Saturday, September 23, 2023

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).
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.
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.

NEW POD EP
On the season premiere of The Hockey News on the Q podcast, QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini joins Will MacLaren and I to discuss his role, the league's new fighting rules and much more.
MIC'D UP
Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard was mic'd up for Saint John's final pre-season game.
NEW BANNER
The QMJHL website has a new banner and features former Sea Dogs forward Jonathan Huberdeau lifting the Memorial Cup.

COSMAN MAKES TITAN
Jared Cosman made his debut with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Friday.

The 20-year-old defenseman was released by the Sea Dogs during training camp to make room for overage goaltender Patrick Leaver. On Friday, Cosman recorded an assist in his Titan debut — which came against Leaver and the Sea Dogs.

The Grand Bay-Westfield native spent two seasons with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies before joining the Sea Dogs last year.

KILFOIL NETS HIS FIRST
Quispamsis native Liam Kilfoil, a former teammate of Egan Beveridge, scored his first QMJHL goal on Friday in the Halifax Mooseheads' 3-1 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders.
The Mooseheads traded up to grab Kilfoil 31st overall in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, which came just after the Sea Dogs selected Beveridge.

MACKINNON'S 22 RETIRED
The Mooseheads retired Nathan MacKinnon's No. 22 in a pre-game ceremony on Friday.


OTHER THINGS
  • The Sea Dogs averaged 1,849 fans during the pre-season, the most in the QMJHL.
  • The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies begin the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the CHL Top 10. Halifax (sixth) and Victoriaville (seventh) were the only other QMJHL teams ranked.
  • Goaltender Carter Bickle, who played with Patrick Leaver in Oshawa last season, has signed with the Charlottetown Islanders. Like Leaver, Bickle earned his first QMJHL win on Friday.
  • The Rimouski Oceanic will be one of the team's bidding to host the 2025 Memorial Cup, the team announced this week. Journal le Soir reports that the host should be announced before the end of 2023. Rimouski last hosted in 2009.
  • The Gatineau Olympiques would like to host the QMJHL Entry Draft in 2025 and Memorial Cup in 2028, reports 104.7 Outaouais.
  • The Wenatchee Wild made their WHL regular season debut on Friday, defeating the Portland Winterhawks 6-5.
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