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.

Signing Alert 📰

Josh Lawrence has signed a deal with EHC Winterthur 🇨🇭 of the Swiss League.

The Fredericton, NB product had a successful QMJHL career, winning a memorial cup with the @SJSeaDogs and recording 119 points in 2022-23 between @HFXMooseheads & @ArmadaBLB@CHCanada pic.twitter.com/6alsGcXkWC

— Maritime Hockey (@HockeyMaritime) June 19, 2023

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."