Wednesday, June 17, 2026

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."

EARLY MHL PICKS

Teams can make up to two territorial picks each year.

Lawrence Williams, Saint John's first-round pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, was selected by the Pictou County Weeks Crushers. The 16-year-old defenseman appeared in 32 regular season games with the under-18 Weeks Major Midgets this past season where he recorded 10 goals and 28 assists.

The Advocate has a story on Williams and Mooseheads prospect Jack Cameron, who was also a territorial pick of the Crushers.

The 2026 MHL Draft will take place this Saturday in Campbellton beginning at 10 a.m.

BSHL SIGNINGS
A couple more former Sea Dogs will be playing in the Beausejour Senior Hockey League this season.

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Bailey Webster has re-signed with the Dalhousie Marauders. The 28-year-old appeared in 15 regular season games with the Marauders last season, posting three goals and six assists. He added two goals and five assists in 12 playoff games, helping Dalhousie capture the league championship.

Webster spent parts of five seasons with the Sea Dogs and was part of the 2017 President Cup championship team.

Kiefer Lyons, who appeared in one playoff game with the Sea Dogs in 2024, has signed with the Saint John Flames. Lyons played in the league last season, recording 10 goals and 10 assists in 13 games with the Amherst Ducks. He added two assists in four playoff games.

The former Saint John Vito is the older brother of Brock Lyons, who the Sea Dogs selected in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

OTHER THINGS
  • Former Sea Dogs coach and general manager Mike Kelly's time with the Russia-based Shanghai Dragons of the KHL has come to an end.
  • Natasha McLaughlin-Chaisson, who has worked with the Sea Dogs over the years as a sports and performance dietitian, has been hired by Travis Crickard's Swift Current Broncos as a sports dietitian.
  • The Quebec Remparts, who have had a rollercoaster of an off-season, have confirmed that forward Maddox Dagenais will return to the club for the 2026-27 season. Reports indicated that Penn State made an impressive offer to Dagenais to join them next season. He's expected to be a first- or second-round pick in this month's NHL Draft.
  • It looks like defenseman Evan Dépatie, who could have returned to the Moncton Wildcats for an overage season, will be playing NCAA hockey at Northern Michigan this coming season. Dépatie was the defense partner of former Sea Dog Max Vilen for much of the second half in Moncton.
  • American forward Jack Broderick will join the Cape Breton Eagles for the coming season. The 18-year-old spent last season with Kent School and the Yale Jr. Bulldogs. He is committed to Cornell University.
  • With Jim Hulton no longer the club's general manager, the Charlottetown Islanders have named Scott Harris the team's president and GM while Kevin Hill has been named assistant GM and head scout.
  • Chicoutimi Saguenéens forward Maxime Massé was named the CHL Player of the Year earlier this week. Wildcats defenseman Tommy Bleyl, meanwhile, was named CHL Rookie of the Year and  Charlottetown Islanders defenseman Marcus Kearsey was named Humanitarian of the Year.
  • We'll have to wait until the new year to see a rematch of the Gilles-Courteau Trophy final. The Wildcats host the Saguenéens on Jan. 28 and visit them on Feb. 6.
  • The Woodstock Slammers of the NCDC have rebranded to become the Woodstock Warriors. The Sea Dogs will play a pre-season game in Woodstock again this year.
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