Notebook: Fullerton's impressive season

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Angelo Fullerton is ending his junior career on a high note.

The 20-year-old forward has scored nine goals in his past nine games to give him 25 of the season, which is currently the Saint John Sea Dogs team lead. He's also posted 18 assists in the 59 games he has appeared in.

Fullerton spent the previous three seasons with the Cape Breton Eagles, who he and the Sea Dogs will visit for a pair of games this weekend. His previous career high for points in a season was 16. His previous high for goals was nine.

The Quispamsis native has more goals and points this season than his previous three seasons combined.

He's offensive contributions have likely exceeded expectations. Fullerton attended Sea Dogs training camp on a loan from the Eagles and was later acquired for a sixth-round pick.

Fullerton and fellow overagers Julien Wasmer and Maxime Côté were honoured before Saint John's final regular season home game this past Saturday.

ATTENDANCE IS IN

Saint John's final attendance figures are in – and they're positive.

Saint John will finish the regular season with an average attendance of 3,273 fans per game, a significant increase over last season's average of 2,811. This is Saint John's best attendance figure since the 2019-20 season when the team averaged 3,345 fans per game.

The Sea Dogs currently own the sixth best average attendance in the QMJHL. They haven't finished higher than fifth since the 2021-22 season.

Saint John had two big home crowds to end the season. Announced attendance for last Friday's game was 5,093 while Saturday's was 6,150 – which was a sell out. The Saturday crowd was the largest since the 2017-18 season (6,165).

The team is inching closer to those pre-pandemic totals, which is good news.

Sea Dogs attendance on the rise

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs are poised to have their best season at the box office since before the pandemic.

With three home games remaining, the Sea Dogs are averaging 3,109 fans per game, a number that will likely increase when their home schedule concludes on March 14. The last few home games of the regular season are typically some of the most attended.

The Sea Dogs averaged 2,811 fans per game last season, which was an increase from the previous year. This will be the second straight year that Saint John's attendance has increased, a positive sign especially given that the on-ice product has continued to struggle.

As has been written about at length in recent seasons, the Sea Dogs are one of the only teams in the CHL that hasn't fully rebounded at the gate post-pandemic. The team is likely to come close to that 2019-20 average this season.

Season	Total	Average
2015-16	123,399	3,629 (4th)
2016-17	142,829	4,201 (3rd)
2017-18	144,723	4,257 (4th)
2018-19	116,511	3,427 (5th)
2019-20	107,042	3,345 (6th)*
2020-21	25,123	1,478 (3rd)**
2021-22	89,846	2,643 (5th)***
2022-23	100,536	2,957 (7th)
2023-24	93,850	2,760 (8th)
2024-25	89,948	2,811 (10th)

*Final two home games cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

**All 17 home games played under COVID-19 capacity restrictions

***Three home games played under COVID-19 capacity restrictions

Saint John's full all-time attendance figures can be found here.

The Sea Dogs currently sit sixth in league attendance, trailing Quebec (9,106), Halifax (7,952), Newfoundland (5,061), Moncton (4,863) and Chicoutimi (3,459).

While attendance at TD Station is up, winning on home ice has been a problem. The Sea Dogs have a home record of 10-17-2-0, which is the fourth worst in the QMJHL.

Saint John finished 12-20-0-0 at TD Station in 2024-25.

The Sea Dogs will be in tough on Wednesday night when they host the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, who sit fourth overall in the QMJHL standings. Saint John closes out their home schedule March 13-14 when they host the Halifax Mooseheads for a pair of games.

Notebook: Murnieks, Latvia almost upset Canada again

Tim Austen/IIHF

On the one-year anniversary of Eriks Mateiko's shootout winner against Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship, Team Latvia almost pulled off another massive upset.

The Latvians pushed the Canadians as much as they could, sending the match into overtime where Michael Hage scored the winner on a power play, giving Canada a 2-1 win.

The Latvians did an excellent job at limiting quality scoring chances. Like last year, Latvia hung around and scored late in the third period to send the match into extra time. This year though, they didn't have quite enough to get the win.

As expected, Saint John Sea Dogs forward Olivers Murnieks was Latvia's top line centre. He played 19:38, recording one shot and going 15-15 in the faceoff circle.

Despite the loss, this result will no doubt give the Latvians some confidence. They play Finland on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Atlantic.

BEVERIDGE TRADE

The Sea Dogs made their second deal of the trade period on Saturday, sending forward Egan Beveridge to the Quebec Remparts in exchange for forward Félix Pronovost and a 2027 sixth-round pick.

Here's what team president and general manager Trevor Georgie had to say about the trade in a news release.

“We are sad to see Egan go but are excited for him to get a fresh start in Quebec,” said Georgie. “He is an outstanding young man and he will be missed around the team and in the community. We wish him the very best.”

The Sea Dogs do not play the Remparts again this season.

Notebook: The Beaulieu/Murphy fight

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Jacob Beaulieu is getting plenty of praise for his fight against Will Murphy during Saturday's game against the Cape Breton Eagles.

Beaulieu, listed at 5'9" and 175 lbs, dropped the gloves with Murphy, listed at 6'4" and 211 lbs, during the first period. Both players were given fighting majors and game misconducts.

The game was 1-1 at the time and the Saint John Sea Dogs went on to lose the game 7-3. Saint John allowed four goals in the second period and were outshot 17-8.

After the game, the fight brought this interesting response from Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard, calling his team's response "sad."

Really interesting comments from Travis Crickard on Jacob Beaulieu’s fight with Will Murphy.

Calls his team’s response to the fight “sad.” pic.twitter.com/nT3hf5nXoz

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) November 30, 2025

DUFOUR DEBUTS

William Dufour made his Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins debut on Friday.

Dufour had one shot and was a +1 in the Penguins' 4-1 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He played on the team's third line with Aidan McDonough and Gabe Klassen. 

Former Sea Dogs forward Boko Imama was also in the Penguins' lineup. Raivis Ansons did not dress.

On Saturday, Dufour posted three shots and was a -2 in the Penguins' 6-2 loss to the Hershey Bears. Imama also played in that game, recording 14 penalty minutes.

Dufour has been on a professional tryout with the Penguins for a few weeks. These were his first AHL games since last season's Calder Cup Playoffs.

GLANCE SCORES VS CHL

17-year-old forward Jamie Glance, a sixth-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft, scored twice in the USNTDP's victory over Team CHL in this year's CHL USA Prospects Challenge.

Glance had an empty net goal in the United States' 4-2 win over Team CHL in the opening game and then scored again as the Americans fell 4-3 in the second game. The USA won the event by scoring in "super overtime."

Jamie Glance gives USA a 3-1 lead on the power-play! pic.twitter.com/uQwoeKRI23

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 27, 2025

Glance is in his second year with the USNTDP and is committed to Boston University for the 2027-28 season.

Sea Dogs attendance off to promising start

If it's felt like TD Station has been a bit more full at this time of year compared to recent seasons, that's because it has been.

After 11 home games, the Sea Dogs are averaging 2,789 fans per game – the team's best average at this point in the season since pre-pandemic times.

Now, it's tough to compare seasons at this point given that schedules are always different, the weather is all over the place, etc. Having said that, this is a positive sign, especially given that crowds typically get larger as the season moves along.

Here's a look at how this year's numbers compare to the previous four post-pandemic seasons.

Season	After 11 GP	Season End
2021-22	2,392 (7th)	2,643 (5th)
2022-23	2,532 (7th)	2,957 (7th)
2023-24	2,765 (7th)	2,760 (8th)
2024-25	2,348 (12th)	2,811 (10th)
2025-26	2,789 (8th)	TBD

This season's numbers are still nothing to brag about, but it's good to see that things are moving in the right direction (at this point, anyways). Hopefully the numbers continue to improve as the on-ice product does.

The Sea Dogs are one of the few CHL teams that have never fully bounced back from the pandemic. Before COVID, Saint John's worst average attendance was 3,345 fans per game.

The league average is currently 3,269 fans per game. That number has been boosted by the addition of the Newfoundland Regiment, who currently sit third in average attendance with a mark of 4,952.

Notebook: Back-to-back coming up

Mike Bernard/Charlottetown Islanders

After playing five straight games against Quebec teams, the Saint John Sea Dogs will get a major taste of the Maritimes coming up.

The Sea Dogs will play their next seven games against just three teams: they'll face the Moncton Wildcats three times and the Charlottetown Islanders and Cape Breton Eagles both twice.

Six of those seven games will be played at home (which includes the Nov. 30 game in Fredericton), a stretch that begins Thursday and Friday when the Sea Dogs host the Islanders and Wildcats, respectively. 

The Islanders sit first in the Eastern Conference but have been on a slide of late, going 4-5-0-1 in their past 10 games. They've played 23 games already, tying them for the most in the league.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, continue to struggle with consistency. They sit fourth in the Eastern Conference with most of their troubles coming on home ice. They're an impressive 8-2-1-0 away from Avenir Centre, which may not be good news for the Sea Dogs on Friday.

This is an oddly scheduled week for the Sea Dogs. They'll play Thursday and Friday night and then have both Saturday and Sunday off.

MONCTONIAN RECAP

A couple Sea Dogs prospects were in action at this year's Monctonian.

Forward Eliot Tozer, a 12th-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, finished with a goal and five assists in three games with the Saint John Vito's. Tozer, who is wearing an 'A' for the Vito's this season, finished in a tie for the team's scoring lead.

The Vito's went 2-1-0 at this year's tournament.

In 15 regular season games, Tozer has seven goals and six assists.

Goaltender Jase MacPherson and the Kensington Wild, meanwhile, went 2-0-1. MacPherson, a second-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year's draft, went 1-0-1 with a 2.18 goals against average. Shots on goal were not recorded at the event.

In eight regular season games, MacPherson is 5-3 with a 2.96 GAA and .896 save percentage. He's also appeared in one game with the MHL's Summerside Western Capitals.

Opening weekend is in the books

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - What a difference a year can make.

Just five players – Dylan Rozzi, William Yared, Elliot Dubé, Olivier Duhamel and Olivier Groulx – who skated in the Saint John Sea Dogs' season opener a year ago played in Friday's 2025-26 opening contest. That doesn't include Justin Robinson, who was the backup goaltender in last year's opener.

The comparison shows the significant roster overhaul the Sea Dogs conducted over the off-season. On the backend, Duhamel is the only returning defensemen from last year's team.

Seven players made their QMJHL debuts on Friday: Cameron Chartrand, Alexander Donovan, Oskar Drabczynski, Olivers Murnieks, Vincent Croteau, Alexis Joseph and Patryk Zubek. On Saturday, goaltender Rafaël Courchesne saw his first QMJHL action when he relieved Robinson in the second period.

There are still a few debuts (likely) to come. Rookie forward Alexis Gauthier was a healthy scratch in both games while defensemen Everett Baldwin, who is away at Tampa Bay Lightning training camp, and Max Vilén, who has not yet joined the team, are all expected to debut at some point.

A few other notes from the weekend...

• Speaking of Baldwin, he'll likely be a key piece of Saint John's power play this season. The Sea Dogs went 0/4 on the man advantage in Friday's game and 0/3 on Saturday.
• Lots of hype around Saint John's newcomers, but it was all returning players scoring this weekend: Dubé (two), Duhamel, Yared, Zachary Morin and Matthew Krayer. Groulx and Rozzi each recorded two assists.
• The only rookie to record a point this weekend was import Olivers Murnieks, who posted three assists. He looked pretty impressive at times. He also won 19 of 36 faceoffs (52.8%).
• Have to think Courchesne will get a start next weekend in Halifax. The rookie netminder stopped 16 of 17 shots in nearly 32 minutes of action on Saturday.
• He didn't find the scoresheet, but Alexis Joseph was certainly noticeable (and not just because of his size). The points will come. 
• After watching him in the pre-season and this weekend, it's safe to say Egan Beveridge has entered his prime pest era. Felt like something was happening every time he was on the ice.
• Really like the new goal horn. Would like for it to be used more (during player intros, when players return for the second and third periods, etc.).
• Because their corrected Under Armour jerseys have yet to arrive, the Sea Dogs wore last year's CCM jerseys – but the CCM logos on the front and back were covered over. The Halifax Mooseheads had to do the same thing this weekend.
• I'm sure there is a reason (hopefully), but you just have to laugh at the City starting the Station Street construction just as hockey season gets going instead of, you know, any other time all summer.
• Slight bump in attendance for this year's opening weekend (total of 6,674) compared to last year (6,301).
• The Sea Dogs play back-to-back games in Halifax next weekend. They'll be back at TD Station on Sunday, Oct. 5 when they host the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, who are expected to be a contender this season.

Sea Dogs announce single-game ticket info

The Saint John Sea Dogs made a significant ticketing announcement on Tuesday.

The team shared on social media that single-game ticket prices for Sea Dogs home games have been lowered for the 2025-26 season – but there's a catch. The prices before taxes and fees have been lowered to make room for the additional Ticketmaster fees.

"Single-game tickets go on sale one week from today — now with lower prices to offset those extra Ticketmaster fees," wrote the team on social posts.

This will be the first season the Sea Dogs and TD Station use Ticketmaster, a platform famously known for its exuberant service fees.

It certainly looks like ticket prices will be pretty similar to last year. Here's what Saint John's single game ticket prices were for the 2024-25 season, before taxes and fees (which were much lower on the old ticketing platform).

Oddly, this is one of the first public announcements about TD Station using Ticketmaster. The building never made a formal announcement about the switch, which happened a few months ago.

While the additional fees are certainly annoying, there are some benefits with Ticketmaster. The platform is significantly more user friendly than the old ticketing system, especially on mobile.

Four of the six Atlantic QMJHL teams now use Ticketmaster. The Newfoundland Regiment and Charlottetown Islanders do not use it.

The Sea Dogs announced season ticket pricing back in July.

Season ticket prices, info released

At long last, the Saint John Sea Dogs have released some details on season ticket memberships for the 2025-26 season.

In an email sent to fans on July 30, the Sea Dogs announced that season tickets would go on sale to the general public on Aug. 6. 

Below are the all-in prices – which the team hasn't listed in the past – for 2025-26 season ticket memberships.

Adult — $575 

Senior (60+) — $495 

25U — $300

Prices for the last two seasons were $500 for adult; $430 for senior and $260 for under-25 – but those prices did NOT include taxes and fees.

Below are a few of this year's season ticket member benefits, which include a couple new features.

• Same seat — Enjoy every regular season home game from your favourite seat. 
• 20% off at Sea Dogs Store — Save all season long on merch. 
• Concessions vouchers — New and improved vouchers for discounts at TD Station concessions.
• Exclusive events — Receive invitations to special Season Ticket Member-only events including Season Kick-Off Barbecue, Skate with the Sea Dogs, and Bus Trip. 
• NEW Training Camp access — Get the first look at Sea Dogs prospects with exclusive access to Day 1 of our 2025 Training Camp. 
• Exclusive entry — Access our dedicated Season Ticket Member entrance on game days. 
• NEW Early arena access — Beat the rush on game days and get in early before the public.

Single game ticket prices have not yet been released. TD Station has made the switch to Ticketmaster and it will be interesting to see what kind of added fees are put on Sea Dogs tickets, which the platform is famous for.

As has been discussed several times, the Sea Dogs are one of the few teams that have not seen their attendance bounce back from the pandemic. The team averaged 2,811 fans per game last season, falling to 10th in the league.

With the on-ice product expected to start its upswing this season, hopefully there will be more fans in the building.

Notebook: Mateiko's season ends in a loss

Vincent Éthier / CHL

Eriks Mateiko and the Rimouski Oceanic were eliminated from the Memorial Cup on Wednesday, falling 6-2 to the Moncton Wildcats. The former Sea Dogs captain was the lone Sea Dogs alumnus participating in the event.

Wednesday's game was likely Mateiko's last in the QMJHL. Mateiko had a goal in three games at the tournament after posting seven goals and four assists in 18 playoff games. 

The Wildcats don't feature any former Sea Dogs players but do have a few former coaches on their staff – including Gardiner MacDougall.

The Wildcats face the London Knights in the Memorial Cup semifinal on Friday at 8 p.m. The winner advances to Sunday's championship game against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

PEDDLE NOT SIGNING

Tyler Peddle is reportedly about to become a free agent.

According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the Columbus Blue Jackets will not sign the Sea Dogs forward ahead of the June 1 deadline, making him a free agent. Peddle was a seventh-round pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Told #CBJ will not be signing F Tyler Peddle or F Martin Rysavy by the June 1 deadline, relinquishing their rights to the players.
Peddle, 20, was a 7th-round pick (No. 224 overall) in 2024, while Rysavy, 22, was a 7th-round pick (No. 197 overall) in 2021.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) May 24, 2025

Peddle joined the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, for a short period after Saint John's season ended. He did not appear in any AHL games.

Peddle is eligible to return to Saint John for his overage season. He posted 15 goals and 14 assists in 54 games this past season.

Sea Dogs fall to 10th in QMJHL attendance

The Saint John Sea Dogs saw a lot of small crowds once again this season.

The club averaged 2,811 fans per game during 2024-25, a slight increase from last year. This season was the first to feature 32 home games rather than the 34 the team has been playing for more than a decade.

For a fifth straight season, the Sea Dogs have tumbled down the league's attendance rankings, finishing 10th this past year. That places them behind markets like Shawinigan and Cape Breton and just above Charlottetown. A decade ago, it seemed impossible that the Sea Dogs and Islanders franchises would someday have similar attendance figures.

Here's a breakdown of Saint John's attendance numbers over the years.

Season	Total	Average
2005-06	156,694	4,477 (4th)
2006-07	134,354	3,839 (6th)
2007-08	139,214	3,978 (5th)
2008-09	133,613	3,930 (5th)
2009-10	140,779	4,141 (4th)
2010-11	152,237	4,478 (4th)
2011-12	155,060	4,561 (3rd)
2012-13	135,732	3,992 (4th)
2013-14	116,380	3,423 (5th)
2014-15	121,782	3,582 (5th)
2015-16	123,399	3,629 (4th)
2016-17	142,829	4,201 (3rd)
2017-18	144,723	4,257 (4th)
2018-19	116,511	3,427 (5th)
2019-20	107,042	3,345 (6th)*
2020-21	25,123	1,478 (3rd)**
2021-22	89,846	2,643 (5th)***
2022-23	100,536	2,957 (7th)
2023-24	93,850	2,760 (8th)
2024-25	89,948	2,811 (10th)

*Final two home games cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

**All 17 home games played under COVID-19 capacity restrictions

***Three home games played under COVID-19 capacity restrictions

Notebook: Chabot's WJC skates on display

Thomas Chabot's skates were on display at a Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit in Ottawa during this year's IIHF World Junior Championship.

Chabot, now a member of the Ottawa Senators, wore the skates during his impressive 2017 world junior tournament with Team Canada. The Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman was named tournament MVP after posting 10 points in seven games.

Canada's 2017 squad, which also featured Mathieu Joseph and Julien Gauthier, fell in a shootout to the United States in the gold medal game.

PLAYOFFS?

It's still early, but it's worth starting to take a peek at the QMJHL's playoff picture.

After a decent first half that saw the club enter the break with a .500 record, this four-game losing streak to start the second half has slid the Saint John Sea Dogs down the standings a couple spots. The Sea Dogs currently sit 13th overall with a 16-20-0-0 record for 32 points.

The top 16 teams make the playoffs. If the playoffs started today, Saint John would face the Moncton Wildcats.

The Halifax Mooseheads, who currently sit 16th, have 27 points. The Sea Dogs and Mooseheads will play a home-and-home this weekend.

ATTENDANCE WATCH

Attendance remains up in the QMJHL, according to the league.

Attendances in the #QMJHL are up 6.5% compared to this time last season!
To all our fans: THANK YOU!

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) January 7, 2025

In Saint John, where the Sea Dogs have lowered adult ticket prices to $20 for the second half, the team is averaging 2,434 fans per game after 17 home games. After 17 home games last year, the Sea Dogs averaged 2,621 fans per game. 

Sea Dogs drop prices for second half

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs are lowering ticket prices for the second half of the season.

The team made the announcement on Wednesday morning. Tickets have been showing at the reduced price on the TD Station website for a couple weeks.

From the team's news release:

In celebration of 20 seasons in Saint John and as a thank you to the community, we are happy to announce that adult tickets will be just $20 all in (taxes and fees included). This $20 ticket in honour of 20 seasons, is available for fans to enjoy for all remaining home games this season. This is the most affordable ticket in all of the Maritimes! 

Additionally, we are going to kick off every home game with a special Happy Hour at TD Station. Come early and enjoy $6 beer, wine, coolers, and singles from when the doors open right up until puck drop. It is the perfect way to get your game night started!

The Sea Dogs have 15 home games remaining this regular season. They are 10-7-0-0 at home.

Adult tickets were previously set at $25 plus taxes and fees.

While it's being branded as a nice gesture by the team, this is no doubt a move to try an increase what has been a woeful season attendance wise. Saint John is currently averaging 2,434 fans per game, the sixth fewest in the QMJHL. The largest home crowd of the season was just 3,191, which was the team's season opener.

Many have been asking for lower ticket prices, so it will be interesting to see how much of an impact this has. The team has had a number of discounted ticket nights this year but did not see big bumps in attendance.

The Sea Dogs averaged 2,760 fans per game last year, the lowest in the club's history for a season that was not impacted by COVID-19 capacity restrictions.

Some Wednesday notes

The Saint John Sea Dogs have unveiled the pink jerseys they'll wear this weekend at TD Station.

According to the team, "Pink in the Rink Weekend is set for Friday, November 22 and Saturday, November 23 against the Charlottetown Islanders. Sea Dogs players will once again be wearing special, limited-edition pink jerseys during the game which will be available for purchase through in-arena raffles and online auction."

Fans can purchase discounted tickets for Pink in the Rink Weekend using the promo code “PINK” and $5 from every purchase will be donated directly to Breasts Ahoy. The promo code can be used online or at the TD Station Box Office.

Some other Wednesday notes...

• The Sherbrooke newspaper La Tribune has more on the news of Kyan Labbé asking for a trade from the Sea Dogs. The story confirms that Labbé's trade ask is due to the fact that Saint John already has two QMJHL suitable goaltenders on their roster.
• As mentioned during draft weekend, the QMJHL has created a Veterans Club. "Veterans will attend a few of their former team’s games each year, where they will be invited to meet fans, take photos with them and sign autographs," reads a QMJHL news release. Mike Thomas will be Saint John's representative. 
• Mikael Lalancette tweets that QMJHL attendance is up 3.2% compared to last year. Saint John is averaging 2,362 fans per game after 10 home games. Last year they averaged 2,698 after 10 home games. The Sea Dogs continue to head in the opposite direction of most teams.
• A lot going on in the BCHL as the player exodus continues following the NCAA rule change.

  This meeting is taking place today. It’s been scheduled for a week or more. Sounds like there will be some idea sharing on what BCHL brass want their league to be and best way to adapt. Sources I’m talking to are looking forward to their discussion. https://t.co/c8bJP1P9Vi

  — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 20, 2024

• And similar issues for the USHL, although likely not as severe.

  Junior Hockey - There was a meeting today in Plymouth involving USA Hockey, the USHL and the NAHL. Few details available but I imagine the 'changing landscape' was discussed.

  — Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) November 20, 2024

• Feels like there hasn't been a lot of talk about it, but the CHL USA Prospects Challenge takes place next week in London and Oshawa.
• Mentioned this last week. On Friday TSN picked up the Midco Sports broadcast of Denver/North Dakota, two of the top teams in NCAA hockey. Two of the top teams in the CHL (and two of the biggest markets), London and Kitchener, met on Tuesday with no national fanfare. Don't know what the solution is – or if TV even matters anymore – but something is off here.
• The Gatineau Olympiques are just 3-16-3-1 this season.
• The Charlottetown Islanders hosted the Shawinigan Cataractes in a school day game this morning at 11 a.m.
• The AHL's Utica Comets are 0-10-1-2 to start the season. Jeremie Poirier, Yan Kuznetsov and the Calgary Wranglers sit first with a 12-3-1-0 record.

Notebook: First era night happens Saturday

Embed from Getty Images

The Sea Dogs will hold their first championship era night of the season on Saturday when they host the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at TD Station.

The team will honour the 2011 and 2012 Sea Dogs championship teams, which saw the club win back-to-back QMJHL titles and a Memorial Cup championship.

Former players Mike Thomas, Zack Phillips, Kevin Gagne, Ryan Tesink, Pierre Durepos, Jason Cameron, Aidan Kelly and Spencer MacDonald will all be in attendance. Former head coach Gerard Gallant will be in town as well.

First 1000 fans at tonight's game will receive a limited edition 2011/2012 Championship Era Poster. 🙌

Plus, get it signed by #SJSeaDogs alumni during the first intermission autograph session!

🎟️ » https://t.co/Lv9oltkgiG#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/18lBPthvNJ

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) November 2, 2024

An autograph session will be held during the first intermission. Fans can also take photos will the Gilles-Courteau Trophy.

The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a poster honouring the teams.

This is the first of three championship era nights this season. On Jan. 19 the 2017 President Cup team will be honoured while on Feb. 17 the 2022 Memorial Cup squad will be honoured.

HALLOWEEN FUN

Following their 3-2 overtime win over the Moncton Wildcats on Thursday, the Sea Dogs are now 5-2-0-0 all-time in Halloween games. They've won the last three they'e played.

2010-11: 7-0 win at Rouyn-Noranda

2012-13: 2-1 loss vs Blainville-Boisbriand

2015-16: 5-3 win vs Val-d'Or

2019-20: 6-1 loss vs Rimouski

2020-21: 5-3 win vs Cape Breton

2021-22: 4-3 win vs Halifax

2024-25: 3-2 win vs Moncton (OT)

Six of the seven games the Sea Dogs have played on Halloween have been at TD Station.

Notebook: Sea Dogs attracting small crowds early this season

The Saint John Sea Dogs have been a pleasant surprise on the ice. Off the ice, attendance for games at TD Station has not been too pleasant.

Through six home games, the Sea Dogs are averaging 2,550 fans per game, placing them 10th in the 18-team QMJHL. They're slightly behind small markets Shawinigan and Victoriaville.

Crowds are typically lower this time of year compared to the winter months – but Saint John's average attendance is down nearly 500 fans per game from where it was at this point a year ago. The Sea Dogs averaged 3,011 fans per game after six home games last season.

Saint John's last three home games have seen particularly small crowds.

Sunday, Oct. 6 - 1,859

Friday, Oct. 11 - 2,006

Saturday, Oct. 12 - 2,150

The Oct. 6 attendance of 1,859 was Saint John's smallest regular season crowd since Dec. 17, 2022 when 1,813 watched the Sea Dogs host the Cape Breton Eagles.

COMING UP

Just how "for real" is this Sea Dogs team? We could get a good indication this week.

The Sea Dogs will play three games in four nights this week, beginning with a Thursday night contest in Moncton. The Wildcats enter play on Monday with a 5-1-1-0 record and have already defeated the Sea Dogs once this season.

The Sea Dogs will then play a Friday-Sunday home-and-home against the Maritimes Division leading Acadie-Bathurst Titan, with the first game taking place at the KC Irving Regional Centre. The Titan are a surprising 7-3-0-0 this season and have won four straight games.

Sunday's game at TD Station will be Saint John's final game until Halloween night.

Notebook: Theme nights announced

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs will sport some different looks this season.

The Sea Dogs released their theme night schedule for the 2024-25 season last week and revealed that there will be six speciality jersey nights.

There are a few new theme nights this year compared to what has been done in the past. Along with championship era nights, the team will hold a throwback night, a toque/mitten toss, a next gen game and a wrestling night. There will also be a Superstore Contest Jersey Night, which has been popular in the OHL and WHL for a few years now.

LINEUP NEWS

There were no surprises with Saint John's lineup this weekend.

With three key forwards not with the team at the moment – Eriks Mateiko, Tyler Peddle and Egan Beveridge – Saint John dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen in both contests.

Mateiko, Peddle and defenseman Matteo Mann remain at NHL training camps, so they could be returned to junior hockey at any time. Mann is the only one of the three who could play pro hockey this season, but the expectation at this point is that he will be returned to Saint John.

The Sea Dogs are hopeful that Beveridge, who was listed as a healthy scratch this weekend, will report to Saint John this season. When that will be is not yet clear.

RICHARD TRADED

The Sea Dogs made a trade on Friday, dealing 18-year-old defenseman Jeremie Richard to the Shawinigan Cataractes for a 12th-round pick in the 2026 QMJHL Entry.

Richard, a third-round pick of Saint John in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft, appeared in 33 games with the Sea Dogs over two seasons, posting a goal and an assist.

Richard attended Sea Dogs training camp as a forward this year. He has since rejoined the Maritime Hockey League's Amherst Ramblers, where he played 17 games last season.

Notebook: Galiev broke arm playing soccer

It's been 13 years since Stanislav Galiev broke his arm, keeping him out of the Saint John Sea Dogs lineup for months and forcing him to miss the 2012 world juniors. And here we are, 13 years later, getting some new developments on what actually happened here.

It turns out Galiev broke his arm in a soccer game with Alex Ovechkin and a few others, which he recently revealed to Sport24. From Russian Machine Never Breaks:

The Washington Capitals’ third-round pick from the 2010 NHL Draft relayed the actual story to Erykalov after being asked to provide a story of any “out of the blue” or “annoying” injuries during his career. 

“I once broke my arm when I was playing [soccer] with Sasha Ovechkin and some mutual friends,” Galiev responded. “It turned out that I was out for five months and didn’t go to the World Junior Championship.

“I haven’t stood in goal since then. I’m not a professional goalkeeper, and the guys there shoot like God.”

Galiev appeared in just 20 regular season games with Saint John during the 2011-12 season because of the injury. He exploded in the playoffs, posting 10 goals and 17 assists in 19 games.

The 32-year-old has been playing in the KHL since the 2017-18 season. He will play for Avangard Omsk this coming season.

RICHARD BACK IN AMHERST

Jeremie Richard is returning to the Amherst Ramblers.

The 18-year-old defenseman – who was being used as a forward at Sea Dogs training camp – will join the Ramblers for the upcoming Maritime Hockey League season, the club announced Tuesday.

We are excited to welcome back defenseman Jeremie Richard to the team! After finishing last season in the QMJHL with the Saint John Sea Dogs, Richard will return to the blueline here in Amherst. Welcome back, Jeremie!! #goramsgo🐑 pic.twitter.com/ohGkXx3Aqh

— Amherst JrA Ramblers (@AmherstRamblers) August 29, 2024

Richard appeared in 17 games with Amherst last season and 13 with Saint John.

A former Moncton Flyer, Richard was a third-round pick of Saint John in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Notebook: Labbé commits to BCHL

Quebec AAA League Twitter

According to the BCHL website, Saint John Sea Dogs prospect Kyan Labbé has committed to the Nanaimo Clippers.

Labbé previously committed to the NCAA's Union College for the 2026-27 season, so the move to the BCHL does not come as a huge surprise. BCHL players remain eligible to play college hockey.

The 16-year-old goaltender was a fourth-round pick of Saint John in last year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

Labbé is coming off an impressive second season with the Magog Cantonniers, helping the team capture both the Quebec under-18 title and the Telus Cup national championship.

The BCHL website also shows that 17-year-old defenseman Anthony Biakabutuka, a 10th-round pick of Saint John in 2022, has committed to the Clippers. Biakabutuka is committed to the NCAA's College of the Holy Cross.

ANSONS, LATVIA DONE

The IIHF World Championship has come to an end for former Sea Dogs forward Raivis Ansons and Team Latvia.

Latvia failed to qualify for the elimination round following a 4-3 record in the preliminary round, placing them fifth in Group B. Three of the team's wins came in extra time.

Ansons, who split this past season between the AHL and ECHL, had an assist in five worlds games. He saw less ice time as the tournament went on, playing just 5:20 in the team's 6-3 loss to the United States on Tuesday.

This was Ansons first trip to the World Championship. He's played previously for Latvia at the under-20 and under-18 levels.

Survey asks fans about ticket prices, opinion of QMJHL

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs sent out their annual fan survey last week.

The survey's questions weren't quite a "juicy" as last year's but some interesting things were still asked. The biggest takeaway came from the final few questions of the survey, which focused on ticket prices.

The survey asked fans to rate the following on a scale from 0-5 with zero being extremely negative:

• How would you rate the value of $25 + taxes and fees for an adult ticket to see a Sea Dogs game?
• How would you rate the value of $12 + taxes and fees for an under 25 years old ticket to see a Sea Dogs game?
• How would you rate the value of $22 + taxes and fees for a senior ticket to see a Sea Dogs game?
• How would you rate the value of $55 + taxes and fees for a family pack which includes 2 adult tickets, 2 youth tickets, and 4 small popcorn ($13.75 + taxes and fees per person) to see a Sea Dogs game?
• How would you rate the value of $46.99 + taxes for a Costco pack which includes 2 adult tickets and 2 large popcorn ($23.50 + taxes per person) to see a Sea Dogs game?
• How would you rate the value of $7 + taxes and fees for all ages, as a special promotion to see a Sea Dogs game?

The cost of single game tickets seemed to be a regular complaint from fans this past season. Once taxes and fees were added, it cost nearly $30 for an adult ticket — which doesn't include parking, food. etc. That ain't cheap.

The team did have several discounted ticket nights throughout the season but, of course, can only do so many of those without devaluing season tickets.

The Sea Dogs averaged 2,760 fans per game this past season, placing them eighth in the QMJHL. Saint John is one of the only CHL markets that hasn't fully bounced back to pre-COVID attendance figures yet.

This year's survey didn't ask much about the team's in-game experience, which was a big focus last year. Instead, questions were much broader.