Notebook: Some alumni news

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Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Matthew Highmore signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Ottawa Senators earlier this week.

The 28-year-old spent most the season with the AHL's Belleville Senators where he recorded nine goals and 22 assists in 43 games. He also appeared in seven games with Ottawa where he posted a pair of assists.

“Matthew and our coaching staffs in both Belleville and Ottawa have mutual familiarity,” said Senators general manager Steve Staios in a news release. “He routinely brings energy, is a strong penalty killer and has demonstrated good offensive prowess in the AHL.”

According to the Sens, the contract carries a value of $775,000 in the NHL and $400,000 in the AHL.

This was Highmore's first season with the Ottawa organization. He previously spent time with the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues.

MORE ALUMNI NEWS

• Joe Veleno news:

  UPDATE: The #RedWings have extended qualifying offers to Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, Jonatan Berggren and Joe Veleno.
  
  The #RedWings did not extend a qualifying offer to Jared McIsaac.

  — Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 30, 2024

• Yan Kuznetsov news:

  The #Flames have provided qualifying offers to seven players:
  
  • Adam Klapka (RW)
  • Yan Kuznetsov (D)
  • Nikita Okhotiuk (D)
  • Jakob Pelletier (LW)
  • Cole Schwindt (C)
  • Ilya Solovyov (D)
  • Dustin Wolf (G) pic.twitter.com/ZdbCMP8hvp

  — Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) June 30, 2024

• Former Sea Dogs goaltender Jonathan Lemieux has signed a one-year AHL contract extension with the Abbotsford Canucks. Lemieux was on an AHL deal with the club last year but was loaned to the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings.
• Former Sea Dogs who appear to be hitting free agency on Monday include Mike Hoffman (San Jose) and Bokondji Imama (Ottawa).
• Postmedia caught up with former Sea Dogs defenseman Jeremie Poirier to discuss his younger brother, Justin, who was picked in the fifth round of the NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.
• The Charlottetown Islanders website has a story on former Sea Dogs forward Oliver Cooper and what he's up to these days. Cooper will be playing with an ICEHL club in Austria next season.
• Former Sea Dogs on ECHL season ending rosters: Nicolas Blachman (Iowa), Kelly Bent (Orlando) and Nicolas Guay (Trois-Rivieres).

Mateiko drafted by Capitals

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Eriks Mateiko is now a member of the Washington Capitals organization.

The Saint John Sea Dogs forward was selected in the third round, 90th overall by the Capitals on Saturday at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. Mateiko becomes the first Sea Dog to be drafted into the NHL since Cam MacDonald in 2021.

Mateiko is just the second Sea Dog to ever be drafted by the Capitals. Stanislav Galiev was taken by the team in the third round of the 2010 NHL Draft.

With the 90th pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals are proud to select Eriks Mateiko! #CapsDraft | @Verizon pic.twitter.com/sEvK7ItofZ

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 29, 2024

The 18-year-old has spent the past two seasons in Saint John – but his future is a bit cloudy. The team hasn't made it a secret that they are shopping the big forward around and there is likely no shortage of teams interested in his services.

Mateiko will be back in the QMJHL this season – unless he surprises everyone and makes the Capitals out of training camp. He is not eligible to play in the AHL or ECHL yet.

Mateiko was the lone Sea Dog to be drafted and one of just 15 players from the QMJHL to be selected, which is up from 12 last year. It was the second straight year that no player from the league was picked in the first round.

Riverview's Spencer Gill was the first QMJHL player picked, going 59th overall to the Philadelphia Flyers. The only other Atlantic Canadian selected was Gabe Smith of St. Andrews, who went in the fourth round to the Utah No Names.

Baie-Comeau's Justin Poirier, the younger brother of former Sea Dogs defenseman Jeremie Poirier, landed with the Carolina Hurricanes in the fifth round.

No QMJHL players picked in first round

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For a second straight year, no players from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League were selected in the opening round of the NHL Draft.

It's not a great draft year overall for the QMJHL, so the lack of selections on Friday night didn't come as a big surprise. Chicoutimi Sagueneens forward Maxim Masse was projected as a late first round pick by some, but that was not a consensus. 

Masse and a number of other QMJHL players will definitely be picked in the remaining six rounds, which will be held on Saturday.

Last year, 12 players from the QMJHL were picked in the NHL Draft. Ethan Gauthier was the top player selected, going 37th overall to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

A few news and notes from Friday night's action...

• As expected, Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini was selected first overall by the San Jose Sharks. Celebrini said shortly after the selection that he is still undecided if he'll join the Sharks next season or return to Boston University.
• NCAA players went first and second overall in this year's draft. After Celebrini, Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks.
• Beckett Sennecke of the Oshawa Generals went third overall to the Anaheim Ducks. Sennecke was one of six CHL players selected in the top 10.
• Sacha Boisvert, a Trois-Rivieres native who has spent the past two seasons with the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks and is committed to the University of North Dakota, was picked 18th overall by the Blackhawks. Boisvert was taken in both the 2022 (12th overall to Chicoutimi) and 2023 (88th overall to Shawinigan) QMJHL Entry Drafts.
• Two players from the Lumberjacks were picked in the first round – the team Tynan Lawrence is committed to for next season.
• Cole Eiserman, a forward from the USNTDP and a Boston University commit, went 20th overall to the New York Islanders. Eiserman's CHL rights are held by the Moncton Wildcats.
• There were two players from Norway selected in the first round.
• League breakdown:

  Most 1st-round selections in the 2024 NHL Draft by league
  
  OHL: 9
  USHL: 6
  WHL: 5

  — Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 29, 2024

Rounds two through seven take place on Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m. Atlantic. Saint John Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko will be taken at some point.

NHL Draft begins Friday

The big weekend is here for Eriks Mateiko.

The Saint John Sea Dogs forward will find out within the next 24 hours where he'll be taken in this year's NHL Draft, which begins Friday night in Las Vegas.

Elite Prospects has combined the majority of the rankings from draft experts and Mateiko's consolidated ranking is 93rd overall. That would place the Latvian forward as a late third-round pick.

Via Elite Prospects, here's where Mateiko is ranked by different publications:

• Ranked #94 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM 
• Ranked #82 by THN/KENNEDY 
• Ranked #59 by MCKEEN'S HOCKEY 
• Ranked #74 by FLOHOCKEY/CHRIS PETERS 
• Ranked #110 by FCHOCKEY 
• Ranked #75 by DAILY FACEOFF 
• Ranked #33 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters) 
• Ranked #102 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY 
• Ranked #67 by SPORTSNET/BUKALA 
• Ranked #133 by RECRUIT SCOUTING
• Scott Wheeler of The Athletic has Mateiko ranked 71st
• TSN's Bob McKenzie had Mateiko listed as an honourable mention his top-90

Sportsnet's Jason Bukala listed Mateiko in a recent article on his favourite players outside the first round.

"His draft ranking ranges from the early stages of the third round all the way to the fifth," writes Bukala. "It wouldn’t surprise me to see him come off the board in the third round, potentially to a team that owns multiple mid-round selections."

The 18-year-old posted 23 goals and 20 assists in 49 games with Saint John last year, his second season in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

Draft ready ✅#SJSeaDogs President Trevor Georgie, GM Anthony Stella, and Head Coach Travis Crickard met up with Moose and his family in Vegas!#GoDogsGo | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/HoPPrTWvmt

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) June 28, 2024

Mateiko will likely be the only Sea Dogs player selected in this year's draft. He'll become the first Saint John player taken in the NHL Draft since Cam MacDonald in 2021.

Again this year, it's not expected to be a great draft for the QMJHL, with potentially just one player (Chicoutimi's Maxim Masse) being taken in the first round – and even that isn't a lock.

The first round takes place Friday night and the remaining rounds will be held on Saturday.

CHL announces new national event

The Canadian Hockey League unveiled its new national event on Wednesday, which will feature a rare partnership between the CHL and USA Hockey.

From the CHL news release:

Building off of one of hockey’s greatest rivalries between Canada and the United States, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge will see the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL’s three-member leagues – Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) – face off against those from USA Hockey’s NTDP in a two-game series.

 

During the series, players from both the CHL and NTDP competing in this event will play before hundreds of NHL scouts and thousands of fans in an effort to improve their draft stock ahead of the upcoming NHL Draft. Players for the CHL team will be provided by NHL Central Scouting as selected by the NHL’s 32 clubs, and much like other national events in the CHL, the hosting duties of the CHL USA Prospects Challenge will rotate between the CHL’s three-member league markets each year. The first edition of this new event is set to take place in November 2024 with specific details on the date, location, and event format to come at a later date.

The event essentially replaces both the Canada Russia Series and the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. The game should be much more intense than the previous Top Prospects Game format. It will also give Canadian fans a great chance to see the USNTDP team in person, a team that is often loaded with top talent for the NHL Draft.

The Canada Russia Series hasn't been played since the pandemic and is unlikely to resume in the near future. While Canada/Russia is a classic (and still good) rivalry, there is a new generation of fans that would likely consider the United States to be Canada's biggest hockey rival now.

One noteworthy item from the release is that the CHL specifically calls out that the event "will rotate between the CHL’s three-member league markets each year." That was never something officially official with the Top Prospects Game.

Two years since the DuFOUR game

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Edmonton Oilers' 3-0 series comeback in the Stanley Cup Final came up short against the Florida Panthers on Monday night.

One comeback that didn't come up short? The Saint John Sea Dogs erasing a three-goal first period deficit at the 2022 Memorial Cup and defeating the rival Shawinigan Cataractes 5-3, earning them a bye to the tournament final. 

Tuesday marks the two-year anniversary of the game, one of the greatest in team history. The comeback was highlighted by William Dufour netting four goals, one of the top single game performances in Memorial Cup history.

Dufour netted a natural hat trick in the second period to tie the game. The now 22-year-old forward, who was the Memorial Cup MVP and leading scorer, had a remarkable 15 shots in the game.

Rozzi could be USHL bound

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It looks like more than one of the Saint John Sea Dogs' top draft picks could be bound for the United States Hockey League.

The Tribune Chronicle reported Saturday that forward Dylan Rozzi, who the Sea Dogs selected eighth overall in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, intends to play with the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms this coming season.

As the newspaper reports, Rozzi's older brother, Jake, who is committed to join nearby Ohio State University this fall, played with Youngstown during the 2022-23 season – which ended with a USHL championship.

Rozzi recorded 17 goals and 46 points in 42 games with the Lac St-Louis Lions last season. He's been long-time teammates with William Yared, Saint John's top pick in this year's draft.

Defenseman Cameron Chartrand, who the Sea Dogs picked late in the first round of this year's draft, could also be playing in the USHL this coming season. Chartrand did not attend the draft in Moncton and was a second round pick of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL Futures Draft.

Rozzi was a fourth-round pick of Youngstown in this year's USHL Futures Draft. Notably, the Phantoms' lineup features 17-year-old forward Zachary Morin, who was a first round pick of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft. After the Armada opted to relinquish his rights, the Sea Dogs grabbed Morin in the eighth round of this year's draft.

Notebook: Dogs pick taken in MHL Draft

The Maritime Hockey League held its annual draft last weekend and, as usual, there were a few Saint John Sea Dogs notes that came from it.

• The Grand Falls Rapids selected Sea Dogs forward Jacob Beaulieu in the QMJHL supplemental draft. Beaulieu, who will turn 18 at the end of this month, has spent the past two years in Saint John but will likely be in a battle for one of the team's depth forward roles this coming season.
• Defenseman Joshua Henry, a sixth-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, was selected in the fourth-round by the Fredericton Red Wings. Henry spent last season at Rothesay Netherwood.
• The Red Wings traded the rights to former Sea Dogs forward Francis Woods to the Gatineau Flames of the QJHL. Woods was a bit of a journeyman last year, playing games with the Sea Dogs, Flames, Red Wings, Gatineau Olympiques and Rockland Nationals.
• Forward Will Shearer of the Halifax McDonald's was selected first overall by the Campbellton Tigers. Shearer was a sixth-round pick of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

The full results of this year's MHL Draft can be found here.

NEW EQUIPMENT MANAGER

The Sea Dogs have found a new equipment manager – and they didn't have to look far.

The team has named Saint John native Bradey Williston the club's head equipment manager, replacing Tyler Jay who accepted a position with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. The 27-year-old joins the Sea Dogs after spending this past season with the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays.

“This team has been a huge part of my life since I was eight-years-old,” Williston said in a news release. “So the chance to come back home was a very special opportunity that I could not pass up.”

Williston was previously an assistant equipment manager with the Sea Dogs for three seasons and helped the club win the Memorial Cup in 2022.

Friday night news & notes

Major junior hockey in Mississauga is no more.

The Ontario Hockey League has officially approved the relocation of the Mississauga Steelheads to Brampton where they will become the Brampton Steelheads. The two rinks are located less than 10 minutes from each other (pictured).

Brampton's CAA Centre has been without the OHL since the Battalion moved to North Bay in 2013. The move probably won't help the Steelheads' woeful attendance much, but it's believed to be a much more financially friendly lease arrangement. 

Mississauga's Paramount Fine Foods Centre – previously the Hershey Centre – is where the Saint John Sea Dogs won their first Memorial Cup in 2011. The Steelheads franchise was then known as the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors.

The Steelheads will play their first game in Brampton on Sept. 27 against the Brantford Bulldogs.

A few other news and notes...

• The Sea Dogs website recaps the team's QMJHL Entry Draft, which includes a few comments from general manager Anthony Stella.
• Oak View Group, the company that manages TD Station, will soon manage the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre, reports Country 94.
• The Quebec Remparts could host next year's QMJHL Entry Draft, reports le Soleil. The Remparts last hosted in 2019 when the Sea Dogs selected Joshua Roy first overall.
• There's going to be plenty of attention on the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft (and the tanking that will come with it) with Alexis Joseph expected to be taken first overall. Joseph is considered by many to be the best Quebec prospect since Alexis Lafreniere.
• The Halifax Mooseheads have named Andrew Lord the team's new head coach. Lord was the head coach and general manager of the ECHL's Greenville Swamp Rabbits. He is the reigning ECHL coach of the year.
• Times are good in Cape Breton. General manager Sylvain Couturier has signed a "multi-year" contract extension with the club, which is coming off a trip to the league semifinals.
• The WHL's Kelowna Rockets have made it known that they are bidding to host the 2026 Memorial Cup. The Rockets were set to host the 2020 event that was cancelled by the pandemic.
• Flames Nation looks back on the season former Sea Dogs defenseman Yan Kuznetsov had, which included an NHL call up.
• Gold Canada executive Bryan Crawford has been named the new commissioner of the OHL, replacing the retiring David Branch. All three CHL leagues will have relatively new commissioners next season.
• The OHL regular season will begin a week later than the QMJHL's. The OHL is expected to release its full schedule on Monday.

How Sea Dogs alumni performed in ECHL

Saint John Sea Dogs

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forwards Nico Blachman (pictured) and Kelly Bent were amongst the ECHL leaders in one category – and it was the category you probably guessed.

Blachman finished second in penalty minutes with 188 in 45 games split between the Adirondack Thunder, Kalamazoo Wings and Iowa Heartlanders while Bent finished fourth with 174 in 62 games split between the Wichita Thunder and Orlando Solar Bears.

The two were still quite a ways off the league penalty minutes leader: Mark Liwiski of the Norfolk Admirals had a league high 310 in 54 games.

Beyond the fighting, it was a low key year for former Sea Dogs in the ECHL, a few of whom split the season between the league and the American Hockey League. Ryan Francis, for example, appeared in 31 games with the ECHL's Greenville Swamp Rabbits and 19 games with the AHL's Ontario Reign.

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Nicolas Guay	TR	36	11	12	23
Ryan Francis	GVL	31	9	12	21
Maxim Cajkovic	IA WHL	33	12	10	22
Kelly Bent	WIC ORL	62	6	1	7
Nico Blachman	ADK KAL IA	45	3	3	6
Philippe Daoust	ALN	5	3	2	5
Nathan Noel	MNE	24	1	4	5
Raivis Ansons	WHL	8	2	1	3
Jack Van Boekel	FW	3	0	0	0

Van Boekel also played with the Western Ontario Super Hockey League's Tillsonburg Thunder. He had 51 penalty minutes in seven regular season games and 84 penalty minutes in 15 playoff games.

Mateiko performs well at NHL Combine

NHL

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko had a strong showing at the recent NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo.

The Latvian had top-10 finishes aerobic fitness, wingspan and right and left hand grip.

Below are the top-25 results from each of those categories (click to enlarge).

Notebook: Dogs aiming for 2027-28 peak

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON – It would appear that the Saint John Sea Dogs have identified 2027-28 as their next "all in" season.

Speaking after the conclusion of this weekend's Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, general manager Anthony Stella said the plan is to go for it with a team led by the 2008 birth year, which the majority of this draft class was made of.

The @SJSeaDogs development cycle is looking for a 2027-28 peak in the @QMJHL, said GM Anthony Stella Saturday. "We want to win with 2008’s, so our goal is when these guys (drafted this weekend) are 19."

— Kevin Barrett (@KevinBarrettNB) June 8, 2024

Saint John will likely have some high picks in next year's draft as well to help support this core.

The Sea Dogs are certainly asking for patience from their fans here but, ideally, the team is contending a season or two before then with 2028 being the bookend of this cycle. The QMJHL will also be hosting the Memorial Cup in 2028.

THRICE

Friday night marked the third time in Sea Dogs franchise history that the club selected three times in the first round.

2024: F William Yared (5), F Dylan Rozzi (8) and D Cameron Chartrand (19)

2018: D William Villeneuve (2), D Jeremie Poirier (8) and F Josh Lawrence (15)

2015: F Joe Veleno (1), G Alex D'Orio (9) and F Cedric Pare (10)

This was the first time the Sea Dogs picked in the first round since 2021.

CHEMISTRY

It looks like there will be an instant connection between Saint John's top two picks, who both spent last season with the Lac St-Louis Lions.

William Yared and Dylan Rossi have skated on same line since they were eight years old. Now they are No. 5
And No. 8 picks overall by @SJSeaDogs

— Kevin Barrett (@KevinBarrettNB) June 8, 2024

"One would miss the other if they were split up so we're glad to get them both," said Stella. 

Saint John then used their second round pick on Lions defenseman Cruz Scanzano.

Mateiko remains a Sea Dog for now

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON – The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft is over and Eriks Mateiko remains a Saint John Sea Dog.

Mateiko, who is coming off his second season with the Sea Dogs and will likely get selected in the NHL Draft later this month, is considered to be one of the top imports in the QMJHL next year. Given where Saint John is at in their rebuild, trading him to a contender is a logical move.

A deal hasn't happened, but one could certainly be coming soon, said Sea Dogs general manager Anthony Stella following Saturday's QMJHL Entry Draft at the Avenir Centre.

"We could have moved now or we could have moved at Christmas," Stella said of dealing the Latvian forward. "If Moncton wanted to make a splash they would have done the deal last night – they didn't. If they wanted to make a splash today they could have done it today and they didn't. There was a handful of other teams that asked about him. I think, leading into it, it's not over yet. There could still be deals for Eriks in the coming days – not necessarily with the draft. So we'll see how that unfolds but that is still an active file."

Moncton GM Taylor MacDougall says he can't comment on a player on another organization and "Anthony has my number."

— Kevin Barrett (@KevinBarrettNB) June 8, 2024

The Sea Dogs made just one trade this past week, dealing a 2025 first-round pick (which originally belonged to Moncton) to the Rimouski Oceanic in exchange for the 19th overall selection in Friday night's first round. Saint John used the pick on defenseman Cameron Chartrand who spent last season playing US prep school hockey with the Bishop Kearney Selects.

Playing US prep school hockey is typically a sign of a player intending to play college hockey – or at least keep that pathway open. Saint John drafted three Canadians who currently play in the United States and another four American players.

Stella said the team is hopeful that expected changes to the NCAA/CHL arrangement – which would allow CHL players to play NCAA hockey – will entice players to join the Sea Dogs.

Deeper dive into Saint John's draft class

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON – A couple things quickly stand out when looking at the Saint John Sea Dogs' 2024 draft class.

The first is size. The Sea Dogs selected 13 players during this weekend's Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft and only three of them were officially (they may have grown since) under 6'0" in height.

The second is that the team is taking several swings at landing players considering US college hockey. Saint John selected four American players and another three Canadians who played in the United States last season. The team is hopeful impending changes to the NCAA/CHL agreement – which would make CHL players eligible to play NCAA hockey – will help land some of these players in Saint John.

In total, Saint John selected six forwards, six defensemen and one goaltender. Along with the four Americans, Saint John picked eight players from Quebec and just one from the Maritimes (from Nova Scotia).

For a deeper dive into Saint John's three first-round picks made on Friday night, check out this post. Below is a look at Saint John's Saturday selections.

Round 2, 26th - Cruz Scanzano - RD - Lac St-Louis Lions

Listed at 6'1 and 184 lbs, Scanzano posted six assists in 41 games with the Lions last season. He was held pointless in seven playoff games.

Scanzano was ranked 88th by QMJHL Central Scouting.

Sea Dogs select 13 in 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON – The Saint John Sea Dogs selected 13 players in the 2024 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft this weekend at the Avenir Centre.

After selecting three players in Friday's opening round, the Sea Dogs picked 10 more on Saturday – including one in each of the second and third rounds.

In total, Saint John selected six forwards, six defensemen and one goaltender.

Here's a quick look at who the Sea Dogs selected.

R	#	Player	P	H	W	Team/Prov
1	5	William Yared	C	6'0	191	Lac St-Louis/QC
1	8	Dylan Rozzi	LW	5'11	152	Lac St-Louis/QC
1	19	Cameron Chartrand	RD	6'0	191	Bishop Kearney/QC
2	26	Cruz Scanzano	RD	6'1	184	Lac St-Louis/QC
3	45	Rafael Courchesne	G	6'2	183	St-Hyacinthe/QC
6	93	Joshua Henry	RD	6'1	190	Rothesay Netherwood/NS
6	95	Jamie Glance	RW	5'8	154	Mount St. Charles/NH
7	113	Brian McFadden	RD	6'3	175	Catholic Memorial/MA
8	131	Zachary Morin	LW	6'1	186	Youngstown/QC
11	185	Frédérick Bourque	D	6'2	181	l'Outaouais/QC
12	203	Dylan-Alec Chery	F	6'1	179	Taft School/QC
13	221	Matas Janulius	RD	6'0	163	Islanders HC/MA
14	239	Matthew Krayer	C	5'9	160	Mount St. Charles/MA

The Sea Dogs made just one trade all weekend. Saint John dealt a first-round pick in 2025 (Moncton) to the Rimouski Oceanic in exchange for pick No. 19, which they used to select defenseman Cameron Chartrand.

More to come...

Video: Saint John takes the stage three times in first round

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON – The Saint John Sea Dogs made three picks in Friday's first round of the 2024 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

The league has uploaded Eastlink's video of each selection. Below are Saint John's three picks.

Here's William Yared:

Sea Dogs draft three in first round

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs made three selections in the first round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft on Friday.

The Sea Dogs selected forward William Yared fifth overall, forward Dylan Rozzi eighth and defenseman Cameron Chartrand 19th. Yared and Rozzi, who were teammates last season with the Lac St-Louis Lions, were both in attendance while Chartrand, who played US prep school hockey, was not.

Yared posted 10 goals and 32 assists in 41 games with the Lions last season. He added three goals and six assists in seven playoff games.

QMJHL Central Scouting had Yared ranked seventh overall.

With the fifth overall selection @SJSeaDogs select William Yared from @lsllionsaaa

He had 42 points in 41 games this season

Here’s what Sea Dogs fans can expect from their newest prospect: pic.twitter.com/DL5lSBiQV5

— Puck Preps Eastern Canada (@PuckPrepsEastCa) June 7, 2024

Rozzi, meanwhile, was ranked 11th by QMJHL Central Scouting.

First round of QMJHL Entry Draft completed

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON – As expected, the Quebec Remparts acquired the first overall pick and, as expected, selected forward Maddox Dagenais with the selection in the opening round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft on Friday.

Dagenais, ranked first by QMJHL Central Scouting, is the son of Pierre Dagenais, who was picked first overall by the Moncton Alpines in 1995. They become the first father/son combo to be taken first overall.

Here's how the rest of the first round shook down.

		Player	P	H	W	Team (Prov)
1	QUE	Maddox Dagenais	C	6'3	180	Quinte (QC)
2	VDO	Benjamin Cossette-Ayotte	RD	6'0	165	Trois-Rivieres (QC)
3	SHA	Chad Lygitsakos	C	5'7	157	Trois-Rivieres (QC)
4	CAP	Romain Litalien	C	6'0	175	Saint-Francois Seminaire (QC)
5	SNB	William Yared	C	6'1	191	Lac St-Louis (QC)
6	CHI	Jayden Plouffe	LW	5'9	168	Collège Esther-Blondin (QC)
7	VIC	Enzo Lottin	C	5'6	160	Trois-Rivieres (QC)
8	SNB	Dylan Rozzi	LW	5'11	152	Lac St-Louis (QC)
9	BAT	Biagio Jr Daniele	LD	5'10	160	Laval-Montreal (QC)
10	CHI	Tynan Lawrence	F	6'0	168	Shattuck St. Mary's (NB)
11	HAL	Daniel Walters	C	5'11	182	Halifax (NS)
12	GAT	Maxim Dube	C	5'11	163	Long Island (QC)
13	SHE	Thomas Rousseau	RW	5'9	154	St-Eustache (QC)
14	GAT	Simon-Xavier Cyr	C	6'1	185	Magog (QC)
15	SHA	Louis-Felix Gagnon	LD	5'11	172	Saint-Francois Seminaire (QC)
16	VDO	Jacob Gouchie	RD	6'0	202	Moncton (NB)
17	VDO	Benjamin Olivier	C	5'8	156	Collège Charles-Lemoyne (QC)
18	BAT	Liam Arsenault	LW	5'7	160	Kensington (PE)
19	SNB	Cameron Chartrand	RD	6'0	191	Bishop Kearney (QC)
20	GAT	Noah Florent	RW	5'6	139	Saint-Francois Seminaire (QC)

It's draft day

MONCTON – Today is the day.

Or should it be tonight is the night?

The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League is doing something a little different this year, hosting the first round of its annual Entry Draft on a Friday night rather than Saturday morning. The remaining rounds will still take place on Saturday.

This year's QMJHL Entry Draft will take place at Moncton's Avenir Centre. Friday night's action begins at 8 p.m. Atlantic while Saturday selections begin at 9:30 a.m. The draft can be seen on Eastlink (you can watch on YouTube below), TVA Sports and, by the looks of it, CHL TV.

It'll be an important weekend for the Saint John Sea Dogs' rebuild with the team scheduled to pick twice in the first round and again in the second and third rounds. Here's Saint John's current bank of 2024 picks:

Round 1, 5th overall (via GAT)
Round 1, 8th overall (via BLB)

Round 2, 26th overall (via SHA)

Round 3, 45th overall (via BAT)

Round 6, 93rd overall (via VDO)

Round 6, 95th overall

Round 7, 113th overall

Round 8, 131st overall

Round 11, 185th overall

Round 12, 203rd overall

Round 13, 221st overall

Round 14, 239th overall

The Sea Dogs haven't picked in the first round since 2021. They made three selections in the second round last year.

All picks will be posted on the QMJHL website.

The QMJHL's trade period will also be open over the next couple days. Trades can also be tracked on the QMJHL website.

Notebook: More draft rankings

QMJHL

MONCTON – Fredericton forward Tynan Lawrence tops Puck Preps' rankings for this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

Puck Preps lists the likelihood of Lawrence taking the college hockey route at 90%. He'll hear his name called at some point this weekend – it's just a matter of when.

Keeping with our 2024 QMJHL Draft Ranking unveil we present our final Top Ten of the year!

The list includes a slew of players from @lsllionsaaa @EstacadesMAAA @VikingsAAA among others! pic.twitter.com/5zM450aKhm

— Puck Preps Eastern Canada (@PuckPrepsEastCa) June 4, 2024

"If he were to report, which seems improbable since has tendered in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, Lawrence has the all the tools to be a premiere #1 center in the QMJHL, including the smarts, skill and defensive acumen," writes Auston Robson of Puck Preps. "In my opinion, he’ll be the biggest wildcard on draft day."

Interestingly, Puck Preps lists forward Maddox Dagenais at No. 7. Dagenais, who was ranked No. 1 by QMJHL Central Scouting, is expected to be picked first overall on Friday night.

BOOTS JOINS WILDCATS

Paul Boutilier is back in the QMJHL.

The Moncton Wildcats announced Wednesday that Boutilier has joined the club's hockey operations staff as a defense consultant. 

“I am thrilled to add Paul 'Boots' Boutilier to our development staff in Moncton," said Wildcats general manager and director of hockey operations Taylor MacDougall in a news release. "His experience and work in player development is revered across the hockey world, but more importantly he is a person whose values and ideologies around player development are aligned with ours. He will play an integral role in our organization, and I couldn’t be more excited for him to begin working with our current players and prospects."

Boutilier is a former Sea Dogs assistant coach, helping the club win the 2017 President Cup. He was a defense consultant with Saint John in 2022 – where he worked with now Wildcats head coach Gardiner MacDougall – and helped the club win the Memorial Cup.

Big trades made ahead of draft day

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MONCTON - It was a quiet day for the Saint John Sea Dogs but a major day for several teams in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

The league opened another trade window on Thursday morning and a number of major deals were announced.

• The Moncton Wildcats acquired 20-year-old forward Markus Vidicek and a couple third round picks from the Halifax Mooseheads in exchange for second year forward Shawn Carrier. Carrier was the sixth overall pick in last year's draft but saw limited ice time with Moncton in his rookie season.
• The Wildcats also acquired defenseman Dylan MacKinnon – a Riverview native – in exchange for Halifax's own first, second and third round picks in 2026.
• The largest deal of the day saw the Memorial Cup host Rimouski Oceanic acquire 20-year-old defenseman Pier-Olivier Roy from the Victoriaville Tigres in a three-team deal that also involved the Val-d'Or Foreurs.
• The Acadie-Bathurst Titan picked up 20-year-old defenseman Francois-James Buteau from the Rouyn-Noranda Hukies, returning Rouyn-Noranda's first-round pick in the deal.
• Back-to-back President Cup champion forward Kassim Gaudet was traded to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in exchange for a couple second-round picks.
• The Drummondville Voltigeurs dealt forward Justin Cote to the Quebec Remparts.

The full list of trades can be found on the QMJHL website .

There are at least a couple big trades expected to be made on Friday. The Quebec Remparts are still expected to acquire the first overall pick from the Cape Breton Eagles while the Oceanic are expected to trade for Mathieu Cataford from the Mooseheads.

Mooseheads forward Mathieu Cataford will move to the Rimouski Océanic tomorrow. Halifax will receive two first-round picks and two second-round picks to make its acquisition. Another big piece ahead of the 2025 Memorial Cup. #lesole

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) June 6, 2024

The QMJHL Entry Draft begins Friday night at 8 pm at Moncton's Avenir Centre.

Wildcats announce draft events

MONCTON – This year's Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft will have a much different vibe to it.

Typically beginning on a Saturday morning and wrapping up mid-afternoon, this year's draft will be split over two days: the first round will take place Friday night and the remaining rounds will begin the next morning.

The move will certainly make for a livelier first round and a shorter Saturday – and it will also allow the host city to create much more of a festival feel to it on the Friday night. The Moncton Wildcats are taking full advantage, hosting an outdoor beer garden, live music and a viewing party (although the event is free to attend) on Friday night.

Are you ready for this weekend?
There's lots going on in and around the Centre Avenir Centre as we host the entire QMJHL for the 2024 Draft!#DefendTheDen | #ANewEra pic.twitter.com/6HyzYVdPfd

— Moncton Wildcats (@monctonwildcats) June 5, 2024

Moncton last hosted the QMJHL Entry Draft in 2009 at the Coliseum.

The event is free to attend and will also be broadcast on Eastlink and TVA Sports. It looks like (although the league hasn't been promoting it) that the draft will be streamed on CHL TV as well.

Sea Dogs poised to hit first round stage

MONCTON – The Saint John Sea Dogs are poised to do something on Friday they haven't done since 2021 – make a pick in the first round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs haven't selected in the opening round in the past two drafts. They did, however, pick three times in the second round last year (Egan Beveridge, Olivier Duhamel and Benjamin Amyot) but had to wait until the third round (Jeremie Richard) in 2022.

Saint John is currently scheduled to select fifth and eighth overall, respectively, in Friday night's first round, which begins at 8 p.m. Atlantic at Moncton's Avenir Centre.

Saint John's last first round pick came in 2021 when they chose defenseman Natan Grenier 19th overall. Grenier never played a game for Saint John, getting dealt to the Moncton Wildcats in the Philippe Daoust blockbuster.

It hasn't been the greatest run of success/luck for the Sea Dogs in first rounds of late. In 2020 the team picked Leighton Carruthers and Nathan Drapeau and in 2019 the team selected Joshua Roy first overall. All were traded – some for very good returns – before they got too far into their careers in Saint John.

The Sea Dogs, like every team, have had some great drafts and some bad ones. Even though they've had some misses in first rounds, they've often made up for it with strong selections in the second, third or even fourth rounds.

Notebook: Jay joins Titan

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

The Saint John Sea Dogs will have a new equipment manager next season.

Tyler Jay, who has been Saint John's head equipment manager since the 2019-20 season, has joined the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, the team announced Monday. 

“We are excited to bring Tyler into our organization” Titan general manager and head coach Gordie Dwyer said in a news release. “His experience working with elite junior players at the club and national team levels will help to prepare our players for the season and the next level.”

Jay will be reunited Dwyer, who was Saint John's head coach during the 2021-22 season. Jay worked as an assistant equipment manager with the Charlottetown Islanders when Dwyer was the club's head coach.

Jay was also part of Saint John's staff during the 2016-17 season, helping the club win the President Cup.

BROADCAST INFO

On Monday, the QMJHL officially announced broadcast details for this year's Entry Draft.

From the league:

The 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft presented by Fenplast will take place on June 7 and 8 at Moncton’s Avenir Centre.

The first round will begin this Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern / 8 p.m. Atlantic and will broadcast live on Eastlink and TVA Sports.

Rounds 2 to 14 will take place on Saturday, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern / 9:30 a.m. Atlantic, and fans will be able to catch them on both Eastlink and CHL TV.

This is the first time the QMJHL has held its first round on a Friday night. Traditionally all rounds have been held on Saturday.

The draft is free to attend.

First trade period opens Tuesday

QMJHL

The Canadian Hockey League season officially came to an end on Sunday, which means it's officially time to start looking ahead to the 2024-25 season.

Next season really gets going on Tuesday in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with a trade period opening. The first trade period of the off-season is typically an active one with a number of pre-determined deals becoming official.

In addition to Tuesday's 3-hour trade window for the QMJHL, there will be another short window that opens on Thursday followed by regular dealing at the draft at the Avenir Centre on Friday and Saturday. Then it closes again til August.

— Kevin Barrett (@KevinBarrettNB) June 3, 2024

There is expected to be some movement at the top of the draft board ahead of Friday's first round. The Quebec Remparts are expected to trade for the first overall pick while the Shawinigan Cataractes could slide into the top-five as well.

Le 1er choix au total des #Eagles sera transigé aux #Remparts

À confirmer mais ca devrait ressembler à :

A QUÉ : 1er au total 2024
À CB : 4e total 2024, 2e choix 2025 et 1er choix 2026

Les #Remparts payent cher pour sélectionner le 1er espoir Maddox Dagenais (fils de Pierre)

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) June 1, 2024

Le portrait va comme suit :

VDO : Pier-Olivier Roy + Choix #15
SHA : Choix #3 et #21
VIC : Choix #6

L'échange du 3e choix avec les Cataractes avait été rapporté par @MatthewVachon_, vendredi soir.

— Pierre-Olivier Poulin (@P_OPoulin) June 1, 2024

As for the Saint John Sea Dogs, we'll see what happens. As mentioned, Eriks Mateiko is no doubt drawing a lot of interest from contending teams – but the Sea Dogs could opt to hang onto him for a few more days or even a few more months.

There was some speculation online of the Sea Dogs acquiring Sam Oliver from the QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs – but Kevin Barrett reports otherwise.

The Sea Dogs are currently scheduled to pick fifth and eighth overall in Friday's first round.

Spirit win 2024 Memorial Cup

CHL X

The Saginaw Spirit are Memorial Cup champions.

The host Spirit upset the favoured London Knights 4-3 in Sunday night's tournament finale to win their first championship of any kind. It's the first time a team from Michigan has hoisted the trophy and the first time an American squad has won since the 2008 Spokane Chiefs.

The Spirit dominated the first half of the game and built a 3-0 lead. The Knights scored their first goal of the game at 9:45 of the second period – which was just their second shot on goal.

The Knights, somewhat predictably, gained some momentum from that goal and scored twice in the third period to tie things at 3-3. Just when it looked like the game was heading to overtime, Saginaw's Josh Bloom scored the winner with 22 seconds remaining to secure the Memorial Cup title.

JOSH BLOOM WITH THE BIGGEST GOAL IN FRANCHISE HISTORY 🚨

THE OA SCORES THE TOURNAMENT-WINNING GOAL WITH 21 SECONDS LEFT TO LEAD SAGINAW TO VICTORY 📽️#MemorialCup | @SpiritHockey | @Canucks pic.twitter.com/wI2rvY7kD7

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) June 3, 2024

The Spirit join the 2012 Shawinigan Cataractes (who also beat the Knights in the final), 2017 Windsor Spitfires and 2022 Saint John Sea Dogs as recent host teams to lift the Memorial Cup after not winning their league title. The 2005 Knights remain the last host team to win both their league and the Memorial Cup.

Saginaw is the first OHL club to win the Memorial Cup since the 2017 Spitfires. The QMJHL had won the last four tournaments.

The 2025 Memorial Cup will be held in Rimouski next spring.