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.

SMALL CROWDS

Attendance numbers in Saint John have not been good since the pandemic. The team's first two home games of the regular season proved that there is still plenty of work to do in that area.

Attendance for Saint John's season opener on Friday was 3,191. That figure fell slightly to 3,110 on Saturday. Fans could purchase tickets to both games for a total of $20 plus taxes and fees.

It's the lowest attended Sea Dogs home opener in "normal times." Saint John had 2,630 fans attend their home opener in 2021-22 and 1,467 fans in 2020-21, both of which took place in the COVID era. 

The Sea Dogs drew 4,837 fans to their home opener last season and finished the year with an average of 2,760 fans per game.

ART

Some nice artwork from Irving on one of TD Station's Zamboni's.

HYPE VIDEO

Here's the QMJHL's hype video for the 2024-25 season.

FOG DEVILS RETURNING?

Might as well get the rumours going early this year.

St. John’s-based journalist Alex Bill is reporting a Glenn Stanford-led group wants to purchase and relocate Bathurst of @QMJHL to NL. It’ll be a massive sell-job to lure the Q back but if anyone can it’s Stanford. The Q has rights to NL players & some say it’s all they want.

— David Salter (@DaveSalter_) September 20, 2024

Until St. John's gets a high level hockey team again, these rumours are likely to pop up regularly. The Mary Brown's Centre (formerly Mile One Centre) will be the home of a St. John's Junior Hockey League club this season.

The St. John's Fog Devils, the expansion cousins of the Sea Dogs, left in 2008. Since then, St. John's has had AHL and ECHL franchises start up and since relocate/fold.

OTHER THINGS

• The Sea Dogs are wearing 20th anniversary logo patches on the shoulder of their jerseys.
• Along with the TD logos on their jerseys, the Sea Dogs are once again wearing ProcedureFlow logos on their helmets. It's the third straight year that ProcedureFlow, a local tech company located in Market Square, has sponsored Saint John's helmets.
• The Sea Dogs will be featured on Eastlink's QMJHL broadcasts a couple times this season. The team's games on Saturday, Nov. 30 and Saturday, March 8 – both in Halifax – will be aired on Eastlink Community TV.
• Goaltender Jack Flanagan, who attended Sea Dogs training camp as a free agent this year, signed with the Cape Breton Eagles for this weekend's games. Cape Breton starter Jakub Milota is away attending Nashville Predators camp. The Saint John native is playing with the Maritime Hockey League's Miramichi Timberwolves for a third straight season.

  We have signed 19-year-old free agent goaltender Jack Flanagan.
  
  Flanagan currently plays for the Miramichi Timberwolves in the MJAHL where he won the league championship last season. He will dress this weekend in Bathurst alongside Brandon Lavoie.#GoEaglesGo pic.twitter.com/LV05b3K2sZ

  — Cape Breton Eagles (@CBEHockey) September 20, 2024

• Former Sea Dogs forward Vince Elie is off to a hot start with the Shawinigan Cataractes. After recording three goals and an assist in Friday's season opener, Elie followed that up with a three assist performance on Saturday.

  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

• Speaking of the Cataractes, they've acquired Calgary Flames prospect Matvei Gridin. The Russian forward was the first overall pick of the Val-d'Or Foreurs in this year's CHL Import Draft.

  The @NHLFlames first-rounder is on the move!
  
  Matvei Gridin will be suiting up for the @Cataractes_Shaw this season! #QMJHLTrade https://t.co/cn1asKcd1E

  — QMJHL (@QMJHL) September 20, 2024

• The Memorial Cup host Rimouski Oceanic are off to an 0-2-0-0 start. They'll play their first nine games of the season on the road as renovations continue at their home arena.