Notebook: Groulx named Dogs captain

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Olivier Groulx has been named captain of the Saint John Sea Dogs, the team announced Thursday.

Veteran forward Jacob Beaulieu along with overagers Angelo Fullerton and Natan Éthier have all been named alternate captains.

“We are delighted to name Olivier, Angelo, Natan and Jacob as our captains for the upcoming season,” Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Travis Crickard said in a news release. “Olivier has earned the captaincy because he fully embodies our team’s values of humble, hunger and honour every day.”

Groulx is the 24th captain in franchise history and will play his third season with the Sea Dogs. The 18-year-old wore an 'A' last season.

HALIFAX TO HOST

The QMJHL Entry Draft is coming east.

During the league's season opening press conference on Tuesday, it was confirmed that Halifax will host the 2026 QMJHL Entry Draft, which is scheduled for June 5-6.

“The QMJHL is very pleased and excited to hold its 2026 draft presented by Fenplast in the beautiful city of Halifax, a very important market in our league,"said QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini in a statement. "The players, families and teams present at the draft will be able to fully enjoy the beautiful attractions of the city.”

It's the first time the event will be held in Halifax.

Quebec City hosted the draft this past June. Moncton hosted in 2024.

Also, it sounds like the OHL may have an in-person draft in the near future as well.

NEW FORMAT

In case you forgot, the QMJHL standings and playoffs will have a bit of a different look this season.

From the league's statement on Tuesday:

Friendly reminder that starting this season, divisions have been abolished and a new playoff format will take place. The first round of the playoffs will remain intra-conference (East and West), but starting with the second round, the matchups will be determined according to the regular season’s overall standings.

Prior to this season, each conference had two divisions and teams stayed within their conference until the third round of the playoffs.

The Atlantic teams will play in the Eastern Conference along with the four teams that previously made up the East Division: Baie-Comeau, Chicoutimi, Quebec and Rimouski.

EVENT CALENDAR

Here's a quick look at some key event dates for the 2025-26 season.

Oct. 21, 2025 - 2025 QMJHL Prospects Game (Sherbrooke)

Oct. 31 - Nov. 8, 2025 - 2025 U17 World Challenge (Truro)

Nov. 25-26, 2025 - 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge (Alberta)

Dec. 26, 2025 - Jan. 5, 2026 - 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship (Minnesota)

May 21-31, 2026 - Memorial Cup (Kelowna)

June 5-6, 2026 - 2026 QMJHL Entry Draft (Halifax)

The QMJHL playoffs will presumably begin March 27, 2026.

REGINATO RE-SIGNS

Former Sea Dogs forward Cole Reginato has re-signed with the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League, the team announced Tuesday.

The 27-year-old will play his sixth season with the club. Reginato recorded six goals, five assists and a career high 118 penalty minutes in 39 games last season.

“Reg has been a big part of our team for the last five seasons,” Havoc head coach Stuart Stefan said in a news release. “He brings good speed, toughness, and grit to our lineup that is hard to find. Each year he has found new ways to contribute and expand his role. We are looking for him to take another step this year.”

Reginato spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs, helping the club capture a QMJHL championship in 2017.

REGIMENT WIN OPENER

The 2025-26 QMJHL season officially got underway on Thursday night with the Newfoundland Regiment defeating the Moncton Wildcats 7-5.

The Wildcats trailed 4-1 in the second period but managed to climb all the way back, tying it up at 5-5 in the third period. Newfoundland's Louis-Francois Belanger netted the winner at 14:34 of the third on a power play.

The Regiment went 3/6 on the man advantage.

Tyson Goguen scored the first goal in Regiment history at 6:13 of the first period.

🚨 GOAL 🚨

HISTORIC GOAL FROM GOGUEN!!!

Tyson Goguen ties it with the first goal in team history.

Unite. Inspire. Defend. pic.twitter.com/ezpXfI1L7O

— Newfoundland Regiment (@nlregiment) September 18, 2025

Attendance at Mary Brown's Centre was 6,184, a sellout. It was the first QMJHL game to be played in St. John's since the first round of the 2008 playoffs.

TOP 10

The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada will start the season as the top-ranked team in the CHL.

The Chicoutimi Sagueneens and Wildcats also made the list.

Begin the debate 🤔

The #CHLTop10 presented by Delta Hotels by Marriott preseason rankings are here ⬇️

📰 https://t.co/vY2G34YdFf pic.twitter.com/hD8guOqN5t

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) September 16, 2025

A notable omission: the London Knights.

OTHER THINGS

• It's fair to say the Sea Dogs are one of the team's embracing the new NCAA/CHL dynamic. On Tuesday, the Sea Dogs couldn't have made it any more apparent that Julien Wasmer is a University of Maine commit, including that info in the headline of the news release and tagging the Black Bears in a Facebook post.
• The Sea Dogs will be without defenseman Everett Baldwin when they begin the QMJHL regular season on Friday. Baldwin was invited to attend Tampa Bay Lightning main training camp, which began earlier this week. The 18-year-old was a fifth-round pick of Tampa Bay in this year's NHL Draft.
• Jeff Marek will be recording his show, The Sheet, at TD Station on Friday.

  Tomorrow on The Sheet...@JeffMarek is joined by special guests in a LIVE edition of The Sheet straight from TD Station, home of the @SJSeaDogs!
  
  ⏰ 1:05 ET - Trevor Georgie
  ⏰ 1:35 ET - Alexis Joseph
  
  📺 Live on the @DailyFaceoff YouTube pic.twitter.com/KOmwm1Va1v

  — The Sheet with Jeff Marek (@thesheethockey) September 18, 2025

• Goaltender Jase MacPherson, a second-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, has joined the Kensington Wild for a second season.
• Sea Dogs prospect Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz will play with the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks this season. The 18-year-old goaltender, who was a 14th-round pick of Saint John in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft, spent most of last season with the Bishop Kearney Selects. He's committed to Quinnipiac University in 2026-27. There will be plenty of scouts watching the Lumberjacks this season, who are headlined by Fredericton native Tynan Lawrence. 
• The BCHL's West Kelowna Warriors' roster includes former Sea Dogs forwards Dylan Krayer and Parker Forlin.
• Former Sea Dogs video and goaltending coach Max Essiambre will have that same role with the OHL's Oshawa Generals this season.
• Small-ish update on US expansion.

  In intermission interview on Regiment broadcast, QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini says work continues with USA Hockey on expansion into US. Said there are some roadblocks and the process hasn't been as simple as originally thought.

  — Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) September 18, 2025

• Thursday's QMJHL season opener between the Wildcats and Regiment was free to stream on FloHockey and FloHockey's social media platforms. Saturday's matchup between the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and Val-d'Or Foreurs will also be free.
• Patrick McNeil previews the QMJHL season in The Cape Breton Post.
• Sportsnet has a QMJHL season preview.
• FloHockey looks at some of the top teams to watch in the QMJHL this season.
• SpoortsLogos.net takes a look at some of the new Under Armour jerseys that were worn during pre-season play across the CHL.
• The Sea Dogs won't be the only team in the CHL playing in a TD branded building while wearing TD jersey sponsor patches. The OHL's Brantford Bulldogs will be doing the same.