Sea Dogs announce camp roster, schedule

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs' training camp roster is finally here.

The Sea Dogs unveiled the roster on Thursday, one day ahead of the start of on-ice sessions. The team will play a scrimmage on Friday night at the Quispamsis qplex.

The #SJSeaDogs have announced a 44-player roster for the team's 2024 Training Camp, which begins Friday.

📰: https://t.co/8PKK46UZff#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/RaUlbpTkGa

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) August 15, 2024

The roster includes 44 players: five goaltenders, 15 defensemen and 24 forwards. The lineup is highlighted by first round picks William Yared and Dylan Rozzi. The big question is will they stay at camp or depart to keep their college hockey eligibility?

Here's a quick roster breakdown.

• The team will begin camp with four 20-year-olds competing for three spots: forward Charles-Antoine Lavalleé and defensemen Joseph Ianniello, Matteo Mann and Nate Tivey.
• Six free agents will be attending: forward Domenic Battaglia, Brayden Campbell, Matthew Ferdinand, Karolis Janulis and Jonah Leard along with defenseman Owen Arnold.
• Four players are on loan from other QMJHL teams: forwards Charles-Antoine Lavalleé and Will Allen along with goaltenders Jack Flanagan and Luciano Ruggiero.
• American players attending camp: forwards Daniel Daley (second round pick in 2023 American draft) and Karolis Janulis (free agent) along with defenseman Matas Janulis (13th round pick in 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft). The Janulis' are brothers. 
• 2024 draft picks not attending camp: defenseman Cameron Chartrand (1st round), forward Jamie Glance (6th round), defenseman Brian McFadden (7th round), forward Zachary Morin (8th round) and forward Matthew Krayer (14th round). All of those players are American except Chartrand and Morin, who will be playing in the USHL this season.
• Defenseman Jeremie Richard, who saw a bit of time as a forward last season, is listed as a forward on the camp roster.
• The Sea Dogs have six returning defensemen (not including Richard), three of whom are overagers. What the team opts to do on the backend will be interesting.
• Who will be Justin Robinson's backup (or tandem)? That role is wide open.

Following on-ice sessions over the weekend, the Sea Dogs begin pre-season play on Tuesday night in St. Stephen, hosting the Charlottetown Islanders.