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Friday, June 30, 2023

Notebook: Burbidge gets Sens camp invite

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
Saint John Sea Dogs forward Cole Burbidge has received an invite to Ottawa Senators development camp.

The 17-year-old was not selected during this week's NHL Draft. He was ranked 110th amongst North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, making him a candidate for a late round pick.
Burbidge was not ranked at all in the mid-season rankings, proving just how much his play improved as his first season in the QMJHL progressed. The Falmouth, NS native finished the regular season with 19 goals and 50 points in 68 games.

Ottawa's development camp begins Sunday and ends on Thursday, July 6. 36 players will be attending.

HALL OF FAME RECAP
A quick video recap of last Friday's Sea Dogs Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Gerard Gallant and Mike Kelly.


Thursday, June 29, 2023

Light year for QMJHL at NHL Draft

Embed from Getty Images
The 2023 NHL Draft went pretty much as expected for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Only 12 players from the QMJHL heard their names called in rounds two through seven on Thursday in Nashville. No players from the league were picked in Wednesday's first round.

As expected, newly acquired Drummondville Voltigeurs forward Ethan Gauthier was the first QMJHL player selected, going in the second round, 37th overall to the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team that has frequently drafted from the Q over the years.

Moncton Wildcats offensive defensemen Etienne Morin joined Gauthier in the second round, going 48th overall to the Calgary Flames. Morin joins the likes of former Saint John Sea Dogs Jeremie Poirier and Yan Kuznetsov in Calgary's defensive prospect pool.

Here's a look at where all the QMJHL players landed in this year's NHL Draft.

Round 2, 37th overall by Tampa Bay - Ethan Gauthier (Drummondville)

Round 2, 48th overall by Calgary - Etienne Morin (Moncton)

Round 3, 77th overall by Vegas - Mathieu Cataford (Halifax)

Round 3, 83rd overall by Nashville - Dylan MacKinnon (Halifax)

Round 4, 116th overall by Seattle - Andrei Loshko (Rouyn-Noranda)

Round 4, 122nd overall by New Jersey - Cam Squires (Cape Breton)

Round 4, 128th overall by Montreal - Quentin Miller (Quebec)

Round 5, 131st overall by Chicago - Marcel Marcel (Gatineau)

Round 5, 145th overall by New York Islanders - Justin Gill (Baie-Comeau)

Round 6, 191st overall by Florida - Luke Coughlin (Rimouski)

Round 7, 199th overall by Philadelphia - Matteo Mann (Chicoutimi)

Round 7, 224th overall by Columbus - Tyler Peddle (Drummondville)

The only real surprise to be picked was Gatineau Olympiques forward Marcel Marcel, a 19-year-old who had a strong showing at the world juniors with Czechia. He was not included in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings.

Shawinigan Cataractes defenseman Jordan Tourigny, who tumbled to 123rd in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, was not selected.

No Sea Dogs were picked. Forward Cole Burbidge was listed by many as a late round pick but ultimately was not selected. He will likely be invited to an NHL development camp in the coming days.

Saint John's 2022 Memorial Cup championship now one year old

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
It's been one year since the Saint John Sea Dogs lifted the Memorial Cup on home ice.

Captain Vincent Sevigny scored just 2:35 into the first period to help lead the Sea Dogs to a 6-3 victory over Mason McTavish, Arber Xhekaj and the Hamilton Bulldogs in the championship game on June 29, 2022.


Along with Sevigny, Cam MacDonald, Riley Bezeau, William Dufour, Josh Lawrence and Peter Reynolds scored. Nikolas Hurtubise made 25 saves in the win.

The victory finished off a spectacular tournament inside TD Station and some fantastic community events outside. The 2022 Memorial Cup will not be forgotten in this city for some time.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

NHL Draft begins tonight

NHL.com
The first round of the NHL Draft is always exciting — but it will likely be a low key evening for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Forward Ethan Gauthier, formerly of the Sherbrooke Phoenix and currently of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, is the highest rated QMJHL player. Gauthier could be a late first round pick — but it's not a guarantee. Same goes for Moncton Wildcats offensive defenseman Etienne Morin, who most have projected as a second round selection.

The first round of the 2023 NHL Draft takes place Wednesday night at 8 p.m. Atlantic in Nashville. Rounds two through seven begin at noon on Thursday.
Thursday should be a much more eventful day for the QMJHL. Along with Gauthier and Morin (if they don't get chosen in the first round), Halifax's Mathieu Cataford and Dylan MacKinnon; Cape Breton's Cam Squires; Rouyn-Noranda's Andrei Loshko; Drummondville's Tyler Peddle; and a few others should have their names called.

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Cole Burbidge has a shot at getting chosen on Thursday. Burbidge, who wasn't even ranked in the first half of the season, finished 110th in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings.

Burbidge was listed in a few final rankings.

NHL Central Scouting: 110 (North American skaters)
FCHockey: 135
Hockey Prospect: 206
McKeen's:136

Another player to watch over the next couple days is Bradly Nadeau of the BCHL's Penticton Vees. Nadeau, from Saint-François de Madawaska, is projected to be a late first rounder or early second rounder much like Gauthier. Nadeau and his brother, Joshua Nadeau, are committed to the University of Maine for next season.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Sea Dogs announce free agent camp invites

The Saint John Sea Dogs announced Tuesday that seven free agents have been invited to the team's training camp in August.

The group is made up of five forwards, one defenseman and one goaltender — an unsurprising split given how many defensemen the Sea Dogs have returning and drafted at this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs are still a young and rebuilding team, meaning many of these players have a legit shot of making the club with a strong showing at training camp. Given Saint John's limited amount of high draft picks the last couple years, finding some hidden gems is a must.

Here's a quick look at the seven invites.

Cameron Lowe - Forward - 6'1" and 174 lbs
The 19-year appeared in 47 games with the OHL's Erie Otters in 2021-22, recording four goals and two assists. He appeared in four games with the Otters this past season along with 23 games with the GOJHL's St. Catherines Falcons where he posted 14 goals and 20 assists. Lowe, a Niagara Falls native, added two goals and an assist in five playoff games.

Samuel Assinewai - Forward - 5'10" and 154 lbs
Assinewai played in 40 games with the OHL's Flint Firebirds in 2021-22, posting five goals and nine assists. He appeared in six games with the Firebirds last season, registering a goal and an assist. Assinewai spent most of last year with the NOJHL's Greater Sudbury Cubs where he had 16 goals and 45 points. He added five goals and 11 points in 10 playoff games. Notably, Cameron Lowe appeared in one playoff game with the Cubs as well. Assinewai also played with Team Canada East at the World Junior A Challenge.

Colby Morin - Forward - 5'11" and 168 lbs
The 17-year-old Grand Falls native had two goals and five assists in 28 Maritime Hockey League games with the Edmundston Blizzard last season. Morin is a graduate of the Fredericton Caps program. He was a sixth-round pick of the Cape Breton Eagles in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Sunday, June 25, 2023

One year since The DuFOUR Game

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
QUISPAMSIS, NB
- Friday's Saint John Sea Dogs Hall of Fame ceremony was a reminder that the franchise has had quite a few memorable championship runs.

With those championship runs come great games — and perhaps the greatest game in Sea Dogs franchise history was played on this day one year ago.

It's been one year since The DuFOUR Game, which saw the Sea Dogs erase a three-goal first period deficit and defeat the rival Shawinigan Cataractes 5-3 to earn a bye straight through to the 2022 Memorial Cup final.


William Dufour had one of the greatest performances in Memorial Cup history, scoring four goals — which included a natural hat trick in the second period to tie the game. Dufour, the Memorial Cup MVP and leading scorer, had a remarkable 15 shots in the game.

"After the first period we just talked to ourselves in the locker room," Dufour said after the game. "After killing the penalty, the breakaway, I said no, I won't miss more chances like that. I can't. I buried one right after, almost on the penalty kill, and then right after on a faceoff. It was just amazing with the crowd and everything it was just, wow."
"It's pretty special wasn't it," Sea Dogs head coach Gardiner MacDougall said of Dufour's performance.

Saturday, June 24, 2023

Notebook: Development camp underway

QUISPAMSIS, NB
- The Saint John Sea Dogs got the on-ice portion of their 2023 summer development camp underway on Saturday at the qplex.

Goaltenders, defensemen and forwards took to the ice in separate sessions in the morning. Later in the day, the three groups combined to take part in a couple hours of practices.

The sessions allowed Sea Dogs management and fans to see some of the team's top prospects on the ice together for the first time, including 2023 second-round picks Egan Beveridge, Olivier Duhamel and Benjamin Amyot. The full roster of invitees can be found here.
The group attended the Sea Dogs Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday night. Development camp continues on Sunday with a 9 a.m. practice and a 10:30 a.m. 3-on-3 series at the qplex.

This is the first time the Sea Dogs have held a development camp since 2019 due to the pandemic.

COYLE SPEAKS
One video that didn't make it into Friday night's Sea Dogs Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Gerard Gallant and Mike Kelly was this message from Charlie Coyle.
Coyle, now a member of the Boston Bruins, joined the Sea Dogs for the second half of the 2011-12 season and was named the QMJHL's playoff MVP.

Friday, June 23, 2023

Gallant, Kelly inducted into Sea Dogs Hall of Fame

SAINT JOHN - Gerard Gallant and Mike Kelly were inducted into the Saint John Sea Dogs Hall of Fame on Friday night at the Imperial Theatre.

The two former Sea Dogs coaches led the team to the 2011 Memorial Cup championship, back-to-back QMJHL titles and three consecutive regular season crowns between 2009 and 2012. Gallant was twice named CHL coach of the year during his tenure while Kelly earned a QMJHL general manager of the year honour.

The two PEI-born coaches have been joined at the hip since leaving Saint John, working NHL benches together in Vegas, Florida and New York. The two also teamed up to help Canada win gold at the world championship.

The two join Jonathan Huberdeau (2018) and Mike Thomas (2019) as inductees into the Sea Dogs Hall of Fame. Thomas Chabot will be inducted next year.

While Gallant and Kelly headlined the event, the night featured a number of other speeches and panels. Hosted by Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino, the first panel included 2011 Memorial Cup champions: Thomas, Michael Kirkpatrick, Zack Phillips and Nathan Beaulieu.
The second panel included 2022 Memorial Cup champions: Gardiner MacDougall, Cam MacDonald, Thomas Couture and Riley Bezeau. Brady Burns was also honoured by Kirkpatrick for becoming Saint John's new franchise points leader.

Team president Trevor Georgie and owner Scott McCain also spoke. One of the more powerful speeches at the event came from former Sea Dogs assistant coach Greg Leland, who spoke about his time working with Gallant and Kelly in Saint John.

The night ended with a panel that featured McCain, Gallant and Kelly.

Along with former players — which included a large group from the 2022 championship team — Saint John's 2023 draft class and development camp invitees were also in attendance. The group begins summer development camp on Saturday in Quispamsis.

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Development camp making a return

The Saint John Sea Dogs will be hosting a development camp this weekend at the Quispamsis qplex.

The camp roster, which the Sea Dogs released on Thursday afternoon, includes all three of the team's second-round picks in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft: forward Egan Beveridge and defensemen Olivier Duhamel and Benjamin Amyot.

Along with Beveridge, Saint John's other two 2023 American selections, defenseman Jeremy Poirier and forward Daniel Daley, are among the invites as well.

Here's a look at the full roster:

Forwards
Alexis Beaudoin (2023 - 7th round)
Benjamin Beaudry (2022 - 9th round)
Campbell MacIntyre (2022 - 14th round)
Egan Beveridge (2023 - 2nd round)
Daniel Daley (2023 - US 2nd round)
Jacob Beaulieu (2022 - 7th round)
Reid Calder (2022 - 7th round)

Defensemen
Arnaud Tardif (2023 - 11th round)
Benjamin Amyot (2023 - 2nd round)
Elie Warren (trade)
Giuliano Caputo (2023 - 13th round)
Jeremy Poirier (2023 - US 1st round)
Jeremie Richard (2022 - 3rd round)
Matthew MacLean (2023 - 11th round)
Olivier Duhamel (2023 - 2nd round)
Tomas Lulic (2023 - 13th round)

Goaltenders
Charles-Antoine Girard (2022 - 10th round)
Kyan Labbe (2023 - 4th round)

Forward Jacob Beaulieu and defenseman Jeremie Richard spent the 2022-23 season with the Sea Dogs. Reid Calder, meanwhile, appeared in nine games.

2023 draft picks not included on the roster are defenseman Julien Bonnet, who was ranked 43rd by Central Scouting but slid to the seventh round, and goaltender Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz, who presumably has college hockey intentions.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Notebook: Memorial Cup began a year ago

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
Saint John was a little bit livelier at this time a year ago.

On June 20, 2022, the first game of the Memorial Cup was played at TD Station with the Saint John Sea Dogs edging the Hamilton Bulldogs 5-3. It was the start of a tremendously entertaining tournament that ended with those two teams facing off again — and with Saint John winning 6-3 the second time around.


It was a memorable couple weeks in Saint John that really kicked off on June 18 with the grand opening of the ball hockey pad and had its storybook ending on June 30 with a championship parade through the uptown.

MORE GUESTS
Some of the guests who were in attendance for last year's Memorial Cup will be in town again this week for the Sea Dogs Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The team tweeted that former Sea Dogs Michael Kirkpatrick, Jeremie Poirier, Zack Phillips and Nathan Beaulieu will all be in attendance on Friday at the Imperial Theatre.
Former Sea Dogs coaches Gerard Gallant and Mike Kelly, who led the team to the 2011 Memorial Cup championship, will both be inducted, joining Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Thomas.

Monday, June 19, 2023

DesRoches, Lawrence find new homes

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
Two long-time Saint John Sea Dogs have found new homes for the 2023-24 season.

Defenseman Charlie DesRoches and forward Josh Lawrence, who both played their final seasons of junior hockey this past year, are heading in much different paths come the fall. DesRoches has committed to playing at Acadia University while Lawrence has signed with a pro team in Switzerland.

DesRoches, who captained the Sea Dogs last season, will join Brady Burns in what is turning into a strong freshman class on the Axemen.

“We are so excited to be bringing Charlie to Acadia," said Axemen head coach Darren Burns in a release. "We have followed him for many years, and he has been a player we wanted in our program for a long time. As a player he brings many different things to the table. He is extremely smart, sees the ice well and can score from the blue line and off the rush. He has the ability to quarterback the power play because he keeps the game simple. He also has the ability to play a shutdown role. His versatility in doing both was very evident in his junior career. What we admire most about Charlie is a quiet confidence and loyalty. He began his junior career with the belief that he could be a cornerstone in Saint John. He went somewhere and bought into a vision and belief, knowing there was a lot of hard work ahead. He wasn’t afraid to sacrifice to win a championship. Adding a player who is all bricks and mortar and has lifted the Memorial Cup can only help be infectious in our dressing room and on the ice.”

The 21-year-old posted a career best 35 points in 50 games this past season. He finishes his QMJHL career with 145 points in 277 games.

DesRoches was a second-round pick of Saint John in the 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Lawrence, a first-round pick of Saint John in the 2018 draft, has signed with EHC Winterthur of the Swiss League, which is Switzerland's second tier circuit behind the National League.
The Fredericton native is coming off back-to-back seasons of 100+ points in the QMJHL and proved this past year that he can perform in the playoffs as well, posting 31 points in 21 post-season contests to help the Halifax Mooseheads reach the Gilles-Courteau Trophy final.

The signing comes as a bit of a surprise. Despite his small size (5'9" and 179 lbs), most assumed Lawrence would get a pro shot at either the AHL or ECHL level in North America for next season. If not, there's little doubt every university team in the country was interested in him. But perhaps this is simply the route he wanted to take — and almost all North Americans speak very highly of playing in Switzerland.

"Josh is a very young player who wants to launch his professional career in Europe," said team manager Christian Weber, via Swiss Hockey News. "Despite his young age, he is already an accomplished playmaker who has a good eye for the game. In addition with his good shot, it makes him a complete player."

Saturday, June 17, 2023

Saturday stuff: Ice on the move

The Winnipeg Ice are no more.

After a couple years of relocation speculation, the Western Hockey League announced the sale of the Ice franchise on Friday. The team will move to Wenatchee, Washington where they'll become the Wenatchee Wild, replacing the city's existing BCHL team.

The Ice moved from Cranbrook, BC to Winnipeg in 2019 on the promise of a major junior sized arena being built in the Manitoba capital's suburbs. No solid agreements were ever reached on a new rink and shovels were never close to being put in the ground. After four seasons of playing at the University of Manitoba's 1,600-seat rink, the Ice have been sold and are moving back to the Pacific time zone.
The entire situation is likely a cautionary tale for all three CHL circuits: it's probably best not to relocate a team unless a suitable rink is already built or shovels are in the ground.

The Wenatchee WHL franchise will play out of the Town Toyota Center, a 4,300-seat facility that opened in 2008. Wenatchee is located between Seattle and Spokane and north of Kennewick (where Tri-City plays), making the team a natural fit in the league's American division.

While the Ice could never get things sorted off the ice, they were quite successful on it. The team has had back-to-back 50-win seasons and lost to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL final this year. They have some pieces returning but are likely in for a long rebuild at some point due to a lack of draft picks.

The Wenatchee Wild and OHL's Brantford Bulldogs (formerly the Hamilton Bulldogs) will be the only CHL teams in new homes in 2023-24.

Friday, June 16, 2023

Gallant, Kelly to be inducted into Sea Dogs Hall of Fame next Friday

Gerard Gallant and Mike Kelly will be inducted into the Saint John Sea Dogs Hall of Fame next Friday.

The event is scheduled to take place on June 23 at 7 p.m. at the Imperial Theatre.

From the team's news release:

This prestigious event celebrates the outstanding contributions of remarkable players, coaches, and individuals who have left an indelible mark on our organization. They will join the esteemed ranks of Jonathan Huberdeau (2018) and Mike Thomas (2019), with Thomas Chabot to be honored in the future. 

Hosted by Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino, the evening promises to be unforgettable, with the presence of Sea Dogs alumni and special guests.


Gallant and Kelly helped guide the Sea Dogs to back-to-back QMJHL titles in 2011 and 2012 and the 2011 Memorial Cup championship. The duo went on to coach together at the NHL level with the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and most recently the New York Rangers.

Ticket info is below.
The Sea Dogs Hall of Fame, which began in 2018 with Huberdeau's induction, is located in the pedway that connects to TD Station to uptown.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

An era ends in Quebec City

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL
An era came to an end in Quebec City on Tuesday.

At a press conference, Patrick Roy, head coach and general manager of the Quebec Remparts, announced that he is stepping down from the his duties with the club. It was an expected move given that Roy, who has led Quebec to a Gilles-Courteau Trophy championship and two Memorial Cup titles, has nothing left to prove in the junior ranks.

Long-time Remparts president Jacques Tanguay also stepped down on Tuesday, truly signalling the end of an era for the Remparts franchise. Both Tanguay and Roy have been involved with the Remparts since purchasing the Beauport Harfangs franchise and relocating to Quebec City in 1997.
This was Roy's second stint as head coach and general manager of the Remparts. After working in the NHL for a few seasons, Roy returned to the role in 2018-19.

While there has been speculation that Roy could return behind an NHL bench in the fall, that's looking more and more unlikely. The New York Rangers hired Peter Laviolette on Tuesday and the Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to name Mike Babcock their new head coach in July.

There is perhaps a chance that Roy ends up with the Ottawa Senators, which was purchased by popular Hamilton Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer earlier in the day. Roy told media that he and Andlauer, who is also part owner of the Montreal Canadiens, know each other quite well.

Tuesday's announcement leaves another head coaching vacancy in the QMJHL. Quebec's situation may be solved quite easily, however, as it has long been believed that assistant coach Simon Gagne would replace Roy when the time came.

The Cape Breton Eagles, Gatineau Olympiques, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, Drummondville Voltigeurs and Rimouski Oceanic all went without head coaches at this past weekend's QMJHL Entry Draft. It's odd to see this amount of vacancies at this time of the off-season.

Monday, June 12, 2023

Notebook: Everblades take ECHL title

ECHL
The Florida Everblades are, once again, Kelly Cup champions.

The Everblades clinched their second consecutive ECHL title on Friday night, completing a sweep of the No. 1 ranked Idaho Steelheads. Idaho finished the regular season with 119 points while Florida finished 11th in the league's overall standings with 85.

Florida won last year's league title by defeating the Toledo Walleye in five games in the league final.

Florida's roster includes former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier LeBlanc, who appeared in just one post-season game. The 27-year-old, who also spent three seasons at UNB before turning pro, appeared in 10 regular season games with Florida, recording one assist.

This past season, LeBlanc also played 39 games with the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings and seven matches with the AHL's Cleveland Monsters.

BEVERIDGE VIDEO
From John Moore, here's Egan Beveridge talking about joining the Sea Dogs at Saturday's QMJHL Entry Draft.


Sunday, June 11, 2023

Final news & notes from draft weekend

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL
SHERBROOKE, QC
- While the name Egan Beveridge may be new to Saint John Sea Dogs fans, the pick on Saturday capped off several months of work for general manager Anthony Stella.

"The parents are probably tired of hearing from me and all that," joked Stella following the conclusion of the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft. "We're really excited. I know when I first took the (assistant general manager) job a couple years ago I really wanted to bring Americans to Saint John. I think this is a major first step for us. It feels rewarding, honestly."

Beveridge was the top American taken in Saturday's draft, going to Saint John in the second round, 30th overall. While the Sea Dogs have a reputation of being a team that successfully recruits American players, the reality is that, for the most part, that has not been the case.

Beveridge was in Sherbrooke on Saturday and sported a Sea Dogs jersey soon after the selection. He's fully expected to report to the team.

"He'll be at development and he'll be at training camp," confirmed Stella.

THREE SECOND ROUNDERS
Beveridge was Saint John's top pick of the draft and the first of three second round choices by the club. 

It's rare to see an American taken so high in the QMJHL Entry Draft. When asked why the team chose to select Beveridge, a player that may have still been available later on, Stella said there were likely other teams with interest.
"There was no secret that he may have had interest in our league," said Stella. "I think that word was getting around that the Sea Dogs were on him and I think other teams started fishing around. I also think if you like a player, you get him. Why wait. We just took him, he's in our jersey, and that's it."

Saturday, June 10, 2023

A closer look at Saint John's 2023 draft class

John Moore/Twitter
SHERBROOKE, QC
- The Saint John Sea Dogs made a surprising first pick and then went heavy on defense at the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs selected seven defensemen, two forwards and two goaltenders in Saturday's event and added another forward and defenseman in the American portion of the draft. Saint John drafted just one Atlantic Canadian while picking three Americans and nine players from Quebec.

Saint John only made a couple minor trades on Saturday, swapping some picks with the Gatineau Olympiques. The team opted to keep the three second round choices they entered the draft with.

Here's a more detailed look at each of Saint John's picks.

Round 2, 30th overall (Baie-Comeau) - C Egan Beveridge (Chicago Mission 15U AAA)
Beveridge, a New Hampshire native, spent last season with the Chicago Mission under-15 team.

Beveridge was recently the first overall pick in NCDC Entry Draft and was a sixth-round choice of the Madison Capitols in the USHL Futures Draft.
Puck Preps called Saint John's choice "one of the savviest picks of any recent QMJHL draft."

Beveridge was in attendance in Sherbrooke and sported a Sea Dogs jersey at the team's draft table.
Round 2, 33rd overall (Moncton) - RD Olivier Duhamel (Collège Charles-Lemoyne Riverains)
Duhamel spent last season with the Charles-Lemoyne College Riverains of the Quebec under-18 league where he registered two goals and eight assists in 40 games. He added two goals and five assists in five playoff games.

The league lists him at 5'10" and 157 lbs while Elite Prospects has him at 5'11" and 165 lbs.

QMJHL Central Scouting had Duhamel ranked 46th while HockeyProspect.com had him 39th.
Duhamel is one of the youngest players in the draft and won't turn 16 until November. He is known for his strong skating ability and work ethic.

"If his decision-making and anticipation can reach a higher level, Olivier Duhamel can be a really effective two-way defenseman at the next level," writes HockeyProspect.com. "He needs an extra year of development in the M18 AAA to round up his game before making the jump to the QMJHL, but you can expect a big year for Duhamel."

Sea Dogs make picks in 2023 QMJHL draft

Saint John Sea Dogs
SHERBROOKE, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs made some noise with their first pick in this year's Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs went to the United States with their first choice, taking New Hampshire native and Chicago Mission forward Egan Beveridge in the second round, 30th overall. Beveridge was in attendance in Sherbrooke and sported his Sea Dogs jersey after the selection was made.

Beveridge was one of the few forwards selected by Saint John. The team went heavy on defense, taking seven defensemen along with two forwards and two goaltenders. Saint John also picked a forward and a defenseman in the two-round American Draft.

Saint John made just a couple of minor deals on Saturday. The team traded their sixth-round, 98th overall pick to the Gatineau Olympiques for a pair of seventh round picks (117th and 127th overall). Later, Saint John traded their 10th-round pick, 170th overall to Gatineau in exchange for 11th-round (199th overall) and 13th-round (235th overall) selections.

Here's the full list of Saint John's 2023 draft choices:

R
#
Player
P
H
W
Team (Prov)
230Egan BeveridgeF5'6157Chicago (NH)
233Olivier DuhamelD5'10157Charles-Lemoyne (QC)
240Benjamin AmyotD5'9144Châteauguay (QC)
472Kyan LabbeG5'7148Magog (QC)
7117Alexis BeaudoinF5'07167Trois-Rivieres (QC)
7127Julien BonnetD6'2178Saint-Hyacinthe (QC)
11188Matthew MacLeanD6'1165Summerside (PE)
11199Arnaud TardifD6'1202Marie-Rivier (QC)
13224Tomas LulicD6'5178Bourget College (QC)
13235Giuliano CaputoD5'10212Esther-Blondin CollEge (QC)
14242Samuel
Doyon-Cataquiz
G6'0174Mount St. Charles (QC)
A14Jeremy PoirierD5'10150New Hampshire (NH)
A222Daniel DaleyF5'11160Franklin High (MA)

More on this year's draft class to come.

News & notes from the draft's opening round

SHERBROOKE, QC
- The opening round of the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft has come and gone.

As expected, the Moncton Wildcats selected forward Caleb Desnoyers with the first overall pick. Desnoyers, a two-way forward like his older bother Elliot Desnoyers, had 53 points in 42 games with the Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois in the Quebec under-18 league last season. He added 23 points in 15 playoff games.
The Chicoutimi Sagueneens picked second, taking goal scorer Emile Guite. Guite was Desnoyers' teammate in both Saint-Hyacinthe and Team Quebec at the Canada Winter Games.

Both Desnoyers and Guite were widely considered the best two players available in this year's draft.

The full list of draft picks can be found on the QMJHL website.

It's draft day in the QMJHL

SHERBROOKE, QC
- It's draft day in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft begins this morning at 11 a.m. Atlantic in Sherbrooke. It's the first in-person draft since 2019 due to the pandemic.

The Sea Dogs, at this moment, will have to sit patiently at their table for a few hours before making their first pick. Saint John currently does not have a first rounder but are scheduled to select three times in the second round.

Here is where the Sea Dogs are currently scheduled to select:

Round 2, 30th overall (via Baie-Comeau)
Round 2, 33rd overall (via Moncton)
Round 2, 40th overall (via Quebec)
Round 4, 72nd overall (via Victoriaville)
Round 6, 98th overall
Round 10, 170th overall
Round 11, 188th overall
Round 13, 224th overall
Round 14, 242nd overall

American Draft - Round 1, 4th overall
American Draft - Round 2, 22nd overall

The Sea Dogs should be able to get some quality players with those second round picks — especially considering the success they have had in recent drafts. They are lacking in quantity of picks though and next year's draft is shaping up to have the same issue. You have to think Saint John may try and acquire more darts to throw at the board — both this year and next.

Trades are permitted throughout the draft. Saint John made a deal on Friday, acquiring defenseman Mathis Gauthier and defensive prospect Elie Warren from the Rimouski Oceanic.

The Moncton Wildcats will pick first overall after winning the league's draft lottery. They are expected to draft forward Caleb Desnoyers, who is widely considered the best player available. Caleb Desnoyers is the younger brother of former Wildcat Elliot Desnoyers.

While they won't be picking first overall, a lot of attention will be on the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Following a deal on Friday, the Sags are now scheduled to pick second, fourth, fifth and eighth overall. This comes after picking four times in the first round of last year's draft.

The first round of the draft will be broadcast on CHL TVSelections and trades can be followed on the QMJHL website.

Friday, June 9, 2023

QMJHL announces new fighting penalties

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL
SHERBROOKE, QC
- Greetings from Sherbrooke, where the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League certainly made some noise around the hockey world on Friday.

As was expected, QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini announced additional penalties on fighting in the league. This comes after several months of pressure from the Quebec government to further reduce fighting in the league.

Here are the changes, via a QMJHL news release:

Here are the main points that were approved by the league’s Members:

  1. Addition of a game misconduct penalty for any player involved in a fight;
  2. Addition of an automatic one-game suspension for any player declared the instigator of a fight;
  3. Addition of a minimum two-game automatic suspension for any player identified as the aggressor;
  4. In addition to the game misconduct, an automatic one-game suspension will be imposed once a player has reached his second fight, rather than his third.

As those who follow and watch the league know, the amount of fights has dropped drastically over the past decade. It will be interesting to see if this change is all that noticeable given how few fights have occurred in recent seasons.

According to HockeyFights.com, the Charlottetown Islanders led the league in fights last year with 17. The Saint John Sea Dogs had four, tied for the third fewest in the league. The Memorial Cup champion Quebec Remparts had just one.
The league also announced some rule changes to video replay, which comes after a couple controversial reviews during the playoffs.

"The Members’ Assembly also approved the addition of tablets to penalty boxes, so that officials can review various sequences during the game," reads a QMJHL news release. "New cameras, located above both blue lines, will also be added to provide better angles for quicker decision-making in offside situations."

Sea Dogs acquire two from Oceanic

Rimouski Oceanic
SHERBROOKE, QC
- The Saint John Sea Dogs swung a deal on Friday, landing 20-year-old defenseman Mathis Gauthier and 17-year-old defensive prospect Elie Warren from the Rimouski Oceanic.

In exchange for the two defenders, the Sea Dogs sent fifth- and 10th-round picks in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft to Rimouski.

The addition of Gauthier adds some experience to a still young Saint John defense core. Gauthier has spent the past three seasons in Rimouski, which includes captaining the club last year.

Gauthier had four goals and 16 assists in 62 games with Rimouski last season and added a goal and an assist in nine playoff games. In 147 career QMJHL games, Gauthier has eight goals and 38 assists.

Gauthier was part of the Rimouski squad that upset Saint John in the opening round of the 2022 playoffs. He scored the game-tying goal in the third period of Game 5 at TD Station that allowed the Oceanic to win the match and series in overtime that night.

The addition of Gauthier obviously creates more questions about Saint John's overage situation. Other potential overagers on this season's Sea Dogs squad include forwards Peter Reynolds and Alexis Cournoyer; defenseman Jared Cosman; and goaltender Ventsislav Shingarov.

Warren, the brother of Anaheim Ducks prospect Noah Warren, was an 11th-round pick of the Oceanic in last year's QMJHL Entry Draft. He has yet to appear in a QMJHL game but will certainly be noticable if he does — he's listed at 6'7" and 238 lbs.

Warren has spent the past two seasons with Polyvalente Marcel-Landry of the RSEQ under-18 circuit. He recorded four goals and 12 assists in 26 games last season.

The QMJHL trade period will open up once again on Saturday morning during the QMJHL Entry Draft. The event begins at 11 a.m. in Sherbrooke.

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Notebook: Let's talk ECHL playoffs

The Florida Everblades are one win away from hoisting the ECHL's Kelly Cup.

While he's only appeared in one playoff game, the Everblades' roster does include former Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier LeBlanc. The 27-year-old, who also spent three seasons at UNB before turning pro, appeared in 10 regular season games with Florida, recording one assist.

This past season, LeBlanc also played 39 games with the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings and seven matches with the AHL's Cleveland Monsters.

Florida currently leads the Idaho Steelheads 3-0 in the best-of-seven final heading into Friday night's Game 4. The Steelheads finished first in the ECHL's regular season standings with 58 wins and 119 points. Florida finished with 85 points.

The AHL's Calder Cup final will not feature any former Sea Dogs. That series, which begins Thursday night, will see the Hershey Bears take on the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

WHERE'D THEY COME FROM?
The Sea Dogs, at this time, will select three times in the second round of Saturday's QMJHL Entry Draft. None of those picks, however, are their own.

Here's where each came from:

  • Round 2, 30th overall — originally Baie-Comeau's, the Sea Dogs acquired the pick in the deal that sent Marshall Lessard to the Drakkar last fall.
  • Round 2, 33rd overall — originally Moncton's, the Sea Dogs acquired the pick in the deal that sent Connor Trenholm to the Wildcats during this past season's holiday trade period.
  • Round 2, 40th overall — originally Quebec's, the Sea Dogs acquired this pick from the Gatineau Olympiques on Wednesday to wrap up the Cam MacDonald deal that was made during the holiday trade period.

Saint John's first round pick (fourth overall) in this year's draft is currently in the hands of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, who acquired the selection in a major trade with the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Wednesday. Saint John's original second round pick (24th overall) is currently owned by the Cape Breton Eagles.

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Big day of trades in QMJHL

Candice Ward/CHL
To say it was an eventful day on the QMJHL trade front would be an understatement.

Three of the four teams that reached the league's semifinals this year began dismantling their rosters while a number of other clubs began to load up for runs next year and the following season.

Here's a quick recap of the day's biggest deals.

  • One of the team's that loaded up Wednesday was the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, making big deals to acquire Gatineau's Antonin Verreault along with Memorial Cup champions William Rousseau and Jeremy Langlois from the Quebec Remparts.
  • Gatineau traded 20-year-old defenseman Olivier Boutin to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan who then flipped him to the Moncton Wildcats.
  • The Wildcats had an eventful day. Along with acquiring Boutin, they traded away goaltender Vincent Filion to the Rimouski Oceanic. They also dealt Hugo Marcil and Manix Sarrasin to the Sherbrooke Phoenix.
  • The Phoenix began to unload their roster, dealing 44-goal scorer Justin Gill to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. The Phoenix also traded 20-year-old forward Milo Roelens to the Titan.
  • Sherbrooke's Ethan Gauthier is expected to be traded to Drummondville at some point before the end of Saturday's draft. The return is not known at this time.
  • The Chicoutimi Sagueneens made one of the biggest trades of the day, acquiring 18-year-old goaltender Mathys Fernandez and the fourth overall pick in Saturday's draft from the Val-d'Or Foreurs in exchange for a bunch of picks, including Saturday's 11th overall selection and a first round pick (Cape Breton) in 2024.
  • Gatineau also traded Charles-Antoine Pilote to the Foreurs.
  • Quebec traded defenseman Charle Truchon, who was a standout at the Memorial Cup, to the Oceanic.

There were a bunch of other trades as well, many of which didn't involve players and were completing deals made at Christmas. The list can be found on the QMJHL website.

The Saint John Sea Dogs made just one trade Wednesday, completing the Cam MacDonald deal with the Olympiques.

The 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft takes place Saturday morning at 11 a.m. Atlantic in Sherbrooke. Moncton will select first followed by Chicoutimi, Blainville-Boisbriand, Chicoutimi (again) and Rimouski. The Sagueneens, who made four picks in the first round last year, are currently scheduled to select second, fourth and eighth overall, respectively.

Sea Dogs add another second round pick

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
The Saint John Sea Dogs completed the Cam MacDonald trade on Wednesday.

During the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's pre-draft trade period, the Sea Dogs sent a 2024 second round pick (Drummondville) to the Gatineau Olympiques in exchange for a 2023 second round selection (40th overall) and a third round pick (Acadie-Bathurst) in 2024.
The Sea Dogs traded MacDonald to the Olympiques during the holiday trade period in exchange for a 2024 first round pick and the above 2024 second round pick (Drummondville).

Wednesday's deal means the Sea Dogs currently have three second round picks in Saturday's QMJHL Entry Draft. They are currently scheduled to pick 30th, 33rd and 40th overall, respectively.

The Sea Dogs selected three times in the second round of the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft, picking Olivier Brideau, Cole Burbidge and Vince Elie. Saint John has had quite a bit of success with second round selections in recent drafts.

The 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft takes place Saturday morning at 11 a.m. Atlantic in Sherbrooke.

Monday, June 5, 2023

Sea Dogs have had success in second rounds

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
While the Saint John Sea Dogs may not be picking in the first round (at this moment, anyways) of this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, there is still plenty of room for optimism.

The Sea Dogs are currently scheduled to pick twice in the second round — 30th and 33rd overall, respectively — where they've landed plenty of standout players in past drafts. Notably, Saint John picked three times in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft and landed goaltender Olivier Brideau along with forwards Cole Burbidge and Vince Elie, all of whom appear to be key pieces for the Sea Dogs moving forward.

When looking back over the years, some important players were taken with second round selections. The first few years featured the likes of Ryan Sparling, Michael Kirkpatrick and Kevin Gagne while 2013 had Thomas Chabot. Brady Burns, Charlie DesRoches and Peter Reynolds were all second round picks along with Charles Savoie, who lifted the Memorial Cup with the Quebec Remparts on Sunday.

It's hard to miss the success Saint John has had in second rounds over the past five drafts. Some of that certainly has to do with the Sea Dogs' ability to pry players away from college hockey intentions, something the franchise struggled to do in previous eras.

Here's a rundown of all the players the Sea Dogs have taken with second round picks over the years.

2022: No pick
2021: 36th overall - Vince Elie
2021: 29th overall - Cole Burbidge
2021: 27th overall - Olivier Brideau
2020: 38th overall - Simon Hughes
2019: 34th overall - Charles Savoie
2019: 21st overall - Peter Reynolds
2018: 32nd overall - Charlie DesRoches
2018: 29th overall - Brady Burns
2017: No pick
2016: 32nd overall - Shane Bowers
2015: No pick
2014: 22nd overall - Matthew Green
2013: 22nd overall - Thomas Chabot
2012: No pick
2011: 19th overall - Oliver Cooper
2010: No pick
2009: 28th overall - Aidan Kelly
2008: 32nd overall - Kevin Gagne
2007: 22nd overall - Michael Kirkpatrick
2006: 20th overall - Pascal Amyot
2005: 20th overall - Ryan Sparling

Saint John didn't make their first pick in last year's draft until the third round where they selected defenseman Jeremie Richard 37th overall.

The 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft takes place Saturday morning at 11 a.m. Atlantic in Sherbrooke.

Sunday, June 4, 2023

Remparts keep Memorial Cup in QMJHL

The Memorial Cup is staying in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The Quebec Remparts produced another dominant defensive performance on Sunday night in Kamloops, shutting out the Western Hockey League champion Seattle Thunderbirds 5-0 to win the 2023 national championship.

The title is the QMJHL's fourth straight — the longest streak by any of the three junior leagues. The stretch began in 2018 with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan followed by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in 2019. After a two-year absence due to the pandemic, the Saint John Sea Dogs won on home ice last year.

Since Saint John's 2011 championship, the QMJHL has won seven of the past 11 Memorial Cup tournaments.
The win completes a dream season for the Remparts who were the QMJHL's regular season champs and went on to win the Gilles-Courteau Trophy with a fairly smooth run. They finished the Memorial Cup with a 3-1 record — their lone loss coming in a meaningless game against the Peterborough Petes.

As is often the case for the Memorial Cup champion, the stars came to play. Vsevolod Komarov, James Malatesta, Kassim Gaudet, Zachary Bolduc and Charles Savoie scored for the Remparts in the final. Captain Theo Rochette added two assists while William Rousseau made 32 saves in the victory.

Malatesta, a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, was named tournament MVP. He finished the event with five goals in four games.

Notebook: Laforge Memorial Cup jersey up for sale

An interesting find on eBay recently: someone is selling a Nico Laforge jersey from Saint John's first game of the 2022 Memorial Cup. The asking price is just under $1,400 Canadian.

Laforge did not play in that game or in any games at last year's Memorial Cup.

"Not worn by player but appears to have been washed by the team," notes the seller.

LAWRENCE HONOURED
Former Sea Dogs forward Josh Lawrence was named to the CHL's second all-star team on Thursday.
Lawrence posted 50 goals and 119 points (his second straight season of 100+ points) in 69 games split between the Halifax Mooseheads and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He added 12 goals and 31 points in 21 playoff games.

Lawrence's teammates were also honoured. Jordan Dumais was named a first team all-star while Alexandre Doucet was on the third all-star squad.

QMJHL Entry Draft less than a week away

Former Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Maxime Joyal will be in charge of the Gatineau Olympiques at this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

The announcement was made on Friday following the decision of interim general manager Jean-François Fortin to step down from the position. The QMJHL Entry Draft is next Saturday.

“Maxime has been with our organization for three years as hockey operations advisor," stated an Olympiques news release. "He has worked closely with the hockey department on all transactions and draft selections over the past three seasons. In fact, he has been busy preparing for the 2023 draft for several months."

Joyal will be assisted by consultant Jacques Leblanc and Olympiques shareholder Derick Brassard.

This all follows Gatineau's May 23 decision to part ways with head coach and general manager Louis Robitaille. After being swept by the Quebec Remparts in the semifinals, the Olympiques are likely heading into a rebuild.

Joyal, now 36, appeared in 31 games with the Sea Dogs during the 2006-07 season, posting an 8-17-1 record to go along with a 4.99 goals against average and a .862 save percentage.

Here are a few other notes as the draft approaches...

  • The 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft takes place next Saturday in Sherbrooke beginning at 11 a.m.
  • JF Plante reports that goaltender Vincent Filion of the Moncton Wildcats will be traded to the Rimouski Oceanic. Filion has struggled to find his game in the QMJHL and will likely be Jacob Steinman's backup next season if he stays in Moncton.
  • The Wildcats will pick first overall on Saturday and, as the Telegraph-Journal (paywall) reports, the team has made their decision on who to select. Forward Caleb Desnoyers is the projected No. 1 pick by draft experts.
  • The Sea Dogs, at this time anyways, are not scheduled to select until the second-round.
  • The Charlottetown Islanders have signed forward Matthew Butler, a fifth-round pick of the team in last year's QMJHL Entry Draft. Butler, a St. John's native who spent last season at Shattuck St. Mary's, is listed at 5'6" and 143 lbs.
  • HockeyProspect.com's annual QMJHL Draft Guide is now available for purchase. Their rankings of the top-five players is available for free and is led by Desnoyers.