Sea Dogs pick three in CHL Import Draft

Jan Běhounek

The Saint John Sea Dogs added two forwards and a defenseman during Tuesday's CHL Import Draft.

With their first selection, 14th overall, Saint John selected 17-year-old Czech forward Matyas Cancik. With their second pick of the first-round, the Sea Dogs chose 17-year-old Slovakian forward Oliver Ozogany at 44th overall.

In the second round, the Sea Dogs boosted their backend by selecting Finnish defender Vertti Svensk with the 66th overall pick. Svensk, who was a fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in this year's NHL Draft, will turn 19 in November.

Cancik split last season with Bílí Tygři Liberec's under-20 and under-17 teams. At the U17 level, the forward posted 22 goals and 22 assists in just 23 games while adding three goals and seven assists in nine playoff games. At the U20 level, he recorded a goal and seven assists in 12 games.

Cancik, listed at 5'9" and 170 lbs, is familiar with the Maritimes having played in the U17 World Challenge in Truro this past November. He recorded a goal and an assist in four games with Czechia.

Ozogany, meanwhile, is more familiar with the North American game having played with the USHL's Tri-City Storm this past season. In 58 games with the Storm, the forward posted nine goals and eight assists.

Listed at 6'2" and 197 lbs, Ozogany played with Slovakia at the recent IIHF U18 World Championship where he recorded an assist in five games.

CHL Import Draft takes place Tuesday

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs made a move on the eve of the CHL Import Draft.

The Sea Dogs made a trade with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, acquiring a second-round pick, 66th overall in Tuesday's Import Draft in exchange for the 78th overall selection and an eighth-round pick in the 2027 QMJHL Entry Draft (originally Drummondville's).

The Sea Dogs now own the 14th, 44th, 66th and 136th overall picks. Saint John is expected to make three selections.

This is the second time the Sea Dogs have inched their way up the second-round, which gives some indication that there are some nerves that the player(s) they want may not be available later in the draft. The CHL Import Draft has always been more about who you know compared to where you pick – but one unexpected selection can really throw off plans.

While not confirmed yet, it's certainly looking like the Sea Dogs may have three open import spots on their roster. Goaltender Arseni Radkov was traded while it seems unlikely that defenseman Carl-Otto Magnusson will return for an overage season. There continues to be noise that forward Olivers Murnieks, who was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres this weekend, will join Boston College for the upcoming season.

Olivers Murnieks des #SeaDogs réclamé par les #Sabres a confirmé tantot qu'il quittait la #LHJMQ pour se joindre à Boston College #NCAA

Meme s'il a eu une saison décevante c'est une grosse perte pour Saint John qui vise les grands honneurs en 26-27

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) June 27, 2026

Murnieks leaving would be a blow to Saint John's forward group – but, in theory, the team has the picks to find a suitable replacement for his offense.

The Sea Dogs made three selections in last year's draft and all three started the season with the club: Murnieks (sixth), defenseman Patryk Zubek (67th) and defenseman Max Vilen (128th). Both Murnieks and Vilen were selected in this year's NHL Draft.

The CHL Import Draft begins at noon Atlantic and can be followed online. A reminder that there are some new rules to keep an eye on.

The OHL's Oshawa Generals will pick first followed by the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads and the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The Mooseheads acquired the second overall pick from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Monday, a move that certainly caught some attention given Halifax's impressive import pick history. As the CHL website notes, "Halifax has built one of the CHL Import Draft’s strongest track records for developing high-end international talent, with alumni including Jakub Voracek, 2017 first-overall NHL Draft pick Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Ladislav Nagy, Filip Zadina and 2026 Stanley Cup champion Nikolaj Ehlers."

McFadden, Vilen both drafted; 20 QMJHL players picked

Saint John Sea Dogs prospect Brian McFadden was selected by the Washington Capitals in the fifth-round of Saturday's NHL Draft.

The Capitals picked the Holbrook, MA native with the 144th overall pick. The 18-year-old has spent the past couple seasons with Thayer Academy. In 29 games with the US prep school last season, McFadden, the team's captain, recorded two goals and 15 assists.

McFadden is listed at 6'5" and 183 lbs.

McFadden was a seventh-round pick of Saint John in the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft. He appeared in one pre-season game with the Sea Dogs before being amongst the second round of cuts from the team's training camp roster last August.

On the NHL Network broadcast, it was reported that McFadden is committed to Northeastern University – but not immediately. Where he plays this coming season is unknown and Saint John – or the USHL – is certainly an option.

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Max VileN, meanwhile, was taken in the seventh-round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vilen was traded to the Moncton Wildcats mid-season where he helped the club reach the Gilles Courteau Trophy final. The 19-year-old had three goals and 24 assists in 54 regular season QMJHL games and added three goals and nine assists in 21 playoff contests.

Vilen and Sea Dogs forward Olivers Murnieks, who was taken in the fourth-round, were two of the 20 QMJHL players to be selected this weekend.

Murnieks drafted by Sabres

Embed from Getty Images 

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Olivers Murnieks has been drafted by the Buffalo Sabres.

Murnieks was selected in the fourth-round, 124th overall by the Sabres – a special moment given that this year's NHL Draft was being held at Buffalo's KeyBank Center.

The Latvian slid a bit but not too far. Most prospect publications had Murnieks going somewhere between the late second- and fourth-rounds.

The 17-year-old recorded seven goals and 13 assists in 31 games with Saint John last season – an injury plagued campaign. Murnieks also played for Latvia at last season's under-18, under-20 and men's worlds events.

We have selected Olivers Murnieks with the 124th overall pick!

Welcome to Buffalo, Olivers ⚔️

Details → https://t.co/l1hprW0LGM#LetsGoBuffalo | @SenecaBuffalo pic.twitter.com/oZipE26sGi

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) June 27, 2026

Murnieks is the first active roster Sea Dog to be drafted since Eriks Mateiko went in the third-round to the Washington Capitals in 2024. He is the second Sea Dog to ever be selected by the Sabres with the only other being Felix Schutz in 2006.

It's unclear where Murnieks will play next season. He is eligible to return to Saint John but it's also possible he joins Boston College for the 2026-27 season.

Lawrence drafted by Blues; two QMJHL players picked

Embed from Getty Images

Fredericton's Tynan Lawrence was selected 11th overall by the St. Louis Blues in Friday's opening round of the 2026 NHL Draft.

The younger brother of former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Josh Lawrence, Tynan split last season between the USHL and NCAA.

After recording 10 goals and seven assists in 13 games with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, the forward joined Boston University for the second half where he posted two goals and five assists in 18 games. While it was likely the best move for his development long-term, Lawrence's modest numbers at BU likely pushed him down the draft rankings.

Welcome to the club, Tynan Lawrence! #stlblues pic.twitter.com/8Q0FndhOXf

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) June 27, 2026

Lawrence is the first New Brunswicker to be selected in the first-round of the NHL Draft since Bradly Nadeau of St-François-de-Madawaska was taken 30th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2023. Like Lawrence, Nadeau didn't play in the QMJHL, suiting up in the BCHL before joining the University of Maine.

Only two current QMJHL players were picked on Friday. Quebec Remparts forward Maddox Dagenais went 16th overall to the Blues while Moncton Wildcats defenseman Tommy Bleyl went 31st overall to the Nashville Predators.

As expected, Penn State's Gavin McKenna – formerly of the Medicine Hat Tigers – went first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The remaining rounds of the NHL Draft will take place Saturday.

NHL Draft begins Friday night

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's likely to be a quiet Friday night for the Saint John Sea Dogs – but that should change on Saturday.

While no Sea Dogs are likely to be selected in Friday's opening round of the 2026 NHL Draft, at least one current Dog should be picked during Saturday's remaining rounds.

Forward Olivers Murnieks is projected by most to be taken somewhere between the late second- and fourth-rounds. The Latvian recorded seven goals and 13 assists in 31 games with Saint John last season – an injury plagued campaign.

Murnieks also played for Latvia at last season's under-18, under-20 and men's worlds events.

Where Murnieks – who is a Boston College commit – plays next season is unclear. Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie has said that decision may ultimately come down to the NHL team that selects him this weekend and what they prefer for his development.

Murnieks was one of five Sea Dogs listed in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings. Cameron Chartrand, William Yared and Dylan Rozzi were also ranked amongst North American skaters while Rafaël Courchesne was listed amongst North American goaltenders. 

98 - Olivers Murnieks 

155 - Cameron Chartrand 

172 - William Yared 

195 - Dylan Rozzi 

27 - Rafaël Courchesne

Another player to keep an eye is defenseman Brian McFadden, who was ranked 115th by NHL Central Scouting. McFadden, who spent last season with the US prep school Thayer Academy, was a seventh-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Import Draft details announced

The Canadian Hockey League has announced the selection order and some rule changes for this year's Import Draft.

The annual CHL Import Draft will take place next Tuesday, June 30 beginning at noon Atlantic. The OHL's Oshawa Generals will select first followed by the QMJHL's Baie-Comeau Drakkar and the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes.

This year's draft will be three rounds again – but there will be some new rules.

The Saint John Sea Dogs currently own four picks: 14th, 44th, 78th and 136th. The team is expected to select three players.

Two picks in the first-round and another early in the second should allow the Sea Dogs to pick some impact players. The Import Draft is more about who you know than where you pick – but as we've seen in recent years, it takes just one pick ahead of you to throw a wrench into plans. The earlier the picks, the better.

Saint John selected three players in last year's draft: forward Olivers Murnieks along with defensemen Patryk Zubek and Max Vilen.

Villeneuve, Paré win Calder Cup championship

Toronto Marlies

Two former Saint John Sea Dogs are Calder Cup champions.

William Villeneuve, Cedric Paré and the Toronto Marlies captured the 2026 American Hockey League championship on Friday night, defeating the Chicago Wolves 4-3 to win the series in five games.

It's the first Calder Cup title for both and the first AHL championship for the Marlies since 2018.

Villeneuve concluded his phenomenal playoff run with a pair of assists in the win. He finishes the playoffs with two goals and 21 assists in 24 games, placing him first in AHL defensemen scoring and second amongst all skaters.

Villeneuve's 21 assists are tied for the second-most by a defenseman ever in a single Calder Cup postseason.

This was Villeneuve's fourth season with the Marlies – a season that also saw him make his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Maple Leafs in the 2020 NHL Draft.

"I think it's the culture. I got here four years ago & Logan Shaw has been our captain. He's been leading this team through it all."

William Villeneuve to @ShawnMcKenzieSN on the 2026 #CalderCup Champion @TorontoMarlies.@InsideAHLHockey pic.twitter.com/kKgK0hszGt

— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) June 20, 2026

Paré, meanwhile, finishes the playoffs with four goals and six assists in 24 games. This is the first professional championship for the 27-year-old, who helped Saint John win the President Cup in 2017.

The Marlies were not predicted by many (if any) to win the Calder Cup this season. The team went 36-26-5-5 in the regular season and entered the playoffs as the seventh best team in the Eastern Conference. The team did not have a bye through the first round of the playoffs and had to face the Rochester Americans in a best-of-three. From there they faced the division champion Laval Rocket and then the Cleveland Monsters in best-of-five matchups. All three of those series went the distance.

The Marlies won the Eastern Conference by defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in six games. In the Calder Cup final, Toronto won the first three games of the series and took the title in five games.

Four camp invites announced

The Saint John Sea Dogs have announced four free agent training camp invites.

Forwards Dylan Hug, Kareem Baig-Mirza, and Travis Tremblay along with goaltender Olivier Pépin have all received invites. The four will attend Saint John's training camp in August.

Hug, who will turn 17 on Boxing Day, recorded eight goals and eight assists in 42 regular season games with the Magog Cantonniers of the Quebec under-18 league last season. He added an assist in 16 playoff games.

A Sherbrooke native, Hug is listed at 6'1" and 179 lbs.

Baig-Mirza, 17, appeared in 42 games with the under-18 Châteauguay Grenadiers last season and recorded 11 goals and 10 assists. He also played in two playoff games.

Listed at 5'11" and 170 lbs, Baig-Mirza was a fourth-round pick of the Valleyfield Braves in the recent QJHL Draft.

Pépin was a teammate of Baig-Mirza on the Grenadiers last season. The 17-year-old posted a 13-10-0 record to go along with a 3.56 goals against average and a .898 save percentage. In the playoffs he went 2-2-0 with a 4.11 GAA and .929 SV%.

The netminder was a second-round pick of the Princeville Titan in last year's QJHL Draft. He's listed at 6'2" and 174 lbs.

Tremblay, a Cow Bay, NS native, spent last season with the Dartmouth Steele Subaru of the Nova Scotia under-18 circuit, registering 10 goals and 31 assists in 31 regular season contests. He added five goals and six assists in nine playoff games. He also appeared in three playoff games with the Cole Harbour Colts of the NSJHL.

Tremblay, who will turn 17 in November, was a second-round pick of the Yarmouth Mariners in last year's MHL Draft.

Notebook: Lee (officially) joins Mooseheads

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

As reported a couple weeks ago, former Saint John Sea Dogs assistant coach Mark Lee has officially joined the Halifax Mooseheads.

Lee, who will be an assistant coach under Brad MacKenzie, was one of three coaching staff additions announced by the Mooseheads on Wednesday.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the exceptional staff that Brad MacKenzie, Peter, and Sam Simon have assembled,” said Lee in a Mooseheads release. “Having known Josh Hepditch for a long time and competing against him as both a player and a coach, I know our coaching styles will complement each other perfectly. The Halifax Mooseheads are not just a phenomenal organization; they are an elite brand and a top-tier franchise in the CHL. I am eager to see what we can accomplish this season as we work collectively toward bringing a championship back to Halifax.” 

“Mark’s passion for the game combined with his ability to build relationships and connect with players makes him a great addition to our coaching staff,” said MacKenzie. “He brings with him a wealth of experience from his playing career as well as recent history coaching in the QMJHL. I’m looking forward to working alongside Mark and having him work closely with our players.”

Lee, who was sitting with the Mooseheads at this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, was an assistant coach with the Sea Dogs for four seasons. He departed the organization at the same time as Travis Crickard.

DRAFT RANKINGS

The 2026 NHL Draft is just over a week away.

Over at FloHockey, Chris Peters has released his final draft rankings. Sea Dogs forward Olivers Murnieks was ranked 50th.

"He’s a good two-way player with potentially limited offensive upside, but looks like he has the jam to play down the lineup if all works out," writes Peters.

The Hockey Writers, meanwhile, listed Murnieks as one of their "sleeper picks" for this year's draft.

"His offensive game isn’t particularly exciting, but he has a decent shot and can make reasonably clever passes under pressure," they write. "There’s certainly bottom-six potential for Murnieks and his late July birthday means he has lots of development still to come."

Cooper, Everblades win Kelly Cup; Marlies one win away

Florida Everblades

For a second time, Oliver Cooper is a Kelly Cup champion.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs forward helped the Florida Everblades capture the ECHL title on Monday night, defeating the Kansas City Mavericks 5-4 in double overtime to take the championship series in six games.

The Everblades scored three goals in the third period to erase a 4-1 deficit. Former UNB Reds forward Isaac Nurse netted the winner at 15:24 of double overtime.

This is the fourth Kelly Cup title for the Everblades over the past five seasons. Florida goaltender Cam Johnson was named playoff MVP for a third time in his career.

Cooper had three shots in the victory and finishes the playoffs with two goals and three assists in 19 games.

The 31-year-old registered 12 goals and 13 assists in 65 regular season games with Florida. He spent the previous two seasons in Europe.

This is the second ECHL championship for Cooper who also helped the Fort Wayne Komets capture the Kelly Cup in 2021. He's now won two Kelly Cup championships; two University Cup titles with the UNB Reds; and a QMJHL championship with the Sea Dogs in 2012.

The Fredericton native spent three seasons with the Sea Dogs before finishing his junior career with the Charlottetown Islanders – which included the 2015-16 season under Jim Hulton.

Over in the AHL, William Villeneuve, Cedric Pare and the Toronto Marlies are a win away from capturing the Calder Cup.

The Marlies defeated the Chicago Wolves 1-0 on Tuesday night to take a commanding 3-0 series lead in the AHL's championship series.

Villeneuve and Pare each had one shot on goal in the victory.

Game 4 is Thursday night in Toronto.

2026-27 schedule released

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs will open up the 2026-27 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League season.

The Sea Dogs will play in the league's season opener – officially game No. 1 – on Friday, Sept. 18 when they visit the Newfoundland Regiment at 6:30 p.m. Atlantic. The Sea Dogs and Regiment will also battle the following night at Mary Brown's Centre.

The Sea Dogs will play their first home game on Friday, Sept. 25 when they host the Moncton Wildcats. The next day, the Cape Breton Eagles will visit TD Station for a 4 p.m. start.

That 4 p.m. start time is notable because all of Saint John's Saturday home games will begin at that time. The team had a few 4 p.m. Saturday home games last year and obviously liked what they saw.

While Saturday nights are always associated with hockey, afternoon Saturday starts are becoming more common across North America. Many Quebec-based teams have been doing this for years.

According to a Saint John news release release, "of the Sea Dogs’ 32 home games during the 2026-27 regular season, 21 will be played on weekends, with three additional games scheduled on holidays: Thanksgiving Monday, New Year’s Eve, and Family Day."

The Sea Dogs will make four trips to Quebec, including one very late in the season: Oct. 23-25 (Gatineau, Blainville-Boisbriand and Drummondville), Nov. 26-29 (Val-d'Or, Rouyn-Noranda and Victoriaville), Jan. 14-17 (Shawinigan, Chicoutimi and Baie-Comeau) and March 11-14 (Sherbrooke, Quebec and Rimouski).

Jim Hulton's return to Charlottetown will be Nov. 8. Saint John is scheduled to play an 11 a.m. game in Charlottetown on Dec. 16.

Saint John's longest homestand will be six games from Oct. 4-18. The team's longest stretch away from home will be five games from Jan. 7-17.

The QMJHL's regular season ends March 20.

The Sea Dogs' full regular season schedule can be found here. The team's pre-season schedule was released last week.

Of note, both the Drummondville Voltigeurs and Shawinigan Cataractes will start their seasons with lengthy stretches away from home due to arena renovations.

'Hulton Hockey' arrives in Saint John

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Jim Hulton's message to Saint John Sea Dogs fans came through immediately. 

Before Monday morning's introductory press conference even started, Sea Dogs radio broadcaster Bruce Smith told attendees that there were more seats located in the corners of the team's dressing room. Smith quipped that they must not like the corners.

"Hopefully that changes," joked Hulton, the long-time Charlottetown Islanders head coach that is well known for his gritty and hard-working style of hockey.

Hulton was officially named the 13th head coach in Sea Dogs history on Monday after a few weeks of unofficial confirmation. He'll be joined in Saint John by his long-time assistant Guy Girouard, who was also in attendance.

"We want a team on the ice that makes you proud," Hulton said in his opening remarks. "I come from a small town. I grew up on a dairy farm and I believe in hard work. I believe in grit. I believe in tenacity. And I sure as hell want to win."

The hiring seems like a perfect fit for this Sea Dogs group, one that didn't quite meet expectations last season. There were simply too many nights where the Sea Dogs didn't look prepared to play 60 minutes and lacked defensive structure.

Many of Hulton's comments were likely music to the ears of Sea Dogs supporters.

Hulton named Sea Dogs head coach

SAINT JOHN - Jim Hulton has officially been named the new head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Hulton becomes the 13th head coach in team history. He takes over for Brian Casey, who took over Saint John's bench late in the season following the departure of Travis Crickard.

From the team:

“We are thrilled to welcome Jim to the Saint John Sea Dogs,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie. “Jim and I entered the QMJHL in the same season, and over the years we’ve had a front-row seat to the work ethic and competitiveness of his teams. Year after year, his teams compete hard and his players exceed expectations. He is demanding and prepares young men for what it takes to play professional hockey through a culture built on accountability.

"Beyond his experience, Jim is a true professional and a great person," added Georgie. "He shares our vision for the future of the Sea Dogs, and he wants to win just as badly as all of us do. We’re excited to welcome Jim and his family to Saint John and begin this next chapter together.”

Hulton recently left his position as head coach and general manager of the Charlottetown Islanders. He has been expected to take Saint John's head coaching position for a couple weeks.

Hulton was with the Islanders since the 2015-16 season. He is a two-time winner of the QMJHL coach of the year award and also won the CHL coach of the year honour in 2022.

Guy Girouard, a long-time assistant under Hulton, was also in attendance and confirmed to be an assistant coach with the Sea Dogs.

More to come...

Marlies take 2-0 series lead; Everblades a win away

Embed from Getty Images 

William Villeneuve, Cedric Pare and the Toronto Marlies are two wins away from winning a Calder Cup championship.

The Marlies took the first two games of the American Hockey League's championship series this weekend in Illinois, defeating the Chicago Wolves 4-2 on Friday and 5-4 in overtime on Sunday. The next three games will all be played in Toronto.

Pare scored and had two shots in Friday's series opener. He tied the game at 2-2 in the second period.

NASTY PASS, NASTIER FINISH 🤢

Cédric Paré scores to make it 2-2! | @cocacola_ca pic.twitter.com/33M82Fq5nD

— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) June 13, 2026

Pare now has four goals and six assists in 21 playoff games this year.

Villeneuve, meanwhile, had three assists in Sunday's victory – including the secondary helper on Logan Shaw's overtime goal.

With the primary assist on Shaw's second period goal, William Villeneuve recorded his 15th assist of the postseason, setting a new franchise record for most assists by a Marlies player in a single postseason.

Villeneuve surpassed Andreas Johnsson's previous record set in 2018. https://t.co/reix5cQXfr

— Toronto Marlies PR (@AHLMarliesPR) June 14, 2026

Villeneuve now has two goals and 17 assists in 21 playoff games. He continues to lead all AHL defensemen in playoff scoring by a wide margin and now sits second in scoring amongst all skaters.

Game 3 of the series takes place Tuesday night.

Notebook: Peddle commits to StFX

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Former Sea Dogs forward Tyler Peddle as committed to the StFX X-Men for the 2026-27 season.

Peddle was one of seven recruits announced by the X-Men last week. StFX's freshman class will also include forwards Riley Sampson and Jack Greenwell; defensemen Matteo Rotondi, Leyton Stewart and Cory MacGillivray; and goaltender Jack Flanagan.

The move doesn't come as a big surprise given that Peddle's father, Brad, is the long-time coach of the X-Men.

"We are very happy to add Tyler to the team," Brad Peddle said in a release. "He brings a wealth of experience in the QMJHL and at the pro level, attending three NHL camps and exhibition games. Tyler is a very competitive player who brings a heavy power game, plays with pace and will add valuable size and offence to our forward group. He has decided on STFX for the next stage in his development, and we are excited to see him come home and play for the White and Blue."

The 21-year-old spent parts of two seasons with the Sea Dogs. A seventh-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2023 NHL Draft, Peddle spent his overage season with the Charlottetown Islanders where he posted eight goals and seven assists in 48 regular season games under Jim Hulton. He added three goals in seven playoff games.

DONATELLI LOANED TO OCEANIC

American forward Max Donatelli, who is on Saint John's protected list, will attend Rimouski Oceanic training camp on a loan, the club announced last week.

Donatelli, who will turn 19 on Monday, just completed his fourth season of US prep school hockey at St. George's School where he posted 17 goals and 33 assists in 26 games. He also appeared in 27 games with the NV River Rats under-18 team where he recorded 10 goals and 15 assists.

The Rhode Island native attended Saint John's training camp last year. He'd be a long shot to make this year's Sea Dogs team and a loan to another QMJHL squad makes sense.

Notably, the Sea Dogs and Oceanic will meet in pre-season play on Aug. 30 in Woodstock.

Donatelli's brother, Jake, was an eighth-round pick of the Halifax Mooseheads in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

Sea Dogs picks, players drafted into QJHL

Jacob Hamel was taken first overall by the St-Jérôme Panthers in this year's QJHL Draft, which was held on Saturday.

Hamel, who spent last season with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, is the older of brother of Justin Hamel, who the Sea Dogs selected in the 11th-round of this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. The younger Hamel was taken in the third-round, 37th overall by the Panthers.

As mentioned, Justin Hamel could be a player to watch over the next couple years. While he was picked in the 11th-round by Saint John, QMJHL Central Scouting had him projected to be a fifth-round selection.

A few other players with Sea Dogs connections were picked during Saturday's 10-round draft:

• Overage forward Maxime Lafond, who will attended Sea Dogs training camp on a loan from the Drummondville Voltigeurs, was selected in the fourth-round, 43rd overall by the Longueuil Collège Français.
• Forward Madison Bouchard, who was a 10th-round pick of Saint John in the 2025 draft, was taken in the fifth-round, 53rd overall by the Gatineau Nomad.
• 19-year-old forward Alexis Gauthier, who spent all of last season with the Sea Dogs, was picked in the fifth-round, 60th overall by the Terrebonne Cobras.
• 19-year-old defenseman Vincent Croteau, who also spent all of last season with the Sea Dogs, was drafted in the 10th-round, 120th overall by the Cobras.
• Forward Thomas Bond, a 12th-round pick of Saint John in this year's draft, was taken in the 10th-round, 127th overall by the Granby Indigo.

This year's Maritime Junior Hockey League Draft will take place next weekend in Campbellton.

Lafond loaned to Sea Dogs camp

Ghyslain Bergeron/Drummondville Voltigeurs

The Saint John Sea Dogs have added another overager to their training camp roster.

The Sea Dogs announced Friday that forward Maxime Lafond will attend camp on a loan from the Drummondville Voltigeurs. l'Expess has confirmed that Saint John will send a draft pick to Drummondville if Lafond makes the team.

Lafond recorded 13 goals and 36 assists in 63 games with the Volts this past season. He has appeared in 215 career QMJHL games – all with Drummondville – and has posted 23 goals and 61 assists. 

Listed at 6'5" and 205 lbs, Lafond helped the Volts win the Gilles-Courteau Trophy in 2024, appearing in 19 playoff games.

Forward Maxime Lafond has been added to the #SJSeaDogs training camp roster on loan from the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Lafond, 20, recorded 49 points (13 goals, 36 assists) in 63 games last season.#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/MvxFwngoX1

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) June 12, 2026

Lafond committed to Northeastern University last October.

The Sea Dogs recently acquired overage forward Olivier Lemieux from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada who, like Lafond, has quite a bit of playoff experience.

It looks like Lemieux and Lafond will be the only 20-year-olds reporting to Sea Dogs training camp at this time. Saint John does have American JJ Monteiro and Swede Carl-Otto Magnusson on their protected list, but it's unlikely either will come to camp in August.

Sea Dogs to name head coach Monday

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs will announce the team's new head coach on Monday morning.

The Sea Dogs have scheduled a press conference where it is expected Jim Hulton will be named head coach. Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie will also be in attendance.

Georgie said during last weekend's QMJHL Entry Draft that the team was in the "final details" of announcing their new head coach. The hope was that an announcement would be made within the next two-to-four weeks – and the Sea Dogs have beaten that timeline.

Hulton will take over for Brian Casey behind the Sea Dogs bench. Casey took over as Saint John's head coach late in the season following the departure of Travis Crickard.

Hulton recently left his position as head coach and general manager of the Charlottetown Islanders. He had been with the organization since the 2015-16 season.

Under Hulton, the Islanders reached the third round of the QMJHL playoffs four times and played in the 2022 league final, losing to the Shawinigan Cataractes. He was named QMJHL coach of the year in 2021 and 2022. He was also named CHL coach of the year in 2022.

The 57-year-old is considered one of the QMJHL's best coaches and is known for a gritty, tough and hard working play style. Even when they didn't have the most talented roster, his Islanders teams were always a tough out.

Notebook: Lyons' improvement leads to selection

QMJHL

HALIFAX - A year ago, Brock Lyons was projected to be a fourth-round pick by QMJHL Central Scouting. The Saint John Vito's forward didn't hear his name called.

A year later, he was drafted by his hometown QMJHL team in the ninth-round. The improvements he made on the ice over the past year didn't go unnoticed by the Saint John Sea Dogs' scouting staff.

"Brock was a guy that we were looking at last year but we thought that his compete level was a little inconsistent," said Sea Dogs director of scouting Nick Lepore on Saturday following the conclusion of the QMJHL Entry Draft. "We saw the talent, we saw the skill. He's got size. He really has a lot of good tools. And then this year he really surprised us with his compete levels. Very consistent. It might be due to the fact that he was overlooked last year and he had a chip on his shoulder. He was really, really good all year."

Lyons, 17, posted 25 goals and 28 assists in 36 games with the Vito's. He also appeared in three games with the Maritime Junior Hockey League's Amherst Ramblers.

"We were following him all year. Last year we were kind of saying with Brock, if he steps up his compete level, he can be a very good player and he did that this year," added Lepore.

"By no means did we just select him because he's in Saint John. We really, really like the player. I think he can mix it up at camp as well and he can really force our hand maybe into something. He's a really good player with a lot of good tools and he has a lot of offense in his game as well. He is a shooter. Having him where we got him, it was a no brainer."

2026 pre-season schedule announced

The Saint John Sea Dogs are set to play five pre-season games this year.

The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League announced its full pre-season schedule on Tuesday. Pre-season play begins Aug. 15 and will end on Sept. 12.

The Sea Dogs won't play their first exhibition contest until Aug. 26 when they host the Moncton Wildcats in St. Stephen. At five games, Saint John has one of the lighter pre-season schedules in the league.

Saint John will play three "home" games: Aug. 26 against the Wildcats in St. Stephen; Aug. 30 against the Rimouski Oceanic in Woodstock; and Sept. 4 against the Halifax Mooseheads at TD Station.

Here's a look at Saint John's full schedule:

Wed., Aug. 26: Moncton vs Saint John at St. Stephen's Garcelon Civic Center

Fri., Aug. 28: Saint John vs Moncton at location TBD

Sun., Aug. 30: Rimouski vs Saint John at Woodstock's AYR Motor Centre

Fri., Sept. 4: Halifax vs Saint John at TD Station

Fri., Sept. 11: Saint John vs Halifax at Dartmouth's RBC Centre

The Sea Dogs have played pre-season games at the Garcelon Civic Center and RBC Centre a number of times. This will be the second straight season the team plays in Woodstock.

The Sea Dogs playing a Quebec-based team in pre-season play is certainly an oddity. Woodstock is just 3.5 hours away from Rimouski, though. The Oceanic often faced the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in exhibition action.

Notably, the Sea Dogs don't face the Charlottetown Islanders – Jim Hulton's former team – nor the Newfoundland Regiment. The Sea Dogs and Islanders have been frequent pre-season partners for many years while Saint John faced the Regiment twice in Fredericton last year. The Regiment are currently not showing any pre-season games on their schedule.

The QMJHL's regular season will presumably begin the weekend of Sept. 18. According to a Mooseheads news release, the "2026-27 regular season schedule is expected to be announced in the coming days."

Meloche/Courchesne tandem expected

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

HALIFAX - For many years, the Saint John Sea Dogs have had question marks around their goaltending situation at this point in the off-season.

This year, that does not appear to be the case.

Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie confirmed following Saturday's QMJHL Entry Draft that Samuel Meloche and Rafaël Courchesne are expected to be the team's goaltending tandem to start the 2026-27 season.

The Sea Dogs acquired Meloche, a Buffalo Sabres prospect, from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last week. Meloche, who will turn 19 next month, has played over 50 games in each of the past two seasons. He'll certainly be looked upon to carry the majority of the load with Courchesne as his backup.

Courchesne, who will turn 18 in August, went 12-19-2 with a 3.92 goals against average and a .880 save percentage in 38 games with Saint John last year, his first QMJHL season. Georgie said he expects the netminder to have better results this season with a stronger defensive team in front of him.

"Courchesne will be back. That's our plan," said Georgie.

"We believe in Raf big time. He had a really good season for us facing a lot of really high danger shots."

When asked about what this all means for 17-year-old Jase MacPherson – who was a second-round pick of the Sea Dogs in last year's QMJHL Entry Draft – Georgie said the team doesn't want to rush him into the QMJHL. There's always the chance a strong training camp makes things interesting, of course.

Villeneuve's big post-season helps Marlies reach Calder Cup final

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An impressive post-season from William Villeneuve has helped push the Toronto Marlies into the Calder Cup final.

The Marlies defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2-1 in overtime on Sunday to take the Eastern Conference final in six games. Toronto will face either the Chicago Wolves or Colorado Eagles in the American Hockey League's championship series.

Toronto was not considered a favourite to make a Calder Cup run this season. The team went 36-26-5-5 in the regular season and entered the playoffs as the seventh best team in the Eastern Conference. 

The AHL's playoff format remains weird and hard to follow (please stop this madness, AHL) – but the Marlies have had a long road to get here. The team did not have a bye through the first round and had to face the Rochester Americans in a best-of-three. From there they faced the division champion Laval Rocket and then the Cleveland Monsters in best-of-five matchups. All three of those series went the distance.

Villeneuve has been one of Toronto's best players. The former Saint John Sea Dog currently leads all AHL defensemen in scoring by a wide margin with two goals and 14 assists in 19 games. He also sits third in overall league scoring.

From the AHL website:

Toronto’s William Villeneuve (2-14-16) has a seven-game scoring streak entering Game 6, and his 16 playoff points are the most by a defenseman in the Calder Cup Playoffs since Coachella Valley’s Ryker Evans posted 26 points in 26 games in 2023.

The 24-year-old, who made his NHL debut earlier this year, posted three goals and 27 assists in 61 regular season games. This is his fourth season with the Marlies.

Toronto's lineup also includes former Sea Dogs forward Cedric Pare, who has three goals and six assists in 19 playoff games.

With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton eliminated, the seasons are over for former Sea Dogs forwards Boko Imama and Raivis Ansons. Imama had an assist and 18 penalty minutes in six playoff games while Ansons was held pointless in two contests.

There are no Sea Dogs alumni on the Wolves or Eagles. Game 7 of that series takes place Monday night in Loveland, CO.

Sea Dogs in 'final details' of head coach announcement

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs hope to have an official update on the team's head coach situation within the next few weeks.

"We're in the final details on it," said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie following the conclusion of this weekend's QMJHL Entry Draft. "I would say we're working out the final details. I hope in the next two weeks, by the end of the month, certainly, that we'll work it out. We're in the final details and just trying to work through it."

A first reported by Mikaël Lalancette, Jim Hulton is expected to be Saint John's next head coach. Hulton recently left his position as head coach and general manager of the Charlottetown Islanders where he won two QMJHL coach of the year awards.

It's believed Hulton's contract situation with the Islanders has been holding up the process. He was not at this weekend's draft.

As first reported by Eastlink on Friday (and now being reported by Lalancette as well), Guy Girouard, Charlottetown's assistant general manager and associate coach, is expected to join Hulton behind the Saint John bench. He's been with Hulton and the Islanders since the 2016-17 season.

Both Hulton and Girouard remain listed on Charlottetown's website. Scott Harris, the Islanders' executive senior advisor, led the team through this weekend's draft. He was called the team's "acting general manager."

Hulton will take over for Brian Casey, who coached Saint John for the final few weeks of the season following the departure of Travis Crickard.

Saint John's head coaching position had plenty of interest, according to Georgie.

"I'll say we had, like, 75 people. We had some really impressive candidates as we brought it down. We probably could have made five really good choices but we're in the final part."

Sea Dogs feeling good about draft weekend performance

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - An eventful weekend was a good weekend for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs made a lot of noise during the first-round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, trading down to eventually pull off one of the biggest deals of the night, acquiring defenseman Thomas Charbonneau and forward Ryan Howard from the Quebec Remparts.

With the 14th overall pick, Saint John selected Pictou's Lawrence Williams, one of the top-ranked defensemen in this year's draft class.

The Sea Dogs leave Halifax with a bolstered lineup via trades, 10 players added via the draft and a number of additional picks for future drafts.

"I thought we accomplished mostly what we were looking to do," said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie. "We had a plan coming into the weekend. We wanted to grow our assets, make sure that we were really flexible moving forward in terms of picks and players. We obviously had a positional need on left shot defense and being able to add
Tom (Charbonneau) and Lawrence (Williams), that can make a difference for our group. Howard was a guy we always really liked. Plays hard, plays physical. I think his best years are ahead. So we were able to add him, which fits into our age group. I feel really good about it."

While much of the buzz on Friday centered around Charbonneau and Howard, the Sea Dogs were certainly happy with the selection of Williams. Ranked ninth overall by QMJHL Central Scouting and second amongst defensemen, Williams recorded over a point-per-game (10 goals and 28 assists in 32 regular season games) with the under-18 Weeks Major Midgets last season.

"A two-way defenseman, very reliable, can play offence, can play defensively, can be a shutdown, can play physical. He's kind of like a jack of all trades, he can do a lot of different things," said Sea Dogs director of scouting Nick Lepore. "I think he's the type of player that stabilizes a d-core and that a coach can put on the ice and really have no worries about whether it's offensively or defensively. And just also a great human being, a great kid. We interviewed him twice and we really, really like his character."

More notes from draft weekend

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - Here are some assorted notes (not Saint John Sea Dogs related) from this weekend's Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

First, here's a look inside Scotiabank Centre. The vibes were good and Halifax, unsurprisingly, was a great host. It's almost too bad the weather was so nice as it likely kept some fans outside rather than coming inside to the free event.

The draft continues to be a very fun and entertaining event. Hopefully the league continues to ignore the NHL's lead and keeps things going the way they are for years to come.

A look at Saint John's 2026 draft class

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - With the 2026 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft now completed, let's take a closer look at the Saint John Sea Dogs' class.

Saint John selected 10 players this weekend at Scotiabank Centre: five forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.

Here's a closer look at each.

Round 1, 14th overall - D Lawrence Williams (6'1"m 165 lbs)

Lawrence spent last season with the Weeks Major Midgets where he recorded 10 goals and 28 assists in 32 games. He added another goal and six helpers in 14 playoff games.

The Pictou native was ranked ninth overall by QMJHL Central Scouting – the highest ranked Atlantic Canadian player. Elite Prospects had him ranked 20th and called him "a future QMJHL shutdown defenseman" – which is something Saint John could certainly use.

With the 14th overall selection (finally) @SJSeaDogs select defenseman Lawrence Williams from @WeeksU18

The reigning U18 Nova Scotia rookie defender of the year had 38 points in 32 games. pic.twitter.com/OerZpySnTW

— Puck Preps Eastern Canada (@PuckPrepsEastCa) June 6, 2026

"This kid is a natural transitional 'new era' D, with tons of offensive skill coupled with nasty gritty side to his game," writes Craig Eagles. "His skating is exceptional and only going to get better with maturity, he processes the game so well, always willing to jump into the play, but perhaps his strongest attribute is the ability to pick and chose when to jump in and he also has the innate ability to know when to start driving offensive transition, which a lot of young D don’t understand or ever really figure that out."

Sea Dogs select 10 players at 2026 QMJHL Entry Draft

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs selected 10 players in this year's Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs selected five forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders. Here's a quick look at the picks.

More info to come...

	Player	P	H	W	Team
RD 1, 14	Lawrence Williams	D	6'1	165	Weeks (NS)
RD 2, 31	Nathan Riendeau	RW	5'7	155	Collège Charles-Lemoyne (QC)
RD 6, 91	Carter Odell	C	5'9	140	Halifax Macs (NS)
RD 7, 113	Will Torres	G	5'10	148	Rivers School (MA)
RD 7, 116	Brodie Anderson	D	5'7	133	Cushing Academy (MA)
RD 9, 149	Philippe Harvey	G	6'0	137	Espoirs Saguenay (QC)
RD 9, 150	Brock Lyons	RW	6'1	180	Saint John (NB)
RD 11, 185	Justin Hamel	LD	5'10	165	St-Hyacinthe (QC)
RD 12, 203	Zack Labelle	C	6'0	132	l'Outaouais U17 (QC)
RD 12, 210	Thomas Bond	C	5'9	150	Jonquière (QC)

Notebook: Sea Dogs go D with top pick

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - For the first time since 2022, the Saint John Sea Dogs picked a defenseman with their first selection in the QMJHL Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs picked d-man Lawrence Williams from the Weeks Majors Midgets with the 14th overall pick on Friday night. It's the 11th time in team history that Saint John has picked a defenseman with their first selection.

2005 - Alex Grant (1st round)

2006 - Yann Sauve (1st round)

2007 - Simon Despres (1st round)

2008 - Kevin Gagne (2nd round)

2009 - Pierre Durepos (1st round)

2014 - Luke Green (1st round)

2017 - Brendan Sibley (3rd round)

2018 - William Villeneuve (1st round)

2021 - Natan Grenier (1st round)

2022 - Jeremie Richard (3rd round)

Friday marked the first time the Sea Dogs had ever picked at No. 14.

MORE 2028 TALK

More on the 2028 Memorial Cup: it looks like it will indeed be four teams bidding to host the tournament.

Je peux confirmer que quatre équipes déposeront ou ont déjà déposé leur candidature pour obtenir le tournoi de la Coupe Memorial 2028.

Québec
Gatineau
Moncton
Terre-Neuve

Le choix final aura lieu cet automne. #LHJMQ

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) June 4, 2026

The Wildcats, Remparts and Regiment have all publicly announced that they will be bidding.

Gatineau, Quebec City and Moncton have all hosted previously but not in their current buildings. Newfoundland has never hosted but certainly has an arena capable of doing so.

Teams must officially submit their applications by July.

The 2027 Memorial Cup will be held in Guelph.

2026 first-round is in the books

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - The opening round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft has been completed.

After a lengthy evening inside Halifax's Scotiabank Centre, 13 forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders were selected.

Here's a quick recap of what went down.

		Player	P	H	W	Team (Prov)
1	ROU	Thomas Boisvert	C	5'10	149	Mount St. Charles
2	VIC	Vincent Boutet	D	6'1	196	Séminaire Saint-François
3	BLB	Jacob McKinnon	LW	5'8	157	Séminaire Saint-François
4	SHA	Pierre-Alexandre Lemieux	C	6'2	186	Collège Esther-Blondin
5	VIC	Jakob Royer	RW	6'0	159	Trois-Rivières
6	SHA	Julien Bergeron	LW	6'0	188	Châteauguay
7	HAL	Émrik Ménard	RW	5'10	146	Woodbridge
8	RIM	Justin Gagnon	RW	6'3	170	Collège Notre-Dame
9	SHE	Damien Leduc	LW	6'1	178	Châteauguay
10	RIM	Max Brien	C	6'2	185	Steele Subaru
11	CHA	Aslan Tremblay	C	6'1	206	Amos
12	BAC	Tommy Leroux	C	5'11	189	Collège Charles-Lemoyne
13	NFL	Damian Norris	C	5'11	167	Upper Canada College
14	SNB	Lawrence Williams	D	6'1	165	Weeks
15	ROU	Zachary Lainesse	G	5'11	161	Lévis
16	ROU	Malik Tremblay	RW	5'10	162	Magog
17	BAC	Enzo Roy	LD	5'9	148	Lévis
18	BAC	Nathan Boulanger	G	6'0	143	Collège Esther-Blondin