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.

Mense added to camp roster; Hlacar staying in OHL

USHL

The Saint John Sea Dogs announced an addition to the club's training camp roster on Monday.

Joe Mense, an overage defenseman who played in the USHL last season, has been added. He joins forward Olivier Lemieux and defenseman Julien Lanthier as 20-year-olds currently on the camp roster.

A Port Jefferson, New York native, Mense has spent the past three seasons in the USHL, splitting time between the Sioux City Musketeers and Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Last season in Cedar Rapids, the d-man posted five assists in 22 games.

In 115 USHL games split over three seasons, Mense has posted four goals and 27 assists.

He's listed at 6'2" and 214 lbs.

The Sea Dogs also announced Monday that overage forward Matthew Hlacar will not be joining the team's training camp, instead signing in the OHL. It was announced in late July that Hlacar would attend Sea Dogs camp as a free agent.

Former Kitchener Rangers F Matthew Hlacar isn't skating yet, but is at Brantford Bulldogs training camp.

— Josh Brown (@BrownRecord) August 24, 2026

Hlacar has spent the past two seasons in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers, helping the team win a league title and Memorial Cup last year. He posted six goals and six assists in 51 regular season games last season and another goal in 15 playoff matches.

Hlacar was a seventh-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2025 NHL Draft.

With these announcements, Saint John's camp roster now sits at 35 players: 18 forwards, 13 defensemen and four goaltenders.

The Sea Dogs begin pre-season play on Wednesday night when they host the Moncton Wildcats in St. Stephen. Game time is 7 p.m.

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.

Armada stun Wildcats in final second to force Game 7; Sagueneens advance to final

Sebastien Gervais/Blainville-Boisbriand Armada

A Justin Carbonneau goal with 0.5 seconds remaining in regulation time has forced a Game 7 in the semifinal playoff series between the Moncton Wildcats and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

After a Bill Zonnon faceoff win in the offensive zone, Carbonneau ripped a perfectly placed shot top corner on Wildcats goaltender Rudy Guimond to give the Armada a 3-2 lead – their first and only lead of the game.

Justin Carbonneau, at the very last second!!! 😤😤😤
@ArmadaBLB wins 3-2 and forces a Game 7, tuesday in Moncton!#QPlayoffs | #Proxi | @StLouisBlues | #stlbluespic.twitter.com/Fo2972BO0y

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) May 3, 2026

Xavier Villeneuve had tied the game at 19:12 of the third period with goaltender Zach Pelletier – who got the start in place of the injured William Lacelle – on the bench.

In short, the Wildcats were 48 seconds away from advancing to the Gilles Courteau Trophy final. Now they're hading back to Moncton to prepare for a Game 7 on Tuesday night. It will be fascinating to see if this devastating loss impacts the Wildcats at all.

Maël Lavigne also scored for the Armada. He has scored in five of the six games in this series.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forwards Jacob Beaulieu and Elliot Dubé did not register any points in the victory. Beaulieu had one hit while Dubé had one shot.

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Max Vilen had one shot and was a +1 in the loss.

The winner of this series will take on the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the QMJHL's championship series. The Sags defeated the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 6-3 on Sunday to take the semifinal in six games. This will be Chicoutimi's first appearance in the league final since 1997.

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.

Notebook: Rare 3-in-3 for Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs will play their only three-in-three of the entire season this weekend.

Traditionally, if the Sea Dogs were to be playing a three-in-three, it would likely take place on the road in Quebec. But times have changed. This three-in-three will be all home games with the third contest being played in a non-QMJHL venue.

The Sea Dogs will host the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday and the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday with both of those games being played at TD Station. On Sunday, the Sea Dogs and Eagles will travel to Fredericton to play in the first regular season QMJHL game to take place in the city.

Tickets to Sunday's game are still available – but they are limited. 

The Sea Dogs will play three games at Fredericton's Aitken Centre this season. They'll also take on the Gatineau Olympiques on Thursday, Jan. 8 and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Sunday, Feb. 1.

NEW MASKS

Both Sea Dogs goaltenders recently debuted new masks, becoming the first netminders to sport the club's new logo.

Here's a look at Rafaël Courchesne's new mask. He had been wearing a green mask from his time with the Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois.

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

And here's Justin Robinson's new look. He had been wearing his mask from last season which featured Saint John's 20th anniversary logo.

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

GUELPH LANDS MEMORIAL CUP

The Guelph Storm will host the 2027 Memorial Cup, the CHL announced last week.

The Storm have played in six Memorial Cup tournaments – most recently in 2019 in Halifax – and hosted the event in 2002. The Storm franchise has yet to win the trophy.

“We are thrilled to be bringing the 2027 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota to Guelph,” said CHL president Dan MacKenzie in a news release. “The Storm put forward an outstanding bid that showcased not only their organizational strength, but also the passion, vision, and community spirit that make the Royal City such a special junior hockey market. With the Memorial Cup returning to Guelph in the same year the city marks its bicentennial, fans can expect an unforgettable event that celebrates Guelph’s history and the tournament’s rich tradition, while providing a world-class experience for players, fans, and partners alike.”

Kelowna will host the 2026 Memorial Cup. The QMJHL will host in 2028.

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: It's development camp weekend

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

It's development camp weekend for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The camp kicks off this Friday at the qplex in Quispamsis and will conclude Sunday morning. According to the team, "on-ice activities get underway at 6:30 p.m. on July 4, followed by more on-ice sessions throughout the rest of the weekend. Players will also undergo fitness testing and take part in various off-ice sessions focused on nutrition and sports psychology."

Development Camp is BACK 🏒#SJSeaDogs prospects and players will hit the ice for three days of on-ice and off-ice development sessions from July 4-6 at the @Quispamsisqplex.

Roster and schedule are subject to change.#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/URl0YuyIOv

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) June 27, 2025

33 players were invited to the camp, including Alexis Joseph, who was drafted by the Sea Dogs with the first overall pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. Joseph recently said in an interview this will be his first time visiting Saint John.

A breakdown of the roster can be found here.

Development camp is open to the public.

IMPORT DRAFT AFTERMATH

A bit more on Olivers Murnieks, the Latvian forward who the Sea Dogs selected with the sixth overall pick in Wednesday's CHL Import Draft.

He's very much a legit prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft.

The Latvia to Saint John pipeline continues. Big get for the Sea Dogs. Murnieks should have an immediate impact. Potential first rounder for 2026. https://t.co/SZDiFjNbzG

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) July 2, 2025

Murnieks was ranked 26th for next year's draft by Daily Faceoff.

Here's some more video.

Murnieks was named to the all-USHL rookie second team this past season. From the USHL:

Finishing sixth in rookie scoring, the Riga, Latvia native had 15 goals and 20 assists in 52 games for the Musketeers. Murnieks had five multi-point games and scored a pair of shorthanded goals, tied for first among league rookies. He totaled only eight penalty minutes with a +2 rating. Internationally, Murnieks represented his home country at the World Junior Championship.

Murnieks was one of seven Latvians picked in this year's import draft, a record number (most countries saw record numbers due to the draft being expanded to three rounds).

Notebook: Home cooking

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs played a pair of games in less than 24 hours – in two different provinces – this weekend.

The Sea Dogs played the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday night at Scotiabank Centre, made the four hour drive home after the game and were then right back at it against the Moose on Sunday afternoon at TD Station.

The team won't have to worry about bus trips for a bit. Sunday's game was the first of five straight at TD Station.

Sunday, Jan. 12 vs Halifax - 5-1 loss

Friday, Jan. 17 vs Charlottetown

Sunday, Jan. 19 vs Quebec

Thursday, Jan. 23 vs Chicoutimi

Friday, Jan. 24 vs Rimouski

The Sea Dogs will then play four straight games on the road – three of which will be in Quebec – before playing five straight at home again.

BONNET HERE TO STAY

17-year-old defenseman Julien Bonnet is expected to remain with the Sea Dogs for the remainder of the season. He has been added to the team's online active roster.

Bonnet, a seventh-round pick of Saint John in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft, has already appeared in 13 games with Saint John this season. He's been held scoreless.

Bonnet joined the team on a few occasions this year as an injury replacement. He's been close to a regular in the club's lineup since early December.

The 6'02", 183 lbs defenseman has also played 11 games with the QJHL's Gatineau Flames this season, posting a goal and four assists in 11 games.

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.

Draft lottery set for April 25

The Saint John Sea Dogs will find out on April 25 where their first choice will be in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

The league announced this week that the draft lottery will be held on April 25 at 7:30 p.m. Atlantic and will be broadcast on RDS. The Sea Dogs do not have their own first round pick but do own Gatineau's, which gives them a small but possible chance at landing the first overall choice.

From the league's press release:

Here are the teams that finished in the bottom five in the 2023-2024 overall standings: 

18- Val-d’Or Foreurs 

17- Québec Remparts (pick traded to Foreurs) 

16- Saint John Sea Dogs (pick traded to Eagles)  

15- Charlottetown Islanders (pick traded to Remparts)  

14- Gatineau Olympiques (pick traded to Sea Dogs)

 

The 21 balls in the lottery will be distributed as follows to determine who will draft first: 

18th place: 9 balls, 43% chance of drafting 1st  

17th place: 6 balls, 28% chance   

16th place: 3 balls, 14% chance  

15th place: 2 balls, 10% chance  

14th place: 1 ball, 5% chance

The Sea Dogs have had some legendary performances in the draft lottery over the years, so you can never count them out. This is a bit of an odd draft year though as there doesn't seem to be a real consensus on a No. 1 pick, so it may not matter a ton where Saint John picks. Plus, many of the top prospects available are playing the NCAA card. This could be a wild first round.

Saint John also owns the eighth overall pick (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada), which they acquired previously.

The 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft takes place June 7-8 at Moncton's Avenir Centre.

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.