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.
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