Sea Dogs make more roster moves

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The trade period ended Saturday, but the Saint John Sea Dogs were still making some roster moves this week.

On Thursday, the team announced a number of roster moves. Forwards Olivier Groulx and Benjamin Beaudry along with defensemen Olivier Duhamel and Jeremie Richard will remain with the club for the remainder of the season.

Forward Kency Pierre-Noel, meanwhile, has been released by the Sea Dogs.

Groulx was recently acquired by the Sea Dogs from the Shawinigan Cataractes in the Vince Elie deal. The 16-year-old sits fourth in Quebec under-18 league scoring with 38 points (14 goals and 24 assists) in 27 games with the Châteauguay Grenadiers.

Groulx appeared in four games with the Cataractes this season.

Groulx will join Duhamel, forward Egan Beveridge and defenseman Benjamin Amyot as the team's quartet of 16-year-old players, which is the league maximum (although teams have been granted permission to carry more in the past). All four should get plenty of valuable ice time and experience in the second half.

Duhamel sticking with Saint John isn't a surprise given how he's played in three games with Saint John. He leaves the Collège Charles-Lemoyne Riverains where he had five goals and nine assists in 31 games.

Beaudry, a ninth-round pick of Saint John in the 2022 draft, has yet to appear in a QMJHL game. The 17-year-old has played in 30 QJHL games this season, posting five goals and 11 assists.

Richard, a third-round pick of Saint John in 2022, played in 20 games with the Sea Dogs last season where he had a goal and an assist. The Moncton native has played in 17 games with the MHL's Amherst Ramblers this season and two games with the Sea Dogs.

All four additions continue to trend Saint John's roster younger. The beginnings of a core group of players is definitely starting to take shape.

The 19-year-old Pierre-Noel departs the Sea Dogs after posting four goals (all of which were quite nice) and three assists in 29 games. He was also one of Saint John's best faceoff men — which is something to follow with Peter Reynolds, Elie and now Pierre-Noel all gone.

Pierre-Noel will presumably finish the season back in the QJHL.