Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Cape Breton 4, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Lubos Stahon's first career QMJHL goal proved to be the winner as the Cape Breton Eagles edged the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3 on Friday at TD Station.

Stahon's shot beat Sea Dogs goaltender Patrick Leaver and went off the post and in with 2:08 remaining in regulation time, giving the Eagles their first win of the year. Cape Breton, who have struggled to generate offense in the early goings of this season, was outshot 31-18 by Saint John. 

William Shields, Cole Burbidge and Antoine Roy also scored for Cape Breton. Nicolas Ruccia made 28 saves in the win

Egan Beveridge, Eriks Mateiko and Peter Reynolds had Saint John goals. Leaver made 14 stops in the loss.

Saint John looked a bit better defensively compared to last weekend when they allowed a ton of shots. But two late third period goals against — one at 15:48 and another at 17:52 — were killers in this game.

Beveridge opened the scoring at 5:32 of the first period when he fired a low shot from the high slot through some traffic and past Ruccia.

The Eagles tied things up at 8:12 of the second period when Shields beat Leaver glove side on a long breakaway. 

Burbidge then gave the Eagles a 2-1 advantage with a power play goal at 11:56. After a Cam MacDonald shot hit the post, the puck went to Burbidge who had an open net to put in his first as a member of the Eagles.

The Sea Dogs quickly tied the game again at 13:40 when Mateiko, on a broken play, ripped a shot past Ruccia from the top of the circle. 

Game Day 3 & 4: vs Eagles

SAINT JOHN - Two teams that had very different opening weekends meet this weekend at TD Station.

The rebuilding Saint John Sea Dogs had a fairly solid first two games, winning their season opener and earning another point in a shootout loss on Saturday. The Cape Breton Eagles, who could push for one of the top spots in the Maritimes Division, had a weekend to forget, dropping two games on home ice and getting outscored 13-1.

The Eagles will try and get their offense going this Friday and Saturday night when they visit the Sea Dogs. Both games start at 7 p.m.

Cape Breton should have some reinforcements with forwards Cam Squires and Cam MacDonald both being released from their respective NHL camps.

The Sea Dogs, meanwhile, will look to give goaltender Patrick Leaver a bit more support. The overage netminder was forced to make a league high 88 saves last weekend.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-1 for three points (third Maritimes/fifth Eastern/eighth QMJHL) while the Eagles are 0-2-0-0 for no points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/18th QMJHL).

2022-23 regular season records: The Sea Dogs finished 24-38-5-1 for 54 points (fifth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Eagles were 30-34-3-1 for 64 points (third Maritimes/seventh Eastern/11th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday. Nate Tivey, Pavel Simek and Vince Elie scored for Saint John. Patrick Leaver made 51 saves in the loss. The Eagles are coming off a 9-1 loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday. Luke McPhee scored Cape Breton's lone goal of the weekend. Jakob Milota allowed four goals on 13 shots while Nicolas Ruccia allowed five goals on 16 shots.

Notebook: Sea Dogs host Eagles in back-to-back this weekend

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - A couple of familiar faces will be on the ice at TD Station this weekend.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forwards Cam MacDonald and Cole Burbidge will presumably be in the Cape Breton Eagles lineup on Friday and Saturday. MacDonald was released from his tryout with the Arizona Coyotes earlier this week.

MacDonald, who helped the Sea Dogs win the Memorial Cup in 2022, made his TD Station return last season when he was a member of the Gatineau Olympiques. Burbidge, who was traded to Cape Breton in August, will be playing his first game against Saint John.

Burbidge had an impressive first QMJHL season with the Sea Dogs last year, recording 19 goals and 50 points in 68 games. Like most players on the Eagles, he's been held pointless through the first two games of this season.

Cape Breton had a rough opening weekend, dropping back-to-back home games to the Moncton Wildcats and getting outscored 13-1 in the process. 

Both Friday and Saturday games are 7 p.m. starts.

THEME NIGHTS

The Sea Dogs have announced their first few theme nights of the season.

As was indicated on the TD Station boards, the Sea Dogs will welcome Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall on Oct. 21 and on Nov. 13, the Sea Dogs will host a Taylor Swift Tribute. Note that the Nov. 13 game is on a Monday (a holiday for many) at 2 p.m.

The team also announced on social media Wednesday that the club's Nov. 3 game against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan will be the annual Hockey Fights Cancer Game with performances by The Artificially Hip.

TSN won't air regular season CHL games this year; Dow replaces Kia

There will be no regular season Canadian Hockey League games airing on TSN this season.

Canadian sports media insider Adam Seaborn reported the news Wednesday. TSN will, however, cover every game of each league final along with the Memorial Cup which, as Seaborn notes, could end up equaling a similar amount of games.

Here's the scoop

CHL regular season will NOT be on TSN. Last year was a struggle to pull ratings on Friday nights

TSN will be covering EVERY league final game right from game 1 through to the Memorial Cup

Similar amount of games, just focused on playoffs and not regular season https://t.co/x6xNKy6kFo

— Adam Seaborn (@AHBSeaborn) September 27, 2023

TSN began airing CHL games in 2021-22, which included the 2022 Memorial Cup in Saint John. The network took over from long-time rights holder Sportsnet.

There were high hopes for TSN's coverage given how much they put into covering the World Junior Hockey Championship. But the number of games broadcast was similar to what Sportsnet had done in the recent past — and the selection of matchups wasn't great. The coverage was fine (even when done remotely), but not on the same level as the world juniors. The network is also missing that real, extremely connected CHL insider that Sam Cosentino is on Sportsnet.

In 2021-22, the CHL had regular season games air nationally on TSN and CBC. This year there will be none. But — and I've asked this question on here before — does it even matter anymore? TV just doesn't have the impact or reach that it used to — and, unless they are diehard junior hockey fans, most people aren't going to spend their Friday night watching a random junior game when there are a million other things on.

The CHL is probably better off putting its focus into making CHL TV a better product — not just quality wise, but entertainment wise as well. OneSoccer, for example, which broadcasts the Canadian Premier League and Canada Soccer matches, has studio analysts and other programming.

But even if CHL TV becomes the best hockey streaming service on the planet, will people watch? That seems to be the bigger challenge here. If people were watching, TSN would still be airing regular season games.

It feels like we're reaching a point (or some would argue we reached it some time ago) where the CHL needs to look at some big ideas to increase its audience. Flex-scheduling to put big matchups into prime time, inter-league play, in-season tournaments, regional Memorial Cup tournament qualifiers, a completely new Memorial Cup format... hopefully the CHL is putting every possible option on the table.

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next five years or so. There will likely be a seismic shift in Canadian sports media when the NHL's deal with Sportsnet/Rogers ends in 2025-26. And we're starting to see some teams and leagues in the United States shift back to old school local TV stations, believing that reach is more valuable than a few extra tickets sold.

Somewhat related to all of this, it looks like the CHL has lost Kia as a partner. Dow, which owns the naming rights to the Saginaw Spirit's home arena, will be the presenting sponsor of the 2024 Memorial Cup.

Kia had held the naming rights to the tournament since 2019 in Halifax.

THN on the Q: QMJHL's opening weekend, new award and number retirements

.@willmacwriter and @station_nation analyze the opening weekend of the @QMJHL regular season, the Patrick Roy Trophy, MacKinnon and Pominville's number retirements and more: https://t.co/bPeCVgessv

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) September 27, 2023

Check out the full episode and subscribe on your preferred platform.

Leaver making strong first impression

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Two games into the Saint John Sea Dogs' 2023-24 season, goaltender Patrick Leaver has likely been the team's best player.

Leaver, who signed as a free agent a few weeks ago, made 37 saves in his QMJHL debut on Friday, a 6-4 Sea Dogs victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Then on Saturday he followed that up with a 51-save shootout loss to the Titan.

The overage netminder faced the most shots (95) and made the most saves (88) of any goaltender in the league over the weekend.

While Leaver has been impressive, Saint John's defensive play certainly needs some work. The team went with seven defensemen in both games this weekend but the unit, which is supposed to be a strength of this year's team, struggled at times against Bathurst.

There's certainly plenty of time to work on defense — and getting a healthy Matteo Mann into the lineup sometime next month will be a big (literally) boost as well.

• Vince Elie, Eriks Mateiko and Pavel Simek each scored twice on the weekend. If Elie can consistently produce this season, it would be a huge help to Saint John's offense.
• Peter Reynolds, in his first weekend as Sea Dogs captain, had three assists.
• Mathis Gauthier was a team best +3.
• At the time of this writing, Bathurst's Alexandre Lallier is the only player to receive a suspension from Saturday's rough stuff. Lallier has been suspended one game for instigating his fight against Noah Reinhart.
• After watching Saturday's rough stuff, there's definitely going to be some confusion (and interpretation) around the new fighting rules. It was quite clear as well that players will do everything to keep their gloves on during scrums.
• This was Reinhart's first career QMJHL fight.

The Sea Dogs are back in action on Friday and Saturday when they host the Cape Breton Eagles. Cape Breton was outscored 13-1 in back-to-back home losses to the Moncton Wildcats this past weekend.

New numbers for new faces

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

There are new faces in the Saint John Sea Dogs lineup this season — but also some new numbers.

Reid Calder is the first player in franchise history to wear No. 73 while Mathis Gauthier is the first to wear No. 65.

Kency Pierre-Noel, when he makes his playing debut, will become the first Sea Dog to wear No. 81. Matteo Mann, who is nursing an injury while attending Philadelphia Flyers camp, will be the first to wear No. 76.

Here's a quick look at some of the other new numbers.

• No. 1 — Plenty of goaltenders have worn Patrick Leaver's number over the years. Thomas Couture was the most recent.
• No. 6 — Matthew MacLean is the first player to sport the number since Jordan Spadafore in 2019-20.
• No. 8 — Tristan Dassylva's number has been well worn in recent years. Cole Burbidge, Carter McCluskey and Hunter Gartley are all recent players to wear No. 8.
• No. 27 — Benjamin Amyot's number was most recently used by Connor Trenholm. Some big names have worn it in the past: Scott Howes, Mike Hoffman and Oliver Cooper.
• No. 30 — Justin Robinson's number was last worn by goaltender Matthew Williams. Surprisingly, this number hasn't been worn a lot over the years. Alex Fournier is the games leader (72).
• No. 43 — Egan Beveridge is just the third Sea Dog to wear the number. David Mosher and Alexandre Lafreniere each wore it for two games.
• No. 79 — Luka Benoit is just the second player to wear the number, joining goaltender Marco Cousineau. Benoit wore the same number last season.
• No. 86 — Danny Akkouche remains the only player to wear this number in team history.
• No. 88 — Chad Bellemare joins Maxime Cajkovic as the only players to wear the number.

While the Sea Dogs do not have any retired numbers, it's always worth mentioning this as well: Alex Grant's No. 20, Mike Thomas' No. 17 and Jonathan Huberdeau's No. 11 have not been worn since these players departed.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3 (SO)

FINAL: Bathurst 4, Saint John 3 (SO)

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - A 51-save performance from Patrick Leaver wasn't quite enough as the Saint John Sea Dogs fell 4-3 in a shootout to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday at TD Station.

Leaver kept the Sea Dogs in the game at times as Bathurst heavily outshot Saint John for much of the night. Shots ended 54-26 in favour of the Titan which included 18-7 and 24-9 shot advantages in the first and second periods, respectively. 

Despite the lopsided shot total, the Sea Dogs very well could have won this game. Saint John was able to take advantage of some of their quality scoring chances but the puck simply didn't roll their way on quite a few others.

Milos Roelens, Donovan Arsenault and Louis-Francois Belanger scored for Bathurst. Josh Fleming made 23 saves in the win.

Nate Tivey, Pavel Simek and Vince Elie scored for Saint John.

The Titan were pressing late in the first period and were finally rewarded at 14:53 when Roelens scored to put the visitors up 1-0. 

Tivey got Saint John on the board at 4:49 of the second period. The defenseman crossed the blue line,  accepted the puck from Eriks Mateiko and wired a hard wrist shot under the crossbar and in to make it a 1-1 game.

Arsenault quickly put Bathurst back in front at 6:42. Joseph Henneberry was along the backboards and fed Arsenault in the circle who beat Leaver with a quick one-time shot.

Notebook: It's (home) opening night

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will play their first of 34 regular season home games tonight at TD Station — and there will be a special guest in attendance.

The Sea Dogs announced Friday that wrestling legend Bret "The Hitman" Hart will be at the game. Hart does have a connection to junior hockey with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen having been named in his honour (Hart was one of the original investors in the team).

The Best There Is, the Best There Was, and the Best There Ever Will Be.

BREAKING: Bret "The Hitman" Hart will be in attendance for tomorrow's Home Opener. Tickets are ONLY $7.

🎟️: https://t.co/LvsBJIcMkg pic.twitter.com/icKF1Muv9U

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 22, 2023

There will also be a special offer available at the game. Fans can stop by Sea Dogs Central and purchase a $50 Sea Dogs store gift card that will include $50 worth of free 50/50 tickets. There are a limited quantity of gift cards available.

There will also be some new concession offerings to check out — including Maestro Fresh Wes inspired backbone sliders.

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A post shared by MAESTRO FRESH WES (@maestrofreshwes)

Puck drop between the Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan is 7 p.m.

MANN INJURED

Newly acquired defenseman Matteo Mann will be unavailable for the Sea Dogs longer than expected.

Mann was likely going to miss the start of the season while attending Philadelphia Flyers rookie and training camp but an injury will sideline the big defender even longer. Postmedia (paywall) reported this week that Mann will miss all of September and much of October with a shoulder injury he suffered at Flyers rookie camp.

Mann was acquired by the Sea Dogs from the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in late August but did not appear in any pre-season games with Saint John.

Game Day 2: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - After starting the season with a road victory last night, the Saint John Sea Dogs return home looking for a similar result.

The Sea Dogs host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan tonight at 7 p.m. at TD Station to open up the club's home schedule. The two teams met last night at the KC Irving Regional Centre where Saint John skated away with a 6-4 victory.

Saint John's returning players played a key role in the victory, recording four of the six goals. The Sea Dogs led from the second period onward but struggled to pull away from the Titan.

Tickets for tonight's game are just $7 plus taxes and fees.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 for two points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/sixth QMJHL) while the Titan are 0-1-0-0 for no points (fourth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/11th QMJHL).

2023 pre-season records: The Sea Dogs were 3-3-0-0 for six points while the Titan were 4-3-0-0 for eight points.

2022-23 regular season records: The Sea Dogs finished 24-38-5-1 for 54 points (fifth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Titan were 20-40-5-3 for 48 points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 6-4 last night in Bathurst. Eriks Mateiko scored twice while Vince Elie, Pavel Simek, Tristan Dassylva and Egan Beveridge added singles. Emile Perron, Donovan Arsenault, Milo Roelens and Joseph Henneberry all scored for Bathurst. Patrick Leaver made 37 stops in the win. Josh Fleming made 20 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-4

FINAL: Saint John 6, Bathurst 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

BATHURST - The Saint John Sea Dogs' returning players stepped up in their season opener on Friday.

Eriks Mateiko scored twice while Vince Elie and Pavel Simek added singles in Saint John's 6-4 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at the KC Irving Regional Centre. Tristan Dassylva, who appeared in just one game last season, and rookie Egan Beveridge also scored in the victory.

Overage goaltender Patrick Leaver, making his QMJHL debut, made 37 stops in the win.

Saint John took the lead early in the second period and never trailed again. They struggled to pull away from the Titan though and went back-and-forth on scoring for much of the night. These two should play fairly even games against one another this year and Friday's game was certainly an indicator of that.

Emile Perron, Donovan Arsenault, Milo Roelens and Joseph Henneberry all scored for Bathurst. Josh Fleming made 20 stops in the loss.

Game Day 1: at Bathurst

BATHURST - A new season begins tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs will continue rebuilding from their 2022 Memorial Cup run — but the big question seems to be whether or not they will improve on last season's results or will they take a step back? Either way, this will be another development year before the team truly begins to hit an upward swing over the next few seasons.

Some good news for Saint John is that two other teams in the Maritimes Division — the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Charlottetown Islanders — are in similar rebuilding spots, which should make for some competitive games this season.

The Sea Dogs begin the season tonight against the Titan, a team they went 1-1-0-0 against during the pre-season. Saint John went 0-3-0-0 on the road in exhibition play.

Game time tonight at the KC Irving Regional Centre is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2023 pre-season records: The Sea Dogs were 3-3-0-0 for six points while the Titan were 4-3-0-0 for eight points.

2022-23 regular season records: The Sea Dogs finished 24-38-5-1 for 54 points (fifth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Titan were 20-40-5-3 for 48 points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 pre-season win over the Charlottetown Islanders last Friday at TD Station. Eriks Mateiko, Vince Elie, Joseph Ianniello and Noah Reinhart scored for Saint John. Patrick Leaver made 28 saves in the win. The Titan are coming off a 9-6 loss to the Moncton Wildcats last Friday in Bouctouche. Dylan Andrews, Noah Laberge, William Bishop, Louis-Francois Belanger, Donovan Arsenault and Dawson Sharkey scored for Bathurst.

Reynolds named Sea Dogs captain

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Peter Reynolds has been named the new captain of the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Reynolds takes over the captaincy from Charlie DesRoches, who is playing at Acadia University this season. He's the 21st captain in franchise history.

Forward Noah Reinhart and defenseman Mathis Gauthier have been named alternate captains.

Introducing your new ©️aptain.#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/kF8nWSnPe6

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 21, 2023

The news doesn't come as a surprise given that Reynolds is the longest serving Sea Dog and the fact that he wore the 'C' for a game during the pre-season.

The overager has appeared in 134 career QMJHL games, posting 50 goals and 64 assists. He had 17 goals and 27 assists in 43 games last season — a season that saw him battle some injury issues.

The Sea Dogs begin the regular season on Friday night, visiting the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

MHL season underway

Embed from Getty Images

Kiefer Lyons has gotten his Maritime Hockey League season off to a strong start.

Lyons, who recently signed with the Saint John Sea Dogs but is starting his 2023-24 season in the MHL, has recorded two goals and five assists in his first two games with the Campbellton Tigers.

Last season, the Quispamsis native recorded 18 goals and 16 assists in just 16 games with the Tigers. He also played with the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats and Charlottetown Islanders last year.

Lyons is one of a few players with Sea Dogs connections playing in the MHL this season. Here are a few players to keep an eye on.

Amherst - Jack O'Blenis

Campellton - Kiefer Lyons

Fredericton - Jake Tracey

Pictou County - Michael D'Orazio

Summerside - Ian Dickie

Truro - Cael MacDonald, Carter McCluskey, Brady Stone and Zach Welsh

Valley - Cole Foston

D'Orazio, a Beaconsfield, QC native, playing in Pictou County is an interesting one. A third-round pick of Saint John in the 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft, D'Orazio was believed to have college hockey intentions — and the Maritime Hockey League is typically not a playing location for NCAA-bound players. Like many players with college hockey intentions, D'Orazio has played with the Lac St-Louis Lions, Shattuck-St Mary's, the NAHL and AJHL.

Off the ice, the Grand Falls Rapids have a bench full of notable names. Former Sea Dogs coaches Greg Leland (head coach), Jeff Cowan (assistant coach) and Greg Gilbert (assistant coach) are all listed as part of the Rapids' coaching staff.

Home opener tickets priced at $7

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs have confirmed that tickets to the club's home opener on Saturday will be just $7 (plus taxes and fees).

With taxes and a service charges, tickets come out to $9.05 on the TD Station website.

Our 2023 Home Opener, presented by Irving Oil, is this Saturday against the @ABTitan. Tickets are ONLY $7 plus tax.

Purchase online, at the TD Station box office, or by calling (506) 657-1234.

🎟️: https://t.co/LvsBJIcMkg pic.twitter.com/1WDJ0UMkue

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 19, 2023

The Sea Dogs host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The TD Station website lists four price categories for other regular season games.

Adult: $28.75

Senior: $25.30

U25: $14.80

Youth U9: $10.35

Postmedia (paywall) reports that the Sea Dogs will be offering $7 tickets for a few other games this season. While a promotional schedule has not been released, the team's popular concert series will also be returning.

The Sea Dogs averaged 2,957 fans per game last season, good for seventh best in the QMJHL. It was the first time the Sea Dogs averaged under 3,000 fans per game in a non-COVID impacted season. 

Key dates for 2023-24

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The QMJHL's 2023-24 media guide dropped on Monday, giving us all a list of the key dates for the upcoming season.

Here's a look at the dates to keep an eye on (plus a few others).

• Sept. 22 — QMJHL regular season begins
• Nov. 1-11 — 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Charlottetown and Summerside)
• Dec. 10-17 — 2023 World Junior A Challenge (Truro)
• Dec. 17-27 — Holiday break
• Dec. 17 to Jan. 6 — Holiday trade period
• Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 — 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship (Sweden)
• Jan. 24 — 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game (Moncton)
• March 23 — Final day of QMJHL regular season
• April 25 to May 5 — 2024 World Under-18 Hockey Championship (Finland)
• May 23 to June 2 — 2024 Memorial Cup (Saginaw)
• June 8 — 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft (Moncton)

The Saint John Sea Dogs begin the regular season in Bathurst on Friday. The team will play their first home game on Saturday when they host the Titan.

Of note, the Memorial Cup champion Quebec Remparts will raise their banners to the rafters of Videotron Centre on Saturday. 

The league also confirmed that its playoff format will remain the same. 

Lawrence's pro career off to good start

EHC Winterthur

Josh Lawrence has gotten his professional playing career off to a strong start.

Lawrence made his debut with the Swiss League's EHC Winterthur on Friday and recorded an assist. He followed that up with a goal and an assist on Saturday.

Josh Lawrence had a dominant performance today in the Swiss League, scoring the game winner and adding an assist in EHC Winterthur's 3-2 win vs Sierre.

The former @HFXMooseheads now has 3 points (1G,2A) in his first 2 pro games.@joshlawrence_18 #NewBrunswick #Fredericton pic.twitter.com/iTrIPzzq1b

— Maritime Hockey (@HockeyMaritime) September 16, 2023

EHC Winterthur, who play in the second tier of Swiss pro hockey below the National League, are off to a 2-0 start.

Former Moncton Wildcats forward Jonas Taibel is also playing with Winterthur this season.

Lawrence signed with the Swiss club this off-season after recording a second straight season of 100+ points in the QMJHL. Over five seasons of major junior hockey, the Fredericton native posted 118 goals and 193 assists in 288 games. He helped the Saint John Sea Dogs win the Memorial Cup in 2022 and the Halifax Mooseheads reach the league final last season.

Of note, Lawrence's younger brother, Tynan Lawrence, is a top prospect for the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft. Tynan is playing in his second season at Shattuck St. Mary's, so college hockey is likely on his radar as well.

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Vincent Despont, meanwhile, is also playing his first season of pro hockey in the Swiss League. He appeared in two games with EHC Visp this past weekend.

Notebook: Changes at TD Station

Fans will notice a few changes to the TD Station concessions when the Saint John Sea Dogs open their regular season home schedule on Saturday.

The most obvious is the relocation of Tim Hortons, which has moved from its spot behind/above the Ice Bar to a more spacious location behind/above the visitor's bench. The new Tims accepts debit/credit, which was not available at its previous location.

Only a couple of the main concessions — which were OVG360 branded, the new operator of TD Station — were open during the pre-season but it looks like some new menu items have been added. We'll see what other changes have been made on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs begin regular season play on Friday in Bathurst before returning home to host the Titan on Saturday at 7 p.m.

While nothing has been officially announced, tickets for Saturday's game are listed for just $8.05 on the TD Station website. Parking is listed at $7, a $2 increase from the pre-season and last season.

SCOUTING CHANGES

The Sea Dogs announced a number of changes to their scouting staff last week.

From the Sea Dogs website:

• Justin Landry has been promoted to assistant to the general manager
• Marc-Olivier Heredia has been promoted to head of player personnel and head scout
• Chris Hatzitolios has been promoted to hockey operations assistant
• Sean Mundey and Andy Lehoux will return to the scouting staff. Senior advisor Wayne Mundey is also back.
• Trevor Scott has been hired as a scout

OUR 18

The Sea Dogs were featured in the league's "My 18" season preview series on Sunday.

Now entering Year 2 following their Memorial Cup win, the @SJSeaDogs will look to continue climbing up the standings this season! ⬆️

🗒️ : https://t.co/5C1s2dluZ4#Pogo | #Our18 pic.twitter.com/BJAWSnRLNF

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) September 17, 2023

BREEN NAMED CAPTAIN

Lynden Breen of Grand Bay-Westfield has been named one of the captain's of the University of Maine Black Bears men's hockey team for the upcoming season.

Introducing the Captains of your 2023-24 Maine Black Bears 🫡

📝: https://t.co/h8RrfMrNW0#blackbearnation | #JourneyNorth pic.twitter.com/A0Gv3D374X

— Maine Men’s Ice Hockey (@MaineIceHockey) September 14, 2023

Breen, who wore an 'A' last season, recorded 21 goals and 15 assists in 36 games with the Black Bears last year, his third with Maine.

Pre-season play comes to a close

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs posted a .500 record during this year's Quebec Major Junior Hockey League pre-season.

Friday's 4-3 victory over the Charlottetown Islanders gives the Sea Dogs a 3-3-0-0 record which saw them go 3-0-0-0 at home and 0-3-0-0 on the road.

Saint John was outscored 29-23 in the six games.

Pre-season stats usually don't mean a whole lot... but here are some anyways.

• Chad Bellemare led the Sea Dogs in points with six and goals with five. He played in all six of Saint John's pre-season games. All five of his goals were scored during the first half of the pre-season.
• Three of Bellemare's five goals were scored on the power play.
• Noah Reinhart (three goals and two assists) and Tristan Dassylva (five assists) each had five points. Dassylva's five points place him in a tie for second in defensemen scoring this pre-season.
• Reinhart finishes the pre-season with goals in three straight games.
• Dassylva's five assists place him second in assists amongst QMJHL rookies.
• The Sea Dogs averaged 10 penalty minutes per game, which places them in the middle of the league.
• Saint John posted the second best power play (28.6%). Their penalty kill was 11th (79.2%).
• The Sea Dogs were outscored 7-2 in first periods and 12-11 in second periods. Third periods were even at 10-10.
• Saint John averaged 33.17 shots per game, good for fifth. The team allowed 34.67 shots against, the most in the league.
• The Sea Dogs outshot their opponent in all three of their wins and were outshot in all three of their losses.
• The 10 goals the Acadie-Bathurst Titan scored against Saint John on Sept. 8 in Saint-Quentin was the most by any team.
• Players to appear in all six of Saint John's pre-season games: Bellemare, Dassylva, Egan Beveridge, Kency Pierre-Noel, Jacob Beaulieu, Luka Benoit, Reid Calder and Benjamin Amyot.
• Beveridge, Saint John's top pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, had four points (three goals and an assist).

The QMJHL's pre-season ends Saturday with Victoriaville hosting Shawinigan. The regular season begins Friday.

The Sea Dogs begin regular season play on Friday night in Bathurst.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-3

FINAL: Charlottetown 3, Saint John 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are heading into the regular season on a winning note.

Eriks Mateiko, Vince Elie, Joseph Ianniello and Noah Reinhart all scored to give the Sea Dogs a 4-3 victory over the Charlottetown Islanders at TD Station on Friday. It was the final pre-season game of the year for both clubs with the QMJHL's regular season set to open next Friday.

The victory gives the Sea Dogs a 3-3-0-0 record through pre-season play. 

It was a fairly evenly played game between two teams that should have some hard fought battles this season. Saint John led 3-1 after two but the Islanders, who outshot the Sea Dogs 13-8 in the third period, scored twice in the final frame to tie things up. Reinhart scored in the final minute to secure the victory.

Patrick Leaver made 28 saves in the win.

Ondrej Maruna, Cole Huckins and Marcus Kearsey scored for Charlottetown. Aksels Ozols made 28 stops in the loss. 

Mateiko opened the scoring just 4:54 into the game when he beat Ozols with a quick shot from the circle. Soon after at 6:15, Maruna beat Leaver on an innocent looking scramble in the crease area to make it a 1-1 game.

Saint John took a 2-1 lead at 14:22 of the second period. On a broken play, Elie sped across the blue line and grabbed the loose puck, skated in alone and slipped a shot five-hole to put Saint John back in front.

The Sea Dogs took a 3-1 advantage at 16:37. On a two-on-one, Ianniello kept the puck and beat Ozols with a shot from the rim of the faceoff circle.

The Islanders got back within one just 38 seconds into the third period. A pass from Giovanni Morneau was tapped in past Leaver at the top of the crease to make it 3-2.

Kearsey tied things up at 5:49. After a shot was blocked in the slot, the puck came to Kearsey at the top of the circle who fired a shot through some traffic and beat Leaver top corner.

With 32 seconds remaining in the third, Reinhart ripped a shot from the high slot that beat Ozols top corner to make it 4-3 Saint John.

Pre-Season Game Day 6: vs Islanders

SAINT JOHN - The pre-season comes to a close tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

With the regular season just one week away, tonight will offer the club some fine-tuning before things get real.

This is the fourth meeting of the pre-season between the Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders. Charlottetown has won two of the three previous meetings including a 4-3 victory last Sunday.

Despite recycling fires and a hurricane incoming, it looks like this game will go ahead as planned. Game time tonight at TD Station is 7 p.m.

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

2023 pre-season records: The Sea Dogs are 2-3-0-0 for four points while the Islanders are 3-1-1-0 for seven points.

2022-23 regular season records: The Sea Dogs finished 24-38-5-1 for 54 points (fifth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Islanders were 26-33-6-3 for 61 points (fourth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Islanders met last Sunday at UPEI's Bell Aliant Centre where Charlottetown earned a 4-3 victory. Lucas Romeo, Ondrej Maruna, Anton Topilnyckyj and Michael Horth scored for the Islanders. Noah Reinhart, Peter Reynolds and Jacob Beaulieu scored for Saint John. Niko Boudreau allowed three goals on 28 shots in the win. Patrick Leaver allowed four goals on 42 shots in the loss.

NHL rookie camps set to start

Embed from Getty Images

It's that time of year.

NHL rookie camps and tournaments get rolling this week as main camps and pre-season games inch closer.

There are a number of former Saint John Sea Dogs taking part in rookie camps this year — and one current Sea Dog in defenseman Matteo Mann.

Here's a look at who is heading where.

Calgary: Yan Kuznetsov and Jeremie Poirier

Los Angeles: Ryan Francis

Vancouver: Jonathan Lemieux  

New York Islanders: William Dufour and Vincent Sevigny 

Philadelphia: Matteo Mann

Pittsburgh: Raivis Ansons*

Florida: Riley Bezeau

Montreal: Joshua Roy

Ottawa: Philippe Daoust and Cole Burbidge

Toronto: William Villeneuve

Arizona: Cam MacDonald

Minnesota: Maxim Cajkovic

*Ansons was included on the Penguins' roster but is listed as injured.

Ryan Francis and Cam MacDonald will be trying out with new clubs after not signing with their previous NHL organizations. Francis, who spent last season with the AHL's Laval Rocket and ECHL's Trois-Rivieres Lions, will presumably be looking for a pro job somewhere. MacDonald will likely play his overage season in the QMJHL with the Cape Breton Eagles.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Charlottetown 4

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs dropped a close pre-season game to the Charlottetown Islanders on Sunday afternoon.

Michael Horth scored what proved to be the game-winner in the third period, giving the Islanders a 4-3 win at UPEI's MacLaughlin Arena. The loss drops Saint John's pre-season record to 2-3-0-0 with one exhibition contest remaining.

Noah Reinhart, Peter Reynolds and Jacob Beaulieu scored for Saint John. Patrick Leaver, making his first appearance since signing with the Sea Dogs, made 38 stops in the loss.

Charlottetown led 1-0 after the first period. The Sea Dogs got on the board with a power play marker at 4:16 when Reynolds found Reinhart, making it a 1-1 game.

Saint John had an excellent chance to take the lead soon after when Chad Bellemare sped past the Islanders defense but was hooked up, giving the speedy Dogs forward a penalty shot. Bellemare was stopped by the glove of Isles netminder Niko Boudreau on his free attempt.

Charlottetown scored twice in the middle frame to take a 3-1 lead through 40 minutes.

At 2:56 of the third on a power play, Nicholas Bilodeau found Reynolds above the circle who ripped a shot past Boudreau to make it 3-2.

Horth's goal at 7:22 made it 4-2 Charlottetown but Beaulieu got the Dogs back within one when he flipped the puck over Boudreau's pad on a short breakaway. That would be as close as Saint John would get to tying things up.

Pre-Season Game Day 5: at Charlottetown

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

CHARLOTTETOWN - The pre-season continues to wind down for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs have just two exhibition contests remaining before the regular season begins on Sept. 22. Both of their remaining games will be against the Charlottetown Islanders — the first of which takes place this afternoon at UPEI's Bell Aliant Centre.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a rough 10-2 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in Saint-Quentin, NB on Friday night. As the score would indicate, the Sea Dogs struggled defensively all game long, something they'll look to correct today.

This is the third meeting of the pre-season between the two. Saint John earned a 5-4 home win back on Aug. 22 and then fell 6-4 the next night in PEI.

Game time today is 3 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/Islanders YouTube (probably)

2023 pre-season records: The Sea Dogs are 2-2-0-0 for four points while the Islanders are 2-1-1-0 for five points.

2022-23 regular season records: The Sea Dogs finished 24-38-5-1 for 54 points (fifth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Islanders were 26-33-6-3 for 61 points (fourth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 10-2 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Friday. Noah Reinhart and Jacob Beaulieu scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson allowed 10 goals on 41 shots in the loss. The Islanders are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Halifax Mooseheads last night. Carl-Etienne Michel, Lucas Romeo and Kevin Walker scored for Charlottetown. Aksels Ozols allowed four goals on 33 shots in the loss.

Lyons signs, makes pre-season debut

SAINT-QUENTIN, NB - Kiefer Lyons made his Saint John Sea Dogs pre-season debut on Friday night.

Lyons, wearing No. 90, was a -3 in Saint John's lopsided 10-2 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. He started the game on the team's third line with Kency Pierre-Noel and Chad Bellemare.

Kiefer Lyons jumped on for the final few minutes of warmup. pic.twitter.com/QKAkYgp8sT

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) September 8, 2023

Lyons made his debut just a few hours after the Sea Dogs announced the signing, which the team hopes will bolster its offensive punch. The 19-year-old has seven goals and three assists in 64 career QMJHL games split between the Cape Breton Eagles, Moncton Wildcats and Charlottetown Islanders.

Last season with the Islanders, Lyons posted six goals and two assists in 25 games. He recorded three goals and two assists in five games against Saint John.

Lyons also appeared in 16 Maritime Hockey League games last season with the Campbellton Tigers where he recorded 18 goals and 16 assists.

The Quispamsis native is a graduate of the Saint John Vito's. He was selected in the fifth-round of the 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft by the Eagles.

Saint John now has 15 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders in camp. That includes the injured Nico Laforge and Sam-Luca Thifault up front.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 10-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Bathurst 10

SAINT-QUENTIN, NB - It was a rough return to pre-season play for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Playing in their first exhibition match since Aug. 25, the Sea Dogs fell 10-2 to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Friday in front of a packed house at the Centre Culturel de Saint-Quentin in northern New Brunswick.

Saint John opened the scoring just 58 seconds into the game but that was one of the few bright spots for the team. The team looked sloppy and disorganized at times — especially defensively — and didn't look quite ready to return to action from the Labour Day break.

Noah Reinhart and Jacob Beaulieu scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson played the entire game in net, allowing 10 goals on 41 shots.

The good news: it's a pre-season game and doesn't mean a whole lot. The team returns to action on Sunday in Charlottetown.

Pre-Season Game Day 4: at Titan

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT-QUENTIN, NB - The Saint John Sea Dogs are back in action tonight, making their first ever visit to the Centre Culturel de Saint-Quentin where they will face the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in pre-season play.

This is the first contest of the "second half" of the pre-season for both clubs. Neither team has played since meeting on Aug. 25 at TD Station.

Both teams have their regular season rosters nearly set so we could see some noteworthy combinations and pairings tonight. For Saint John, defenseman Matteo Mann and goaltender Patrick Leaver could also be making their debuts.

On the Titan side, defenseman Jared Cosman could make his Bathurst debut against the team that recently released him.

Game time this evening is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/None? (not sure if Titan are streaming)

2023 pre-season records: The Sea Dogs are 2-1-0-0 for four points while the Titan are 2-2-0-0 for four points.

2022-23 regular season records: The Sea Dogs finished 24-38-5-1 for 54 points (fifth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Titan were 20-40-5-3 for 48 points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Titan met on Aug. 25 at TD Station where Saint John earned a 5-2 victory. Chad Bellemare and Egan Beveridge each scored twice for Saint John while Danny Akkouche added a single. Ty Peddigrew and Dawson Sharkey scored for Bathurst. Olivier Brideau and Sebastian Monaco earned the win in net. Mathis Lacroix-Goulet and George Gallant took the loss.

Notebook: Two weeks away

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's almost that time.

The Saint John Sea Dogs will begin regular season play in two weeks when they travel to Bathurst to face the Titan on Friday, Sept. 22. The two teams will then travel to Saint John and meet the next night for the Sea Dogs' home opener.

Before all that, the Sea Dogs still have three pre-season games remaining. The club will travel to Saint-Quentin, NB Friday to take on the Titan before heading to the UPEI campus in Charlottetown to face the Islanders on Sunday afternoon.

The Sea Dogs will play their final game of the pre-season next Friday at TD Station against the Isles.

SEASON TICKETS

The Sea Dogs shared a new promotional video this week highlighting some of the club's season ticket holders.

Discover the true value of being a #SJSeaDogs Season Ticket Member from those who know it best!

Get your season tickets at the @station_td box office, open tomorrow from 10am to 3pm, or call (506) 657-1234. pic.twitter.com/EJKJdK4iI5

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 6, 2023

NEW WEBSITE LOOK

If you haven't noticed, the Sea Dogs website — and all the websites in the CHL — got a refresh this summer. There are still a few glitches here and there, but the transition appears to be nearly complete. 

The Sea Dogs have also launched a new online store that is powered by Shopify.

Sea Dogs resume pre-season Friday

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs are back in action Friday when they travel to Saint-Quentin, NB to face the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in pre-season play.

This will be Saint John's first game since Aug. 25 when the Dogs defeated the Titan 5-2 at TD Station.

Saint John has just three pre-season games remaining and it looks like the team's roster is nearly locked in to start the regular season. The regular season roster hasn't been inserted online but the pre-season roster shows that 14 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders have been assigned numbers.

That list of forwards includes the injured Nico Laforge and Sam-Luca Thifault. On the backend, the injured Jeremie Richard was not assigned a number.

This weekend should be the first appearance for two new Sea Dogs: defenseman Matteo Mann, who was acquired in a trade from the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, and overage goaltender Patrick Leaver, who the team signed out of the Ontario Hockey League.

Mann will presumably miss some time shortly to attend Philadelphia Flyers camp. The Flyers selected the Sackville, NB native in the seventh-round of this year's NHL Draft.

To make room for the Leaver, the Sea Dogs had to release 20-year-old defenseman Jared Cosman — who has since joined Titan camp and could face his old club on Friday.

Nous avons eu quelques nouveaux visages à l'entraînement ce matin ! Accueillons Milo Roelens et Jared Cosman sur le territoire du Titan !

We had some new faces at practice this morning! Let’s welcome Milo Roelens and Jared Cosman to Titan Territory! pic.twitter.com/lMVLgODuEa

— Titan Acadie-Bathurst (@ABTitan) September 5, 2023

Following Friday's game against the Titan, the Sea Dogs will take on the Charlottetown Islanders on the UPEI campus on Sunday at 3 p.m. The team will play their final game of the pre-season next Friday at home against the Islanders.

CHL TV prices announced

CHL TV has unveiled its pricing for the 2023-24 season.

Subscriptions are staying relatively close in price compared to last season. A QMJHL season pass will cost $124.99, which is up slightly from the $119.99 price offered a year ago.

From the CHL:

Among the many packages available this season (the complete list can be found in the table below), which can also be obtained through the CHL’s official app, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, fans can catch every regular season game from their favourite league over the duration of the 2023-24 campaign by purchasing a WHL, OHL, or QMJHL Regular Season Pass for $124.99 plus applicable taxes.

Viewers can also alternatively enjoy complete access to both the 2023-24 regular season and the 2024 playoffs from all three member leagues of the CHL with the purchase of a CHL All-Access Pass for $274.99 plus applicable taxes. Only with this exclusive CHL TV pass can fans watch more than 2,200 regular season and playoff games from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL.

This is the third full season of CHL TV, which put all three major junior leagues under one platform for the first time. Prices haven't risen too much over the past couple years.

CHL All-Access Pass (with playoffs)

2023-24: $274.99

2022-23: $279.99

2021-22: Not offered

CHL All-Access Pass (no playoffs)

2023-24: $184.99

2022-23: $179.99

2021-22: $159.99

League Pass (no playoffs)

2023-24: $124.99

2022-23: $119.99

2021-22: $109.99

Many season ticket holders across the CHL will be given discount codes as a benefit of being a ticket holder.

Labour Day Monday reading

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Well, this is it.

The final weekend without QMJHL hockey until the Christmas break is behind us, which means the season really starts to get going now. Many teams have their regular season rosters in place and the pre-season resumes this Friday.

There are still a couple weeks of exhibition hockey before the regular season begins on Sept. 22 — but Labour Day signals the end of off-season breaks. Real hockey is very near.

Here's some quick reading to enjoy on this Labour Day Monday. 

• Former Sea Dogs forward Joe Veleno has signed a one-year, $825,000 deal with the Detroit Red Wings. The Hockey News asks what does a successful season look like for Veleno?
• Former Sea Dogs forward William Dufour will attend the NHLPA's Rookie Showcase on Tuesday.
• The Win Column looks at the possibility of Jonathan Huberdeau being the next captain of the Calgary Flames.
• YardBarker lists five reasons why William Villeneuve is a solid defensive prospect.
• TD Station has announced that they now accept Visa debit for online purchases, which has been a frequent ask in the comments section over the years.
• QMJHL referee Dominic Bedard called his final game last year, the league recently announced. Notably, Bedard was one of the officials in the 2011 Memorial Cup final that saw the Sea Dogs win their first national championship.
• Three referees and four linesmen have joined the league this season including Michael Hamilton, and OHL referee who has moved to Moncton.
• Craig Eagles shares his thoughts on what's in store for the Sea Dogs this coming season.
• Le Droit has a story on Gatineau Olympiques forward Francis Woods, who has stood out at Olympiques training camp. Woods, who split last season between the Val-d'Or Foreurs and the QJHL's Gatineau Flames, was a third-round pick of Saint John in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft but was later traded. Woods was named to Gatineau's season opening roster.
• The Cape Breton Eagles recently announced that forward Jacob Newcombe has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 
• The CHL and its three leagues are having some legal issues with their insurance providers, TSN reports.
• Former Lewiston Maineiacs goaltender Jonathan Bernier has announced his retirement. Bernier spent 14 seasons in the NHL.
• Former Val-d'Or Foreurs general manager Pascal Daoust has been named the general manager of New York's PWHL team.