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.