Saturday, June 6, 2026

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.
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.

VIDEO REVIEW CHANGES
The QMJHL announced improvements to its video review on Friday morning.

The league has partnered with Spiideo, a deal "that will bring multi-angle, cloud-based video replay and performance analysis technology across the league. The partnership will kick off in tandem with the 2026-27 season."


Every QMJHL arena will be equipped with multi-angle automated cameras, providing complete visual coverage of the ice. This addresses one of the most persistent challenges in junior hockey: the limitations of single-camera setups that leave blind spots on the ice and prevent officials from reviewing plays with confidence. With seven camera angles deployed at every venue, the league will achieve complete ice coverage that ensures every incident can be reviewed thoroughly and fairly. Standardization across the league ensures that officials and coaches always have access to the same tools and footage quality, regardless of location. This consistency improves the accuracy of rulings and guarantees a level playing field for all teams.

This sounds like a significant investment from the league, one that will hopefully create a unified standard in each arena.

USHL EXPANSION COMING
The USHL announced some significant news on Thursday: the league is expanding to the west coast.

"In continuance of the National Hockey League (NHL) and USA Hockey’s expanded collaboration supporting advancement of the Tier I junior hockey development pathway in the United States, the United States Hockey League (USHL) and a group of stakeholders have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish member clubs in Arizona, California, and Nevada," states a news release.

The USHL hasn't had an expansion team since 2014. Most of the league's 16 teams are based in the midwest.

According to the USHL, "an announcement about member club principals, markets, and timelines will be made on Wednesday, June 24."

It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out. The OHL recently attempted to add the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks and Youngstown Phantoms.

OTHER THINGS
  • The Sea Dogs and Wildcats made a minor trade on Thursday morning with Saint John acquiring Moncton's eighth-round pick in next year's draft for no return. That pick was part of the Max Vilen/Carl-Otto Magnusson deal that took place during the holiday trade period.
  • Not sure how often this will get updated, but the QMJHL website now has a section where each team's picks for future drafts are posted – a much needed addition that makes the lives of fans much easier.
  • The UNB website has a story on Reds defenseman Colton Kammerer, who captained the Hamilton Bulldogs at the 2022 Memorial Cup in Saint John. From the story: Kammerer recalled that as he shook hands with the Sea Dogs following their 6-3 victory at TD Station, MacDougall “whispered in my ear, ‘If you want to be on the other side of this—come to UNB next year.’"
  • The QMJHL continues to look at US expansion in the near future. The league is hoping for two American-based teams by 2028.
  • The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are far from home but they seem to like Halifax. The team lifted both the President Cup and Memorial Cup inside Scotiabank Centre in 2019 and have now selected first overall in the building.
  • RJ Irving, the son for Robert Irving, has been named president of the Wildcats. It will be interesting to see how much – if anything – changes with the Wildcats.
  • The QMJHL's regular season schedule has typically (recently, anyways) been released during draft week. Doesn't sound like it will be released for a bit.
  • Looked like a lot of teams have updated Under Armour jerseys at the draft, which don't include the different coloured bar on the back of the collar.
  • Speaking of jerseys, looks like the Sherbrooke Phoenix will have a new (third, I assume) jersey this season.
  • If you've been following the NCAA eligibility drama, this would be a significant development for college hockey – and some good news for the CHL.
  • Not sure how much impact this will have on the QMJHL, but St. Louis-based Lindenwood of the NCAA, who have played the past several seasons without a conference, has met with the CCHA about joining. Lindenwood has been landing a few QMJHL players, including former Sea Dog Charles Savoie.
  • Brad Burns has been named the first head coach of the BSHL's Saint John Flames, the team announced Friday.
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