Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Moncton 2, Saint John 3 (OT)

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs provided fans one of their biggest treats of the season on Halloween night.

Matteo Mann scored 1:51 into overtime to give the Sea Dogs a 3-2 win over the Moncton Wildcats – the CHL's No. 1 ranked team – in front of a small crowd at TD Station.

William Yared scored twice in regulation time. Charles-Edward Gravel looked a bit shaky at times but was able to make 33 saves in in the victory.

This was Saint John's second straight overtime win after defeating the Gatineau Olympiques 3-2 in overtime on Sunday – where Mann had the winner as well. Saint John is now 9-7-0-0 on the season.

The Wildcats carried the play at times but the Sea Dogs did a good job of breaking up any sustained momentum. Saint John was able to take advantage of a Moncton team that didn't look their sharpest.

Caleb Desnoyers and Juraj Pekarcik scored for Moncton. Jacob Steinman made 22 saves in the loss.

Saint John opened the scoring at 14:51 of the first period when the puck made its way down low to Yared who beat Steinman with a perfectly placed shot top corner. But the Wildcats quickly countered with Desnoyers converting at 16:23.

Shots were 11-6 Moncton in the opening frame. The Wildcats were a bit sloppy defensively at times but the Sea Dogs were unable to take advantage.

The Wildcats grabbed a 2-1 lead early in the second when Pekarcik scored just 2:33 in. It looked as though Gravel had made a big glove save but the puck snuck by him and slowly crossed the goal line.

Moncton had two power plays in the middle frame but shots ended 7-7.

Yared tied the game at 4:05 of the third. Zachary Morin had the puck in the circle and fed Yared in the high slot who beat Steinman top corner for a second time.

In overtime, the Wildcats had a chance to grab a Steinman rebound but were stripped of the puck by Nicolas Bilodeau. The Sea Dogs d-man then fed Mann who scored to give Saint John the extra point.

Game Day 16: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin a three-game homestand tonight at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats in a Thursday night contest that is (oddly) being played on Halloween night. Puck drop for what will likely be a very lightly attended match is 7 p.m.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a challenging Quebec road trip that saw them go 1-2-0-0. Their lone win came in overtime on Sunday when they defeated the Gatineau Olympiques 3-2.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, are coming off a very successful Quebec road trip that saw them sweep the three-game trek. Moncton is now 9-1-0-0 in their last 10 games and were ranked No. 1 in the CHL Top 10 Rankings again this week.

Following tonight's game the Sea Dogs will host the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Saturday and Val-d'Or Foreurs on Sunday.

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

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 8-7-0-0 for 16 points (third Maritimes/sixth Eastern/ninth QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 11-2-1-0 for 23 points (first Maritimes/first Eastern/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 overtime win in Gatineau on Sunday. Zachary Morin, Eriks Mateiko and Matteo Mann scored for Saint John. Charles-Edward Gravel made 30 saves in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 5-3 win in Victoriaville on Sunday. Yoan Loshing, Loke Johansson, Markus Vidicek, Caleb Desnoyers and Dylan MacKinnon all scored for Moncton. Keegan Warren made 35 saves in the win.

Catching up

Finally back from a lovely trip out west. Not so lovely? The temperatures upon my return. Anyways, let's catch up on a few things that were missed during my travels.

• As Mikael Lalancette has reported, Quebec Remparts scout Nicolas Lepore is expected to be named Saint John's new head scout. He'll work under Travis Crickard, who took on the general manager role following the firing of Anthony Stella.
• From the info I've gathered, following Stella's firing, assistant general manager Justin Landry resigned. The team has since let go of head scout Marc-Olivier Heredia and scout Trevor Scott. 
• Old news now, but former Sea Dogs forward Noah Reinhart was traded by the Cape Breton Eagles to the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Oct. 21. The overager has a goal and an assist in two games with Val-d'Or.
• Also on Oct. 21, the Eagles traded the rights of overage forward Charles-Antoine Lavallee to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Lavallee, who had been playing with the Maritime Hockey League's Amherst Ramblers, has posted two goals and an assist in two games with the Sags. Lavallee attended Sea Dogs training camp on loan from the Eagles.
• The Sea Dogs officially announced on Oct, 17 that forward Dennis Lominac had been released. The 18-year-old forward was held pointless in seven games with Saint John. His name was removed from the team's roster soon after the signing of Zachary Morin.
• Lominac has since joined the Maritime Hockey League's Summerside Western Capitals. Lominac was named to the Eastlink South Division team of the week after posting two goals and four assists in two games.

  SIGNED! We are excited to announce the signing of 06 F Dennis Lominac. The Commerce Township, MI native suited up with the Sarnia Sting in the OHL last year and started this season with the Saint John Sea Dogs. Welcome to #CapsArmy Dennis! pic.twitter.com/hX5mVeK0IX

  — Summerside Capitals (@SsideCapitals) October 24, 2024

• As expected, Quebec City will host the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft from June 6-7. Like this past year's event in Moncton, the first round will be held on the Friday night.
• The UNB Reds finally lost a game, falling 4-3 in overtime to the rival StFX X-Men on Friday. According to the Reds news release, "Friday's loss was UNB's first since March 7th, 2023, ending a 57-game winning streak, including regular season, post-season and exhibition games."
• Former Sea Dogs forward Peter Reynolds, in his rookie season with UNB, is currently tied for the Atlantic University Sport scoring lead with 13 points in eight games. He's also scored a league leading seven goals.

  AUS goal scoring leaders:
  
  1. Peter Reynolds
  2. Drew Elliott
  T3. Brady Burns
  T3. Cam MacDonald pic.twitter.com/90BNWQywft

  — Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) October 29, 2024

• Radio Canada has a brief update on the future of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Team supporters have reached out to the league regarding rumours of a sale and relocation to St. John's.
• Former Sea Dogs forward Marcus Cuomo recently spoke to Saltwire about the possibility of the QMJHL returning to St. John's.
• Some random takeaways from my trip:
• Wow, the new AHL venues in Henderson and Palm Desert and something else. The days of AHL teams popping up in available 3,000 seat rinks wherever they can find them are over.
• Really cool seeing how diverse some of the crowds were compared to what we see in this part of North America. There's no doubt we're going to start seeing more and more players with similar backgrounds to Auston Matthews.
• One thing that stood out from all the AHL venues I visited: season ticket members are treated really, really well. Exclusive pre-game events, exclusive giveaways each game, seat upgrades only for members and, yes, free parking in some cases.
• Are we sleeping on the Boise, Idaho hockey market? Couldn't believe the crowd and atmosphere for a Wednesday night game. 
• The Utah Hockey Club game day experience honestly didn't even feel real. What an interesting experience. I have no idea how they are going to fix the arena sightlines without essentially gutting much of the inside, but that's why I'm writing this and not working as an engineer.

Bonnet reassigned to LHJAAAQ

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs announced a roster move on Monday, assigning defenseman Julien Bonnet to the Gatineau Flames of the LHJAAAQ.

Bonnet began the season with the Sea Dogs but has only appeared in six QMJHL games. His last appearance with the club was on Oct. 20.

The 17-year-old was a seventh-round pick of Saint John in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Defenceman Julien Bonnet has been reassigned to the Gatineau Flames of the LHJAAAQ.#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/e8HMfuM15P

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) October 28, 2024

Bonnet has not appeared in any junior A games in his playing career. He spent the previous two seasons in the Quebec under-18 circuit with the Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois. He posted four goals and 15 points in 41 regular season games last year.

The roster move doesn't come as a huge surprise as the Sea Dogs have been carrying too many defensemen following the return of Matteo Mann from AHL camp. The team now has eight on their roster with Bonnet reassigned.

The Sea Dogs are back in action on Thursday when they host the Moncton Wildcats at 7 p.m.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 3, Gatineau 2 (OT)

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

GATINEAU, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs are coming home with a win.

Matteo Mann scored 3:03 into overtime to give the Sea Dogs a 3-2 victory over the Gatineau Olympiques on Sunday at Slush Puppie Centre. The victory ended a three-game losing streak for Saint John and ensured the team went home from Quebec with a win.

Zachary Morin and Eriks Mateiko also scored for Saint John. Charles-Edward Gravel made 30 saves in the victory.

Maxim Dube and Lukas Landry had Gatineau goals. Zach Pelletier made 23 stops in the loss.

Gatineau opened the scoring 7:36 into the game but then Saint John went ahead 2-1 early in the second. Gatineau tied the game just 35 seconds after Mateiko's second period goal – and it would stay tied until Mann's overtime marker.

Game Day 15: at Gatineau

GATINEAU, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs will try to earn a win before returning home today.

It hasn't been a successful road trip so far for the Sea Dogs, falling to the Sherbrooke Phoenix on Friday and the Drummondville Voltigeurs last night. Saint John has dropped three straight games for the first time this season.

Today the Sea Dogs will play what – on paper – should be the easiest game of this road trip, facing a Gatineau Olympiques team that has just two wins this season. But fatigue will no doubt be working against the Sea Dogs and they'll need to dig deep this afternoon.

Game time at Slush Puppie Centre is 4 p.m. Atlantic. 

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 7-7-0-0 for 14 points (fourth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/12th QMJHL) while the Olympiques are 2-11-0-0 for four points (fourth West/eighth Western/18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 loss in Drummondville last night. Darien Reynolds and Eriks Mateiko scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 33 saves in the loss. The Olympiques are coming off a 6-2 loss to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Friday. Isaiah Parent and Gabriel Seguin scored for Gatineau. Kian Hodgins made 29 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Drummondville 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

DRUMMONDVILLE, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs came up short against one of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League's top teams on Saturday.

Saint John native Sam Oliver scored twice to help lead the Drummondville Voltigeurs to a 4-2 victory over the Sea Dogs at the Marcel Dionne Centre. Saint John has now lost three straight games for the first time this season.

The Sea Dogs play the final game of their three-in-three road trip on Sunday against the last-place Gatineau Olympiques.

Oliver opened the scoring at 14:58 of the first period and then secured the win with an empty net goal in the final minute. The Sea Dogs were able to stay with the Volts for most of the game and were outshot 37-29.

Ethan Gauthier and Luke Woodworth also scored for Drummondville. Louis-Felix Charrois made 27 stops in the win.

Darien Reynolds and Eriks Mateiko scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 33 saves in the loss.

Game Day 14: at Drummondville

DRUMMONDVILLE, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs will face a tough task tonight.

The Sea Dogs continue their Quebec road trip by visiting the Drummondville Voltigeurs, who currently have the QMJHL's second best winning percentage behind only the Moncton Wildcats. The Volts fell 5-1 to the Wildcats last night.

Saint John got their road trip off to a rough start in Sherbrooke last night, falling 6-1.

Game time tonight at the Marcel Dionne Centre is 5 p.m. Atlantic.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 7-6-0-0 for 14 points (fourth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/12th QMJHL) while the Voltigeurs are 9-3-0-1 for 19 points (first Central/first Western/third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-1 loss in Sherbrooke last night. Tyler Peddle scored Saint John's lone goal while Charles-Edward Gravel made 21 stops in the loss. The Voltigeurs are coming off a 5-1 home loss to the Moncton Wildcats last night. Ethan Gauthier scored Drummondville's lone goal. Riley Mercer made 36 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Sherbrooke 6

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SHERBROOKE, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs got roughed up on the road on Friday night.

Tyler Peddle scored Saint John's lone goal in a 6-1 loss to the Sherbrooke Phoenix at Palais des Sports Léopold-Drolet. The game kicked off a three-in-three Quebec road trip for the Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs got off to a bad start and could never fully recover. Sherbrooke scored three times in the first period and outshot Saint John 10-4 in the opening frame to carry a commanding 3-0 lead into the intermission. Sherbrooke also had three power plays in the first, scoring on one.

Peddle got Saint John on the board with a power play goal at 6:29 of the second, ripping home his team-leading seventh of the season. But any momentum from the goal went away when the Phoenix scored at 15:38 to restore their three-goal lead.

Charles-Antoine Beauregard scored a hat trick for Sherbrooke. Florent Houle, Etienne Giroux and Hugo Primeau all added singles while Linards Feldbergs made 23 stops in the win.

Charles-Edward Gravel made 21 saves in the loss.

Game Day 13: at Sherbrooke

SHERBROOKE, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin a three-in-three Quebec road trip tonight against the Sherbrooke Phoenix.

This will be the second and final meeting of the season between the two. Saint John defeated Sherbrooke 3-0 at TD Station on Oct. 11.

The Phoenix enter play tonight having won back-to-back games and they remain a perfect 6-0-0-0 on home ice this season. Saint John, meanwhile, is coming off a home loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday. 

Game time tonight at the Palais des Sports Léopold-Drolet is 8 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 7-5-0-0 for 14 points (fourth Maritimes/sixth Eastern/ninth QMJHL) while the Phoenix are 7-4-0-0 for 14 points (second Central/third Western/eighth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 home loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday. Eriks Mateiko, Egan Beveridge and Zachary Morin had Saint John goals. Charles-Edward Gravel made 28 saves in the loss. The Phoenix are coming off a 3-2 home win over the Quebec Remparts on Sunday. Olivier Lampron, Olivier Dubois and Jean-Felix Lapointe scored for Sherbrooke. Linards Feldbergs made 22 saves in the win.

Sea Dogs head to Quebec this weekend

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs are an impressive 4-1-0-0 on the road this season – but they're about to face their toughest tests to date.

The Sea Dogs begin a three-in-three Quebec road trip – their first of the season – on Friday night in Sherbrooke. They'll also make stops in Drummondville and Gatineau before returning home for three games at TD Station next week.

The Phoenix were one of the surprise teams out of the gate but were brought back down to earth when they travelled to the Maritimes a few weeks ago, dropping all three games. That road trip included a 3-0 loss in Saint John.

Sherbrooke still has a solid 7-4-0-0 record on the year and the Palais des Sports Léopold-Drolet is always a tough place to play – and this year has been no different. The Phoenix are 6-0-0-0 on home ice.

Drummondville, meanwhile, entered play on Thursday sitting atop the QMJHL standings with a 9-2-0-1 record. They're allowing a league low 2.07 goals against per game thanks to the tremendous play of goaltender Riley Mercer, who has a league best 1.50 goals against average and a .954 save percentage.

The Voltigeurs host the Moncton Wildcats on Friday night in a showdown between two of the league's top teams. That could be good news for Saint John as they may avoid facing Mercer on Saturday.

On Sunday, the Sea Dogs will make the journey to Gatineau and face the last-place Olympiques. Gatineau is just 2-10-0-0 on the year, but Saint John may be feeling gassed at times given that this will be their third game in less than 72 hours.

Saint John is 2-0-0-0 against non-Maritimes Division teams this season, posting home wins over Sherbrooke and Victoriaville.

Three Sea Dogs make first NHL Central Scouting list

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Three Saint John Sea Dogs were included in NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list for the 2025 draft, which was released Wednesday.

Sea Dogs forward Zachary Morin was given a B rating while forwards Olivier Groulx and Elliot Dubé were both given a C.

Morin has been impressive since joining the Sea Dogs just a few weeks ago, recording two goals and six assists in five games. He's recorded a point in every game he's played in. If he can stay at or near this pace, he'll no doubt start to creep up draft rankings.

Three #SJSeaDogs player have been ranked in the@NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch list!

Zach Morin (B)
Elliot Dube (C)
Olivier Groulx (C)#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/SHANvXG4mm

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) October 23, 2024

Groulx and Dubé are both having solid years as well and have been key contributors to Saint John's surprisingly solid start to the year. Dubé has five goals and four assists in 12 games to place him third in QMJHL rookie scoring while Groulx has three goals and five assists in 12 contests.

38 players from the QMJHL were included in the rankings. Caleb Desnoyers of the Moncton Wildcats and Justin Carbonneau of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada were the only QMJHL players to receive A ratings.

Boston College's James Hagens is expected to go first overall. The full list can be found at NHL.com.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Bathurst 4, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Acadie-Bathurst Titan seem to enjoy playing at TD Station.

The Titan earned their second win of the season in the building on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3. The Titan remain undefeated on the road this year, improving to 4-0-0-0.

After a back-and-forth second period that saw the two teams deadlocked at 2-2, Bathurst took their first lead of the game at 8:05 of the third when Mavrick Brunet netted his first of the year. Then at 17:54, Colby Huggan scored a backbreaker, putting the Titan up 4-2.

Zachary Morin made it interesting by scoring a six-on-five goal with 45 seconds remaining but Saint John wouldn't get any closer.

Blake Pilgrim-Edwards and Maddex Marmulak also scored for Bathurst. Joshua Fleming made 32 stops in a first star performance.

Along with Morin, Eriks Mateiko and Egan Beveridge scored for Saint John. Charles-Edward Gravel made 28 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs fell to 7-5-0-0 on the year with the loss. They are 3-4-0-0 at TD Station.

Game Day 12: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan meet for a fourth time this young season today at TD Station.

Saint John has won two of three meetings so far between the provincial rivals with the latest coming on Friday night in Bathurst where the Sea Dogs posted a 3-0 victory. Charles-Edward Gravel stopped all 25 shots he faced to earn his second shutout of the season.

The two teams enter play today separated by just two points – but Bathurst has played one more game.

Game time this afternoon is 3 p.m.

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

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 7-4-0-0 for 14 points (third Maritimes/fourth Eastern/fifth QMJHL) while the Titan are 8-4-0-0 for 16 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Titan met on Friday night in Bathurst where Saint John earned a 3-0 victory. Florian Schenk, Tyler Peddle and Zachary Morin scored for Saint John. Charles-Edward Gravel stopped all 25 shots he faced in the win. Mathis Langevin made 22 stops in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-0

FINAL: Saint John 3, Bathurst 0

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

BATHURST - Charles-Edward Gravel made 25 saves to lead the Saint John Sea Dogs to a 3-0 road win over the first-place Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Friday.

Florian Schenk, Tyler Peddle and Zachary Morin all scored for Saint John in what was a fairly strong performance away from home. It was also a nice recovery following a messy 8-5 loss in Moncton the night before.

After an uneventful opening period, Schenk got Saint John on the board with his first QMJHL goal at 2:42 of the second. Peddle found the rookie forward alone in front who scored to get the Dogs on the board.

Saint John doubled their lead at 18:18 on a power play. Eriks Mateiko made a perfect cross ice feed to Peddle in the circle who ripped home his team leading sixth of the season, making it 2-0.

The Titan pulled their netminder late in the third period but couldn't get on the board. Morin secured the Saint John victory with an empty net goal at 19:49.

Mathis Langevin made 22 saves in the loss. The loss ends Bathurst's winning streak at five games.

Game Day 11: at Bathurst

BATHURST - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to get back in the win column tonight against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Sea Dogs lost a wild 8-5 game last night in Moncton. Saint John trailed as much as 6-1 in the second period but stormed back in the third to make it 6-5. The Sea Dogs couldn't keep that momentum going though, allowing a couple of Wildcats insurance goals late.

One issue for Saint John last night was the penalty kill. Moncton went 4/5 on the power play.

The Sea Dogs face a Titan team tonight that is off to an impressive 8-3-0-0 start, placing them first overall in the QMJHL standings.

Game time tonight at the KC Irving Regional Centre is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 6-4-0-0 for 12 points (fourth Maritimes/sixth Eastern/eighth QMJHL) while the Titan are 8-3-0-0 for 16 points (first Maritimes/first Eastern/first QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an 8-5 loss in Moncton last night. Olivier Groulx, Egan Beveridge, William Yared, Eriks Mateiko and Elliot Dubé all scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 41 saves in the loss. The Titan are coming off a 3-2 shootout win over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens last night. Dawson Sharkey scored both Bathurst goals. Joshua Fleming made 23 stops in the win.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 8-5

FINAL: Saint John 5, Moncton 8

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - The Moncton Wildcats' power play proved to be the difference in a wild game at Avenir Centre on Thursday night.

The Wildcats went 4/5 on the man advantage in an 8-5 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs, extending their winning streak to five games.

It was a game of momentum shifts. The Wildcats led 6-1 at one point in the second period and looked to be in complete control heading into the third up 6-2. But Saint John rattled off three quick goals in the third to get within one – but that would be as close as they would get. Moncton added two more in the final frame to secure the win.

Yoan Loshing had a hat trick for Moncton; Caleb Desnoyers scored twice and singles came from Vincent Collard, Preston Lounsbury and Julius Sumpf. Keegan Warren allowed five goals on 25 shots while Jacob Steinman stopped all six shots he faced in the third.

Egan Beveridge, William Yared, Eriks Mateiko and Elliot Dubé all scored for Saint John. Zachary Morin had three assists. Justin Robinson made 41 stops in the loss.

The Sea Dogs opened the scoring with a power play goal at 11:29 of the first. The Sea Dogs were cycling the puck around well before a Morin shot was stopped by Warren but Groulx was in front to put in the rebound.

Moncton quickly responded with two goals. Loshing scored just eight seconds after Groulx and then, on a power play at 12:32, Desnoyers cut through nearly every Sea Dog on the ice to put the Wildcats in front 2-1 after one.

The Wildcats blew it open in the second period. Just 1:17 in, Loshing scored his second of the game on a power play to make it 3-1. Giuliano Caputo was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for a check from behind at 9:05, sending Moncton to another man advantage that would see Collard score to make it 4-1.

Lounsbury and Desnoyers also scored in the second while Beveridge netted a late marker for Saint John.

Saint John came out firing in the third. Yared, Mateiko and Dubé all scored within the first 4:18 to get within one. But all that momentum seemed to deflate when Matteo Mann took an interference penalty at 11:56, allowing Sumpf to score on the man advantage to make it 7-5. Loshing completed his hat trick at 13:59, making it an 8-5 final.

Game Day 10: at Moncton

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to end the Moncton Wildcats' winning streak tonight at Avenir Centre.

The Wildcats carry a four-game winning streak into tonight's contest and were placed No. 1 in this week's CHL Top 10 rankings. Gardiner MacDougall's squad seems to be hitting the stride most expected of them.

The Sea Dogs, meanwhile, are a perfect 3-0 on the road this young season. This will be their first trip of the year to Moncton.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 6-3-0-0 for 12 points (fourth Maritimes/fifth Eastern/sixth QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 6-1-1-0 for 13 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-5 shootout win over the Victoriaville Tigres on Saturday. Eriks Mateiko, Tyler Peddle, Ben Cross, Matthew MacLean and Elliot Dubé all scored for Saint John. Charles-Edward Gravel made 30 stops in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 5-1 home win over the Charlottetown Islanders on Monday. Julius Sumpf scored a pair of goals while singles came from Gabe Smith, Markus Vidicek and Preston Lounsbury. Keegan Warren made 29 saves in the win.

Sea Dogs surprising early

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs recorded their sixth win of the season on Sunday, improving their record to 6-3-0-0.

The team didn't win their sixth game of the season until Nov. 12 last year. It took them until Nov. 24 the season before that.

It's safe to say the Sea Dogs have been a pleasant surprise early this season. It's too early to declare the worst parts of the rebuild over, but this is a positive start that, if it keeps up, could make for some interesting decisions come trade deadline time.

While Saint John sitting sixth overall in the QMJHL standings is a surprise to most, there have been a few notable individual surprises as well.

• Nate Tivey, who's career high for points in a season is 27, leads the team and all QMJHL defensemen in scoring with 15 points (three goals and 12 assists) in eight games. He's recorded a point in six of the eight games he's appeared in and has had two four-point games already.
• Tivey is currently on pace for 126 points this season. I'll make a bold prediction and say he won't reach that number. But the club record for points by a defenseman in a single season is 58, which was set by William Villeneuve in 2019-20. That record is certainly within reach.
• Saint John has a history of players unexpectedly exploding offensively in their overage season. Danick Gauthier posted 47 goals and 86 points in 2011-12 (his previous career highs were 13 goals and 30 points) while Boko Imama registered 41 goals and 55 points in 2016-17 (his previous career highs were 13 goals and 28 points).
• How about Ben Cross? The 19-year-old forward was claimed off waivers by the Sea Dogs and now finds himself on Saint John's top line with Tyler Peddle and Eriks Mateiko. Cross has two goals and five assists in nine games.
• Elliot Dubé sits fourth in QMJHL rookie scoring with eight points in nine games. Dubé's four goals is the third most amongst rookies.
• Dylan Rozzi sits ninth in rookie scoring (five points in nine games) while William Yared is 12th (four points in nine games).
• Charles-Edward Gravel is less of a surprise – but he's certainly meeting high expectations. The overage netminder has the league's third best goals against average of 2.27 and the third best save percentage of .930.
• Random: Travis Crickard is one win away from tying Ross Yates for the fourth most wins by a head coach in team history with 49.

Saint John will be put to the test this week, visiting the CHL top-ranked Moncton Wildcats on Thursday before facing the Eastern Conference leading Acadie-Bathurst Titan in a home-and-home on the weekend.

Notebook: Sea Dogs attracting small crowds early this season

The Saint John Sea Dogs have been a pleasant surprise on the ice. Off the ice, attendance for games at TD Station has not been too pleasant.

Through six home games, the Sea Dogs are averaging 2,550 fans per game, placing them 10th in the 18-team QMJHL. They're slightly behind small markets Shawinigan and Victoriaville.

Crowds are typically lower this time of year compared to the winter months – but Saint John's average attendance is down nearly 500 fans per game from where it was at this point a year ago. The Sea Dogs averaged 3,011 fans per game after six home games last season.

Saint John's last three home games have seen particularly small crowds.

Sunday, Oct. 6 - 1,859

Friday, Oct. 11 - 2,006

Saturday, Oct. 12 - 2,150

The Oct. 6 attendance of 1,859 was Saint John's smallest regular season crowd since Dec. 17, 2022 when 1,813 watched the Sea Dogs host the Cape Breton Eagles.

COMING UP

Just how "for real" is this Sea Dogs team? We could get a good indication this week.

The Sea Dogs will play three games in four nights this week, beginning with a Thursday night contest in Moncton. The Wildcats enter play on Monday with a 5-1-1-0 record and have already defeated the Sea Dogs once this season.

The Sea Dogs will then play a Friday-Sunday home-and-home against the Maritimes Division leading Acadie-Bathurst Titan, with the first game taking place at the KC Irving Regional Centre. The Titan are a surprising 7-3-0-0 this season and have won four straight games.

Sunday's game at TD Station will be Saint John's final game until Halloween night.

Gravel, Sea Dogs make more shootout history

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - This year's Saint John Sea Dogs team seems to love marathon shootouts.

For the second time in this young season, the Sea Dogs needed a lengthy shootout to decide a game, going 11 rounds in a 6-5 victory over the Victoriaville Tigres on Saturday. Just a couple weeks ago in Sydney, the Sea Dogs and Eagles went nine rounds in a 2-1 Saint John win.

On Saturday, Eriks Mateiko scored in the second round but Justin Gendron quickly tied things up. There wouldn't be another goal scored until William Yared connected in the 11th round.

Following that Sept. 29 game, I wrote about how rare long Sea Dogs shootouts are. Now, let's update some of those notes.

A few fun facts from Saturday's game:

• This was the second longest shootout in Sea Dogs history. The longest was 12 rounds, which took place on Oct. 30, 2007 when Saint John fell 2-1 to the Lewiston Maineiacs at Harbour Station. Saint John has had two nine round shootouts, the latest being on Sept. 29 against Cape Breton.
• Charles-Edward Gravel stopped 10 of 11 shots he faced on Saturday, setting a new franchise record for saves in a shootout. Gravel and Travis Fullerton previously held the team record with nine saves each.
• Gravel and Tigres goaltender Jakob Hanlan combined for 19 saves, tying the Sea Dogs record for most combined saves in a shootout. There were also 19 combined stops made in that 2007 game between Fullerton and Maineiacs netminder Jonathan Bernier.
• Just nine games into the 2024-25 season, Gravel has made 19 saves in shootouts, which is the second most in a single season in team history. Fullerton owns the record, making 22 saves during the 2007-08 season.
• Sebastien Auger owns the record for most career shootout saves as a Sea Dog, making 39 during his four-year stint with the club.
• William Yared's shootout winner was his first career QMJHL shootout goal. He also had an attempt in that Sept. 29 game.

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

Saint John is the first team to record two shootout wins this season. They are now 6-3-0-0 on the year.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-5 (SO)

FINAL: Victoriaville 5, Saint John 6 (SO)

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - It turned into an adventure, but the Saint John Sea Dogs skated away with a 6-5 shootout win over the Victoriaville Tigres on Saturday at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs were up 5-2 in the third period only to have the Tigres storm back in the final six minutes and force extra time. The two teams then needed an 11-round shootout to decide a winner.

Saint John had a bit of a slow start, struggling to get going in the first period. But the team turned it on in the final two periods – but some late game lapses nearly cost them a win. There will be some lessons learned from this game.

Eriks Mateiko, Tyler Peddle, Ben Cross, Matthew MacLean and Elliot Dubé all scored for Saint John. Charles-Edward Gravel made 30 saves in the win – and also stopped 10 of 11 shootout attempts.

Mael Lavigne scored a pair of Victoriaville goals while Justin Gendron, Justin Larose and Olivier Houde added singles. Jakub Hanlan made 17 stops in the loss. The Tigres have now lost five straight games.

The Tigres opened the scoring just 1:06 in when Lavigne scored. Saint John struggled to get a lot going offensively in the period but the team would still come away with a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.

Mateiko got Saint John on the board at 4:40 when his shot seemed to fool Hanlan in the Tigres net. Then, with 29 seconds remaining in the frame and Saint John on a power play, Peddle ripped a perfectly placed wrist shot top corner to put Saint John ahead.

The Sea Dogs had more jump in the second period, outshooting the Tigres 15-9. It looked like Olivier Groulx had scored to give Saint John a 3-1 lead with 5:44 remaining in the period but the power play goal was called back due to an offiside. Shortly after play resumed on the same man advantage, Cross beat Hanlan top corner to give the Dogs a legit two-goal advantage.

Victoriaville got back within one at 16:51 of the second when Lavigne netted his second of the game.

MacLean's first QMJHL goal 2:34 into the third made it a 4-2 game and then, at 10:28, Dubé scored from the high slot to give Saint John a commanding 5-2 advantage.

The Tigres went to a power play at 11:12 and they pulled Hanlan to give them a six-on-four advantage. Dubé would score into the empty net – but the goal was called back due to an offside. The disallowed goal proved to be critical. 

Victoriaville got back within two when Gendron finished off a nice passing play at 14:13. The Tigres then got within one at 18:29 when Larose slid the puck under Gravel who was caught going the other way. Then, with 26 seconds remaining, Houde netted the equalizer to send the match into overtime.

Shots were 16-3 in favour of the Tigres in the third period.

After a dull overtime period, an 11-round shootout was required. In the 11th round, William Yared netted the winner to give Saint John the extra point.

Game Day 9: vs Tigres

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to ride the momentum from last night's victory this evening against the Victoriaville Tigres.

The Sea Dogs shutout the Sherbrooke Phoenix – who entered the game sitting second overall in the QMJHL standings and ranked fourth in the CHL Top 10 – 3-0 on home ice in what was one of the team's most complete performances of this young season.

Tonight they'll face a Tigres team that has just two wins this season and sits 17th overall. They've lost four straight games.

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 5-3-0-0 for 10 points (third Maritimes/fifth Eastern/eighth QMJHL) while the Tigres are 2-5-0-0 for four points (fourth Central/seventh Western/17th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-0 win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix last night. Eriks Mateiko, Olivier Groulx and Elliot Dubé all scored. Charles-Edward Gravel made 31 saves in the shutout win. The Tigres are coming off a 4-2 loss last night in Charlottetown. Olivier Houde and Eliott Simard both scored. Gabriel D'Aigle made 22 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-0

FINAL: Sherbrooke 0, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs handed the Sherbrooke Phoenix just their second loss of the year on Friday at TD Station.

Eriks Mateiko, Olivier Groulx and Elliot Dubé all scored in a 3-0 win over the Phoenix, who entered the game sitting second overall in the QMJHL standings and were ranked No. 4 in the latest CHL Top 10 rankings.

Charles-Edward Gravel made 31 saves to earn his first shutout win of the season.

It was a solid performance by the Sea Dogs who played one of their more complete games of the year. Even when they bent and the Phoenix were pressing, Gravel was there to bail them out.

Mateiko opened the scoring just 4:03 into the first period, redirecting a Nate Tivey point shot. Then at 8:06 of the second, Zachary Morin – making his QMJHL debut – made a lovely pass through the neutral zone to Groulx who had a step on the Phoenix defense. Groulx then beat Sherbrooke goaltender Jacob Brochu to double Saint John's lead.

The Phoenix pulled Brochu with over three minutes remaining in the third period but the Sea Dogs quickly made them pay. Dubé scored into the empty net at 17:48 to make it a 3-0 final.

The win improved the Sea Dogs to 5-3-0-0 on the season.

Pass/fail: Saint John's Canadian tuxedo jerseys

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - It was country night at TD Station on Friday and the Saint John Sea Dogs were dressed the part.

The Sea Dogs debuted their first theme night jersey (and socks!) of the season, sporting a Canadian tuxedo inspired look for "Stampede at the Station" night. It's the first time the club has worn country themed sweaters.

Saint John’s Canadian tuxedo jerseys for “Stampede at the Station” night. pic.twitter.com/XT0ECwA1eT

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) October 11, 2024

So let's hear: do you give these Sea Dogs jerseys a pass or fail rating?

The jerseys will be available to purchase via online auction.

Stampede at the Station jersey auction is now LIVE!

Jerseys will be worn by the players during tonight's game. Bid now at https://t.co/qTztzYEcoF#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/kwjHUMbvRx

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) October 11, 2024

The Sea Dogs are expected to wear a number of themed jerseys this season, something the club hasn't done too frequently. Besides Pink in the Rink, the Sea Dogs have only worn special jerseys on a few other occasions.

Game Day 8: vs Phoenix

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to start a new winning streak tonight on home ice.

After having a four-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday, the Sea Dogs will try and rebound tonight against the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Game time is 7 p.m. at TD Station.

Tonight's game will be an early season test for the Sea Dogs. The Phoenix, with a 5-1-0-0 record, sit second overall in the QMJHL and were ranked fourth in this week's CHL Top 10.

Saint John could have a new addition in their lineup tonight following the signing of Zachary Morin on Thursday. Eriks Mateiko, meanwhile, is set to wear the captain's 'C' for the first time.

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

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 4-3-0-0 for eight points (fourth Maritimes/sixth Eastern/10th QMJHL) while the Phoenix are 5-1-0-0 for 10 points (second West/third Western/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 home loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday. Olivier Duhamel and Darien Reynolds scored for Saint John. Charles-Edward Gravel made 22 saves in the loss. The Phoenix are coming off a 2-1 home win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Saturday. Charles-Antoine Beauregard and Hugo Primeau scored of Sherbrooke. Linards Feldbergs made 35 saves in the win.

Morin officially signs with Sea Dogs

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's official: Zachary Morin is a Saint John Sea Dog.

The Sea Dogs officially announced the signing of the 17-year-old forward on Thursday evening. Speculation surrounding Morin's future began last week when he returned home to Quebec, leaving the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms. Behind the scenes, there was never much doubt that Morin would join the Sea Dogs after he left the Phantoms – but securing his release from the USHL club held up the process until now.

“This is an amazing opportunity,” said Morin in a Sea Dogs news release. “They have a tradition of winning and have had so many great players develop there. Thank you to the Sea Dogs organization, Trevor and Travis, for having such a strong interest in me and my future. I want to be an important part of the team and help them achieve their goals, and continue to develop as a player and person."

Morin recorded eight goals and 11 assists in 54 games with Youngstown last season. He posted an assist in four games this season before leaving the club.

Morin is/was committed to Boston University for 2026 and, given what is going on with the NCAA right now, could remain a commit. The Sea Dogs' news release made no mention of the commitment while the QMJHL's release simply stated that Morin chose the USHL route "because he was interested in joining Boston University afterwards."

Prospect writer Robert Chalmers notes that Morin has deleted his BU commitment from Instagram.

“We’re delighted that Zachary chose our league," said QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini. "The QMJHL is an optimal path for hockey development, and also a combination of studies and sport that has nothing to envy other leagues. We wish him every success in the QMJHL.”

The Sea Dogs selected Morin in the eighth-round of this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. He was considered a long shot to report – and the team no doubt would have secured his rights earlier in the draft if they believed the odds were good. Morin was a first-round pick of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft but his rights were relinquished, putting him into the 2024 draft pool.

The signing gives the Sea Dogs some much needed offensive depth. The team's release said he is expected to make his debut this weekend.

Saint John hosts the Sherbrooke Phoenix on Friday and Victoriaville Tigres on Saturday.

Mateiko named Sea Dogs captain

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Eriks Mateiko has been named the 22nd captain in Saint John Sea Dogs history.

The Sea Dogs made the announcement on Wednesday. The decision comes as no surprise as Mateiko was considered a strong candidate to be captain last year but the team opted to name him an alternate.

The Latvian is just the second European captain in Sea Dogs history, joining Czechia's David Stich. Stich was Sea Dogs captain for 24 games in 2008-09 following the Alex Grant trade.

Overage defenseman Nate Tivey, meanwhile, was named an associate captain, a term used by the Utah Hockey Club earlier this week for Lawson Crouse's role. Alternate captains will be Nicolas Bilodeau, Matteo Mann and Tyler Peddle. 

Bilodeau and Mann will wear letters on the road while Peddle will do so at home.

“We are very excited to announce Eriks, Nate, Tyler, Matteo, and Nicolas as our captains,” said Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Travis Crickard in a news release. “As key members of the team, they provide great leadership, create a positive environment in the dressing room, and embody what it means to be Humble, Hungry, and Honoured to represent their families, the Sea Dogs, and the City of Saint John.”

Peter Reynolds served as Sea Dogs captain last year before being traded to the Halifax Mooseheads. The team did not have a captain in the second half.

Charlie DesRoches was the last Sea Dog to serve as captain for a full season, doing so in 2022-23.

Morin soon to be a Sea Dog

Zachary Morin is expected to soon be a Saint John Sea Dog.

 

Morin arrived in Saint John on Tuesday, less than a week after news broke that the highly touted forward had left the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms. His last game with the Phantoms was on Sept. 28.

Mikael Lalancette of le Soleil first reported the news. SN has confirmed it.

There was never much doubt over the past week that Morin would join the Sea Dogs – it was just a matter of when. Securing his release from the USHL has held up the process.

Earlier this year, the Sea Dogs signed forward Dylan Rozzi – who was a Youngstown draft pick who even attended the USHL club's summer training camp.

Morin was in his second year with the Phantoms, recording an assist in four games. He recorded eight goals and 11 assists in 54 USHL games last year.

The 17-year-old was an eighth-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. He was passed over due to his college hockey plans. Morin was selected in the first round of the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada but his rights were released, allowing him to get picked by Saint John a year later.

This is definitely a pleasant surprise for the Sea Dogs. Saint John certainly wouldn't have left him exposed until the eighth round if they thought there was a strong chance he'd report.

Morin should provide an offensive boost to a Sea Dogs team that doesn't have a lot of offensive depth. He's also projected to be picked in the 2025 NHL Draft, so there will be a few more eyes on the Sea Dogs now.

What's also interesting is that this is all happening at the same time as the NCAA considers removing its current rules that ban CHL players from playing college hockey. Morin is a 2026 Boston University commit and, in theory, could remain one. But we'll see what happens.

NCAA vote to be made in November

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We'll have to wait another few weeks for the NCAA's decision on Canadian Hockey League player eligibility.

The NCAA announced Tuesday evening that the proposed rule change will be considered during a meeting next month. If approved, CHL players – who the NCAA currently considers to be professionals – would become eligible for college hockey beginning Aug. 1, 2025.

Here's the NCAA's statement on the proposal:

The Division I Council on Tuesday introduced a proposal to change rules for preenrollment activities in men's ice hockey and skiing, which would enable prospects who participate in major junior ice hockey or on professional teams to retain NCAA eligibility as long as they are not paid more than actual and necessary expenses as part of that participation.

The introduction of the legislation is not final until the council's meeting concludes Wednesday.

"As the council continues its review of the full spectrum of NCAA eligibility rules, this proposal, focused on a singular issue, represents a pragmatic step in aligning skiing and men's ice hockey with other sports in terms of allowable preenrollment activities," said Josh Whitman, athletics director at Illinois and chair of the council.

The proposal will be considered during the council's November meeting. If approved, the proposed effective date would be Aug. 1, 2025.

There was a chance the proposal was going to be looked at this week but pushing it a month doesn't change much. Most believed CHL players would not become eligible until next season at the earliest.

College hockey teams are already preparing for the rule change, which could dramatically shift the hockey development ecosystem.

Regarding the impending CHL-NCAA news: Not only are schools already calling agents to gauge interest on their young clients, they're also calling CHL teams right now to get phone numbers for kids.

— Ryan Kennedy (@THNRyanKennedy) October 8, 2024

It will be interesting to see how the CHL responds to these changes. In public, league officials have endorsed the idea of giving players as many options as possible. Behind the scenes, there are no doubt concerns over losing elite talent early. We'll see how this all shakes down.

Several Sea Dogs on NHL opening night rosters

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A new National Hockey League season is officially underway and a number of Saint John Sea Dogs alumni are on opening night rosters.

Seven former Sea Dogs will start the year on NHL rosters. On Tuesday, Mathieu Joseph and the St. Louis Blues were in Seattle while Charlie Coyle and the Boston Bruins visited the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Here's the full list.

Jonathan Huberdeau - Calgary Flames

Charlie Coyle - Boston Bruins

Matthew Highmore - Ottawa Senators

Thomas Chabot - Ottawa Senators

Mathieu Joseph - St. Louis Blues

Joe Veleno - Detroit Red Wings

Julien Gauthier - New York Islanders

While Highmore is officially on Ottawa's roster, he is listed on the team's season-opening injured reserve after sustaining an injury in a pre-season game. He'll likely be assigned to the Belleville Senators once healthy.

There are a few other former Sea Dogs who could be called up from the American Hockey League at some point this season. That list includes Boko Imama (Pittsburgh Penguins), Jeremie Poirier (Calgary Flames), Yan Kuznetsov (Calgary Flames), William Dufour (New York Islanders) and Joshua Roy (Montreal Canadiens).

Other Sea Dogs alumni likely to spend the season in the AHL and would be considered long shots to get an NHL call up: Spencer Smallman (Washington Capitals), Cedric Pare (Toronto Maple Leafs), William Villeneuve (Toronto Maple Leafs), Vincent Sevigny (Montreal Canadiens), Riley Bezeau (Carolina Hurricanes) and Philippe Daoust (Ottawa Senators).

One Sea Dogs alumnus who is absent above: Mike Hoffman. The 34-year-old spent last season with the San Jose Sharks and was released from his PTO with the Edmonton Oilers a few weeks ago. He remains a free agent.

NCAA could rule on CHL player eligibility this week

The hockey development ecosystem could be significantly altered this week.

As first reported by USCHO, legislation could be passed as early as this week that would allow players from the Canadian Hockey League to become eligible for the NCAA. Currently, the NCAA considers the CHL to be a professional league, making its players ineligible.

From USCHO:

The NCAA Division I Council is scheduled to take up a recommendation to adopt emergency legislation that would eliminate the prohibition on major junior players in NCAA hockey, according to a source. The council meets on Tuesday and Wednesday.

ESPN's John Buccigross also provides a clear and simple explanation of what's going on.

#CawlidgeHawkey/CHA update:

Commissioners had a meeting with Jenn Fraser (Managing Director of Division I)
this morning. The recommendation to the Division I Council is to consider emergency legislation in their meetings Oct 8-9 (tomorrow and Wednesday) in regard to two specific…

— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) October 7, 2024

If the legislation passes, the rule change would likely take effect beginning next season. If that's the case, you can see why a player like Zachary Morin – who is committed to Boston University – may be enticed to make the move to the CHL.

There is a chance the NCAA pushes this decision down the road. This is all happening at a planned NCAA D-I council meeting, and they have more than a few thing$ on the go. But it seems everyone on both sides has begun to face facts: this rule change is happening, it's just a matter of when. 

The ramifications of this will be huge – and not just for the CHL and NCAA. What impact will this have on Canadian junior A hockey (especially leagues like the BCHL and AJHL) or the USHL? Will Canadian university hockey take a big hit? And the biggest question: where will hockey's top prospects choose to play?

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 3-2

FINAL: Bathurst 3, Saint John 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The winning streak is over.

The Saint John Sea Dogs fell 3-2 to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday afternoon at TD Station, ending their winning streak at four games. The Sea Dogs are now 4-3-0-0 on the season.

For a second straight game, the Sea Dogs healthy scratched a few veteran players. The team was without leading scoring Nate Tivey along with impactful offensive forwards Tyler Peddle and Eriks Mateiko – and their absences were felt with Saint John generating just 10 dangerous scoring chances in the game.

Olivier Duhamel and Darien Reynolds scored for Saint John. Charles-Edward Gravel made 22 saves and was named first star in the loss.

Saint John struggled to get much going in the opening frame, trailing 1-0 and getting outshot 12-5. The team rebounded early in the second with Duhamel scoring at 4:28 and then Reynolds converting at 11:28 to put Saint John in front, 2-1.

The Titan tied the game at 11:43 when Liam Arsenault was left all alone at the side of the net. Then, with 4.3 seconds left in the period, Dawson Sharkey ripped a shot over the shoulder of Gravel to put Bathurst in front, 3-2.

David-Alexandre Coulombe scored Bathurst's other goal. Mathis Langevin made 26 stops in the win.

Game Day 7: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are on a serious roll.

The Sea Dogs won their fourth straight game last night at TD Station, defeating the Charlottetown Islanders 3-2. They did so with three veteran players being healthy scratches.

Saint John will put their winning streak on the line this afternoon against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. This is the second meeting of the season between the provincial rivals following a 6-3 Sea Dogs win in Bathurst on Thursday.

Game time today is 3 p.m.

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

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 4-2-0-0 for eight points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/fifth QMJHL) while the Titan are 3-3-0-0 for five points (fourth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/12th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 home win over the Charlottetown Islanders last night. Nate Tivey, Eriks Mateiko and William Yared all scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 28 saves in the win. The Titan are coming off a 5-1 home loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Friday. Cory MacGillivray scored Bathurst's lone goal. Joshua Fleming made 22 saves in the loss.