Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-1

FINAL: Quebec 6, Saint John 1

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Special teams were not in the Saint John Sea Dogs' favour on Sunday at TD Station.

The Quebec Remparts went 3/7 on the man advantage in a 6-1 victory over the Sea Dogs. Saint John, meanwhile, went 0/6 on the power play — a power play that has been struggling all season.

This was certainly one of Saint John's most disappointing results of the season, falling 6-1 to a rebuilding club that was playing the final game of a three-in-three road trip. The Remparts had more jump despite the Sea Dogs not playing since Friday in Moncton.

The Sea Dogs had a decent start to the game but things went sideways once penalties started being called. Quebec scored on a five-on-three advantage at 17:31 and on a five-on-four at 18:11 to lead 2-0 after one.

Kassim Gaudet netted a hat trick for Quebec while Charles Svaoie, Charles-Olivier Villeneuve and Antoine Michaud added singles. Vsevolod Komarov recorded four assists. Quentin Miller made 22 stops in the win.

Noah Reinhart scored Saint John's lone goal. Justin Robinson made 23 saves in the loss.

Game Day 14: vs Remparts

SAINT JOHN - A much different looking Quebec Remparts team visits TD Station this afternoon.

After winning the Memorial Cup last season, only a few players remain from that championship squad — one of them being former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Charles Savoie. Of course, the team also has a different look behind the bench with Patrick Roy departing the club for a second time.

The Remparts are expected to be in for a rough season as they begin to rebuild. They got off to a bad start but are 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 games. Today's game will conclude a three-game New Brunswick road trip that saw Quebec defeat the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 3-2 on Friday before falling 5-2 in Moncton last night.

Game time today is 3 p.m.

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

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 4-6-1-2 for 11 points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Remparts are 5-9-0-0 for 10 points (fourth East/10th Eastern/17th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-2 loss in Moncton on Friday night. Danny Akkouche and Peter Reynolds scored for Saint John. Patrick Leaver made 33 saves in the loss. The Remparts are also coming off a 5-2 loss in Moncton. Carl-Anthony Masse and Bruno Jalasti scored for Quebec. Louis-Antoine Denault made 37 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Moncton 5

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - For a third time this season, the Saint John Sea Dogs came up short against the Moncton Wildcats.

The Sea Dogs led 2-1 midway through the first period but could not hang on, falling 5-2 to the Wildcats on Friday at Avenir Centre. Moncton scored twice in the second period an added an empty net goal in the win.

Preston Lounsbury recorded a goal and three helpers for Moncton while Yoan Loshing, the QMJHL's leading scorer, had a pair of goals. Miles Mueller and Vincent Collard also scored for Moncton while Keegan Warren made 27 saves in the win.

Danny Akkouche and Peter Reynolds scored for Saint John. Patrick Leaver made 33 saves in the loss.

Game Day 13: at Moncton

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs face a big test tonight.

The Sea Dogs head up the highway to face the Moncton Wildcats this evening, a team that is coming off a 5-4 win in Halifax on Wednesday night that pushed them into first-place in the Maritimes Division.

The Wildcats currently sit second overall in the QMJHL standings with 19 points — and they haven't even consistently played their best hockey yet.

The Sea Dogs will look to rebound from a tough 6-5 shootout loss in Charlottetown last night, a loss that saw them blow a 5-3 third period lead.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m. at Avenir Centre.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 4-5-1-2 for 11 points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 9-3-1-0 for 19 points (first Maritimes/second Eastern/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-5 loss in Charlottetown last night. Vince Elie, Pavel Simek, Joseph Ianniello, Peter Reynolds and Eriks Mateiko scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 47 saves in the loss. The Wildcats are coming off a 5-4 win in Halifax on Wednesday. Julius Sumpf scored twice for Moncton while singles came from Yoan Loshing, Vincent Collard and Caleb Desnoyers. Jacob Steinman made 42 saves in the win.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-5 (SO)

FINAL: Saint John 5, Charlottetown 6 (SO)

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs dropped an extremely entertaining affair to the Charlottetown Islanders on Thursday night at Eastlink Centre.

The back-and-forth match ended with Ross Campbell scoring the shootout winner to give the Islanders a 6-5 victory over the Sea Dogs. 

Charlottetown led 3-2 heading into the third period but Saint John rattled off three straight goals in the first 9:34 of the third to take a 5-3 lead. The Islanders stormed back though with Giovanni Morneau tying the game at 11:45 of the final frame.

Michael Horth scored twice in regulation time to give him 14 goals in just 13 games this season. He also added two assists in the win.

Campbell and Lucas Romeo also scored in regulation. Aksels Ozols made 33 stops in the loss.

Vince Elie, Pavel Simek, Joseph Ianniello, Peter Reynolds and Eriks Mateiko scored for Saint John. Reynolds also had a four-point night, recording three assists along with his goal.

Justin Robinson made 47 saves in the loss, the most shots he has faced in his QMJHL career.

Game Day 12: at Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are back on the road this week, kicking things off tonight in Charlottetown.

After earning their first home win of the season on Sunday, the Sea Dogs will look to continue that momentum tonight at the Eastlink Centre. Saint John also travels to Moncton on Friday to face the Wildcats.

This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Islanders — but the two teams should be fairly familiar with each other. The two met four times during the QMJHL's pre-season.

Game time this evening is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 4-5-1-1 for 10 points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/16th QMJHL) while the Islanders are 6-6-0-0 for 12 points (fourth Maritimes/sixth Eastern/12th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday at TD Station. Noah Reinhart scored a pair of goals while singles came from Danny Akkouche and Egan Beveridge. Justin Robinson made 32 saves in the win. The Islanders are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Titan on Saturday in Bathurst. Michael Horth and Ross Campbell scored for Charlottetown. Carter Bickle made 19 stops in the loss.

Mateiko makes initial 2024 NHL Draft listing

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko was among the players who cracked Central Scouting's initial listings for the 2024 NHL Draft.

Mateiko was given a 'C' grading, meaning Central Scouting considers him a candidate to be selected in the fourth- or fifth-round.

The 17-year-old is in his second season with the Sea Dogs and has four goals and four assists in 10 games. He was a pleasant surprise last season, recording 16 goals and 36 points in 62 games after being a second-round pick of Saint John in the CHL Import Draft.

Mateiko has proven he can produce offensively but also has size. He is listed at 6'4" and 201 lbs.

The Latvian was the lone Sea Dog to crack the list, which included 36 players from the QMJHL. Only one player from the QMJHL — Chicoutimi's Maxim Masse — was given an 'A' grade, meaning he is a candidate to be picked in the first-round. Like last year, the 2024 NHL Draft is not supposed to be a great one for the QMJHL.

Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini is expected to be taken first overall. Chasing him is American forward Cole Eiserman of the USNTDP, who is notably a Boston University commit. Eiserman's QMJHL rights are held by the Moncton Wildcats.

Two American Sea Dogs draft picks were given W ratings, indicating sixth- or seventh-round candidates: Will Felicio, who is playing with the USHL's Madison Capitols, and Joseph Monteiro, who is playing with the BCHL's Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-2

FINAL: Bathurst 2, Saint John 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - At long last, the Saint John Sea Dogs have a home win.

The Sea Dogs earned their first home victory of the season on Sunday at TD Station, defeating the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 4-2. It was a strong bounce-back performance from the Sea Dogs, who had an ugly 5-1 loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday night.

The Sea Dogs entered play Sunday as the lone team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League without a win on home ice.

Saint John had a major line shakeup and the moves seemed to do the trick, igniting some players who have been quiet of late. Noah Reinhart scored a pair of goals while Danny Akkouche and Egan Beveridge also converted.

Justin Robinson continues to be a story, making 32 saves in the win. Robinson is now 3-0 to start his QMJHL career and has looked very solid. 

Blake Pilgrim-Edwards and Milo Roelens scored for Bathurst. Joshua Fleming made 30 saves in the loss.

Game Day 11: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - Will the Saint John Sea Dogs finally get a home win this afternoon?

The Sea Dogs fell to 0-3-1-1 at TD Station on the year with last night's 5-1 loss to the Moncton Wildcats. The Sea Dogs are the only team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League without a home win this season.

Saint John hosts the Acadie-Bathurst Titan this afternoon, a team they have had some success against this season. This is already the fourth meeting of the year between the two and Saint John is 2-0-0-1 against Bathurst — with both of those wins coming at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Both teams played yesterday with the Sea Dogs falling to Moncton and the Titan defeating the Charlottetown Islanders 4-2.

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

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 3-5-1-1 for eight points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/16th QMJHL) while the Titan are 6-6-0-0 for 12 points (fifth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Moncton Wildcats last night. Danny Akkouche scored Saint John's lone goal while Patrick Leaver made 31 saves in the loss. The Titan are coming off a 4-2 home win over the Charlottetown Islanders yesterday. Bobby Orr, Joseph Henneberry, Drew Maddigan and Alexandre Lallier scored for the Titan. Antoine Keller made 20 stops in the win.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-1

FINAL: Moncton 1, Saint John 5

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs remain winless on home ice this season following a 5-1 loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs registered just 16 shots in the loss to their provincial rivals, which included just four in each of the second and third periods. Saint John is now 0-3-1-1 at TD Station this season.

Caleb Desnoyers, the first overall pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, led the way for the Wildcats with a goal and two assists. Preston Lounsbury scored twice while Yoan Loshing and Alex Mercier added singles. 

Keegan Warren made 15 saves in the victory.

Danny Akkouche scored Saint John's lone goal, which came in the second period with the Sea Dogs already trailing 3-0. 

Patrick Leaver made 31 stops in the loss.

Saint John's penalty kill entered the game with the second best rating in the league but struggled in this game, allowing four goals on eight opportunities. 

Game Day 10: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs return to action tonight, hosting the Moncton Wildcats at 7 p.m.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a 1-2-0-0 road trip through Quebec that saw them earn a win in Val-d'Or and fall in Rouyn-Noranda and Blainville-Boisbriand.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, are off to a decent 6-3-1-0 start but haven't played their best hockey as of yet. There is pressure on Moncton to improve this season and they haven't quite consistently done that yet.

It's also Kardi Night at TD Station with Canadian hip hop artist Kardinal Offishall set to perform during both intermissions.

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

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 3-4-1-1 for eight points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/16th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 6-3-1-0 for 13 points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/sixth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-0 loss in Rouyn-Noranda on Sunday. Patrick Leaver was pulled after allowing two goals on six shots in the first period. Justin Robinson allowed two goals on 27 shots in relief. The Wildcats are coming off a 6-2 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday. Etienne Morin scored a pair of goals while singles came from Miles Mueller, Natan Grenier, Sebastian Glas and Alex Mercier. Jacob Steinman made 27 saves in the win. 

Sea Dogs welcome Wildcats, Titan and Kardinal Offishall this weekend

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs welcome their provincial rivals this weekend — along with Kardinal Offishall.

The Canadian hip-hop artist will be preforming during Saturday's Sea Dogs game against the Moncton Wildcats at TD Station. According to the team, he'll be performing during both intermissions.

Clarky Offishall's audition didn't go as planned, so we'll just leave it to the professional... 😬😅

Kardinal Offishall performing LIVE this Saturday as the #SJSeaDogs take on the Moncton Wildcats at 7pm.

🎟️: https://t.co/LvsBJIdk9O pic.twitter.com/8ApqIODStf

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) October 17, 2023

The mid-game concert is the first of many game night entertainment promotions the Sea Dogs are scheduled to host this season. 

On the ice, the Sea Dogs are looking to rebound from a tough 4-0 loss in Rouyn-Noranda on Sunday. The team went 1-2-0-0 on the challenging three-game road trip road trip through Quebec that also included a 5-1 win in Val-d'Or and a 4-1 loss in Blainville-Boisbriand.

This will be just the second meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Wildcats. Moncton defeated Saint John 4-2 on Oct. 7 at TD Station.

The Wildcats are 6-3-1-0 on the year but haven't been able to find their groove yet. They've scored a lot of goals but have been struggling defensively.

On Sunday afternoon, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan visit TD Station for a 3 p.m. contest. This will already be the fourth meeting of the year between the two. Saint John is 2-0-0-1 against Bathurst.

Next week, the Sea Dogs visit Charlottetown (Thursday, Oct. 26) and Moncton (Friday, Oct. 27) before returning home to host the Memorial Cup champion Quebec Remparts (Sunday, Oct. 29).

Notebook: Are Wildcats NB's most loved?

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Are the Moncton Wildcats New Brunswick's team?

According to this graphic shared by All Sports Culture on Instagram, the Wildcats are New Brunswick's most loved team. The only other CHL team that makes an appearance are the Charlottetown Islanders in Prince Edward Island.

The Wildcats own New Brunswick per this. pic.twitter.com/MHcL5nR8El

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) October 18, 2023

Attendance wise, it adds up compared to the Saint John Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst. But are the Wildcats more loved than an NHL team in New Brunswick?

TOP SCORERS

Peter Reynolds continues to lead the Sea Dogs in scoring this season, posting five goals and five assists for 10 points in nine games. His five goals also leads the team.

Behind Reynolds is a three-way tie for second in team scoring — Vince Elie (four goals and four assists), Eriks Mateiko (four goals and four assists) and Noah Reinhart (two goals and six assists) all have eight points each.

Reinhart's six assists is the most on the team.

On the backend, Joseph Ianniello leads the way offensively with six points (one goal and five assists).

STRONG START

How about Justin Robinson so far in his young QMJHL career?

The rookie netminder is 2-0 with a 1.42 goals against average and a .954 save percentage. He has recorded wins against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Val-d'Or Foreurs. He also stopped 25 of 27 shots in a relief appearance against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Sunday.

Robinson, 17, was a sixth-round pick of Saint John in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft. He spent last season playing with Amos in the Quebec under-18 circuit.

Not much remains of Maineiacs in Lewiston

LEWISTON, ME - Stepping inside The Colisee these days, it'd be easy to miss the fact that a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League club once called the building home.

It's been almost 13 years since the Lewiston Maineiacs played a game (a game that saw the Saint John Sea Dogs defeat the Maineiacs 6-5). The team folded soon after being eliminated from the 2011 post-season and its players were distributed around the QMJHL through a dispersal draft.

Lewiston has been home to the North American Hockey League's Maine Nordiques since 2019. The NAHL is a Tier II junior league in the USA Hockey system, a level below the United States Hockey League.

This past Sunday, the Maineiacs welcomed the New Hampshire Mountain Kings, a team that just began operation this season. Playing in front of a few hundred fans (in fairness, the game was played at the same time as a New England Patriots game) in Lewiston, New Hampshire won a wild game 6-5.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-0

FINAL: Saint John 0, Rouyn-Noranda 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs' Quebec road trip ended in a shutout loss on Sunday.

Despite outshooting the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 39-33, the Sea Dogs fell 4-0 at Glencore Arena. William Rousseau, who helped the Quebec Remparts win the Memorial Cup last season, earned the shutout win in net.

Antonin Verreault and Mathis Perron scored 11 seconds apart midway through the first period which ended Patrick Leaver's day in net. Louis-Philippe Fontaine and Bill Zonnon also scored in the victory.

Leaver was pulled after allowing two goals on six shots. Justin Robinson, who earned the win in Saint John's 5-1 victory in Val-d'Or on Saturday, allowed two goals on 25 shots in relief.

Saint John's power play once again struggled to convert, going 0/4. Peter Reynolds recorded nine of Saint John's 39 shots.

The loss means the Sea Dogs come home with a 1-2 record on their three-game road trip.

Game Day 9: at Rouyn-Noranda

ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs play the final game of their Quebec road trip today, visiting the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at 5 p.m.

The trip started out rough for Saint John, falling 4-1 to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, but got back on track yesterday in Val-d'Or with a 5-1 victory.

The Sea Dogs face likely their toughest task today — not just because of fatigue, but because the Huskies are loaded and ready for a deep run this season. 

Rouyn-Noranda made some big moves during the off-season. The team is off to an okay start, but it's likely just a matter of time before they take off.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 3-3-1-1 for six points (fifth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/14th QMJHL) while the Huskies are 4-2-1-2 for 11 points (second West/fifth Western/ninth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 win in Val-d'Or last night. Vince Elie scored a pair of goals while singles came from Nicolas Bilodeau, Eriks Mateiko and Nate Tivey. Justin Robinson made 24 saves in the win. The Huskies are coming off a 4-2 win over the Cape Breton Eagles last night. Jeremy Langlois, Andrei Loshko, Leighton Carruthers and Mathis Perron scored for Rouyn-Noranda. William Rousseau made 41 stops in the win.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 5, Val-d'Or 1

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

VAL-D'OR, Que. - A blistering start to the third period led the Saint John Sea Dogs to a 5-1 road win over the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Saturday.

Leading 2-1 at the time, the Sea Dogs scored at even strength, shorthanded and on the power play in the first 4:41 of the third period, giving the squad enough insurance to cruise to a win in a tough building.

Goaltender Justin Robinson, making his second QMJHL, made 24 saves in the victory.

Vince Elie scored a pair of goals for Saint John — both in the third — while Nicolas Bilodeau, Eriks Mateiko and Nate Tivey added singles. 

It was a nice rebound performance from the Sea Dogs who fell 4-1 in Boisbriand on Thursday. The team wraps up this three-game road trip on Sunday in Rouyn-Noranda.

Tomas Cibulka scored Val-d'Or's lone goal, which came in the first period and tied the game 1-1 at the time. Emile Beaunoyer made 28 stops in the loss.

This was Val-d'Or's first home loss of the season and just their second overall loss in regulation time.

Game Day 8: at Val-d'Or

VAL-D'OR, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to rebound from Thursday's loss tonight against the Val-d'Or Foreurs.

The Sea Dogs dropped the first game of their road trip in Boisbriand, falling 4-1 to the Armada. Peter Reynolds scored Saint John's lone goal.

The team continues their first Quebec road swing of the season tonight, visiting the surprising Foreurs. Val-d'Or has been one of the QMJHL's best teams so far and currently own a 5-1-0-1 record, placing them second in the Western Conference. They've defeated the rival Rouyn-Noranda Huskies three times already.

Game time tonight at the Agnico Eagle Centre is 5 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 2-3-1-1 for six points (fifth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Foreurs are 5-1-0-1 for 11 points (first West/second Western/fifth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-1 loss in Boisbriand on Thursday. Peter Reynolds scored Saint John's lone goal while Patrick Leaver made 32 saves in the loss. The Foreurs are coming off a 5-2 win over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Monday. Frederic Potvin, Matthew Bolduc, Nathan Drapeau, Nathan Brisson and Alexandre Guy scored for Val-d'Or. Mathis Lussier made 30 saves in the win.

New Brunswickers shine in Black Bears season opener

ORONO, ME - A trio of New Brunswickers gave the University of Maine crowd quite a show on Thursday.

The Maine Black Bears' top line of New Brunswick natives Lynden Breen and brothers Bradly and Josh Nadeau combined to score three of the team's four goals in a 4-1 season opening victory over the RPI Engineers at the Alfond Arena in Orono.

The Black Bears trailed 1-0 after one but took control in the second period. Nadeau scored twice and nearly had a hat trick — his third goal was called back after a review showed the puck had hit the netting and should have been whistled dead.

In the third, Breen scored to make it 3-1 — which was setup by the Nadeau brothers.

Shots ended 57-13 in favour of Maine.

Bradly Nadeau finished with two goals and an assist; Breen a goal and an assist; and Josh Nadeau two assists.

Pair of goals for Bradly Nadeau in his college debut. Robbed of a hat trick by a video review.

4-1 Maine win over RPI. pic.twitter.com/U8ZdIGPVl3

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) October 13, 2023

This was the first NCAA game for the Nadeau brothers of Saint-Francois-de-Madawaska, who spent the last two seasons in the BCHL with Penticton Vees. Bradly Nadeau was a first-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in this year's NHL Draft.

The recruitment of the Nadeau brothers has given University of Maine fans some optimism for the future. After some down years and recruiting struggles, these additions could help kickstart the Black Bears back into college hockey prominence.

Breen, meanwhile, is in his fourth season with Maine. He is one of the team's captains. Breen was a fifth-round pick of the Saint John Sea Dogs in the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft.

The Black Bears and Engineers meet again on Friday in Orono. Maine's first Hockey East game is Nov. 3 at Merrimack.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Blainville-Boisbriand 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

BOISBRIAND, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs dropped the first game of their three-game Quebec road trip on Thursday, falling 4-1 to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

Peter Reynolds scored Saint John's lone goal, which came in the third period with the Sea Dogs down 2-0. Reynolds now has an impressive five goals in seven games this season.

Patrick Leaver got the start in net and made 32 saves in the loss.

Xavier Sarrasin, Jonathan Fauchon, Matt Gosselin and Alexis Bourque scored for the Armada. 

Netminder Charles-Edward Gravel made 35 saves in the win and was named first star.

Shots were even 36-36. Saint John's power play had just one opportunity in this game and once again could not convert.

This road trip doesn't get any easier for Saint John with stops in Val-d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda coming up.

Game Day 7: at Blainville-Boisbriand

BOISBRIAND, Que. - For the first time this season, the Saint John Sea Dogs will play an opponent from outside their division.

The Sea Dogs travel to Boisbriand tonight where they'll face the St. John's Fog Devils Montreal Junior Armada at 8 p.m. The game kicks off a three-game road trip through the West Division that also includes stops in Val-d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda.

The Sea Dogs are 2-0-0-0 on the road this season with both of those wins coming in Bathurst.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 2-2-1-1 for six points (fifth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/13th QMJHL) while the Armada are 4-4-0-0 for eight points (third West/sixth Western/12th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday. Pavel Simek and Joseph Ianniello scored for Saint John. Patrick Leaver made 30 stops in the loss. The Armada are coming off a 6-4 loss in Moncton on Sunday. Vincent Desjardins scored a pair of goals while singles came from James Swan and Mateo Nobert. Edouard Gauthier made 22 saves in the loss.

Sea Dogs travel to Quebec this week

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs' first trip of the season into Quebec won't be an easy one — or a short one.

The Sea Dogs begin the three-game voyage in the Montreal area on Thursday night, visiting the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The team heads north on the weekend, visiting the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Saturday and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Sunday.

The Sea Dogs will face a bit of everything on the trip: a rebuilding Armada squad, a surprising Foreurs team and the highly touted Huskies who are expected to contend for a league title.

Val-d'Or, surprisingly, sits first in the Western Conference with a 5-1-0-1 record — which includes a 4-0-0-0 mark on home ice. The Foreurs have defeated the Huskies three times already.

Rouyn-Noranda (3-2-1-2) sits fifth in the Western Conference while the Armada (4-4-0-0) are sixth.

The Sea Dogs (2-2-1-1) enter the trip seventh in the Eastern Conference. They are 2-0-0-0 on the road so far this young season with both of those victories coming in Bathurst.

A few other notes...

• The Foreurs currently have two of the top scoring defensemen in the QMJHL: Tomas Cibulka is first (nine points in seven games) and Evan Depatie is fourth (six points in seven games).
• Saint John is 0-2-1-0 when scoring first this season.
• Saint John's power play has been struggling and currently sits 17th at just 10%. The team's penalty kill has been good though and currently sits fourth at 91.3%.
• The Sea Dogs are allowing a league high 36.82 shots against per game. The Foreurs are allowing the second most (35.69).
• The Halifax Mooseheads are starting to get rolling. They've now won five straight games. Mathis Rousseau has been excellent in net.
• The Cape Breton Eagles are on a similar trip to Saint John's this week, visiting Gatineau, Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or.
• The Sea Dogs are back on home ice on Saturday, Oct. 21 when they host the Moncton Wildcats.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Moncton 4, Saint John 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs let another game slip away late in the third period on Saturday.

Vincent Collard broke a 2-2 tie at 15:52 of the third period, giving the Moncton Wildcats a 3-2 lead. Julius Sumpf added an empty net goal to make it a 4-2 win for the Wildcats over the Sea Dogs at TD Station.

Joseph Ianniello had tied the game earlier in the third period. Saint John has struggled late in third periods at times this season — especially on home ice. Just last weekend, the Sea Dogs let two games slip away by allowing late third period goals against the Cape Breton Eagles.

Saint John remains winless at TD Station despite having some decent showings. Playing a full 60 minutes on home ice has proven to be a struggle.

Thomas Auger and Yoan Loshing also scored for Moncton. Rookie Keegan Warren, a 14th-round pick of the Wildcats in 2021, made 27 saves to earn his first QMJHL win.

Pavel Simek scored Saint John's other goal. Patrick Leaver made 30 stops in the loss.

Game Day 6: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats meet for the first time this season tonight at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs ended a three-game losing streak last night at the KC Irving Regional Centre, defeating the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 3-1. It was the team's second road victory of the year — but they are still looking for their first win at TD Station.

The Wildcats are off to a 3-2-0-0 start but are coming off a rough 5-3 home loss to the Victoriaville Tigres on Thursday. Calgary Flames prospect Etienne Morin is back with the Wildcats, making a strong lineup even better.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m. $7 tickets are available.

Looking for something to do with the family this weekend? We've got you covered!

Grab your tickets to tomorrow's game against the @monctonwildcats for ONLY $7, plus taxes and fees.

🎟️: https://t.co/LvsBJIcMkg pic.twitter.com/wH3UrBvdjk

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

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

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 2-1-1-1 for six points (third Maritimes/fifth Eastern/12th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 3-2-0-0 for six points (second Maritimes/fourth Eastern/10th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off 3-1 win last night in Bathurst. Peter Reynolds scored a pair of goals while Noah Reinhart added a single. Justin Robinson, in his first QMJHL start, made 34 saves in the victory. The Wildcats are coming off a 5-3 loss to the Victoriaville Tigres on Thursday. Yoan Loshing, Shawn Carrier and Etienne Morin scored for Moncton. Jacob Steinman made 27 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-1

FINAL: Saint John 3, Bathurst 1

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

BATHURST - Justin Robinson made 34 saves in his QMJHL debut to help the Saint John Sea Dogs defeat the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 3-1 on Friday at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Despite allowing an early goal, Robinson looked calm and confident all game long — even after a third period misplaying of the puck that almost tied the game. The Sea Dogs struggled with giveaways early in the game, forcing Robinson to make a couple big stops.

Peter Reynolds, with two goals and an assist, and Noah Reinhart, with a goal and two assists, led Saint John on offense with three points each.

Colby Huggan scored Bathurst's lone goal. Joshua Fleming made 31 saves in the loss.

Saint John is now 2-0 on the road this season — with both those victories coming in Bathurst. This victory ended a three-game losing streak for the Sea Dogs, which included back-to-back home losses that saw the team blow late third period leads.

Just 1:30 in, Joseph Ianniello turned the puck over in the Saint John defensive zone, allowing Huggan to finish off a quick two-on-one with Joseph Henneberry to make it 1-0 Bathurst.

As a Saint John power play came to a close, Reynolds fired a shot from the top of the circle that beat Fleming low to even things up at 1-1.

57 seconds into the second period, Reynolds fed Reinhart on a two-on-one. Reinhart was able to slide the puck under Fleming on the fresh ice, putting Saint John in front for the first time.

Reynolds collected his third point of the game with 40.5 seconds remaining, icing the match with an empty net marker.

Game Day 5: at Bathurst

BATHURST - Coming off a painful weekend, the Saint John Sea Dogs will look to turn things around tonight at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

The Sea Dogs dropped back-to-back home games to the Cape Breton Eagles last weekend, one in regulation and the other in overtime. Saint John led late in the third period in both games before falling — something the team will look to improve upon this weekend.

This is the third meeting of the young season between the Sea Dogs and Titan — and the KCI was the location of Saint John's lone win so far this year, which came on opening night.

Game time this evening is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None, it seems/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-1-1 for four points (fourth Maritimes/sixth Eastern/13th QMJHL) while the Titan are 2-3-0-0 for four points (sixth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/15th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday at TD Station. Peter Reynolds, Luka Benoit, Mathis Gauthier and Noah Reinhart scored for Saint John. Patrick Leaver made 38 saves in the loss. The Titan are coming off a 4-3 home loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Wednesday. Ty Higgins, Louis-Francois Belanger and Bobby Orr had Bathurst goals. Antoine Keller made 21 stops in the loss.

Former Sea Dogs performing well against current Sea Dogs

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's still early, but it could be a long season for the Saint John Sea Dogs when it comes to playing against former Saint John Sea Dogs.

Former Sea Dogs forward Cole Burbidge collected two goals and three assists in two games against his old club last weekend, helping the Cape Breton Eagles earn two come-from-behind victories at TD Station. Burbidge was named the QMJHL's player of the week for his efforts.

Also helping the Eagles last weekend was former Sea Dog Cam MacDonald, who collected two goals and two assists in the win.

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Jared Cosman, who joined the Acadie-Bathurst Titan after being released by his hometown team during training camp, had an assist in two games against the Dogs on opening weekend. Cosman and the Titan host the Sea Dogs again on Friday.

On Saturday, Saint John will host Connor Trenholm and the Moncton Wildcats for the first time this season. We'll see if this trend continues as more ex-Dogs take on the current Dogs.

Here's a quick look at how former Sea Dogs in the QMJHL are performing so far this season (before Thursday night's games).

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Cole Burbidge	CAP	5	2	3	5
Cam MacDonald	CAP	3	2	2	4
Charles Savoie	QUE	4	0	4	4
Connor Trenholm	MON	4	1	1	2
Jared Cosman	BAT	5	1	1	2
Nathan Drapeau	VDO	3	0	1	1
Leighton Carruthers	ROU	5	0	1	1
Simon Hughes	CHA	4	0	0	0

Bobby Orr (Bathurst), Natan Grenier (Moncton) and Eliott Simard (Victoriaville) were originally Sea Dogs draft picks but never appeared in a game with the club.

A couple other notable names: Justin Poirier (Baie-Comeau), the brother of Jeremie Poirier, and Kristers Ansons (Blainville-Boisbriand), the brother of Raivis Ansons.

A few former Sea Dogs who we tracked last season have since departed from the league: Josh Lawrence (Switzerland), Joshua Roy (AHL - Laval), Marshall Lessard (unknown) and Thomas Couture (U Sports - Acadia).

Mann returned to Sea Dogs; Sens win in Halifax

HALIFAX - Matteo Mann has been returned to the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Philadelphia Flyers assigned Mann back to junior hockey on Monday — but when he makes his Sea Dogs debut is a question mark. The 18-year-old suffered an injury at Flyers rookie camp and is not expected to make his debut with Saint John immediately.

Matteo Mann skated with @SJSeaDogs today and could be back later this month. This weekend is a long shot. Better odds for teams road swing thru Quebec mid month.

— Kevin Barrett (@KevinBarrettNB) October 2, 2023

Mann should provide a boost to a Saint John defense core that has struggled to keep its shots against down. Through four games, the Sea Dogs are averaging a league high 37.94 shots against per game.

The 6'6", 197 lbs defenseman has spent the past three seasons with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Mann, who was acquired by Saint John in late August, was a seventh-round pick of the Flyers in this year's NHL Draft.

The Sea Dogs return to action on Friday in Bathurst.

NHL teams continue to play pre-season matches and trim down their training camp rosters. On Monday night, three former Sea Dogs — Thomas Chabot, Mathieu Joseph and Matthew Highmore — were in the Ottawa Senators lineup in Halifax. Boko Imama, who played the night before in Sydney, did not dress.

The Senators defeated the Penguins 3-0. Highmore, who had a big hit that shook up Kris Letang a bit, was honoured along with the rest of the Nova Scotians in the lineup during a stoppage in play.

Moncton won't bid on 2025 Memorial Cup

HALIFAX - The 2025 Memorial Cup will not be held in Moncton.

In a news release issued Monday afternoon, the Moncton Wildcats announced that they will not be submitting a bid to host the Canadian Hockey League's championship tournament.

Here's the release:

While our organization was deeply committed to bidding on the 2025 Memorial Cup, we have made the decision to forego submitting a bid at this time. Realizing that a major junior hockey team in the province of Quebec has not hosted this national championship in the past 10 years, the chance of winning the competitive bid is very unlikely.

We recognize that the Canadian Hockey League wants to ensure various member provinces get to host the Memorial Cup, but we know that our organization, community, and province would have submitted an outstanding bid and organized an exceptional event.

We are disappointed we won’t have the chance to bring the 2025 championship to our fans and community.

Without a reasonable chance of being selected, the Moncton Wildcats cannot commit the time, effort, and resources required to prepare this extensive bid.

The Wildcats have been strongly hinting that they would bid on the tournament for a couple years. They'll be hosting the CHL/NHL Top Prospect Game in January and the QMJHL Entry Draft in June — events that were seen as "test runs" before hosting the Memorial Cup in 2025.

No Quebec city has hosted the event since 2015 in Quebec City with Halifax hosting in 2019 and Saint John in 2022. It's certainly noteworthy that the Wildcats said "without a reasonable chance of being selected" in their statement.

The Wildcats last hosted the event in 2006 at the old Moncton Coliseum.

The Rimouski Oceanic, who last hosted in 2009, and the Shawinigan Cataractes, who last hosted in 2012, have expressed interest in submitting bids to host in 2025. A winner is expected to be announced before the end of 2023.

Unless Moncton can quickly turn around a rebuild, the city likely won't be bidding on the tournament until 2031.

Notebook: Dogs return to Bathurst Friday

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

After a couple heartbreaking home games, the Sea Dogs are back on the road on Friday, making their second trip of the young season to the KC Irving Regional Centre.

The Sea Dogs and Titan split their home-and-home on opening weekend with Saint John winning 6-4 in Bathurst before falling in a shootout the next night at TD Station.

Following Friday's 7 p.m. match in Bathurst, the Sea Dogs return home to host the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday at 7 p.m. It will be the first meeting of the year — regular season or pre-season — between the Sea Dogs and Wildcats.

The following week, Saint John heads to Quebec for the first time this year and will visit Blainville-Boisbriand (Oct. 12), Val-d'Or (Oct. 14) and Rouyn-Noranda (Oct. 15).

MACDONALD GETS NEW RING

Former Sea Dogs forward Cam MacDonald, who had his family home destroyed in the Halifax wildfires this summer, received a new Memorial Cup ring on Friday.

Earlier this year Cam MacDonald’s family home and belongings were lost in the wildfire in Nova Scotia, including his 2022 Memorial Cup championship ring.

Prior to tonight’s game, Sea Dogs owner Scott McCain presented Cam with a brand new ring, courtesy of Graduor. pic.twitter.com/OiCbWj8Y6H

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 30, 2023

THN SEASON PREVIEW MAG
A few former Sea Dogs could be found in the Future Watch sections of The Hockey News' annual NHL Yearbook — including in impressive ranking for William Dufour.

Jeremie Poirier - No. 7 Calgary Flames

Joshua Roy - No. 7 Montreal Canadiens

William Dufour - No. 1 New York Islanders

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-4 (OT)

FINAL: Cape Breton 5, Saint John 4 (OT)

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs let another third period lead slip away in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday at TD Station.

After allowing two late third period goals in a 4-3 loss on Friday, the Sea Dogs did the same Saturday, allowing Cape Breton to score twice in the final 2:38 of the third period to send the match to overtime. Cam Squires netted the winner at 3:17 of the extra frame.

Former Sea Dogs haunted Saint John with Cam MacDonald scoring twice and adding an assist and Cole Burbidge scoring once and adding two helpers. Squires also scored two goals while Jakub Milota made 33 saves in the win.

Peter Reynolds, Luka Benoit, Mathis Gauthier and Noah Reinhart all scored for Saint John. Patrick Leaver made 38 saves in the loss.

Just 16 seconds in, Reynolds fired a shot from the circle that beat Milota up high to give Saint John an early 1-0 advantage.

Saint John made it 2-0 at 11:59 of the opening frame. Pavel Simek threw the puck towards the goal where Vince Elie got a piece of it. The puck slid over to Benoit who deposited the puck into an empty net.

The Eagles got on board at 12:26 of the second period. After Leaver allowed a rebound, MacDonald found the loose puck in front of the net and put it in, making it a 2-1 game. MacDonald then netted his second of the game with 2:50 remaining in the period, putting the puck through a scramble in the crease. The play was reviewed for goaltender interference but was called a good goal.