Notebook: GNB announces 2022 Memorial Cup support

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The provincial government announced last week that it is providing up to $1.1 million in support to the host committee of the 2022 Memorial Cup.

According to a news release, provincial funding is being provided through the Regional Development Corporation’s Community Development Fund.

“The Memorial Cup will be an exceptional event for our province and, in addition to the positive financial impact, it will create memories that will last a lifetime,” said Mark-Anthony Ashfield, chair of the Host Organizing Committee, in the news release. “We are grateful for the partnership and support we have received from the province in making this dream become a reality.”

The event is getting closer and closer. The first game of the tournament will be played June 20 at TD Station.

CUP LEGACY

We're starting to get a look at some of the outside-of-the-arena projects surrounding the 2022 Memorial Cup.

According to The Wave, "the host organizing committee will pay to build a ball hockey surface next to the skateboard park in the area of TD Station."

“We also wanted this to be something that would fit in with the existing infrastructure and the flow of the city, and something that would be professionally done, and something we can all be proud of for years to come,” Mark-Anthony Ashfield, chair of the Host Organizing Committee, told city council recently, via The Wave.

ANSONS SIGNS

Sea Dogs forward Raivis Ansons has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins have signed forward Raivis Ansons to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Ansons, 20, recently completed his third season in the QMJHL split between Baie-Comeau Drakkar and the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Details: https://t.co/PP1vtdcTNh pic.twitter.com/LECQGaXkcp

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 2, 2022

Ansons, a fifth-round pick of the Penguins in the 2020 NHL Draft, had 18 goals and 42 assists in 56 games split between the Sea Dogs and Baie-Comeau Drakkar this season.

The signing likely means Ansons will play pro hockey within the Penguins organization next season. 

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Sea Dogs defenseman Vincent Sevigny has been named to the QMJHL's Team of the Week.

Here are the members on the regular season's final @Videotron Team of the Week! 👇

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) May 2, 2022

The Sea Dogs captain had a goal and four assists in three games played last week.

Former Sea Dogs forward Joshua Roy was also part of the Team of the Week.

DUFOUR LEADS CHL

William Dufour ended up leading the entire CHL in goals scored this season. Here's a look at the final leader board:

56 - William Dufour (Saint John)

55 - Patrick Guay (Charlottetown)

55 - Zachary Bolduc (Quebec)

55 - Luke Evangelista (London)

52 - Ben King (Red Deer)

THE STREAK

The Sea Dogs ended the regular season on a 15-game winning streak, tying the 2010-11 team for third longest in franchise history.

The regular season was long enough, but it's too bad it wasn't a bit longer to see how far this streak could go.

LAWRENCE'S GP STREAK

Josh Lawrence, Brady Burns and Charlie DesRoches were the only Sea Dogs to appear in all 68 games with the club this season.

Lawrence has now stretched his consecutive games played streak to 196 games. He is just one game back of Jeremie Poirier who appeared in 197 consecutive games until missing a contest in March.

The previous record was held by Chris DiDomenico at 140 games.

PICARD TIES TEAM RECORD

Olivier Picard not only set a new career high for points in a game last Friday, he also tied a franchise record.

Picard, who posted five assists in Saint John's 14-2 win over the Cape Breton Eagles, tied the team record for assists in a single game. He joins Alexandre Picard-Hooper (2007-08), Simon Despres (2007-08) and Nathan Beaulieu (2009-10) as Sea Dogs to register five helpers.

LAND DOG

Just in time for playoffs, we've got a good luck pup! 🐶

Welcome to the team Winnie! pic.twitter.com/Sco4tPIl3Y

— x - Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) May 3, 2022

CAREER +/-

Apparently Nathan Beaulieu and Kevin Gagne shared a league record that has been broken by Charlottetown's Noah Laaouan.

What an incredible career. Noah Laaouan is the new all-time +/- by a defenceman leader in @QMJHL history. pic.twitter.com/gISzIbuBb0

— Charlottetown Islanders (@IslandersHKY) May 1, 2022

ATTENDANCE NUMBERS

This was, sadly, another season of COVID, which certainly had an impact on crowds across the QMJHL.

Officially, the Sea Dogs averaged 2,643 fans per game, which was fifth best in the league. That number includes three home games that were impacted by attendance restrictions - but even without restrictions, that average would not have been much better.

The league average was 2,485 fans per game. Quebec led the way per usual with an average of 6,797.

Below is an updated look at Saint John's season-by-season attendance figures.

Season	Total	Average
2005-06	156,694	4,477 (4th)
2006-07	134,354	3,839 (6th)
2007-08	139,214	3,978 (5th)
2008-09	133,613	3,930 (5th)
2009-10	140,779	4,141 (4th)
2010-11	152,237	4,478 (4th)
2011-12	155,060	4,561 (3rd)
2012-13	135,732	3,992 (4th)
2013-14	116,380	3,423 (5th)
2014-15	121,782	3,582 (5th)
2015-16	123,399	3,629 (4th)
2016-17	142,829	4,201 (3rd)
2017-18	144,723	4,257 (4th)
2018-19	116,511	3,427 (5th)
2019-20	107,042	3,345 (6th)*
2020-21	25,123	1,478 (3rd)**
2021-22	89,846	2,643 (5th)***

*Final two home games cancelled due to COVID

**All 17 home games played under COVID capacity restrictions

***Three home games played under COVID capacity restrictions

IMAMA INTERVIEW

Former Sea Dogs forward Boko Imama, who recently made his NHL debut with the Arizona Coyotes, was a guest on the latest episode of Agent Provocateur with Allan Walsh.

NOTES

• The Sea Dogs will play their first "real" QMJHL playoff game since May 10, 2017 on Thursday. The team's last "real" playoff home game was almost five years ago to the day (May 6, 2017). Officially, last year's provincial tournament thing was playoffs
• According to Maestro Fresh Wes, Maestro Fresh Wes will be hosting Game 1 of the Memorial Cup on June 20. The Saint John resident made the announcement during his set at TD Station last Friday.
• Friday's 14-2 Sea Dogs win over the Cape Breton Eagles reminded me of the 2018-19 season when the Memorial Cup hosting Halifax Mooseheads defeated the 17th-place Sea Dogs by scores of 10-2, 10-2 and 11-1.
• That 2019 Mooseheads team, that lost in both the President Cup final and Memorial Cup final to the first-place Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, finished third overall in the QMJHL regular season standings with a 49-15-2-2 record for 105 points. This season, the Sea Dogs finished third overall with a 47-17-1-3 record for 98 points.
• This is the first time since 2004 that the Victoriaville Tigres have missed the playoffs.
• The Summerside Western Capitals clinched the MHL championship on Monday, defeating the Truro Bearcats 4-1 in Game 5. The Western Capitals feature former Sea Dogs Josh MacDonald and Sam Dow. Summerside will now represent the MHL at the Centennial Cup in Saskatchewan later this month.
• There was a massive upset in the opening round of the WHL playoffs with the Vancouver Giants eliminating the Everett Silvertips in six games. The Silvertips were the No. 1 seed in the WHL's Western Conference and finished 47 points (!) ahead of the Giants. It's the first time in WHL history that a No. 8 seed has beaten a No. 1 seed.