Notebook: Hockey is near

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Hockey season is almost here.

The Saint John Sea Dogs begin training camp next weekend before playing three pre-season games in the days ahead.

The Sea Dogs begin pre-season play on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at TD Station against the Charlottetown Islanders. The next night the two teams will travel to Pownal, PEI to play a second game.

On Friday, Aug. 25, the Sea Dogs conclude the "first half" of pre-season play with a home contest against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Sea Dogs then resume pre-season play on Sept. 8. The team will play six pre-season matches in total before opening the regular season on Sept. 22 in Bathurst.

SEASON TICKET INFO

The Sea Dogs have announced the list of benefits season tickets will receive this season.

Secure your Season Tickets to take advantage of numerous perks and benefits including concessions discounts, complimentary preseason tickets, and much more.

Season Tickets go on sale Monday, August 14th at the TD Station box office. Subscription plans are available! pic.twitter.com/FEzyIjQYYB

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) August 10, 2023

Along with the classics, there are a few new ones. From the team's website:

• Concessions Vouchers: "One of the new benefits for Season Ticket Members this season are exclusive vouchers which can be redeemed at the TD Station concessions for discounts on food and beverages."
• Free Preseason Tickets: "Preseason games return to TD Station this year with the Sea Dogs are set to play six times, including three home games. Season Ticket Members get tickets to all home preseason games for free."
• Presale access for JSMSE Events: "Another new benefit for Season Ticket Members this season is access to presales for all JSM Sports & Entertainment events that are held at TD Station."

The team also confirmed that tribute performances will be returning again this season.

FIGHTING CHANGES

As expected, the QMJHL has officially made changes to its fighting rules.

The QMJHL has banned fighting starting this coming season. According to league rules, fighting results in an automatic ejection, with other penalties to follow. https://t.co/O8zaYrA1pW pic.twitter.com/wgJG3AX6OJ

— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) August 10, 2023

BRANCH RETIRING

OHL commissioner and former CHL president David Branch has announced that he will be retiring following the 2023-24 season.

Branch, who was born in Bathurst, has been the commissioner of the OHL for the past 44 years. He was CHL president from 1996 to 2019.

"It has been an honour to serve in this capacity, and I am very thankful for the great deal of support I have received and the tremendous, life-long friendships I have made along the way," Branch wrote in a letter posted on the OHL website. "I want to thank my family, the Board of Governors, league and team staff, fans, volunteers, on and off-ice officials, media, our partners and most importantly the players for making the last 44 years so rewarding. I am grateful."

Branch's retirement truly signals a new era of junior hockey in Canada. Long-time QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau recently retired/resigned while WHL commissioner Ron Robison will also be retiring at the end of this coming season.

SERIES WIN DROUGHT

The Sea Dogs haven't won a playoff series since the 2017 QMJHL final — one of the longest droughts in the QMJHL.

Here's a video showing when each QMJHL club last won a playoff series.

Saint John's drought should probably include a couple asterisks since the 2019 playoffs were cancelled and the 2020 post-season had the weird New Brunswick tournament thing. Either way, it's been a while. Luckily for Saint John fans the 2022 Memorial Cup happened.

HOFFMAN TRADED

Former Sea Dogs forward Mike Hoffman was involved in last week's blockbuster trade involving Erik Karlsson.

Hoffman, who has spent the past two seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, was traded to the San Jose Sharks in the three-team deal that also involved the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The 33-year-old has played in 679 career NHL games, posting 218 goals and 246 assists over 13 seasons. He was previously traded to the Sharks in 2018 but was flipped to the Florida Panthers shortly after.

Hoffman played his overage season in Saint John in 2009-10. He was named QMJHL MVP that year.

HUBERDEAUS SKATE

The Calgary Flames have a video of Jonathan Huberdeau playing some three-on-three summer hockey with his brother, Sebastien Huberdeau.

Sebastien Huberdeau attended Sea Dogs training camp as a free agent back in the day. The older Huberdeau continues to play senior hockey in Quebec.

LEONARD TALKS FIGHTS

Here's another video featuring former Sea Dogs forward Liam Leonard, who this time breaks down some of his fights from his QMJHL days.

OTHER THINGS

• Les Versants has a story on Julien Bonnet, a seventh-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.
• Sea Dogs draft picks Joseph "JJ" Monteiro and Will Felicio had their Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal hopes come to an end in the semifinals, falling 7-2 to Team Canada. USA defeated Finland 5-2 in the bronze medal game.
• ClutchPoints considers former Sea Dogs forward William Dufour the Islanders prospect most worth keeping an eye on heading into training camp.
• The Hockey Writers examines Calgary Flames prospects that improved last season. Former Sea Dogs defenseman Yan Kuznetsov is one of them.
• If the NHL and its players ever choose to bring back best-on-best international hockey in our lifetime, will any former Sea Dogs be on Team Canada? Daily Faceoff looks at that and has Jonathan Huberdeau and Thomas Chabot both as possibilities for the Canadian squad.
• TSN has the details on the now closed investigation into Everett Silvertips head coach and general manager Dennis Williams, who was also the head coach of Team Canada at last year's world juniors.
• The SPHL is no longer the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), it is simply the SPHL.