Notebook: Burbidge gets Sens camp invite

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Cole Burbidge has received an invite to Ottawa Senators development camp.

The 17-year-old was not selected during this week's NHL Draft. He was ranked 110th amongst North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, making him a candidate for a late round pick.

Off to the Nation's Capital 🔜

Sea Dogs forward Cole Burbidge has been invited to the Ottawa Senators Development Camp!#CityOfChampions | @Senators pic.twitter.com/pEXZBnmjSq

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) June 30, 2023

Burbidge was not ranked at all in the mid-season rankings, proving just how much his play improved as his first season in the QMJHL progressed. The Falmouth, NS native finished the regular season with 19 goals and 50 points in 68 games.

Ottawa's development camp begins Sunday and ends on Thursday, July 6. 36 players will be attending.

HALL OF FAME RECAP

A quick video recap of last Friday's Sea Dogs Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Gerard Gallant and Mike Kelly.

Memorial Cup off to lopsided start

Candice Ward/CHL

The 2023 Memorial Cup has gotten off to a lopsided start.

The first three games of the tournament have all been decided by three or more goals, highlighted by the Kamloops Blazers hammering the Peterborough Petes 10-2 on Sunday.

Here's a look at the results from the opening three games:

Game 1: Quebec 8, Kamloops 3

Game 2: Seattle 6, Peterborough 3

Game 3: Kamloops 10, Peterborough 2

It's a significant difference from last year's tournament in Saint John where only one game — the championship match — was decided by three goals or more.

Game 1: Hamilton 3, Saint John 5

Game 2: Shawinigan 4, Edmonton 3

Game 3: Saint John 3, Edmonton 4 (OT)

Game 4: Shawinigan 3, Hamilton 2

Game 5: Edmonton 2, Hamilton 4

Game 6: Saint John 5, Shawinigan 3

Semifinal: Hamilton 4, Shawinigan 3 (OT)

Final: Hamilton 3, Saint John 6

The lopsided start to year's event could easily turn around this week (and likely will now that I've spent the time writing this). We were blessed with a few incredible games last year, so hopefully we get at least a couple this year.

The Quebec Remparts, who are looking to bring the Memorial Cup to the QMJHL for a fourth straight tournament, have two intriguing games remaining in the preliminary round: Monday night against the Seattle Thunderbirds and Tuesday against the Peterborough Petes. Most have the Thunderbirds as the favourites to win the event while the Petes must win to stay alive.

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: #7 - Veleno gives Sea Dogs life

(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 - Joe Veleno gives Sea Dogs life in Windsor

After an 0-2 start to the 2017 Memorial Cup and coming off an ugly 12-5 loss to the Ontario Hockey League champion Erie Otters, the Saint John Sea Dogs were in desperate need of a victory.

Playing in their final game of the round-robin, the Sea Dogs faced off against the Western Hockey League champion Seattle Thunderbirds - who were also 0-2. After a scoreless first period, Veleno scored just 1:14 into the second to set the tone for a six-goal middle frame for the Sea Dogs.

Veleno finished the game with two goals, an assist, five shots and +5 rating. He was named the game's second star while goaltender Callum Booth took home first star honours with his 31-save shutout performance.

The Sea Dogs advanced to the semifinals with the victory where they would lose 6-3 to the Otters, ending their tournament. Veleno also scored Saint John's first goal in that game.

Top 10 Sea Dogs Memorial Cup Moments: #10 - Misspelled merch gets fixed

(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.)

#10 - Misspelled merchandise gets fixed in Windsor

The 2017 Memorial Cup had some interesting merchandise.

Each of the four teams had signs like the below (I can't remember what Windsor's, as the hosts, said) that, at quick glance, made it seem like that particular team was the 2017 Memorial Cup champion.

I believe the intention was to show that the Sea Dogs were QMJHL champions.

Each of the four teams also had shirts and pucks. Unfortunately for the Sea Dogs, "Saint John" was spelled "St. John."

Notebook: Memorial Cup coaches on the move

Danny Flynn is the last man standing.

With Seattle Thunderbirds head coach Steve Konowalchuk joining the Anaheim Ducks as an assistant, Flynn is the only remaining head coach from the 2017 Memorial Cup still in the CHL.

Over the past few weeks, Erie Otters head coach Kris Knoblauch has joined the Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant and Windsor Spitfires head coach Rocky Thompson has taken over head coaching duties of the AHLs' Chicago Wolves.

The Sea Dogs coaching staff has had a departure though with assistant Paul Boutilier joining the AHL's Belleville Senators as an assistant.

Renewal rate

The Sea Dogs announced this past week that 97% of season tickets have been renewed for the 2017-18 season. It's the highest renewal rate prior to July 1 in team history.

“We are so pleased with our season ticket renewal rate,” said Ben Zayandehroudi, vice-president of ticket sales and marketing, in a press release.”The response to this year’s early renewal deadline has been tremendous. Season Ticket Members have provided positive feedback on our new, innovative programs as well.

“This puts us on track to increase our season ticket base from last season. We have the best fans in the Q!”

The Victoriaville newspaper La Nouvelle recently compared season ticket prices around the QMJHL. Rouyn-Noranda ain't cheap.

Mayer re-signs

Former Sea Dogs goaltender Robert Mayer has signed an extension with Swiss league team Genève-Servette HC through the 2020-21 season.

Mayer has spent the past three seasons with the National League A club. Last season he posted a 2.53 goals against average and a .926 save percentage in 49 games.

The 26-year-old spent two seasons with the Sea Dogs from 2007 to 2009, posting a 42-39 record to go along with a 3.41 GAA and .893 SV%.

NOTEBOOK: Sea Dogs return home

SAINT JOHN - The Sea Dogs returned home from the 2017 Memorial Cup on Saturday afternoon and were welcomed back by a group of fans at Saint John Airport.

Team president and general manager Trevor Georgie spoke to the crowd that greeted the Dogs home.


CBC New Brunswick spoke to some players when they returned to Harbour Station.

TOURNAMENT LEADERS
Julien Gauthier ended up leading Saint John in Memorial Cup scoring, recording two goals and four assists for six points in four games. His four assists also led the team.

Joe Veleno finished with the Sea Dogs lead in goals, registering three. Veleno was held pointless in his first two games but posted three goals and an assist in his final two.

Mathieu Joseph finished second on the team in points with five (two goals and three assists) while Thomas Chabot and Spencer Smallman had two goals and two assists each.

SOLD OUT
After a tournament full of empty seats, the WFCU Centre was sold out for Sunday's Memorial Cup final between the host Windsor Spitfires and the OHL champion Erie Otters.

Tickets were apparently sold out by Thursday morning. The Spitfires clinched a spot in the championship game on Wednesday night.

Tickets were going for as much as $1,000 on Kijiji, according to AM 800.

ALL-STARS
Here's the Memorial Cup tournament all-stars:

The 2017 #MCMemorialCup All-Star Team includes Vilardi, DeBrincat, T. Raddysh, D. Raddysh, Sergachev and DiPietro. pic.twitter.com/rF7gUECuKY

— CanadianHockeyLeague (@CHLHockey) May 29, 2017

All players are either from the Spitfires or Otters.

Erie's Dylan Strome was named tournament MVP.

Windsor Spitfires win 2017 Memorial Cup

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The Windsor Spitfires are 2017 Memorial Cup champions.

The Spitfires won their third Canadian Hockey League championship with a 4-3 victory over the Erie Otters on Sunday night at the WFCU Centre.

The victory ended a perfect run for the Spits at the Memorial Cup, going 4-0 with two wins over Erie to go along with victories over Saint John and Seattle. Windsor has now won 12 straight Memorial Cup games going back to 2012.

It was a thrilling game with both teams leading at certain points and neither leading by more than a goal.

Windsor's Aaron Luchuk scored what proved to be the game winner at 5:07 of the third period. The Otters had some terrific offensive pressure happening throughout the third but could not beat Spitfires goaltender Michael DiPietro, who was by far the best netminder in the tournament.

The Otters came this close to tying it late:

This game. #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/0X78hachVr

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 29, 2017

The loss ends quite a run for the Otters, who completed their fourth straight 50-win season. They still won the OHL title this year (their only title during this four-year run), which is impressive.

Chabot named CHL Defenceman of the Year

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Thomas Chabot has been named the Canadian Hockey League's Defenceman of the Year.

This afternoon's announcement wasn't a huge shock. Chabot has been considered one of the best players in junior hockey all year, winning the MVP award at the world juniors, QMJHL playoff MVP award, and the QMJHL Defenceman of the Year award.

From a CHL press release:

Ottawa Senators prospect Thomas Chabot of the Saint John Sea Dogs is the CHL’s Defenceman of the Year after scoring 10 goals and 35 assists for 45 points in just 34 games played. The 20-year-old from Ste-Marie-de-Beauce, QC, was also a member of Canada’s National Junior Team earning a silver medal and Tournament MVP honours at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. The 18th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft helped the Sea Dogs to a first place finish in the QMJHL this season. Finalists for the award were Edmonton Oilers prospect Ethan Bear of the Seattle Thunderbirds and Darren Raddysh of the Erie Otters.

The 20-year-old recorded two goals and two assists in four games at this year's Memorial Cup.

Chabot is the first Sea Dog to win the award. He's the first QMJHL player to win the honour since Moncton's David Savard in 2010.

Here's the full list of CHL Award winners:

Top Prospect: Nolan Patrick, Brandon Wheat Kings
Top Scorer: Sam Steel, Regina Pats
Sportsman of the Year: Nick Suzuki, Owen Sound Attack
Humanitarian of the Year: Tyler Wong, Lethbridge Hurricanes
Scholastic Player of the Year: Sasha Chmelevski, Ottawa 67’s
Coach of the Year: Ryan McGill, Owen Sound Attack
Rookie of the Year: Nico Hischier, Halifax Mooseheads
Goaltender of the Year: Michael McNiven, Owen Sound Attack
Defenceman of the Year: Thomas Chabot, Saint John Sea Dogs
Player of the Year: Alex DeBrincat, Erie Otters

Sea Dogs head coach Danny Flynn was nominated for the CHL Coach of the Year Award.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 6-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Erie 6

WINDSOR, Ont. - That's all she wrote for the Saint John Sea Dogs' 2016-17 season.

The Sea Dogs' season came to an end on Friday night in Windsor, falling 6-3 to the OHL champion Erie Otters in the Memorial Cup semifinal.

It was a hard fought game - unlike the first time these two met - in what was arguably the best game of the tournament so far. Saint John's penalty kill was excellent and kept them in the game as the Otters were awarded seven power play opportunities.

Erie's power plays allowed them dominant much of the second period, outshooting Saint John 17-4. Despite the lopsided shot total, the game was tied 2-2 after two periods. But the Otters scored two quick goals in the third period en route to a 6-3 victory.

Taylor Raddysh scored twice for Erie while singles came from Darren Raddysh, Dylan Strome, German Poddubnyi and Warren Foegele. Troy Timpano made 20 saves in the victory.

Joe Veleno, Julien Gauthier and Thomas Chabot all scored for Saint John. Callum Booth made 31 saves in the loss.

To the notes...

• Saint John nearly opened the scoring while shorthanded early in the first period when Mathieu Joseph fed Simon Bourque in front. But DeBrincat pulled the puck off the goal line to keep it scoreless.
• Erie opened the scoring at 9:56 when Darren Raddysh made a great play in front, spinning around in front of the net and roofing the puck over a down Booth.
• Saint John tied things at 1-1 at 14:10 when Veleno batted in a rebound of a Spencer Smallman shot.
• The Otters were dominant at puck possession at times early in the second, forcing Booth to make some nice saves.
• Imama went to the box at 10:39 for a check from behind. On the power play at 10:57, an Anthony Cirelli shot was stopped but a rebound was produced. Taylor Raddysh was in the slot to put it in after a scramble, making it 2-1 Otters.
• Then Chabot headed off for a penalty. Then Highmore. Then Chabot again. Erie had plenty of pressure on all three power plays but could not add to their lead.
• Then at 18:51, it looked as though the Otters were getting a power play, so Booth skated to the bench. Taylor Raddysh grabbed the puck but no whistle was blown. Raddysh entered the zone and fired the puck past an unprepared Booth, appearing to make it 3-1. But the goal was called off, as there was indeed an Erie penalty.
• On the ensuing power play, Matthew Highmore was at the dot and fed Joseph down low. Joseph then tapped the puck to Gauthier who beat Timpano, tying the gam at 2-2 at 19:18.
• Just 2:38 into the third, Strome went around Chase Stewart and beat Booth with a low wrist shot, giving the Otters the lead back.
• Then at 3:45, Saint John turned the puck over in the corner. Ivan Lodnia grabbed the puck and fed Poddubnyi in front who beat Booth blocker side. 
• On another power play at 12:31, Taylor Raddysh was near the goal line and slid the puck between a down Booth and the post, making it 5-2 Erie.
• The Sea Dogs didn't go away, though. At 16:28, Gauthier was along the boards and found Chabot streaking in. Chabot fired the puck past Timpano just before running over the Erie goaltender, making it a 5-3 game.
• The Dogs had Booth pulled for a while but could not net the equalizer. At 19:26, Foegele hit the empty net to make it a 6-3 final.
• The first period was a bit different than Monday's match between the two where the Otters were up 5-2 and outshot Saint John 17-4.
• Erie's power play heavy second period gave them a 17-4 shot advantage over Saint John in the frame.
• Chabot took three minor penalties in the game.

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.

Memorial Cup Game Day: at Erie

The Saint John Sea Dogs and Erie Otters meet in the Memorial Cup semifinal tonight at 8 p.m. at Windsor's WFCU Centre. Game time is 8 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Sportsnet and TVA Sports/96.1 NewSong FM/SN Now and CHL Live

Tournament status: The Sea Dogs are 1-2 following loses to Windsor and Erie and a win over Seattle. Erie is 2-1 following wins over Saint John and Seattle and a loss to Windsor.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-0 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds on Tuesday at WFCU Centre. Joe Veleno scored twice for Saint John while Chase Stewart, Mathieu Joseph, Spencer Smallman, Cole Reginato and Bokondji Imama added singles. Callum Booth made 31 saves in the shutout victory. The Otters are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Windsor Spitfires on Wednesday. Kyle Maksimovich and Taylor Raddysh scored for Erie. Troy Timpano made 15 saves in the loss.

Head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1 all-time against the Otters while Erie is 1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: You all remember what happened.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Otters: None.

Random stat: Neither of these teams have ever won a Memorial Cup semifinal game. The Otters lost to Victoriaville in 2002 and Saint John lost to Shawinigan in 2012. The Sea Dogs did not play in the semifinal game in 2011.

Otters expecting a different Sea Dogs team in Friday's semifinal

WINDSOR, Ont. - The Erie Otters are expecting to see a much different Saint John Sea Dogs team on Friday.

The Sea Dogs suffered their worst loss of the 2016-17 season in Monday's round robin game against the Otters, falling 12-5. Erie head coach Kris Knoblauch isn't expecting to see a similar game in Friday's Memorial Cup semifinal.

"It's going to be a completely different team," Knoblauch said on Thursday of the Sea Dogs. "We're not going to be scoring 12 goals. I wouldn't be surprised that, if we're going to win this game, it's going to be a 2-1 game. I expect a completely different team."

Knoblauch spoke to the media a day after the Otters fell 4-2 to the Windsor Spitfires in the final game of the round robin. The loss placed Erie into Friday's semifinal while Windsor earned an automatic berth into Sunday's championship game.

While Erie dominated puck possession at times on Wednesday against Windsor, they were unable to dig themselves out of the hole they got into. The game was much different than Erie's first two of the tournament, which the Otters had a fairly easy time with.

"We're confident. We feel good," said Knoblauch. "We're disappointed in our effort from that last game but we knew when we came here we had to win four games to win the Memorial Cup and we're still in that position."

Sea Dogs to play Otters in semifinal

WINDSOR, Ont. - The Saint John Sea Dogs will have a rematch with the Erie Otters on Friday.

The OHL champion Otters defeated the Windsor Spitfires 4-2 in the final round robin game of the Memorial Cup on Wednesday at WFCU Centre. The result means the host Spitfires earn a berth in Sunday's championship game while the Otters will play the Sea Dogs in Friday' semifinal.

The Spitfires scored twice in the first period and added another early in the second. While the Otters applied steady offensive pressure several times throughout the game, the result never really felt in doubt for Windsor.

Jeremiah Addison scored a hat trick while Mikhail Sergachev added the other. Kyle Maksimovich and Taylor Raddysh scored Erie's goals. Windsor goaltender Michael DiPietro was excellent in net, making 33 saves in the victory. Erie's Troy Timpano made 15 stops in the loss.

The Windsor victory gives the Spitfires an impressive 11 straight Memorial Cup wins dating back to the team's championship run in 2009.

We're streaking!#OHL clubs continuing impressive runs at #MCMemorialCup.

GAME 6 PREVIEW: https://t.co/uckK1EfM2P pic.twitter.com/I7BJ8kY4VZ

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) May 24, 2017

Most will not forget the previous meeting between the Sea Dogs and Otters, which took place on Monday. Erie had little trouble with Saint John, dominating much of the game in a 12-5 victory.

The winner of Friday's game will, obviously, play the Spits on Sunday.

Game time for Friday's do-or-die semifinal is 8 p.m. The game can be seen coast-to-coast on Sportsnet.

Misspelled Saint John merchandise replaced at Memorial Cup

WINDSOR, Ont. - Saint John Sea Dogs - not St. John Sea Dogs - merchandise could be found around the WFCU Centre on Wednesday.

Earlier in the week, a shirt and puck with the Sea Dogs logo and the misspelling of "Saint John" to "St. John" could be found on the shelves at Memorial Cup merchandise stands.

Here's the puck, which was included in a stack of four featuring each participating team:

Sigh pic.twitter.com/kjXakDvRnq

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) May 21, 2017

Here's the shirt:

@MCMemorialCup This is not the proper spelling of City the Sea Dogs are from. It should be Saint John! How to correct it??? pic.twitter.com/hwrvVT6OpM

— Anne Hirtle (@anne_hirtle) May 22, 2017

Each participating team has this style of shirt available. The St. John ones had, presumably, been pulled from shelves, leaving the team with very little merchandise compared to the other teams.

NOTEBOOK: Sea Dogs will find out semifinal opponent tonight

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WINDSOR, Ont. - The Saint John Sea Dogs will find out who their Memorial Cup semifinal opponent is tonight.

The Sea Dogs advanced to Friday's semifinal game with a big 7-0 victory over the WHL champion Seattle Thunderbirds last night at WFCU Centre. Saint John will play the loser of tonight's game between the Erie Otters and Windsor Spitfires. The winner of tonight's match will advance directly to Sunday's championship game.

Tonight's game will be a heavyweight tilt between the two teams that have been by far the best at this year's tournament. Both are 2-0 with Erie outscoring opponents 16-7 and Windsor outscoring teams 10-3.

Erie and Windsor met four times during the regular season. Here are the results:

Sept. 22: Erie 1, Windsor 4
Dec. 16: Windsor 3, Erie 4
Feb 12: Windsor 4, Erie 5 (SO)
March 9: Erie 4, Windsor 2

Although the game will played in the Spitfires' building, the Otters will be the home team tonight.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 7-0

FINAL: Seattle 0, Saint John 7

WINDSOR, Ont. - That's more like it.

The Saint John Sea Dogs looked a lot more like the Saint John Sea Dogs on Tuesday at the Memorial Cup in Windsor, defeating the WHL champion Seattle Thunderbirds 7-0. The result moves Saint John into Friday's semifinal game where they'll play the loser of Wednesday's match between the Erie Otters and Windsor Spitfires.

After a scoreless first period, the Sea Dogs cranked up the offence in the second, scoring six goals on just 14 shots. That included three goals in a 53-second span.

Joe Veleno scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Chase Stewart, Mathieu Joseph, Spencer Smallman, Cole Reginato and Bokondji Imama all scored for the Sea Dogs. Callum Booth stopped all 31 shots he faced in the win.

The Thunderbirds' loss ends their season. They went 0-3 at the Memorial Cup.

Seattle goaltender Carl Stankowski was pulled after allowing four goals on 14 shots. Rylan Toth allowed three goals on 14 shots in relief.

To the notes...

• Saint John had their best start of the tournament - by far. On his first shift of the game, Chabot nearly opened the scoring but hit the crossbar.
• Eansor had Seattle's best chance of the period during some four-on-four play, taking the puck away from Saint John and entering the zone all alone. Eansor managed to get the puck through Booth but it trickled just wide of the post.
• Veleno opened the scoring at 1:14 of the second period. After Seattle failed to clear the puck, Veleno fired a wrist shot that beat Stankowski clean, giving Saint John a 1-0 lead.
• Saint John made it 2-0 at 14:04 when Jakub Zboril skated behind the net and fed Stewart in front. Stewart jammed the puck past Stankowski for his fourth goal of the entire season.
• Then at 14:19, Joseph ripped a wrist shot past past the Seattle netminder's blocker, making it 3-0. The goal was reviewed for offside but called a good goal.
• Saint John quickly made it 4-0 at 14:57 when, after some nice work from Julien Gauthier behind the net, Smallman backhanded the puck past the Seattle netminder.
• The Sea Dogs' fourth goal ended Stankowski's night. He was replaced by Toth for the second straight game.
• At 16:29, Saint John scored to make it 5-0. Simon Bourque was along the wall and threw the puck in front for Reginato. The Saint John captain had an empty net to keep the Dogs' downpour coming.
• Then at 17:13, Imama was in the slot and got spun around. The veteran forward was still able to get a hard wrist shot off while falling to a knee, making it 6-0 Saint John.
• At 6:21 of the third, Matthew Highmore drove to the net but was stopped by Toth. Veleno was there though and put in the rebound, making it 7-0 Sea Dogs.
• Veleno's goal came on his first shot of the Memorial Cup.
• There was an issue with the glass in the second period which caused a delay.
• This is the most goals Saint John has ever scored in a Memorial Cup game.
• Seattle didn't use their timeout until Saint John scored their fifth goal.
• Imama and Matthew Highmore each had two assists.
• The CHL did not suspend Zboril after he was given a game misconduct during Monday's game.

NOTEBOOK: Sea Dogs look for big rebound in do or die game tonight

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WINDSOR, Ont. - Saint John Sea Dogs head coach Danny Flynn tried to explain his team's 12-5 loss to the Erie Otters following the game last night.

"We knew how tough it would be," said Flynn. "Our passing and our decisions with the puck have been well below average. In a tournament like this you've got to make good reads and you've got to move the puck. We've turned pucks over we've mishandled pucks. They must have stolen 30 pucks from us tonight.

"It was a strange game. They got five on the power play. We got five (goals) throughout the game. Usually when you score five goals at a Memorial Cup you're in the game - we weren't in the game."

Flynn said the team will try and throw that game away and move on from it as quickly as possible. The team will have to move on quickly from it, playing a do or die game this evening against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

"We've got a sudden death game (Tuesday)," said Flynn. "We've got a great group of kids. They hate to lose. I think we were a little surprised at how good the teams are in this tournament. I think we've been on our heels a little bit, especially when they scored first shot today. We've got to regroup. Those two games are gone. We have to do what Windsor did in Rimouski when they went 0-2, win that third game and live to fight another die."

Game time tonight is 8 p.m. The winner will play in Friday's semifinal against the loser of tomorrow's Erie/Windsor game.

D'ORIO IN
When Alex D'Orio took over for Callum Booth in the Saint John net, it was his first game action since March 18. D'Orio did not play at all in the QMJHL playoffs.

It looked as though D'Orio was going to come in earlier than he did, but Booth quickly retook the net. Flynn explained the move after the game.

"I was trying to buy a little time," the coach said. "By putting the backup goalie in - young guy, good goalie - who hasn't played for quite a while, I was going to try to put him in, slow the game down. Then I elected just to call a time out and talk to them at length rather than put the goalie in and try and get a quick message. I knew the game was slipping as it was and I wasn't worried about the time out late in the game or anything like that. I wanted a longer time to talk to them so I put Callum back in."

Last night's game was the first time Booth had been pulled since allowing four goals on 21 first period shots on Feb. 22 against Bathurst. Saint John ended up losing that game 8-7 in overtime.

Memorial Cup Game Day: vs Thunderbirds

It's do or die for the Saint John Sea Dogs (0-2) and Seattle Thunderbirds (0-2) tonight at the Memorial Cup. The winner of tonight's 8 p.m. match will advance to Friday's semifinal while the loser will head home.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Sportsnet and TVA Sports/96.1 NewSong FM/SN NOW and CHL Live

Tournament status: The Thunderbirds and Sea Dogs are both 0-2 at this year's Memorial Cup. The winner tonight will advance to Friday's semifinal while the loser will be eliminated. The winner will play the loser of Wednesday's Windsor/Erie game in the semifinal.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a disastrous 12-5 loss to the Erie Otters last night at the WFCU Centre. Cedric Pare scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Mathieu Joseph, Spencer Smallman and Julien Gauthier. Callum Booth was pulled after allowing five goals on 14 shots. Alex D'Orio allowed seven goals on 25 shots in relief. The Thunderbirds are coming off a rough 7-1 loss to the Windsor Spitfires on Sunday. Keegan Kolesar scored Seattle's lone goal. Carl Stankowski was pulled after allowing three goals on six shots. Rylan Toth allowed four goals on 18 shots in relief.

Head-to-head: This is the first ever meeting between the two teams.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Thunderbirds: None.

Random stat: Saint John's penalty kill, which has been so good all year, has allowed six goals on 11 chances so far in this tournament. Five of Erie's goals last night came on the power play.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 12-5

FINAL: Erie 12, Saint John 5

WINDSOR, Ont. - The Saint John Sea Dogs were on the wrong side of history.

The Sea Dogs suffered one of the worst loses in Memorial Cup history on Monday at the WFCU Centre, losing 12-5 to the OHL champion Erie Otters. The loss drops the QMJHL champion Sea Dogs to 0-2 at this year's tournament while the Otters improved to 2-0.

New #MCMemorialCup record - Erie's 12th goal, another by Dylan Strome, sets a new mark. Breaking the record from '74 & '80.

— Loosepucks (@loosepucks) May 23, 2017

It's difficult to put the Sea Dogs' performance into words. The team has underperformed at this year's tournament and has not at all looked like the squad that cruised (for the most part) through the QMJHL post-season.

Like Friday's tournament opener, Saint John got off to a rough start. It looked like the team might rebound this time, quickly tying the game after an early Erie goal, but the Otters kept grabbing momentum and never let go. Even when it looked like the Dogs might have a chance to get back into it in the first frame, Erie kept pouncing.

If there is good news for the Sea Dogs it's that they are still very much alive in the tournament. A 12-5 loss or 2-1 overtime loss on Monday would have put them in the same position tomorrow. A win Tuesday against the Seattle Thunderbirds will book them a trip to the Friday's semifinal game. A loss, however, would mean an end to their season.

Dylan Strome had four goals for Erie while Darren Raddysh and Taylor Raddysh each had twice. Singles came from Kyle Maksimovich, Alex DeBrincat, Anthony Cirelli and Ivan Lodnia. Troy Timpano made 18 saves in the loss.

Cedric Pare scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Julien Gauthier, Spencer Smallman and Mathieu Joseph. Callum Booth was pulled after allowing five goals on 14 shots. Alex D'Orio allowed seven goals on 25 shots in the loss.

To the notes...

• Just 1:06 in, Taylor Raddysh scored on Erie's first shot of the game, making it 1-0 Otters.
• Saint John tied the game at 5:43 on their first shot. Matt Green fed Pare down low and the Sea Dogs' rookie beat Timpano upstairs to tie it at 1-1.
• Erie quickly retook the lead at 6:40. A Darren Radddysh point shot went off a Saint John stick and deflected past Booth's glove.
• Then at 8:33, a Maksimovich shot beat Booth glove side, making it 3-1 Otters.
• Erie made it 4-1 at 10:11 when Strome finished off a two-on-one, blasting a one-timer past an outstretched Booth. The goal was reviewed for offside but ruled a good goal.
• Joseph got Saint John back on the board at 13:32, firing a shot past Timpano thanks to a nice feed from Chabot.
• Just when it looked like Saint John would gain some momentum, Cirelli scored on a wraparound at 16:27, making it 5-2 Otters.
• That would end Booth's night, who allowed five goals on 14 shots. D'Orio took over and made three saves in the final few minutes of the period.
• Saint John got off to a good start in the second, creating a couple of quality chances. But Erie quickly got good chances of their own, forcing D'Orio to make some big pad saves.
• Erie went to a five-on-three power play at 6:40 when Saint John was called for too many men. At 6:48, Taylor Raddysh made it 6-2 Otters.
• Then at 8:26, Taylor Raddysh fed Strome who was streaking in, making it 7-2 Otters.
• With 10:05 remaining in the period, Joseph was awarded a penalty shot. On his attempt, Joseph made a nice move to his backhand but was denied by Timpano.
• Smallman made it a 7-3 game at 17:52, scoring with a wrist shot from the bottom of the circle.
• Chabot was called for holding at 18:00. On a power play at 18:47, DeBrincat scored to make it an 8-2 game.
• Then with eight seconds remaining in the period and Erie still on the power play, Darren Raddysh ripped a shot from the top of the circle that beat D'Orio upstairs, making it a 9-3 Erie lead after two periods.
• Strome scored his third of the game at 5:32 of the third, ripping a hard shot from the slot past D'Orio. That made it 11-3.
• Strome then scored his fourth at 13:20, making it 12-3.
• Saint John got a couple goals late. Pare scored at 14:29 and Gauthier at 15:22, making it a 12-5 final.
• Erie had more goals (five) than Saint John had shots (four) in the first period.
• As bad as Saint John was defensively in the opening period, the Dogs managed to score two goals on their first three shots on the game.
• Saint John allowed 11 first period goals in the entire QMJHL playoffs.
• The 17 total goals scored was a Memorial Cup record.
• There were six players from the Canadian world junior team in this game: Thomas Chabot, Julian Gauthier, Mathieu Joseph, Anthony Cirelli, Taylor Raddysh and Dylan Strome.
• There were 18 NHL drafted or signed players in this game.