots.

DAOUST'S NUMBERS
Just eight games into his QMJHL season, Philippe Daoust is a goal away from tying his career high for goals in a season with seven.
ONLINE 50/50
The future is here.
NUMBER TWO
Since it's Feb. 2, 2022, here's the list of Sea Dogs who have worn No. 2 in team history (click to enlarge).
And here's who has worn No. 22 (click to enlarge).
CAMPOLI THE COOK
Folks, I've been writing this blog for quite some time now (many would argue too long!), but here is something I've never written before: former Sea Dogs captain Michael Campoli recently won $10,000 on a cooking show.
The 24-year-old spent the 2018-19 season with the Sea Dogs where he recorded two goals and 18 assists in 68 games. The defenseman, who went on to play at McGill, was the team's captain for 33 games.

OHL EXTENDS SEASON
The OHL, like the WHL, has extended its regular season to Sunday, April 17. The move comes after the CHL pushed the Memorial Cup ahead by a couple weeks.

“In keeping with the league’s approach of placing the health and well-being of players at the forefront, the regular season will be extended by two weeks to accommodate the rescheduling of games previously postponed due to COVID-19 protocols,” said OHL commissioner David Branch in a news release. “We look ahead to completing our season and awarding the J. Ross Robertson Cup to an OHL champion that will compete for the prestigious Memorial Cup in June.”

The QMJHL will not end its regular season until Sunday, May 1. The league's playoffs will need to be abbreviated in some way.

OTHER THINGS
  • William Dufour enters the week tied with Bathurst's Felix Lafrance for the league scoring lead (62 points) and tied with Charlottetown's Patrick Guay for the league goal scoring lead (30 goals).
  • 19-year-old forward Evan Boucher now has nine goals in seven games since signing with the Mooseheads.
  • The Hamilton Bulldogs and Oshawa Generals will play outdoors at Tim Hortons Field on Monday, March 14. The game is a day after the NHL's Heritage Classic.
  • Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino reports that the NHL Draft Combine is currently scheduled for May 29 - June 4, which would be before the CHL playoffs are complete.
  • The 2023 NHL Draft is going to be fun. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic has Tyler Peddle of the Voltigeurs listed as a first-round pick.
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