Notebook: Reds a win away

James West/UNB Reds

MONCTON - The UNB Reds are one win away.

The Reds took a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three Atlantic University Sport men's hockey championship series against the Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus with a 3-1 win on Saturday in Fredericton. The series now shifts to Moncton for Game 2 on Tuesday.

The Reds, who went 30-0 in the regular season and swept the Saint Mary's Huskies in their lone playoff series, feature former Saint John Sea Dogs Kale McCallum and Nick Blagden. The Reds are, of course, coached by Gardiner MacDougall, who led the Sea Dogs to the 2022 Memorial Cup championship. 

UdeM finished second in the AUS standings but were 25 points back of UNB with a 16-11-3-0 record. They swept StFX in their lone playoff series. The Aigles Bleus feature former Sea Dogs forward Jeremie Jacob.

A Game 3, if needed, would be Thursday back at the Aitken Centre. Both teams have already qualified for the University Cup tournament in Toronto.

RISING TIDE

The latest episode of the Sea Dogs' season long docu-series, Rising Tide, has been released. This episode focuses on goaltending.

COMING UP

Despite losing five straight, the Sea Dogs are still very much alive in the playoff race. Saint John still holds the 16th and final playoff spot with 42 points — but the Quebec Remparts also have 42 points. Both teams have nine games remaining.

Here's Saint John's schedule for the week:

Wednesday, March 6 at Moncton

Friday, March 8 at Cape Breton

Saturday, March 9 at Cape Breton

And here's Quebec's. The back-to-back against Gatineau (23-30-4-4) is a big opportunity for the Remparts to pick up some points.

Wednesday, March 6 vs Victoriaville

Friday, March 8 vs Gatineau

Saturday, March 9 vs Gatineau

COURNOYER COMMITS

Former Sea Dogs forward Alexis Cournoyer has committed to the Brock University Badgers for the 2024-25 season.

“I am very excited to join the Badgers family next year. It is a great opportunity to play with an excellent program,” said Cournoyer in a news release. “I want to thank all the friends, family, and coaches that helped me get to this point in my career.”

The 20-year-old has appeared in 44 games with the BCHL's Prince George Spruce Kings this season, recording 11 goals and 15 assists.

Cournoyer spent the 2022-23 season with the Sea Dogs where he posted 13 goals and 15 assists in 67 games.

The Badgers roster currently includes former Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier Desroches.

OTHER THINGS

• The Calgary Wranglers website has an update on former Sea Dogs defenseman Jeremie Poirier, who recently returned to the ice. There is still no set timeline for his return to game action.
• As previously mentioned, former Sea Dogs defenseman Zach Welsh has committed to the Dalhousie Tigers for next season. The 20-year-old has posted 37 points in 49 games with the MHL's Truro Bearcats this season.
• Former Sea Dogs forward Carter McCluskey became the first (and likely only) player in the MHL to surpass the 100-point mark this season. McCluskey has 45 goals and 57 assists in 50 games split between the Fredericton Red Wings and Truro Bearcats.
• There's definitely some valid frustration about the current state of the Sea Dogs amongst fans. The early stages of a rebuild are a grind. But here's an article from the Cape Breton Post on the lack of success the Eagles have had in their franchise history — an organization that has repeatedly refused to tear their roster down and patiently build it back up.