Notebook: Big crowd expected Saturday

Vincent Ethier/CHL

A big crowd is expected for the Saint John Sea Dogs' home opener on Saturday night.

The TD Station website has ticket availability listed as "limited" for Saturday's home game against the Moncton Wildcats. 

The contest will be Saint John's first game at TD Station since lifting the Memorial Cup in June. The championship banner will be raised to the rafters before the game. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. but that will likely be delayed due to the ceremony.

The Sea Dogs were scheduled to hold their home opener last Saturday but the game was postponed by Hurricane Fiona. The team always planned on raising the banner before this Saturday's contest.

OVG TAKING OVER?

There's a lot to take in from this Telegraph-Journal article (paywall) on the Sea Dogs and their lease arrangement with TD Station. It's worth a read.

The most newsworthy tidbit is that Oak View Group is in discussions to take over managing TD Station. The Harbour Station Commission is reportedly waiting on a final proposal from the company.

OVG, co-founded by former MLSE CEO Tim Leiweke, has become a major player in the arena industry in recent years. OVG and Spectra merged in 2021, meaning this company currently manages CHL arenas in Spokane, Windsor, Oshawa, Moose Jaw, Hamilton, Everett and London.

OVG recently built the new homes for the New York Islanders and Seattle Kraken. The company is currently overseeing a renovation of Hamilton's arena.

The finances of such a deal - assuming one gets done - will be up for debate, but an OVG takeover would likely be positive from an entertainment standpoint. 

Sea Dogs impressing in NHL pre-season

Embed from Getty Images

Willam Dufour made a strong impression in his pre-season debut with the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

Dufour setup Nikita Soshnikov in the first period to open the scoring. The Islanders went on to lose the game 4-1 to the New Jersey Devils.

Soshnikov on the breakaway 🤩 pic.twitter.com/2TtPgNzb0D

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 27, 2022

Dufour played 14:31 and recorded one shot on goal to go along with his assist. He also saw 4:15 of ice time on the power play.

“He played well,” Islanders head coach Lane Lambert told the New York Post. “He made a great pass on the first goal. I thought he moved pretty well, used his body and he made some plays.”

The Memorial Cup MVP played on a line with Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin.

“He’s a big body that moves really well,” Cizikas told the Post before the game. “He has a good shot. He proved that in junior and he’s gonna do that here tonight. Marty and I, we’re gonna help him out there. We’re gonna tell him play your game, do the things you’re capable of.”

New York Hockey Now has a further breakdown of Dufour's performance.

The 20-year-old remains at NHL camp even after 15 players were assigned to AHL Bridgeport. Among those sent to Bridgeport was former Sea Dogs captain and Dufour's Saint John teammate Vincent Sevigny.

Friday's Sea Dogs game postponed

Eastlink Centre Facebook

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has officially postponed Friday's Saint John Sea Dogs game in Charlottetown.

The Sea Dogs were scheduled to visit the Islanders for the club's home opener on Friday evening at Eastlink Centre. But with Prince Edward Island continuing to recover from Hurricane Fiona, the game has been postponed to Wednesday, Nov. 2.

Many parts of PEI are still without power. Power has been restored at Eastlink Centre, but the arena lost its ice during the outage. The building is currently reinstalling its ice from scratch.

Buckle up…day 1 #TheBigChill2 Thanks to all who assisted removing the ice & helping remove extra water from the floor…ice back on today @mitchcormierCBC @JWayneCBC @JpsportsJason @PEIGuardian @TheHOT1055 @Ocean100 @cfcy @SportPEI @HockeyPEI @SpeedSkatePEI @SkateCanadaPEI pic.twitter.com/sJeBTH9pHU

— Eastlink Centre Charlottetown (@EastlinkCtrPEI) September 27, 2022

The Islanders, who have yet to play a regular season game, are scheduled to visit Bathurst on Saturday. The team's first home game will be Oct. 8.

Friday's Cape Breton Eagles home game against the Halifax Mooseheads has also been postponed as the Sydney area continues to recover from Fiona. The Eagles are scheduled to play in Halifax on Saturday and, at this time, will play their first home game on Oct. 5.

Last Friday's postponed Sea Dogs game at TD Station will now take place Sunday, Feb. 12.

Saint John returns to action on Saturday, hosting the Moncton Wildcats at 7 p.m.

The full list of rescheduled games can be found on the QMJHL website.

Fiona wrecks Eastlink Centre ice

Eastlink Centre Facebook

The ice at Charlottetown's Eastlink Centre was a victim of Hurricane Fiona this weekend.

The home of the QMJHL's Islanders lost its ice during the power outage that stretched across Prince Edward Island. Photos shared on the arena's Facebook page also showed some flooding on the main concourse.

Missed it by that much…Power just on Thank you to all working so hard to restore. Ice is no different than most anything. When not healthy it shows through colour. Once it lifts it lifts. While disappointed thoughts are with all who lost personal/business property 💔#BigChill2 pic.twitter.com/ym5dz9beWR

— Eastlink Centre Charlottetown (@EastlinkCtrPEI) September 26, 2022

"Similar to most every Island household, business and institution, Fiona has left her mark," reads a post on the arena's Facebook page. "Sadly we have lost our ice. We most certainly appreciate the efforts of all involved restoring power, we just came up a bit short. Thankfully power has just been restored and we start the process of ice making later tonight when the old ice will be removed, slab floor cleaned of excess water by early morning and the ice plant starts to chill.

"Fortunately the ELC ice making team has tons of years of experience and we will rise again."

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-3

FINAL: Saint John 4, Bathurst 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

BATHURST - Special teams guided the Saint John Sea Dogs to a season opening victory on Sunday.

The Sea Dogs scored twice on the power play and then produced a timely penalty kill in the final two minutes to earn a 4-3 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at the KC Irving Regional Centre. It was the first game of the 2022-23 regular season for both clubs.

Saint John's veteran players led the way. Brady Burns scored twice and added an assist while Marshall Lessard and Peter Reynolds also scored. Reynolds and captain Charlie DesRoches each added two assists.

Ventsislav Shingarov, who got the start with Nikolas Hurtubise nursing an injury, made 21 saves in the win. It was the netminder's first regular season victory since Feb. 23, 2020 when he was a member of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

The Sea Dogs had a rough start, falling behind 2-0 less than four minutes into the game. But the team really settled in as the period moved along and seemed to get better as the game pushed forward.

Saint John tied the game early in the second only to allow another Titan goal just over four minutes later. But this inexperienced Sea Dogs group never panicked and looked impressive at times, led by their returning veterans.

Reynolds tied the game again at 6:54 and then at 10:09, just as a two-man advantage was ending, Burns scored what proved to be the winner after the Sea Dogs were buzzing in the offensive zone.

The Sea Dogs killed off a Nate Tivey slashing penalty late in the game - the only power play Saint John allowed - to secure the win.

Markas Samenas, Ben Allison and Cameron MacLean scored for Bathurst. Sergei Litvinov made 30 saves in the loss.

Notebook: Banner's up in Shawinigan

Shawinigan Cataractes Twitter

BATHURST - There's a new jumbo banner hanging in Shawinigan.

The Cataractes unveiled their 2022 President Cup championship banner before their season opener on Thursday. This is Shawinigan's first QMJHL title, and the large banner is hanging beside the equally large 2012 Memorial Cup championship banner.

The Cataractes defeated the Gatineau Olympiques 4-3 in overtime on Thursday.

The Edmonton Oil Kings, meanwhile, raised their 2022 WHL championship banner this weekend.

We love the view. #TheKingdom | #CaughtTheCrown pic.twitter.com/Jh8dY4qsHg

— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) September 24, 2022

The Saint John Sea Dogs will hold a banner raising ceremony to celebrate their Memorial Cup victory prior to Saturday's home game against the Moncton Wildcats.

Game Day 1: at Bathurst

BATHURST - A day later than originally planned, the Saint John Sea Dogs begin the 2022-23 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League regular season this afternoon.

The Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan were scheduled to open the regular season last night at TD Station, but Hurricane Fiona ruined those plans. Instead, the provincial rivals will begin play this afternoon at the KC Irving Regional Centre. Puck drop is at 3 p.m.

These two teams had some great battles last season, but the rosters will look significantly different this afternoon. Both clubs have had quite a bit of roster turnover and will be taking a step back - how far back is the big question.

There will be plenty of new faces in Saint John's lineup. Only nine players who lifted the Memorial Cup in June are back with the club this season. Today's contest will be the beginning of a new era of Sea Dogs hockey.

The Sea Dogs and Titan met four times in the pre-season with Bathurst winning three of them.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/93 CFBC/CHL TV

2022-23 records: This is the first game of the regular season for both clubs.

2022 pre-season records: The Sea Dogs were 3-5-0-0 this pre-season while the Titan went 5-2-0-0.

2021-22 regular season records: The Sea Dogs finished with a record of 47-17-1-3 for 98 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/third QMJHL) while the Titan went 40-22-3-3 for 86 points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/sixth QMJHL). Saint John was eliminated in the opening round of the QMJHL playoffs and went on to win the Memorial Cup as the host team. The Titan were eliminated in the second round.

Last games: The Titan defeated the Sea Dogs 4-2 last Sunday in Laméque, NB, the final pre-season game for both clubs. Nolan Forster scored a pair of goals for Bathurst while Noah Ryan and Dominik Godin also scored. Sam-Luca Thifault and Marshall Lessard scored for Saint John. Sergei Litvinov made 25 saves in the win. Ventsislav Shingarov made 28 stops in the loss.

DesRoches named Sea Dogs captain

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs have announced the team's leadership group for the 2022-23 season.

20-year-old defenseman Charlie DesRoches has been named the 20th captain in team history. The PEI native recently returned from Carolina Hurricanes rookie camp where he attended as a free agent invite.

“I’m very excited to receive the captaincy from the Sea Dogs,” DesRoches said in a news release. “It’s been an honour to play for this organization that has given me so much. I would like to thank my teammates, staff, and fans, for all their support, as we look forward towards this hockey season.”

Last, but not least, 2021-22 Captain, Vincent Sevigny, (and a special guest!) sent a video to announce our next captain from @NYIslanders camp: pic.twitter.com/n3vpRUUiqt

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 24, 2022

DesRoches was a second-round pick of Saint John in the 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft and has since appeared in 223 games with the club. That 2018 draft class also included William Villeneuve, Jeremie Poirier, Josh Lawrence and Brady Burns.

Veteran forwards Cam MacDonald, Connor Trenholm and Marshall Lessard will each wear an 'A' on their jersey this season. 

“When considering leadership I am often reminded of a quote from the book Captain Class” said Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard. “That is 'the most crucial ingredient in a team that achieves and sustains historic greatness is the character of the player who leads it.' We followed a three step process to select captains who embody the character traits of leaders, our team’s values, and are trusted by their teammates. As a result, we are delighted to name Charlie, Cam, Marshall, and Connor as the captains of the 2022-2023 Saint John Sea Dogs.”

The Sea Dogs begin the regular season on Sunday afternoon, taking on the Titan in Bathurst.

Plenty of Sea Dogs at NHL camps

Embed from Getty Images

The National Hockey League's pre-season begins on Saturday.

NHL training camps got underway this past week and there are plenty of former and current Saint John Sea Dogs taking part. There should be a good amount of Dogs taking part in pre-season games in the coming days and weeks.

Among the Sea Dogs taking part in NHL camps are nine members of Saint John's 2022 Memorial Cup team. Jeremie Poirier, Yan Kuznetsov, Ryan Francis, William Dufour, Vincent Sevigny, Philippe Daoust, Raivis Ansons, Cam MacDonald and William Villeneuve all earned invites to main camps after taking part in rookie camps.

MacDonald, taking part in Tampa Bay Lightning camp, is the only player expected to return to Saint John for the upcoming season.

Here's the full list of current and former Sea Dogs taking part in NHL camps (members of the 2022 team are italicized).

MHL season underway for Dogs connections

James West

BRIDGEWATER, NS - The Maritime Hockey League season is underway and a number of players with Saint John Sea Dogs connections are back on the ice.

The Grand Falls Rapids - who are led by two former Sea Dogs coaches in Greg Leland and Jeff Cowan - have four players with Sea Dogs connections. That includes 18-year-old defenseman Hunter Gartley, who did not crack Saint John's opening night roster.

Former Dogs forward Carter McCluskey was recently traded to the Truro Bearcats from Grand Falls in a deal that involved goaltender Frederic Plourde, a one-time emergency backup for Saint John. Ian Dickie, meanwhile, was recently dealt to Grand Falls from the Campbellton Tigers.

Here's a look at the full list of MHL players with Sea Dogs connections:

Amherst Ramblers: Gavin Watt

Campbellton Tigers: Connor Richard

Edmundston Blizzard: Brandon Casey

Fredericton Red Wings: Logan Carruthers and Mathias Savoie

Grand Falls Rapids: Yannic Bastarache, Ian Dickie, Hunter Gartley and Frederic Plourde

South Shore Lumberjacks: Kobe Burt

Summerside Western Capitals: Sam Dow

Truro Bearcats: Cael MacDonald, Carter McCluskey and Brady Stone

Valley Wildcats: Justin Bourque

Yarmouth Mariners: Cole Foston and Benjamin Roode

Sea Dogs' opener postponed by Fiona

Environment Canada

The Saint John Sea Dogs and the rest of the Maritimes Division teams will have to wait a little longer to open the 2022-23 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League regular season.

In a press release issued Wednesday afternoon, the QMJHL has postponed several games in the Maritimes due to the approaching Hurricane Fiona. Among the games postponed is Saint John's season opener, which was scheduled to take place Saturday night at TD Station.

From the league:

As hurricane Fiona is shaping up to be a potential severe meteorological event for Atlantic Canada, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is postponing the following games to ensure the safety of its players, staff, fans and officials:

SEPT. 23 – #1 – Moncton vs Cape Breton

SEPT. 23 – #2 – Charlottetown vs Halifax

SEPT. 24 – #13 – Halifax vs Charlottetown

SEPT. 24 – #14 – Acadie-Bathurst vs Saint John

SEPT. 25 – #17 – Cape Breton vs Moncton

The games listed above will be rescheduled at a later date.

The league has been much more cautious in the COVID era when it comes to postponing games. Even if the hurricane doesn't match the hype, slightly bad weather would hurt attendance, so this is probably a good thing for these teams.

Power outages possible in N.B. as hurricane tracks just east, says meteorologist: https://t.co/25l1NDb8Jx pic.twitter.com/LeOUuLJGGv

— CBC New Brunswick (@CBCNB) September 21, 2022

The Sea Dogs are, at this time, scheduled to open the regular season on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. in Bathurst.

Opening night Sea Dogs roster announced

James West

The Saint John Sea Dogs have announced their roster for the start of the 2022-23 season.

The team's final roster consists of 16 forwards, seven defensemen and three goaltenders.

It's official: The 2022-23 Sea Dogs Roster has been announced!

📰: https://t.co/fbqcU73bX4

You can see these players live on Saturday for the home opener! Puck drop is at 7 PM.

🎟: https://t.co/P5tFrYOuSK#CityofChampions pic.twitter.com/XqnPU7BSJG

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 21, 2022

The roster includes four overage players: goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise, defenseman Charlie DesRoches and forwards Brady Burns and Marshall Lessard. Teams can only dress three overagers and can only carry more for a limited time, meaning one more roster decision will have to be made in the coming weeks.

Saint John's roster looks significantly different than the one that lifted the Memorial Cup in June. Only nine players remain from that team: goaltender Hurtubise; defenseman DesRoches and Vincent Despont; and forwards Burns, Lessard, Peter Reynolds, Cam MacDonald, Nico Laforge and Connor Trenholm.

New faces include 16-year-olds Jeremie Richard (third-round) and Jacob Beaulieu (seventh-round), who were selected by the Sea Dogs in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft. They'll be complemented by 2021 draft picks Cole Burbidge (second-round), Vince Elie (second-round), Olivier Brideau (second-round) and Nicolas Bilodeau (fourth-round).

Notebook: The regular season is here

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's almost that time.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's regular season is just a couple days away. The schedule opens on Thursday night with the President Cup champion and William Dufour owned Shawinigan Cataractes hosting the Gatineau Olympiques.

The schedule picks up on Friday with seven games that evening. The Saturday slate includes the Saint John Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan opening up their seasons at TD Station. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Sea Dogs and Titan meet again on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Saint John travels to Charlottetown the following Friday, Sept. 30. The Dogs then play three straight games on home ice before making their first of four three-game road trips to Quebec.

MEDIA GUIDE RELEASED

The QMJHL's media guide was released on Tuesday. Here are a few things worth noting (and perhaps subject to change):

• The league's holiday trading period will take place Sunday, Dec. 18 to Friday, Jan. 6. The World Junior Hockey Championship ends on Jan. 5.
• The CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will take place Jan. 25 in Vancouver.
• The 2023 Memorial Cup, held in Kelowna, will take place Friday, May 26 to Monday, June 5.
• The final Central Scouting list for the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft will be released May 8.
• Capacity at TD Station is listed at 5,990 this season with total capacity listed at 6,190.

ROSZELL NO LONGER WITH WILDCATS

Tim Roszell is no longer the voice of the Moncton Wildcats.

The Wildcats quietly announced late Saturday that Marty Kingston will return as the Wildcats' play-by-play announcer, taking over from Roszell who had held the position for the last four seasons.

Kingston was previously the PA announcer at the Moncton Coliseum and was the team's play-by-play voice for three seasons.

A look at some pre-season numbers

James West

It was a short but productive pre-season for the Saint John Sea Dogs' two overage forwards.

Marshall Lessard (three goals and three assists) and Brady Burns (two goals and four assists) each finished the pre-season with six points in three games, tying them with rookie Cole Burbidge (three goals and three assists) for the team's scoring lead.

Lessard scored in every game he appeared in, tying him with Burbidge for Saint John's goal scoring lead. Burns' four assists were second most on the team, one behind Alexis Cournoyer's five.

The Sea Dogs currently have four overagers on their roster: Burns, Lessard, defenseman Charlie DesRoches and goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise. A decision on which three players remain with the team will have to be made.

Here's a quick look at some of Saint John's pre-season numbers (which may mean nothing... or something):

• Saint John finished the pre-season with a 3-5-0-0 record, going 2-2-0-0 at the Aitken Centre and 1-3-0-0 on the road. Only six QMJHL teams played eight or more pre-season games.
• The Rimouski Oceanic had the best record in the pre-season, going 6-1-0-0.
• The Sea Dogs finished with a -4 goal differential, scoring an average of 3.50 goals per game (12th) and allowing 4.00 goals against per game (12th).
• Jacob Beaulieu led the league in pre-season penalty minutes with 32 served in seven games. He also had a league high four major penalties.
• Five of Brady Burns' six points were scored on the power play.
• Vince Elie had two game-winning goals.
• Olivier Brideau played the second most minutes of any goaltender this pre-season, posting a 3.56 goals against average and a .872 save percentage in four games. Ventsislav Shingarov had a 3.88 GAA and .895 SV% in three games. Nikolas Hurtubise did not dress for any pre-season games. The Sea Dogs previously announced that they will carry three goaltenders this season.
• Baie-Comeau's Justin Poirier, the younger brother of Jeremie Poirier, finished in a tie for the rookie lead in pre-season points (eight) and goals (five) in five games.
• Former Sea Dog Kale McCallum, now a member of the Val-d'Or Foreurs, led all defensemen in pre-season scoring with seven points. Charlie DesRoches had four points in just two games, placing him ninth.
• The Sea Dogs allowed a league high three shorthanded goals.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Bathurst 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

LAMÉQUE, NB - The Saint John Sea Dogs dropped their final game of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's pre-season on Sunday.

Dominik Godin's goal at 11:46 of the third period put the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in front. Nolan Forster added an empty goal to give the Titan a 4-2 win over the Sea Dogs at Arena de Isles in Laméque, NB.

Forster scored a pair of goals for Bathurst while Godin and Noah Ryan added singles. Sergei Litvinov made 25 saves in the win.

Sam-Luca Thifault, in his Sea Dogs pre-season debut, and overager Marshall Lessard scored for Saint John. Ventsislav Shingarov played the entire game in net, making 28 saves in the loss.

This was the second of four straight meetings between the Sea Dogs and Titan. The two will play back-to-back games next weekend to open the regular season.

Pre-Season Game Day 8: at Bathurst

LAMEQUE, NB - The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's pre-season (finally) comes to a close this afternoon.

Only two games are on the schedule and one of them will feature the Saint John Sea Dogs taking on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in Laméque, NB. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m.

This is the fourth meeting of the pre-season between the two squads. Bathurst won the first two while Saint John won the third, a wild 8-6 victory last Sunday in Fredericton.

With this being the final game of the pre-season, we'll likely see some lines and combinations that will start the regular season together. Both teams will be missing a few regulars due to NHL rookie camps, however.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/CHL TV (free)

Pre-Season Records: The Sea Dogs are 3-4-0-0 this pre-season while the Titan are 4-2-0-0.

2021-22 records: The Sea Dogs finished with a record of 47-17-1-3 for 98 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/third QMJHL) while the Titan went 40-22-3-3 for 86 points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/sixth QMJHL). Saint John was eliminated in the opening round of the QMJHL playoffs and went on to win the Memorial Cup as the host team. The Titan were eliminated in the second round.

Last games: The Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 8-6 in Fredericton last Sunday. Brady Burns and Charlie DesRoches each scored a pair of goals from Saint John while singles came from Cole Burbidge, Marshall Lessard, Nicolas Bilodeau and Vince Elie. Ben Allison and Matthew McRae scored twice for Bathurst while Riley Kidney and Markas Samenas also converted. Olivier Brideau mad 26 saves in the win. Sergei Litvinov allowed four goals on 24 shots in the first half of the game for Bathurst. Jack Howatt allowed three goals on 13 shots in the second half.

Notebook: Theme nights announced

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs have announced a number of theme nights that will take place this season.

The Sea Dogs will hold their Memorial Cup banner raising ceremony on Oct. 1, the team's second home game of the year. There will be a "Lady Mo" themed game on Nov. 27.

Single game tickets are available now!

And it's OFFICIAL! Our Banner Raising will be on October 1st! 🏆

We've got some exciting theme nights planned, including top secret ones that will be announced soon!

🎟️:https://t.co/E7n2xOffZg pic.twitter.com/ZrSiPalKCb

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 15, 2022

Other theme nights will be announced later.

REAL GAMES = SOON

The regular season begins in one week for the Sea Dogs.

Saint John opens regular season play next Saturday at TD Station, hosting the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7 p.m. Following that game, the Sea Dogs will travel to Bathurst to play in the Titan's home opener on Sunday afternoon.

The Sea Dogs and Titan have one pre-season game remaining. The two will faceoff in Lameque, NB this Sunday at 4 p.m. on the final day of exhibition play.

ADS ARE COMING

In news that was inevitable, it looks like advertising is coming soon to helmets and jerseys in the QMJHL.

Le Soleil has confirmed that QMJHL teams will be allowed to have ads placed on player helmets this season and jersey ads could come as soon as next season.

NHL clubs began placing small ads on helmets in recent years and will begin wearing jersey ads this season. It's a bit surprising it's taken junior leagues this long to allow ads given that AHL clubs have been doing it for some time.

Cowan joins Rapids as assistant coach

Jeff Cowan has been named an assistant coach for the Maritime Hockey League's Grand Falls Rapids.

Cowan officially spent eight seasons with the Saint John Sea Dogs coaching staff. The 45-year-old joined the club in 2013-14 as an assistant coach and was promoted to associate coach in 2017-18.

Cowan was named Saint John's interim head coach in December 2019 following the firing of Josh Dixon, posting an 18-17 record. Greg Gilbert took over as head coach the following season.

There was never any formal announcement from the Sea Dogs about Cowan's departure. Stefan Legein and Travis Crickard were the team's assistant coaches this past season.

In Grand Falls, Cowan will be working under head coach Greg Leland, who is a former Sea Dogs assistant coach. Leland was named head coach of the Rapids earlier this summer after spending a couple seasons as an assistant with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

"Jeff will bring experience and passion to the coaching staff and the entire Rapids' organization welcomes him to Grand Falls," reads a press release.

Cowan appeared in 434 career NHL games. He also played in 389 AHL games, which included a few seasons with the Saint John Flames.

The Rapids begin the regular season on Friday, hosting the Fredericton Red Wings.

Several Sea Dogs earn rookie camp invites

Vincent Ethier/CHL

Several members of the Saint John Sea Dogs' Memorial Cup winning squad are heading to NHL rookie camps this week.

Among those heading to camps are two Sea Dogs expected to be with the team this season: defenseman Charlie DesRoches (Carolina Hurricanes) and forward Cam MacDonald (Tampa Bay Lightning). DesRoches is attending as a free agent.

Other players from Saint John's Memorial Cup team attending rookie camps include Riley Bezeau, Ryan Francis, Philippe Daoust, Raivis Ansons, Josh Lawrence, William Villeneuve, Jeremie Poirier, Yan Kuznetsov, William Dufour and Vincent Sevigny.

There are several rookie tournaments taking place this year.

• The Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights will play in a tournament in San Jose beginning Sept. 16.
• The Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Ottawa Senators will play in a tournament in Buffalo beginning Sept. 15.
• The Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets will play in a tournament in Penticton, BC beginning Sept. 16.
• The Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning will play in a tournament in North Carolina beginning Sept. 16.
• The Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild will play each other Sept. 16 and Sept. 18 in Chicago.
• The Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs will play in the annual Traverse City tournament beginning Sept. 15.
• The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers will play two games in Allentown, PA on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18.

Below is a look at the rookie camp rosters for each NHL club and the Sea Dogs - past or present - that are attending (list will be updated when other rosters are released).

Notebook: Huberdeau presents CCMA award

Calgary Flames Twitter

Here's something you don't see everyday: new Calgary Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau, alongside JoJo Mason, presented an award at Sunday night's Canadian Country Music Awards show at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Surprise! @JonnyHuby11 took the stage tonight at #CCMA22 with @jojomasonmusic to announce the Group/Duo of the year. 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/58KAB2WzzJ

— Scotiabank Saddledome (@cgysaddledome) September 12, 2022

👋 @JonnyHuby11!

He took the stage with JoJo Mason at the @CCMAofficial Awards at the ‘Dome! pic.twitter.com/IaQDXMBF8w

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 12, 2022

While I have not watched every CCMA awards show since 2005, I am confident in saying Huberdeau becomes the first Saint John Sea Dogs alumnus to present an award at the event.

ONE MORE TO GO

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's pre-season is finally inching close to the finish line.

The Sea Dogs will play on the pre-season's final day of action, taking on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in Lameque, NB. Puck drop is at 4 p.m. and the game is supposed to be streamed for free on CHL TV.

The Sea Dogs are 1-2-0-0 against the Titan this pre-season, earning a wild 8-6 win on Sunday afternoon in Fredericton. That game got chippy at times, so this Sunday's contest could have an edge to it.

Sunday's game will be the second of four straight meetings between the Sea Dogs and Titan.

New TD Station centre ice look unveiled

Sea Dogs social media

Centre ice at TD Station will have a different look this season.

In a photo shared on social media Monday, centre ice will feature the Saint John Sea Dogs' logo circled by a blue ring with "Saint John Sea Dogs" at the top and "City of Champions" at the bottom.

New season, new ice 🧊 #CityofChampions pic.twitter.com/6sHuKMLLbf

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 12, 2022

It's the first time the Sea Dogs have added a ring like this. Other than using anniversary logos (5th, 10th and 15th), the team has made very few changes to its centre ice design since the inaugural 2005-06 season.

The Sea Dogs began using the "City of Champions" slogan last season.

Via TheFaceoff.net, here's what Saint John's usual centre ice design looks like.

Teams have been getting more creative with their centre ice looks in recent years, especially since the Vegas Golden Knights joined the NHL. The Charlottetown Islanders will have a similar ring this season while the Brandon Wheat Kings have one of my personal favourites.

After playing all of their pre-season "home" games at Fredericton's Aitken Centre, the Sea Dogs return to TD Station ice for their regular season opener on Sept. 24.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 8-6

FINAL: Bathurst 6, Saint John 8

FREDERICTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs ended a four-game pre-season losing streak on Sunday afternoon at the Aitken Centre, defeating the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 8-6.

The Sea Dogs were the much sharper team through the first two periods, perhaps taking advantage of a Titan team that played the night before in Caraquet. But Bathurst flipped the switch in the third, scoring four goals and outshooting Saint John 17-7, getting within a goal twice.

It was a chippy game at times and featured two fights. This was the first of four straight meetings between the New Brunswick rivals.

Brady Burns and Charlie DesRoches each scored a pair of goals from Saint John while singles came from Cole Burbidge, Marshall Lessard, Nicolas Bilodeau and Vince Elie. Olivier Brideau mad 26 saves in the win.

Ben Allison and Matthew McRae scored twice for Bathurst while Riley Kidney and Markas Samenas also converted. Sergei Litvinov allowed four goals on 24 shots in the first half of the game. Jack Howatt allowed three goals on 13 shots in the second half.

Pre-Season Game Day 7: vs Titan

FREDERICTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs' pre-season schedule is (finally) nearing its end.

The Sea Dogs have just two exhibition contests remaining and they'll both be against Gordie Dwyer's Acadie-Bathurst Titan. This Dogs and Titan meet this afternoon at 3 p.m. at Fredericton's Aitken Centre and again next Sunday afternoon in Lameque, NB.

The two New Brunswick rivals also begin the regular season with a home-and-home, meaning this afternoon's match is the first of four straight meetings.

Today's match should be a more even showing than the previous pre-season games between the two. The Titan have been dressing veterans for a few weeks now while Saint John's returning players just reported to camp this week.

 

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/None

Pre-Season Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-4-0-0 this pre-season while the Titan are 4-1-0-0.

2021-22 records: The Sea Dogs finished with a record of 47-17-1-3 for 98 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/third QMJHL) while the Titan went 40-22-3-3 for 86 points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/sixth QMJHL). Saint John was eliminated in the opening round of the QMJHL playoffs and went on to win the Memorial Cup as the host team. The Titan were eliminated in the second round.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-3 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Friday night in Fredericton. Marshall Lessard, Connor Trenholm and Eriks Mateiko scored for Saint John. Ventsislav Shingarov allowed five goals on 36 shots in the loss. The Titan are coming off an 8-6 loss to the Moncton Wildcats in Caraquet last night. Jacob Melanson had a hat trick for Bathurst; Cole Larkin scored twice; and Ty Higgins added a single. Sergei Litvinov allowed eight goals on 29 shots in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-3

FINAL: Halifax 5, Saint John 3

FREDERICTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs dropped their fourth straight game of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's pre-season on Friday in Fredericton, falling 5-3 to the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Sea Dogs, featuring a mix of veterans and rookies, put in a strong effort against a Mooseheads squad that has already finalized its roster for the upcoming season. Saint John lost another close game to Halifax a couple weeks ago in Dartmouth.

Halifax's top players came to play in this one with Attilio Biasca scoring a pair of goals and singles coming from Brody Fournier, James Swan and Markus Vidicek. Mathis Rousseau made 31 saves in the win.

Veteran forwards Marshall Lessard and Connor Trenholm, both playing in their first pre-season games of the year, and rookie import Eriks Mateiko scored for Saint John. Ventsislav Shingarov made 31 saves in the loss.

Fournier opened the scoring at 12:01 of the first by beating Shingarov five-hole down low. Then at 18:31 and Saint John on the power play, Biasca scored shorthanded to give the Mooseheads a 2-0 advantage after one.

After failing to score on their first power play opportunity in the second period, Lessard connected on the second, making it a 2-1 game at 11:34.

Halifax went on a man advantage at 13:30 where Biasca netted his second of the game to restore Halifax's two-goal lead.

Swan made it 4-1 at 2:49 of the third, coming down the wing and beating Shingarov blocker side. Trenholm quickly got Saint John back within two, redirecting a Vincent Despont point shot at 3:16.

Vidicek deflected a Mathieu Cataford shot at the side of the goal at 9:31 to make it 5-2. Saint John wouldn't go away though as Mateiko scored at 13:10, cutting Halifax's lead to 5-3.

The Sea Dogs pulled their goaltender late in the third but could not net another.

Pre-Season Game Day 6: vs Mooseheads

FREDERICTON - Pre-season hockey makes its return tonight.

For the first time since Aug. 26, the Saint John Sea Dogs will take to the ice. The team will likely have some new - yet familiar - faces in the lineup with veteran players reporting this past week.

Veterans that were expected to join the club this week include Brady Burns, Marshall Lessard, Cam MacDonald, Peter Reynolds, Connor Trenholm, Charlie DesRoches and Nikolas Hurtubise.

There are quite a few players remaining at Sea Dogs training camp, meaning there are still some battles for roster spots. Saint John has three exhibition games remaining before the start of the regular season, including tonight's against the Halifax Mooseheads.

Game time at the Aitken Centre this evening is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/None

Pre-Season Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-3-0-0 this pre-season while the Mooseheads are 2-1-0-0.

2021-22 records: The Sea Dogs finished with a record of 47-17-1-3 for 98 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/third QMJHL) while the Mooseheads went 38-28-1-1 for 78 points (fourth Maritimes/fifth Eastern/eighth QMJHL). Saint John was eliminated in the opening round of the QMJHL playoffs and went on to win the Memorial Cup as the host team. The Mooseheads were eliminated in the first round.

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Mooseheads met on Aug. 26 in Dartmouth where the homeside earned a 3-2 win. Mathieu Cataford, Reece Peitzsche and Logan Crosby had Halifax goals. Tomasz Szczerba and Salvatore Bucaro scored for Saint John. Jack Milner and Mathias Rousseau teamed up to allow two goals on 30 shots in the win. Olivier Brideau allowed three goals on 29 shots in the loss.

Notebook: The Queen has died

A handful of rinks across the Canadian Hockey League still have portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, the most notable being in Sudbury.

The Wolves tweeted the below photo following her death on Thursday.

The Wolves mourn the passing of #QueenElizabethII. She held a special place in the hearts of our community over her 70-year-reign, a legacy framed at the Sudbury Arena. Seen & honoured by many at every game throughout our 50 years as Wolves & prior hockey history.🕊👑 pic.twitter.com/VxJkgbKLY5

— Sudbury Wolves (@Sudbury_Wolves) September 8, 2022

The Sea Dogs don't have any direct connections to the Queen or royal family that I can think of, but the club's Memorial Cup commemorative jersey was based off the HMCS Brunswicker badge.

NEW LOOK

The Sea Dogs' website got a fresh look as the 2022-23 season nears.

Featured are veteran Sea Dogs Charlie DesRoches, Brady Burns, Peter Reynolds and Cam MacDonald.

This year's CHL TV prices announced

Fans will be paying more for CHL TV subscriptions this season.

The Canadian Hockey League unveiled its streaming service packages on Tuesday. The full, regular season CHL package will cost $179.99 plus taxes and fees, a $20 increase from a year ago. League passes will cost $119.99, a $10 increase.

A CHL All-Access Pass, which will include all regular season and playoff games, will be available for $279.99.

From the CHL:

New for this season, fans can now purchase a CHL All-Access Pass which includes all 2022-23 Regular Season plus the 2023 Playoffs for $279.99 plus applicable taxes and fees. Additionally, fans can choose a CHL Regular Season All-Access Pass, covering all three Member Leagues, available for $179.99 plus applicable taxes and fees.

Lastly, fans can opt for an individual Member League Regular Season Pass. For $119.99 plus applicable taxes and fees, fans can choose to follow one of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, or Western Hockey League. Monthly Member League Passes are also available for $29.99 plus applicable taxes and fees as well as Daily Member League Passes for $7.99 plus applicable taxes and fees.

Many season ticket members across the country will receive discount codes again this season.

CHL TV will be available on the CHL mobile app, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and online at watch.chl.ca.

CHL TV launched last season, marking the first time all three leagues were housed under one streaming platform. There were some hiccups throughout the year (especially for Saint John home games) but it improved as the year went along and, all things considered, had a solid showing. Hopefully further improvements can be made this year and beyond.

An updated look at Sea Dogs' camp roster

James West

With the second half of Saint John Sea Dogs training camp getting underway, here's a quick look at the team's updated roster.

As of the last camp update, the Sea Dogs had 19 forwards and nine defensemen remaining. There are also three goaltenders still around, but the team has already announced that it will begin the season with the trio.

Another name has been added to Saint John's online pre-season roster: 18-year-old defenseman Ryan Pryce, who recorded four assists in 43 games with the OHL's Sarnia Sting last season. He's been added to the below list of players.

Four overage players remain in goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise; defenseman Charlie DesRoches; and forwards Brady Burns and Marshall Lessard. Given the shape of Saint John's backend, Hurtubise and DesRoches are likely locks, leaving Burns and Lessard to battle for the final spot.

Forwards (19)

Player (Age)	Acquired
Danny Akkouche (18)	Trade
Alpha Barry (18)	Trade
Jacob Beaulieu (16)	2022 draft (7th round)
Cole Burbidge (17)	2021 draft (2nd draft)
Brady Burns (20)	Returnee
Reid Calder (16)	2022 draft (7th round)
Alexis Cournoyer (19)	Invitee
Vince Elie (17)	2021 draft (2nd round)
Nico Laforge (18)	Returnee
Marshall Lessard (20)	Returnee
Cam MacDonald (19)	Returnee
Eriks Mateiko (17)	2022 Import Draft (2nd round)
Jack O’Blenis (17)	2021 draft (7th round)
Noah Reinhart (18)	Invitee
Peter Reynolds (19)	Returnee
Tomasz Szczerba (18)	Invitee
Pavel Simek (17)	2022 Import Draft (1st round)
Sam-Luca Thifault (17)	Trade
Connor Trenholm (19)	Returnee

Notebook: Memorial Cup content wanted

The Saint John Sea Dogs want your Memorial Cup content.

The Sea Dogs are asking fans to send in any Memorial Cup photos and video they have - whether it be from inside the arena, at home, the Container Village or anywhere else.

From the team:

The 2022 Memorial Cup theme was One For All, and we want to showcase our community, our fans, and our fan-created content.

We may use your photos and footage to share with our players, and use in upcoming marketing campaigns. You may see yourself and your content online, on the big screen at TD Station, or even on TV one day.

If you would like to participate and share how you experienced and captured history, it’s simple. Just follow the below. Please send the highest-resolution versions of your photos or videos.

Please send any photos and videos from the 2022 Memorial Cup, Parade, or surrounding events to MemorialCupVideo@sjseadogs.com

Thank you for participating and sharing how you captured history. We look forward to seeing it through your eyes!

A number of fans have been asking if a commemorative book will be made, which was done following the team's 2011 Memorial Cup championship. In a response to a Facebook comment, the Sea Dogs said "that’s being discussed for sure! We’ve had a lot of fan interest in a book."

UP NEXT

The Sea Dogs return to pre-season action on Friday in Fredericton, hosting the Halifax Mooseheads a 7 p.m.

Saint John's final two pre-season contests will be against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan: Sunday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m. at the Aitken Centre and Sunday, Sept. 18 at 4 p.m. in Lameque, NB.

The CHL announced Friday that 25 pre-season games from across the country will be broadcast for free on CHL TV over the next couple weeks. One of those games is the Sept. 18 contest between the Sea Dogs and Titan in Lameque.

The Sept. 11 match will be the first of four straight meetings between the Sea Dogs and Gordie Dwyer's Titan. Saint John will also play their first two regular season games against Bathurst.