Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-4

FINAL: Saint John 6, Cape Breton 4

Shane Wilkie/Cape Breton Eagles

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs are heading home with a sweep of the Cape Breton Eagles.

The Sea Dogs defeated the Eagles 6-4 on Thursday at Centre 200, a victory that came a night after Saint John earned a 4-0 win over Cape Breton.

Jacob Beaulieu scored a pair of goals for Saint John while Angelo Fullerton, Cameron Chartrand, Elliot Dubé and Dylan Rozzi added singles. Rafaël Courchesne, who recorded his first career QMJHL shutout the night before, was pulled early in the first. Justin Robinson made 23 saves in relief.

Adam Klaus scored twice for the Eagles whole Rory Pilling and Jacob De Ladurantaye added singles. Fleix Hamel made 27 save in the loss.

The Eagles led 2-0 just 5:13 into the game and it looked like they made it 3-0 not long after. That goal was called back though, but it still ended Courchesne's night in net, playing just 6:16 and allowing two goals on five shots.

The Sea Dogs gained some momentum back when Fullerton scored at 9:25 only to allow another goal less than two minutes later. Chartrand scored at 17:33 and the Sea Dogs trailed 3-2 after an eventful opening frame.

Late in the second, Dubé scored to tie things up again, this time at 3-3. At 6:36 of the third period, Saint John took the lead for the first time when Beaulieu walked into the slot and fired a perfect shot top corner on Hamel. 

Jack Brauti was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for interference at 7:55, a play that saw him put a big hit on Rozzi. On the ensuing man advantage, it would be Rozzi scoring to make it 5-3.

De Ladurantaye got Cape Breton back within one at 13:01. The Eagles pulled Hamel with 3:24 remaining, allowing Beaulieu to secure the win with an empty netter at 18:45.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-0

FINAL: Saint John 4, Cape Breton 0

Shane Wilkie/Cape Breton Eagles

SYDNEY, NS - Everett Baldwin scored the first two goals of his Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League career to lead the Saint John Sea Dogs to a 4-0 win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Wednesday.

The Tampa Bay Lightning prospect scored in the first and second periods to help the Sea Dogs end a three-game losing streak. Zachary Morin and Matthew Krayer also scored in the win.

Rafaël Courchesne stopped all 26 shots he faced in the shutout. The rookie netminder left the game briefly in the third period, forcing Justin Robinson to play 1:32. This was Saint John's first shutout of the season.

The game was certainly an improvement from Saint John's two weekend losses in St. John's, which were full of defensive lapses and an offense that struggled to generate many quality chances. The goaltending, obviously, had a much better night as well.

Felix Hamel made 25 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs may have caught the Eagles at a good time as the squad is missing a few key regulars due to injuries. This was Cape Breton's fourth straight loss.

Game Day 13 & 14: at Cape Breton

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to end a three-game losing streak tonight.

The Sea Dogs will play the first of two straight games against the Cape Breton Eagles this evening. They also play tomorrow night. Both games have 7 p.m. starts at Centre 200.

Saint John is coming off a tough road trip to St. John's that saw them drop both games to the Newfoundland Regiment and get outscored 11-4. The Sea Dogs weren't great at either end of the ice and they'll look to make some corrections over the next couple days in Sydney.

Cape Breton has also dropped three straight and sit just one point ahead of Saint John in standings.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 5-6-1-0 for 11 points (eighth Eastern/16th QMJHL) while the Eagles are 4-5-1-3 for 12 points (seventh Eastern/15th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Newfoundland Regiment on Saturday in St. John's. Olivier Duhamel scored Saint John's lone goal. Rafaël Courchesne made 31 stops in the loss. The Eagles are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss in Charlottetown in Sunday. Jacob Hartlin and Romain Litalien scored for Cape Breton. Connor Towle made 29 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Newfoundland 5

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

ST. JOHN'S, NL - Even in this new era of Newfoundland QMJHL hockey, the Saint John Sea Dogs' woes at Mary Brown's Centre continue.

The Sea Dogs fell to 2-11-0-0 all-time in St. John's following back-to-back losses to the Newfoundland Regiment. The latest loss came Saturday night when the Sea Dogs fell 5-1, the team's third straight defeat.

The Regiment led 5-0 after two and went a perfect 3/3 on the power play in the victory. They also scored shorthanded.

The Regiment opened the scoring at 7:39 of the first period with a shorthanded marker and quickly made it 2-0 at 10:07 with a power play goal. The first period wasn't overly one-sided, but the Sea Dogs had some defensive lapses and couldn't generate many quality scoring chances.

It was all Newfoundland in the second period, scoring three times and outshooting Saint John 14-3. Saint John's only goal came late in the third period with the game well out of reach at that point.

Dawson Sharkey, Marek Danicek, Noah Laberge, Dominic Pilote and Liam Arsenault scored for Newfoundland. Chase Anderson made 23 stops in the win.

Olivier Duhamel scored Saint John's lone goal. Rafaël Courchesne made 31 stops in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Newfoundland 6

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

ST. JOHN'S, NL - The Saint John Sea Dogs came up short in their first game in Newfoundland since 2008.

The Sea Dogs never led and allowed four third period goals in a 6-3 loss to the Newfoundland Regiment on Friday at Mary Brown's Centre. It was the first regular season meeting between the two and Saint John's first game in St. John's since the 2007-08 season.

Six different Regiment skaters scored: Justin Larose, Liam Arsenault, Dominic Pilote, Dawson Sharkey, Maddex Marmulak and Max Dinneen. Antoine Proulx made 29 saves in the win.

Max Vilen, Dylan Rozzi and Alexis Joseph scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson allowed five goals on 32 shots int the loss.

Shots were 11-4 Regiment in the opening frame and the home side led 1-0 after one. Arsenault scored early in the second period to make it 2-0 but the Sea Dogs started to get things going after that. Vilen's first QMJHL goal made it 2-1 and shots ended 19-9 in favour of the Sea Dogs.

Pilote made it a two-goal game again at 7:21 but then Rozzi scored 30 seconds later to make it 3-2. Just when it looked like the Sea Dogs we're nearing a point where they'd pull Robinson in favour of extra attacker, Sharkey scored at 17:11 and then Marmulak converted at 17:31 to quickly make it 5-2.

Joseph scored at 19:10 to make it 5-3. The Sea Dogs had a power play soon after the goal and pulled Robinson, but Dinneen scored into the empty net to make it a 6-3 final.

Game Day 11 & 12: at Newfoundland

ST. JOHN'S, NL - For the first time in a long time, the Saint John Sea Dogs will take to the ice at Mary Brown's Centre.

The Sea Dogs and Newfoundland Regiment meet for the first time this weekend in St. John's. Both Friday and Saturday games begin at 6:30 p.m. AT.

It's the first time the Sea Dogs have made the trip to St. John's since 2008. They didn't have much success on the road against the Fog Devils, so we'll see what this era of Newfoundland QMJHL hockey will do for the Sea Dogs.

The two squads are separated by just one point in the standings as both have struggled to find consistency of late. These two games could create some separation – or not – in the standings.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 5-4-1-0 for 11 points (seventh Eastern/13th QMJHL) while the Regiment are 6-6-0-0 for 12 points (sixth Western/11th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-3 home loss to the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Saturday. Dylan Rozzi, Olivier Groulx and Angelo Fullerton scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson was pulled after allowing four goals on 10 shots while Rafaël Courchesne allowed three goals on 16 shots in relief. The Regiment are coming off a 4-2 win in Halifax on Saturday. Benjamin Veitch, Louis-Francois Belanger, Liam Arsenault and Blake Pilgrim-Edwards all scored for Newfoundland. Mikus Vecvanags made 19 saves in the win.

Sea Dogs return to Newfoundland

ST. JOHN'S, NL - Greetings from downtown St. John's where the Saint John Sea Dogs will take to the ice in unfamiliar territory this weekend.

For the first time since the 2007-08 season, the Sea Dogs will travel to Newfoundland for a QMJHL game. The team hasn't made the trek to St. John's since Jan. 6, 2008. Pascal Amyot scored Saint John's only goal in that 6-1 loss to the Fog Devils.

The Sea Dogs were, of course, expansion cousins with the Fog Devils and entered the league together in 2005-06. Despite that link, the Dogs didn't travel to St. John's a whole lot, playing in the city just 11 times before the team moved to Verdun ahead of the 2008-09 season.

Saint John is 2-9-0-0 all-time at Mary Brown's Centre – which was previously known as Mile One Centre. Here's a look at the Sea Dogs' season-by-season results against the Fog Devils.

2005-06: 0-6-0-0 (0-4-0-0 at St. John's)

2006-07: 3-3-0-0 (0-2-0-0 at St. John's)

2007-08: 4-4-0-0 (2-3-0-0 at St. John's)

The Sea Dogs will play the Newfoundland Regiment on Friday and Saturday night in St. John's. They'll also make the flight over for two games in mid-February.

Newfoundland will make their first appearance at TD Station on New Year's Eve.

The Regiment are off to a 6-6-0-0 start and are 4-4-0-0 at home. They sit one point ahead of the Sea Dogs in the standings, who own a 5-4-1-0 record.

It'll be a homecoming for Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard and assistant Mark Lee, who are both Newfoundlanders. The Regiment are coached by former Sea Dogs head coach Gordie Dwyer.

Rozzi, Morin score in Prospects Game

Vincent Lévesque-Rousseau

The Saint John Sea Dogs made an impact during the inaugural QMJHL Prospects Game on Tuesday night in Sherbrooke.

Zachary Morin scored to help Team Lafleur defeat Team Crosby 6-5 in a shootout. Sea Dogs forward William Yared and goaltender Rafael Courchesne were also part of the winning squad.

Morin's goal came early in the third period. Morin also took two minor penalties.

Zach Morin buries one from the slot to extend the lead for Team Lafleur!

CRO 2, LAF 4 — 3:33 3rd#GoDogsGo | #ProspectsGame pic.twitter.com/dTgHI1d4q3

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) October 22, 2025

Courchesne played the second half of the game in net, allowing five goals on 16 shots in just under 35 minutes of action. He stopped two of three shots in the shootout to earn the win.

On the other side, Dylan Rozzi scored and had three shots. He also, oddly, took two delay of game penalties by flipping the puck over the glass.

Dylan Rozzi ties it up with a beauty for Team Crosby!

CRO 1, LAF 1 — 10:46 2nd#GoDogsGo | #ProspectsGame pic.twitter.com/of93Hk2L9h

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) October 22, 2025

Sea Dogs defenseman Cameron Chartrand and forward Olivers Murnieks were also part of Team Crosby. Chartrand had one shot in the loss.

The inaugural event featured the best QMJHL players eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.

The Sea Dogs return to action on Friday and Saturday when they visit the Newfoundland Regiment for the first time.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 7-3

FINAL: Val-d'Or 7, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs let a strong start go to waste in a 7-3 loss to the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Saturday at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs led 2-0 just 6:55 into the game but let that lead – and a 3-2 advantage – slip away. The Foreurs, who upset the Charlottetown Islanders in a shootout the night prior, netted five unanswered goals in the victory.

Maxim Coursol had a hat trick; Samuel Fiala scored twice; and Val-d'Or singles came from from Mavrik Duhaime and Philippe Veilleux. Vincent Moreau allowed three goals on 23 shots in the win while Emile Beaunoyer stopped all 11 shots he faced.

Saint John had goals from Dylan Rozzi, Olivier Groulx and Angelo Fullerton. All of those goals came in the first period.

The Sea Dogs struggled defensively in this game, even allowing a shorthanded goal. Justin Robinson was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals on 10 shots. Rafaël Courchesne allowed three goals on 16 shots in relief.

This was Saint John's only game of the weekend and they hadn't played since Monday. The Foreurs, meanwhile, were playing their third game in four days on the road. This was certainly one of the Sea Dogs' poorest performances of the season, who fall to 5-4-1-0.

Game Day 10: vs Foreurs

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - It's a light week for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

After playing three games in four days over the holiday weekend, the Sea Dogs have had a few days to prepare for this week's lone matchup: a 7 p.m. home contest against the Val-d'Or Foreurs.

The Foreurs will be making their lone Saint John visit of the season tonight, wrapping up a three-game Maritime road trip. Val-d'Or fell 7-2 in Moncton on Wednesday night but rebounded with a 5-4 shootout win in Charlottetown last night.

The Sea Dogs, meanwhile, are coming off a solid home win over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Saint John is now 3-2-0-0 on home ice this season – and tonight's contest will be their final game at TD Station until Nov. 2.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 5-3-1-0 for 11 points (fifth Eastern/ninth QMJHL) while the Foreurs are 3-5-1-1 for eight points (eighth Western/16th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-1 win over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Monday at TD Station. William Yared, Dylan Rozzi and Matthew Krayer all scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 36 saves in the win. The Foreurs are coming off a 5-4 shootout win in Charlottetown last night. Maxime Coursol, Mathias Bourque, Hemrick Carbonneau and Benjamin Olivier all scored in regulation time for the Foreurs. Emile Beaunoyer made 18 stops in the win.

Joseph named to U17 World Challenge

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Alexis Jospeh has been named to Hockey Canada's roster for the upcoming U17 World Challenge.

Joseph was one of eight players from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League to be named to the event's roster, which was unveiled by Hockey Canada on Wednesday. There will be two Canadian teams taking part once again this year with Joseph set to join Canada Red.

Other QMJHL players invited include Mathys Fortin (Drummondville), Loïk Gariépy (Victoriaville), Quinn Norman (Newfoundland), Antoine Provencher (Charlottetown), Benjamin Veitch (Newfoundland), Sam Berthiaume (Cape Breton) and Thomas Charbonneau (Quebec).

All three first overall picks from the most recent CHL drafts earned roster spots: Jospeh, Maddox Schultz of the WHL's Regina Pats and Kaden McGregor of the OHL's Peterborough Petes.

The event will take place Nov. 2-8 in Truro. That means Joseph will likely miss a handful or more of Sea Dogs games, including the team's first road trip to Quebec.

Jospeh has lived up to the hype so far, posting four goals and three assists in nine games. He sits seventh in QMJHL rookie scoring.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-1

FINAL: Rouyn-Noranda 1, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - After a tough weekend, the Saint John Sea Dogs got things back on track on Monday afternoon at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs scored three unanswered goals in a 3-1 victory over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at TD Station. The loss will help erase the memories of an overtime loss in Charlottetown on Friday and a disappointing performance in a 3-2 home loss to the Rimouski Oceanic on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs had a much better performance on Monday compared to Saturday. William Yared, Dylan Rozzi and Matthew Krayer all scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson had one of his best showings of the season, making 36 stops in the win.

The victory included killing off a lengthy five-on-three power play for the Huskies late in the third period. Shots in the game were 37-18 in favour of Rouyn-Noranda with 12 of those coming in the third.

The Sea Dogs managed to keep the Huskies – one of the top team's in the QMJHL's Western Conference so far this year – to 0/5 on the man advantage. Saint John went 1/3.

Game Day 9: vs Huskies

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will try and get things back on track today.

The Sea Dogs host the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on this Thanksgiving Monday and will look to end a two-game losing streak. The skid comes after the Sea Dogs had won three straight.

They'll face a tough challenge this afternoon in the Huskies, who sit third overall in the QMJHL standings. Today's game will end a three-game road trip for Rouyn-Noranda, which included a 4-1 win in Cape Breton on Friday and a 3-2 shootout loss against the Eagles on Saturday.

Note that today's start time at TD Station is 3 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-3-1-0 for nine points (fifth Eastern/ninth QMJHL) while the Huskies are 5-1-2-1 for 13 points (second Western/third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Rimouski Oceanic on Saturday. Egan Beveridge and Angelo Fullerton scored for Saint John. Rafaël Courchesne made 22 saves in the loss. The Huskies are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss in Cape Breton on Saturday. William Vezina and Samuel Beauchemin had Rouyn-Noranda goals. Alexandre Raymond made 18 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 3-2

FINAL: Rimouski 3, Saint John 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - William Lacelle made 34 saves as the Rimouski Oceanic upset the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday at TD Station.

Lacelle was named first star following the Oceanic's 3-2 victory. Saint John led 2-0 after the first period but Rimouski turned it on in the second period – a period the Sea Dogs had been very good in up until this point – scoring three times on 10 shots.

Lou Levesque, Liam Lefebvre and Alex Massé all scored for the Oceanic. Massé's goal, the game-winner, came shorthanded.

Egan Beveridge and Angelo Fullerton scored for Saint John. Olivier Groulx had a pair of assists. Rafaël Courchesne made 22 stops in the loss.

The Sea Dogs outshot the Oceanic 36-25 but went 0/6 on the power play.

This was Rimouski's first road win of the season. The Oceanic were also playing their third game in as many nights after falling in Halifax on Thursday and Moncton on Friday.

Game Day 8: vs Oceanic

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to start a new winning streak tonight.

The Sea Dogs had their three-game winning streak come to an end last night in Charlottetown, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Islanders. Saint John forced extra time thanks to a late third period goal from Zachary Morin.

Saint John will host the Rimouski Oceanic tonight at 7 p.m. Last year's Memorial Cup hosts are off to a respectable 3-4-0-1 start but are 0-2-0-1 on the road so far.

This will be the third game in three days for Rimouski. They fell 5-4 in Halifax on Thursday and 2-1 in Moncton last night.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-2-1-0 for nine points (fourth Eastern/seventh QMJHL) while the Oceanic are 3-4-0-1 for seven points (eighth Eastern/14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss in Charlottetown last night. Alexander Donovan, William Yared and Zachary Morin scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 35 loss in the loss. The Oceanic are coming off a 2-1 loss in Moncton last night. Mathys Dubé scored Rimouski's lone goal. Mathis Langevin made 40 saves in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 3, Charlottetown 4 (OT)

Mike Bernard/Charlottetown Islanders

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are coming home with a point.

Zachary Morin's third period goal forced overtime but it would be the Charlottetown Islanders taking the extra point. Nathan Leek scored 1:40 into the extra frame to give the Islanders a 4-3 victory on Friday night at Eastlink Centre.

Ross Campbell, Matthew Butler and Jabez Seymour also scored for Charlottetown. Donald Hickey made 25 saves in the win.

Morin, Alexander Donovan and William Yared scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 35 loss in the loss.

The loss ended Saint John's three-game winning streak. Still, going into Charlottetown and getting a point from one of the league's top teams – and doing so by tying the game in the third period – shows just how much this year's Sea Dogs team has progressed from last year's.

The Sea Dogs fall to 4-2-1-0 for nine points on the season.

Game Day 7: at Charlottetown

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will travel to Charlottetown for a showdown with the Islanders tonight.

The Sea Dogs head into action on a three-game winning streak, which includes weekend wins over the Moncton Wildcats and Chicoutimi Sagueneens. They'll need all the momentum they can get as they face an Islanders team that sits second overall in the QMJHL standings with a 6-1-0-1 record.

Tonight will be Charlottetown's second home game of the season. They just finished up a stretch of seven straight road games, which they went an impressive 5-1-0-1 on.

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

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-2-0-0 for eight points (fourth Eastern/seventh QMJHL) while the Islanders are 6-1-0-1 for 13 points (first Eastern/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-5 win over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Sunday. Cameron Chartrand, Angelo Fullerton, Olivers Murnieks, Zachary Morin, Olivier Groulx and Alexander Donovan all scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 42 saves in the win. The Islanders are coming off a 6-5 overtime win in Drummondville on Sunday. CJ Watroba and Nathan Leek each scored twice while singles came from Matthew Butler and Marcus Kearsey. Donald Hickey made 24 saves in the win.

Six Sea Dogs named to QMJHL Prospects Game roster

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

A total of six Saint John Sea Dogs have been named to the inaugural QMJHL Prospects Game, which is scheduled for later this month in Sherbrooke.

The QMJHL announced the full list of 40 players who will be participating on Thursday. According to a press release, "the prospects were chosen by a special committee formed by the QMJHL Commissioner’s Office and the National Hockey League Central Scouting, since the 40 players selected are obviously eligible for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft."

The Sea Dogs selected to participate:

F Olivers Murnieks

F Zachary Morin

F William Yared

F Dylan Rozzi

D Cameron Chartrand

G Rafaël Courchesne

The full roster can be seen here.

Murnieks and Chartrand were previously named to the event roster.

According to a league press release, "the rosters of the two teams, which will be called Team Lafleur and Team Crosby, will be announced in the coming days."

The inaugural event will be held Tuesday, Oct. 21 in Sherbrooke.

The QMJHL announced the creation of a prospects game last December, originally scheduling it to be held prior to the start of the regular season. That has since changed, obviously, to a November date.

The OHL held a similar event last year. These games replace the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, which has been retired in favour of the CHL USA Prospects Challenge.

Notebook: Busy few days for Sea Dogs

Daniel St-Louis/Moncton Wildcats

It's going to be a busy few days for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Saint John is set to play three games in four days, beginning with a big Friday night showdown in Charlottetown. The Islanders currently sit first overall in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League standings with a 6-1-0-1 record.

The Sea Dogs enter Friday's game on a three-game winning streak, which included big weekend wins over the Moncton Wildcats and Chicoutimi Sagueneens. The Islanders, meanwhile, return home after an impressive 5-1-0-1 road stretch that included stops in Halifax, St. John's and Quebec. Friday's game will be just Charlottetown's second home contest of the year and first since opening night on Sept. 19.

Saint John will then host the Rimouski Oceanic on Saturday night and the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Thanksgiving Monday. The Monday contest will have a 3 p.m. start.

STRUGGLES VS SAGS

Here's a weird one: last Sunday's Sea Dogs win over the Sagueneens was the team's first home victory over Chicoutimi since the 2016-17 season.

The Sags had won seven straight games at TD Station, a streak that came to an end with a 6-5 Sea Dogs win on Sunday.

2025-26: 6-5 W

2024-25: 8-1 L

2023-24: 2-1 OTL

2022-23: 8-4 L

2021-22: 4-2 L

2020-21: No game

2019-20: 5-4 L

2018-19: 3-1 L

2017-18: 4-3 SOL

2016-17: 1-0 W

The Sea Dogs visit the Sagueneens on Dec. 11.

NHL season begins

Embed from Getty Images

Another National Hockey League season began Tuesday night. For a couple former Saint John Sea Dogs, they find themselves on opening night rosters of new teams.

Charlie Coyle is now a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets while Joe Veleno has joined his hometown Montreal Canadiens. Both are experienced NHLers at this point, but it will be interesting to see what both can do in their new homes.

Coyle and Veleno are two of five former Sea Dogs on opening night rosters. 71 QMJHL alumni find themselves on opening night rosters.

Jonathan Huberdeau - Calgary Flames
Thomas Chabot - Ottawa Senators

Charlie Coyle - Columbus Blue Jackets

Mathieu Joseph - St. Louis Blues

Joe Veleno - Montreal Canadiens

Huberdeau will start the season on the injured reserve.

Coyle (with Colorado), Chabot and Joseph all saw some action in last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs. So too did Matthew Highmore with the Ottawa Senators.

Highmore is now a member of the New York Islanders organization but it looks like he'll start the season in the American Hockey League. Highmore, Joshua Roy (Montreal Canadiens), Boko Imama (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Julien Gauthier (New York Islanders) all appeared in NHL games last season while spending the majority of the year in the AHL.

Could we see any NHL debuts this season? Maybe, if there are injury woes or if a team is out of the race late in the year. Jeremie Poirier (Calgary Flames) and William Villeneuve (Toronto Maple Leafs) are now experienced AHLers without any NHL experience. There's also Eriks Mateiko (Washington Capitals) to keep an eye on as he enters his first professional season.

Sea Dogs have found their scoring touch

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

We knew going into the season that there was a chance – a chance – that the Saint John Sea Dogs could simply score their way out of problems and into wins.

Six games into the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League season, that's pretty much been the case.

The Sea Dogs have scored 27 goals in those games, tying them for third most in the league. Saint John's goals per game average of 4.50, the second highest in the QMJHL.

Saint John has scored at least five goals in each of their past three games – all wins. The Sea Dogs will look to extend that winning streak in Charlottetown on Friday night when they face the first-place Islanders at 7 p.m.

The Sea Dogs have also shown off some offensive depth this season with 13 different players scoring.

If the Sea Dogs were going to have success this season – especially early on – the offense was going to have to play up to its ability. That's been the case so far with returning players like Zachary Morin, Olivier Groulx, Dylan Rozzi and William Yared all taking a step forward and rookies Alexis Joseph and Olivers Murnieks stepping in and making immediate impacts.

Certainly the area for improvement: lowering scoring chances and goals against. The Sea Dogs are averaging 34.50 shots against per game – the second most in the league – and 4.00 goals against per game – the fifth most. In theory, those numbers should improve as the season moves along and this revamped defense core gets more comfortable.

A few other notable statistics:

• Of the 13 players who have scored for the Sea Dogs this season, four were first-time QMJHL goal scorers: Alexis Joseph, Alexander Donovan, Olivers Murnieks and Cameron Chartrand.
• Murnieks currently sits third in QMJHL rookie scoring (one goal and seven assists) and leads in assists. Joseph, meanwhile, sits fifth in rookie scoring (four goals and two assists) and leads all rookies in goals.
• Joseph is the only rookie to score a shorthanded goal so far. He's also been a solid 60.4% on faceoffs.
• Even with the strong scoring numbers, Saint John's power play has struggled. It currently sits 15th with a rating of 15.8%.
• Saint John exploded in second periods this weekend and have now outscored opponents 11-6 in middle frames. They've been outscored 9-8 in both first and third periods.
• The 42 shots the Sea Dogs allowed on Sunday is the third most any team has allowed in a game this season.
• Rookie defenseman Cameron Chartrand is a +8, tying him for the fifth best +/- rating in the league.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-5

FINAL: Chicoutimi 5, Saint John 6

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs stayed hot on Sunday, defeating the Chicoutimi Sagueneens 6-5 and extending their winning streak to three games.

Six different Sea Dogs scored in the victory as the team's offense kept on clicking. Saint John has scored five or more goals in each of their past three games, pushing their record to 4-2-0-0 on the the season.

Like Saturday's game in Moncton, the Sea Dogs got off to bad start but were able to rebound. The Sags opened the scoring just 1:14 in and controlled the first few minutes before Sant John was able to get things going, ultimately taking a 2-1 lead into the intermission.

The Sags outshot the Dogs 22-7 in the middle frame but, despite that, Saint John would lead 5-2 after two periods. Justin Robinson stopped 21 shots in the second and 42 overall on the night.

Chicoutimi made it 5-3 with a power play goal at 7:43. But Saint John was able to halt the momentum when Alexander Donovan scored at 7:51 – a goal that proved to be the game-winner.

The Sags pressed in the final few minutes, making it 6-4 at 15:07 and then 6-5 with another power play goal at 18:40. Robinson and the Sea Dogs again, like Saturday's game, bent but didn't break, holding on for a big road win over one of the QMJHL's top teams.

Donovan, Cameron Chartrand, Olivers Murnieks, Zachary Morin and Olivier Groulx all scored for Saint John.

Chicoutimi had a pair of goals from Maxim Masse and singles from Maxim Schafer, Anton Linde and Emmanuel Vermette. Raphael Precourt was pulled in the second period after allowing five goals on 18 shots. Mathias Hernandez allowed on goal on eight shots in relief.

Game Day 6: vs Sagueneens

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Coming off a big road win over the defending QMJHL champions, things don't get any easier for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs are back on home ice this afternoon where they'll welcome the Chicoutimi Sagueneens at 3 p.m. The Sags, who are expected to be championship contenders this season, currently sit second in the QMJHL's Eastern Conference with a 4-1-0-1 record.

Chicoutimi, despite being the road team, will be the more rested squad today. The Sags played in Cape Breton on Thursday and Friday – winning both games – and had yesterday off to prepare for this afternoon's contest.

The Sea Dogs, meanwhile, played in Moncton last night, a game that was a bit of a rollercoaster and ended in a 7-5 Sea Dogs win. Saint John has played their last three games on the road after opening the season with a split on home ice.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 3-2-0-0 for six points (sixth Eastern/10th QMJHL) while the Sagueneens are 4-1-0-1 for nine points (second Eastern/fourth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-5 win in Moncton last night. Natan Éthier netted a pair of goals for Saint John while Alexander Donovan, Alexis Joseph, Olivier Groulx, Dylan Rozzi and Zachary Morin also scored. Rafaël Courchesne made 25 stops in the victory. The Sagueneens are coming off a 3-0 win in Cape Breton on Friday. Maxim Schafer, Alexandre Desmarais and Emile Guite all scored for Chicoutimi. Mathis Hernandez made 24 saves in the shutout.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 7-5

FINAL: Saint John 7, Moncton 5

MONCTON - In a game full of momentum swings, the Saint John Sea Dogs came away with a 7-5 road win over the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday.

Dylan Rozzi scored what proved to be the game-winner at 9:41 of the third period, a goal that put the Sea Dogs head 6-5. Zachary Morin secured the win with an empty net marker – his third point of the night – with 24 seconds remaining.

Natan Éthier netted a pair of goals for Saint John while Alexander Donovan, Alexis Joseph and Olivier Groulx also scored. Rafaël Courchesne, making his second straight start after earning the win last Saturday in Halifax, made 25 stops in the victory.

Preston Lounsbury, Eerik Wallenius, Kuzma Voronin, Niko Tournas and Carl-Otto Magnusson all scored for Moncton. Rudy Guimond made 31 stops in the loss.

It felt like it was going to be a long night for Saint John after the Wildcats scored twice in the first 5:22 of the opening frame and carried much of the play to start the first. But Éthier's goal at 8:37 calmed things down a bit, although the Wildcats would add another to lead 3-1 after one.

Momentum completely shifted in Saint John's favour in the second period – and after "Who Let the Dogs Out" was oddly played inside Avenir Centre. The Sea Dogs scored three time less than nine minutes into the period to take their first lead and then Éthier's second of the night made it 5-3 heading into the third. Shots were 17-6 Saint John in the second.

It was all Wildcats to start the third. Tournas scored just 1:09 in and then Magnusson tied it up at 2:44. Despite Moncton pressing, the Sea Dogs bent but didn't break, allowing Rozzi to put Saint John back in front – this time for good – at 9:41.

While the game overall was a bit of a mess, the Sea Dogs came away with a road win on banner raising night in Moncton, which is no small feat. Now let's see if they can carry this momentum into another challenging game on Sunday.

Sea Dogs alumni make NCAA debuts

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - A number of former Saint John Sea Dogs made their NCAA debuts on Friday night.

Here's a quick recap from the opening night of the college hockey season.

• Nate Tivey was a +1 in Quinnipiac's 4-3 win at Boston College. The Bobcats take on Providence College in an exhibition game on Sunday.
• Matteo Mann, who dressed as a seventh defenseman, was a +2 with a minor penalty and two blocks in Colorado College's 4-2 home win over UConn. The two play again on Saturday.
• Noah Reinhart, playing as a second line right winger, had three shots in Michigan Tech's 6-3 loss at Minnesota. The Huskies and Golden Gophers meet again on Saturday.
• Playing in game that was labelled as a scrimmage, the UNH Wildcats defeated the Maine Black Bears 3-2 in a shootout. Cam MacDonald skated on UNH's third line with fellow Nova Scotian and Jacob Newcombe and transfer Jack Cronin. Saint John native Sam Oliver had a goal for UNH. Freshman forward Justin Poirier was on Maine's top line with Josh Nadeau. The Wildcats begin the regular season on Thursday at Michigan State.
• Kale McCallum had an assist, five shots and a +1 rating in Providence College's 7-1 exhibition win over Simon Fraser. McCallum was on the third pairing with 20-year-old freshman Martin Masa, who spent last season in the USHL.
• The Mercyhurst Lakers fell 11-1 at Michigan on Friday night. Second-year goaltender Michael Chambre was left in for all 11 goals, so Charles-Edward Gravel did not see any action. They face each other again on Saturday in Ann Arbour.
• Charles Savoie had one shot and took three minor penalties in Lindenwood's 3-0 home loss to Wisconsin. The two meet again on Saturday.
• On this side of the border, Peter Reynolds had a goal and an assist while Nick Blagden scored the first goal of his U Sports career in the UNB Reds' 11-2 season opening win over the Dalhousie Tigers.

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Game Day 5: at Moncton

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - The Moncton Wildcats will raise their QMJHL championship banner to the rafters of the Avenir Centre tonight.

Watching from the visitor's bench will be the Saint John Sea Dogs, who will be the opponent in Moncton's home opener. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Wildcats are off to a respectable 2-1-1-0 start given that they've been missing several regulars due to NHL camps. Captain Caleb Desnoyers also remains out of the lineup for another month or so while recovering from off-season surgery.

The Sea Dogs enter play tonight with a 2-2-0-0 record, splitting their first four games against Cape Breton and Halifax. Many expect the Wildcats to once again be a step above both the Eagles and Mooseheads, making this a big early season test for the Sea Dogs.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-2-0-0 for four points (eighth Eastern/13th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 2-1-1-0 for five points (sixth Eastern/11th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-2 win last Saturday in Halifax. Alexis Joseph had a hat trick while Dylan Rozzi and William Yared added solo markers. Rafaël Courchesne made 28 saves in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 4-3 overtime win in Cape Breton last Saturday. Teddy Mutryn, Simon Binkley, Tommy Bleyl and Rian Chudzinski scored for Moncton. Rudy Guimond made 29 saves in the win.

Historic NCAA hockey season set to begin

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Here's something I never thought I'd write: the NCAA hockey season begins this weekend for several former Saint John Sea Dogs.

This is the first season where CHL players are eligible to play NCAA hockey. Seven former Sea Dogs are poised to play college hockey south of the border, including three players – Nate Tivey, Matteo Mann and Charles-Edward Gravel – who played for the team just last season.

Here's the full list (remember, we're tracking NCAA commitments here).

Matteo Mann - Colorado College (NCHC)

Noah Reinhart - Michigan Tech (CCHA)

Nate Tivey - Quinnipiac (ECAC)

Charles-Edward Gravel - Mercyhurst (Atlantic Hockey)

Kale McCallum - Providence (Hockey East) 

Cam MacDonald - New Hampshire (Hockey East)

Charles Savoie - Lindenwood (Independent)

To open the season on Friday, Mann and Colorado College will host UConn; Noah Reinhart and Michigan Tech visit Minnesota; Tivey and Quinnipiac take on Boston College; Gravel and Mercyhurst visit Michigan; Kale McCallum and Providence host Simon Fraser in an exhibition contest; Cam MacDonald and UNH will take part in a scrimmage with Maine in Brunswick; and Charles Savoie and Lindenwood host Wisconsin.

All eyes will be on the NCHC this weekend with Arizona State hosting Gavin McKenna and Penn State for back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday. Friday's game will be available on YouTube.

It will be fascinating to track these players throughout the season and see how the adjustment goes, especially for some of the older players like McCallum and MacDonald. 

Of note, Lindenwood and Atlantic Hockey home games can be streamed through FloHockey.

U Sports season underway for ex-Dogs

Acadia Axemen

The Atlantic University Sport men's hockey season gets into full swing this weekend.

The regular season kicked off on Wednesday with the Saint Mary's Huskies defeating the Acadia Axemen 4-3. There will be six games this weekend, including the AUS champion UNB Reds hosting the Dalhousie Tigers on Friday night in their season opener.

There will be plenty of Sea Dogs alumni in the AUS this season, highlighted by four former Dogs on the Axemen.

Acadia: Charlie DesRoches, Brady Burns, Thomas Couture and Cole Burbidge

Dalhousie: Brody Fournier, Zach Welsh and Jared Cosman

Moncton: Jeremie Jacob

Saint Mary's: Connor Trenholm

StFX: Brandon Casey, Nathan Casey and Patrick Leaver

UNB: Nick Blagden, Peter Reynolds and Leighton Carruthers 

UPEI: Simon Hughes and Yanic Crete

In a coaches poll, UNB was predicted to place first in the AUS once again this season, followed by Moncton and Saint Mary's. The Reds have won seven straight conference titles and defeated Moncton in last year's final.

Sea Dogs sign Vilén

The Saint John Sea Dogs are about to enter their Vilén era.

The Sea Dogs announced Wednesday the long awaited signing of Swedish defenseman Max Vilén. The 19-year-old was drafted by Saint John in the third round of this year's CHL Import Draft.

“After a long process, we are excited to welcome Max to Saint John and the Sea Dogs. A special thank you goes to Max’s agent, Randy Edmonds, for helping facilitate this transfer,” Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Travis Crickard said in a release. “Max is a big, dependable, two-way defenceman who brings professional and international experience to our program. We feel this will help solidify our top six, particularly on the left side.”

Vilén, listed at 6'3" and 205 lbs, will bring some size to Saint John's revamped blue line.

The defender has spent his junior career with Sweden's Malmo Redhawks program. Last season with the under-20 squad, Vilén posted four goals and 15 assists in 36 games. In 2023-24, he appeared in four games with the Swedish Hockey League club.

CHL teams can carry three imports as of this season. Vilén will join Latvian forward Olivers Murnieks and Slovakian/Polish defenseman Patryk Zubek as Saint John's trio of overagers.

According to Elite Prospects, Vilén will be the first Swede to play for the Sea Dogs.

According to the team's news release, "Vilén is expected to join the team in the very near future and will wear #23."

The Sea Dogs are back in action on Saturday when they visit the Moncton Wildcats.