Sea Dogs have cooled down of late

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - It was bound to happen.

After a fairly smooth and successful start to the season, the Saint John Sea Dogs have officially hit their first skid. The team has dropped three straight games and are now just 3-7-0-0 in their last 10, falling below .500 with an 10-11-0-0 record.

The painful part (but also a positive in the big picture) about Saint John's losing streak is that they've been in all the games on this streak, losing all three by a single goal. But some offensive struggles and defensive blunders in those games proved costly, which is often the case for a rebuilding club like the Sea Dogs where margin for error is slim.

While Saint John does have three wins under their belt in recent weeks, all three of those came in overtime. The Sea Dogs haven't won in regulation since Oct. 18 when they defeated the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 3-0.

One of the major problems for the Sea Dogs of late: their power play. Saint John has the third worst man advantage in the league at 16.1%. They've only scored two power play goals over the past 10 games.

Nov. 9 at Rimouski: 0/3

Nov. 8 at Quebec: 0/1

Nov. 7 at Victoriaville: 1/1

Nov. 3 vs Val-d'Or: 0/4

Nov. 2 vs Rouyn-Noranda: 0/3

Oct. 31 vs Moncton: 0/1

Oct. 27 at Gatineau: 0/2

Oct. 26 at Drummondville: 0/3

Oct. 25 at Sherbrooke: 1/4

Oct. 20 vs Bathurst: 0/4

Coincidently, Tyler Peddle hasn't scored since Oct. 25. Five of his seven goals this season have come on the power play.

Things aren't going great for the Sea Dogs right now, but that's how it goes in this type of season. At this stage of a rebuild, there's going to be a lot of ups and a lot of downs. The question is how quickly can the Dogs get themselves back up, which will say a lot about this group.

The Sea Dogs will not have an easy task when they return to play on Thursday, visiting the CHL top-ranked Moncton Wildcats. Working for Saint John is the fact that they defeated Moncton in overtime just a couple weeks ago.

On Saturday the Sea Dogs will travel to Bathurst to play the Titan. The team returns home the following weekend, hosting the Charlottetown Islanders on Nov. 22 and Nov. 23.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Rimouski 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

RIMOUSKI, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs are coming home empty handed.

The Sea Dogs fell 4-3 to the Rimouski Oceanic on Saturday at Colisée Financière Sun Life, pushing them below .500 with a 10-11-0-0 record. The team now returns home without any points on this three-game Quebec road trip. All three losses were decided by one goal.

Unlike the previous two games where Saint John fell behind, it was the Sea Dogs who opened the scoring in this one with Eriks Mateiko making it 1-0 just 44 seconds in.

But the Sea Dogs could only keep the Oceanic off the scoreboard for so long. Rimouski outshot Saint John 20-5 in the second period and took a 2-1 lead into the third period. The Oceanic then added two more early in the third.

Saint John did make a game of it. Olivier Groulx scored at 13:12 of the final frame and then Ben Cross made it a one-goal game at 16:16. Saint John would get no closer, though.

Shots in the game ended 36-18 in favour of Rimouski. Saint John registered just seven dangerous scoring chances. 

Justin Robinson, in his only appearance of this road trip, made 32 stops in the loss.

Olivier Theberge, Mael St-Denis, Dominic Pilote and Jacob Mathieu all scored for Rimouski. Samuel St-Hilaire made 15 stops in the loss.

Game Day 21: at Rimouski

RIMOUSKI, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs will make their lone trip of the season to Rimouski today.

The Oceanic currently sit fourth in the Eastern Conference with an 11-6-0-1 record. The team the Sea Dogs face today will no doubt look a lot different than the team that will host the Memorial Cup later this season.

The Sea Dogs will look to salvage a point or two on the final game of this three-in-three Quebec road trip. Saint John lost 3-2 in Victoriaville on Thursday and 2-1 to Quebec last night.

A Saint John loss today would put the team below the .500 mark. They enter play 10-10-0-0.

Game time at Colisée Financière Sun Life is 5 p.m. Atlantic.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 10-10-0-0 for 20 points (third Maritimes/sixth Eastern/10th QMJHL) while the Oceanic are 11-6-0-1 for 23 points (third East/fourth Eastern/sixth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 loss in Quebec City last night. Dylan Rozzi scored Saint John's lone goal. Charles-Edward Gravel made 26 saves in the loss. The Oceanic are coming off a 6-3 home win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs last night. Jacob Mathieu had a hat trick while Alexandre Blais, Anthony Pare and Quinn Kennedy added singles. Samuel St-Hilaire made 35 saves in the win.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 2-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Quebec 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

QUEBEC CITY - The Saint John Sea Dogs once again fell behind and came up short.

After falling 3-2 in Victoriaville on Thursday – a game where Saint John trailed 2-0 heading into the third period – the Sea Dogs once again fell behind 2-0 on Friday before ultimately falling 2-1 to the Quebec Remparts at Centre Videotron.

Dylan Rozzi scored Saint John's lone goal late in the second period. The Sea Dogs generated 25 shots but only eight were counted as dangerous. Saint John was also only given one power play in the game compared to Quebec's five.

Charles-Edward Gravel, who also started on Thursday, made 26 saves in the loss.

Justin Cote scored both Quebec goals. Louis-Antoine Denault made 24 saves in the win.

Saint John will look to salvage a point or two on this Quebec three-in-three on Saturday against the Rimouski Oceanic. On paper, Rimouski will be Saint John's toughest opponent on this trip. We'll see what happens.

Game Day 20: at Quebec

QUEBEC CITY - The Saint John Sea Dogs continue their Quebec road trip tonight.

After falling 3-2 in Victoriaville last night, the Sea Dogs will look to rebound this evening against the Quebec Remparts. Game time is 8 p.m. at Centre Videotron.

Saint John is going through a tough stretch right now. They've won three of their past five games, but all three of those wins came in overtime. They haven't won in regulation since Oct. 18

Quebec, meanwhile, is also going through a challenging stretch. After a hot start, they're just 2-8-0-0 in their last 10 games. 

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 10-9-0-0 for 20 points (third Maritimes/sixth Eastern/eighth QMJHL) while the Remparts are 7-10-1-0 for 15 points (fourth East/ninth Eastern/14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 loss in Victoriaville last night. Zachary Morin and Eriks Mateiko scored for Saint John. Charles-Edward Gravel made 21 saves in the loss. The Remparts are coming off a 5-0 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes on Saturday. Patrick Deniger made 25 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 3-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Victoriaville 3

VICTORIAVILLE, QC - Olivier Houde's third period goal was the difference as the Victoriaville Tigres edged the Saint John Sea Dogs 3-2 on Thursday night at Colisee Desjardins.

Houde scored at 8:19 of the third period after a couple of sloppy plays with the puck by the Sea Dogs. Alexis Bourque and Justin Larose also had Victoriaville goals while Gabriel D'Aigle made 29 saves in the win.

The Tigres led 2-0 entering the third period but Saint John quickly tied it. On their first power play of the game, Zachary Morin beat D'Aigle from the circle at 4:34 to make it 2-1 and then, at even strength, Eriks Mateiko was able to poke the puck through the Tigres goaltender at 5:20 to tie it. Mateiko's goal was reviewed but was declared to be legal.

Shots were 13-4 in favour of Saint John in the third period.

Morin had a goal and an assist in the game. Charles-Edward Gravel made 21 saves in the win.

This was the first game of a three-in-three Quebec road trip for Saint John. They'll take on the Quebec Remparts tomorrow night.

CHL players to become NCAA eligible next season; QMJHL returning to USA?

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PORTLAND, ME - The junior hockey world changed forever on Thursday.

Beginning next season, players from the Canadian Hockey League will be allowed to play United States college hockey, the NCAA announced Thursday. It was an expected approval, but one that will have a dramatic impact on player development and movement in North America.

"The Division I Council on Tuesday adopted a proposal to change rules for preenrollment activities in men's ice hockey and skiing, enabling 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," reads an NCAA statement.

"The change is effective Aug. 1, 2025."

College Hockey Insider has more on the rule change and some of the finer details. One important detail: similar to football and basketball, if a player signs an NHL entry level deal, they lose their NCAA eligibility. 

This change was expected to happen at some point over the next few years. But things moved quickly. CHL players won't be eligible for college hockey until next season, but that won't stop players from committing to schools or signing with CHL clubs.

The CHL issued a statement on Thursday.

"While we will take time to fully review this rule change, we believe this is a positive development that will provide our players with more opportunities to continue their hockey and academic careers following their time in the CHL," reads the statement. "It will also give young players and their families more options in choosing their development path, which includes opening up the CHL – the best development hockey league in the world for players aged 16-20 – to more players worldwide."

Game Day 19: at Victoriaville

VICTORIAVILLE, QC - Another Quebec road trip begins tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

After going 1-2-0-0 on their trip last month, the Sea Dogs will look to improve that record as they begin a three-in-three against the Victoriaville Tigres at Colisee Desjardins. Game time this evening is 8 p.m. Atlantic.

Saint John has been having a hot-and-cold stretch of games. All three of their latest wins have come in overtime; they've defeated the CHL's No. 1 ranked team; and also got smoked 5-0 by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. It's been an odd stretch.

The Sea Dogs will play in Quebec City on Friday and end the trip with a game in Rimouski on Saturday.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 10-8-0-0 for 20 points (third Maritimes/sixth Eastern/eighth QMJHL) while the Tigres are 5-10-1-1 for 12 points (fourth Central/sixth Western/15th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Sunday at TD Station. Eriks Mateiko had a pair of goals for Saint John while singles came from Ben Cross and Nicolas Bilodeau. Justin Robinson made 21 saves in the win. The Tigres are coming off a 4-3 loss to the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Sunday. Olivier Houde had a pair of goals and Eliott Simard added a single. Mathis Lacroix-Goulet made 40 stops in the loss.

Notebook: Extra time has been extra kind

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs have really enjoyed playing beyond 60 minutes of hockey.

Five of Saint John's 18 games this season have required extra time – and the team has won all of them, taking three in overtime and two in a shootout. Saint John's three most recent wins have all come in overtime.

Only the Chicoutimi Sagueneens have needed extra time more this season. The Sags have gone to overtime or shootout an incredible eight times in 17 games.

The Sea Dogs went to extra time in 12 games last season. They were 2-5 in overtime and 1-4 in shootouts.

The franchise record for games that required overtime or shootout is 17, which was set during the 2008-09 season.

U17 UPDATE

Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard and Team Canada Red have secured a spot in the semifinals of the U17 World Challenge in Sarnia.

Team Canada Red finished the preliminary round 2-0, placing them atop Group A. They defeated Finland 3-1 on Sunday to open the tournament and then downed the United States 6-3 on Monday.

The semifinals take place on Friday with the bronze and gold medal games set for Saturday.

Red's roster includes 16-year-old defenseman Cameron Chartrand, who was a first-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. Chartrand, who is committed to Boston College, has an assist in two games at the tournament.

Sea Dogs make scouting changes

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs announced additions to their scouting department on Monday.

The moves come a few weeks after the Sea Dogs fired general manager Anthony Stella and gave the GM role to head coach Travis Crickard.

With Crickard doing both roles, the head scout position becomes much more pivotal to Saint John's hockey operations. That role will be filled by Nicolas Lepore, who has been a scout with the Quebec Remparts since 2015. Saint John's news release notes that "Lepore is also the owner and president of Triple Threat Hockey and the Hockey Program Director at Des Sources High School."

Lepore is just one of several additions to Saint John's scouting department. Below is a breakdown of how the team's scouting staff now looks.

• Head Scout — Nicolas Lapore
• Senior Advisor to the Head Scout & Quebec Regional Scout — Marc-Andre Roussel 
• Hockey Operations Assistant & Quebec Regional Scout — Chris Hatzitolios 
• Scouting Advisor — Wayne Mundey 
• Atlantic Canada Regional Scout — Rob Beatty 
• Atlantic Canada Regional Scout — Tim Smith 
• Quebec Regional Scout — Sean Mundey 
• Quebec Regional Scout & Prospect Development — Tim Archambault 
• United States Scout — Bob Beveridge 
• Ontario Scout — Tyler Brown

Roussel was a scout with the Sea Dogs from 2011 to 2014 before he joined the Remparts. He was part of the group that drafted the likes of Thomas Chabot, Matthew Highmore and Mathieu Joseph.

The Sea Dogs website has a more detailed look at the entire staff – which is much larger than what the team has had in recent seasons.

“Assuming the general manager position I felt it was necessary to be surrounded by a highly experienced and connected scouting staff,” said Crickard in a news release.

“Rob, Tim, Tyler, Sean, Wayne, Bob, Chris, and Tim are incredibly humble team first people who come with extensive experiences and connections,” Crickard added. “It is a tremendous honour to add these gentlemen to our organization to work toward building another championship Sea Dogs team.”

The first challenge for the new group will be preparing for December's QMJHL trade period, which will help shape Saint John's 2025 draft weekend. It's also going to be a much different world by week's end, with the NCAA likely to vote yes on allowing CHL players into the league as early as next season.

The Sea Dogs also confirmed that Marc-Olivier Heredia, Trevor Scott and Normand Poisson have been let go from the team's staff.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-3 (OT)

FINAL: Val-d'Or 3, Saint John 4 (OT)

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - It wasn't easy, but the Saint John Sea Dogs came away with a 4-3 overtime win over the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Sunday at TD Station.

Eriks Mateiko scored the overtime winner after the Sea Dogs tied the game late in the third period. Saint John led 2-0 in the second only to have the Foreurs storm back, taking a 3-2 lead into the third.

It wasn't the prettiest of wins for Saint John, especially against a Val-d'Or team that was playing its third game in three nights. Saint John simply didn't look their best for most of this game. It's been a bit of an odd stretch for the Sea Dogs with the team's last three victories all coming in overtime.

Mateiko scored twice for Saint John while Ben Cross and Nicolas Bilodeau added singles. Justin Robinson made 21 saves in the win.

Noah Reinhart, Samuel Fiala and Philippe Veilleux scored for Val-d'Or. Cedric Masse made 38 saves in the loss.

After a scoreless first period, Saint John opened things up at 6:59 of the second when Cross, from behind the goal line, banked a shot off Masse's pad and in. Then at 8:20, Mateiko was at the top of the crease and slid home his eighth of the season to make it 2-0.

The goals kept coming when Reinhart scored against his old club to make it a one-goal game at 9:57. Then at 14:28, Fiala converted to make it 2-2.

The Foreurs took their first lead of the game when a Veilleux wrist shot from the circle beat Robinson blocker side, making it 3-2.

The Sea Dogs had their chances in the first half of the third, hitting a couple posts. Finally, at 14:47, Bilodeau redirected an Olivier Duhamel point shot past Masse to make it a 3-3 game.

Val-d'Or went to a power play late in the third but couldn't score. Saint John had a couple chances late, including a Zachary Morin breakaway that was denied. 

It was a back-and-forth session of overtime. At 4:04, and after the Sea Dogs circled the puck around for a bit, Mateiko ripped a wrist shot past Masse and just inside the post to give Saint John the win.

Game Day 18: vs Foreurs

SAINT JOHN - It's been an interesting few days for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The team had one of its biggest wins of the season on Thursday, upsetting the top-ranked Moncton Wildcats 3-2 in overtime. But the Sea Dogs followed that up with one of their worst performances of the season on Saturday, falling 5-0 to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in a game Saint John struggled from start to finish.

What Sea Dogs team will we see this afternoon? The Dogs host the Val-d'Or Foreurs at 3 p.m. today at TD Station.

The Foreurs have just nine points on the year and sit 17th overall in the 18-team QMJHL. They've lost three straight games and will be playing their third game in three days.

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

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 9-8-0-0 for 18 points (fourth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/10th QMJHL) while the Foreurs are 4-11-1-0 for nine points (third West/seventh Western/17th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-0 loss to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last night. Charles-Edward Gravel made 32 saves in the loss. The Foreurs are coming off a 7-4 loss in Moncton last night. Noah Reinhart, Philippe Veilleux, Nathan Brisson and Nathan Baril scored for Val-d'Or. David Di Girolamo allowed five goals on 21 shots while Cedric Masse allowed two goals on 21 shots.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-0

FINAL: Rouyn-Noranda 5, Saint John 0

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Coming off an upset win over the Moncton Wildcats on Thursday, the Saint John Sea Dogs were brought back to reality on Saturday by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

The Huskies showed why they're one of the top teams in the Western Conference, outshooting the Sea Dogs 24-7 in the opening 40 minutes in a 5-0 win. It was the third game in four days for Rouyn-Noranda, who completed a Maritime road trip in Saint John.

Rouyn-Noranda had a strong forecheck and seemed to win every puck battle. When Saint John was able to get the puck, the Huskies were quick to get it back. It wasn't until the third period – and already down 5-0 – that the Sea Dogs were able to get some sustained offensive pressure going.

Antonin Verreault scored a pair of Rouyn-Noranda while singles came from Ty Higgins, Benjamin Brunelle and Lars Steiner. Samuel Meloche made 20 saves in the shutout win.

Charles-Edward Gravel made 32 saves in the loss.

The Huskies led 2-0 after the first period thanks to a pair of power play goals. With Tyler Peddle serving a four-minute penalty for holding and unsportsmanlike conduct, Higgins scored on a point shot at 15:25 and then Brunelle scored on a one-time shot from the high slot at 15:53.

Saint John didn't record their first shot on goal until Darien Reynolds fired a wrist shot at Meloche's blocker at 16:24. Shots were 11-1 Rouyn-Noranda in the opening frame.

The Huskies made it 3-0 at 6:23 of the second period. After Saint John lost a puck battle behind their own net, Bill Zonnon fed an open Steiner in front who added to Rouyn-Noranda's lead.

Rouyn-Noranda then made it 4-0 when Verreault scored at 15:26.

The Huskies made it 5-0 just 58 seconds into the third. Axel Dufresne threw the puck on net where Verreault grabbed it and put it past Gravel.

Shots ended 37-20 in favour of the Huskies.

Notebook: First era night happens Saturday

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The Sea Dogs will hold their first championship era night of the season on Saturday when they host the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at TD Station.

The team will honour the 2011 and 2012 Sea Dogs championship teams, which saw the club win back-to-back QMJHL titles and a Memorial Cup championship.

Former players Mike Thomas, Zack Phillips, Kevin Gagne, Ryan Tesink, Pierre Durepos, Jason Cameron, Aidan Kelly and Spencer MacDonald will all be in attendance. Former head coach Gerard Gallant will be in town as well.

First 1000 fans at tonight's game will receive a limited edition 2011/2012 Championship Era Poster. 🙌

Plus, get it signed by #SJSeaDogs alumni during the first intermission autograph session!

🎟️ » https://t.co/Lv9oltkgiG#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/18lBPthvNJ

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) November 2, 2024

An autograph session will be held during the first intermission. Fans can also take photos will the Gilles-Courteau Trophy.

The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a poster honouring the teams.

This is the first of three championship era nights this season. On Jan. 19 the 2017 President Cup team will be honoured while on Feb. 17 the 2022 Memorial Cup squad will be honoured.

HALLOWEEN FUN

Following their 3-2 overtime win over the Moncton Wildcats on Thursday, the Sea Dogs are now 5-2-0-0 all-time in Halloween games. They've won the last three they'e played.

2010-11: 7-0 win at Rouyn-Noranda

2012-13: 2-1 loss vs Blainville-Boisbriand

2015-16: 5-3 win vs Val-d'Or

2019-20: 6-1 loss vs Rimouski

2020-21: 5-3 win vs Cape Breton

2021-22: 4-3 win vs Halifax

2024-25: 3-2 win vs Moncton (OT)

Six of the seven games the Sea Dogs have played on Halloween have been at TD Station.

Game Day 17: vs Huskies

SAINT JOHN - Coming off an upset win over the Moncton Wildcats on Thursday, the Saint John Sea Dogs will look to carry that momentum into another big showdown tonight.

The Sea Dogs host the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, who sit second in the Western Conference, tonight at 7 p.m. at TD Station. Saint John will honour the club's 2011 and 2012 championship teams during the game.

The Sea Dogs have won back-to-back games – both in overtime with both game winners being scored by Matteo Mann.

This is the third and final game of a Maritime road trip for the Huskies. They fell 6-5 in overtime on Wednesday in Cape Breton and lost 2-1 in a shootout last night in Halifax. The Huskies outshot the Mooseheads 49-18 in the loss.

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

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 9-7-0-0 for 18 points (third Maritimes/sixth Eastern/ninth QMJHL) while the Huskies are 8-3-2-3 for 21 points (first West/second Western/sixth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Moncton Wildcats on Thursday. William Yared scored a pair of goals while Matteo Mann netted the overtime winner. Charles-Edward Gravel made 33 saves in the win. The Huskies are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss in Halifax last night. Bill Zonnon scored Rouyn-Noranda's only goal. Samuel Meloche made 17 saves in the loss.