Game Day 3: vs Wildcats

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The home portion of the Saint John Sea Dogs' schedule begins tonight at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs welcome the Moncton Wildcats in the team's 2026 home opener. Game time is 7 p.m.

Both teams opened the regular season last weekend. Saint John split a pair of contests in Newfoundland while Moncton won road games in Charlottetown and Halifax. Tonight's contest will be the third home opener the Wildcats have played in.

The Wildcats, coming off back-to-back appearances in the league final, have been dominant in Saint John in recent seasons. The Sea Dogs will look to change that this season – especially since Saint John should be icing a stronger team than what we've seen in recent years.

This could be the start of a fun season between Saint John and Moncton.

The Sea Dogs, meanwhile, will also look to be better on home ice as a whole. The team went 11-19-2-0 at TD Station last season, one of the league's worst home records.

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

2026-27 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-0-0 for two points (fourth Eastern/eighth QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 2-0-0-0 for four points (second Eastern/fifth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 loss in Newfoundland on Saturday. Dylan Rozzi and Thomas Charbonneau had Saint John goals while Rafaël Courchesne made 19 stops in the loss. The Wildcats are coming off a 6-5 overtime win in Halifax on Saturday. Niko Tournas had a hat trick for Moncton; Rian Chudzinski scored twice and Charlie Benigno added a single. Jacoby Weiner made 33 stops in the win.

Dogs look to end home struggles vs 'Cats

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

If the Saint John Sea Dogs want to make an early season statement, Friday's home opener might just be the place to do it.

The Sea Dogs will host the Moncton Wildcats on Friday at TD Station. The Wildcats are coming off back-to-back seasons of 50 wins or more and league final appearances. Moncton has also been dominant in Saint John during that run – and beyond.

According to the league's media report, the Wildcats are 16-0-1-0 at TD Station over the past four seasons. That includes going 4-0 last season, outscoring Saint John 21-10.

Moncton 5 @ Saint John 2 (Feb 6 2026) 

Moncton 4 @ Saint John 2 (Dec 7 2025) 

Moncton 8 @ Saint John 4 (Nov 21 2025) 

Moncton 4 @ Saint John 2 (Nov 2 2025)

When you look back on the performances of the two teams over the past few years, it does make sense that the results lean in Moncton's favour. But it's hard to believe the Sea Dogs haven't been able to sneak out a regulation win or two – especially when you consider Saint John is a surprising 5-10-1-1 at Avenir Centre over that same time frame.

These numbers don't include last year's first-round playoff series, which the Wildcats won in a four-game sweep. Moncton outscored Saint John 13-3 in the two games at TD Station.

Saint John's last regulation win over Moncton on TD Station ice came on March 25, 2022.

In a way, it feels like the Sea Dogs have some demons to exercise this season, demons that have come from a decade of struggles. They did that last week, winning the franchise's first game in Newfoundland since 2008. On Friday, they'll try and keep that trend going.

Joseph named to Team CHL roster

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph was among the first four players named to Team CHL for this year's 2026 CHL USA Prospects Challenge.

The annual event, which is entering its third year, "will bring together many of the top players eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft as Team CHL faces the U.S. National Under-18 Team," states a CHL news release.

Along with Joseph, Carter Meyer of the Quebec Remparts was also named to the team. Non-QMJHL players invited were Brock England of the Seattle Thunderbirds and Dima Zhilkin of the Saginaw Spirit.

“Brock England and Dima Zhilkin are two dynamic, skilled forwards who generate offence,” said Karl Stewart, vice president and director of NHL Central Scouting, in the news release. “England is poised to have a breakout season after winning gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, while Zhilkin is poised to be a top scorer in the OHL. Alexis Joseph is that big, playmaking centre capable of being the difference-maker that all NHL teams covet, and Carter Meyer is a speedy centre with elite skills who is off to a great start in his first year in the CHL.”

Here's what the CHL said of Joseph:

A 6-foot-4, 210-pound centre from Lachenaie, Que., Joseph led all QMJHL 16-year-olds in scoring with 24 goals and 60 points in 54 games after Saint John selected him first overall in the 2025 QMJHL Draft. He finished second on the Sea Dogs in scoring and earned QMJHL Rookie All-Star Team honours. Internationally, Joseph captained Canada Red to gold at the 2025 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, leading the tournament with 13 points in five games and earning All-Star Team honours. After representing Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, he recorded one goal and two assists in five games while helping his country capture gold at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Joseph was also one of the first six players recently selected by NHL Central Scouting for the QMJHL Prospects Game, presented by BFL Canada, on October 28 in Gatineau. 

Joseph is set to become the 16th Sea Dog player to participate in either the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game or the CHL USA Prospects Challenge. Saint John’s 15 previous representatives include Jonathan Huberdeau, Nathan Beaulieu and Thomas Chabot. Most recently, Eriks Mateiko represented the club at the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

It's no surprise to see Joseph amongst the first players invited as most draft ranking publications have had him listed as an early first-round pick for a year now. Sea Dogs forward Jamie Glance also has a good chance of making Team CHL – where he would play against the program he spent the past two seasons at.

The QMJHL will host this year's CHL USA Prospects Challenge. The first game will be played Dec. 1 in Chicoutimi while the second will take place in Quebec City on Dec. 2.

USHL season underway

Embed from Getty Images

The United States Hockey League held its annual Fall Classic last week in Chicago.

The event, which brings all of the league's teams into one location to start the year, saw each club play two regular season games. The regular regular season begins this weekend with teams back on their home ice.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forwards Dylan and Matthew Krayer are both playing with the Tri-City Storm, who went 1-1-0-0 at the Fall Classic. Both recorded a goal and two assists.

There are also a few Sea Dogs draft picks playing in the USHL this season, which technically includes Finnegan Sears of the USNTDP. The program plays parts of its season in the USHL.

Here's how former Sea Dogs and draft picks performed at the Fall Classic.

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Dylan Krayer	TC	2	1	2	3
Matthew Krayer	TC	2	1	2	3
Matas Janulis*	CR	2	1	1	2
Finnegan Sears*	NTDP	2	0	1	1
Brian McFadden*	CHI	2	0	0	0

*Draft pick who has not played with Sea Dogs

The only goaltender currently playing in the USHL that was a Sea Dogs draft pick is 19-year-old Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz, who is entering his second season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. He's 1-0 so far, stopping 22 of 24 shots in Muskegon's 3-2 overtime win over the Waterloo Black Hawks.

Oddly enough, Matthew Krayer, Janulis and McFadden were all part of Saint John's 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft class. That class also included Zachary Morin, who previously played with the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms.

It'll be interesting to follow some of these players throughout the year, particularly those who could be future Sea Dogs. These are interesting (and challenging, depending on who you ask) times for the USHL as they try and compete against the CHL for talent.

Sea Dogs remain 7th in CHL Top 10

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

It's poised to be quite a weekend for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Not only will this be the Sea Dogs' home opening weekend, but they'll be doing so as one of the CHL's top ranked teams – playing against two of the other top ranked squads.

For a second straight week, the Sea Dogs were ranked seventh in the CHL Top-10. The team will host the Moncton Wildcats, who were ranked 10th, on Friday followed by the Cape Breton Eagles, who were ranked third, on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a road split in Newfoundland this past weekend.

Here's what the CHL website said of the Dogs.

Saint John split a pair of 4-2 decisions against the Newfoundland Regiment in St. John’s, led by three goals from Dylan Rozzi. Rozzi scored the Sea Dogs’ opening goal in both games, providing an early spark for his club. Alexander Donovan (1G-1A), Jamie Glance (2A) and Alexis Joseph (2A) each recorded two points, while draft-eligible defenceman Thomas Charbonneau scored his first goal as a Sea Dog. Buffalo Sabres prospect Samuel Meloche stopped 25 of 27 shots in his Saint John debut. The Sea Dogs now return home for an early test against two other ranked clubs, hosting No. 10 Moncton and No. 3 Cape Breton on consecutive nights.

The Wildcats are off to a 2-0 start because of course they are. The Eagles, meanwhile, dropped a pair of games in shootouts this past weekend while a number of their players remain away at NHL camps.

Friday's game at TD Station will begin at 7 p.m. while Saturday's will have a 4 p.m. start.

The Quebec Remparts were the only other QMJHL team to make this week's CHL Top-10, coming in at No. 8.

The WHL's Victoria Royals, who have never made it past the second round of the playoffs since relocating to the British Columbia capital in 2011, were ranked No. 1.

Hot start for Héroux in Val-d'Or

Mathieu Perrin/Val-d'Or Foreurs

Nolann Héroux had quite a Saturday.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs forward recorded a career high four assists in the Val-d'Or Foreurs' 6-3 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. It was Héroux's second game with the Foreurs following an off-season trade.

The 17-year-old has certainly been setup for success in his new home, starting the season on Val-d'Or's top line with Philippe Veilleux and Nathan Brisson. There's a legitimate chance Héroux could be amongst the league's point leaders this season if he stays on that line.

Two games into the regular season, Héroux sits in a tie for the second most assists in the QMJHL.

Héroux, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft, posted three goals and 10 assists in 39 games with the Sea Dogs last season. Saint John traded the speedy forward to Val-d'Or in June in exchange for a first-round pick and two second-rounders.

Also on the Foreurs this season is former Sea Dogs goaltender Arseni Radkov, who allowed three goals on 22 shots in the Foreurs' 4-3 season opening win over the Victoriaville Tigres on Friday.

Radkov and Héroux are just a couple of the former Sea Dogs to keep an eye on around the QMJHL this season. Here's the full list.

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Nolann Héroux	VDO	2	0	4	4
Chad Bellemare	SHE	2	2	0	2
Egan Beveridge	QUE	2	1	0	1
Cole Renaud	ROU	2	0	0	0
William Yared	SHA	2	0	0	0
Elliot Dubé	BLB	2	0	0	0
Vincent Croteau	SHE	0	0	0	0
Max Vilen	MON	0	0	0	0

Notebook: Crickard, Beaulieu win wild WHL debut

Swift Current Broncos

It was quite a Western Hockey League coaching debut for Travis Crickard and the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday.

The Broncos defeated the Prince Albert Raiders 5-2 in a game that was highlighted by an old school line brawl in the second period. Former Sea Dogs forward Jacob Beaulieu, also making his WHL regular season debut, was involved.

Haven't seen a legit 5 on 5 in awhile. #WHL
Swift Current Vs Prince Albert 09.19.26 #HFH pic.twitter.com/Yz7W8mpN0E

— Hockey Fight History (@HistoryOfFights) September 20, 2026

Crickard, the former head coach and general manager of the Sea Dogs, took over as Broncos head coach and general manager during the off-season.

Beaulieu was a free agent invite to Broncos training camp. The overage forward was also named part of the team's leadership group for the 2026-27 season.

The Broncos don't play again until Friday when they face the Moose Jaw Warriors.

SATURDAY FIGHTS

The Sea Dogs and Newfoundland Regiment had two fights within the first few minutes of the second period on Saturday.

The first saw a couple of Newfoundlanders drop the gloves as soon-to-turn-17-year-old Benjamin Veitch took on 19-year-old Jabez Seymour. 

Soon after, Matyas Cancik, in just his second career QMJHL game, took on 19-year-old Ryan Dwyer.

Both games this weekend were physical at times – which is often the case against Gordie Dwyer teams. It will be interesting to see if the Sea Dogs continue to lean into that style against other opponents.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Newfoundland 4

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

ST. JOHN'S, NL - The Newfoundland Regiment scored three times in the third period in a 4-2 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday at Mary Brown's Centre.

Phenwick MacLean's first QMJHL goal at 16:12 of the third was the difference. Alexis Michaud added an empty net goal in the final minute to make it a 4-2 final.

Matthew Frost, who also scored in Friday night's season opener, netted two goals for the Regiment. Antoine Proulx made 37 stops in the win.

Dylan Rozzi and Thomas Charbonneau scored for Saint John. Rafaël Courchesne made 19 stops in the loss.

Saint John scored three power play goals against the Regiment in Friday's win. On Saturday, that man advantage couldn't deliver as much, scoring just once on five opportunities. The Sea Dogs had nearly 40 shots in this game but many were from clean shooting lanes that Proulx was able to handle. The finish isn't quite there for the Dogs yet, but there are certainly signs that it will come with time.

On defense, the Sea Dogs gave up several odd man rushes, something the team will want to fix ahead of next weekend's games.

While the Sea Dogs may feel like they let this game slip away – they had a 2-1 lead early in the third – leaving Newfoundland with a season opening split isn't too bad.

New Dogs, new numbers

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

There were a couple of notable numbers on the ice for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday.

The most obvious was Oliver Ozogany, who became the first player in Sea Dogs history to wear No. 98. It's the highest number ever worn by a Sea Dog, surpassing Stanislav Galiev who wore No. 97 throughout his junior career.

The other notable number was Jamie Glance's No. 17. Glance became just the third player to wear the number and the first to sport it since Mike Thomas, who wore 17 for his five seasons in Saint John. Thomas, who is now a player mentor with the Sea Dogs, ended his junior career by captaining Saint John to the 2011 Memorial Cup championship.

Jean-Philippe Roy-Vallières, who played 29 games with Saint John in 2005-06, is the other Sea Dog to wear No. 17.

With 17 back in use, the only numbers that appear to be unofficially retired are Jonathan Huberdeau's No. 11 and Alex Grant's No. 20. Oskar Drabczynski did wear 20 for two games last season, presumably due to the Under Armour jersey supply situation.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-2

FINAL: Saint John 4, Newfoundland 2

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

ST. JOHN'S, NL - What a start for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs scored three power play goals in a 4-2 season opening victory over the Newfoundland Regiment on Friday at Mary Brown's Centre. It's the first time the Sea Dogs have ever defeated the Regiment after going 0-6-2-0 against the club last season. 

Friday's victory also marked the first Sea Dogs win in Newfoundland since Jan. 3, 2008.

Dylan Rozzi got things started by scoring two power play goals in the opening frame. Ryan Howard and Alexander Donovan also had Saint John goals. Samuel Meloche, in his Sea Dogs debut, carried a shutout into the third period and made 25 saves in the victory.

Matthew Frost and Dmitry Kubantsev scored for the Regiment. Louis-Antoine Denault, who went 6-0 against the Sea Dogs last season, made 35 stops in the loss.

Saint John looked quite good for much of this game. The team looked better defensively than last season and generated some strong offensive chances. The Dogs definitely could have added a few more goals in this game.

The Sea Dogs were very good on special teams, going 3/5 on the power play and a perfect 4/4 on the penalty kill.

It's just one game, but this is certainly a promising start to the Jim Hulton era. But... the Sea Dogs have also had some strong starts in recent seasons. The big test awaits: can this level of play be sustained – and improved.

Sea Dogs announce leadership group

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Olivier Groulx will once again captain the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Groulx enters his second season as Sea Dogs captain. He appeared in all 64 regular season games for the club last year along with all four playoff contests.

Joining Groulx on the team's leadership group – which was announced on Friday – will be alternate captains Alexander Donovan, Alexis Joseph, Julien Lanthier and Olivier Duhamel.

Duhamel wore an 'A' for 23 games with the Sea Dogs last season while this will be the first time Donovan and Joseph wear letters. Joseph and Donovan are both entering their second QMJHL seasons.

Lanthier, an overage defenseman, enters his first season with the Sea Dogs. He wore an 'A' in three games with the Shawinigan Cataractes last season.

The Sea Dogs began regular season play on Friday night in St. John's, visiting the Newfoundland Regiment. Along with Groulx wearing the 'C,' Joseph, Donovan and Lanthier each had an 'A.'

Game Day 1 & 2: at Newfoundland

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

ST. JOHN'S, NL - The Saint John Sea Dogs open up the 2026-27 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League regular season this weekend at Mary Brown's Centre.

The Sea Dogs enter the season with a lot of hype around them. They are ranked seventh in the CHL Top-10 pre-season rankings and most predict the team to be a top-four club in the QMJHL. Tonight, the team will start to try and live up to that hype – and they'll do so in a building they struggled in last season.

Saint John went 0-6-2-0 against the Newfoundland Regiment last season, which included going 0-4-0-0 in St. John's. The Sea Dogs and Regiment will play tonight and tomorrow with both games starting at 6:30 p.m. Atlantic.

The Regiment are flying under the radar a bit this season thanks to Atlantic Canada being so loaded with contenders this season. That's a bit dangerous, especially when you consider the likes of Benjamin Veitch, Quinn Norman and Louis-Antoine Denault taking steps forward this season.

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

2026-27 regular season records: These are the first games of the regular season for both the Sea Dogs and Regiment.

2026 pre-season records: The Sea Dogs were 2-2-0-0 for four points while the Regiment went 3-2-0-0 for six points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-3 pre-season loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Sept. 4. Alexander Donovan, Zachary Morin and Oliver Ozogany scored for Saint John. Samuel Meloche made 19 saves in the loss. The Regiment are coming off a 5-1 pre-season win over the OHL's Saginaw Spirit on Aug. 31. Louis-Francois Belanger scored twice for Newfoundland while Benjamin Veitch, Matthew Frost and Ryan Dwyer added singles. Louis-Antoine Denault made 34 stops in the win.

Notebook: Joseph, Glance named to QMJHL Prospects Game roster

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Two Saint John Sea Dogs were among the first players to earn invites to October's QMJHL Prospects Game.

Sea Dogs forwards Alexis Joseph and Jamie Glance have both been selected to take part in the event. The roster is selected by NHL Central Scouting.

Carter Meyer and Patrick Déniger of the Quebec Remparts along with Malik L’Italien of the Halifax Mooseheads and Vladimir Shtyrkhunov of the Shawinigan Cataractes were also named to the event's roster on Thursday.

“Alexis, Jamie, Carter, Malik, Vladimir and Patrick have very bright futures ahead of them, and on October 28, they will have the opportunity to showcase their talent in front of approximately 100 National Hockey League scouts and executives,” said QMJHL vice-president of hockey operations Éric Chouinard in a news release.

This will be the second year for the event, which includes the top players available for that season's NHL Draft. Six Sea Dogs took part in last year's game: Olivers Murnieks, Zachary Morin, William Yared, Dylan Rozzi, Cameron Chartrand and Rafaël Courchesne.

This year's event will be held Oct. 28 in Gatineau.

OPENING NIGHT

The Sea Dogs have had quite a bit of success in season openers of late.

The team in 4-1-0-0 in their last five season openers. Two of those five games were on the road – and, technically, against the Newfoundland Regiment franchise (previously the Acadie-Bathurst Titan). The Sea Dogs open the 2026-27 regular season on Friday in Newfoundland.

2025: 3-2 win vs Cape Breton

2024: 3-0 loss vs Moncton

2023: 6-4 win at Bathurst

2022: 4-3 win at Bathurst

2021: 4-2 win vs Charlottetown

Zachary Morin, Olivier Duhamel and William Yared all scored in Saint John's season opener last year. Justin Robinson made 29 stops in the win.

The Sea Dogs have never opened a season in Newfoundland. They did host the St. John's Fog Devils in the club's inaugural game in 2005.

Can Sea Dogs find St. John's success?

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

There's really no way to sugarcoat it: the Saint John Sea Dogs have not played well in St. John's.

The Sea Dogs will open the 2026-27 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League season at their house of horrors – the Mary Brown's Centre – on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. Atlantic. The two will battle the next night in St. John's as well.

The Sea Dogs made two trips to Newfoundland last season and lost all four games. They were outscored 23-8.

Saint John 3 @ Newfoundland 6 (Oct. 24 2025)

Saint John 1 @ Newfoundland 5 (Oct. 25 2025) 

Saint John 3 @ Newfoundland 7 (Feb. 11 2026)

Saint John 1 @ Newfoundland 5 (Feb. 12 2026) 

At home and away, the Sea Dogs went a combined 0-6-2-0 against Gordie Dwyer's squad last season. 

Struggling in St. John's is nothing new for the Sea Dogs. The team is 2-13-0-0 all-time in the building, which includes results against the Regiment and St. John's Fog Devils.

2005-06: 0-6-0-0 (0-4-0-0 at St. John's) 

2006-07: 3-3-0-0 (0-2-0-0 at St. John's) 

2007-08: 4-4-0-0 (2-3-0-0 at St. John's)

2025-26: 0-6-2-0 (0-4-0-0 at St. John's)

The Sea Dogs have not won a game in Newfoundland since Jan. 3, 2008.

The 2007-08 Sea Dogs team was the only one to win a game in St. John's. That team reached the QMJHL's final four. A win this weekend –  or, if you're feeling positively greedy, a sweep – could be the ultimate positive vibe to start this new season.

The Sea Dogs also travel to Newfoundland Feb. 11-12.

Dogs open season ranked 7th in CHL Top 10

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The hype surrounding the 2026-27 Saint John Sea Dogs continues to grow.

In the pre-season edition of the CHL Top-10 rankings – released on Wednesday – the Sea Dogs were ranked seventh. Only two other QMJHL teams cracked the rankings and both play in the Eastern Conference: the Cape Breton Eagles at No. 2 and the Quebec Remparts at No. 8.

The Memorial Cup host Guelph Storm were ranked first.

This is the first time the Sea Dogs have appeared in the CHL Top-10 rankings since the final weeks of 2021-22 regular season.

Here's what the CHL website said about the Sea Dogs:

Saint John’s playoff-series drought dates back to its 2017 QMJHL championship run, though the club captured the Memorial Cup as host in 2022. With an experienced core and a busy offseason, the Sea Dogs appear poised not only to end that drought, but to challenge for their first QMJHL title in a decade. Top 2027 NHL Draft prospect Alexis Joseph (24G-36A in 54 GP) leads an attack reinforced by former U.S. National Team Development Program forward Jamie Glance and CHL Import Draft picks Matyas Cancik and Oliver Ozogany. The club’s top-three scorers from last season—Joseph, Alexander Donovan (25G-28A in 63 GP) and Olivier Groulx (20G-46A in 64 GP)—all return, while former eighth-overall QMJHL pick Dylan Rozzi (20G-25A in 64 GP) is another breakout candidate. The Sea Dogs rebuilt their defense by adding former fourth-overall pick Thomas Charbonneau (2G-9A in 48 GP), Brandon Delarosbil (8G-14A in 60 GP) and veteran Julien Lanthier (3G-12A in 43 GP) to a group led by Olivier Duhamel (5G-21A in 58 GP). Buffalo Sabres fourth-rounder Samuel Meloche gives that revamped blue line an established goaltender behind it.

The Sea Dogs open the QMJHL regular season on Friday against the Newfoundland Regiment at the Mary Brown's Centre.

Saint John won't have to wait long to face another one of the CHL's most hyped teams. The Dogs will host the Eagles on Sept. 26 and visit Sydney on Oct. 2. The two will meet eight times in the regular season but only twice after the holiday trade deadline.

The Sea Dogs will face the Remparts Nov. 12 at TD Station and March 12 in Quebec City.

Opening night roster unveiled

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs unveiled their opening night roster on Wednesday.

The Sea Dogs will start the 2026-27 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League season with a roster of 24 players: two goaltenders, nine defensemen and 13 forwards.

The final roster comes with no surprises. As mentioned, the team is expected to open the season at nearly full strength. Defenseman Olivier Duhamel is expected to remain on the injured list for a couple months, which is likely the reason for the team opting to keep nine defenders for the time being.

Introducing your 2026-27 #SJSeaDogs opening night roster 🐶🌊

🗞️ » https://t.co/UYfXKhdMFA
🎟️ » https://t.co/HddIyY3yaQ#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/DbXjNoMxW8

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 16, 2026

Only 12 of these 24 players ended last season with the Sea Dogs. The team had a busy summer bolstering its lineup – and it feels like more changes could come over the next few months.

The Sea Dogs will start the season with just two overagers (forward Olivier Lemieux and defenseman Julien Lanthier) and two imports (forwards Matyas Cancik and Oliver Ozogany), leaving the team with some roster flexibility.

Along with Cancik and Ozogany, the Sea Dogs also selected defenseman Vertti Svensk in this summer's CHL Import Draft but he remains in Finland playing pro hockey. Defenseman Lawrence Williams is the lone member of Saint John's 2026 QMJHL Entry Draft class to start the season with the club.

Cancik, Ozogany and Williams join highly touted American forward Jamie Glance as the lone players on Saint John's roster without any QMJHL experience.

The Sea Dogs open the regular season on Friday night when they visit the Newfoundland Regiment in the first of back-to-back games.

Sea Dogs appear close to full strength

It looks as though the Saint John Sea Dogs will be close to full strength when the 2026-27 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League season opens on Friday.

The Buffalo Sabres announced Tuesday that Sea Dogs goaltender Samuel Meloche has been reassigned back to junior. The 19-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Sabres in the 2025 NHL Draft and had been attending the team's rookie camp, which included seeing some action in a game against Boston Bruins rookies.

With NHL training camps shortened by the increased 84-game season, many players like Meloche probably won't get main camp invites like they once did.

Two other Sea Dogs attended NHL rookie camps last weekend: Alexander Donovan joined the Montreal Canadiens while Ryan Howard earned a Winnipeg Jets invite. Both the Habs and Jets prospects played in a tournament with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators in Gatineau over the weekend.

Neither Donovan nor Howard earned invites to their team's main camp.

On the injury front, the only Sea Dogs player expected to be out long term is defenseman Olivier Duhamel. The 18-year-old is expected to miss the first couple months of the season.

In short, the Sea Dogs will be close to full strength when they open the season in St. John's on Friday night. Game time against the Newfoundland Regiment is 6:30 p.m. Atlantic.

Of note, it looks like the team will start the season with just two overagers (forward Olivier Lemieux and defenseman Julien Lanthier) and two imports (forwards Matyas Cancik and Oliver Ozogany). The Saint John lineup that starts the season likely won't be the same as the one that finishes it.

Notebook: Single game tickets now available

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Single game tickets to every Saint John Sea Dogs home game are now on sale.

Tickets to all 32 home games went on sale Monday at noon. The team had previously announced season ticket details.

Here's a look at the total single game ticket prices – which includes the lovely service and order processing fees – for each age demographic.

Adult: $26

Senior: $25

25 and under: $21

9 and under: $17

It looks like total ticket prices (which, again, include fees and taxes) are pretty similar to what they have been in recent seasons.

One change is that it does appear fans can purchase any seat in the upper bowl this season (with the exception of most end zone seating). Last season, the top half of most upper bowl sections could not be purchased until ticket sales volume required it. 

IT'S GAME WEEK

The Sea Dogs will play regular season hockey this week.

Saint John will open the season on the road this Friday and Saturday, visiting Gordie Dwyer and the Newfoundland Regiment. The Sea Dogs struggled at Mary Brown's Centre last season, going 0-4, and will likely be playing in front of a capacity crowd on Friday.

Both teams will be well rested. The Regiment last played a pre-season game on Aug. 31 while the Sea Dogs haven't played since Sept. 4.

The Sea Dogs will play their first home games the following weekend. Saint John hosts the Moncton Wildcats on Friday, Sept. 25 and the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Some Sunday stuff

MIRAMICHI, NB - We're still a few days away from the start of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League regular season, but the Maritime Junior Hockey League campaign is already underway.

Here are a few MHL updates from the weekend – plus a few other notes.

• Some updates on Sea Dogs prospects in the MHL:
• Brock Lyons had an impressive opening weekend, posting two goals and two assists in two games with the Amherst Ramblers, placing him 12th in league scoring (and tied for first amongst rookies). He scored his first career MHL goal on Thursday and added another on Saturday.

  Brock with a beauty!! pic.twitter.com/KpKufDHFUL

  — Amherst JrA Ramblers (@AmherstRamblers) September 12, 2026

• I was in Miramichi on Sunday where Eliot Tozer netted his first career MHL goal with the Timberwolves – a game that saw the Grand Falls Rapids erase a 4-1 deficit in a 5-4 overtime victory. Tozer also posted an assist on Saturday.
• Samuel Pitcher saw action in two of the West Kent Steamers' three games. Pitcher came on in relief Friday, allowing a goal on 10 shots in 20 minutes of play. On Saturday, Pitcher got his first start and allowed five goals on 48 shots in a 5-3 loss to the Valley Wildcats. The Steamers are off to a 0-3 start.
• Former Sea Dogs forward Jonah Leard is wearing the captain's 'C' for Grand Falls.
• As mentioned, former Sea Dogs forwards Dylan and Matthew Krayer have joined the USHL's Tri-City Storm. The two were listed on the Storm's top line for a pre-season game last week.
• Sea Dogs prospect Finnegan Sears has a goal and two assists in two games – both against the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks – with the USNTDP under-18 squad. Sears has been on the team's top line.

  Sears bringing us to 3-2 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LYrvFOUOy2

  — USA Hockey’s NTDP (@USAHockeyNTDP) September 12, 2026

• The USHL's regular season begins Wednesday with the Fall Classic, which is being held in Chicago this year.

Three Sea Dogs get NHL rookie camp invites

Three Saint John Sea Dogs will attend National Hockey League rookie camps this weekend.

Goaltender Samuel Meloche, a fourth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2025 NHL Draft, is off to Sabres camp. Forwards Alexander Donovan and Ryan Howard will attend Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets rookie camps, respectively, on a free agent basis.

The Sabres will host the Boston Bruins prospects for a pair of games on Sunday and Monday.

The Times Herald reports that Meloche will likely start one of Buffalo's games against Boston. The Times Herald also reports that Meloche expects to join Northeastern University next fall.

“It’s great for everyone, especially goaltenders, because as we know, it takes longer to develop,” Meloche said. “… It’s advantageous for everyone that you don’t have to rush to sign your contract and turn pro early. You can (have) a couple more years to develop and keep growing your game.”

The Canadiens and Jets will both participate in the NHL Prospect Challenge in Gatineau this weekend. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will also take part.

The Jets and Habs will meet on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, Winnipeg will play Toronto while Montreal will face Ottawa.

Sea Dogs prospect Brian McFadden, meanwhile, will take part in Washington Capitals rookie camp. McFadden, who is playing with the USHL's Chicago Steel this season, was a fifth-round pick of the Caps in this year's NHL Draft.

Former Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko will also participate in Capitals rookie camp. A 2024 draft pick of Washington, Mateiko missed a large chunk of last season with an Achilles injury. 

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Max Vilen, who the team traded to the Moncton Wildcats last season, will attend Tampa Bay Lightning rookie camp. Vilen was a seventh-round pick of Tampa Bay in this summer's NHL Draft.

Videos: Beaulieu fights again in WHL pre-season

Two games, two fights for Jacob Beaulieu.

Making his second appearance of the Western Hockey League pre-season, Beaulieu dropped the gloves with Luke Warrener of the Medicine Hat Tigers early in the second period. The Broncos went on to win the game 4-3 in a shootout.

Beaulieu, a 20-year-old free agent invite at Swift Current Broncos training camp, is listed at 5'9", 175 lbs while Warrener, 17, is 6'4", 201 lbs.

ROCK 'EM SOCK 'EM IN CO-OP PLACE!!! 🥊💥

Luke Warrener and Jacob Beaulieu go at it in a heavyweight pre-season tilt! 🐅 pic.twitter.com/8asEDJ0Xa1

— Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) September 12, 2026

A friendly exchange to start off the 2nd period! 🤝🏼💥 pic.twitter.com/CYLqHgj6Dk

— Swift Current Broncos (@SCBroncos) September 12, 2026

In his previous pre-season appearance, Beaulieu dropped the gloves with Triston Mitchell-McElhone of the Saskatoon Blades just 22 seconds into the Sept. 4 game.

Swift Current's head coach and general manager is Travis Crickard, who previously held those roles with the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Beaulieu spent parts of four seasons in Saint John before being dealt to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada during this year's holiday trade period. In 210 career QMJHL games, Beaulieu posted 16 goals and 10 assists – along with 249 penalty minutes.

The Broncos play their final game of the pre-season on Saturday against the Tigers. They open the regular season next Saturday against the Prince Albert Raiders.

MHL season underway for Sea Dogs connections

The Maritime Junior Hockey League season got underway on Thursday.

As usual, the MHL will feature a number of players with Saint John Sea Dogs connections – whether they be former players or draft picks.

Here are a few players to keep an eye on. Players with an * are draft picks/prospects.

Amherst - Coen Miller, Darien Reynolds, Brock Lyons* and Jeremie Richard

Grand Falls - Jonah Leard and Reid Calder

Miramichi - Eliot Tozer*

Summerside - Matthew MacLean

Valley - Felix Pronovost*

West Kent - Sam Pitcher*

There are also two former Sea Dogs coaches leading MHL teams this season. Greg Leland is the head coach of the Campbellton Tigers while Jeff Cowan will lead the Grand Falls Rapids.

Prospects Brock Lyons and Eliot Tozer – both forwards who spent most of last season with the Saint John Vito's – will be interesting to follow given the long looks they got at Sea Dogs camp. They could certainly be called up at some point this year.

Lyons scored his first career MHL goal in Amherst's 3-2 loss in Pictou County on Thursday. Coen Miller had the Ramblers' other goal (and a fight as well).

First goal in the MHL for Brock Lyons!! pic.twitter.com/ifo3WGZDHj

— Amherst JrA Ramblers (@AmherstRamblers) September 11, 2026

The league's other 10 teams begin play this weekend. The MHL can be watched on FloHockey.

Sea Dogs' final pre-season game cancelled

The Saint John Sea Dogs' pre-season schedule came to an abrupt end on Thursday.

The Sea Dogs's final exhibition game, scheduled for Friday night at Dartmouth's RBC Centre, has been cancelled for what the Halifax Mooseheads are calling "roster limitations." The game will not be rescheduled.

From the Mooseheads' news release:

The Halifax Mooseheads and Saint John Sea Dogs preseason game scheduled for Friday, September 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the RBC Centre in Dartmouth has been cancelled due to roster limitations. The game will not be rescheduled.

Fans who purchased tickets for the game do not need to take any action. Refunds will be automatically processed to the credit card used for the original purchase within 48 hours.

We apologize for any inconvenience this cancellation may cause and appreciate your understanding.

The limitations are presumably due to several players being away at NHL camps plus a few injuries.

This is a bit of an odd one, but there's not much point in figuring out affiliates and callups for a game that doesn't really mean anything. Pre-season games are often cancelled and not rescheduled for a variety of reasons (hurricanes, illness, UNB campuses being evacuated that one time, etc.).

The cancellation means the Sea Dogs finish the pre-season with a 2-2-0-0 record. They were outscored 16-13.

The Sea Dogs begin the regular season next Friday in St. John's. That game will take place two weeks since the team played a pre-season game.

Notebook: Donovan invited to Habs rookie camp

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Alexander Donovan will attend Montreal Canadiens rookie camp.

The Canadiens announced their rookie camp roster last week. Donovan will attend as a free agent invite, joining former Sea Dogs defenseman Kale McCallum and goaltender Arseni Radkov.

According to a news release, the camp "will be held at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard and Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau, from September 11-15. Habs prospects will play two games against the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators at the Slush Puppie Centre on September 12 and 13 as part of the 2026 NHL Prospect Challenge."

Donovan, 19, is entering his second season with the Sea Dogs. Last year, the Connecticut native recorded 25 goals and 28 assists in 63 regular season games. He had another goal and an assist in four playoff games.

COMING UP

The start of the QMJHL regular season is now less than two weeks away.

The Sea Dogs will open the year Sept. 18-19 with a pair of games in St. John's against the Newfoundland Regiment. Saint John went winless at Mary Brown's Centre last season.

Saint John will host the Moncton Wildcats on Friday, Sept. 25 in the team's home opener at TD Station.

Before all that though, the Sea Dogs have one pre-season game left to play. Saint John, 2-2-0-0 in exhibition play, will take on the Halifax Mooseheads, 4-1-0-0, on Friday at Dartmouth's RBC Centre. These two met last Friday in Saint John where Halifax posted a 7-3 win.

TD Station going cashless

TD Station is going cashless, the venue announced Thursday.

At Friday's Saint John Sea Dogs pre-season game, signs about the change were placed at the front of concession line entrances.

Here's what TD Station shared on Facebook about the change:

TD STATION IS GOING CASHLESS!

We’re making things easier, faster, and more convenient for our guests! TD Station will be moving to a cashless payment system for food, beverage, and most purchases throughout the venue.

There will still be a few locations where cash will be accepted:

• Box Office: Cash will be accepted for tickets, gift cards, and our new **Food & Beverage Gift Cards.
• Sea Dogs Store: Cash will continue to be accepted.
• 50/50: Cash will continue to be accepted.
• Parking: Cash will continue to be accepted at select parking locations for now.
• Food & Beverage Gift Cards: We’ll be rolling out TD Station Food & Beverage Gift Cards, which can be purchased directly at the TD Station Box Office. These will be a great option for guests who prefer to use cash while enjoying food and beverages at the venue.

We appreciate your understanding as we make this transition and look forward to providing an even smoother experience at TD Station!

The move, unsurprisingly, brought quite a bit of negative feedback on social media. A number of people did point out, though, that many venues that are TD Station's size have been cashless for quite some time. Halifax's Scotiabank Centre, for example, is cashless.

Venues started going cashless just before the pandemic and the trend certainly picked up when live events returned.

While this will likely be a disturbance to some fans, it's becoming an industry norm, just like digital ticketing.

As written about a number of times in recent years, TD Station has really been falling behind venues like Scotiabank Centre and Moncton's Avenir Centre. Even Sydney's Centre 200 has gotten upgrades in recent years that give the fan experience more "bells and whistles" than TD Station. Hopefully some more modernizations to the fan experience are coming soon.

Sea Dogs claim Roop from Oceanic

Embed from Getty Images 

The Saint John Sea Dogs announced a roster move on Saturday, claiming forward Logan Roop off waivers from the Rimouski Oceanic.

A Brookfield, NS native, Roop has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Oceanic. In 62 games last season, Roop posted nine goals, seven assists and 56 penalty minutes.

The 19-year-old has appeared in 89 career QMJHL games, recording 10 goals and nine assists. He also appeared in five playoff games during Rimouski's 2025 run.

The #SJSeaDogs have claimed forward Logan Roop off waivers from the @oceanicrimouski.#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/8vbC57JDro

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 5, 2026

Roop adds some size to Saint John's lineup. He's listed at 6'4" and 201 lbs. He'll likely be a bottom six, depth forward for the Dogs, assuming he sticks around.

The move doesn't come as a huge surprise given that Saint John's latest round of cuts left the team with just 12 forwards. The Sea Dogs played all 12 of them in Friday's pre-season loss to the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Sea Dogs play their final game of the pre-season on Friday when they take on the Mooseheads in Dartmouth.

Saint John begins regular season play on Sept. 18 in St. John's.

Videos: Beaulieu fights 22 seconds into WHL pre-season debut

Welcome to the Western Hockey League, Jacob Beaulieu.

Just 22 seconds into his first pre-season game with the WHL's Swift Current Broncos, Beaulieu dropped the gloves with Triston Mitchell-McElhone of the Saskatoon Blades – and what a tilt it was.

It only took 22 seconds for Jacob Beaulieu to make his presence felt in Swift Current. 👊🐴 pic.twitter.com/g0D2QyBhk6

— Swift Current Broncos (@SCBroncos) September 5, 2026

Heck of a tilt at the Broncos pre-season game today! Jacob Beaulieu and former Legionnaire Triston Mitchell-McElhone. pic.twitter.com/zBobcEHkPB

— Shawn Mullin 🇨🇦 (@shawnmullin) September 5, 2026

Beaulieu, an overage forward, was named to Swift Current's pre-season roster earlier this week. A fight in his debut felt inevitable.

Swift Current's head coach and general manager is Travis Crickard, who previously held those roles with the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Beaulieu spent parts of four seasons in Saint John. He was a seventh-round pick of the team in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft. 

The Sea Dogs traded Beaulieu to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada during last season's holiday trade period. He appeared in 32 regular season games with the Armada and another 17 playoff contests.

In 210 career QMJHL games, Beaulieu posted 16 goals and 10 assists. He also had 249 penalty minutes – and was known more for his physical presence than offensive abilities.

The Broncos play the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 7-3

FINAL: Halifax 7, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - With two weeks to go until the regular season begins, the Saint John Sea Dogs have plenty to work on.

That was evident on Friday night at TD Station as the Sea Dogs struggled in a 7-3 pre-season loss to the Halifax Mooseheads. Both teams dressed close-to-final rosters.

Saint John especially struggled defensively, allowing the Mooseheads to score seven times on 26 shots. Several Halifax goals were one-time shots by a Moosehead that was left wide open.

On offense, the Sea Dogs were able to generate 42 shots on goal but couldn't find enough finish. Halifax goaltender Jack Fichthorn was excellent in the first half of game, making 21 stops before leaving late in the second period.

Malik L'Italien scored twice for Halifax while singles came from Quinn Kennedy, Nathan Langlois, Mateo Nobert, Oleg Kulebiakin and Shawn Carrier. Fichthorn allowed two goals while Carson Mertz allowed a goal on 19 shots.

Saint John had goals from Alexander Donovan, Zachary Morin and Oliver Ozogany. Samuel Meloche, in his first game of the pre-season, allowed seven goals on 26 shots.

Pre-Season Game Day 4: vs Mooseheads

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs make their return to TD Station tonight.

While this will officially be Saint John's third home game of the pre-season, it will be their first inside their actual home. The Sea Dogs played "home" games in St. Stephen and Woodstock last week.

Tonight will see the Sea Dogs take on the Halifax Mooseheads for the first time in exhibition play. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Sea Dogs are 2-1-0-0 this pre-season and are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Rimouski Oceanic last Sunday.

Saint John's roster is now down to 24 players following reassignments earlier this week.

Radio/TV/Stream: None/None/Sea Dogs YouTube (probably?)

Pre-Season Records: Saint John is 2-1-0-0 for four points this pre-season while Halifax is 3-1-0-0 for six points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Rimouski Oceanic in Woodstock on Sunday. Jamie Glance scored Saint John's lone goal on a penalty shot. Rafaël Courchesne allowed three goals on 10 shots while Sam Pitcher stopped all 12 shots he faced. The Mooseheads are coming off a 3-2 win over the Charlottetown Islanders on Saturday. Mateo Nobert scored twice for Halifax while Daniel Walters added a single. Carson Mertz made 37 stops in the win.

Murnieks officially joins Boston College

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's officially official: Olivers Murnieks will play college hockey this fall.

The Boston College Eagles officially named Murnieks a member of the team's freshmen class on Thursday. 

Our next freshman is Olivers Mūrnieks!

Olivers spent last season playing the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL! pic.twitter.com/0gCXTPKLVH

— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) September 3, 2026

The Eagles begin play a month from now, visiting the USNTDP in Plymouth. The team's first NCAA game is Oct. 9 at home against Alaska.

Murnieks does have junior hockey eligibility remaining. Given that he was left off the Saint John Sea Dogs' training camp roster, it was expected that the Latvian would be playing NCAA hockey this fall.

The 18-year-old committed to Boston College in January. Murnieks was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in June's NHL Draft and, since then, it has looked like he'd be heading to the NCAA rather than back to the QMJHL.

"But we’re excited to see what he does," said Jerry Forton, Buffalo's assistant general manager, in July. "It was a big step for the Boston College staff – who we put a lot of faith in, we’re very close with – to bring him in this fall."

Murnieks was selected by Saint John in the first-round, sixth overall of the 2025 CHL Import Draft. He appeared in just 31 games with the Sea Dogs due to injuries last season, posting seven goals and 13 assists.

Murnieks played for Latvia at the IIHF World Junior Championship for a second straight year this past winter, recording a goal and three assists in five games. He also played in this year's men's IIHF World Championship.

It looks like the Sea Dogs will start the season with two imports on their roster: Czech forward Matyas Cancik and Slovakian forward Oliver Ozogany, who were both selected in this year's CHL Import Draft. The team also picked Finnish defender Vertti Svensk, who appears set to start the season in Finland.

Notebook: Beaulieu on Swift Current pre-season roster

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

A familiar name is on the Swift Current Broncos' pre-season roster.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Jacob Beaulieu was among the 34 players named to Swift Current's roster for the Western Hockey League's pre-season. The Broncos head coach and general manager is Travis Crickard, who obviously knows Beaulieu quite well.

Beaulieu, an overager, spent parts of four seasons in Saint John. He was a seventh-round pick of the team in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs traded Beaulieu to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada during last season's holiday trade period. He appeared in 32 regular season games with the Armada and another 17 playoff contests

In 210 career QMJHL games, Beaulieu posted 16 goals and 10 assists. He also had 249 penalty minutes – and was known more for his physical presence.

The Broncos continue pre-season play on Friday when they host Saskatoon Blades.

VILEN RETURING TO WILDCATS

The Sea Dogs will be seeing a lot of Max Vilen this season.

The Moncton Wildcats announced on social media that Vilen will return to the club for another season, occupying both an overage and import slot. The Wildcats acquired Vilen from the Sea Dogs during last season's holiday trade period.

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Vilen recorded a goal and 12 assists in 27 games with the Wildcats in the second half. He added three goals and nine assists in 21 playoff games.

Over the summer, the Swedish defenseman was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the seventh-round of the NHL Draft.

Vilen was selected in the third-round of the 2025 CHL Import Draft by Saint John. He posted two goals and 12 assists in 27 games with the Sea Dogs in the first half.