Oceanic went hard after Mateiko

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Rimouski Oceanic badly wanted Eriks Mateiko, Saint John Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Travis Crickard said in an interview this week.

Speaking with Sea Dogs radio broadcaster Bruce Smith before Wednesday's game at TD Station, Crickard said about five teams showed interest in Mateiko after he took on the role of general manager. As the trade period neared, it ultimately came down to two teams.

"It kind of just came down to one team, being Rimouski, being very convinced or stern with their need to get Eriks and they were going to do whatever it took to get him," Crickard said. "They weren't interested in doing a negotiation in terms of, okay, we'll offer this and then I come back, no, I want this, and then we'd maybe meet in the middle. It was just like, what do you want for him? This is what I want? And okay, we'll do it. And that's kind of how it it played out with that transaction, so to speak."

Officially, the Sea Dogs traded Mateiko to the Oceanic for a third-round pick; two fourth-round picks; and a fifth-round pick. That's expected to change at this summer's QMJHL Entry Draft where the Oceanic will send Saint John two first-round picks – a significant price for what is likely to be just half a season of the Latvian forward.

"I think one of the things with the deal itself is that Eriks is a player who's only going to be in the league for less than 30 more regular season games and then playoffs, so when we enter the the draft we'll see that it was a pretty expensive price to to pay for Eriks to finish his junior career in Rimouski. But at the same time, that's what he's worth, really."

The Oceanic are expected to keep Mateiko out of the lineup this weekend, giving him some extra rest following the IIHF World Junior Championship.

A few other news and notes...

• In the Telegraph-Journal, Kevin Barrett reports that one of the first-round picks Saint John will receive will be for the 2025 draft while the other will be for 2027. Saint John, at this time, would have three first-round picks in this year's draft.
• Barrett notes Crickard sees Tyler Peddle, Nicolas Bilodeau and Ben Cross as the team's trio of overagers next season.
• Crickard on Mateiko's impressive performance with Latvia at the IIHF World Junior Championship: "His performance at the world juniors is not surprising to anyone in this room. Moreover, when moments are big, that's the kind of player he is, and that's what was the focal point of the discussion with a team like Rimouski. While you may not know him that well, you're getting a big time player in big time moments and he showed that."
• Crickard noted in the radio interview that the team wasn't able to practice much at TD Station after the Christmas break due to Cirque du Soleil taking over the building. The team finally returned to their usual ice surface on Wednesday morning.
• Saint John will look to snap a five-game losing streak on Saturday in Halifax. The two teams meet again on Sunday afternoon in Saint John. The Mooseheads sit last in the Eastern Conference but are now just five points behind the Sea Dogs.