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.

AWARD NOM FOR LAFORGE

Sea Dogs forward Nico Laforge has been honoured by Hockey Gives Blood.

DAYNA BRONS HONORARY AWARD

🏆 NOMINEE

Congratulations to Nico Laforge of the @SJSeaDogs on being named a nominee for the 2024 Dayna Brons Honorary Award for his outstanding commitment and leadership in support of @CanadasLifeline .

Read more: https://t.co/j1dSUe9YsY pic.twitter.com/7tFVt3AGYU

— Hockey Gives Blood (@hkygivesblood) June 17, 2024

THEEDE RE-SIGNS

Former Sea Dogs forward Dawson Theede has re-signed with the National Lacrose League's Halifax Thunderbirds, inking a three-year deal.

From the Thunderbirds:

Theede, 27, has spent three of his four NLL seasons as a member of the Thunderbirds organization. After being drafted by the franchise in the fourth round of the 2018 NLL Draft, he spent one year in Rochester before being selected by New York in expansion. He had another stop in Panther City in 2022 before being re-acquired by the Thunderbirds midway through that same season.

The Brooklin, Ontario product played in all 18 games for the Thunderbirds this season, setting a new career-high for himself in goals (30), assists (28), and points (58). For his efforts this past year, Theede was voted by the Thunderbirds faithful as the Fan Favourite Award recipient.

In 42 career games, Theede has 55 goals and 106 points to go along with 163 loose balls.

Theede appeared in 27 games with Saint John during the 2015-16 season. After three seasons in the QMJHL, he spent five seasons with the Saint Mary's Huskies.

OTHER THINGS

• We are just over a week away from the NHL Draft, which will take place June 28-29 in Las Vegas.
• The Cape Breton Eagles have been the QMJHL's most newsworthy team of late.
• The Eagles made a couple additions to their hockey operations staff. Local legend Fabian Joseph has been named a hockey operations advisor while Eagles legend Chris Culligan has been named a regional scout.
• The Eagles announced that veteran goaltender Nicolas Ruccia has been traded to the Charlottetown Islanders for a pair of draft picks. The trade will be made official in August.

  🚨Trade 🚨
  
  We have traded goaltender Nicolas Ruccia to the Charlettown Islanders in exchange for a 2nd Rd. pick in 2026 and a 5th Rd. pick in 2027.
  
  The finalized trade details will be made official come the August 1st trade period.
  
  Thank you for everything Rucc 🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/Hdpiyn7puk

  — Cape Breton Eagles (@CBEHockey) June 19, 2024

• Former Eagles general manager and head coach Pascal Vincent was fired by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. He spent just one year as Columbus' head coach.
• Saint John Vito's defenseman Aaron Murphy, selected 50th overall by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, told Postmedia that watching the 2022 Memorial Cup sparked his love of junior hockey.
• Speaking of the Drakkar, Drew Allison, a fourth-round of the team last year, has signed with the club for the upcoming season. Allison has spent the past two years playing US prep school hockey. Having a good team does wonders for recruitment.
• All the best to Julia Wright, who is leaving CBC Radio's Information Morning in the coming days.