Peddle signs ATO with AHL's Monsters

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It looks like Tyler Peddle will be making his professional hockey debut at some point over the next couple weeks.

The AHL's Cleveland Monsters announced Monday that the Saint John Sea Dogs forward has been signed to an amateur tryout contract. The Monsters, who sit eighth in the AHL's Eastern Conference, have eight regular season games remaining.

Peddle was a seventh-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2023 NHL Draft. Even if he does appear in some AHL games, he is still eligible to return to the QMJHL for an overage season in the fall.

Like for much of his junior career, consistency was the problem for Peddle during the 2024-25 season, looking good for some stretches then sliding down the lineup for others. He finished with 15 goals and 14 assists in 54 games. He missed the club's final regular season game with an injury.

In the same news release, the Monsters signed Providence Friars defenseman Guillaume Richard to an ATO as well. Richard, who's season (and college career) came to an end this past weekend, was a fourth-round pick of Saint John in the 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft.

The Monsters are back in action on Friday when they host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Mooseheads stun Voltigeurs again

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The Halifax Mooseheads have done it again.

After pulling off a 3-2 upset win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs in Game 1 on Friday, Quispamsis native Liam Kilfoil scored the overtime winner to give Halifax another 3-2 win and a 2-0 series lead on Saturday at the Marcel Dionne Centre.

Soak it in Moose Country. OT winner Liam Kilfoil. #GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/Qb5vzXadKF

— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) March 30, 2025

The series now shifts to Halifax for the next three games – if that Game 5 is even needed.

Drummondville had the third best record during the QMJHL's regular season while Halifax finished 16th. The start of this series has been nothing short of stunning.

Halifax took a 2-1 lead on a Braeden MacPhee goal just 54 seconds into the third period and carried that into the final minute. With the goaltender pulled, Saint John native Sam Oliver – the QMJHL's leading goal scorer in the regular season – beat Jacob Steinman upstairs to tie it at 2-2. But that goal underwent a long review before eventually being overturned for goaltender interference.

Then, with 38 seconds remaining, Oliver scored again – this time on a legal play – to send things into overtime.

Kilfoil's winner came at 16:40 of overtime on a power play. Simon-Pier Brunet was called for delay of game at 15:22.

Steinman was named the game's first star with 45 saves. Louis-Felix Charrois – who got the start with Riley Mercer injured in Game 1 – made 24 saves in the loss.

Game 3 is Tuesday night at Scotiabank Centre.

Wildcats survive wild Friday night in QMJHL

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The Moncton Wildcats survived a scare on Friday night.

The CHL's No. 1 ranked team needed overtime to defeat the Quebec Remparts in Game 1 of their first round playoff series. Julius Sumpf netted the winner just 1:38 into the extra frame.

Julius Sumpf scores the Game 1 OT winner for the @monctonwildcats! 😤 #QPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/e0gQ09lzs1

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) March 29, 2025

Moncton led 2-1 heading into the third where Quebec scored twice in less than two minutes halfway through the frame to take a 3-2 lead. Gabe Smith tied it back up at 16:10 to send the game into overtime.

Shots were 43-25 in favour of Moncton. The Wildcats went with the experienced Mathis Rousseau in net even after riding Rudy Guimond much of the last couple months.

The series is a major mismatch on paper. Moncton finished with 55 more points than rebuilding Quebec.

The Wildcats have now won 16 straight games. Game 2 is Saturday night in Moncton.

Notebook: Sea Dogs thank fans

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs president Trevor Georgie shared a thank you message to fans earlier this week.

The letter was shared on the team's social media channels and via email (click to enlarge).

The letter comes after another challenging year for the Sea Dogs. The team has been in the league's basement for three consecutive seasons and this year missed the playoffs for the first tine since 2018-19.

As Georgie notes, there are reasons to be optimistic about the club's future. It's also noted that the team has three first-round picks in June's QMJHL Entry Draft and will have two import players next year. Saint John played the entire second half with no imports.

ELLIOTT SIGNS ATO

Former Sea Dogs forward Drew Elliott has signed an amateur tryout with the AHL's San Diego Gulls, the club announced Wednesday.

The 21-year-old appeared in 26 regular season games with the UNB Reds this season, recording 14 goals and eight assists. He added an assist in five playoff games.

Elliott, a Saint John native, split his overage season between the Sea Dogs and Drummondville Voltigeurs. In 32 second half games with Saint John, Elliott recorded 10 goals and seven assists. 

The Gulls are back in action on Friday when they host the Tucson Roadrunners. 

2025 QMJHL playoffs first round predictions

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It's that time.

Here are my predictions for the opening round of the QMJHL playoffs. Keeping with tradition, I've subtracted a game (where possible) from my initial picks because the first round is too often underwhelming entertainment wise. We'll see what happens this year.

Eastern Conference

1. Moncton vs 8. Quebec - Wildcats in 4

The Wildcats carry a 15-game winning streak into the playoffs and I don't see them having many problems with the Remparts. If Quebec can keep any of these games close, I'd consider that a success for them.

2. Rimouski vs 7. Charlottetown - Oceanic in 4

The Oceanic have built a roster worthy of being Memorial Cup hosts. But as we've seen many times, that pressure can do funny things come playoff time. They're playing a Charlottetown team that really turned things around in the second half, but even a team that always plays a playoff style game is going to have a hard time with Rimouski.

3. Chicoutimi vs 6. Acadie-Bathurst - Sagueneens in 6

I think we'd all like to see a magical playoff run by the Titan here (except Chicoutimi, probably) and honestly I could see them finding a way to sneak out a series win here. Hope this is a good series, because the potential is there.

4. Baie-Comeau vs 5. Cape Breton - Eagles in 6

A rematch of a great series from a year ago – but both teams have taken a step back this year. The Drakkar enter the playoffs banged up, and that could be the difference. Expecting this to be a close series again with some great atmospheres. 

WHL to add two expansion teams

Jack Murray/Penticton Vees

After much talk about OHL and QMJHL expansion over the past few months, the WHL will be the only league to secure an additional team for next season.

The WHL announced Monday that the Penticton Vees, one of the BCHL's flagship franchises, will be joining the league for the 2025-26 season. At the same time, the WHL announced "the initiation of a franchise application process for the City of Chilliwack, to begin play in the 2026-27 WHL season."

The news of Penticton joining the WHL has been floating around for a couple months now. The Vees are one of the BCHL's most successful franchises on and off the ice and they play in a major junior ready building.

An ownership group for the Penticton franchise has already been set up. The group includes existing Vees majority owner Graham Fraser, Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele, former New York Rangers goaltender Mike Richter and prominent local businessmen.

Welcome to the Western League, @PentictonVees! pic.twitter.com/uScbQTmzaK

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 24, 2025

Multiple media reports indicate that the Vees expansion fee was somewhere in the ballpark of $15 million, which included a payment to the Kelowna Rockets who held the territorial rights. The two cities are less than an hour apart.

Chilliwack, meanwhile, was home to the WHL's Bruins from 2006 to 2011 before they were relocated to Victoria. No ownership group has been setup for the franchise yet.

According to the WHL, "the City of Chilliwack is set to invest $3.7 million in upgrades to the Chilliwack Coliseum prior to the arrival of a WHL franchise in 2026-27, including enhancements to the scoreboard, lighting system, NHL-standard boards, and more."

Start the countdown!

The 2026-27 WHL Season can't come soon enough🤩 pic.twitter.com/Noy7caFuzs

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 25, 2025

These additions will give the WHL 24 teams in two years time.

Wildcats were regular season's best

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The Moncton Wildcats have already won some hardware this season.

The Wildcats clinched the QMJHL's regular season title a few weeks ago, meaning they will be presented with the Jean Rougeau Trophy. It's just the second time the team has won the trophy with the other being in 2005-06 when they hosted the Memorial Cup.

Moncton finished the regular season with a 53-9-2-0 record for 108 points and a .844 winning percentage. For comparison, the 2010-11 Saint John Sea Dogs went 58-7-1-2 for 119 points (playing four more games) and a .875 winning percentage. 

The Wildcats also won the Robert Lebel Trophy (team with the best goals against average) and Luc Robitaille Trophy (team with the best goals for average).

The Sea Dogs won all three of those trophies when they won the Memorial Cup in 2011 as did the Halifax Mooseheads in 2013.

Moncton enters the playoffs having won 15 straight games. They'll play the Quebec Remparts in the opening round.

A few other Monday notes... 

• 17-year-old goaltender William Lacelle of the Rimouski Oceanic won the Jacques Plante Trophy for the QMJHL's best goals against average. From the league: "in his rookie season, Lacelle wins the Jacques Plante Trophy thanks to his 2.38 goals against average, a slight edge ahead of 20-year-old veteran Jacob Steinman (2.41) of the Halifax Mooseheads. Rimouski’s netminder completes his first season with a 27-5-1-2 record, a .909% save percentage and three shutouts."
• For the first time in program history, the Ottawa Gee-Gees are University Cup champions. The Gee-Gees defeated the Concordia Stingers 3-2 in Sunday's championship game at TD Place in Ottawa. Former Sea Dogs goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise allowed three goals on 14 shots in the loss.
• Ottawa entered the tournament as the eighth seed, having not played a game since Feb. 28. The hosts upset UNB on Thursday, TMU on Saturday and then ended things by holding off Concordia Sunday night. While it's become common for a host team to win the Memorial Cup after a long break, this is quite uncommon at the University Cup tournament.
• Along with Hurtubise, the Stingers included former Sea Dogs Nicholas Girouard, Christopher Inniss, Charles Savoie and Isiah Campbell.
• In Sunday afternoon's bronze medal game, Kevin Gursoy, Joseph Ianniello and the TMU Bold fell 4-1 to the Saskatchewan Huskies. Gursoy scored in the loss with Ianniello picking up an assist.
• Former QMJHL goaltender Francesco Lapenna of the Gee-Gees was named tournament MVP.

  🏒MHKY: Franky Lapenna of Ottawa is the Tournament MVP of the 2025 BioSteel U SPORTS University Cup!
  
  🏒HCKM: Franky Lapenna, d’Ottawa, est le Joueur par excellence du tournoi de la Coupe Universitaire U SPORTS BioSteel 2025 ! pic.twitter.com/oAFe06mcHv

  — U SPORTS Hockey (@USPORTS_Hockey) March 23, 2025

• The Gee-Gees are the first Ontario based team to win the University Cup since the Western Mustangs in 2002.
• In the MHL playoffs, the Pictou County Weeks Crushers completed the upset of the Summerside Western Capitals, winning the first round series in five games. The Western Capitals were the second best team in the regular season behind the Edmundston Blizzard.
• Heading into Monday's action, Amherst/Truro along with West Kent/Campbellton were both tied 2-2. Edmundston leads Miramichi 3-1.

Notebook: CHL TV but without the WHL?

WHL

The future of CHL TV is very much in question following an announcement by the Western Hockey League this week.

The WHL announced Thursday that all of its playoff games and the full 2025-26 regular season will be streamed for free on Victory+. The streaming service has been making some noise of late, broadcasting Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks and Texas Rangers games.

From the WHL:

The WHL Playoffs will be available on Victory+ without geo-restrictions, giving fans the opportunity to follow their favorite teams and players on the road to the championship. With Victory+ offering a free, ad-supported streaming service, this ensures that the game is accessible to everyone, no matter where they are or what devices they use, including Samsung and Vizio smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android and web browser.

Making all games available for free is a big move – and one that you have to wonder if the OHL and QMJHL may follow. Following junior hockey isn't easy in this era of dwindling media coverage. It's even harder to follow at a cheap price.

All three leagues have been streamed on the subscription based CHL TV since 2021.

LOTTERY TALK

The Saint John Sea Dogs finished 17th in the 18-team QMJHL, giving them the second best odds of winning the league's draft lottery.

The QMJHL's bottom five teams will all be entered into the lottery.

18. Victoriaville - 9 balls

17. Saint John - 6 balls

16. Halifax - 3 balls

15. Newfoundland - 2 balls

14. Quebec - 1 ball

The Acadie-Bathurst Titan/Newfoundland Regiment own the Gatineau Olympiques' pick.

The Sea Dogs also currently own Cape Breton's first-round pick, which will be 10th overall. We'll see what picks Saint John ends up with on draft day, which will be June 6-7 in Quebec City.

The playoffs are set

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The first round of the QMJHL playoffs are locked in.

Saturday was the final day of regular season play. With all games completed, we now know who will be playing who in the opening round of the Gilles Courteau Trophy Playoffs.

Here's a rundown:

Eastern Conference

1) Moncton vs 8) Quebec

2) Rimouski vs 7) Charlottetown

3) Chicoutimi vs 6) Bathurst

4) Baie-Comeau vs 5) Cape Breton

Western Conference

1) Drummondville vs 8) Halifax

2) Rouyn-Noranda vs 7) Gatineau

3) Shawinigan vs 6) Val-d'Or

4) Blainville-Boisbriand vs 5) Sherbrooke

The Halifax Mooseheads crossed over to the Western Conference.

The only series that will be 2-2-1-1-1 formats will be Rouyn-Noranda/Gatineau and Blainville-Boisbriand/Sherbrooke. The others will be 2-3-2.

The Moncton Wildcats, with an impressive 53-9-2-0 record and riding a 15-game winning streak, will be the No. 1 seed through the playoffs.

The Saint John Sea Dogs and Victoriaville Tigres were the lone teams to miss the playoffs.

The playoffs officially begin Thursday with the Sherbrooke Phoenix visiting the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The rest of the series begin Friday.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-3

FINAL: Cape Breton 5, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs ended their season on a losing note on Saturday at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs got off to a great start, grabbing a 2-0 first period lead over the Cape Breton Eagles. But the Eagles quickly took momentum, scoring four times in the second period en route to 5-3 win.

Cam Squires scored a hat trick for Cape Breton while Tomas Lavoie and Cole Burbidge added singles. Jakub Milota made 34 stops in the win.

Olivier Groulx scored twice for Saint John while William Yared added a solo marker. Eric Young made 41 saves in the loss.

This was Saint John's final game of the season after being eliminated from post-season contention on Friday night. The Eagles, meanwhile, have a first round playoff date with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

It was all Saint John in the opening half of the first period on Saturday. Groulx opened the scoring at 6:36 and then, just over two minutes later, Yared connected to make it 2-0 in favour of the Sea Dogs.

Shots were 16-4 Saint John at one point but Cape Breton really turned it around late in the frame, pressuring in the final few minutes and keeping Young busy. Shots ended 18-15 in favour of the Dogs.

The Eagles carried that momentum into the second period. Squires got Cape Breton on the board at 5:34 and then, just 38 seconds later, a low Lavoie point shot went through some traffic and past Young to make it a 2-2 game.

Cape Breton took their first lead at 11:01 when Burbidge scored shorthanded. Then, at 15:50, Squires netted his second to make it 4-2 after two. Shots in the middle frame were 20-7 in favour of the Eagles.

Squires completed his hat trick at 11:17 of the third period to make it 5-2. Groulx rounded out the scoring with 3:51 remaining.

Season ends today for Sea Dogs

Micheal Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The 2024-25 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League season will come to an end for the Saint John Sea Dogs today.

The Sea Dogs were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Friday night when they fell 4-1 to the Cape Breton Eagles. It's the first time since 2018-19 that the Sea Dogs have missed the playoffs.

Saint John will play its final game of the season on home ice today, hosting the Eagles at 4 p.m.

This will be the final junior game for Saint John's two overage players: defensemen Nate Tivey and Matteo Mann. 

Some other news and notes from Friday...

• With Saint John's loss last night, the Gatineau Olympiques have qualified for the QMJHL playoffs for a 40th straight season. Crazy.
• It wasn't the AUS' year at the University Cup. A day after the UNB Reds were eliminated by the Ottawa Gee-Gees, the Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus fell 4-2 to the Concordia Stingers in quarterfinal play. Former Sea Dogs forwards Charles Savoie and Nicholas Girouard scored for Concordia while Nikolas Hurtubise made 22 stops in the win.
• Hurtubise, Savoie, Girouard, Christopher Inniss, Isiah Campbell and the Stingers will face the Saskatchewan Huskies in Saturday night's semifinal. The afternoon semi will see Kevin Gursoy, Joseph Ianniello and the TMU Bold take on the Gee-Gees. The semifinal losers will play in the bronze medal game on Sunday at noon while the winners will battle in the championship game at 6 p.m.
• In the MHL playoffs, Charles-Antoine Lavallee scored in double overtime to give the Amherst Ramblers a 4-3 win over the Truro Bearcats. Amherst leads that series 2-1. The West Kent Steamers defeated the Campbellton Tigers 7-3 in Friday's other game. The Tigers lead that series 2-1.

  Scenes from OT pic.twitter.com/GlXEjxx6vi

  — X - Amherst JrA Ramblers (@AmherstRamblers) March 22, 2025

• The Maine Black Bears are Hockey East champions for the first time since 2004. The Black Bears defeated the UConn Huskies 5-2 in Friday's championship game at TD Garden. New Brunswick's Lynden Breen and Josh Nadeau both scored in the victory. Maine had already qualified for the NCAA tournament, but this win secures them as the No. 3 ranked team heading in.

  2️⃣7️⃣ with the five-hole go-ahead!
  
  💻: https://t.co/Lytu79Yma6 | @ESPNPlus https://t.co/5MJnvoWheZ pic.twitter.com/W1qjJWnU32

  — Maine Men’s Ice Hockey (@MaineIceHockey) March 22, 2025

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-1

FINAL: Cape Breton 4, Saint John 1

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs' playoff hopes are over.

The Sea Dogs were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Friday, falling 4-1 to the Cape Breton Eagles at TD Station. The team will play its final game of the season – also against the Eagles – on Saturday afternoon on home ice.

It's the first time since the 2018-19 season that the Sea Dogs have missed the playoffs. They'll finish 17th overall in the 18-team QMJHL, joining the last-place Victoriaville Tigres outside the playoff picture.

The Sea Dogs entered the weekend three points back of the Gatineau Olympiques for the final playoff spot. With one game to play, there is no way for Saint John to catch Gatineau.

Saint John once again struggled to create scoring chances in Friday's loss but really turned it on in the third period. You can't say the Sea Dogs mailed this game in even when behind, which was good to see.

The Sea Dogs entered the game having been shutout in each of their past two games and averaging a league worst 2.39 goals per game. Matthew Krayer scored the team's lone goal, which came with 2:20 to play in the third period and Saint John trailing 4-0.

Luke Patterson, Brayden Schmitt, Alexis Toussaint and Cam Squires scored for Cape Breton. Alexis Cournoyer made 32 saves in the win.

Justin Robinson made 38 stops in the loss.

Game Day 63 & 64: vs Eagles

SAINT JOHN - It all comes down to this.

The Saint John Sea Dogs enter the final weekend of the regular season outside the playoff picture – but they still have a chance to get in. With two games to play, Saint John is three points back of the Gatineau Olympiques, who own the 16th and final playoff spot.

The Sea Dogs will host the Cape Breton Eagles tonight at 7 p.m. and again on Saturday at 4 p.m. Saint John must at least equal Gatineau in points to get into the playoffs (the Sea Dogs own the tie breaker).

While it's not impossible for the Sea Dogs to get into the playoffs, it certainly feels like a long shot. The team has won just five games since Christmas and haven't won back-to-back matches since mid-December.

Gatineau, meanwhile, travels to Victoriaville to play the last-place Tigres tonight before hosting the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Saturday.  

Saying the Sea Dogs need a miracle here would be a stretch, but they do need a few things to fall their way if they want to keep their season alive.

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

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 21-41-0-0 for 40 points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/17th QMJHL) while the Eagles are 32-23-4-3 for 71 points (second Maritimes/fifth Eastern/10th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-0 loss in Charlottetown on Sunday. Eric Young made 30 saves in the loss. The Eagles are coming off a 5-3 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Sunday. Jacob Newcombe, Luke Patterson and Cam Squires scored for Cape Breton. Jakub Milota made 30 stops in the loss.

TMU advances at University Cup; UNB upset

Tim Austen/U Sports

It was a wild – and long – opening day at the University Cup in Ottawa.

The TMU Bold needed five overtimes to defeat the Mount Royal Cougars 5-4 in the first quarterfinal game of the national championship tournament. TMU's Spencer Sugrue's goal at 3:33 of the fifth overtime period was the winner.

According to U Sports, "at 83:33 of overtime, it was the 11th longest game in North American hockey history and the fourth longest men’s university hockey game of all-time."

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Kevin Gursoy scored and had five shots in the victory while ex-Dogs defenseman Joseph Ianniello had two helpers and five shots.

TMU advances to Saturday afternoon's semifinal where they'll play the host Ottawa GeeGees. The GeeGees upset the top-seeded UNB Reds 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night in a game that started a couple hours late due to the five overtime marathon played before it.

UNB, the two-time reigning national champions who had lost just two games all season, outshot Ottawa 43-22 but blew 1-0 and 2-1 leads. Former Sea Dogs forward Peter Reynolds had an assist in the game.

Along with Reynolds, the Reds featured former Sea Dogs Drew Elliott, Kale McCallum and Nick Blagden.

The two remaining quarterfinal games will take place Friday. #6 Moncton will face #3 Concordia at 2 p.m. Atlantic while #7 Queen's will take on #2 Saskatchewan at 8 p.m.

The Sea Dogs will be well represented in the Moncton/Concordia game. The Stingers have five former Sea Dogs – Nikolas Hurtubise, Nicholas Girouard, Christopher Inniss, Charles Savoie and Isiah Campbell – while UdeM's roster includes Jeremie Jacob.

A few other news and notes...

• The QMJHL website looks at all the playoff possibilities as we enter the final two games of the regular season.
• In the Maritime Hockey League, the Summerside Western Capitals – who finished second overall in the regular season standings – trail the Pictou County Weeks Crushers 3-1 in their first round playoff series following a 6-5 overtime loss on Thursday. Game 5 is Saturday in Summerside. 
• The Edmundston Blizzard took a 2-1 series lead over the Miramichi Timberwolves with a 7-3 win on Thursday. 
• In the Hockey East semifinals on Thursday, Maine needed double overtime to defeat Northeastern 4-3. Lynden Breen had an assist in the game. The Black Bears will play in the conference championship game for the first time since 2012. Maine will face the UConn Huskies in Friday night's final after they easily defeated Boston University 5-2 earlier on Thursday.

Sea Dogs announce award winners

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The award winners are in.

The Saint John Sea Dogs (very quietly) held their annual team awards banquet on Tuesday night at The Country Club on The Boardwalk.

Captain Nate Tivey was the big winner, being named the team's most valuable player, top scorer (one of them, anyways), top defenseman and taking home the player's choice award.

It's the second straight year that Tivey, who is playing his overage season, was named the club's top defenseman.

Forward Olivier Groulx also won four awards. The full list of winners is below.

Customer Service Award - Justin Robinson

Most Valuable Player - Nate Tivey

Rookie of the Year - Dylan Rozzi

Team Player Award - Matteo Mann

Academic Player of the Year - Justin Robinson

Fan Choice Award - Zachary Morin

Three Stars Award - Olivier Groulx

Top Scorer Award - Nate Tivey and Olivier Groulx

Top Defensive Forward - Olivier Groulx

Player's Choice - Nate Tivey

Top Defenseman Award - Nate Tivey

Most Improved Player - Olivier Groulx

The Sea Dogs website has a full list of previous award winners.

This is the first time the top scorer award has been split by two players. Groulx and Tivey are currently tied with 39 points each – but there are two games still to play.

The Sea Dogs host the Cape Breton Eagles on Friday night and Saturday afternoon at TD Station to close out regular season play.

Notebook: Two games to go

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It all comes down to this.

The Saint John Sea Dogs' playoff hopes will be on the line Friday when they host the Cape Breton Eagles at 7 p.m. Just one spot remains in QMJHL's post-season and it will go to either the Sea Dogs or Gatineau Olympiques.

The Olympiques currently own the 16th and final playoff spot and are three points ahead of the Sea Dogs. Saint John owns the tie-breaker, so they need to earn at least three points this weekend and hope the Olympiques do not pick up any wins.

Saint John hosts Cape Breton on Friday and Saturday. Gatineau visits the last-place Victoriaville Tigres on Friday and then hosts the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs have not missed the playoffs since the 2018-19 season.

LOTTERY TIME

No matter where the Sea Dogs finish at this point, they'll be entered into the QMJHL's draft lottery, giving them a shot at selecting first overall.

Current state of the QMJHL Draft Lottery

Victoriaville 18th: 9 balls, 43% chance of drafting 1st
⁰Saint John 17th: 6 balls, 28%
⁰Gatineau (NL Regiment own the pick) 16th: 3 balls, 14%
⁰Halifax 15th: 2 balls, 10%
⁰Quebec 14th: 1 ball, 5% pic.twitter.com/tEYAHdnfrp

— Scott MacIntosh (@scottmacintosh4) March 18, 2025

The date for this year's lottery has not been announced yet. The 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft will take place June 6-7 in Quebec City.

The first overall pick is expected to be either forward Alexis Joseph – who is listed at 6'4" and 192 lbs as a 15-year-old – or forward James Scantlebury, who played with Cameron Chartrand and the Bishop Kearney Selects under-16 squad this past season.

ChatGPT predicts next 20 QMJHL champions

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

Are the Sherbrooke Phoenix poised for a big playoff run? 

I recently came across this post that asked ChatGPT to predict the next 75 NBA champions, which even included some expansion teams winning down the road. So what does ChatGPT think about the QMJHL?

I asked ChatGPT to predict the next 20 QMJHL champions and the answers were, unsurprisingly, quite interesting. The results included picking the Phoenix – who currently sit ninth overall in the QMJHL standings – as this year's league champion.

2025 - Sherbrooke Phoenix (Recent strong performance and great young talent) 

2026 - Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (Strong history and ability to reload) 

2027 - Halifax Mooseheads (A strong franchise with solid prospects) 

2028 - Quebec Remparts (A team with great fan support and a history of success) 

2029 - Gatineau Olympiques (Could break through with solid development) 

2030 - Val-d'Or Foreurs (With a strong foundation, might come out on top) 

2031 - Saint John Sea Dogs (A team with a growing reputation and solid recruiting) 

2032 - Moncton Wildcats (Strong team with good player development) 

2033 - Chicoutimi Sagueneens (A dark horse with promising young talent) 

2034 - Drummondville Voltigeurs (A team with recent success and depth) 

2035 - Rimouski Oceanic (Possibly bouncing back with fresh young talent) 

2036 - Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (If they can reload, a potential contender) 

2037 - Sherbrooke Phoenix (Could continue a dominant run if they stay consistent) 

2038 - Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (Another championship run after rebuilding) 

2039 - Halifax Mooseheads (Could have another wave of success with top prospects) 

Sunday stuff: Stingers win Queen's Cup

@photomahoney/Concordia Stingers

For the first time in school history, the Concordia Stingers are Queen's Cup champions. 

Former Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise made 36 saves to lead the Stingers to a 4-1 win over the TMU Bold in the OUA championship match on Saturday in downtown Toronto. Hurtubise was named the player of the game.

Former Sea Dogs forward Nicholas Girouard had a goal and an assist. Concordia's lineup also includes Sea Dogs alumni Christopher Inniss, Charles Savoie and Isiah Campbell.

Concordia had the best record in the OUA during the regular season. TMU, meanwhile, finished first in the OUA West.

TMU's roster includes former Sea Dogs forward Kevin Gursoy and defensemen Joseph Ianniello. 

Both teams had already earned spots in next week's University Cup tournament in Ottawa. They'll join the Ottawa Gee-Gees (host), UNB Reds (AUS champion), UdeM Aigles Bleus (AUS runner up), Saskatchewan Huskies (Canada West champion), Mount Royal Cougars (Canada West runner up) and Queen's Gaels (OUA bronze medalist).

The UNB REDS are the top seed heading into this week’s 2025 BioSteel U SPORTS University Cup 🔥

Seeding order / Voici la composition complète du groupe dans l’ordre de classement :

1UNB (AUS Champion)
2Saskatchewan (CW Champion)
3Concordia (OUA Champion)
4TMU (OUA Finalist)… pic.twitter.com/f0y6qJkLOs

— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) March 16, 2025

The Gaels grabbed the final spot in the tournament by defeating the University of Toronto 4-0 in the OUA bronze medal game on Saturday night.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-0

FINAL: Saint John 0, Charlottetown 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs were able to hang around but could not salvage a point on Sunday afternoon.

The Sea Dogs fell 4-0 to the Charlottetown Islanders at Eastlink Centre, putting their playoff hopes on life support heading into the final weekend of the regular season. The Sea Dogs remain three points back of the Gatineau Olympiques – who own the final playoff spot – with two games to play. The Halifax Mooseheads secured a spot with a victory over the Cape Breton Eagles on Sunday.

Saint John trailed 2-0 after the first period but it didn't feel like they were out of the game just yet. The team was able to hang around and skate with the Islanders but, once again, couldn't get their offense firing well enough. Ethan Montroy's goal at 11:20 of the middle frame felt like a backbreaker. 

Along with Montroy, former Sea Dogs forward Pavel Simek (of course), Kyle Powers and William Shields scored. Donald Hickey, who entered the game with a 3-1 record against Saint John this season, made 24 saves in the win. It was his second shutout of the year against Saint John.

Eric Young, who played just the first two periods on Saturday in Moncton, got the start once again, making 30 saves in the loss.

This was Saint John's final road game of the regular season. They finish with a 9-23-0-0 record away from home.

Game Day 62: at Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN - For the final time this regular season, the Saint John Sea Dogs will play away from home.

The Sea Dogs play their last road game this afternoon at 2 p.m. at Eastlink Centre, taking on the Charlottetown Islanders. Saint John played in Moncton last night and travelled to PEI after the game.

The Sea Dogs will look to put last night's 8-0 loss behind them as they try to close the gap in the playoff race. Saint John remains three points back of both the Gatineau Olympiques and Halifax Mooseheads, who own the final two playoff spots.

The Islanders have been a completely different team in the second half but haven't had the best stretch of late. The team is 2-6-2-0 in their last 10 games. They know they will start the playoffs on the road but an opponent is to be determined.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 21-40-0-0 for 40 points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/17th QMJHL) while the Islanders are 28-28-4-1 for 61 points (fourth Maritimes/seventh Eastern/12th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an 8-0 loss in Moncton last night. Eric Young played the first two periods in goal while Justin Robinson played the third. The Islanders are coming off a 5-4 loss in Bathurst on Friday. Ethan Montroy scored a pair of goals for Charlottetown while Jonathan Lanza and Zackary Plamondon added singles. Nicolas Ruccia and Donald Hickey split the loss in net.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 8-0

FINAL: Saint John 0, Moncton 8

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - It was another meeting between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats that went pretty much as expected.

The Wildcats grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first period and never looked back, cruising to an 8-0 win over the Sea Dogs on Saturday at Avenir Centre. It was the 12th straight win for the CHL's top-ranked team, who have already clinched first overall in the QMJHL standings.

Moncton outshot Saint John 48-17 and controlled the entire game. The league credited the Sea Dogs with just three dangerous shots – and it felt like it. The Wildcats' impressive defense was on full display.

Alex Mercier led the way for the Wildcats with a hat trick and two helpers. Julius Sumpf, Maxime Côté, Juraj Pekarcik, Gabe Smith and Caleb Desnoyers also scored. Mathis Rousseau stopped all 17 shots he faced in the shutout win.

Eric Young allowed five goals on 28 shots through the first two periods. Justin Robinson played the third and allowed three goals on 20 shots.

With the loss, the Sea Dogs remain three points back of the Gatineau Olympiques and Halifax Mooseheads, who own the final two playoff spots. Gatineau lost on Saturday while Halifax did not play.

Sea Dogs missing more forwards tonight

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs will once again be missing several regulars from their lineup tonight when they face the CHL's top-ranked team.

According to the lineup sheet posted on the QMJHL website, the Sea Dogs will dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. The team's fourth line will be made up of defensemen Matthew MacLean – who will play a third game as a forward – and affiliate forward Jonah Leard, who's season recently ended with the Maritime Hockey League's Grand Falls Rapids.

Here's what Saint John's lineup is expected to look like.

Rozzi - Groulx - Morin

Peddle - Dubé - Cross

Calder - M. Krayer - Beaulieu

MacLean - Leard

Tivey - Mann

Bilodeau - Duhamel

Lumsden - Amyot

Bonnet

Young

Robinson

Saint John's original lineup submission showed captain Nate Tivey as injured or sick but he's since been added to the top pairing. We'll see what happens there.

The Sea Dogs will be without five forwards due to either injury or illness: Egan Beveridge, Dylan Krayer, Darien Reynolds, Mitchell Wagner and William Yared. Four of those five missed last weekend's games as well. Yared is the new addition. 

Perhaps the biggest lineup news for Saint John is that Justin Robinson is listed as the team's backup. Robinson hasn't played since Feb. 20 in Baie-Comeau where he took a hard boot to the head. Eric Young has played every game in net since Robinson's departure.

The Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats will meet tonight at 7 p.m. at Avenir Centre. Saint John will travel to Charlottetown to face the Islanders on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the club's final road game of the regular season.

Saint John enters play tonight three points back of the Gatineau Olympiques and Halifax Mooseheads, who currently own the final two playoff spots. The Olympiques host a shorthanded Rimouski Oceanic team this afternoon while the Mooseheads have the day off.

Game Day 61: at Moncton

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs got some good news last night.

Both the Gatineau Olympiques and Halifax Mooseheads – the two other teams looking to grab one of the final playoffs spots like the Sea Dogs – both lost in regulation. The Sea Dogs remain three points back of both.

The bad news for Saint John: they have to face the top-ranked team in the CHL tonight in the Moncton Wildcats.

The Wildcats are rolling right now, carrying an 11-game winning streak into tonight's contest. They've already secured first overall in the regular season standings and they know they will face the Quebec Remparts in the opening round.

It will be a tough task for the Sea Dogs this evening. Game time is 7 p.m. at Avenir Centre.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 21-39-0-0 for 40 points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/17th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 49-9-2-0 for 100 points (first Maritimes/first Eastern/first QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-1 win in Halifax on Saturday. Matthew Krayer, Matteo Mann and Zachary Morin all scored for Saint John. Eric Young made 25 saves in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 3-0 win in Cape Breton on Thursday. Alex Mercier, Vincent Collard and Preston Lounsbury all scored. Rudy Guimond made 26 saves in the shutout win.

MHL playoffs underway

MHL

The Maritime Hockey League playoffs began Friday night in Edmundston.

The Blizzard enter the playoffs as the top-ranked team in the entire CJHL. The squad finished first overall in the MHL regular season standings with a 44-6-1-1 record for 90 points.

Edmundston will face the reigning MHL champion Miramichi Timberwolves in the opening round. The Timberwolves would have finished third instead of fourth in the EastLink North Division if not for having to forfeit several points due to dressing an ineligible player. 

Here's how the opening round of the MHL playoffs will look.

EastLink North

1. Edmundston vs 4. Miramichi 

2. West Kent vs 3. Campbellton

EastLink South

1. Summerside vs 4. Pictou 

 2. Amherst vs 3. Truro

The Yarmouth Mariners, Valley Wildcats, Grand Falls Rapids and Fredericton Red Wings all missed the playoffs. Those teams included a number of players with Sea Dogs connections: Jake Tracey (Fredericton), Joshua Henry* (Fredericton), Zachary Bridgeo (Fredericton), Matthew Ferdinand* (Grand Falls), Jonah Leard (Grand Falls) and Brayden Campbell* (Grand Falls). Former Sea Dogs coaches Greg Leland and Jeff Cowan, meanwhile, continue to work behind the bench of the Rapids.

Saint John's playoff hopes take a blow

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs' playoff hopes may have taken a devastating blow on Wednesday night.

The Gatineau Olympiques upset the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 2-1 on Wednesday, pushing them three points ahead of the Sea Dogs in the overall standings. Gatineau currently owns the 16th and final playoff spot.

The Sea Dogs, Olympiques and Halifax Mooseheads are all battling for the final two spots in this year's post-season. All three have four games remaining. Here's a look at the final schedule for each.

Saint John

Saturday, March 15 at Moncton

Sunday, March 16 at Charlottetown

Friday, March 21 vs Cape Breton

Saturday, March 22 vs Cape Breton

Gatineau

Friday, March 14 vs Baie-Comeau

Saturday, March 15 vs Rimouski

Friday, March 21 at Victoriaville

Saturday, March 22 vs Drummondville

Halifax

Friday, March 14 at Cape Breton

Sunday, March 16 vs Cape Breton

Friday, March 21 at Moncton

Saturday, March 22 vs Charlottetown

Simply put: this is not a great situation for Saint John.

Chartrand signing made official

Saint John Sea Dogs

As expected, the Saint John Sea Dogs officially announced the signing of Cameron Chartrand on Wednesday.

Jeff Marek reported the expected signing on Tuesday. Chartrand was selected 19th overall by the Sea Dogs in last year's QMJHL Entry Draft. A Boston College commit, the right shooting defenseman likely would have gone much higher if he wasn't taking the college route (this all happened before the NCAA rule change).

From the Sea Dogs news release:

“We are ecstatic to add Cameron to our program,” said Sea Dogs Head Coach & General Manager Travis Crickard. “Having worked with Cameron at the Youth Olympics and the U17 World Challenge, it is clear that we are not only adding a top defenceman from the 2008 draft class, but an extremely humble young man with a tremendous hunger to improve and be a great hockey player.”

“It will be a tremendous honour to work with Cameron as he continues his development as a member of the Sea Dogs and the Saint John community,” added Crickard.

The 17-year-old captained the Bishop Kearney Selects under-16 team this past season, recording six goals and 39 assists in 49 games. He's spent the past three seasons at the US prep school.

As noted above, Chartrand played under Crickard at both the Youth Olympic Games and U17 World Challenge.

The Sea Dogs news release stated that Chartrand will join the team for training camp this August.

UNB wins another AUS title

MONCTON - The UNB Reds are Atlantic University Sport men's hockey champions yet again.

The Reds won their seventh straight AUS championship by defeating the Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus 3-2 on Tuesday, sweeping the best-of-three final.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Peter Reynolds scored while Kale McCallum added an assist. The Reds' roster also includes Sea Dogs alumni Drew Elliott and Nick Blagden.

UNB finished first in the AUS regular season standings with a 28-1-1-0 record. They defeated the Acadia Axemen 3-0 in the semifinals and then swept Moncton 2-0 in the final. They did all this without long-time head coach Gardiner MacDouagll, who left the school for the Moncton Wildcats during the summer.

It was a rather muted celebration for the Reds on Tuesday as the program – as it has for the past 15 years – has put all its focus on winning the University Cup. UNB and UdeM already secured spots in the national tournament by advancing to the AUS final.

https://t.co/b80tJKc8Aj pic.twitter.com/iWBg5CfncF

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) March 12, 2025

The University Cup takes place March 20-23 at TD Place in Ottawa. UNB and UdeM will join the host Ottawa Gee-Gees; Saskatchewan Huskies and Mount Royal Cougars from Canada West; and the TMU Bold and Concordia Stingers from the the OUA. The final spot will go to either the Toronto Varsity Blues or Queen's Gaels, who will meet in the OUA bronze medal game on Saturday.

The Reds have won back-to-back University Cup titles and five of the past seven. UNB has never won three straight national championships.

Report: Sea Dogs to sign Chartrand

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs will soon be signing one of their first-round picks from last year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

Jeff Marek reported Monday that the Sea Dogs will soon be inking 17-year-old defenseman Cameron Chartrand, who was selected by the club with the 19th overall pick in last June's draft.

Chartrand has spent most of this season with the Bishop Kearney Selects under-16 squad where he's posted six goals and 38 assists in 49 games. He also appeared in two games with the USHL's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

Chartrand also played for Team Canada Red at the 2024 U17 World Challenge, a team that was coached by Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Travis Crickard.

A Saint-Lazare, QC native, Chartrand recently visited Saint John. The Sea Dogs had the option to release Chartrand and receive a compensation first rounder in the 2025 draft.

By the sounds of Marek's tweet, Chartrand remains committed to joining the NCAA's Boston College Eagles for the 2027-28 season, which would place him in Saint John for the next two seasons.

Listed at 6'01" and 205 lbs, Chartrand is a right shooting defenseman and joins a solid looking young d-core that already includes the likes of Olivier Duhamel and Benjamin Amyot, who were both second-round picks of the club in 2023.

Saint John's 2024 draft class is looking quite good. William Yared, Dylan Rozzi, Zachary Morin and Matthew Krayer are all current regulars in the Sea Dogs lineup.

Some Monday night notes

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs will have their eyes on scoreboards this Wednesday.

The Sea Dogs, who currently sit 17th overall in the QMJHL standings with 42 points, will watch the Gatineau Olympiques take on the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and the Halifax Mooseheads face the Charlottetown Islanders. Gatineau sits 16th overall with 42 points while Halifax is 15th with 45.

The top 16 teams in the overall standings qualify for the post-season.

Following Wednesday's games, all three teams competing for the two final spots with have four regular season games remaining.

The first tie-breaker is regulation plus overtime wins. Saint John has 18, Halifax 16 and Gatineau just 11.

A few other news and notes on this Monday evening.

• Pictured above is part of the rather entertaining wrestling themed intro prior to Friday night's Sea Dogs game at TD Station.
• Drummondville Voltigeurs forward Sam Oliver – a Quispamsis native who played at RNS – became the first player in the QMJHL to score 50 goals this season. The overage forward is committed to the University of New Hampshire next season.
• The Moncton Wildcats have clinched first overall with five games still to play. The team hasn't won the Jean Rougeau Trophy since 2005-06.
• The UNB Reds took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three AUS men's hockey championship series on Sunday in Fredericton, defeating the UdeM Aigles Bleus 5-3. Former Sea Dogs Peter Reynolds and Kale McCallum each posted two assists. Game 2 is Tuesday in Moncton.
• Former Sea Dogs Kevin Gursoy scored while Joseph Ianniello added an assist to help the TMU Bold earn a 2-1 Game 3 win over the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Sunday, securing a spot in both the Queen's Cup final and University Cup tournament.
• Gursoy scored the goal that earned the Bold a spot in the University Cup tournament for a second time in his career.
• The Queen's Cup final will be held Saturday in Toronto and will feature the Bold taking on the Concordia Stingers. The Stingers feature Sea Dogs alumni Charles Savoie, Nicholas Girouard, Isiah Campbell, Christopher Inniss and Nikolas Hurtubise.
• The first round of the Maritime Hockey League playoffs are set.
• 1. Summerside vs 4. Pictou 
• 2. Amherst vs 3. Truro 
• 1. Edmundston vs 4. Miramichi 
• 2. West Kent vs 3. Campbellton
• The Edmundston Blizzard finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in the CJHL.

AUS final begins Sunday

It'll be an all New Brunswick final to determine this year's Atlantic University Sport men's hockey champion.

The UNB Reds and Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus begin the best-of-three championship series Sunday night in Fredericton. Game 2 will take place Tuesday in Moncton while a Game 3, if needed, would be Thursday in Fredericton.

Both squads have already secured spots in the University Cup national championship tournament, which will be held at TD Place in Ottawa from March 20-23.

It's the second straight year the two teams have met in the AUS final – and it comes as no surprise. UNB and UdeM finished first and second, respectively, in the regular season standings and both had byes through the first round. In the semifinals, UNB swept Acadia 3-0 while UdeM went the distance with Saint Mary's, winning the series 3-2 with a 5-3 victory on Thursday night.

The AUS final will feature five Sea Dogs alumni: UNB's Peter Reynolds, Kale McCallum, Drew Elliott and Nick Blagden along with UdeM's Jeremie Jacob.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-1

FINAL: Saint John 3, Halifax 1

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs picked up a big road win at Scotiabank Centre on Saturday. 

After falling 5-3 on home ice on Friday night, the Sea Dogs rebounded in the rematch with the Halifax Mooseheads, posting a 3-1 victory in a solid road performance. 

Matthew Krayer, Matteo Mann and Zachary Morin all scored for Saint John. Eric Young, who made a couple key stops in the third period, made 25 saves in the win.

Liam Kilfoil scored Halifax's lone goal. Jacob Steinman made 31 saves in the loss.

The win was big for Saint John's playoff hopes. The team remains in 17th-place but is now just one point back of the Gatineau Olympiques, who own the 16th and final playoff spot. The Olympiques earned a point in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Saturday, giving them 43 points.

The Sea Dogs opened the scoring at 15:58 of the first period when Krayer pulled the puck out of a scrum and flipped it past Steinman. But just 15 seconds later, Kilfoil scored to quickly make it 1-1.

Saint John went to the power play at 10:03 of the middle frame and produced a couple of quality chances but could not beat Steinman. The Sea Dogs outshot the Mooseheads 11-7 in the second, which included successfully killing off three Halifax power plays.

Mann put the Sea Dogs back in front at 9:38 of the third. The Sea Dogs were buzzing in the offensive zone and the stretch was finished off when Mann fired a shot from the high circle past the blocker of Steinman, making it 2-1 Saint John.

Morin secured the win with an empty net goal with 15.1 seconds remaining, making it a 3-1 final.

The victory ended an eight-game road losing streak for Saint John. Their last road win was Jan. 26 – also in Halifax.

Game Day 60: at Halifax

HALIFAX - It's another big game for the Saint John Sea Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads.

The Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 5-3 at TD Station last night to end a seven-game losing streak and move five points ahead of the Sea Dogs in the standings. Halifax now sits 15th overall with 45 points, Gatineau is 16th with 42 and Saint John is 17th with 40. The top-16 teams qualify for the playoffs.

The Sea Dogs have the least amount of games remaining of the three. Saint John has five games left: one against Halifax, one against Moncton, one against Charlottetown and two against Cape Breton.

Game time tonight at Scotiabank Centre is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Stream: Eastlink TV/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 20-39-0-0 for 40 points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/17th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 18-31-8-1 for 45 points (fifth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL).

Last games: The Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 5-3 last night at TD Station. Quinn Kennedy scored a hat trick for the Mooseheads while Antoine Fontaine and Shawn Carrier added singles. Ben Cross scored twice for Saint John while defenseman Matthew MacLean added a solo marker. Jacob Steinman made 19 saves in the win. Eric Young made 30 saves in the loss.

Former Sea Dogs dealt on deadline day

Embed from Getty Images

And just like that, Charlie Coyle is back to being on a Stanley Cup contender.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs forward was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Colorado Avalanche ahead of the NHL trade deadline on Friday. Coyle and a 5th-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft were traded to the Avalanche for forwards Casey Mittelstadt and William Zellers along with a 2nd-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The 33-year-old has 15 goals and seven assists in 64 games with the Bruins this year. Like much of Boston's lineup, he's well off his offensive pace from last season that saw him register 25 goals and 35 assists in 82 games.

The Avs will be the third NHL club for Coyle. Originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild, the Weymouth, MA native was dealt to the Bruins during the 2018-19 season.

Coyle joins an Avalanche team that certainly has high expectations this season. Colorado currently sits in the Western Conference's first wild card spot.

Coyle was one of a few former Sea Dogs to be on the move on Friday.

William Dufour is now part of the Avalanche organization as well. The New York Islanders traded Dufour and forward Brock Nelson to Colorado for forward Calum Ritchie, defenseman Oliver Kylington, a 1st-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 NHL Draft and a 3rd-round pick in 2028.

The 23-year-old has appeared in just one career NHL game, which came back in 2022-23. It's been a rough transition to the pro ranks for Dufour, who scored 56 goals with the Sea Dogs during the 2021-22 campaign. Hopefully a change of scenery will give him a boost.

Dufour is in his third season in the AHL and has posted eight goals and 10 assists with the Bridgeport Islanders this year. He'll presumably join the Colorado Eagles, who currently sit second in the AHL's Western Conference.

Joe Veleno, meanwhile, is also moving to the Western Conference. The Detroit Red Wings traded Veleno to the Chicago Blackhawks for goalie Petr Mrazek and forward Craig Smith.

Veleno moves from a team fighting for a playoff spot to the second worst team in the NHL. The positive is that the 25-year-old will likely be put into a more prominent role in the lineup. Veleno, who has spent his entire NHL career with the Red Wings, has five goals and five assists in 56 games this year.