Sea Dogs acquire Meloche from Huskies

Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Mooseheads

The Saint John Sea Dogs solidified their goaltending on Tuesday, acquiring Buffalo Sabres prospect Samuel Meloche from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

In exchange for Meloche and the 34th overall pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, the Sea Dogs traded the 15th (Blainville-Boisbriand) and 32nd (Drummondville) overall picks in this year's draft; second- (Blainville-Boisbriand) and third-round (Rouyn-Noranda) picks in 2027; a sixth-round pick in 2028; and prospect Cole Renaud.

It's a major move that signifies that the Sea Dogs want to contend this season.

Meloche, who will turn 19 in July, posted a 33-13-3 record in the regular season to go along with a 2.75 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. He also had a strong post-season run, going 10-7-0 with a 2.52 GAA and .905 SV% to help the Huskies reach the third round.

In the regular season last year, Meloche was second in wins (behind Rudy Guimond) and third in minutes played (behind Guimond and Donald Hickey).

This was the second straight season that Meloche played 50 or more regular season games. He was a second-round pick of the Huskies in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Selected in the fourth-round by the Sabres in last year's NHL Draft, Meloche is projected to be one of the QMJHL's top goaltenders this season. Goaltending has long been an issue for the Sea Dogs over the past decade, and to see a move like this right out of the gate is a promising sign.

Meloche is committed to Northeastern University for the 2027-28 season.

The team does have a bit of a crowded crease at the moment, something that will need to be dealt with. Both Rafaël Courchesne and Arseni Radkov are eligible to return and the team also has prospect Jase MacPherson.

Speaking of prospects, the Sea Dogs traded away Renaud, a16-year-old forward who was a sixth-round pick of the team in last year's draft. He appeared in one game with the Sea Dogs while playing with the under-18 Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois last season.

Lemieux officially traded to Sea Dogs

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As long rumoured/reported, Olivier Lemieux has been traded to the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs officially acquired the overage forward from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Tuesday in exchange for a fifth-round pick (Charlottetown's) in the 2028 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Lemieux, who will turn 20 in November, is coming off a solid playoff run with the Armada that saw him post eight goals and four assists in 17 games. He finished third on the team in goals and helped the Armada come within a win of reaching the league final.

Originally a third-round pick of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft, Lemieux spent parts of two seasons with the Drakkar before being moved to the Armada during the 2023-24 season. This past season he recorded career highs in goals (16), assists (22) and points (38).

Lemieux plays a gritty style, something the Sea Dogs didn't have a lot of this past season. It wouldn't be a shock to see his offensive numbers take a jump this coming season, which often happens for overagers.

The Sea Dogs and Armada made a number of moves during the holiday trade period. Saint John sent depth forwards Elliot Dubé and Jacob Beaulieu to Blainville-Boisbriand and acquired defenseman Bo Damphousse and goaltender Arseni Radkov.

The Armada pretty much confirmed this deal during a press conference a few weeks ago.

Busy week beginning for Sea Dogs

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's expected to be a busy week for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The team has been fairly quiet since getting swept in the opening round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoffs – but that is going to change this week.

The Sea Dogs are expected to announce a few trades as the team appears poised to enter contender status. A deal or two could be announced as early as Tuesday when the first trade period of the week opens.

QMJHL Trade Periods for Entry Draft Week:

- Tuesday, June 2 - 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

- Thursday, June 4 - 8:30-9:30 a.m.

- Friday, June 5 - During the draft.

- Saturday, June 6 - During the draft.

Note: The times indicated are Atlantic Time. #qmjhl #lhjmq

— Jeremy Fraser (@CBPost_Jeremy) May 30, 2026

Friday and Saturday are big days as well, of course. The first-round of the QMJHL Entry Draft – which the Sea Dogs currently have two picks in – will take place Friday night with the remaining rounds scheduled for Saturday.

There's also the possibility of other signings – although those are more likely to come after the draft. The biggest name to watch remains Jamie Glance who spent this past season with the USNTDP.

Saint John is hard at work trying to sign Jamie Glance, 6th round pick and BU commit for 27/28. Played for the USNTDP. Would be a perfect fit for their forward group. https://t.co/Qmi2ToMt2F

— Greg Macdonald (@gmacsask) June 1, 2026

Here's a quick rundown of some off-season coverage if you're in need of catching up:

• Plenty of questions facing Sea Dogs
• Armada GM: Lemieux to be traded to Saint John
• Here's where Saint John will (currently) pick at the QMJHL Entry Draft
• QMJHL Central Scouting releases final 2026 rankings
• Sea Dogs land fifth overall pick

We'll also be keeping an eye on what the other Atlantic teams do this week. It certainly looks like Cape Breton, Moncton, Newfoundland, Saint John and (apparently) Halifax could all be making runs this season.