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Friday, September 20, 2024

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.

2025 DRAFT IN QUEBEC CITY
The QMJHL Entry Draft is returning to Quebec City.

Mikael Lalancette of Le Soleil reports that the Remparts will host the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft in June. Quebec City last held the event in 2019 when the Sea Dogs selected Joshua Roy first overall.
The 2024 event was held in Moncton.

MURPHY BACK IN ECHL
Former Sea Dogs defenseman Matt Murphy has returned to North America.

After spending parts of the past two seasons overseas, the Fredericton native has signed with the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones for the 2024-25 season. The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"I've heard nothing but great things about Cincinnati from Justin Vaive when I played in Fort Wayne with him", said Murphy in a news release. "I reached out to Vaiver and told him I was making the transition back to North America and was curious if there was any interest from Cincinnati."



Murphy previously won an ECHL championship with the Fort Wayne Komets in 2021.

The 29-year-old spent the second half of the 2015-16 season with the Sea Dogs.

ARENA VID
Here's a quick look around Tyne Valley's Cavendish Farms Community Events Centre, which hosted Saturday's pre-season game between the Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders.


WILDCAST
I went on the Wildcast podcast this week to discuss this year's Sea Dogs.


OTHER THINGS
  • The Sea Dogs have been featured in the QMJHL website's "three questions" series.
  • The Hockey News has a feature on former Sea Dogs forward William Dufour and the mental health challenges he faced last season with the AHL's Bridgeport Islanders.
  • Lots of familiar names on the MHL's Eastlink North team of the week.
  • Forward Benjamin Beaudry, who played nine games with the Sea Dogs last season, currently leads the QJHL in scoring with 17 points (six goals and 11 assists) in just five games with the Saint-Jerome Pantheres.
  • Mike Hoffman has signed a PTO with the Edmonton Oilers.
  • As mentioned, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies have installed new boards and glass – and have moved the player benches to the same side of the ice.
  • New third jerseys for the Quebec Remparts.
  • The pre-season CHL Top 10 is out. The Moncton Wildcats, Rimouski Oceanic and Cape Breton Eagles were all ranked.
  • Even with people like myself criticizing the Medicine Hat Tigers' arena location, the team is feeling confident in their 2026 Memorial Cup bid. Having Gavin McKenna doesn't hurt, either. Medicine Hat is going up against Brandon, Spokane, Kelowna and Lethbridge.
  • The Southern Senior Hockey League has provided an update on the league, which includes a brief overview of some recent drama.
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