Quick Hits: A lot to be decided on regular season's final day

HALIFAX - Greetings from Halifax, where the Wanderers defeated FC Edmonton 3-1 in the team's first home game of the 2022 season.

It felt much more like hockey weather at the Wanderers Grounds with many fans sporting gloves and tuques - and in normal times we'd be halfway through the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. But, here we are heading into May with a few things still to be decided in the QMJHL's regular season.

There are a couple of key Eastern Conference races to watch on Sunday, the final day of league's regular season. The Saint John Sea Dogs will be keeping a close eye on the Halifax-Cape Breton and Quebec-Rimouski games. The Sea Dogs, as the No. 3 seed in the conference, will play the No. 6 seed in the first round. The Mooseheads currently sit fifth with 76 points and the Oceanic sixth with 75 points.

Another race that could impact the Sea Dogs down the road is at the top of the standings. Quebec currently has a one-point lead on Charlottetown for first overall. The Islanders will host Bathurst Sunday afternoon. If things stay as they are and the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference all advance to the second round, that would setup a Saint John-Charlottetown series.

Here's a look at the Eastern Conference standings heading into the final day of action.

A few other news and notes...

• The league's 16th and final playoff spot is still up for grabs with Baie-Comeau and Victoriaville tied with 55 points each. Baie-Comeau hosts Chicoutimi on Sunday while Victoriaville hosts Rouyn-Noranda.
• In the scoring race, Sherbrooke's Joshua Roy is back in the lead with 116 points while William Dufour sits second with 115.
• In the goal scoring race, Dufour leads the league with 55. Charlottetown's Patrick Guay is right behind him with 54 while Quebec's Zachary Bolduc has 52.
• Dufour and the Sea Dogs will end the regular season against the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday. Dufour has scored 11 goals in eight games against Moncton this year.
• In the race for the league lead in assists, Bathurst's Riley Kidney sits in first with 70 while Josh Lawrence is second with 69 and Roy third with 68.
• Lawrence has 12 assists in eight games against Moncton this season.
• All 18 QMJHL teams will be in action on Sunday.
• The QMJHL confirmed the dates of three playoff matchups Saturday. Those series will start this Thursday, May 5 and will end no later than Thursday, May 12. There's certainly no time being wasted during these best-of-five series.
• Friday's 3-2 Islanders win in Moncton was decided by a 19-round shootout - a league record, according to Mikael Lalancette. Former Sea Dogs netminder Jonathan Lemieux stopped 31 shots in regulation time and 16 of 19 shooters in the breakaway contest.
• In the MHL, the Summerside Western Capitals took a 3-1 series lead in the league final with a 5-1 win over the Truro Bearcats on Saturday. Former Sea Dogs forward Josh MacDonald had a goal for the Capitals. Game 5 will take place Monday in Summerside.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 14-2

FINAL: Cape Breton 2, Saint John 14

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs wrapped up the home portion of their regular season schedule with a major bang on Friday night.

The Sea Dogs set a new team record for goals scored in a single game with a huge 14-2 victory over the Cape Breton Eagles at TD Station. The win was Saint John's 14th straight victory as they head to Moncton to play their final match of the regular season on Sunday afternoon.

Peter Reynolds scored a career high four goals to lead the Sea Dogs. Philippe Daoust, Jeremie Poirier and Marshall Lessard each scored a pair while Brady Burns, William Dufour, Vincent Sevigny and Ravivis Ansons added singles. Olivier Picard had five assists and Josh Lawrence three.

Nikolas Hurtubise wasn't tested a whole lot in net, making 18 stops in the win.

Peter Repcik and Cam Squires had Cape Breton goals. Remi Delafontaine allowed six goals on 19 shots before being pulled in the second period. Affiliate netminder Xavier Farrah, in his first career QMJHL appearance, allowed eight goals on 30 shots.

The Sea Dogs dominated most of this game, looking like they were on a power play for much of it. The Dogs scored five goals in both the first and second periods and allowed just four shots in the middle frame. It looked very much like a game between the Memorial Cup hosts and the QMJHL's last-place club.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-1

FINAL: Cape Breton 1, Saint John 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Make it 13 straight wins for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs scored three times in the second period en route to a 4-1 victory over the Cape Breton Eagles on Thursday at TD Station.

Brady Burns scored a pair of goals while Willam Dufour and Peter Reynolds added singles. Thomas Couture made 29 stops in the win.

Former Sea Dog Carter McCluskey netted Cape Breton's lone goal. Nicolas Ruccia made 40 stops in the loss.

Much like other recent Eagles-Dogs games, Saint John dominated stretches of this game while others were fairly even. The Sea Dogs led 1-0 after one but scored three quick goals in the second to take a commanding 4-0 lead.

Saint John will look to make it 14 straight wins in their home finale against the Eagles on Friday night.

Quick Hits: Sea Dogs locked into No. 3 seed in Eastern Conference

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are now locked into third-place in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Eastern Conference.

With three games remaining in their regular season schedule, the most points the Sea Dogs can finish with is 98. That means they won't be able to catch the Quebec Remparts (100 points) or Charlottetown Islanders (99 points).

The Sea Dogs also can't be caught by the fourth-place Acadie-Bathurst Titan who have struggled (and limped) down the stretch.

Finishing third means the Sea Dogs will play the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference in the first round. Right now that would be the Rimouski Oceanic who have 75 points with two games remaining. The Oceanic could still catch the fifth-place Halifax Mooseheads who have 76 points with one game remaining.

The Sea Dogs were 1-1-0-0 against the Oceanic this season and 6-2-0-0 against the Mooseheads.

A few other notes...

• Sherbrooke's Joshua Roy now leads the QMJHL in points with 113 while William Dufour is second with 112. Both have three games remaining in the regular season.
• Charlottetown's Patrick Guay has tied Dufour for the league lead in goals with 53. Guay and the Islanders have two games remaining.
• The Mooseheads are playing some of their best hockey of the season right now, winning their sixth straight game Tuesday night in Moncton. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games. The Moose have one game remaining in the regular season: a visit to last-place Cape Breton on Sunday.
• Only two QMJHL teams - the Charlottetown Islanders and Quebec Remparts - made the year-end CHL Top 10 rankings, which appears to summarize the year's rankings. The Winnipeg Ice were ranked first.
• Former Sea Dogs forward Alex Drover played in his first game with the Rimouski Oceanic since March 8 on Wednesday. Drover scored his 12th goal of the season in his return from injury.
• Former Sea Dogs head coach Josh Dixon and the Prince George Cougars have been eliminated from the WHL playoffs. The Cougars were swept by the favoured Portland Winterhawks, dropping Game 4 by score of 2-1 on Wednesday. Dixon is an associate coach with the Cougars.
• On TSN's Insider Trading, Chris Johnston reported that an announcement on which Canadian city/cities will host the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship will be made soon. "We're going to know soon," said Johnston. "There's already been some talks it's going to be Halifax and Moncton, that they're the favourites among the five bids. Hockey Canada has not made a final decision."
• This may already be out there, but Canada's schedule for this summer's world juniors in Edmonton will see the team play Latvia (Aug. 10), Slovakia (Aug. 11), Czechia (Aug. 13) and Finland (Aug. 15). The quarterfinal (Aug. 17), semifinal (Aug. 19) and bronze/gold medal (Aug. 20) matches will take place afterwards.
• As noted by Le Droit's JF Plante, former Sea Dogs goaltender Charlie Millen is now a linesman in the OHL. Millen appeared in three games with Saint John during the 2011-12 season. According to his LinkedIn, Millen also works AHL games and Hockey Canada sanctioned matches.
• The school formerly known as Ryerson University will have a new name for its sports teams this coming season, reports Ben Steiner. The school, now known as Toronto Metropolitan University, will no longer be the home of the Rams.
• The OHL's Ottawa 67's could have a new home in the coming years. The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, who own the 67's, unveiled proposed plans to build a new 5,500-seat arena that would be ready for the 2024-25 season. The 67's current home, located underneath one of the football grandstands, has been dying a slow death for some time.

Game Day 66 & 67: vs Eagles

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to close out the home portion of their 2021-22 regular season schedule with a bang over the next couple days.

The Sea Dogs host the Cape Breton Eagles Thursday and Friday night at TD Station. Both games are 7 p.m. starts. The Sea Dogs will close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon in Moncton, making these two matches against the Eagles their final skate on Saint John ice before the playoffs.

Saint John carries a 12-game winning streak into Thursday's game against the last-place Eagles. Cape Breton is just 1-9 in their past 10 games.

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

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/None/Not mandatory

Records: The Sea Dogs are 44-17-1-3 for 92 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/third QMJHL) while the Eagles are 14-44-4-3 for 35 points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-3 win over the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday. Peter Reynolds scored a pair of goals while singles came from Olivier Picard, Josh Lawrence and William Dufour. Nikolas Hurtubise made 19 saves in the win. The Eagles are coming off a 5-3 home loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Tuesday. Francois-James Buteau, Ivan Ivan and Kian Bell scored for Cape Breton. Remi Delafontaine made 42 saves in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 6-0-0-1 against the Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 1-4-1-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: April 17 at Centre 200 where the Sea Dogs defeated the Eagles 5-1. Ryan Francis scored a pair against his old club while singles came from Charlie DesRoches, William Dufour and William Villeneuve. Nicholas Girouard scored the lone goal for Cape Breton. Nikolas Hurtubise made 22 stops in the win. Nicolas Ruccia made 30 saves in the loss.

CHL bans Russian and Belarusian players from '22 Import Draft

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

In a low key announcement Wednesday, the Canadian Hockey League confirmed what had been speculated several weeks ago: Russian and Belarusian players will not be eligible to be selected in this year's CHL Import Draft.

The league issued a brief statement.

A statement from the Canadian Hockey League / Une déclaration de la Ligue canadienne de hockey pic.twitter.com/Fo1E8IkTpr

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 27, 2022

Several media outlets reported this move previously but the CHL had not confirmed the decision.

The move comes as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine and countries around the globe continue to put sanctions on the Russian government and officials. Even if Russians/Belarusians were eligible for this year's Import Draft, the logistics of getting those players to Canada in the fall would likely be more challenging than ever.

This will have a significant impact on the CHL Import Draft as plenty of Russian and Belarusian players are selected each year. The Saint John Sea Dogs selected both a Russian (Yan Kuznetsov) and a Belarusian (Evgeny Sapelnikov) just last year.

The CHL previously announced that next season's Canada-Russia Series games, which haven't been played since 2019 due to COVID, have been cancelled.

One other noteworthy notey note from the CHL's statement Wednesday: the date of the Import Draft. It's shaping up to be a busy summer.

June 20-29: 2022 Memorial Cup (Saint John)

July 1: CHL Import Draft (virtual)

July 4-5: QMJHL Entry Draft (sadly virtual)

July 7-8: NHL Draft (Montreal)

Notebook: The final week is here

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Folks, we made it.

The final week of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's regular season has arrived. It wasn't the smoothest ride with a pretty significant bump in the middle (thank you, COVID!) but here we are. A little later than originally planned, but we made it.

The Sea Dogs have three regular season games remaining. On Thursday and Friday night the team will host the last-place Cape Breton Eagles in the final regular season games at TD Station. Both contests start at 7 p.m.

The Sea Dogs will honour their three overage players on Thursday night. Then on Friday, Saint John resident Maestro Fresh Wes will perform as part of the team's first ever Throwback Night.

Saint John will close out the regular season with a Sunday afternoon match in Moncton. Game time for that one is 4 p.m. All 18 teams will be in action on Sunday.

DUFOUR SIGNS

If you missed it last week, Sea Dogs forward William Dufour has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the New York Islanders.

Congratulations to William Dufour on signing a three-year, entry level contract with the New York Islanders! 👏 🖊 pic.twitter.com/lHZdWYb3PH

— x - Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) April 21, 2022

Dufour was a fifth-round pick of the Islanders in the 2020 NHL Draft. The Quebec City native will likely play professionally in the Islanders system next season.

Imama makes most of first NHL games

Embed from Getty Images

It was quite a weekend for former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Boko Imama.

After spending most of the past five seasons in the American Hockey League, Imama finally made his NHL debut on Friday, taking five shifts and playing 4:04 for the Arizona Coyotes in their 2-0 loss to the Washington Capitals.

Take your lap, @bokojr. 👏

Congratulations on making your @NHL debut, Imama! pic.twitter.com/zzig3aeqgO

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) April 23, 2022

On Saturday, the 25-year-old saw a bit more ice time (5:42) and made the most of it, netting his first NHL goal. The Coyotes lost the game 5-4 in overtime to the St. Louis Blues.

Sea Dogs announce team award winners

Sea Dogs Twitter

SAINT JOHN - William Dufour was the big winner at the annual Saint John Sea Dogs awards banquet on Monday night at the Imperial Theatre.

Dufour, who currently leads the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in points and goals, won three awards, including most valuable player.

Here's the full list of award winners:

Top Scorer Award: William Dufour

Three Stars Award: Philippe Daoust

Community Service Award: Nicholas Blagden

Rookie of the Year Award: Thomas Couture

Players' Choice MVP Award: William Dufour

Academic Player of the Year Award: William Villeneuve

Team Player Award: Riley Bezeau

Most Improved Player Award: Josh Lawrence

Top Defensive Forward Award: Raivis Ansons

Fans Choice Award: Jeremie Poirier

Top Defenseman Award: Vincent Sevigny

MVP Award: William Dufour

MC Jon Quinn also interviewed the core group of players Saint John selected in the 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft: William Villeneuve, Jeremie Poirier, Brady Burns, Josh Lawrence and Charlie DesRoches.

Lawrence and Dufour were also honoured for breaking some individual offensive records this season.

The event ended with players honouring their billet families.

The all-time list of team award winners can be found on the Sea Dogs website. The banquet can be watched in its entirety below.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-3

FINAL: Saint John 5, Moncton 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs survived a third period scare to earn their 12th straight win on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs were cruising through the first 40 minutes at Avenir Centre and entered the final frame up 3-1 over the Moncton Wildcats with a shots on goal edge of 32-9. But the Wildcats caught the Sea Dogs snoozing in the third, scoring two goals in the opening six minutes to tie things up at 3-3. Shots were 12-3 in favour of Moncton at the halfway mark of the period.

Josh Lawrence would break the tie with his 30th goal of the season at 14:07 and the Sea Dogs killed off a penalty late. William Dufour added an empty net goal to give the Sea Dogs a 5-3 win.

Peter Reynolds scored a pair of goals while Olivier Picard added a single. Nikolas Hurtubise made 19 stops in the win.

Brooklyn Kalmikov, Mathis Cloutier and Anthony Hamel had Moncton goals. Vincent Filion made 37 stops in the loss.

The third period scare is perhaps a bit of a wake up call that Saint John can't take teams like Moncton lightly down the stretch. They have more games against lower-end-of-the-standings-opponents like this one coming up, facing Cape Breton twice and Moncton again.

Game Day 65: at Moncton

MONCTON - The end is in sight.

The Saint John Sea Dogs have just four games remaining on their regular season schedule. They'll knock another one off the calendar tonight when they travel to the Avenir Center to face the Moncton Wildcats at 7 p.m.

The Sea Dogs bring an 11-game winning streak into this game, picking up big victories this week over the Sherbrooke Phoenix and Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Saint John will close out to the regular season with two games each against the Wildcats and Cape Breton Eagles, the bottom teams in the Maritimes Division. The Sea Dogs will be the favourites in all four games, but they'll need to be mentally ready going up against teams that have the ability to upset.

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

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/None/Not mandatory

Records: The Sea Dogs are 43-17-1-3 for 90 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/third QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 27-29-6-1 for 61 points (fifth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/12th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 win in Bathurst last night. Josh Lawrence scored twice while Ryan Francis and Raivis Ansons added singles. Thomas Couture made 25 saves in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 4-0 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on home ice on Tuesday. Jonathan Lemieux made 46 saves in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 5-2-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 2-5-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 25 in Saint John where the Sea Dogs defeated the Wildcats 8-3. William Dufour scored a pair for Saint John while singles came from Riley Bezeau, Raivis Ansons, Brady Burns, Philippe Daoust, Jeremie Poirier and Connor Trenholm. Alex Mercier, Brooklyn Kalmikov and Maxim Barbashev scored for Moncton. Thomas Couture made 14 saves in the win. Vincent Filion allowed four goals on 14 shots in the first period for Moncton. Jonathan Lemieux allowed four goals on 34 shots in the final two periods.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-2

FINAL: Saint John 4, Bathurst 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

BATHURST - With four games remaining in the regular season, the Saint John Sea Dogs now have a six-point lead on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan for third spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Sea Dogs extended their lead with a 4-2 road victory over the Titan on Friday at the KC Irving Regional Centre. The victory also extended Saint John's winning streak to 11 games - the longest streak of its kind in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season.

Josh Lawrence scored a shorthanded and empty net goal in the victory. Ryan Francis and Raivis Ansons also scored while Yan Kuznetsov, in his return to the lineup, picked up a pair of assists.

Thomas Couture, who also started Tuesday's big game against the Sherbrooke Phoenix, made 25 saves in the win. Couture made a few key stops in the third period when the Titan, with the game tied at 2-2, were pressing in the offensive zone.

The Titan, who were without several regulars, had goals from Joseph Henneberry and Thomas Belgarde. Jan Bednar made 30 saves in the loss. 

Despite missing several key regulars, the Titan put in a strong effort against a hot and healthy Sea Dogs team. The game was knotted at 2-2 until Ansons netted the winner at 16:12 of the third, putting in the rebound of a Cam MacDonald shot.

Game Day 64: at Bathurst

BATHURST - For one final time in the regular season, the Saint John Sea Dogs take on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

It's been quite a season series between the two provincial rivals with six of the eight meetings being decided by a single goal. Saint John enters this game up four points on the Titan for third spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Sea Dogs also enter this game on a 10-game winning streak. It's the second time this season they've had a 10-gamer going.

Game time tonight at the KC Irving Regional Centre is 7 p.m.

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

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/None/Not mandatory

Records: The Sea Dogs are 42-17-1-3 for 88 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/third QMJHL) while the Titan are 39-18-3-3 for 84 points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/fifth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 home win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix on Tuesday. Connor Trenholm scored a pair of goals while Ryan Francis added the other. Thomas Couture made 26 saves in the win. The Titan are coming off a 3-2 shootout win over the Phoenix last night. Miguel Tourigny and Bennett MacArthur had Bathurst goals in regulation time. Jan Bednar made 27 stops in the victory,

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 4-2-1-1 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 4-3-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: April 9 at TD Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 5-3. Cam MacDonald, Vincent Sevigny, Raivis Ansons, Josh Lawrence and Riley Bezeau all scored for Saint John. Logan Chisholm, Jacob Melanson and Ben Allison had Bathurst goals. Nikolas Hurtubise had 34 stops in the win. Jan Bednar made 24 saves in the loss.

It's been a good week

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's been a good week for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The team has moved all the way up to No. 5 in the CHL Top 10 rankings after a week that saw them earn four victories - a couple of which were against two of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's top teams in the Charlottetown Islanders and Sherbrooke Phoenix.

The Week 25 edition of the @KiaCanada CHL Top-10 Rankings has arrived!

📰 | https://t.co/YFZ6Vu9nZM pic.twitter.com/Y9LAUr2Zlj

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 20, 2022

The Quebec Remparts were the top ranked QMJHL team at No. 4. The Islanders were ranked seventh while the Phoenix were an honourable mention.

From the CHL website:

A dominant second half now sees the 2022 Memorial Cup presented by Kia host Saint John Sea Dogs ranked fifth nationally following a stretch in which the squad has won 10 straight and 21 of its last 23 appearances. Bringing no shortage of offense, the Sea Dogs have racked up 42 goals in their last eight outings, headlined by league-leading scorer and New York Islanders prospect William Dufour who has registered 109 points counting 52 goals and 57 assists in 61 games.

Sea Dogs forward William Dufour, meanwhile, picked up more honours this week. Dufour was named to the QMJHL Team of the Week and named the QMJHL's Player of the Week. It's the second time this season Dufour has earned the weekly honour.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-2

FINAL: Sherbrooke 2, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs' winning streak has hit 10 games.

The Sea Dogs earned a solid 3-2 win over the Western Conference leading Sherbrooke Phoenix on Tuesday night at TD Station. The win pushed the Sea Dogs past the Phoenix for third overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League standings.

Connor Trenholm scored a pair of goals and added an assist on the other marker. Ryan Francis scored a single and setup both of Trenholm's goals. Thomas Couture made 26 saves in the victory.

Despite the close score, the Sea Dogs dominated stretches of this game, especially in the second period. Saint John got into penalty trouble early in the first period and that allowed Sherbrooke to grab a 2-0 lead. But, as we've seen during this win streak, the Sea Dogs didn't panic and steadily mounted a comeback.

Saint John swept the season series with Sherbrooke this season, winning both contests.

Xavier Parent and Stephane Jr Huard scored for the Phoenix. Jakob Robillard made 24 stops in the loss.

Game Day 63: vs Phoenix

SAINT JOHN - Joshua Roy and the Sherbrooke Phoenix make their lone appearance of the regular season at TD Station tonight.

It's a major showdown not only between two of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's top teams (the Sea Dogs sit fourth overall with 86 points while the Phoenix are third with 86 points as well) but also two of the top point producers in Roy (106 points) and William Dufour (109 points).

The Sea Dogs defeated the Phoenix 5-1 in Sherbrooke earlier this season. The Phoenix have lost just six times in regulation on home ice.

Saint John carries a nine-game winning streak and a four-point lead on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan into tonight's contest. Game time is 7 p.m. 

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

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/None/Not mandatory

Records: The Sea Dogs are 41-17-1-3 for 86 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/fourth QMJHL) while the Phoenix are 41-16-2-2 for 86 points (first Central/first Western/third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 win in Cape Breton on Sunday. Ryan Francis scored a pair of goals while singles came from Charlie DesRoches, William Dufour and William Villeneuve. Nikolas Hurtubise made 22 stops in the win. The Phoenix are coming off a 4-2 loss in Drummondville on Friday. Jean-Raphael Roy and Julien Anctil scored for Sherbrooke. Ivan Zhigalov made 19 stops in the loss.

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

Last meeting: Dec. 4 in Sherbrooke where the Sea Dogs defeated the Phoenix 5-1. Ryan Francis, Cam MacDonald, Charlie DesRoches, Christopher Inniss and Jeremie Poirier scored for Saint John. Xavier Parent scored Sherbrooke's lone goal. Noah Patenaude allowed a goal on 36 shots before leaving the game with an injury. Jonathan Lemieux stopped all 12 shots he faced in relief. Ivan Zhigalov made 19 stops in the loss.

OHL, WHL playoffs set to begin

Winnipeg Ice

We're one step closer to finding out who will be joining the Saint John Sea Dogs at the Memorial Cup in June.

Both the Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League ended regular season play on Sunday. Both leagues will begin their playoffs - featuring the usual four rounds of best-of-seven series - later this week.

Here's a look at the first round matchups in the OHL:

Eastern Conference

(1) Hamilton vs (8) Peterborough

(2) North Bay vs (7) Ottawa

(3) Kingston vs (6) Oshawa

(4) Mississauga vs (5) Barrie

Western Conference

(1) Windsor vs (8) Sarnia

(2) London vs (7) Kitchener

(3) Flint vs (6) Owen Sound

(4) Sault Ste. Marie vs (5) Guelph

And here's a look at the WHL's opening round:

Eastern Conference

(1) Winnipeg vs (8) Prince Albert

(2) Edmonton vs (7) Lethbridge

(3) Red Deer vs (6) Brandon

(4) Moose Jaw vs (5) Saskatoon

Western Conference

(1) Everett vs (8) Vancouver

(2) Kamloops vs (7) Spokane

(3) Portland vs (6) Prince George

(4) Seattle vs (5) Kelowna

The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the OHL while the Winnipeg Ice finished atop the WHL standings.

Notably absent from the playoff picture are the Erie Otters, who the Sea Dogs faced at the 2017 Memorial Cup, and Connor Bedard's Regina Pats.

Former Sea Dogs head coach Josh Dixon is an associate coach with the Prince George Cougars, a team that will be making its first playoff appearance since 2017. The Cougars haven't made it out of the first round since 2007.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's regular season will continue for two more weeks. The league will begin playoff action - with the first three rounds being best-of-five series - the first week of May.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 5, Cape Breton 1

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SYDNEY, NS - Another franchise record fell in another Saint John Sea Dogs win Sunday.

Josh Lawrence registered his 63rd assist of the season in Saint John's 5-1 victory over the Cape Breton Eagles on Sunday at Centre 200, breaking Jonathan Huberdeau's record for most assists in a single season.

Lawrence got the Sea Dogs single season assist record on this play ⬇️🚨#CityofChampions pic.twitter.com/JVSXTEOj64

— x - Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) April 17, 2022

Lawrence posted two helpers in the win - Saint John's ninth straight. With the Acadie-Bathurst Titan losing to the Halifax Mooseheads, the Sea Dogs now have a four-point lead on the Titan for third-place in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have six games remaining.

Ryan Francis scored a pair of goals against his old club on Sunday while Charlie DesRoches, William Dufour and William Villeneuve added singles. Raivis Ansons had two assists. Nikolas Hurtubise made 22 saves in the win.

Former Sea Dog Nicholas Girouard scored Cape Breton's lone goal. Nicolas Ruccia made 30 saves in the loss.

The Eagles have now lost nine straight games.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-0

FINAL: Saint John 6, Cape Breton 0

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SYDNEY, NS - William Dufour made history in the Saint John Sea Dogs' 6-0 win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday.

Dufour, who scored twice, became the first Sea Dog to ever reach the 50-goal mark (scoring his 50th and 51st goals) and broke Jonathan Huberdeau's franchise record for points in a single season, registering his 106th and 107th points of the season.

Congratulations to William Dufour on setting a new franchise record for points in a single season, passing Jonathan Huberdeau, with his 106th point (and 50th goal) of the season! 🔥🔥🔥#CityofChampions @NYIslanders pic.twitter.com/yDLFS5ZqN3

— x - Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) April 16, 2022

The New York Islanders prospect scored both of his goals in a dominant opening frame for the Sea Dogs. Saint John led 4-0 after one with shots 20-8 in favour of the visitors.

Shots in the game ended 45-22 for Saint John. The Sea Dogs have now won eight straight games.

Raivis Ansons, Ryan Francis, Jeremie Poirier and Cam MacDonald also scored for Saint John. Philippe Daoust and Charlie DesRoches each posted a pair of assists. Thomas Couture made 22 saves in the shutout.

Remi Delafontaine allowed four goals on 20 shots in the opening frame. Nicolas Ruccia allowed two goals on 25 shots in the final two periods.

This victory was also a big one for the Sea Dogs in the standings. With the Acadie-Bathurst Titan losing, Saint John is now in sole possession of third place in the Eastern Conference with 84 points. Both the Sea Dogs and Titan have seven games remaining in the regular season.

Saye suspended for high stick

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Charlottetown Islanders forward Owen Saye has been suspended two games for his high stick on Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Yan Kuznetsov in Thursday's game.

Saye received a five-minute major and match penalty for his actions during the first period.

.@IslandersHKY forward Owen Saye suspended 2 games for high sticking @SJSeaDogs d-man Yan Kuznetsov. pic.twitter.com/ZECsE162na

— Denis Leblanc (@DenisL_1981) April 15, 2022

Saye will miss Charlottetown's Saturday game in Bathurst and Sunday contest in Rimouski.

Kuznetsov stayed in the game Thursday - his first since March 9 due to a hand/wrist issue - but is listed out of Saturday's Sea Dogs lineup with an injury.

Saye was the only player suspended from Thursday's game which featured quite a bit of roughness. Cam MacDonald was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for kneeing in the third period.

Charlottetown's Keiran Gallant, Xavier Simoneau and Oscar Plandowski were injured Thursday but all were in the Islanders' lineup Saturday in Bathurst.

Game Day 61 & 62: at Cape Breton

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs make their final trip to Cape Breton this weekend.

The Sea Dogs, winners of seven straight, take on the Eagles on Saturday night at 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. Saint John is 4-0-0-1 against Cape Breton this season.

The Eagles sit in last-place in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League but have proven to be a tough out in recent weeks. The Sea Dogs played a pair of games in Sydney earlier this month and they were a bit closer than you would expect. Saint John, in a tight race for playoff positioning, should not take Cape Breton lightly this weekend.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Eastlink TV (Saturday)/93 CFBC/CHL TV

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/None/Not mandatory

Records: The Sea Dogs are 39-17-1-3 for 82 points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/fifth QMJHL) while the Eagles are 13-39-4-3 for 33 points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an 8-4 win in Charlottetown on Thursday. Josh Lawrence and Brady Burns each had a pair of goals while singles came from Raivis Ansons, William Dufour, Charlie DesRoches and Philippe Daoust. Thomas Couture made 25 stops in the win. The Eagles are coming off a 5-3 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Thursday. Carter McCluskey, Nicholas Girouard and Ivan Ivan scored for Cape Breton. Nicolas Ruccia made 36 saves in the loss.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 4-0-0-1 against the Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 1-2-1-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: April 2 at Centre 200 where the Sea Dogs defeated the Eagles 5-1. William Dufour scored twice while Josh Lawrence, Ryan Francis and Cam MacDonald added singles. Jeremy Langlois scored for Cape Breton. Thomas Couture made 34 saves in the win. Remi Delafontaine made 27 stops in the loss.

Friday Notes: Playoff position updates

QUEBEC CITY - Greetings from Quebec City, where the race for first-place in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League got more interesting last night.

With the Saint John Sea Dogs handing the Charlottetown Islanders an 8-4 loss, the Quebec Remparts took over top spot in the QMJHL standings thanks to a 4-1 home win over the Gatineau Olympiques. The Islanders do still have a game in-hand, though, and have nine game regular season games remaining. The race is far from over.

The Islanders have a tough schedule coming up, visiting Bathurst and Rimouski this weekend before making a stop in Moncton on Tuesday. That schedule could be even tougher if the Islanders are without more regulars following some injuries suffered in Thursday's loss to the Sea Dogs.

Both Saint John and Bathurst won Thursday, keeping them in a tie for third spot in the Eastern Conference.

It's looking like Rimouski will stay in the No. 5 spot and Halifax in No. 6, meaning the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference will play the Mooseheads and the No. 4 seed the Oceanic.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 8-4

FINAL: Saint John 8, Charlottetown 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs put the hammer down on the Charlottetown Islanders Thursday night at Eastlink Centre.

The Sea Dogs scored three times in the first period en route to an 8-4 victory over the Islanders. Saint John has now won seven straight games - but none were bigger than this one.

Saint John made the most of their scoring chances in the opening half of the game, scoring five times on their first 13 shots and forcing the Islanders to take goaltender Francesco Lapenna out of the game. They led 6-0 at one point in the second period.

The Sea Dogs also did a good job at limiting the scoring chances they allowed, surrendering just 13 shots in the opening 40 minutes. The third period was a bit of a mess for a number of reasons but the game was never in doubt.

Josh Lawrence led the way with two goals and two assists. William Dufour had a goal and two helpers while Brady Burns scored twice. Raivis Ansons, Charlie DesRoches and Philippe Daoust also scored. Thomas Couture, who got the start with Nikolas Hurtubise out with an injury, made 25 stops in the win.

Xavier Simoneau, Patrick Guay, Lukas Cormier and Dawson Stairs all scored for Charlottetown. Lapenna allowed five goals on 13 shots while Oliver Satney allowed a goal on six shots.

Game Day 60: at Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN - For a final time this regular season, the Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders will meet.

The Islanders have already clinched the season series, winning five of the eight previous matches. While it remains unlikely that the Sea Dogs can catch the Islanders in the standings, there is a lot on the line tonight for both clubs.

Charlottetown is currently tied with the Quebec Remparts for top spot in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (the Islanders do have a game in-hand, though). The Sea Dogs, meanwhile, are once again tied with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan for third overall in the Eastern Conference. With only a couple weeks left in the regular season, every point matters for playoff positioning.

Game time tonight at Eastlink Centre is 7 p.m.

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

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/None/Required

Records: The Sea Dogs are 38-17-1-3 for 80 points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/fifth QMJHL) while the Islanders are 40-11-7-0 for 87 points (first Maritimes/first Eastern/first QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 win over the Quebec Remparts on Sunday. William Villeneuve, Josh Lawrence, Peter Reynolds and Vincent Sevigny scored for Saint John. Thomas Couture made 37 saves in the victory. The Islanders are coming off a 2-1 home win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Sunday. Brett Budgell and Jakub Brabenec scored for Charlottetown. Oliver Satny made 29 stops in the victory.

2021-22 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 3-5-0-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 5-2-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 24 at Eastlink Centre where the Islanders defeated the Sea Dogs 6-4. Patrick Guay had a pair of goals while singles came from Brett Budgell, Jakub Brabenec, Dawson Stairs and Noah Laaouan. Saint John had a pair of goals from Philippe Daoust and singles from Raivis Ansons and Ryan Francis. Francesco Lapenna made 24 stops in the win. Nikolas Hurtubise was pulled after allowing five goals on 15 shots in the first two periods. Thomas Couture made 10 stops in the third period.

Sea Dogs ranked ninth in CHL Top 10

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs are back in the CHL Top 10.

The Sea Dogs, winners of six straight, were ranked ninth in this week's rankings. They joined the Quebec Remparts and Charlottetown Islanders as Quebec Major Junior Hockey League squads on the list. The Sherbrooke Phoenix were an honourable mention.

The moment you've all been waiting for ...

The Week 24 edition of the @KiaCanada CHL Top-10 Rankings is here! 🏒

📰 | https://t.co/FOyNlE1Iwa pic.twitter.com/Xh48nunBxl

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 13, 2022

From the CHL website:

Getting time in the national spotlight for the third time this season, the 2022 Memorial Cup presented by Kia host Saint John Sea Dogs continue to piece together a strong second half with the past week counting three victories that extended the squad’s win streak to six games. Finding their offensive touch, the Sea Dogs have climbed to second in the QMJHL with 258 goals in 59 games highlighted by veteran right-wing and New York Islanders prospect William Dufour who sits tied for tops in league scoring with 102 points.

The Sea Dogs face a tough test on Thursday, visiting the seventh-ranked Islanders. They'll then travel to Cape Breton to take on the Eagles on both Saturday and Sunday.

Notebook: Dogs, Isles meet one final time

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The final meeting of the regular season between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders is on deck.

The Sea Dogs travel to Charlottetown on Thursday to face one of the league's top teams at 7 p.m. The Islanders are currently tied with the Quebec Remparts - who the Sea Dogs defeated 4-2 on Sunday - for top spot in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The Islanders are starting to heat up again after a rough stretch of injuries. Charlottetown carries a three-game winning streak into Thursday's matchup while Saint John has won six straight.

The Sea Dogs are 3-5-0-0 against the Islanders this season.

Following Thursday's game, the Sea Dogs travel to Sydney one last time for back-to-back games against the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday and Sunday.

SEVIGNY HONOURED

Sea Dogs captain Vincent Sevigny has been named to the QMJHL's team of the week.

The defenseman posted two goals and three assists in three games last week, helping the club extend their winning streak to six games.

Here are the top players from the past week! 👇#QMJHL | @Videotron

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) April 11, 2022

Sevigny is averaging just under a point-per-game with the Sea Dogs, recording 10 goals and 27 points in 28 games.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-2

FINAL: Quebec 2, Saint John 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Make it six straight wins for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs extended their winning streak with a 4-2 victory over the league-leading Quebec Remparts on Sunday afternoon at TD Station. The Remparts, who were playing the final match of a three-game, four-day Maritime road trip, hadn't lost in 10 straight games.

William Villeneuve, Josh Lawrence, Peter Reynolds and Vincent Sevigny scored for Saint John. Thomas Couture was very good in net, making 37 stops in the win.

The Sea Dogs grabbed a 2-0 lead in the opening minute of the second period. While play was fairly even for much of the game, the Remparts pressed at times in the second half as they tried to net the equalizer. 

Trailing 3-2, the Remparts pulled their goaltender with 1:58 remaining. After struggling to get things setup in the offensive zone, Sevigny scored into the empty net with 28 seconds remaining to make it a 4-2 final. Shots were 19-7 in favour of Quebec in the final frame.

Theo Rochette and Louis Crevier had Quebec goals. William Rousseau made 27 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs now have 80 points on the season, pushing them into third overall in the Eastern Conference. They have a two-point lead on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan who have a game in-hand.

Game Day 59: vs Remparts

SAINT JOHN - Two of the hottest teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League meet this afternoon at TD Station.

In what will be a major Eastern Conference showdown, the Saint John Sea Dogs host Patrick Roy's Quebec Remparts today at 3 p.m. The Sea Dogs have won five straight games while the Remparts are on a league best 10-game winning streak.

The Remparts currently sit first in the Eastern Conference (and the entire QMJHL) with 87 points, placing them nine points up on the Sea Dogs. While it won't happen in the first round, there's certainly a chance Saint John and Quebec could meet in the playoffs at some point.

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

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/None/Not mandatory

Records: The Sea Dogs are 37-17-1-3 for 78 points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/fifth QMJHL) while the Remparts are 43-14-1-0 for 87 points (first East/first Eastern/first QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-3 home win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last night. Cam MacDonald, Vincent Sevigny, Raivis Ansons, Josh Lawrence and Riley Bezeau all scored for Saint John. Nikolas Hurtubise made 34 stops in the win. The Remparts are coming off a huge 13-5 win in Halifax last night. Zachary Gravel had four goals; Zachary Bolduc scored three; James Malatesta netted a pair; and singles came from Pier-Olivier Roy, Viljami Marjala, Mikael Huchette and Xavier Filion. Fabio Iacobo made 27 saves in the win.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-3

FINAL: Bathurst 3, Saint John 5

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs picked up a big regulation time win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday night at TD Station.

Josh Lawrence scored what proved to be the game-winner in a 5-3 Sea Dogs victory - the team's fifth straight win. The two points put Saint John into a tie with Bathurst for third overall in the QMJHL's Eastern Conference. Both teams have 10 games remaining.

Cam MacDonald, Vincent Sevigny, Raivis Ansons and Riley Bezeau also scored for Saint John. William Dufour registered three assists while Nikolas Hurtubise made 34 stops in the win.

The Titan played a strong game despite being a man short and without several key regulars. The Sea Dogs were able to take advantage of the shorthanded Titan squad at times though, especially on special teams. Saint John went 2/3 on the power play against the league's top penalty kill while Bathurst was only able to score once on six man advantages.

Logan Chisholm, Jacob Melanson and Ben Allison scored for Bathurst. Jan Bednar made 24 saves in the loss.

Game Day 58: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - One of the most important games of the regular season takes place tonight at TD Station.

The Saint John Sea Dogs host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in a key Eastern Conference showdown this evening. The result of this game could play a huge role in deciding who finishes third overall in the conference, a playoff position that could be very important down the road.

The Titan, thanks to an overtime win last night, have a two-point lead on the Sea Dogs. Both teams have 11 regular season games remaining.

Tonight is also Pride Night in Saint John. Game time is 7 p.m.

We are hosting the @ABTitan for Pride Night presented by TD at 7PM on Saturday! Bring tickets originally issued for December 31 to enter.

Tickets are available at the TD Station Box Office and online. Come celebrate the LGBTQ2+ community and show that we are Proud of our Pride! pic.twitter.com/fglPJ09cVa

— x - Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) April 7, 2022

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

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/None/Not mandatory

Records: The Sea Dogs are 36-17-1-3 for 76 points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/fifth QMJHL) while the Titan are 36-15-3-3 for 78 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/fourth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Gatineau Olympiques on Wednesday. Josh Lawrence, Brady Burns, Ryan Francis and Philippe Daoust scored for Saint John. Nikolas Hurtubise made 32 saves in the win. The Titan are coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Olympiques last night. Ben Allison scored a pair of goals while Miguel Tourigny netted the OT winner. Jan Bednar made 36 stops in the win.

Notebook: MHL playoffs off to fun start

SAINT JOHN - If the opening round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs are anything like the Maritime Junior Hockey League's, we're in for a wild ride.

There were two significant upsets in the MHL's first round with the Valley Wildcats (19-16-2-1) upsetting the Eastlink South Division's top seeded Yarmouth Mariners (25-8-4-1) in six games and the Fredericton Red Wings (22-12-2-0) eliminating the Eastlink North Division's second-place squad in the Campbellton Tigers (23-8-4-1) in six matches.

The Truro Bearcats (19-15-2-0), the No. 3 seed in the South, also upended the Amherst Ramblers (19-14-2-2), the No. 2 seed, in five games.

The MHL's semifinals will feature the Wildcats facing the Bearcats and the Red Wings taking on the top-ranked Summerside Western Capitals. Even the Western Capitals, who finished 18 points ahead of the Edmundston Blizzard, needed five games to advance to the next round (each series was/is best-of-seven).

Some notable names to watch in the MHL semifinals:

Fredericton Red Wings: Zachary Alchorn, Logan Carruthers, Connor McCluskey and Mathias Savoie

Summerside Western Capitals: Josh MacDonald and Sam Dow

Truro Bearcats: Brady Stone and Frederic Plourde

Valley Wildcats: Luke Wilson, Julian Vander Voet, Antoine Lyonnais and Justin Bourque

GREAT PIC

Quite a photo captured by Sea Dogs team photographer Michael Hawkins on Wednesday night.

Last night's OT Winner: Philippe Daoust or Bobby Orr? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/bVEQOF30WQ

— x - Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) April 7, 2022 

Dufour, Lawrence close to more records

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - With 11 games remaining in the regular season, William Dufour and Josh Lawrence are closing in on some more Saint John Sea Dogs franchise records.

Dufour broke Danick Gauthier's single season goals record last weekend in Cape Breton, scoring his 48th into an empty net. Now he's inching closer to Jonathan Huberdeau's single season points record of 105, set in 2010-11.

With two assists on Wednesday, Dufour now has 98 points to currently place him second in team history. Given the pace he's been on this season, the New York Islanders prospect has a strong chance of breaking Huberdeau's record - along with becoming just the second Sea Dogs player to reach the 100-point mark.

Dufour currently sits in a tie with former Sea Dogs forward Joshua Roy, now with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, for first in league scoring. Dufour's 48 goals is a league high, five more than Patrick Guay of the Charlottetown Islanders.

In the QMJHL assists race, there is a three-way tie between Roy, Bathurst's Riley Kidney and Saint John's Josh Lawrence. All three have 59 helpers.

Lawrence, who sits seventh overall in league scoring, has flown under the radar a bit this season due to Dufour's historic numbers. The Fredericton native is close to breaking Huberdeau's franchise record for most assists in a single season.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-3 (OT)

FINAL: Gatineau 3, Saint John 4 (OT)

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Philippe Daoust scored 16 seconds into overtime to give the Saint John Sea Dogs a 4-3 victory over the Gatineau Olympiques on Wednesday night at TD Station.

A nice feed from William Dufour allowed Daoust to dive across the top of the crease and net his 20th of the season and give the Sea Dogs the victory.

Offense was not easy to come by for the Sea Dogs in this game as the team struggled to generate quality scoring chances. Saint John registered 26 shots on goal but only nine were considered dangerous. The Sea Dogs made the most of their limited chances though, erasing a two-goal deficit to earn the extra point.

Josh Lawrence, Brady Burns and Ryan Francis scored in regulation for Saint John. Nikolas Hurtubise made 32 saves in the victory, helping the Sea Dogs stretch their winning streak to four games.

Gatineau had a pair of goals from Antonin Verreault and a solo marker from Donovan Arsenault. Emerik Despatie made 22 stops in the loss as the Olympiques saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.

Key stretch of games ahead for Sea Dogs

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - While the Saint John Sea Dogs have already secured a playoff spot, the team's next four games may prove pivotal in determining their playoff positioning.

The Sea Dogs have a tough stretch of games over the next week-and-a-bit, beginning with Wednesday's 7 p.m. home contest with the Gatineau Olympiques. The Olympiques have a huge lead atop the West Division and are battling with the Shawinigan Cataractes for the second seed in the Western Conference.

On Saturday the Sea Dogs host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in what will be a huge game for both clubs. The Titan currently have a two-point lead (and a game in-hand) on the Sea Dogs for third overall in the Eastern Conference. It remains possible but unlikely that either club will be able to move past the third spot.

The Sea Dogs and Titan meet only one more time in the regular season after Saturday's contest: April 22 at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

The Quebec Remparts visit Saint John on Sunday and then the Sea Dogs travel to Charlottetown to face the Islanders next Thursday. The Remparts and Islanders currently sit tied for first in the Eastern Conference. Quebec has won eight straight games while Charlottetown continues to go through a rough stretch.

If the top four Eastern Conference seeds advance to the second round of the playoffs, the Sea Dogs would play either Charlottetown or Quebec.