Notebook: Council sports Sea Dogs jerseys

City of Saint John

There were plenty of Saint John Sea Dogs jerseys on display at last week's City Council meeting.

Council members sported Sea Dogs jerseys ahead of the team's home opening weekend. Mayor Donna Reardon wore Olivier Groulx's captain jersey.

The jerseys are discussed at the 14-minute mark of the video below.

RARE SHOOTOUT LOSS

After going the entire 2025-26 season without playing in a shootout, the Sea Dogs took part in one just three games into the 2026-27 campaign.

The Sea Dogs went 0/3 in the breakaway contest and fell 4-3 to the Moncton Wildcats on Friday at TD Station. It was the first career QMJHL shootout attempts for Alexis Joseph and Jamie Glance while Groulx was making just his second appearance.

The Sea Dogs went to extra time nine times last season but all were decided in overtime. Saint John was 4-5 in those games.

Saint John took part in three shootouts during the 2024-25 season, winning all three. The last shootout they played in took place on Dec. 14, 2024 against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Sea Dogs' last shootout loss came on March 20, 2024, fittingly against the Wildcats at TD Station.

OPENING ATTENDANCE

Saint John's home opening weekend saw attendance decrease from a year ago.

The team's home opener had a similar figure to last year while Saint John's second home game saw a noticeable drop.

Sept. 19, 2025 vs Cape Breton: 3,687

Sept. 20, 2025 vs Cape Breton: 3,280

Sept. 25, 2026 vs Moncton: 3,510

Sept. 26, 2026 vs Cape Breton: 2,508

The Charlottetown Islanders (3,177) were the only other Atlantic team with a home opener crowd under 4,000.

The Sea Dogs are averaging 3,009 fans per game this young season, placing them seventh in the QMJHL.

NEW GOAL SONG

The Sea Dogs have a new goal song for the 2026-27 season after asking fans to submit their picks last month.

The chosen song is "Freed From Desire" by Gala (or at least a modern version of it), a unique choice that isn't widely used as a goal song.

As someone who travels to rinks all over North America on the regular, I'm surprised this song hasn't become more popular at sporting events on this side of the Atlantic. It's a very popular song in soccer.

COOL MOMENT

Cool moment here for former Sea Dogs defenseman Kevin Gagne – and kind of crazy that we're seeing this type of stuff more and more with the Irving 7th Player program.

A good reminder that we're all old now, too.

BEAULIEU SCORES

Former Sea Dogs forward Jacob Beaulieu seems to be fitting in quite nicely with the WHL's Swift Current Broncos.

After fighting in his WHL debut opening weekend, Beaulieu scored his first WHL goal on Saturday, helping the Broncos defeat the Moose Jaw Warriors 4-2. He was named the game's third star.

A very BEAUtiful first goal for Jacob Beaulieu! 🤩@SCBroncos | #WHLOpeningWeek pic.twitter.com/E4fDKDrhqo

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) September 26, 2026

The overage forward now has a goal, 13 penalty minutes and a +1 rating in three games.

TVA had a story about Beaulieu transitioning to the WHL last week.

CRICKARD SPEAKS

Speaking of Beaulieu and the Broncos, the team was fined by the WHL following the line brawl that broke out during their season opener against the Prince Albert Raiders. Former Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard – now the Broncos' head coach and general manager – spoke to media about the incident last week.

"We're not promoting it to them. But what we are promoting is be you as a player. If you're physical, play physical. If you're a skilled guy play with skill. I think we have a pretty good complement of guys who can do a little bit of skill, a little bit of grit. We want them to."

— Shawn Mullin 🇨🇦 (@shawnmullin) September 23, 2026

OTHER THINGS

• Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph was ranked 10th in Craig Button's Sept. 23 rankings for the 2027 NHL Draft. Jamie Glance was 18th while Sea Dogs draft pick Finnegan Sears, currently playing with the USNTDP, was 30th.
• PEI is a coaching factory.

  🚨 MILESTONE ALERT 🚨
  Gardiner MacDougall's 2026 home opener win was his 100th with Moncton -- in just 124 games!
  
  Second fastest to 100 wins ever in the QMJHL. (Gerard Gallant, 123, SNB).
  
  📸 @DanielStLouis pic.twitter.com/nOAcyWTwBY

  — Moncton Wildcats (@monctonwildcats) September 28, 2026

• Mentioned recently that 18-year-old forward Kaidan Sahajpal, who has attended Sea Dogs training camp the past two years, was playing with the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL. The Summerside Western Capitals announced Monday that they've signed Sahajpal.
• 16-year-old forward Nathan Riendeau, a second-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, sits second in Quebec under-18 league scoring, posting eight goals and five assists in eight games with Collège Charles-Lemoyne Riverains. He's also tied for first in goals.
• Three players the Sea Dogs drafted in 2026 are playing with Jonquière Élites of the Quebec under-18 circuit: goaltender Philippe Harvey along with forwards Zack Labelle and Thomas Bond.
• Hockey Canada has released the schedule for this season's IIHF World Junior Championship, which will be held in Edmonton and Red Deer. Sea Dogs head coach Jim Hulton will be an assistant coach with Team Canada.
• Speaking of Hulton, the QMJHL website has a story on him.
• Former Sea Dogs defenseman Max Vilen did not play in either of the Wildcats' games this past weekend after suffering an injury while away at Tampa Bay Lightning training camp.
• Matthew Hlacar, the overage OHL forward who opted not to attend Sea Dogs training camp, has a goal and an assist in three games with the Brantford Bulldogs.
• Sportsnet has an interview with QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini.
• Attendance for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada's first three home games: 2,537, 1,058 and 1,068.