Notebook: Donovan invited to Habs rookie camp

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Alexander Donovan will attend Montreal Canadiens rookie camp.

The Canadiens announced their rookie camp roster last week. Donovan will attend as a free agent invite, joining former Sea Dogs defenseman Kale McCallum and goaltender Arseni Radkov.

According to a news release, the camp "will be held at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard and Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau, from September 11-15. Habs prospects will play two games against the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators at the Slush Puppie Centre on September 12 and 13 as part of the 2026 NHL Prospect Challenge."

Donovan, 19, is entering his second season with the Sea Dogs. Last year, the Connecticut native recorded 25 goals and 28 assists in 63 regular season games. He had another goal and an assist in four playoff games.

COMING UP

The start of the QMJHL regular season is now less than two weeks away.

The Sea Dogs will open the year Sept. 18-19 with a pair of games in St. John's against the Newfoundland Regiment. Saint John went winless at Mary Brown's Centre last season.

Saint John will host the Moncton Wildcats on Friday, Sept. 25 in the team's home opener at TD Station.

Before all that though, the Sea Dogs have one pre-season game left to play. Saint John, 2-2-0-0 in exhibition play, will take on the Halifax Mooseheads, 4-1-0-0, on Friday at Dartmouth's RBC Centre. These two met last Friday in Saint John where Halifax posted a 7-3 win.

Notebook: St. Stephen success

FREDERICTON - With Wednesday's victory over the Moncton Wildcats, the Saint John Sea Dogs improved to 3-2-0-0 all-time in pre-season play at St. Stephen's Garcelon Civic Center.

The Sea Dogs have hosted the Wildcats in three of the five meetings. Saint John has won two of those three games.

Here's a look at the Sea Dogs' all-time results in St. Stephen.

Aug. 26, 2018 - 3-2 win vs Moncton

Aug. 23, 2019 - 4-2 loss vs Halifax

Aug. 20, 2024 - 4-1 win vs Charlottetown

Aug. 20, 2025 - 4-1 loss vs Moncton

Aug. 26, 2026 - 4-1 win vs Moncton

The Sea Dogs continue pre-season play in another border town on Sunday when they host the Rimouski Oceanic at 4 p.m. in Woodstock.

It's the second time the Sea Dogs have held a pre-season game at the AYR Motor Centre. Last year, the Sea Dogs fell to the Wildcats 5-4 in Woodstock.

GLANCE'S FIRST SHIFT

Highly touted American forward Jamie Glance made his QMJHL pre-season debut on Friday. He finished the game with an assist, two shots, one hit and a -2 rating. He had a great scoring chance in the second period, skating through the Moncton defense only to be stopped.

Glance played on a line with Zachary Morin and Alexis Joseph. Here's a look at his first shift.

Notebook: Magnusson signs in BCHL

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Carl-Otto Magnusson has found a home for the 2026-27 season.

The overage defenseman has signed with the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL. The move comes after Magnusson was not part of UConn's freshman class for this upcoming season.

“I’m really excited to join the Nanaimo Clippers and get to know all the guys, the town and the community,” said Magnusson in a news release. “I’m looking forward to getting over there, meeting everyone and competing with the team. I can’t wait to get started!”

The defensive defenseman was traded to Saint John from the Moncton Wildcats during the holiday trade period. Magnusson was held pointless in 25 regular season games with the Sea Dogs and in three playoff contests. He was listed as a healthy scratch for one of the Sea Dogs' post-season matches.

While eligible to play another season in the QMJHL, he would take up both an overage and import spots, something that doesn't happen too often.

REGIMENT CAMP IN SUMMERSIDE

The Newfoundland Regiment are holding the first portion of their training camp in Summerside.

The Regiment are using the Gerard "Turk" Gallant Arena, which is the secondary ice surface at Summerside's Credit Union Place. In attendance on Thursday was Gallant himself. 

The former Sea Dogs head coach was seen catching up with another former Sea Dogs head coach in Gordie Dwyer, the Regiment's bench boss and general manager.

The pride of Summerside 🤩

Jack Adams winner and local legend Gerard Gallant stopped by the rink this morning to take in some intrasquad action.

Unite. Inspire. Defend. pic.twitter.com/imzS74xhjB

— Newfoundland Regiment (@nlregiment) August 20, 2026

The Regiment will play a couple pre-season games in the Maritimes this weekend before shifting things to Newfoundland.

Notebook: Arkells comment on jersey choice

Arkells

Following quite a bit of feedback, the Arkells have responded to their unexpected wardrobe choice on Saturday night in Moncton.

Opening for the Jonas Brothers on the Université de Moncton campus, lead singer Max Kerman took to the stage wearing a Saint John Sea Dogs jersey – the same one he wore at Area 506 last year.

"Thought I was making friends in Moncton with the jersey. Oops. Great to see you all!," the band wrote in an Instagram post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by arkellsmusic (@arkellsmusic)

JOSEPH RANKED SIXTH

Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph was ranked sixth in The Athletic's pre-season rankings for the 2027 NHL Draft.

The pressure is certainly starting to heat up on Joseph as his second QMJHL season nears.

"He is a summer birthday, so with continued development he could profile as the kind of center teams covet as a cornerstone piece," writes Wheeler. "But you have to show it on the ice again and again, and he has left me wanting more a little too frequently. I thought about dropping him into Tier 3 here and will if he doesn't pick it up."

NHL.com had a story on Joseph during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Sea Dogs forward Jamie Glance, meanwhile, was ranked 22nd by The Athletic. Prospect Finnegan Sears was an honourable mention.

Notebook: Poirier signs in Germany

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Jeremie Poirier is heading overseas.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman has signed with Adler Mannheim of the DEL, Germany's highest level of professional hockey. The club announced the signing on Thursday.

The 24-year-old has spent his entire professional career in the AHL, mostly with the Calgary Wranglers. Poirier was traded to the Texas Stars this past season.

Adler verpflichten Jérémie Poirier ✍️

🔗 https://t.co/e8hZAUwENl

Der 24-jährige Kanadier wechselt aus der nordamerikanischen AHL in die @DELoffiziell und erhält bei den Adlern die Rückennummer 54.#AdlerMannheim #PENNYDEL #Eishockey #Hockey #DEL #Mannheim #MERC #Summer pic.twitter.com/t8ZnztYsCd

— Adler Mannheim (@adlermannheim) July 9, 2026

In 51 games split between the Wranglers and Stars in 2025-26, Poirier posted five goals and 11 assists. He leaves North America having recorded 22 goals and 90 assists in 214 regular season AHL games. He had another three goals and nine assists in 17 playoff contests.

Poirier was a third-round pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft but never got into an NHL game. He spent four seasons with Saint John and helped the club win the 2022 Memorial Cup.

SPADAFORE SIGNS WITH FLAMES

Jordan Spadafore is returning to Saint John.

The former Sea Dogs defenseman has signed with the Saint John Flames of the Beausejour Senior Hockey League for the 2026-27 season, the club announced last week. 

The 25-year-old spent parts of two seasons with the Sea Dogs. He also played with the Rimouski Oceanic and Val-d'Or Foreurs during his QMJHL career.

Spadafore played a couple seasons at Nipissing University in North Bay before turning pro in 2023-24. He spent a season with the SPHL's Evansville Thunderbolts before signing with the Milton Keynes Lightning of the National Ice Hockey League, the second-tier of pro hockey in Great Britain. He has played the past two seasons overseas.

So far, along with Spadafore, the Flames will feature former Sea Dogs Nick Blagden, Zach Alchorn and Kiefer Lyons.

Notebook: Lee (officially) joins Mooseheads

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

As reported a couple weeks ago, former Saint John Sea Dogs assistant coach Mark Lee has officially joined the Halifax Mooseheads.

Lee, who will be an assistant coach under Brad MacKenzie, was one of three coaching staff additions announced by the Mooseheads on Wednesday.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the exceptional staff that Brad MacKenzie, Peter, and Sam Simon have assembled,” said Lee in a Mooseheads release. “Having known Josh Hepditch for a long time and competing against him as both a player and a coach, I know our coaching styles will complement each other perfectly. The Halifax Mooseheads are not just a phenomenal organization; they are an elite brand and a top-tier franchise in the CHL. I am eager to see what we can accomplish this season as we work collectively toward bringing a championship back to Halifax.” 

“Mark’s passion for the game combined with his ability to build relationships and connect with players makes him a great addition to our coaching staff,” said MacKenzie. “He brings with him a wealth of experience from his playing career as well as recent history coaching in the QMJHL. I’m looking forward to working alongside Mark and having him work closely with our players.”

Lee, who was sitting with the Mooseheads at this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, was an assistant coach with the Sea Dogs for four seasons. He departed the organization at the same time as Travis Crickard.

DRAFT RANKINGS

The 2026 NHL Draft is just over a week away.

Over at FloHockey, Chris Peters has released his final draft rankings. Sea Dogs forward Olivers Murnieks was ranked 50th.

"He’s a good two-way player with potentially limited offensive upside, but looks like he has the jam to play down the lineup if all works out," writes Peters.

The Hockey Writers, meanwhile, listed Murnieks as one of their "sleeper picks" for this year's draft.

"His offensive game isn’t particularly exciting, but he has a decent shot and can make reasonably clever passes under pressure," they write. "There’s certainly bottom-six potential for Murnieks and his late July birthday means he has lots of development still to come."

Notebook: Sea Dogs go D with top pick

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - For the first time since 2022, the Saint John Sea Dogs picked a defenseman with their first selection in the QMJHL Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs picked d-man Lawrence Williams from the Weeks Majors Midgets with the 14th overall pick on Friday night. It's the 11th time in team history that Saint John has picked a defenseman with their first selection.

2005 - Alex Grant (1st round)

2006 - Yann Sauve (1st round)

2007 - Simon Despres (1st round)

2008 - Kevin Gagne (2nd round)

2009 - Pierre Durepos (1st round)

2014 - Luke Green (1st round)

2017 - Brendan Sibley (3rd round)

2018 - William Villeneuve (1st round)

2021 - Natan Grenier (1st round)

2022 - Jeremie Richard (3rd round)

Friday marked the first time the Sea Dogs had ever picked at No. 14.

MORE 2028 TALK

More on the 2028 Memorial Cup: it looks like it will indeed be four teams bidding to host the tournament.

Je peux confirmer que quatre équipes déposeront ou ont déjà déposé leur candidature pour obtenir le tournoi de la Coupe Memorial 2028.

Québec
Gatineau
Moncton
Terre-Neuve

Le choix final aura lieu cet automne. #LHJMQ

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) June 4, 2026

The Wildcats, Remparts and Regiment have all publicly announced that they will be bidding.

Gatineau, Quebec City and Moncton have all hosted previously but not in their current buildings. Newfoundland has never hosted but certainly has an arena capable of doing so.

Teams must officially submit their applications by July.

The 2027 Memorial Cup will be held in Guelph.

Notebook: Sea Dogs returning to St. Stephen

The Saint John Sea Dogs are returning to St. Stephen it appears.

St. Stephen's Garcelon Civic Center has shared on Facebook that the venue will host the Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats in a QMJHL pre-season game on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

The Sea Dogs and Wildcats faced off in St. Stephen last year as well. Moncton won the game 4-1.

The Sea Dogs are 1-2-0-0 in pre-season play at the Garcelon Civic Center.

TRADE PERIODS

From Jeremy Fraser of the Cape Breton Post, here's when you could see player movement this week.

QMJHL Trade Periods for Entry Draft Week:

- Tuesday, June 2 - 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

- Thursday, June 4 - 8:30-9:30 a.m.

- Friday, June 5 - During the draft.

- Saturday, June 6 - During the draft.

Note: The times indicated are Atlantic Time. #qmjhl #lhjmq

— Jeremy Fraser (@CBPost_Jeremy) May 30, 2026

LATVIA DONE IN QUARTERS

Olivers Murnieks and Team Latvia had their IIHF World Championship come to an end in the quarterfinals on Thursday, falling 2-0 to Norway.

Murnieks did not play in the game.

The Sea Dogs forward appeared in five of Latvia's eight games and was held pointless.

Finland will take on Switzerland in the gold medal game while Canada will play Norway for bronze.

Notebook: Veleno gets first playoff point

Embed from Getty Images

Joe Veleno recorded his first career NHL playoff point on Sunday.

Veleno registered an assist on a Zachary Bolduc goal in the Montreal Canadiens' 6-2 Game 3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Veleno played 12:18 in the game and also recorded one shot and five hits.

What is this pass from Logan Stanley pic.twitter.com/y2LE7mKtMq

— Rink Rat Report (@RinkRatReport) May 11, 2026

Veleno has played in all four games for the Habs in their second round series against the Sabres. This is his first career appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Canadiens and Sabres are tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Thursday in Buffalo.

FLAMES SIGN ALCHORN

The Saint John Flames of the Beausejour Senior Hockey League have announced another signing with Sea Dogs connections.

Forward Zachary Alchorn will play for the team this fall. He was the second player to sign with the club after former Sea Dogs forward Nick Blagden.

According to Elite Prospects, Alchorn hasn't played competitive level hockey since the 2023-24 season when he appeared in 14 games with the Southern Senior Hockey League's River Valley Rock.

The Grand Bay-Westfield native spent most of his junior career with the St. Stephen Aces/Fredericton Red Wings franchise. He appeared in 16 games with the Sea Dogs during the COVID season of 2020-21, recording three goals and two assists. He added a goal and four assists in six playoff games.

Notebook: Murnieks scores with Latvian national team

Ansis Ancovs/Latvian Ice Hockey Federation

It's been an eventful year for Olivers Murnieks at the international level.

The Saint John Sea Dogs forward played for Latvia at this year's World Junior Championship and the recent U18 World Championship. Now he's joined the Latvian men's team ahead of the IIHF World Championship – and scored in his debut.

#SJSeaDogs forward Olivers Murnieks made his debut with the Latvian national team today ahead of the #MensWorlds and had a goal in a 3-2 win over Norway!#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/emhwY2rwll

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) May 6, 2026

Latvia won the friendly 3-2 in overtime against Norway. 

Latvia's first game of the men's worlds is May 16 against Switzerland. 

Murnieks posted a goal and five assists in seven games at the U18 worlds, a tournament that may have given his NHL Draft stock a boost, writes Daily Faceoff. 

FINAL BEGINS FRIDAY

The Gilles-Courteau Trophy final begins Friday night at Avenir Centre.

The Moncton Wildcats will try to become the first team since the 2011 and 2012 Saint John Sea Dogs to win back-to-back QMJHL championships. It won't be easy though as they'll be facing a Chicoutimi Sagueneens team that finished just one point behind them in the regular season standings.

Wildcats defenseman Max Vilen is the lone former Sea Dog playing in the series. Vilen, who is on Moncton's second defensive pairing, has two goals and six assists in 15 playoff games.

Game 1 is Friday followed by Game 2 on Saturday. The series shifts to Chicoutimi for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. All games will air on TSN.

Beausejour senior league coming to LBR

The Beausejour Senior Hockey League is coming to Saint John.

In a social media post on Sunday, it was announced that the "Saint John Flames" will be reborn and become a member of the popular senior circuit beginning this fall.

From the Saint John Flames Facebook page:

THE FLAMES ARE BACK 🔥 

Saint John hockey just got its identity back. We’re proud to announce the return of the Saint John Flames as the newest Sr. A team in the Beausejour Senior Hockey League. This isn’t just another team, this is history, culture, and community coming back to life in this city.

For generations, the Flames meant something here. Packed rinks, hard-nosed hockey, and a standard that never slipped. Now it’s our turn to bring that back and build something the city can rally behind again.

The team will play their home games at the Lord Beaverbrook Rink. A website has already been launched with an online merch store.

The BSHL has been steadily growing in popularity in recent years. This past season, the league ended its season with six teams: Amherst, Bouctouche, Dalhousie, Elsipogtog, Fredericton and Miramichi. The regular season began in mid-October and the playoffs ended in late March.

The league is loaded with former QMJHL players – including quite a few Saint John Sea Dogs alumni. Former Sea Dogs forward Ryan Tesink (Fredericton) and Dawson Stairs (Dalhousie) finished second and third, respectively, in league scoring.

The Flames will no doubt look to follow the same steps the Fredericton Express took this past season. Not only was the team very good on the ice, but the Express sold out most of their home games and had a real buzz around them. 

What does this mean for the Sea Dogs? While the Flames will likely build out their schedule to not overlap with Sea Dogs home games, this does give the Dogs some competition for the the attention and money of the city's hockey fans – and it's coming from just down the road at the LBR.

For Sea Dogs fans, this is likely a great thing. Fans get more hockey to watch (and, let's be brutally honest: hockey with fighting), former Sea Dogs will be in action frequently and it puts further pressure on the Dogs to put together a great product on and off the ice.

Notebook: MacPherson named playoff MVP

Noah Murray/Charlottetown Islanders

MONCTON - Jase MacPherson was on the Saint John Sea Dogs bench a night after being named the most valuable player of the PEI under-18 provincial championship series.

MacPherson made 38 saves on Thursday to help the Kensington Wild defeat the Charlottetown Knights 3-2 and clinch the provincial title in six games. The 17-year-old went 4-1 in the final with a 2.57 goals against average and a .936 save percentage.

MacPherson faced 39 or more shots in every game against Charlottetown.

“I just played my game and worked hard out there,” MacPherson told the Journal Pioneer. “The boys helped me so much. I wouldn’t have gotten (the MVP award) without them.”

A second-round pick of Saint John in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft, MacPherson appeared in one game for Saint John this season. MacPherson was Saint John's backup in Friday's playoff opener with Arseni Radkov still serving his suspension.

The Wild will represent PEI at Atlantics, which will take place April 1-5 in Quispamsis.

MHL GAME 7

The Summerside Western Capitals are moving on to the second round of the Maritime Junior Hockey League playoffs.

The Capitals defeated the Amherst Ramblers 1-0 in Game 7 on Saturday night. Eliott Robert scored the game's only goal while Caps netminder Kolton Bourret made 25 saves in the shutout.

The Capitals include former Sea Dogs goaltender Justin Robinson and defenseman Matthew MacLean. The Ramblers feature defenseman Jeremie Richard and forward Darrien Reynolds.

Summerside, who are hosting the Centennial Cup national championship in May, will face the Truro Bearcats in the South Division final. The North Division final, meanwhile, will feature the Edmundston Blizzard facing the Chaleur Lightning.

Notebook: Coyle plays 1,000th NHL game

Charlie Coyle became the first former Saint John Sea Dog to play in 1,000 NHL games this week.

Coyle played his 1,000 game on Thursday when the Columbus Blue Jackets took on the Dallas Stars.

all eyes on #3! pic.twitter.com/cDP3cXQK5Y

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 22, 2026

FanDuel Sports Network had a feature on Coyle's milestone this week.

The 33-year-old has split his NHL career between the Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and now the Blue Jackets. Coyle has 11 goals and 22 assists in 51 games with Columbus this season, his first year with the club.

Coyle left Boston University and joined the Sea Dogs for the second half of the 2011-12 season, helping the club win the President Cup. He posted 15 goals and 23 assists in 23 regular season QMJHL games and added 15 goals and 19 assists in 17 playoff games. He was named QMJHL playoff MVP.

COMING UP

After playing just one game last week, the Sea Dogs have a much busier week coming up.

On Thursday the Sea Dogs will travel to Moncton to face a hot Wildcats team. Moncton will be coming off a three-game road trip in Quebec, one that saw them earn wins in Baie-Comeau, Chicoutimi and Quebec City.

After a day off Friday, the Sea Dogs will travel to Charlottetown to take on the Islanders on Saturday night. 

The Sea Dogs will return "home" on Sunday, hosting the Baie-Comeau Drakkar at 3 p.m. in Fredericton. This will be Saint John's third and final game at the Aitken Centre this season.

Notebook: Elie commits to Clarkson

Vincent Létourneau/Shawinigan Cataractes

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Vince Elie has committed to Clarkson University for next season.

The 20-year-old is in his fourth and final QMJHL season. In three games with the Shawinigan Cataractes, Elie has two goals.

Elie is in his third campaign with the Cataractes. He spent his first season-and-a-half in the QMJHL with the Sea Dogs, posting 26 goals and 37 assists in 102 games. He was traded to Shawinigan in the deal that brought Sea Dogs captain Olivier Groulx to Saint John.

Vince Elie (Shawinigan Cataractes) has committed to Clarkson University for 2026-27@ClarksonMHockey @ecachockey

— Hockey Commitments (@HockeyCommits) September 29, 2025

The Clarkson Golden Knights are a member of the NCAA's ECAC conference where they play against the Ivy League programs. Clarkson, located in the small town of Potsdam, New York, will be an interesting program to watch as they will likely get a number of QMJHL recruits. The campus is located two-and-a-half hours away from Montreal.

Current Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier Duhamel committed to Clarkson in August.

OCTOBER IS HERE (ALMOST)

October will see the Sea Dogs welcome some Quebec-based clubs and make their first trek to Newfoundland.

Four teams from Quebec – the Chicoutimi Sagueneens (Oct. 5), Rimouski Oceanic (Oct. 11), Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (Oct. 13) and Val-d'Or Foreurs (Oct. 18) – will make their only visits of the season to TD Station in October.

Note that the Monday, Oct. 13 game will be a 3 p.m. start due to it being Thanksgiving.

The Sea Dogs will travel to St. John's to face the Regiment for the first time Oct. 24-25. The Sea Dogs haven't played at Mary Brown's Centre since Jan. 6, 2008.

Notebook: Joseph joins rookie hat trick club

Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Mooseheads

HALIFAX - Alexis Joseph became the first Saint John Sea Dogs rookie since Eriks Mateiko to record a hat trick on Saturday.

Joseph scored shorthanded, at even strength and into an empty net to lead the Sea Dogs to a 5-2 win over the Halifax Mooseheads. His first period shorthanded marker was the first goal of his QMJHL career.

Here's a look at all three goals.

As the below shows, Sea Dogs rookies scoring hat tricks isn't as uncommon as you might think. Note though that many of the players listed below were not "true rookies" (i.e. 16-year-olds) when they netted their first hat tricks.

Joseph entered play Sunday tied with Rian Chudzinski of the Moncton Wildcats for the QMJHL rookie goal scoring lead.

COMING UP

After splitting their weekend series in Halifax, the Sea Dogs will travel to another challenging environment on Saturday when they visit the Moncton Wildcats for the first time this season.

Saturday's contest will be the Wildcats' home opener where they'll raise their QMJHL championship banner. Moncton played their first four games on the road, posting a 2-1-1-0 record while slowly getting players back from NHL camps.

It'll be a tough weekend for the Sea Dogs as they face two teams expected to challenge for top spot in the Eastern Conference. After Saturday's match in Moncton, Saint John returns home to host the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Notebook: Baldwin, Lightning set for Prospect Tournament

Tampa Bay Lightning

Everett Baldwin is the only current Saint John Sea Dog attending an NHL training camp this year.

Baldwin, a fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in this year's NHL Draft, is in Tampa for a prospect tournament the team is hosting. The Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators are also participating.

The Lightning prospects will play Nashville on Friday, Florida on Saturday and Carolina on Monday.

Baldwin was a second-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. He appeared in two pre-season games, registering three goals. 

The Rhode Island native is committed to Providence College for the 2026-27 season.

62 QMJHL players will attend NHL camps this year. The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and Moncton Wildcats each have nine.

HOME OPENER DETAILS

The Sea Dogs have announced a number of events surrounding the team's season opening weekend. Here are some of the highlights from a news release.

• On Friday, Sept. 19, there will be a Season Kickoff on the Saint John Boardwalk. From 4:30-6 p.m., fans can enjoy free live music from The Last Call, games, rides in the Saint John Firefighters’ antique fire truck, and autographs with Fleaburn and Sea Dogs players. Plus, the first 300 fans will receive a free hot dog.
• Thousands of rally towels will be handed out at the door as fans enter TD Station for the Sea Dogs' season opener that same night.
• On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Sea Dogs Ball Hockey Classic presented by TD will be held held and will run from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Memorial Cup outdoor rink on Station Street. Full details are on the Sea Dogs website.
• The Sea Dogs also have a home game later that night. The team notes that throughout the weekend, fans can stop by the TD Community Zone, where TD will be giving away limited edition Sea Dogs scarves and other gifts to celebrate Opening Weekend.
  

NEW EQUIPMENT MANAGER

The Sea Dogs have named Dave Campbell the team's new equipment manager. Campbell was with the club for last weekend's pre-season games.

Campbell replaces the recently hired Zak Larnaudie, who accepted a position with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies.

“I am thrilled to join the Saint John Sea Dogs organization,” said Campbell in a news release. “I look forward to contributing to the success of the team on and off the ice to allow the players to succeed to their potential.”

According to the team's news release, "Campbell’s experience includes time with the P.E.I. Rocket and the Cape Breton Eagles in the QMJHL, as well as the Woodstock Slammers (MHL), Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL) and Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL) at the Junior A level." He's also worked a number of Hockey Canada events.

Gallant returning to New Brunswick

Embed from Getty Images 

A Saint John Sea Dogs legend will return to New Brunswick ice this season.

The Fredericton Express of the Beausejour Senior Hockey League announced the signing of Brett Gallant on Tuesday. The 36-year-old has only played a total of 10 games (and three playoff games) over the past two seasons according to Elite Prospects, all with the LNAH's Laval Pétroliers.

Gallant spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs, which included 26 games with the club during their inaugural 2005-06 campaign. The enforcer recorded 439 penalty minutes in 131 career QMJHL games, second only to Mike Thomas (470 PIM in 288 GP) in Sea Dogs franchise history.

The Summerside, PEI native went on to spend 14 seasons in the AHL, playing in 495 career games. His last season with the Cleveland Monsters was 2022-23.

Gallant appeared in four NHL games with the New York Islanders in 2013-14, recording 17 penalty minutes.

The BSHL is known for its fights and fireworks and Gallant is a big addition for the league. The likes of Chad Denny, Garrett Clarke and Patrice Cormier will also suit up this season.

According to The Unofficial Beausejour Senior Hockey League Podcast's Facebook post, here are all the former Sea Dogs currently signed to play in the New Brunswick senior circuit this season: Kiefer Lyons (Amherst), Mathias Savoie (Belle-Baie), Pierre Durepos (Bouctouche), Bailey Webster (Dalhousie), Dawson Stairs (Dalhousie), Gallant (Fredericton), Ryan Tesink (Fredericton), Alex Bernier (Miramichi), Zack Phillips (Miramichi) and Antoine Landry (Peninsule).

The league's regular season begins Oct. 10.