Friday, September 20, 2024

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.

2023-24 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-7-0-1 against the Wildcats last season while Moncton went 8-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 20 in Moncton where the Wildcats edged the Sea Dogs 3-2 in a shootout. Caleb Desnoyers and Miles Mueller scored for Moncton. Coen Miller and Brody Fournier scored for Saint John. Jacob Steinman made 27 saves in the win. Patrick Leaver made 43 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Wildcats: None.

Wildcat to watch: It's a big year for Wildcats forward Caleb Desnoyers, who is projected to be a first round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Random stat: Preston Lounsbury recorded six goals and eight assists in nine games against Saint John last year.

Notes: Coen Miller led Saint John in pre-season points with seven and assists with four... Miller and Florian Schenk led the team in goals with three each... Easton Schlender led Moncton in pre-season scoring with five and assists with four... Juraj Pekarcik led Moncton in goals with two... the Sea Dogs are expected to be without defenseman Matteo Mann along with forwards Tyler Peddle and Eriks Mateiko due to NHL training camps... the Wildcats begin the season ranked fourth in the CHL Top 10.

Out of town:
Cape Breton at Acadie-Bathurst - 7:00 PM ADT 
Halifax at Charlottetown - 7:00 PM ADT 
Rimouski at Baie-Comeau - 7:00 PM EDT 
Sherbrooke at Drummondville - 7:00 PM EDT 
Rouyn-Noranda at Gatineau - 7:00 PM EDT 
Chicoutimi at Québec - 7:00 PM EDT 
Blainville-Boisbriand at Shawinigan - 7:00 PM EDT 
Val-d'Or at Victoriaville - 7:00 PM EDT

Next game: The Sea Dogs host the Halifax Mooseheads tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at TD Station.

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