A Monday in Moncton

CHL

MONCTON - Greetings from a very chilly Moncton, where players have arrived for Wednesday's CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko was officially added to the event's roster on Monday along with Nathan Villeneuve of the Sudbury Wolves. They will replace the injured Cayden Lindstrom of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Ryder Ritchie of the Prince Albert Raiders.

Mateiko's appearance in the event allows for a rare occurrence: a Sea Dogs jersey hanging in the Moncton Wildcats dressing room.

Set-up ✅ #CHLKTP pic.twitter.com/80YXrGYP6E

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 22, 2024

Both teams will hold practices on Tuesday at Avenir Centre ahead of the Wednesday's 7:30 p.m. match.

A few other things to catch up on...

• Patrick Roy is now the head coach of the New York Islanders — and he's brining Gatineau Olympiques head coach Benoit Desrosiers with him, according to RDS (although the Islanders are pumping the brakes on this one). Desrosiers, a former assistant coach with Roy's Quebec Remparts, leaves a red hot Gatineau team racing for the league's final playoff spots. He'll reportedly be replaced by general manager Serge Beausoleil who will make his return behind a QMJHL bench.
• The Olympiques had their six-game winning streak end on Saturday with a 5-1 loss to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. The Halifax Mooseheads, meanwhile, had their home losing streak end on Saturday with a 3-2 victory over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.
• After allowing shorthanded goals in three straight games, the Sea Dogs have given up a total of eight shorties on the season. Only the Sherbrooke Phoenix have allowed more with nine.
• Baie-Comeau's Justin Poirier, the younger brother of former Sea Dogs defenseman Jeremie Poirier, was left off the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game roster but enters the week as the QMJHL's leader in goals (34).
• One of the players to watch at Wednesday's game is London Knights defenseman Sam Dickinson, projected by many to be a top-10 pick in this year's NHL Draft. The Knights have won 14 straight games and sit first overall in the OHL standings.
• The UNB Reds won both of their games over the weekend to improve to 24-0 on the season. They host Saint Mary's and Acadia at home this weekend.
• A group in St. Stephen is in talks to bring an NCDC franchise to the community. According to The Saint Croix Courier, the ownership group involves Doug Holland, a former part-owner of the Sea Dogs.
• More drama involving the BCHL as five of the AJHL's biggest franchises have announced that they plan to join the "outlaw" league next season. The BCHL is currently playing its first season outside Hockey Canada.