Notebook: It's been 13 years

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It was 13 years ago Wednesday that the Saint John Sea Dogs hoisted the Memorial Cup for the first time.

The Sea Dogs defeated the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 3-1 on May 29, 2011 in the tournament's championship game. Saint John became the first team from Atlantic Canada to win the trophy but have since been joined by the Halifax Mooseheads (2013) and Acadie-Bathurst Titan (2018).

The full game can be seen below.

STARTING AT HOME

For the first time since 2021, the Sea Dogs will begin the regular season at home.

Saint John will host the Moncton Wildcats on Sept. 20 to kick off regular season play. The Sea Dogs have started the past two seasons in Bathurst, defeating the Titan 6-4 last year and 4-3 the year prior.

This will also be the first time since 2013 that the Sea Dogs begin the regular season by facing the Wildcats. Saint John won in Moncton on Sept. 13, 2013.

The Sea Dogs hosted the Wildcats in their 2011 season opener, falling 3-1 with a lineup that was missing several regulars due to NHL camps.

Notebook: Over and out in Mississauga

The building where the Saint John Sea Dogs lifted the Memorial Cup for the first time hosted its final CHL game last Friday.

The Mississauga Steelheads fell 6-2 to the Sudbury Wolves in Game 5 of their first round playoff series, officially ending the team's run in Mississauga. The Steelheads will literally move down the road to Brampton for the 2024-25 season.

The Sea Dogs won the 2011 Memorial Cup at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre (then the Hershey Centre) when they defeated the host Mississauga St. Michael's Majors in the championship game.

It's certainly possible that the OHL will return to Mississauga one day — but it probably won't be quite awhile given how rough attendance has been during the Steelheads and Majors tenures.

IMAMA MAKES SENS DEBUT

Former Sea Dogs forward Boko Imama made his Ottawa Senators debut last Saturday.

Imama dropped the gloves with New Jersey's Kurtis MacDermid in the first period.

Welcome to the Ottawa Senators, Boko Imama. 👊 pic.twitter.com/tEQhPXmqWm

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 6, 2024

Imama was one of three former Sea Dogs playing for Ottawa in the game, joining Mathieu Joseph and Thomas Chabot.

The 27-year-old has spent most of this season withe AHL's Belleville Senators where he has three goals and seven assists in 53 games.

Notebook: Who will be in Saint John?

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Could the Saint John Sea Dogs face some familiar franchises this June?

It's certainly possible that one or more teams the Sea Dogs have faced at previous Memorial Cups could make their way to Saint John in a few months. In the OHL, the Mississauga Steelheads (formerly the St. Michael's Majors (2011)) and London Knights (2012) currently sit atop the standings based on winning percentage.

	Team	GP	Record (Points)	Win %
1	Mississauga Steelheads	35	23-8-1-3 (50)	.714
2	London Knights	32	21-10-1-0 (43)	.672
3	Kingston Frontenacs	32	20-9-3-0 (43)	.672
4	Barrie Colts	30	18-9-3-0 (39)	.650
5	Guelph Storm	32	19-10-2-1 (41)	.641

The Windsor Spitfires (2017) currently have the eighth based winning percentage. The Owen Sound Attack (2011) and Erie Otters (2017) are long shots to win the OHL championship.

In the WHL, the Winnipeg Ice (formerly the Kootenay Ice (2011)) have the best winning percentage while the Edmonton Oil Kings are third (2012) and Seattle Thunderbirds fifth (2017).

	Team	GP	Record (Points)	Win %
1	Winnipeg Ice	37	29-6-2-0 (60)	.811
2	Everett Silvertips	38	27-7-2-2 (58)	.763
3	Edmonton Oil Kings	39	27-9-2-1 (57)	.731
4	Kamloops Blazers	36	24-11-1-0 (49)	.681
5	Seattle Thunderbirds	35	21-10-4-0 (46)	.657

The one other QMJHL team the Sea Dogs have faced in Memorial Cup play, the Shawinigan Cataractes (2012), have a legitimate shot of making it as well. The Cataractes currently have the fifth best winning percentage.

Top 10 Sea Dogs Memorial Cup Moments: #1 - Thomas lifts the trophy

(Ed. Note: In honour of 2022 Memorial Cup tickets going on sale to the general public, we've been counting down the top 10 Sea Dogs moments in Memorial Cup history. With tickets now on sale, here's the exciting finale!)

#1 - Mike Thomas lifts the Memorial Cup

The top moment in Saint John Sea Dogs Memorial Cup history is the most obvious.

The Sea Dogs became the first team from Atlantic Canada to win the trophy after a 3-1 win over the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors in the 2011 championship game.

New Maryland native Mike Thomas, who had been with the club since the 2006-07 season, lifted the trophy first.

The Memorial Cup will be lifted on TD Station ice this June when Saint John hosts the 2022 Memorial Cup. Ticket packages are now on sale to the general public.

Top 10 Sea Dogs Memorial Cup Moments: #2 - DeSerres gets his redemption

(Ed. Note: In honour of 2022 Memorial Cup tickets going on sale to the general public on Dec. 6, we're counting down the top 10 Sea Dogs moments in Memorial Cup history.)

#2 - Jacob DeSerres gets his redemption

In the 2010 Memorial Cup final, Jacob DeSerres was in net for all nine goals against as Taylor Hall and the Windsor Spitfires defeated the host Brandon Wheat Kings 9-1 to win their second straight championship.

A year later, DeSerres made it all the way back to the Memorial Cup final - and he delivered one of his best performances as a Saint John Sea Dog.

The overage netminder made 34 saves in Saint John's 3-1 victory and was named the game's first star. He came up huge on several occasions as the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors pressed hard for an equalizer throughout the second half of the game.

Even after Jonathan Huberdeau had made it a 3-1 game late in the third, DeSerres made a huge stop on Devante Smith-Pelly to secure the win.

Top 10 Sea Dogs Memorial Cup Moments: #3 - Phillips and Huberdeau 2-on-1

(Ed. Note: In honour of 2022 Memorial Cup tickets going on sale to the general public on Dec. 6, we're counting down the top 10 Sea Dogs moments in Memorial Cup history.)

#3 - Zack Phillips and Jonathan Huberdeau 2-on-1

The Saint John Sea Dogs were clinging to a 2-1 lead in the third period of the 2011 Memorial Cup final.

The host Mississauga St. Michael's Majors were pressing hard at times ever since they got within a goal in the second period. If you were a Sea Dogs fan watching this third period, you likely had hands covering your eyes at times.

But at 16:17 of the third, Zack Phillips and Jonathan Huberdeau teamed up on a two-on-one that gave their fans a huge sigh of relief (and presumably a few cheers).

Check out 1:26 of the below video.

Top 10 Sea Dogs Memorial Cup Moments: #4 - Huberdeau OT goal sends Dogs to final

(Ed. Note: In honour of 2022 Memorial Cup tickets going on sale to the general public on Dec. 6, we're counting down the top 10 Sea Dogs moments in Memorial Cup history.)

#4 - Jonathan Huberdeau OT goal sends Sea Dogs to 2011 final

In their second game of the round-robin, the Saint John Sea Dogs faced off against the Ontario Hockey League champion Owen Sound Attack. A win would put the Sea Dogs into the championship game.

Trailing 2-0 in the second period, Stanislav Galiev got Saint John on the board with a power play goal. Tomas Jurco then netted his second of the tournament with just 3:27 remaining in regulation, forcing overtime.

At 17:35 of the extra frame, Michael Kirkpatrick delivered a pass to an open Jonathan Huberdeau in the slot.

The Sea Dogs still could have made their way to the final if they had lost this game, but it's hard to say what result that alternate universe would have delivered.

Top 10 Sea Dogs Memorial Cup Moments: #5 - Dogs quickly show they belong

(Ed. Note: In honour of 2022 Memorial Cup tickets going on sale to the general public on Dec. 6, we're counting down the top 10 Sea Dogs moments in Memorial Cup history.)

#5 - Sea Dogs quickly show they belong at 2011 Memorial Cup

The Saint John Sea Dogs had one of the best regular seasons in junior hockey history in 2011 but there were still some doubters when they entered the playoffs.

Still a young team by junior-hockey-contender status and loaded much more with skill than sandpaper, the Sea Dogs proved a lot of those doubters wrong with a strong playoffs, winning their first President Cup title. But, ahead of the 2011 Memorial Cup in Mississauga, many still wondered if they were ready for the big stage or if they were still a year away from being a serious contender.

The Sea Dogs quickly showed they belonged amongst the Canadian Hockey League's best teams.

Tomas Jurco scored just 1:44 into the tournament's opening game against the host Mississauga St. Michael's Majors.

Top 10 Sea Dogs Memorial Cup Moments: #8 - Jurco scores with his head

(Ed. Note: In honour of 2022 Memorial Cup tickets going on sale to the general public on Dec. 6, we're counting down the top 10 Sea Dogs moments in Memorial Cup history.)

#8 - Tomas Jurco scores with his head

Having already secured a spot in the 2011 Memorial Cup final, the Saint John Sea Dogs concluded round-robin play in Mississauga with what was essentially a meaningless game against the Western Hockey League's Kootenay Ice.

The Sea Dogs got off to a good start, leading 2-0 early in the second period. But the Ice then started to turn it on, leading 3-2 early in the third period and then 4-3.

With 15 seconds remaining in regulation time, a Zack Phillips shot hit Tomas Jurco in the head and went in, sending the game to overtime.

From The Canadian Press:

"It hurts a little bit but it's not too bad," said Jurco following the Sea Dogs 5-4 overtime loss on Tuesday night, and added that it was likely the strangest goal he's ever scored. "It was just a lucky goal, I don't know what else I can say about it."

Jurco spoke to reporters with the lingering effects of his game-tying goal still showing thanks to a red mark on his neck just under his right ear. "It didn't feel great but it wasn't bad," Jurco added.

"I didn't worry about how it hurt because I had scored ... I think it's going to be a tough morning."

The Ice eventually won the game just 3:55 into overtime, but at least we got a very memorable moment in what was a meaningless game for the Sea Dogs.

Notebook: Dogs begin season ranked third

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will open the 2021-22 regular season as the No. 3 ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League.

The Sea Dogs trail only the top-ranked Edmonton Oil Kings and the No. 2 Quebec Remparts in the pre-season rankings. The Acadie-Bathurst Titan (No. 7) and Shawinigan Cataractes (No. 9) were the only other ranked QMJHL teams.

Did your team make the list?

Introducing the @KiaCanada Top-10 Rankings: 2021-22 Preseason Edition

📝: https://t.co/50wg4GDOVr pic.twitter.com/tbk3NwuCJC

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) September 30, 2021

The Charlottetown Islanders, who the Sea Dogs will play twice this weekend,  were an honourable mention.

The Sea Dogs began last season ranked eighth in the CHL (yes, there were actually pre-season rankings last year).

TOUGH OPENING

The Sea Dogs will not have an easy start to the season.

Most QMJHL followers have the Sea Dogs, Titan and Islanders finishing at the top of the Maritimes Division in some order. Then there is the Halifax Mooseheads followed by the rebuilding Cape Breton Eagles and Moncton Wildcats.

Saint John will start the season with five straight games against either the Islanders or Titan.

The Sea Dogs kick things off with a home-and-home with the Islanders and follow that up with a home-and-home against the Titan. They then visit Charlottetown on Thanksgiving Monday.

Saint John will play both Charlottetown and Bathurst four times each in October.

SEASON PREVIEW

CBC, now one of the CHL's official broadcasters, previews the upcoming season.

CBC's first CHL broadcast is on Saturday afternoon when the Regina Pats host the Prince Albert Raiders.

10 years since Memorial Cup championship

Marc Henwood for Station Nation

It was 10 years ago tonight that the Saint John Sea Dogs became the first team from Atlantic Canada to win the Memorial Cup.

Simon Despres, Zack Phillips and Jonathan Huberdeau all scored and Jacob DeSerres made 34 saves as the Sea Dogs defeated the host Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 3-1 on a Sunday night at the Hershey Centre.

The CHL uploaded the entire game to its YouTube channel last year.

The Telegraph-Journal (paywall) caught up with captain Mike Thomas and defenseman Nathan Beaulieu to discuss the 10-year anniversary of the championship.

So here we are 10 years later. Has our perspective on this championship changed at all?

I think most of us recognized right away just how incredibly good this team was - so good that a run like this may never happen again in franchise history. Saint John went 58-7-1-2 in the regular season; 16-3 in the playoffs; and earned the bye straight to the final at the Memorial Cup. Remarkable numbers.

The one thing I've come to appreciate more over the years is how entertaining this team was. There were some ridiculously fun games played during this run - especially in the playoffs. Even if the Dogs went down by four goals in the third period, it still didn't feel like the game was over.

Covering this team in 2011 - and again in 2012 - felt like covering the New York Yankees at times. They were the Goliath heading into every game. Rinks in Quebec were sold out to see this loaded team. It was a lot of fun.

Nine years ago tonight...

It was nine years ago tonight that the Saint John Sea Dogs defeated the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 3-1 to win the 2011 Memorial Cup.

Because there is nothing else to do right now, the CHL has been posting quite a bit about past Memorial Cups. Here's Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino remembering the tournament:

2011 #MemorialCup Highlights 🏆

A shorthanded snipe by Simon Despres plus a goal and an assist from both Zack Phillips and tournament MVP Jonathan Huberdeau led the @QMJHL’s @SJSeaDogs to a 3-1 championship win over host Mississauga.

FULL GAME 🖥: https://t.co/Tlf8hspPxb pic.twitter.com/hKZnvGKKMT

— CanadianHockeyLeague (@CHLHockey) May 29, 2020

The CHL aired the championship game on its website last night.

As Cosentino mentioned, the Majors outshot the Sea Dogs 26-14 in the final two periods. While Jordan Binnington was probably the right choice for the tournament's top goaltender award, it really can't be understated just how good - and how valuable - Jacob DeSerres was in the Saint John goal.

As the highlight package shows, DeSerres essentially had the game of his life in net. He was named the game's first star and finished the tournament with a wild .946 save percentage and 1.82 goals against average - this a year after allowing nine goals in the Brandon Wheat Kings' 9-1 loss to the stacked Windsor Spitfires.

DeSerres didn't celebrate much when the final horn sounded. “I was almost so excited and so happy you don't show it. It's just all inside," he told NHL.com after the game.

“I have the simplest job title in the world — just stop the puck," he added.

Notebook: Who will draft Nause?

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft is less than two weeks away, which means speculation and conversation about this year's virtual event is heating up.

One of the big questions heading into draft weekend is this: where will Evan Nause end up?

Nause, a Riverview, NB native, was taken sixth overall by the Val-d'Or Foreurs in last year's Entry Draft but did not report to the club (which is why the Foreurs have been compensated with the sixth overall pick in this year's draft). Although he remains uncommitted to a NCAA team at this time, it's believed college hockey remains very much an option.

The 17-year-old spent two seasons with Newbridge Academy before spending the 2019-20 campaign with the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede, recording a respectable three goals and 14 assists in 44 games as a rookie.

Since Nause is a Maritimer who spent last season in the USHL and has apparent NCAA intentions, there's obviously been speculation that the Sea Dogs could select the d-man in this year's Entry Draft. It's just speculation at this time, but when you have players like Peter Reynolds leaving NCAA commitments to sign with your club, this talk is going to happen.

Nause would obviously fit well into Saint John's core even though he'll be joining a crowded blue line. It would also give Saint John an even more impressive group of 2003-born players with Nause joining Reynolds, Joshua Roy, Charles Savoie and potentially Cameron MacDonald.

Saint John currently has the third and 15th overall picks in the first round of this year's Entry Draft.

Six years ago tonight

(Ed. Note: This is an annual post that has been updated)

It was six years ago tonight that Simon Despres scored shorthanded, Zack Phillips netted the game-winner, Jonathan Huberdeau secured the victory and Jacob DeSerres had the game of his life in the Saint John net.

It’s hard to believe it has been six years since the Sea Dogs’ 3-1 win over the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, clinching the first Memorial Cup title for Atlantic Canada.

NOTEBOOK: Otters confident in Timpano heading into tonight's semifinal

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WINDSOR, Ont. - Troy Timpano's stats don't look that great at this year's Memorial Cup.

The Erie Otters netminder is sporting a 3.73 goals against average and a .823 save percentage heading into tonight's semifinal contest against the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Otters head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters Friday morning at WFCU Centre that the numbers aren't representative of Timpano's play so far.

"We've done a good job at keeping the shots down, so that's why his save percentage doesn't look really good," said Knoblauch. "Numbers can be misleading a lot of time."

Knoblauch added that he feels Timpano didn't have much of a chance on the goals he has allowed so far in the tournament.

Timpano has been known to let in the occasional bad goal. He's also very active with the puck, which can create some interesting moments.

The netminder posted a 13-4-1 record to go along with a .895 SV% and 2.73 GAA during the OHL playoffs.

"We changed goalies a little bit throughout the playoffs where (Joseph) Murdaca came in, and he came up big. The players believe that Troy is our goalie. He's the guy that got us here throughout the regular season and playoffs."

LOOKING TO ADVANCE
The Otters are looking to advance to their first Memorial Cup final tonight.

This is the second ever Memorial Cup appearance for the Otters and their first since 2002. In '02, Erie lost 5-4 in overtime to the Victoriaville Tigres in the tournament semifinal. The Otters blew 3-0 and 4-2 leads in that game, with Victoriaville's Danny Groulx tying the game with five seconds remaining in the third period.

The Kootenay Ice defeated the Tigres 6-3 in the 2002 Memorial Cup final.

HUBERDEAU TALKS 2011
The Canadian Press caught up with Jonathan Huberdeau this week to talk about the Sea Dogs' 2011 Memorial Cup win.

"I'm watching them a lot," Huberdeau told CP about this year's Sea Dogs. "It's fun to always follow your team and it's great they have a chance to win this year."

Read the full story here.

Tuesday Notes: Will 2017 be 2011 all over again?

Could New Brunswick sports history repeat itself in 2017?

The UNB Varsity Reds won a national championship on home ice on Sunday. It was just the second time the Varsity Reds had won the University Cup at the Aitken Centre and the first since 2011.

As Saint John Sea Dogs fans will remember, 2011 was a special year down the highway as well, with the Dogs becoming the first team from Atlantic Canada to win the Memorial Cup.

Like 2011, the Sea Dogs will enter the playoffs as one of the top teams in the Canadian Hockey League and the No. 1 seed in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. And like 2011, the Memorial Cup will be played in southern Ontario.

Will the V-Reds and Sea Dogs both win national championships in 2017? It's a possibility.

Saint John's 2016-17 playoff run begins at Harbour Station on Friday night against the Rimouski Oceanic.

Some notes..

• This year's Memorial Cup hosts, the Windsor Spitfires, are in tough to make it out of the first round of the OHL playoffs. Playing in a ridiculously stacked Western Conference, the Spits are forced to play the London Knights in the opening round.
• The Erie Otters became the first team in CHL history to record four straight 50-win seasons. The Sea Dogs were one of the few teams to be tied for the previous record with three.
• Sea Dogs goaltender Callum Booth has been named the QMJHL's second star for the month of March. According to the league's release, "in five games where he was credited with the win in all of them, the Carolina Hurricanes prospect maintained a 1.20 goals against average and 0.946 save percentage, as well as obtaining one shutout."
• In The Hockey News' Future Watch, Thomas Chabot was named one of hockey's top prospects.

Five Years Ago Tonight

(Ed. Note: This is an annual post that has been updated)

It was five years ago tonight that Simon Despres scored shorthanded, Zack Phillips netted the game-winner, Jonathan Huberdeau secured the victory and Jacob DeSerres had the game of his life in the Saint John net.

It’s hard to believe it has been five years since the Sea Dogs’ 3-1 win over the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, clinching the first Memorial Cup title for Atlantic Canada.

Five Seasons Later

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It's been five whole seasons since the Sea Dogs made their Memorial Cup debut in Mississauga.

Obviously, a lot has changed since then. Saint John went on to reach the tournament again in 2012 and then went into rebuild mode. They hadn't come close to making the Memorial Cup until this past season where they reached the QMJHL's final four.

We know how Saint John has performed over the past five seasons, but what about the other teams that participated in the 2011 Memorial Cup? Here's a look at how the host Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, OHL champion Owen Sound Attack and WHL champion Kootenay Ice have performed since then.

Saint John Sea Dogs

Season	Record	Playoffs
2011-12	50-15-0-3	Won championship
2012-13	23-44-1-0	Lost in round 1
2013-14	19-44-2-3	Missed playoffs
2014-15	32-26-4-6	Lost in round 1
2015-16	42-20-6-0	Lost in round 3

Four Years Ago

It was four years ago tonight that Simon Despres scored shorthanded, Zack Phillips netted the game-winner, Jonathan Huberdeau secured the victory and Jacob DeSerres had the game of his life in the Saint John net.

It’s hard to believe it has been four years since the Sea Dogs’ 3-1 win over the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, clinching the first Memorial Cup title for Atlantic Canada.

Three Years Ago...

Before spending the next few days discussing the future of the Saint John Sea Dogs, let us take a moment to appreciate the past.

It was three years ago today that Simon Despres, Zack Phillips, and Jonathan Huberdeau scored to give the Sea Dogs a 3-1 victory over the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and win Atlantic Canada’s first Memorial Cup championship.