Notebook: Crickard returns to Sydney

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Sunday's Saint John Sea Dogs game in Sydney ended with a much different vibe than the team's last visit.

Last season on March 9, the Sea Dogs/Eagles game ended 54 seconds into the third period after Saint John head coach Travis Crickard fainted behind the bench. Crickard was transported to hospital and released the next morning.

Crickard spoke about the incident on 1270 CJCB before Sunday's game.

"I actually kind of forgot about it until I walked into the rink today and then there were a couple of people in the hallway who greeted me with a lot of enthusiasm," Crickard told Eagles broadcaster Pat McNeil. "So I was like, 'oh, I'm kind of famous here now I guess.'"

Crickard said he was feeling quite ill in the days leading up to the incident, not eating or drinking much.

"The level of support that I was provided while I was here by everyone who works in in the medical field was fantastic. Everyone was super generous and kind. But I'll have to say it was a really unfortunate thing that happened and sometimes, in retrospect, you have to think about your personal health and you need to listen to your body a little bit."

GRAVEL HONOURED

Sea Dogs goaltender Charles-Edward Gravel was named the QMJHL's player of the week on Monday. Gravel led the Sea Dogs to two road wins over the weekend, which included a 45-save performance on Friday and nine stops in a shootout on Sunday.

From the league's press release:

On Friday night in Charlottetown, Gravel put on a clinic, stopping 45 shots, including 22 of 24 in the third period alone, in a 6-2 Saint John triumph over the Islanders. Gravel was named the game’s third star while the Dogs captured their first victory of the season.

On Sunday afternoon, the Sea Dogs traveled to Sydney and doubled their win total for the young campaign with a 2-1 shootout win over the Cape Breton Eagles. Gravel was again on top of his game, first stopping 29 shots in regulation, then slamming the door in a marathon shootout, shutting out the Eagles on nine attempts.

The overage netminder is now 2-1 with a 1.95 goals against average and a .944 save percentage. The nine saves he made in Sunday's shootout tied Travis Fullerton's franchise record from the 2007-08 season.

How rare was Sunday's shootout?

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

If it felt like Sunday's shootout was unusually long for a Saint John Sea Dogs game, it was.

Sunday's nine-round shootout is tied for the second longest in Sea Dogs history. Defenseman Nate Tivey scored the only goal of the breakaway competition, giving Saint John a 2-1 victory over the Cape Breton Eagles at Centre 200.

The Sea Dogs are celebrating their 20th anniversary this season but really haven't had many epic shootouts – despite the club's entire history being played in the shootout era.

A few fun facts related to Sunday's game:

• The longest shootout in Sea Dogs history was 12 rounds, which took place way back on Oct. 30, 2007 when Saint John fell 2-1 to the Lewiston Maineiacs at Harbour Station. Saint John had a nine-round shootout on Sept. 22, 2023, a 3-2 home loss to the Charlottetown Islanders.
• In that 2007 game, Travis Fullerton stopped nine of 12 shots he faced, which stood alone as a franchise record until Sunday. Charles-Edward Gravel stopped all nine shots he faced.
• Gravel and Jakub Milota combined for 17 saves, the second most combined saves in a Sea Dogs shootout. There were 19 combined made in that 2007 game between Fullerton and Jonathan Bernier.
• The nine shots Gravel faced on Sunday matches his career high for shootout attempts faced in an entire season. He faced nine total shootout shots all of last season (and allowed just one goal).
• Nate Tivey had never been used in a shootout until Sunday. He's now a perfect 1/1 in his QMJHL career.

  A nice little #TiveyTuck to seal the deal. 😎#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/qGVXkgIDMl

  — Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 29, 2024

• The Sea Dogs were 1-4 in shootouts last season, so perhaps this is a positive sign moving forward.

The longest shootout in league history was 19 rounds, which took place on April 29, 2022 between the Islanders and Moncton Wildcats.

Tomas Jurco and Jonathan Huberdeau each have a league record 16 career shootout goals. Defenseman Alex Grant is third in Sea Dogs franchise history with seven.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 2-1 (SO)

FINAL: Saint John 2, Cape Breton 1 (SO)

SYDNEY, NS - Nate Tivey scored the only goal of a nine-round shootout to give the Saint John Sea Dogs a 2-1 win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Sunday at Centre 200.

The nine-round shootout seemed fitting for a game that was fairly even throughout. The two teams were deadlocked 1-1 after 65 minutes of play with shots 30-30.

Dylan Rozzi scored Saint John's lone regulation goal, which came in the second period. Charles-Edward Gravel, making his second straight start, made 29 saves in the victory.

The Sea Dogs are now 2-2-0-0 on the year following back-to-back road wins this weekend.

The Eagles, meanwhile, fall to a disappointing 0-3-0-1. Tomas Lavoie, in his first game back from NHL camp, scored Cape Breton's lone goal. Jakub Milota made 29 saves in the loss.

The Eagles led 1-0 after one on a goal from Lavoie at 7:46. In the second, Callum Aucoin was given a double minor for high sticking at 2:42, sending Saint John to a four-minute power play. Both of Saint John's man advantage units created sustained offensive zone pressure – against an Eagles penalty kill that has struggled early this season – but could not score.

Saint John got on the board at 9:27. Just after a Matthew MacLean penalty ended, Rozzi was sprung on a breakaway and beat Milota, tying things up at 1-1. Shots were 13-4 in favour of Saint John in the middle frame.

The tides turned in the third period with the Eagles carrying the play, outshooting Saint John 12-4. But Gravel stopped all 12 shots he faced, sending the match into extra time tied 1-1.

After a scoreless overtime session, no players from either side could score until the ninth round of the shootout. After Xavier Daigle failed to score, Tivey netted the game winner to give Saint John the extra point.

Game Day 4: at Cape Breton

SYDNEY, NS - Coming off their first win of the season, the Saint John Sea Dogs will face a tough task this afternoon.

The Sea Dogs will look to carry the momentum they gained from a 6-2 win in Charlottetown on Friday into today's 3 p.m. contest against the Cape Breton Eagles at Centre 200. Games against the Eagles won't be easy this season – and the Dogs are likely to face a very motivated Cape Breton squad today.

The Eagles have started the season 0-3 and will look for their first win today. Cape Breton was still missing Tomas Lavoie and Cam Squires due to NHL camps on Friday.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 1-2-0-0 for two points (fourth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/14th QMJHL) while the Eagles are 0-3-0-0 for zero points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-2 win in Charlottetown on Friday. Tyler Peddle had a hat trick while singles came from Elliot Dubé, Nate Tivey and William Yared. Charles-Edward Gravel made 45 saves in the win. The Eagles are coming off a 5-2 home loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Friday. Lucas Romeo and Callum Aucoin scored. Jakub Milota made 17 saves in the loss.

Notebook: Mateiko signs ELC

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Just a few days after being reassigned to Saint John, the Washington Capitals have signed Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko to a three-year, entry level contract.

According to the Capitals, "Mateiko's contract will carry an average annual value of $889,167" at the NHL level.

The Latvian was a third-round pick of the Capitals in this summer's NHL Draft. He has spent the past two seasons in Saint John and made his 2024-25 debut on Friday night in Charlottetown, recording one shot and a +1 rating. He played on Saint John's top line with Tyler Peddle and Ben Cross.

The 18-year-old also worn an 'A' on his sweater Friday and is likely a strong candidate to be the team's captain this season.

HATTIE FOR PEDDLE

Welcome back Tyler Peddle.

The 19-year-old recorded his second career QMJHL hat trick in his 2024-25 regular season debut on Friday, leading the Sea Dogs to a 6-2 win over the Charlottetown Islanders.

Peddle seems to enjoy playing against the Islanders. He recorded four goals and an assist in six meetings with Charlottetown last season.

The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect picked up where he left off. Peddle ended the 2023-24 regular season with eight goals in his final 10 games.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-2

FINAL: Saint John 6, Charlottetown 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs rode a hot start en route to their first win of the 2024-25 season.

The Sea Dogs scored twice in the first 5:45 of the game in a 6-2 win over the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday at Eastlink Centre. It was a much different performance by Saint John after scoring a total of two goals in their first two games of the season.

Saint John's offense, which struggled to generate quality chances last weekend, was lifted by the return of Tyler Peddle and Eriks Mateiko from NHL camps. Peddle netted a hat trick in his return while singles came from Elliot Dubé, Nate Tivey and William Yared.

Charles-Edward Gravel, who was kept busy in the second half of the match, made 45 saves in the victory.

Matthew Butler and Alexis Michaud scored for Charlottetown. Nicola Ruccia allowed five goals on 26 shots in the first two periods. Donald Hickey made six saves in the third.

The Sea Dogs went to a power play just 3:29 into the game. Saint John was buzzing in the offensive zone – something that hadn't been seen up until this point – and ended with Peddle ripping a shot from the circle past Ruccia to open the scoring.

Just 41 seconds later, Dubé netted his first career QMJHL goal to continue pushing momentum in Saint John's favour. Shots were 12-2 Saint John at one point.

The Islanders slowly got back into the game later in the first period but Tivey, who simply walked into the zone and beat Ruccia clean, gave the Dogs a commanding 3-0 advantage at 16:15.

In the second, Peddle scored his second power play goal of the night at 12:19 to make it 4-0. Then, with just three seconds remaining in the period, Yared put in a rebound to make it 5-0 after two.

It was all Islanders in the first half of the third period and they were rewarded with a Butler goal at 7:47. Saint John got one back at 12:34 when Peddle ripped home his third of the game, lowering to one knee to get everything on the shot.

Much of the third period play was in Saint John's zone with shots ending 24-7 in favour of the Islanders. Michaud scored at 15:16 to make it a 6-2 final.

Game Day 3: at Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look for their first win of the season tonight against the Charlottetown Islanders.

The Sea Dogs dropped both of their games last weekend, falling 3-0 to the Moncton Wildcats and 5-2 to the Halifax Mooseheads. Saint John certainly has some things to improve on, notably limiting defensive breakdowns and generating more high quality scoring chances.

Saint John's offense should get a boost tonight. Forwards Eriks Mateiko and Tyler Peddle were both reassigned to Saint John from their respective NHL clubs this week. Both will need to lead Saint John's offense if the team wants to have success this season.

Game time tonight at Eastlink Centre is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 0-2-0-0 for zero points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/18th QMJHL) while the Islanders are 0-1-0-1 for one point (fourth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/13th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-2 home loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday. Olivier Groulx and Ben Cross scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 32 saves in the loss. The Islanders are coming off a 6-3 home loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday. Alexis Michaud, Spencer Caines and Simon Hughes scored for Charlottetown. Donald Hickey made 34 stops in the loss.

Elie off to hot start with Cataractes

Shawinigan Cataractes

Vince Elie is off to quite a start.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs forward recorded three goals and four assists in his first two games of the season with the Shawinigan Cataractes last weekend. He was named the QMJHL's player of the week for his efforts.

Elie posted three goals and an assist in Shawinigan's season opening win over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and then posted three assists in a win over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. The Cataractes are 2-0-0-0 and are now getting Matvei Gridin assigned to them by the Calgary Flames.

Le petit attaquant des @Cataractes_Shaw, Vince Elie, commence la saison avec un tour du chapeau et permet aux Cataractes de l'emporter 7-3. pic.twitter.com/ezQJwWrfbZ

— Ligue canadienne de hockey (@LCHhockey) September 21, 2024

Elie enters the second week of the regular season in a tie for first in league scoring with seven points. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies rookie Lars Steiner of Switzerland, a first round pick in this year's CHL Import Draft, also has seven points.

The Sea Dogs traded Elie to Shawinigan midway through last season in exchange for Olivier Groulx and a 2024 second round pick that was used to select Cruz Scanzano.

Other than Elie, it was a fairly quiet opening weekend for former Sea Dogs in the QMJHL.

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Vince Elie	SHA	2	3	4	7
Simon Hughes	CHA	2	1	1	2
Cole Burbidge	CAP	2	1	0	1
Pavel Simek	RIM	2	1	0	1
Nathan Drapeau	VDO	2	0	1	1
Chad Bellemare	SHE	1	0	0	0
Noah Reinhart	CAP	2	0	0	0
Leighton Carruthers	RN	0	0	0	0

Carruthers did not play last weekend and was listed as injured or sick by the Huskies.

The Sea Dogs will face Hughes and the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday before visiting Cole Burbidge, Noah Reinhart and the Cape Breton Eagles on Sunday afternoon.

Mann assigned to AHL camp

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Matteo Mann is off to American Hockey League training camp.

The Philadelphia Flyers assigned Mann to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Wednesday morning. The Flyers cut 14 players, five of whom were assigned back to their junior teams.

Lehigh Valley training camp begins Sept. 29. They begin pre-season play on Oct. 1 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Mann, who will turn 20 on New Year's Eve, is eligible to play professional hockey this season. He appeared in one game with the ECHL's Reading Royals late last season.

Mann is still eligible to be returned to Saint John for his overage season of junior hockey – and there is a good chance that he is in the near future. Getting an invite to AHL camp shows that the Flyers must be pleased with where his development is at.

The Sackville, NB native recorded six goals and seven assists in 42 games with the Sea Dogs last season. 

Mann was one of three current Sea Dogs attending NHL training camps this week. Forwards Eriks Mateiko and Tyler Peddle were both reassigned to Saint John on Tuesday.

The Sea Dogs are back in action on Friday when they visit the Charlottetown Islanders.

Mateiko, Peddle returned to junior

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs' offense is about to get a major boost.

Forwards Eriks Mateiko and Tyler Peddle are both on their way back from NHL training camps. The return of the two should help a Sea Dogs offense that struggled to create quality scoring chances during last weekend's games.

Mateiko was reassigned by the Washington Capitals while Peddle returns from Columbus Blue Jackets camp. 

Both appeared in NHL pre-season games over the past couple days. Mateiko, a third-round pick of the Capitals in this year's NHL Draft, was a -2 with two shots and two penalty minutes in Washington's 6-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. Peddle, a seventh-round pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2023 NHL Draft, appeared in the Blue Jackets' 6-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday where he was a -2 with two penalty minutes.

Mateiko, who will likely be a strong candidate to wear the 'C' for Saint John, is entering his third season with the Sea Dogs. The Latvian has 39 goals and 40 assists in 111 career QMJHL games and is poised to be one of the QMJHL's top import players this season.

The Sea Dogs acquired Peddle mid-season last year from the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The Antigonish native has never quite reached his full potential in the QMJHL but a strong showing with the Dogs in the second half (11 goals and seven assists in 28 games) is a positive sign heading into 2024-25.

Defenseman Matteo Mann is the only current Sea Dog that remains at an NHL training camp. The Flyers were expected to announce the first round of cuts Tuesday.

The Sea Dogs are back in action on Friday, visiting the Charlottetown Islanders.

Mateiko, Peddle appear in NHL pre-season games

Embed from Getty Images

A couple Saint John Sea Dogs have made appearances in NHL pre-season games.

Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko, taking part in his first NHL training camp, skated for the Washington Capitals on Sunday in their 6-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Mateiko, wearing No. 73, was a -2 with two shots in the loss. He also picked up a boarding penalty in the third period.

The 18-year-old was a third-round pick of the Capitals in this year's NHL Draft.

The Capitals' next pre-season game is Tuesday against the Boston Bruins.

Tyler Peddle, meanwhile, appeared in the Columbus Blue Jackets' 6-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. Wearing No. 88, Peddle was a -2 with two penalty minutes.

⁦@station_nation⁩ pic.twitter.com/1HlmieVMS8

— CBJProspects (@CBJProspects) September 22, 2024

The 19-year-old was a seventh-round pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2023 NHL Draft.

The Blue Jackets take on the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday.

Sea Dogs defenseman Matteo Mann remains away from the team as well, taking part in Flyers training camp.

All three are expected to be returned to the Sea Dogs at some point in the near future. Mann is the only one eligible to play pro hockey this season.

A number of Sea Dogs alumni have also seen pre-season action, including Jeremie Poirier (Calgary Flames), Julien Gauthier (New York Islanders), Mike Hoffman (Edmonton Oilers), Thomas Chabot (Ottawa Senators), Yan Kuznetsov (Calgary Flames), Jonathan Huberdeau (Calgary Flames) and Joshua Roy (Montreal Canadiens).

21 former #SJSeaDogs are attending NHL Training Camps this year 👏#GoDogsGo | #SeaDogsAlumni pic.twitter.com/ra1eoWboQT

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 18, 2024

New numbers for 2024-25 season

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

New season, new players, new numbers.

Newcomers to the Saint John Sea Dogs are sporting some classic numbers – but also a few we haven't seen often. Dennis Lominac, meanwhile, has become the first Sea Dog to ever wear No. 93.

Here's a breakdown of all of this season's new numbers.

3: Julien Bonnet - last worn in 2017-18 by Thomas Ashe. It's been a well used number over the years, highlighted by Olivier Leblanc (157 games) and Charlie Coyle (40).

8: Dylan Rozzi - last worn in 2023 by Tristan Dassylva. Another popular number, Daniel Del Paggio wore it for 151 games.

13: Florian Schenk - last worn in 2021-22 by William Villeneuve, who wore it for 227 games. Others to wear it: Danick Gauthier (25), Tomas Jurco (143) and Justice Dundas (64).

14: Ben Cross - last worn in 2021-22 by Ryan Francis. Jason Cameron wore it for 263 games. 

22: William Yared - last worn in 2022-23 by Vincent Despont. Aidan Kelly wore it for 192 games.

29: Charles-Edward Gravel - last worn by Charles-Antoine Girard in 2023-24. It's an interesting number as it's been worn by quite a few goaltenders and skaters. Nathan Larose wore it for 90 games.

44: Elliot Dubé - last worn in 2019 by Olivier Desroches. Only four players have worn the number with the others being Brett Gallant (142 games) and Jeremie Poirier, who wore No. 44 in his rookie season.

48: Giuliano Caputo - last worn by Riley Bezeau for two games in 2019. Ostap Safin (61 games) and Patrick Musico (36 games) are the only others to wear the number.

88: Cruz Scanzano - last worn by Brody Fournier just this past season. Maxim Cajkovic (96 games) and Chad Bellemare (24 games) are the only others to wear it.

93: Dennis Lominac - first Sea Dog to ever wear the number.

Notebook: Theme nights announced

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs will sport some different looks this season.

The Sea Dogs released their theme night schedule for the 2024-25 season last week and revealed that there will be six speciality jersey nights.

There are a few new theme nights this year compared to what has been done in the past. Along with championship era nights, the team will hold a throwback night, a toque/mitten toss, a next gen game and a wrestling night. There will also be a Superstore Contest Jersey Night, which has been popular in the OHL and WHL for a few years now.

LINEUP NEWS

There were no surprises with Saint John's lineup this weekend.

With three key forwards not with the team at the moment – Eriks Mateiko, Tyler Peddle and Egan Beveridge – Saint John dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen in both contests.

Mateiko, Peddle and defenseman Matteo Mann remain at NHL training camps, so they could be returned to junior hockey at any time. Mann is the only one of the three who could play pro hockey this season, but the expectation at this point is that he will be returned to Saint John.

The Sea Dogs are hopeful that Beveridge, who was listed as a healthy scratch this weekend, will report to Saint John this season. When that will be is not yet clear.

RICHARD TRADED

The Sea Dogs made a trade on Friday, dealing 18-year-old defenseman Jeremie Richard to the Shawinigan Cataractes for a 12th-round pick in the 2026 QMJHL Entry.

Richard, a third-round pick of Saint John in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft, appeared in 33 games with the Sea Dogs over two seasons, posting a goal and an assist.

Richard attended Sea Dogs training camp as a forward this year. He has since rejoined the Maritime Hockey League's Amherst Ramblers, where he played 17 games last season.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-2

FINAL: Halifax 5, Saint John 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are coming out of opening weekend with a pair of losses.

After falling 3-0 to the Moncton Wildcats on Friday, the Sea Dogs returned to home ice on Saturday but had similar issues, falling 5-2 to the Halifax Mooseheads.

Like Friday, defensive lapses proved costly while the team struggled to generate quality scoring chances. Saint John recorded single digit shot totals in all three periods. 

Saint John remains without three of their top players due to NHL training camps.

Penalties also proved to be a problem for Saint John. The Sea Dogs gave the Mooseheads seven power play opportunities, including a four-minute man advantage in the second period. The Moose went 1/7 on the power play.

Antoine Fournier, Cade Moser, Braeden MacPhee, Daniel Walters and Caylen Blake all scored for Halifax. Mathis Rousseau made 19 saves in the win.

Olivier Groulx and Ben Cross scored Saint John's first and second goals of the season, respectively. Justin Robinson made 32 saves in the loss.

The teams traded goals in the first period. In the second, Moser scored on a power play to put Halifax back in front. Saint John responded though with Cross scoring his first as a Sea Dog, evening things up at 2-2.

Saint John went back to the power play at 11:29 – but it would be Halifax converting. MacPhee made a nice move to cut through the crease and slide the puck past Robinson while shorthanded, giving the visitors a 3-2 advantage after 40 minutes.

In the third, Walters and Blake both scored to add some insurance to Halifax's lead, making it a 5-2 final.

Game Day 2: vs Mooseheads

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look for their first win of the season tonight – along with their first goal.

The Sea Dogs were shutout 3-0 in their season opener on Friday, falling 3-0 to the Moncton Wildcats. Saint John struggled to generate quality scoring chances, recording just nine dangerous shots in the loss.

Saint John will look to get things going tonight against the Halifax Mooseheads. After being a contender the past couple years, the Moose have taken a step back this season and are in the beginning stages of a rebuild. There could be some tight games between Saint John and Halifax this year.

Game time tonight at TD Station is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 for zero points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/16th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 1-0-0-0 for two points (third Maritimes/fifth Eastern/ninth QMJHL).

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs were 20-39-5-4 for 49 points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/16th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads were 42-18-7-1 for 92 points (first Maritimes/second Eastern/fourth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-0 loss to the Moncton Wildcats last night. Charles-Edward Gravel made 28 saves in the loss. The Mooseheads are coming off a 2-1 shootout win in Charlottetown last night. Lou Levesque scored Halifax's lone regulation time goal. Mathis Rousseau made 26 saves in the win.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 3-0

FINAL: Moncton 3, Saint John 0

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Goals were hard to come by in the Saint John Sea Dogs' 3-0 season opening loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Friday at TD Station.

Moncton broke a scoreless game with 7:51 remaining in the third period and added two more a few minutes later, giving former Sea Dogs head coach Gardiner MacDougall his first regular season win in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

Riley Sampson scored a pair of goals for Moncton while Alex Mercier added a solo marker. Jacob Steinman made 32 saves in the shutout win.

Charles-Edward Gravel – who was making his Sea Dogs regular season debut – made 28 stops in the loss. He came up big on more than a few occasions when the game was still scoreless.

Saint John was recording shots, but they struggled to generate a lot of high quality chances. They finished the game with just nine dangerous shots.

With Moncton missing several key regulars (Saint John was missing a few as well), the game was fairly even for much of the night. The Wildcats were definitely able to generate more quality chances than the Sea Dogs, but Saint John did a solid job at limiting those.

Saint John will look to get their offense going on Saturday night against the Halifax Mooseheads.

Game Day 1: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - The 20th season in Saint John Sea Dogs history begins tonight at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs begin the 2024-25 campaign with a matchup against the Moncton Wildcats. It'll be a game between teams at opposite ends of the rebuild cycle with the Sea Dogs looking to inch out of the basement of the standings while the Wildcats are poised to be a championship contender this year.

Tonight will be the start of a new era of Wildcats hockey – and, really, New Brunswick hockey as a whole. Gardiner MacDougall, the long time coach of the UNB Reds and one time coach of the Sea Dogs, will step behind the bench of a QMJHL regular season game for the first time tonight.

Saint John and Moncton did not meet during the pre-season. Both clubs will be missing some key regulars due to NHL training camps.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: This is the first game of the regular season for both teams.

2024 pre-season records: The Sea Dogs were 4-2-0-0 during the pre-season while the Wildcats went 1-4-1-0.

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs were 20-39-5-4 for 49 points (sixth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/16th QMJHL) while the Wildcats were 38-23-4-3 for 83 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/sixth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 pre-season win over the Charlottetown Islanders last Saturday in Tyne Valley, PEI. Olivier Groulx scored a pair of goals for Saint John while Elliot Dubé and Dennis Lominac added singles. Charles-Edward Gravel made 38 stops in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 3-1 loss in Bathurst last Friday. Preston Lounsbury scored Moncton's lone goal. Jacob Steinman made 22 stops in the loss.

Notebook: Pre-season roundup

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Coen Miller ended the pre-season as Saint John's leading scorer.

Miller recorded three goals and four assists to lead the team with seven points. His four assists were also a team high. 

Miller and Florian Schenk each had a team high three goals.

Elliot Dubé, Olivier Groulx, Olivier Duhamel, Julien Bonnet and Giuliano Caputo appeared in all six of Saint John's pre-season games.

Dubé led the team in shots on goal with 17.

Saint John finished the pre-season with a 4-2 record and were outscore 23-20.

The Chicoutimi Sagueneens had the best winning percentage in the pre-season (5-0-0-1) while the Charlottetown Islanders had the worst (1-5-0-0).

WEEKEND DEAL

The Sea Dogs are offering quite a deal for their first weekend of the regular season. Fans can purchase a ticket for both games for a total of $20 plus taxes and fees.

Fans can also take advantage of a two-for-one hot dog offer at TD Station concessions.

The Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats on Friday and Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday. Both games begin at 7 p.m.

SEASON OPENING NEWSER

QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini held his season opening press conference on Tuesday. Here are the highlights.

• "On-boarding days" were held Sept. 9 in Moncton and Sept. 12 in Trois-Rivières with more than 130 first year players attending. Parents also attended the conferences virtually.
• A reminder that the league's schedule has been reduced from 68 games to 64.
• A new rule for this season, per the league's news release: "If a player unintentionally checks an opponent from the side or behind who is controlling the puck or retrieving a loose puck, this will be considered illegal."
• The Frank-J-Selke Trophy has been renamed the David-Desharnais Trophy in honour of the only player in history to have won the award three times (2005, 2006 and 2007).
• New boards were installed in Rouyn-Noranda and Rimouski. The Oceanic's home rink is undergoing further renovations ahead of hosting the Memorial Cup in May.
• The Hockey News notes that PA announcers in the league will announce why plays are being reviewed this year.

Sea Dogs announce opening night roster

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

On the eve of the regular season, the Saint John Sea Dogs have confirmed their opening night roster.

The roster consists of 25 players. Defensemen Nate Tivey and Matteo Mann along with goaltender Charles-Edward Gravel will be the team's trio of overagers. Forwards Eriks Mateiko and Florian Schenk will be the team's imports.

Mann, Mateiko and forward Tyler Peddle are all currently attending NHL training camps. The team said in a news release that all three are expected to miss this weekend's home games against the Moncton Wildcats and Halifax Mooseheads.

The Sea Dogs take on the Wildcats in Friday's season opener and then face the Mooseheads on Saturday. Both games are 7 p.m. starts at TD Station.

Returning forward Egan Beveridge, Saint John's top pick in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft, has yet to report to the club this season. In Thursday's release, the team stated that "Beveridge will be joining the team at a later date and the Sea Dogs organization looks forward to welcoming him back."

Three players from Saint John's 2024 draft class will begin the season with the club: forwards William Yared and Dylan Rozzi along with defenseman Cruz Scanzano. 

TD logo to be placed on Sea Dogs jerseys

The time has come: an ad has been placed on the Saint John Sea Dogs' home and away jerseys.

The Sea Dogs announced Wednesday that TD will be the team's first jersey sponsor. The arrangement is part of a larger deal involving an extension of the TD Station naming rights.

“TD is an exemplary partner who cares deeply about the region and its people,” said Trevor Georgie, president of the Sea Dogs and president and CEO of JSM Sports & Entertainment. “Their commitment to TD Station, the Sea Dogs, and the Region has been unwavering. They have consistently demonstrated, through action and investment, their drive to enrich the lives of those in the region. We are fortunate and honoured to continue this relationship.”

TD secured the naming rights to Harbour Station in 2019.

Teams from around the CHL have been announcing jersey ad deals over the past couple weeks. To make room for the ads, the CCM logo has been moved to the middle of the jersey.

In the NHL, TD currently has ads on the Vancouver Canucks jerseys.

The CHL began allowing teams to have ads on helmets in 2022. The Sea Dogs have had ProcedureFlow logos on their helmets the past two seasons.

The Sea Dogs begin the regular season on Friday night at TD Station, hosting the Moncton Wildcats at 7 p.m.

Dates, format announced for first CHL USA Prospects Challenge

The inaugural CHL USA Prospects Challenge will take place this November in London and Oshawa.

The Canadian Hockey League unveiled the details of the new event on Tuesday. Games will be played Tuesday, Nov. 26 in London and Wednesday, Nov. 27 in Oshawa. Tickets will go on sale Oct. 1.

According to the news release, " the CHL USA Prospects Challenge will see the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL’s Member Leagues – Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) – face-off against those from the U.S. National Under-18 Team in a two-game series."

News of the new event – which will replace the CHL NHL Top Prospects Game – was confirmed by the CHL in June.

This should be a fascinating event especially as the CHL/NCAA recruiting war is expected to take a major turn over the new few years. Braxton Whitehead of the Regina Pats announced his commitment to Arizona State University for the 2025-26 season even though no rules have been changed yet.

The CHL provided a few additional details about the event's future in Tuesday's news release.

Set to be a part of the calendar over the next three seasons, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge will see players from the CHL and NTDP’s U18 team compete 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.

While not confirmed, next year's event will presumably take place in QMJHL territory with the Memorial Cup being held in the WHL.

Three current Dogs earn main NHL camp invites

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

All three current Saint John Sea Dogs who attended NHL rookie camps have been invited to the main training camps of their respective teams.

Eriks Mateiko (Washington Capitals), Matteo Mann (Philadelphia Flyers) and Tyler Peddle (Columbus Blue Jackets) have all earned invites to main camps.

Of the three, only Mann has the option to play in the AHL or ECHL this season. A seventh-round pick of the Flyers in the 2023 NHL Draft, Mann appeared in one game with the ECHL's Reading Royals at the end of last season. He recently scored for the Flyers rookies in a game against the New York Rangers over the weekend.

Mann is entering his overage season of junior hockey, meaning a 20-year-old spot would open up on Saint John's roster if he turned pro.

Mateiko and Peddle will be returned to junior unless they surprise and make their respective NHL teams.

The 18-year-old Mateiko is attending his first camp with the Capitals after being selected in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

Peddle, meanwhile, was a seventh-round pick of Columbus last year. The 19-year-old is entering his fourth season in the QMJHL.

All three could miss Saint John's first two games of the regular season, which will be played this Friday and Saturday at TD Station.

Current, former Sea Dogs take part in NHL rookie camps

Embed from Getty Images

We know three current Saint John Sea Dogs are taking part in NHL rookie camps this year, but there are also a few former Sea Dogs participating.

Current Dogs Matteo Mann, Tyler Peddle and Eriks Mateiko have all been on the ice this weekend with their respective organizations. Below is a full list of current and former players who earned invites this year.

Vancouver: Jonathan Lemieux

Utah: Drew Elliott

Columbus: Tyler Peddle

New York Islanders: William Dufour

New York Rangers: Kale McCallum

Philadelphia: Matteo Mann

Washington: Eriks Mateiko

Montreal: Charles Savoie

Ottawa: Philippe Daoust

Elliott (UNB), McCallum (UNB) and Savoie (Concordia) are all attending as free agent invites.

It's good to see Philippe Daoust at Ottawa camp, who has had a rough run of injuries since turning pro. William Dufour, meanwhile, will be looking for a bounce back year with the New York Islanders organization. Dufour posted 25 points in 55 AHL games last season after registering 48 in 69 games in his rookie season.

Dufour #Isles pic.twitter.com/rccCTumzyp

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) September 14, 2024

A few Sea Dogs draft picks from over the years are also taking part in rookie camps: Matt Stienburg (Colorado), Justin Hryckowian (Dallas) and Fedor Svechkov (Nashville).

Main NHL training camps begin later this week.

Mann scores, Peddle fights in eventful Saturday at NHL rookie camps

Philadelphia Flyers

It was an eventful Saturday for a couple Saint John Sea Dogs currently attending NHL rookie camps.

In Allentown, PA, Matteo Mann scored for the Philadelphia Flyers rookies in a 3-2 overtime win over the New York Rangers rookies. Mann's power play goal opened the scoring.

You're the Mann, Matteo. 🚀 #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/XTjL5ahhLt

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 14, 2024

Not many would have predicted Mann to score in this game. The Sackville native has scored just nine goals in his entire 170-game QMJHL career.

Here's Mann speaking after the game.

Mann made some headlines earlier in the week for practicing some fighting techniques in practice.

Sawyer Boulton and Matteo Mann working on fighting technique 👊🏻 @NastyKnuckles pic.twitter.com/6IoWzprCB6

— Travis Ballinghoff (@travieballin26) September 13, 2024

Saturday's game was the second and final rookie matchup of this portion of Flyers camp. Mann, who is eligible to turn pro this season and appeared in one ECHL game with the Reading Royals last year, is likely to earn an invite to the next stage of training camp.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-2

FINAL: Saint John 4, Charlottetown 2

TYNE VALLEY, PEI - The Saint John Sea Dogs are heading into the regular season on a winning note.

The Sea Dogs won their pre-season finale on Saturday night at the Cavendish Farms Community Event Centre in Tyne Valley, PEI, defeating the Charlottetown Islanders 4-2. The win gives the Sea Dogs a 4-2 record in exhibition play this year.

Olivier Groulx scored a pair of goals for Saint John while singles came from Elliot Dubé and newcomer Dennis Lominac. Charles-Edward Gravel played the entire game in net, making 38 stops in the win.

It was a much stronger performance from Saint John compared to last weekend's games, which saw them get outscored a combined 16-1. The Sea Dogs were engaged at both ends of the ice and – even though they allowed 40 shots – were much more aggressive and organized defensively.

Saint John was outshot 14-2 in the first period but managed to grab a 1-0 lead. The Dogs led 3-0 with seven minutes remaining in the third but goals from Simon Hughes and Matthew Butler got Charlottetown back in it. Groulx iced the game with a long empty net goal with 1:32 remaining.

Nicolas Ruccia made 18 saves in the loss.

Pre-Season Game Day 6: at Islanders

TYNE VALLEY, PEI - As many mainlanders head to PEI for the Greta Van Fleet show tonight, the Saint John Sea Dogs will travel across the bridge to play their final game of the pre-season.

The Sea Dogs play their sixth and final pre-season content tonight at 7 p.m. against the Charlottetown Islanders. The game will be played at the Cavendish Farms Community Events Centre in the small community of Tyne Valley.

The Sea Dogs started the pre-season 3-0, which included two wins over the Islanders. But, since the exhibition schedule resumed following Labour Day weekend, Saint John has struggled, dropping both of their games and getting outscored a combined 16-1.

It's pre-season, and you can only put so much value in the results. But there are no doubt a few things the Sea Dogs will look to clean up tonight in their final tuneup before the regular season begins.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/YouTube

Pre-Season Records: The Sea Dogs are 3-2-0-0 this pre-season while the Islanders are 1-4-0-0.

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Islanders met last Sunday at TD Station where Charlottetown won 6-0. Mathis Valente, Matthew Butler, Spencer Caines, Nikita Voyaga, Ross Campbell and Madden Steen all scored. Donald Hickey made 33 saves in the win. Justin Robinson made 32 stops in the loss.

2024 pre-season head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-1-0-0 against the Islanders this pre-season while Charlottetown is 1-2-0-0.

Last meeting: See above.

2023-24 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 3-4-0-2 against the Islanders last season while Charlottetown went 6-3-0-0 against Saint John.

MHL season begins Friday

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

BOUCTOUCHE, NB - The Maritime Hockey League begins its 2024-25 regular season on Friday night and, as usual, there are some Saint John Sea Dogs connections to keep an eye on.

Here's a quick look at where the Sea Dogs connections – a large chunk of whom were invites to training camp this year – will start start the season.

Amherst - Jack O'Blenis

Amherst - Charles-Antoine Lavallee*

Amherst - Jeremie Richard*

Fredericton - Jake Tracey

Fredericton - Joshua Henry*

Grand Falls - Matthew Ferdinand*

Grand Falls - Brayden Campbell*

Miramichi - Will Allen*

Miramichi - Jack Flanagan*

Pictou County - Owen Arnold*

Truro - Frederic Cousineau

Valley - Nathan Casey

Valley - Cael MacDonald

West Kent - Kiefer Lyons

*attended Sea Dogs training camp this season

Former Sea Dogs coaches Greg Leland and Jeff Cowan, meanwhile, continue to work behind the bench of the Grand Falls Rapids.

Lyons, who is playing his overage season, is a player to keep an eye on. He posted 32 goals and 26 assists in 42 MHL games last year and has the potential to be amongst the league scoring leaders this season. The Quispamsis native appeared in one playoff game with the Sea Dogs last year.

Henry, a sixth-round pick, is the only member of Saint John's 2024 draft class to appear on an MHL roster.

CHL TV packages and prices released

CHL TV prices and packages for the 2024-25 season have been released.

CHL season packages remain the same price as last year while the league season pass has increased once again. League monthly and daily prices remain the same in price while the CHL is introducing a CHL wide day pass this year.

From the CHL:

Among the many packages available this season, fans can enjoy complete access to both the 2024-25 regular season and the 2025 playoffs from all three Member Leagues of the CHL by purchasing a CHL All-Access Pass for $274.99 plus applicable taxes. Only with this exclusive CHL TV pass can fans watch more than 2,100 regular season and playoff games from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL covering 60 markets across Canada and the United States.

Viewers can alternatively enjoy complete access to every regular season game from their favourite league over the duration of the 2024-25 campaign by purchasing a WHL, OHL, or QMJHL Regular Season Pass for $129.99 plus applicable taxes.

This will be the fourth season of CHL TV. Below is how the season packages have been priced over the years (taxes not included).

CHL All-Access Pass (with playoffs) 

2024-25: $274.99

2023-24: $274.99 

2022-23: $279.99 

2021-22: Not offered 

CHL All-Access Pass (no playoffs) 

2024-25: $184.99

2023-24: $184.99 

2022-23: $179.99 

2021-22: $159.99 

League Pass (no playoffs) 

2024-25: $129.99

2023-24: $124.99 

2022-23: $119.99 

2021-22: $109.99

There was some major streaming news announced in the AHL on Thursday. AHL TV is no longer its own platform as the league has shifted its streaming service over to FloHockey, which has had an expanding portfolio for years now.

OHLer Lominac added to Dogs roster

Sarnia Sting

As the regular season inches closer, the Saint John Sea Dogs don't appear to be done with roster tweaks just yet.

The Ontario Hockey League's Sarnia Sting announced Wednesday afternoon that 18-year-old forward Dennis Lominac has been "re-assigned" to the Sea Dogs.

“Dennis is a great teammate, and a player that put the work in this summer," Sting general manager Dylan Seca said in a news release. "We felt he deserves the opportunity to play more, so this decision helps him in that regard. We wish him all the best in St. John's.”

The team presumably (hopefully?) meant Saint John.

Lominac, a Michigan native, had three goals and two assists in 53 games with Sarnia last season, his first in the OHL. Lominac signed with the Sting in May 2023 after getting passed over in the OHL draft.

The Sea Dogs' online roster shows the 5'09", 175 lbs forward wearing No. 93.

Lominac's numbers in the OHL were underwhelming but you just never know what will happen when they hit the QMJHL. There have been countless examples over the years of players who couldn't stick in OHL lineups but thrived in the QMJHL.

Saint John's roster also shows that forward Billy Kollias has been added to the team's protected list. The 19-year-old split last season between the Gatineau Olympiques and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, posting a combined five goals and four assists in 59 games.

Kollias has been playing with the QJHL's Montreal Rangers this season. He's recorded three goals and an assist in two games.

Saint John could start the regular season without forwards Tyler Peddle and Eriks Mateiko due to NHL camps. Forward Egan Beveridge, meanwhile, has been absent from training camp.

The Sea Dogs play their final pre-season game on Saturday in Tyne Valley, PEI against the Charlottetown Islanders.

Notebook: Regular season coming soon

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

We're less than two weeks away from the start of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League regular season.

Just one more weekend of pre-season play remains before the games get real. Saint John closes out exhibition action next Saturday, taking on the Charlottetown Islanders in Tyne Valley, PEI.

Then things get serious. The Sea Dogs will play their first two games of the regular season on home ice, hosting the Moncton Wildcats on Friday, Sept. 20 and the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday, Sept. 21.

There will be plenty of excitement around Saint John's season opener as Gardiner MacDougall returns behind a TD Station bench for the first time since leading the Sea Dogs to the 2022 Memorial Cup championship.

LAFORGE TO ONTARIO

Former Sea Dogs forward Nico Laforge has found a new home for the 2024-25 season.

The MHL's Grand Falls Rapids have traded Laforge's rights to the OJHL's Cobourg Cougars. The 20-year-old forward made his Cougars debut in the club's season opener on Friday, scoring in a 7-4 loss to the Trenton Golden Hawks. 

Nico LaForge with his first OJHL Goal! Assists to Liam Oravsky (First OJHL Point) and Duncan Schneider!#DoTheROAR pic.twitter.com/EI1EEwE7J2

— Cobourg Cougars (@CougarsHockey) September 7, 2024

Laforge has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Sea Dogs, which included 21 games during the Memorial Cup year of 2021-22. He leaves the QMJHL having posted eight goals and 17 assists in 126 career games.

The 5'7", 170 lbs Laforge was a long shot to make this year's Sea Dogs team as an overager. He did not attend training camp.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-0

FINAL: Charlottetown 6, Saint John 0

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - It was another rough outing for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Sunday afternoon.

Coming off a 10-1 loss to the Cape Breton Eagles on Friday, the Sea Dogs once again struggled defensively in a 6-0 pre-season loss to the Charlottetown Islanders at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs are now 3-2-0-0 in pre-season play with all three of their wins coming in the first half of camp.

Like the Eagles, the Islanders were able to take advantage of the many odd man chances the Sea Dogs gave them. Charlottetown also went 2/4 on the power play.

Saint John had some decent scoring chances throughout the game but just couldn't get the bounces to go their way. There were a couple chances where Saint John players began to celebrate only to realize the puck didn't cross the line.

The Sea Dogs were once again missing a few key regulars. But, it's not like half of this team were call ups. Saint John clearly has some things to work on as the regular season inches closer.

Charlottetown entered this game having scored five goals in all of their previous four pre-season games combined. Mathis Valente, Matthew Butler, Spencer Caines, Nikita Voyaga, Ross Campbell and Madden Steen all scored. Donald Hickey made 33 saves in the win.

Justin Robinson played the entire game in net – and made a few big stops – in the loss.

Pre-Season Game Day 5: vs Islanders

SAINT JOHN - For the first time this pre-season, the Saint John Sea Dogs will play a true home game.

Officially, today's contest is Saint John's third home game of the QMJHL's pre-season following contests in St. Stephen and Fredericton. But this afternoon, the team will take to the ice at the familiar confines if TD Station.

The Sea Dogs host the Charlottetown Islanders this afternoon at 3 p.m. It's the third of four meetings between the clubs with Saint John having won the previous two. They'll also meet next Saturday in Tyne Valley, PEI.

Saint John will look to rebound from a tough 10-1 loss to the Cape Breton Eagles on Friday, a game that saw the Sea Dogs dress a shorthanded lineup.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

Pre-Season Records: The Sea Dogs are 3-1-0-0 this pre-season while the Islanders are 0-4-0-0.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 10-1 loss to the Cape Breton Eagles on Friday in Port Hawkesbury. Elliot Dubé scored Saint John's lone goal while Charles-Edward Gravel and Justin Robinson split the loss in net. The Islanders are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Logan Biser scored Charlottetown's lone goal. Nicolas Ruccia made 29 saves in the loss.

2024 pre-season head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-0-0-0 against the Islanders this pre-season while Charlottetown is 0-2-0-0.

Last meeting: Aug. 21 in Pownal, PEI where the Sea Dogs defeated the Islanders 5-1. Coen Miller scored a pair of goals for Saint John while singles came from Reid Calder, Jeremie Richard and Darien Reynolds. Logan Biser scored Charlottetown's only goal. Charles-Antoine Girard and Luciano Ruggiero split the win in goal. Hudson Bradley took the loss.

2023-24 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 3-4-0-2 against the Islanders last season while Charlottetown went 6-3-0-0 against Saint John.