Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-0

FINAL: Moncton 6, Saint John 0

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - It took the Moncton Wildcats over 59 minutes to score against the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday.

On Tuesday, the Wildcats needed just nine seconds – and it was a sign of things to come. Moncton scored three times in the first period in a 6-0 win over the Sea Dogs at TD Station to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round series.

The Wildcats can complete the series sweep on Wednesday night in Saint John.

The game felt like it was over quick with the Wildcats jumping out to a quick start. Kuzma Voronin opened the scoring and then Alex Mercier and Gavin Cornforth scored less than a minute apart halfway through the period. Shots ended 12-3 in favour of the Wildcats in the first.

Starts have been an issue for the Wildcats in this series – but you wouldn't know it by Tuesday's performance. The Sea Dogs scored first in both games one and two.

Saint John had a better showing in the second and third periods but the game was out of reach. Arseni Radkov was pulled in the second period after allowing five goals on 15 shots. Rafaël Courchesne made 24 saves in relief.

Voronin had a pair of goals for Moncton while singles came from Mercier, Cornforth, Simon Binkley and Preston Lounsbury. Rudy Guimond made 22 saves in the win.

Sea Dogs debut dark Under Armour jerseys

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs debuted a new look on Tuesday at TD Station.

For the first time, the Sea Dogs took to the ice in their dark Under Armour jerseys, featuring the club's blue, black and grey colours. Tuesday's playoff match against the Moncton Wildcats was Saint John's first home game since the jerseys arrived.

After waiting nearly all season for the corrected Under Armour jerseys to arrive, Saint John debuted their new white jerseys on March 20 in Sydney – the final weekend of the regular season. The club has worn the new white jerseys on the road four times.

Sea Dogs debuting the dark Under Armour jerseys tonight. pic.twitter.com/fy0euiyT7t

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) March 31, 2026

The majority of teams across the CHL have been wearing Under Armour jerseys since opening night in September. Saint John announced on Sept. 18 that the new jerseys would be delayed.

Two teams in the QMJHL – the Sea Dogs and Halifax Moosheads – had been wearing old CCM jerseys all season. The CCM logos were covered over.

It was announced last May that Under Armour would replace CCM as the CHL's official jersey provider. The switch hasn't come without problems. A number of teams reportedly had errors with their new looks. 

The Sea Dogs unveiled their updated logo and mockups of the new jerseys at an event during the summer. The Sea Dogs had been wearing the same styled jersey since the 2009-10 season.

Playoff Game Day 3 & 4: vs Wildcats

Daniel St Louis/Moncton Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - After a heartbreaking loss in Game 2, the Saint John Sea Dogs will look to rebound on home ice.

The Sea Dogs were up 2-0 entering the final minute of play against the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday at Avenir Centre. Moncton pulled off an improbable comeback, scoring twice in the final minute and then winning in overtime to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round playoff series.

The Wildcats will look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead tonight at TD Station. Game 4 is Wednesday, also in Saint John.

It will be interesting to see how the Sea Dogs respond to Saturday's result. Saint John played a great road game against a superior opponent – and it still wasn't quite enough. We'll see if they're motivated by the close game or if it knocked the wind out of their sails.

You have to think the Wildcats will look for a better start tonight. The Sea Dogs have scored first in both games.

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

Series status: The Wildcats lead the best-of-seven first round series 2-0.

Regular season records: The Sea Dogs were 23-36-5-0 for 51 points (eighth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Wildcats were 50-10-2-2 for 104 points (first Eastern/first QMJHL).

Last games: The Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs 3-2 in overtime on Saturday at Avenir Centre. Niko Tournas, Gabe Smith and Gavin Cornforth scored for Moncton. Saint John goals came from Angelo Fullerton and Zachary Morin. Rudy Guimond made 22 saves in the win. Arseni Radkov made 47 stops in the loss.

Plenty of former Sea Dogs in QMJHL playoffs

Vincent Létourneau/Shawinigan Cataractes

SAINT JOHN - Vince Elie and the Shawinigan Cataractes are in some trouble.

The Cataractes find themselves down 2-0 in their first round series against the Sherbrooke Phoenix following back-to-back losses on home ice over the weekend. Elie was held scoreless and was a -2.

Sherbrooke goaltender Kyan Labbé, a fourth-round pick of Saint John in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft, has been excellent for the Phoenix, allowing just two goals on 59 shots in the first two games combined.

Former Sea Dogs forward Chad Bellemare has one goal for the Phoenix.

The Phoenix can take a commanding 3-0 series lead with a win on home ice on Tuesday.

Elliot Dubé, Jacob Beaulieu and the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada will also look to take a 3-0 series lead against the Victoriaville Tigres on Tuesday. That series shifts to Victoriaville for Games 3 and 4.

In Quebec City, Egan Beveridge and the Quebec Remparts will look to take a 2-1 series lead against Tyler Peddle and the Charlottetown Islanders. Beveridge already has two goals in this series, tying him for the team lead. 

Peddle has also scored twice. The Islanders will need the overage forward to step up again on Tuesday with Ivan Ryabkin reportedly set to serve a one-game suspension for abuse of officials. Charlottetown was without Nathan Leek in Game 2 due to an injury.

Defenseman Patryk Zubek, who appeared in just five games with the Newfoundland Regiment in the second half, has not seen action in these playoffs yet. The Regiment and Cape Breton Eagles are tied 1-1 heading into Tuesday night's Game 3 at Centre 200.

Lastly, Max Vilen has been held scoreless with the Moncton Wildcats so far in these playoffs. The Wildcats will look to take a 3-0 series lead over the Sea Dogs on Tuesday at TD Station.

Notebook: MacPherson named playoff MVP

Noah Murray/Charlottetown Islanders

MONCTON - Jase MacPherson was on the Saint John Sea Dogs bench a night after being named the most valuable player of the PEI under-18 provincial championship series.

MacPherson made 38 saves on Thursday to help the Kensington Wild defeat the Charlottetown Knights 3-2 and clinch the provincial title in six games. The 17-year-old went 4-1 in the final with a 2.57 goals against average and a .936 save percentage.

MacPherson faced 39 or more shots in every game against Charlottetown.

“I just played my game and worked hard out there,” MacPherson told the Journal Pioneer. “The boys helped me so much. I wouldn’t have gotten (the MVP award) without them.”

A second-round pick of Saint John in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft, MacPherson appeared in one game for Saint John this season. MacPherson was Saint John's backup in Friday's playoff opener with Arseni Radkov still serving his suspension.

The Wild will represent PEI at Atlantics, which will take place April 1-5 in Quispamsis.

MHL GAME 7

The Summerside Western Capitals are moving on to the second round of the Maritime Junior Hockey League playoffs.

The Capitals defeated the Amherst Ramblers 1-0 in Game 7 on Saturday night. Eliott Robert scored the game's only goal while Caps netminder Kolton Bourret made 25 saves in the shutout.

The Capitals include former Sea Dogs goaltender Justin Robinson and defenseman Matthew MacLean. The Ramblers feature defenseman Jeremie Richard and forward Darrien Reynolds.

Summerside, who are hosting the Centennial Cup national championship in May, will face the Truro Bearcats in the South Division final. The North Division final, meanwhile, will feature the Edmundston Blizzard facing the Chaleur Lightning.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 2, Moncton 3 (OT)

Daniel St Louis/Moncton Wildcats

MONCTON - Losses don't get much more heartbreaking than that.

The Saint John Sea Dogs blew a 2-0 lead in the final minute of regulation time in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday at Avenir Centre. The Wildcats now lead the best-of-seven first round series 2-0 as things shift to Saint John for the next two games.

The Sea Dogs had taken a 2-0 lead at 9:46 of the third period when Zachary Morin scored. Saint John was playing with confidence and energy following the goal – but it simply wasn't meant to be on this night.

The Wildcats pressed hard in the final few minutes and finally broke through. Niko Tournas scored with 51.8 seconds remaining and then Gabe Smith connected with 4.3 seconds left, sending the match into overtime. Gavin Cornforth, who had a hat trick in Friday's Game 1, scored at 11:00 of extra time to give the Wildcats an improbable come-from-behind victory.

It was a cruel outcome for Saint John, who played just about as well as they possibly could against a superior opponent. Angelo Fullerton netted the Sea Dogs' other goal while goaltender Arseni Radkov, in his first start since his fighting suspension, was excellent in net, making 47 stops in a first star performance.

Rudy Guimond made 22 saves in the win.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Moncton 5
Embed from Getty Images

MONCTON - The Moncton Wildcats scored five unanswered goals in 5-1 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday at Avenir Centre.

The win gives the Wildcats a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round playoff series.

Gavin Cornforth scored a hat trick to lead the way for Moncton while Teddy Mutryn and Gabe Smith added singles. Rudy Guimond made 16 saves in the win.

Alexander Donovan scored Saint John's lone goal. Despite the loss, Rafaël Courchesne had a strong game in net, making 45 saves.

Saint John struggled to create quality scoring chances, registering just nine dangerous shots. Their lone goal came on a power play. The Wildcats, meanwhile, went 2/5 on the man advantage.

Saint John had a solid first period, limiting Moncton's quality chances and taking a 1-0 lead when Donovan scored on a power play at 16:44. The goal was scored during a four-minute high sticking penalty that saw the Sea Dogs struggle to create chances – but were able to score on one of the few they did get.

The Wildcats started to get things rolling in the second period. Cornforth netted back-to-back goals less than a minute apart and then Mutryn scored on a power play at 10:50 to give Moncton a 3-1 lead after two. Shots were 17-5 Wildcats in the middle frame.

Smith and Cornforth scored in the third to make it a 5-1 final. Shots were 20-5 in favour of the 'Cats in the third.

Playoff Game Day 1 & 2: at Moncton

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs make their return to the playoffs this weekend at Avenir Centre.

The Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats will play the first two games of their best-of-seven first round series Friday and Saturday night, respectively. Both games have 7 p.m. starts.

This will be Saint John's first playoff appearance since the 2023-24 season and they have not won a playoff series since the 2017 QMJHL final. Moncton, meanwhile, are looking to repeat as league champions – and they've got a legitimate chance of doing so after posting a 104-point season.

The Wildcats are the heavy favourites to win this series. For the Sea Dogs, this is likely a series where they'll look for small victories. Can they win shifts. Can they win periods. Can they keep these games close. Most importantly, it'll be about gaining some experience for next season.

This is just the second playoff series between the provincial rivals. They last met in the 2010 QMJHL final, which Moncton won in six games.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/None

Series status: These are the first two games of the best-of-seven first round series.

Regular season records: The Sea Dogs were 23-36-5-0 for 51 points (eighth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Wildcats were 50-10-2-2 for 104 points (first Eastern/first QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 win in Cape Breton on Saturday. Angelo Fullerton scored a pair of goals while Nolann Héroux added a single. Rafaël Courchesne made 24 saves in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 6-1 home win over the Charlottetown Islanders on Saturday. Niko Tournas scored twice for Moncton while singles came from Gabe Smith, Caleb Desnoyers, Kuzma Voronin and Preston Lounsbury. Rudy Guimond only faced 16 shots in the win.

Eagles upset Regiment in Game 1; MHL, NCAA updates

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

If night one is a sign of things to come, we could be in for quite a post-season in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

The Cape Breton Eagles, who entered the playoffs having won just two games since Valentine's Day, opened their series against the Newfoundland Regiment with a 3-2 win at Mary Brown's Centre on Thursday night.

The Eagles, who are without one of their leading scorers in Roman Litalien, never led until 10:52 of the third period when Caden Kelly scored just his sixth goal of the entire year – which ended up being the game-winner.

The Regiment finished 11 points ahead of the Eagles in the standings but are considered heavy favourites given Cape Breton's injury woes and the way they finished the regular season.

Game 2 is Friday night before the series shifts to Sydney. This is a 2-3-2 series.

A few other news and notes from this Thursday night...

• The remaining playoff series get going Friday night, which includes the Saint John Sea Dogs visiting the Moncton Wildcats.
• Sea Dogs prospect Jase MacPherson made 37 saves to help the Kensington Wild defeat the Charlottetown Knights 3-2, winning the PEI under-18 championship in six games. The Wild advance to Atlantics, which will take place in Quispamsis from April 1-5.
• In the Maritime Junior Hockey League playoffs, the Summerside Western Capitals have forced a Game 7 in their first round series with a commanding 9-3 win over the Amherst Ramblers. Former Sea Dogs defenseman Matthew MacLean had two assists for the Western Capitals. Game 7 is Saturday night in Summerside.
• The NCAA men's hockey tournament began on Thursday and saw Nate Tivey and the Quinnipac Bobcats defeat Kale McCallum and the Providence Friars 5-2 in the Sioux Falls regional. Tivey was held off the score sheet while McCallum finished a -2 with three shots. The Bobcats will face the winner of the Merrimack/North Dakota game in Saturday's regional final – a game that will have a trip to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas on the line.

First round playoff predictions

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The opening round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoffs begin Thursday night in St. John's – so let's get to some predictions.

Now, if you've read this site long enough, you'll know that I am a first round hater. I have six of the eight series being sweeps. I hope I am pleasantly surprised and we get more drama than I expect.

Eastern Conference

1. Moncton vs. 8. Saint John - Wildcats in 4

Sorry. The Sea Dogs are going to have to play the best defense they've played all year and get outstanding goaltending to have any chance against a Wildcats team that is rolling right now. 

2. Chicoutimi vs. 7. Halifax - Sagueneens in 4

Halifax pulled off a big first round upset in last year's playoffs but they don't have their star (goaltender Jacob Steinman) from that series anymore. Like Moncton, the Sags have been rolling down the stretch and I don't expect them to have much trouble with the Mooseheads.

3. Newfoundland vs. 6. Cape Breton - Regiment in 4

Cape Breton has just two wins since Valentine's Day and are not entering the playoffs fully healthy. They can't score. I don't think the Regiment will have a lot of trouble here, but the wildcard with Newfoundland remains their discipline, which will be interesting to follow in these playoffs.

4. Charlottetown vs. 5. Québec - Islanders in 5

Only three points separated these two in the standings but it really feels like Charlottetown could take off in these playoffs. All eyes are on Ivan Ryabkin who could legitimately carry the Isles on a deep run.

NCAA tournament begins Thursday for ex-Dogs

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The NCAA men's hockey tournament begins Thursday and two former Saint John Sea Dogs are set to meet.

Kale McCallum and the Providence Friars will take on Nate Tivey and the Quinnipiac Bobcats in the opening game of the Sioux Falls regional on Thursday. McCallum and Tivey are the lone Sea Dogs alumni that have qualified for the 16-team tournament.

There are four regionals with four teams in each. The winner of each regional will advance to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas, which is set to take place April 9 and 11.

Also in the Sioux Falls regional are the North Dakota Fighting Hawks and the Merrimack Warriors. North Dakota is the top-ranked team in the group followed by Providence, Quinnipiac and Merrimack.

McCallum and the Friars won the Hockey East regular season title but were upset in the single elimination quarterfinals, falling to the No. 8 seeded Warriors who went on to win the tournament. 

Similarly, Tivey and Bobcats were ECAC regular season champions but were upset in the quarterfinals, getting swept in a best-of-three series by the No. 8 seeded Clarkson Golden Knights. The Dartmouth Big Green ultimately won the ECAC tournament.

Here's a look at the full NCAA tournament bracket. 

College Hockey News

The tournament format is neat in theory – but it comes with some problems and is a cautionary tale for the CHL if they ever wanted to do something similar with an expanded Memorial Cup format. Thursday's game between Province and Quinnipiac, for example, is being played on a Thursday afternoon 1,500 miles away from where the two schools are based. The regionals struggle to replicate one of the major aspects that make college hockey so much fun to watch: the atmosphere of the arenas.

Here's a final look at how former Sea Dogs skaters performed in their first college hockey seasons.

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Charles Savoie	Lindenwood	23	9	18	27
Noah Reinhart	Michigan Tech	38	9	12	21
Cam MacDonald	New Hampshire	33	7	7	14
Kale McCallum	Providence	30	5	9	14
Nate Tivey	Quinnipiac	36	3	5	8
Matteo Mann	Colorado College	28	0	2	2

Charles-Edward Gravel of Mercyhurst was the only ex-Dogs goaltender to play NCAA hockey this season.

Sea Dogs announce award winners

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs captain Olivier Groulx has been named the team's most valuable player for the 2025-26 season.

Groulx guided a young Sea Dogs team through a challenging season. He finished the year with a team high 66 points and was tied for fourth in goals with 20.

Along with MVP honours, Groulx won the club's top scorer award, players' choice MVP honour and was named top defensive forward.

The Sea Dogs announced the full list of team award winners on social media on Wednesday.

Pepsi Top Scorer — Olivier Groulx 

McDonald's Rookie of the Year — Alexis Joseph 

TD Community Impact Award — Alex Donovan 

Alpine Three Stars Award — Alexis Joseph 

Mike Thomas Players' Choice MVP — Olivier Groulx 

SJ Airport Student-Athlete of the Year — Alexis Joseph 

Irving Oil Team Player Award — Angelo Fullerton 

Make-A-Wish Fan Choice Award — Zach Morin 

Deloitte Top Defensive Forward — Olivier Groulx 

Tim Horton's Most Improved Player — Angelo Fullerton 

NTI Boilers Top Defenceman — Olivier Duhamel 

Bell Aliant Most Valuable Player — Olivier Groulx

Last season, Groulx took home the top scorer, top defensive forward and most improved player awards.

This is the second straight year Zachary Morin won the fan choice award.

The Sea Dogs begin the QMJHL playoffs on Friday when they visit the Moncton Wildcats.

Notebook: Impressive rookie seasons

JaimeLee Gouthro/Cape Breton Eagles

Both Alexander Donovan and Alexis Joseph came up just short of tying the Sea Dogs franchise record for goals in a season by a rookie.

Donovan finished the year with 25 goals while Joseph posted 24. The team record is 26, which is held by Tomas Jurco (2009-10) and Ostap Safin (2017-18).

Joseph did set team records for most goals (24) and points (60) in a season by a 16-year-old. 

Jospeh's 60 points tie him with Stansislav Galiev (2009-10) for the second most in team history amongst all rookies. The overall rookie points record remains Chris DiDomenico's 75 in 2006-07)

BALDWIN'S NUMBERS

Everett Baldwin finishes the season with 15 goals, placing him in a tie with Charlottetown's Marcus Kearsey for the league lead in goals by defensemen.

Baldwin ties Alex Grant for the third most goals in a season by a Sea Dogs defenseman. Jeremie Poirier had 20 in 2019-20 and 16 in 2021-22.

Baldwin set the Sea Dogs franchise record for both goals (15) and points (44) by a rookie defenseman. 

UQTR wins University Cup; MHL playoffs update

HALIFAX - The UQTR Patriotes love playing in Nova Scotia.

The Patriotes captured their second University Cup title in five years with a 3-2 overtime win over the Saint Mary's Huskies on Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Centre. The last time the tournament was held in Nova Scotia – 2022 in Wolfville – the Patriotes defeated the Alberta Golden Bears 5-4 in double overtime.

Felix Lafrance, who played with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, Cape Breton Eagles, Chicoutimi Sagueneens and Acadie-Bathurst Titan, scored the overtime winner with 5:35 remaining in the first session of extra time.

While UQTR's roster is loaded with former QMJHL talent, none played for the Saint John Sea Dogs. The Huskies lineup featured former Sea Dog Connor Trenholm.

The Huskies were the tournament's hosts and, after being eliminated in the first round of the AUS playoffs, were the No. 8 seed. They upset No. 1 Saskatchewan in their opener on Thursday and then defeated Windsor 4-1 in the Saturday afternoon semifinal.

UQTR advanced to the championship game with a 7-4 win over the UNB Reds in Saturday night's semifinal. The Patriotes scored four times in the first period – including twice in the first 4:41 – to take control of the game.

The Reds were victorious in the bronze medal game, which took place at 9 a.m. (not a typo) at Scotiabank Centre. Former Sea Dogs forwards Nick Blagden and Leighton Carruthers both had assists in the 5-1 win. Peter Reynolds remained out of the lineup.

Playoff schedule, matchups released

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs will begin the first round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoffs on Friday in Moncton.

As expected, the first two games of Saint John's series with the Moncton Wildcats will take place Friday and Saturday at Avenir Centre, respectively. The series will then shift to Saint John.

Here is the full schedule:

The Sea Dogs have been locked into the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference for a couple weeks but had to wait until Saturday afternoon to have their opponent determined. The Wildcats secured top spot with a win over the Charlottetown Islanders, edging the Chicoutimi Sagueneens by a single point.

This is will be just the second playoff series between the Sea Dogs and Wildcats. They last met in the 2010 QMJHL final which Moncton took in six games.

The Sea Dogs and Wildcats also met in the opening round of the COVID impacted 2021 playoffs, which was a round robin format that also included the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Sea Dogs to face Wildcats in first round

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - For just the second time, the Saint John Sea Dogs will face the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoffs.

The Wildcats secured the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference on Saturday, defeating the Charlottetown Islanders 6-1. The Sea Dogs have been locked into the No. 8 seed for a couple weeks now but have been waiting to see who would finish first: the Wildcats or the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

The Wildcats won nine straight games down the stretch to edge the Sagueneens in the standings. Moncton finishes as the QMJHL's top regular season team for a second straight year, posting a record of 50-10-2-2 for 104 points.

The playoff schedule has not been announced yet but the series will likely start Friday night at Avenir Centre. Games 3 and 4 will be played on Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1 at TD Station, respectively.

The only other time the Sea Dogs played the Wildcats in a playoff series was the 2010 QMJHL final, which Moncton won in six games.

The Sea Dogs and Wildcats did technically meet in the playoffs during the 2021 COVID provincial tournament thing, which also included the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Saint John won two of the three meetings against Moncton.

Saint John will be major underdogs in this series, finishing 15th overall in the QMJHL with a 23-36-5-0 record for 51 points. The Sea Dogs were 1-7-0-0 against the Wildcats in the regular season.

This will be the Sea Dogs' first playoff appearance since the 2023-24 season. They have not won a playoff series since the 2017 QMJHL final.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-2

FINAL: Saint John 3, Cape Breton 2

JaimeLee Gouthro/Cape Breton Eagles

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs ended the regular season on a winning note on Saturday,

Angelo Fullerton scored a pair of goals against his former team to lead the Sea Dogs to a 3-2 win over the Cape Breton Eagles at Centre 200. Nolann Héroux scored Saint John's other goal while Rafael Courchesne made 24 saves in the win.

The Eagles opened the scoring but the Sea Dogs scored the next three to take a 3-1 lead in the third period. At 16:10 of the final frame, Reece Peitzsche scored to cut Saint John's lead to 3-2. Peitzsche had a couple other quality chances in the final couple minutes to net an equalizer but could not beat Courchesne.

Raoul Boilard scored Cape Breton's other goal. Connor Towle made 28 saves in the loss.

The victory ended a five-game losing streak for the Sea Dogs, who will begin post-season action on the road next weekend.

Sea Dogs still waiting on playoff opponent; University Cup, MHL updates

Mike Bernard/Charlottetown Islanders

MONCTON - It's the final day of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League regular season and the Saint John Sea Dogs won't know who their first round playoff opponent is until later today.

The Sea Dogs, who take on the Cape Breton Eagles at 3 p.m. in Sydney, are locked into the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, meaning they'll face the No. 1 seed. Who that No. 1 seed will be is the big question.

The Moncton Wildcats enter the day with 102 points while the Chicoutimi Sagueneens are right behind them with 101. The Wildcats host the Charlottetown Islanders at 4 p.m. while the Sags host the Quebec Remparts at 5 p.m.

Here are the scenarios:

• If Moncton wins today, they'll clinch first and face the Sea Dogs in the first round. The Sagueneens' result is not relevant.
• If Moncton loses and Chicoutimi wins, the Sagueneens clinch first and will face the Sea Dogs in the first round.
• If the two teams end up tied (Moncton loses in extra time and Chicoutimi wins or Moncton loses in regulation and Chicoutimi loses in extra time), the Sagueneens clinch first and will face the Sea Dogs in the first round. Chicoutimi has the tie-breaker.
• Of course, if both teams lose today, the Wildcats will clinch first and face the Sea Dogs in the first round.

Moncton enters today's game on an eight-game winning streak.

The Sea Dogs were 1-7-0-0 against the Wildcats in the regular season and, oddly, 2-0-0-0 against the Sagueneens.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Cape Breton 4

JaimeLee Gouthro/Cape Breton Eagles

SYDNEY, NS - The losing streak continues for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs lost a fifth straight game on Friday night at Centre 200, falling 4-2 to the Cape Breton Eagles. The victory ended a six-game losing streak for the Eagles.

Saint John thought they had opened the scoring halfway through the first period when Bo Damphousse scored. But the goal was called back due to an offside – and the Eagles would take advantage, grabbing momentum and scoring twice to lead 2-0 after the first.

After a scoreless second period, Alexander Donovan scored on a power play at 6:59 of the third to get Saint John within one. The Eagles would respond with a man advantage goal of their own at 12:14, restoring Cape Breton's two-goal lead.

The Sea Dogs pulled goaltender Rafaël Courchesne with 3:34 left and the move paid off. At 17:00, Donovan netted his second of the game to get Saint John within one again. But the Eagles secured the win with an empty net goal at 18:14.

Shots in the third period were 14-2 in favour of Saint John.

Lucas Romeo scored twice for Cape Breton while Raoul Boilard and Eliot Litalien added singles. Felix Hamel made 35 saves in the win.

Courchesne made 19 saves in the loss.

These two meet again tomorrow afternoon at Centre 200 in the regular season finale for both teams.

Sea Dogs finally debut Under Armour jerseys

JaimeLee Gouthro/Cape Breton Eagles

It took until the final weekend of the regular season for the Saint John Sea Dogs to debut their new jerseys.

For the first time, the Sea Dogs wore their white Under Armour branded jerseys – which includes the team's updated logo – on Friday night in Sydney. 

The majority of teams across the CHL have been wearing Under Armour jerseys since opening night in September. Saint John announced on Sept. 18 that the new jerseys would be delayed. Not many expected correct versions to take until mid-March to arrive.

Two teams in the QMJHL – the Sea Dogs and Halifax Moosheads – have been wearing old CCM jerseys all season. The CCM logos were covered over.

JaimeLee Gouthro/Cape Breton Eagles

It was announced last May that Under Armour would replace CCM as the CHL's official jersey provider. The switch hasn't come without problems. A number of teams reportedly had errors with their new looks. 

The Sea Dogs unveiled their updated logo and mockups of the new jerseys at an event during the summer. The Sea Dogs had been wearing the same styled jersey since the 2009-10 season.

The Sea Dogs play their final regular season games on the road this weekend. They'll start the playoffs on the road before returning to TD Station for playoff games three and four on March 31 and April 1, where the team will presumably debut this new look for their home fans.

Game Day 63 & 64: at Cape Breton

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SYDNEY, NS - The regular season comes to a close this weekend for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs will play a pair of road games against the Cape Breton Eagles to close out the 2025-26 season. Saint John has qualified for the post-season and is locked into the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference – but it's still not known who they'll play in the first round.

The Eagles, meanwhile, could still move up or down the standings depending on how things play out this weekend. These games (or at least Friday's, for now) do have meaning.

Both teams are on losing streaks. Saint John has lost four straight while Cape Breton has lost six.

This is the first meeting between the two since late November.

Friday's game has a 7 p.m. start at Centre 200 while Saturday's will begin at 3 p.m.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 22-35-5-0 for 49 points (eighth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Eagles are 27-22-4-9 for 67 points (sixth Eastern/11th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 loss in Charlottetown on Sunday. Angelo Fullerton scored Saint John's lone goal. Jase MacPherson made 34 saves in his first career QMJHL start. The Eagles are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss in Charlottetown last Friday. Reece Peitzsche scored Cape Breton's lone goal. Connor Towle made 27 saves in the loss. 

Notebook: Fullerton's impressive season

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Angelo Fullerton is ending his junior career on a high note.

The 20-year-old forward has scored nine goals in his past nine games to give him 25 of the season, which is currently the Saint John Sea Dogs team lead. He's also posted 18 assists in the 59 games he has appeared in.

Fullerton spent the previous three seasons with the Cape Breton Eagles, who he and the Sea Dogs will visit for a pair of games this weekend. His previous career high for points in a season was 16. His previous high for goals was nine.

The Quispamsis native has more goals and points this season than his previous three seasons combined.

He's offensive contributions have likely exceeded expectations. Fullerton attended Sea Dogs training camp on a loan from the Eagles and was later acquired for a sixth-round pick.

Fullerton and fellow overagers Julien Wasmer and Maxime Côté were honoured before Saint John's final regular season home game this past Saturday.

ATTENDANCE IS IN

Saint John's final attendance figures are in – and they're positive.

Saint John will finish the regular season with an average attendance of 3,273 fans per game, a significant increase over last season's average of 2,811. This is Saint John's best attendance figure since the 2019-20 season when the team averaged 3,345 fans per game.

The Sea Dogs currently own the sixth best average attendance in the QMJHL. They haven't finished higher than fifth since the 2021-22 season.

Saint John had two big home crowds to end the season. Announced attendance for last Friday's game was 5,093 while Saturday's was 6,150 – which was a sell out. The Saturday crowd was the largest since the 2017-18 season (6,165).

The team is inching closer to those pre-pandemic totals, which is good news.

Former Sea Dogs to play in University Cup; Couture named goaltender of the year

A number of Saint John Sea Dogs alumni will be returning to the Scotiabank Centre ice this week for the University Cup.

The annual eight-team event begins Thursday afternoon in Halifax and will conclude with the championship game on Sunday. All games can be watched on CBC Gem and YouTube while the final will air on CBC TV.

Three teams from Atlantic University Sport are competing: the host Saint Mary's Huskies, conference champion UNB Reds and conference finalist Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus.

They'll be joined by OUA champion UQTR Patriotes; OUA finalist Windsor Lancers; OUA bronze medalist Queen's Gaels; Canada West champion Saskatchewan Huskies; and Canada West finalist Mount Royal Cougars.

Here are the former Sea Dogs who are on tournament rosters.

UNB: Nick Blagden, Peter Reynolds and Leighton Carruthers

UdeM: Jeremie Jacob and Justin Gendron

SMU: Connor Trenholm

Reynolds, who was seen with his arm in a sling during the AUS final, is presumably unlikely to play. UNB is hurting, which will be a storyline during this tournament – especially with the Reds getting a not-so-favourable schedule.

Here's a look at the quarterfinal schedule:

Thursday, 1 p.m.: No. 5 Mount Royal vs. No. 4 Windsor 

Thursday, 7 p.m.: No. 1 Saskatchewan at No. 8 Saint Mary’s 

Friday, 1 p.m.: No. 6 Moncton vs. No. 3 UQTR 

Friday, 7 p.m.: No. 7 Queen’s vs. No. 2 UNB

The semifinals take place Saturday with the bronze and gold medal games happening on Sunday. That means UNB will have to play – and win – three games in three days if they want to bring the University Cup back to Fredericton.

A lot to figure out in final weekend

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It will take the final weekend of the regular season to determine who the Saint John Sea Dogs will play in the first round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoffs.

The Sea Dogs, who are locked into the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, will play the team that finishes first. That will be either the Moncton Wildcats or the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

Heading into this weekend's action, the Wildcats will play the Charlottetown Islanders twice while the Sagueneens will take on the Quebec Remparts.

The Wildcats have won seven straight games after a weekend sweep in Newfoundland. They'll now face an Islanders team that has won three straight.

The Wildcats are 4-1-0-1 against the Islanders this season but both losses came in their most recent meetings. Charlottetown defeated Moncton 6-5 in a shootout on Feb. 20 and 2-0 the next day. The Wildcats have lost just one time since then.

Chicoutimi, who have just one loss in their past eight games, is 6-0-0-0 against Quebec this season.

These weekend sets have meaning for the Islanders and Remparts as well as they continue to battle for positioning. The games Friday, at least, shouldn't feature any load management situations. We could certainly see that on Saturday depending on Friday results.

Robinson makes MHL playoff debut

AMHERST, NS - In his first playoff start with the Summerside Western Capitals, former Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Justin Robinson made 32 saves in a 4-2 loss to the Amherst Ramblers on Monday.

The Western Capitals had a bad start, getting outshot 21-9 in the first period and trailed 3-0 halfway through the second period. Summerside turned things around in the second half and made a game of it, but it was too late to complete a comeback.

Robinson was named the game's third star. He did not start Game 1 on Saturday in Summerside, which the Western Capitals won 3-2.

Still wearing Sea Dogs gear (even though he is Moncton Wildcats property now), Robinson posted a 4-3-1 record with Summerside in the regular season along with a 2.93 goals against average and a .890 save percentage.

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Matthew MacLean was also in the Capitals lineup. On the Amherst side, former Sea Dogs Darien Reynolds and Jeremie Richard both dressed. Reynolds left the game in the second period after taking a bit hit along the boards.

The pews are nearly full on a Monday night in Amherst. I don’t come here enough. Such an awesome barn. pic.twitter.com/tatbiqcJNk

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) March 16, 2026

Summerside is the top seed in the South Division but finished just seven points ahead of the Ramblers.

Game 3 is Thursday back in Summerside.

The other South Division playoff series has the Truro Bearcats up 2-0 on Mitchell Wagner and the Pictou County Weeks Crushers. The Bearcats have outscored the Crushers 11-1 so far.

In the North Division, the top seeded Grand Falls Rapids trail the Chaleur Lightning 2-0. With a goal and two assists, former Sea Dogs forward Ben Cross was named the third star in Chaleur's 6-3 win over Grand Falls on Sunday.

The Rapids feature former Sea Dogs Reid Calder, Coen Miller and Jonah Leard.

The other series has the Edmundston Blizzard leading the West Kent Steamers 1-0.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Charlottetown 5

Noah Murray/Charlottetown Islanders

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Saint John Sea Dogs lost a fourth straight game on Sunday at Eastlink Centre.

Playing their third game in three days, the Sea Dogs fell behind in the first period and were never able to get back into the game, falling 5-1 to the Charlottetown Islanders.

The Sea Dogs just didn't seem to have the same level of energy we've seen from them in recent games, which is understandable given this was the club's third game in as many days and second in less than 24 hours. Saint John struggled to create quality scoring chances, registering just nine dangerous shots.

Angelo Fullerton scored Saint John's lone goal, which came in the third period with the Sea Dogs trailing 4-0. Affiliate goaltender Jase MacPherson made his QMJHL debut in the Saint John net, making 34 stops in the loss.

William Shields scored four goals for Charlottetown while Owen Conrad added a single. Donald Hickey made 21 stops in the win.

Game Day 62: at Charlottetown

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

CHARLOTTETOWN - While the Saint John Sea Dogs have been entertaining to watch of late, wins have remained hard to come by.

The Sea Dogs carry a three-game losing streak into this afternoon's contest with the Charlottetown Islanders. Game time is 2 p.m. at Eastlink Centre.

This will be the third game in three days for Saint John and the second in less than 24 hours. The Sea Dogs allowed three third period goals in a 4-2 home loss to the Halifax Mooseheads yesterday at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs, who have just three regular season games remaining, will try and turn things around today. This will be the final meeting of the regular season between the Dogs and Isles. Saint John is 3-2-2-0 in the season series.

PEI native Jase MacPherson is expected to make his QMJHL debut in net for Saint John with Arseni Radkov suspended and Rafaël Courchesne having appeared in back-to-back games.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/None

Records: The Sea Dogs are 22-34-5-0 for 49 points (eighth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Islanders are 32-21-2-6 for 72 points (fourth Eastern/seventh QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 home loss to the Halifax Mooseheads yesterday at TD Station. Nolann Héroux and Alexis Joseph had Saint John goals. Rafaël Courchesne made 25 saves in the loss. The Islanders are coming off a 2-1 overtime win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Friday. Nathan Leek and Ross Campbell had Charlottetown goals. Donald Hickey made 39 saves in the win.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Halifax 4, Saint John 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - A three-goal third period lifted the Halifax Mooseheads past the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday at TD Station.

Quinn Kennedy scored 2:07 into the third period while Shawn Carrier and Liam Kilfoil followed up with goals to lift the Mooseheads to a 4-2 victory. Caylen Blake scored Halifax's other goal.

Alexis Joseph scored in the final minute of the third but that was as close as Saint John could get. Nolann Héroux netted Saint John's other goal.

It was another fairly even game played between the two. This was the final meeting of the season series, which saw the Moosehead win five of the eight contests.

There were no goalie fights in this game – or any real carryover from that incident. Nicolas Gillham-Cirka made 34 saves in the win while Rafaël Courchesne made 25 stops in the loss.

The Sea Dogs have now lost three straight games.

Radkov, Bresson suspended; MacPherson recalled

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Goaltenders Arseni Radkov and Owen Bresson have both been suspended following their Friday night fight.

The roster sheet for Saturday's rematch between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads lists both goaltenders out of the lineup with suspensions – but no lengths were included. We'll have to wait for confirmation by the league on if the suspensions are more than a game.

UPDATE March 15: Radkov and Bresson have both been suspended five games by the QMJHL for a "fight involving a goaltender."

The fight took place during the second period of Friday's 5-4 Mooseheads win over the Sea Dogs at TD Station. The altercation began when Alexis Gauthier went hard to the net, which led to Bresson giving the Sea Dogs forward a few shots with his blocker. Radkov then made his way to his own blue line and was soon met in the neutral zone by Bresson.

Both were given two game misconducts: one for fighting and another for removing their own helmets/masks.

This was the first goalie fight in Sea Dogs franchise history.

With Radkov out, the Sea Dogs have recalled Jase MacPherson from the under-18 Kensington Wild. The Sea Dogs are lucky with the timing. The Wild are playing in the provincial final but have no games scheduled for Saturday or Sunday.

MacPherson, who turned 17 on Thursday, made 38 saves in Kensington's 3-2 win over the Charlottetown Knights in Game 1 of the provincial final on Friday.

MacPherson, a second-round pick of Saint John in last year's QMJHL Entry Draft, has been recalled previously to be a backup but has not seen any game action with the Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs are also in action on Sunday when they visit the Charlottetown Islanders.

MHL playoffs underway for ex-Dogs

Summerside Western Capitals

The Maritime Junior Hockey League playoffs are underway.

On Friday, the Truro Bearcats defeated the Pictou County Weeks Crushers 6-0 while the Chaleur Lightning edged the Grand Falls Rapids 4-3. Former Saint John Sea Dogs forwards Jonah Leard and Coen Miller scored for the Rapids in the loss.

On Saturday, the other two series begin. The Amherst Ramblers will take on the Summerside Western Capitals while the Edmundston Blizzard will face the West Kent Steamers.

There are a number of former Sea Dogs on MHL playoff rosters.

Amherst Ramblers: Darien Reynolds and Jeremie Richard

Chaleur Lightning: Ben Cross and Jesse Dunlap (affiliate)

Edmundston Blizzard: None

Grand Falls Rapids: Coen Miller, Jonah Leard and Reid Calder

Pictou County Weeks Crushers: Mitchell Wagner

Summerside Western Capitals: Matthew MacLean and Justin Robinson

Truro Bearcats: None

West Kent Steamers: None

The Rapids are coached by former Sea Dogs coaches Greg Leland and Jeff Cowan. The Rapids finished first in the North Division and are making their first playoff appearance.

The Western Capitals, who are hosting the Centennial Cup national championship in May, finished first overall in the league standings.

Ben Cross, who played 60 games with the Sea Dogs last season, finished second in MHL scoring with 78 points in 51 games. He led the league in goals with 42.

Coen Miller, who appeared in 23 games with Saint John last season, finished 10th in league scoring with 67 points (28 goals and 39 assists) in 42 games.

Teams not making the playoffs include the Yarmouth Mariners, Campbellton Tigers, Miramichi Timberwolves and Valley Wildcats.

The MHL playoffs can be watched on FloHockey.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-4

FINAL: Halifax 5, Saint John 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs came up just short against the Halifax Mooseheads on Friday.

The Sea Dogs trailed 3-0 in the first period but made a game of it, ultimately falling 5-4 in an entertaining contest at TD Station.

Saint John trailed 3-0 and 4-1 but managed to pull within a goal in the second period. Saint John had a great chance to tie things up late in the third, going to a five-on-three power play with 1:25 remaining. The Sea Dogs were able to generate some strong pressure in the offensive zone but could not net an equalizer.

The Mooseheads dominated most of the first period but the rest of the game was fairly even. Halifax has now won four of the seven games between the two this season with one more meeting to come – which will happen Saturday at TD Station.

This game will be remembered for some time because of the second period goalie period fight between Arseni Radkov and Owen Bresson. It wasn't an overly nasty game before or even after the fight, but it was a spirited tilt between the two netminders in the neutral zone.

Caylen Blake, Samuel Rousseau, Oleg Kulebiakin, Liam Kilfoil and Owen Phillips all scored for Halifax. Bresson allowed three goals on 15 shots before being tossed from the game. Nicolas Gillham-Cirka allowed a goal on 11 shots in relief.

Angelo Fullerton netted a pair of goals for Saint John while singles came from Everett Baldwin and Dylan Rozzi. Radkov allowed four goals on 23 shots while Rafaël Courchesne allowed a goal on 16 shots.

Video: Goalie fight in Saint John

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - What just happened?

Goaltenders Arseni Radkov and Owen Bresson dropped the gloves during the second period of Friday's Saint John Sea Dogs home game against the Halifax Mooseheads.

Things truly escalated quickly. After what had been a mild game in terms of rough stuff, Bresson gave Sea Dogs forward Alexis Gauthier a punch with his blocker. Soon after, Radkov skated to his own blue line and, soon enough, the two netminders started throwing punches in the neutral zone.

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