Notebook: MacPherson joins MHL's Tigers

Noah Murray/Charlottetown Islanders

Jase MacPherson has found a new home.

The Maritime Junior Hockey League's Campbellton Tigers announced the addition of MacPherson on the weekend. He was the team's backup on Sunday in Campbellton's 4-1 victory over the Grand Falls Rapids.

MacPherson has not seen any game action this season with the exception of pre-season play with the Saint John Sea Dogs. The 17-year-old was a second-round pick of Saint John in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft.

MacPherson spent last season with the under-18 Kensington Wild where he went 11-9 in the regular season with a 3.77 goals against average and a .885 save percentage. He had a great playoffs, going 4-1 with a 2.57 GAA and .936 SV%.

Along with his games with the Wild last season, MacPherson appeared in one game with both the Sea Dogs and MHL's Summerside Western Capitals.

Campbellton's next game is Friday against the Rapids.

DONOVAN'S HAT TRICK

Here's a look at the three goals Alexander Donovan scored in Saint John's 7-5 win in Drummondville on Sunday. It was his first career QMJHL hat trick.

Donovan, who hadn't scored since Oct. 12, continues to lead the Sea Dogs in goals with nine.

Sea Dogs move up to No. 5

Saint John Sea Dogs

A three-win weekend has pushed the Saint John Sea Dogs up two spots in the latest CHL Top-10.

The Sea Dogs moved up to the No. 5 spot in the week four rankings. Saint John had a perfect long weekend, posting wins over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, Charlottetown Islanders and Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Saint John has now won five straight games and collected points in seven straight. They sit second overall in the QMJHL standings with only the Quebec Remparts – who were ranked second nationally – sitting ahead of them.

The Memorial Cup host Guelph Storm remain in the No. 1 spot.

Here's what the CHL website wrote about the Sea Dogs this week:

A five-game winning streak, including three victories last week, has launched the Sea Dogs (6-1-1-1) up to the number five spot in this week’s rankings. Jamie Glance (2G-4A) opened Friday’s game against Rouyn-Noranda with two goals that the Sea Dogs never looked back from in a 6-3 win. The next day, three unanswered second-period goals put Saint John up 4-1, before they held off a third-period Charlottetown push to hold on for a 4-3 win. And finally, Glance played hero in the shootout for the Sea Dogs as they overcame a late tying goal from Drummondville that forced overtime. Zachary Morin (2G-2A) and Dylan Rozzi (3A) each had points in all three games, while Alexis Joseph (2G-1A), Thomas Charbonneau (3A) and Jabez Seymour (1G-2A) had three-point weekends. Samuel Meloche stopped 56 of 62 shots, and all three shooters in Monday’s shootout, in two wins over the weekend, and 2010-born Lawrence Williams scored his first QMJHL goal in Monday’s win against Drummondville. The Sea Dogs remain at home this weekend for the final two games of a six-game home stretch, with their third game of the season against Cape Breton on Saturday and then Val-d’Or on Sunday.

The Sea Dogs have a tough back-to-back on home ice this weekend. On Saturday they'll host the Cape Breton Eagles, who were predicted to be a top team in the league this season but are off to a disappointing 2-3-1-3 start. Then on Sunday, the Dogs will host the Val-d'Or Foreurs, who currently sit second in the Western Conference.

Sea Dogs back to 7th in latest CHL Top-10

The Saint John Sea Dogs are back up to seventh in this week's CHL Top-10 rankings.

The Sea Dogs moved up two spots following a 4-3 shootout win in Cape Breton on Friday and a 4-3 overtime victory over the Halifax Mooseheads on Sunday.

The Quebec Remparts were the highest ranked QMJHL team, coming in at No. 2. The Moncton Wildcats, meanwhile, were ranked sixth and the Rimouski Oceanic 10th.

The Sea Dogs were ranked seventh in both the pre-season and week one CHL Top-10 rankings. They fell to ninth last week.

Here's what the CHL website had to say about the Sea Dogs this week:

7. Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL): Saint John turned a pair of close games into four points, beating Cape Breton 4-3 in a shootout Friday and Halifax 4-3 in overtime Sunday. Dylan Rozzi’s fifth goal of the season forced extra time against the Eagles before Jamie Glance and Alexander Donovan converted in the shootout. Brandon Delarosbil then scored 30 seconds into overtime against the Mooseheads to lift the Sea Dogs to 3-1-1-1. Glance had three assists Sunday, while Matyas Cancik scored his first QMJHL goal. Alexis Joseph added a goal and an assist in that game, bringing his season totals to two goals and four assists in six games. Joseph was among the first four players named to Team CHL for the 2026 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Primaris. Buffalo Sabres prospect Samuel Meloche stopped 63 of 69 shots across the two wins. Saint John’s homestand continues with visits from Rouyn-Noranda, Charlottetown and Drummondville.

As the CHL website noted, the Sea Dogs will play three home games this coming long weekend but none will be against ranked teams – something that has been rare for Saint John so far this season.

Sea Dogs slip to 9th in CHL Top 10

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs have slid to ninth in the latest CHL Top-10 rankings.

The Sea Dogs were ranked seventh in the pre-season and week one rankings. The slip comes after a pair of losses on the weekend: a 4-3 shootout loss to the Moncton Wildcats and a 5-4 overtime loss to the Cape Breton Eagles – both of whom were and are also ranked.

The Eagles were ranked fifth this week while the Wildcats were seventh. The Quebec Remparts were the highest ranked QMJHL team at No. 4.

Here's what the CHL website said about the Sea Dogs this week:

9. Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL): Saint John earned two points against ranked opponents this past weekend, falling to Moncton in a shootout on Friday and Cape Breton in overtime on Saturday afternoon. The Sea Dogs have collected points in three of their first four games, but have one win. Alexis Joseph scored with 1:15 left in regulation on Friday night to force overtime and help the Sea Dogs secure a point. Captain Olivier Groulx (1G-2A) and Matyas Cancik (3A) each had three-point weekends, while Dylan Rozzi (1G-2A) has four goals and six points through four games. Alexander Donovan (1G-1A), Oliver Ozogany (1G-1A), Olivier Lemieux (1G-1A) and Zachary Morin (2A) each recorded two points over the weekend, while defenceman Thomas Charbonneau scored his second goal of the season, matching his total from 48 games with Québec last season. The Sea Dogs visit Cape Breton for a rematch on Friday before hosting Halifax on Sunday.

The Sea Dogs have a rematch with the Eagles on Friday night in Sydney. On Sunday, the team returns to TD Station where they'll host the Halifax Mooseheads at 3 p.m.

Sea Dogs remain 7th in CHL Top 10

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

It's poised to be quite a weekend for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Not only will this be the Sea Dogs' home opening weekend, but they'll be doing so as one of the CHL's top ranked teams – playing against two of the other top ranked squads.

For a second straight week, the Sea Dogs were ranked seventh in the CHL Top-10. The team will host the Moncton Wildcats, who were ranked 10th, on Friday followed by the Cape Breton Eagles, who were ranked third, on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a road split in Newfoundland this past weekend.

Here's what the CHL website said of the Dogs.

Saint John split a pair of 4-2 decisions against the Newfoundland Regiment in St. John’s, led by three goals from Dylan Rozzi. Rozzi scored the Sea Dogs’ opening goal in both games, providing an early spark for his club. Alexander Donovan (1G-1A), Jamie Glance (2A) and Alexis Joseph (2A) each recorded two points, while draft-eligible defenceman Thomas Charbonneau scored his first goal as a Sea Dog. Buffalo Sabres prospect Samuel Meloche stopped 25 of 27 shots in his Saint John debut. The Sea Dogs now return home for an early test against two other ranked clubs, hosting No. 10 Moncton and No. 3 Cape Breton on consecutive nights.

The Wildcats are off to a 2-0 start because of course they are. The Eagles, meanwhile, dropped a pair of games in shootouts this past weekend while a number of their players remain away at NHL camps.

Friday's game at TD Station will begin at 7 p.m. while Saturday's will have a 4 p.m. start.

The Quebec Remparts were the only other QMJHL team to make this week's CHL Top-10, coming in at No. 8.

The WHL's Victoria Royals, who have never made it past the second round of the playoffs since relocating to the British Columbia capital in 2011, were ranked No. 1.

Dogs open season ranked 7th in CHL Top 10

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The hype surrounding the 2026-27 Saint John Sea Dogs continues to grow.

In the pre-season edition of the CHL Top-10 rankings – released on Wednesday – the Sea Dogs were ranked seventh. Only two other QMJHL teams cracked the rankings and both play in the Eastern Conference: the Cape Breton Eagles at No. 2 and the Quebec Remparts at No. 8.

The Memorial Cup host Guelph Storm were ranked first.

This is the first time the Sea Dogs have appeared in the CHL Top-10 rankings since the final weeks of 2021-22 regular season.

Here's what the CHL website said about the Sea Dogs:

Saint John’s playoff-series drought dates back to its 2017 QMJHL championship run, though the club captured the Memorial Cup as host in 2022. With an experienced core and a busy offseason, the Sea Dogs appear poised not only to end that drought, but to challenge for their first QMJHL title in a decade. Top 2027 NHL Draft prospect Alexis Joseph (24G-36A in 54 GP) leads an attack reinforced by former U.S. National Team Development Program forward Jamie Glance and CHL Import Draft picks Matyas Cancik and Oliver Ozogany. The club’s top-three scorers from last season—Joseph, Alexander Donovan (25G-28A in 63 GP) and Olivier Groulx (20G-46A in 64 GP)—all return, while former eighth-overall QMJHL pick Dylan Rozzi (20G-25A in 64 GP) is another breakout candidate. The Sea Dogs rebuilt their defense by adding former fourth-overall pick Thomas Charbonneau (2G-9A in 48 GP), Brandon Delarosbil (8G-14A in 60 GP) and veteran Julien Lanthier (3G-12A in 43 GP) to a group led by Olivier Duhamel (5G-21A in 58 GP). Buffalo Sabres fourth-rounder Samuel Meloche gives that revamped blue line an established goaltender behind it.

The Sea Dogs open the QMJHL regular season on Friday against the Newfoundland Regiment at the Mary Brown's Centre.

Saint John won't have to wait long to face another one of the CHL's most hyped teams. The Dogs will host the Eagles on Sept. 26 and visit Sydney on Oct. 2. The two will meet eight times in the regular season but only twice after the holiday trade deadline.

The Sea Dogs will face the Remparts Nov. 12 at TD Station and March 12 in Quebec City.

Notebook: Dogs to honour Fredericton Canadiens

For a second time this season, the Saint John Sea Dogs will wear some AHL inspired threads.

Back in November, the Sea Dogs wore Saint John Flames jerseys that were redesigned to match the Sea Dogs' current blue, black and grey colours. On Sunday, the team will wear the blue, white and red of the Fredericton Canadiens.

The team teased the jerseys that they'll wear Sunday afternoon at the Aitken Centre earlier this week.

All set for our final game of the #CapitalCitySeries in Fredericton on Sunday. 🟦⬜️🟥

⏰ 3:00 p.m.
📍 Aitken Centre
🎟️ https://t.co/YCQn2csIhF#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/WELx0hrZIE

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) January 30, 2026

The Canadiens played at the Aitken Centre in the 1990s. They relocated to Quebec City in 1999.

This will be the sixth time this season the Sea Dogs wear a speciality jersey. They are 1-4-0-0 so far.

Nov. 15 vs Quebec (4-0 W) - Pink in the Rink 

Nov. 21 vs Wildcats (8-4 L) - Saint John Flames Night 

Dec. 7 vs Wildcats (4-2 L) - Christmas Jerseys 

Dec. 17 vs Mooseheads (4-3 L) - Christmas Jerseys

Jan. 24 vs Phoenix (6-3 L) - Superhero Jerseys

Sunday's game will also be Saint John's third and final regular season match in Fredericton. They are 1-1-0-0 in the Capital City Series so far.

Joseph named to Team of the Week

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph was named to the QMJHL Team of the Week of Monday.

Joseph recorded three goals and three assists in Saint John's three road games last week, helping the club go 2-1-0-0 on their Quebec road trip.

Here they are! Your members on the latest Team of the Week!

STATS 📊: https://t.co/v4eMcEQh5Y@FloHockey | #TOTW pic.twitter.com/zL14motKs1

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) December 15, 2025

The 16-year-old has four goals and four assists in five games this month. He now sits sixth in QMJHL rookie scoring with 26 points (12 goals and 14 assists) in 24 games.

It's the second week in a row a Sea Dog has made the QMJHL Team of the Week. Last week, Sea Dogs captain Olivier Groulx earned the honour.

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: 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: Groulx named Dogs captain

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Olivier Groulx has been named captain of the Saint John Sea Dogs, the team announced Thursday.

Veteran forward Jacob Beaulieu along with overagers Angelo Fullerton and Natan Éthier have all been named alternate captains.

“We are delighted to name Olivier, Angelo, Natan and Jacob as our captains for the upcoming season,” Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Travis Crickard said in a news release. “Olivier has earned the captaincy because he fully embodies our team’s values of humble, hunger and honour every day.”

Groulx is the 24th captain in franchise history and will play his third season with the Sea Dogs. The 18-year-old wore an 'A' last season.

HALIFAX TO HOST

The QMJHL Entry Draft is coming east.

During the league's season opening press conference on Tuesday, it was confirmed that Halifax will host the 2026 QMJHL Entry Draft, which is scheduled for June 5-6.

“The QMJHL is very pleased and excited to hold its 2026 draft presented by Fenplast in the beautiful city of Halifax, a very important market in our league,"said QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini in a statement. "The players, families and teams present at the draft will be able to fully enjoy the beautiful attractions of the city.”

It's the first time the event will be held in Halifax.

Quebec City hosted the draft this past June. Moncton hosted in 2024.

Also, it sounds like the OHL may have an in-person draft in the near future as well.

Notebook: Sea Dogs thank fans

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs president Trevor Georgie shared a thank you message to fans earlier this week.

The letter was shared on the team's social media channels and via email (click to enlarge).

The letter comes after another challenging year for the Sea Dogs. The team has been in the league's basement for three consecutive seasons and this year missed the playoffs for the first tine since 2018-19.

As Georgie notes, there are reasons to be optimistic about the club's future. It's also noted that the team has three first-round picks in June's QMJHL Entry Draft and will have two import players next year. Saint John played the entire second half with no imports.

ELLIOTT SIGNS ATO

Former Sea Dogs forward Drew Elliott has signed an amateur tryout with the AHL's San Diego Gulls, the club announced Wednesday.

The 21-year-old appeared in 26 regular season games with the UNB Reds this season, recording 14 goals and eight assists. He added an assist in five playoff games.

Elliott, a Saint John native, split his overage season between the Sea Dogs and Drummondville Voltigeurs. In 32 second half games with Saint John, Elliott recorded 10 goals and seven assists. 

The Gulls are back in action on Friday when they host the Tucson Roadrunners. 

Notebook: Pre-season roundup

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Coen Miller ended the pre-season as Saint John's leading scorer.

Miller recorded three goals and four assists to lead the team with seven points. His four assists were also a team high. 

Miller and Florian Schenk each had a team high three goals.

Elliot Dubé, Olivier Groulx, Olivier Duhamel, Julien Bonnet and Giuliano Caputo appeared in all six of Saint John's pre-season games.

Dubé led the team in shots on goal with 17.

Saint John finished the pre-season with a 4-2 record and were outscore 23-20.

The Chicoutimi Sagueneens had the best winning percentage in the pre-season (5-0-0-1) while the Charlottetown Islanders had the worst (1-5-0-0).

WEEKEND DEAL

The Sea Dogs are offering quite a deal for their first weekend of the regular season. Fans can purchase a ticket for both games for a total of $20 plus taxes and fees.

Fans can also take advantage of a two-for-one hot dog offer at TD Station concessions.

The Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats on Friday and Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday. Both games begin at 7 p.m.

SEASON OPENING NEWSER

QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini held his season opening press conference on Tuesday. Here are the highlights.

• "On-boarding days" were held Sept. 9 in Moncton and Sept. 12 in Trois-Rivières with more than 130 first year players attending. Parents also attended the conferences virtually.
• A reminder that the league's schedule has been reduced from 68 games to 64.
• A new rule for this season, per the league's news release: "If a player unintentionally checks an opponent from the side or behind who is controlling the puck or retrieving a loose puck, this will be considered illegal."
• The Frank-J-Selke Trophy has been renamed the David-Desharnais Trophy in honour of the only player in history to have won the award three times (2005, 2006 and 2007).
• New boards were installed in Rouyn-Noranda and Rimouski. The Oceanic's home rink is undergoing further renovations ahead of hosting the Memorial Cup in May.
• The Hockey News notes that PA announcers in the league will announce why plays are being reviewed this year.

Notebook: It's (home) opening night

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will play their first of 34 regular season home games tonight at TD Station — and there will be a special guest in attendance.

The Sea Dogs announced Friday that wrestling legend Bret "The Hitman" Hart will be at the game. Hart does have a connection to junior hockey with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen having been named in his honour (Hart was one of the original investors in the team).

The Best There Is, the Best There Was, and the Best There Ever Will Be.

BREAKING: Bret "The Hitman" Hart will be in attendance for tomorrow's Home Opener. Tickets are ONLY $7.

🎟️: https://t.co/LvsBJIcMkg pic.twitter.com/icKF1Muv9U

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 22, 2023

There will also be a special offer available at the game. Fans can stop by Sea Dogs Central and purchase a $50 Sea Dogs store gift card that will include $50 worth of free 50/50 tickets. There are a limited quantity of gift cards available.

There will also be some new concession offerings to check out — including Maestro Fresh Wes inspired backbone sliders.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MAESTRO FRESH WES (@maestrofreshwes)

Puck drop between the Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan is 7 p.m.

MANN INJURED

Newly acquired defenseman Matteo Mann will be unavailable for the Sea Dogs longer than expected.

Mann was likely going to miss the start of the season while attending Philadelphia Flyers rookie and training camp but an injury will sideline the big defender even longer. Postmedia (paywall) reported this week that Mann will miss all of September and much of October with a shoulder injury he suffered at Flyers rookie camp.

Mann was acquired by the Sea Dogs from the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in late August but did not appear in any pre-season games with Saint John.

Notebook: McCluskey pushes Bearcats to first round MHL series win

UNB Athletics

HALIFAX - Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Carter McCluskey played a key role in getting the Truro Bearcats into the second round of the Maritime Hockey League playoffs.

McCluskey, who appeared in 22 games with the Cape Breton Eagles earlier this season, recorded four goals and two assists in just three games, helping lift the Bearcats to a 4-2 series win over the Valley Wildcats.

Those numbers included scoring the overtime winner in Game 5 on Sunday.

Carter McCluskey with a statement in his return with a first star performance(2G 1A) which included this overtime winner in front of 1200 strong at the RECC! We can close out the series Tuesday night in Berwick! #ExpectToWin pic.twitter.com/SCBbhpGNeK

— Truro Junior ‘A’ Bearcats (@trurobearcats) March 27, 2023

McCluskey, Cael MacDonald and the Bearcats will face Ben Roode and the Yarmouth Mariners in the next round.

The other series will feature the Edmundston Blizzard (Brandon Casey) facing either the Summerside Western Capitals or Campbellton Tigers (Connor Richard and Dawson Stairs). The Capitals host the Tigers in a Game 7 on Friday.

FINAL RANKINGS

The Gatineau Olympiques finished the regular season fourth in the QMJHL standings but have been ranked No. 1 in the final edition of the CHL Top 10.

Three other QMJHL teams were ranked as well.

The @OlympiquesGAT finish 🔝 of the @KiaCanada CHL Top 🔟 rankings!

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) March 28, 2023 

Notebook: Q players shine in Canada win

MONCTON - Quebec Major Junior Hockey League players impressed in Team Canada's 6-0 pre-tournament win over Switzerland on Monday night at Avenir Centre.

Canada's third line of Joshua Roy (Sherbrooke), Nathan Gaucher (Quebec) and Zach Dean (Gatineau) created Canada's first two goals in the 6-0 victory.

“[Dean, Gaucher and Roy] set the tone for us," said Canada head coach Dennis Williams after the game. "They were grinding their opponents, working together and feeding off each other. [Establishing chemistry] is never an issue when you come to an event like this. Everyone is coming from across the country and different leagues, but we are all here for a common goal. It’s one team and one country, and you could see a lot of that chemistry on all our lines tonight.”

A few other notes from the game...

• There is clear chemistry between Shane Wright and Connor Bedard on Canada's top line. Wright had two goals and an assist while Bedard had three helpers.
• Roy is one of four players on Team Canada who was a first overall pick in a CHL league draft. Roy was taken first overall by Saint John in the 2019 QMJHL Entry Draft.
• Switzerland featured an all-QMJHL top line of Attilio Biasca (Halifax), Jonas Taibel (Moncton) and Louis Robin (Val-d'Or).
• There were loud cheers for Taibel and fellow Wildcat Miles Muller when the rosters were announced in the building.
• Sea Dogs defenseman Vincent Despont was listed on Switzerland's fourth pairing (all players were permitted to dress). He didn't play a ton.

Canada faces Simon Nemec and Slovakia in pre-tournament play on Wednesday in Moncton. Nemec was taken second overall by the New Jersey Devils in this year's NHL Draft. He was also selected fourth overall by the Cape Breton Eagles in the 2021 CHL Import Draft.

BIG CROWDS AND LINES

The qplex in Quispamsis was packed for Monday's world junior pre-tournament game between the United States and Finland. The US won 5-2 on the strength of three second period goals.

Packed house in the QPlex tonight as the United States plays Finland for or-tournament action ahead of the World Junior Hockey Championship #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/pGARYnvzUB

— Matthew Daigle (@MatthewDaigle17) December 19, 2022

In Moncton on Monday, the Avenir Centre was packed (or very close to it) for the first of two Canada pre-tournament games that will be held at the venue. There were long lines outside the building prior to doors opening which... were kind of solved by people getting out of the line and walking around to different entrances.

Line goes all the way to the big garage doors in the back of the building pic.twitter.com/gRdiAyOMLE

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) December 19, 2022

The full schedule for Moncton's "World Juniors Community Festival" can be found online.

Notebook: Despont on Swiss camp roster

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

KAMLOOPS, BC - Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Vincent Despont has been named to Switzerland's camp roster for the World Junior Hockey Championship.

28 players were named to the roster. According to Swiss Hockey News, "five members will still have to be cut from the provisional roster to get down to 20 players and three goalies. The decision will be made after the last preparation game."

🏒🇨🇭 28 Spieler reisen nach Kanada für die Vorbereitung auf die U20-Weltmeisterschaft.

📋 https://t.co/azA4UyZoxe

👉 28 joueurs convoqués pour la préparation aux Mondiaux Juniors en Canada. 28 giocatori si recano in Canada per la preparazione alla Mondiale U20. 💪 pic.twitter.com/hBUu1wS2K9

— Swiss Ice Hockey (@SwissIceHockey) November 30, 2022

Switzerland will play three pre-tournament games in Canada before the start of the tournament, facing Canada, Sweden and Czechia.

Despont appeared in five games with Switzerland at last year's event, posting an assist. 

LAWRENCE DEBUTS

Former Sea Dogs forward Josh Lawrence made a strong first impression with his new club on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old forward recorded three assists in the Halifax Mooseheads' 5-3 victory over the Rimouski Oceanic. He was named first star.

Lawrence was traded to the Mooseheads by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Monday. He made his debut on a line with Attilio Biasca and Stephane Jr Huard.

The Mooseheads continue their road trip on Friday in Chicoutimi and Saturday in Baie-Comeau. Lawrence will make his home debut next Thursday against his former team, the Armada.

Notebook: The regular season is here

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's almost that time.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's regular season is just a couple days away. The schedule opens on Thursday night with the President Cup champion and William Dufour owned Shawinigan Cataractes hosting the Gatineau Olympiques.

The schedule picks up on Friday with seven games that evening. The Saturday slate includes the Saint John Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan opening up their seasons at TD Station. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Sea Dogs and Titan meet again on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Saint John travels to Charlottetown the following Friday, Sept. 30. The Dogs then play three straight games on home ice before making their first of four three-game road trips to Quebec.

MEDIA GUIDE RELEASED

The QMJHL's media guide was released on Tuesday. Here are a few things worth noting (and perhaps subject to change):

• The league's holiday trading period will take place Sunday, Dec. 18 to Friday, Jan. 6. The World Junior Hockey Championship ends on Jan. 5.
• The CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will take place Jan. 25 in Vancouver.
• The 2023 Memorial Cup, held in Kelowna, will take place Friday, May 26 to Monday, June 5.
• The final Central Scouting list for the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft will be released May 8.
• Capacity at TD Station is listed at 5,990 this season with total capacity listed at 6,190.

ROSZELL NO LONGER WITH WILDCATS

Tim Roszell is no longer the voice of the Moncton Wildcats.

The Wildcats quietly announced late Saturday that Marty Kingston will return as the Wildcats' play-by-play announcer, taking over from Roszell who had held the position for the last four seasons.

Kingston was previously the PA announcer at the Moncton Coliseum and was the team's play-by-play voice for three seasons.

Quick Hits: Sea Dogs locked into No. 3 seed in Eastern Conference

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are now locked into third-place in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Eastern Conference.

With three games remaining in their regular season schedule, the most points the Sea Dogs can finish with is 98. That means they won't be able to catch the Quebec Remparts (100 points) or Charlottetown Islanders (99 points).

The Sea Dogs also can't be caught by the fourth-place Acadie-Bathurst Titan who have struggled (and limped) down the stretch.

Finishing third means the Sea Dogs will play the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference in the first round. Right now that would be the Rimouski Oceanic who have 75 points with two games remaining. The Oceanic could still catch the fifth-place Halifax Mooseheads who have 76 points with one game remaining.

The Sea Dogs were 1-1-0-0 against the Oceanic this season and 6-2-0-0 against the Mooseheads.

A few other notes...

• Sherbrooke's Joshua Roy now leads the QMJHL in points with 113 while William Dufour is second with 112. Both have three games remaining in the regular season.
• Charlottetown's Patrick Guay has tied Dufour for the league lead in goals with 53. Guay and the Islanders have two games remaining.
• The Mooseheads are playing some of their best hockey of the season right now, winning their sixth straight game Tuesday night in Moncton. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games. The Moose have one game remaining in the regular season: a visit to last-place Cape Breton on Sunday.
• Only two QMJHL teams - the Charlottetown Islanders and Quebec Remparts - made the year-end CHL Top 10 rankings, which appears to summarize the year's rankings. The Winnipeg Ice were ranked first.
• Former Sea Dogs forward Alex Drover played in his first game with the Rimouski Oceanic since March 8 on Wednesday. Drover scored his 12th goal of the season in his return from injury.
• Former Sea Dogs head coach Josh Dixon and the Prince George Cougars have been eliminated from the WHL playoffs. The Cougars were swept by the favoured Portland Winterhawks, dropping Game 4 by score of 2-1 on Wednesday. Dixon is an associate coach with the Cougars.
• On TSN's Insider Trading, Chris Johnston reported that an announcement on which Canadian city/cities will host the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship will be made soon. "We're going to know soon," said Johnston. "There's already been some talks it's going to be Halifax and Moncton, that they're the favourites among the five bids. Hockey Canada has not made a final decision."
• This may already be out there, but Canada's schedule for this summer's world juniors in Edmonton will see the team play Latvia (Aug. 10), Slovakia (Aug. 11), Czechia (Aug. 13) and Finland (Aug. 15). The quarterfinal (Aug. 17), semifinal (Aug. 19) and bronze/gold medal (Aug. 20) matches will take place afterwards.
• As noted by Le Droit's JF Plante, former Sea Dogs goaltender Charlie Millen is now a linesman in the OHL. Millen appeared in three games with Saint John during the 2011-12 season. According to his LinkedIn, Millen also works AHL games and Hockey Canada sanctioned matches.
• The school formerly known as Ryerson University will have a new name for its sports teams this coming season, reports Ben Steiner. The school, now known as Toronto Metropolitan University, will no longer be the home of the Rams.
• The OHL's Ottawa 67's could have a new home in the coming years. The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, who own the 67's, unveiled proposed plans to build a new 5,500-seat arena that would be ready for the 2024-25 season. The 67's current home, located underneath one of the football grandstands, has been dying a slow death for some time.

It's been a good week

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's been a good week for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The team has moved all the way up to No. 5 in the CHL Top 10 rankings after a week that saw them earn four victories - a couple of which were against two of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's top teams in the Charlottetown Islanders and Sherbrooke Phoenix.

The Week 25 edition of the @KiaCanada CHL Top-10 Rankings has arrived!

📰 | https://t.co/YFZ6Vu9nZM pic.twitter.com/Y9LAUr2Zlj

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 20, 2022

The Quebec Remparts were the top ranked QMJHL team at No. 4. The Islanders were ranked seventh while the Phoenix were an honourable mention.

From the CHL website:

A dominant second half now sees the 2022 Memorial Cup presented by Kia host Saint John Sea Dogs ranked fifth nationally following a stretch in which the squad has won 10 straight and 21 of its last 23 appearances. Bringing no shortage of offense, the Sea Dogs have racked up 42 goals in their last eight outings, headlined by league-leading scorer and New York Islanders prospect William Dufour who has registered 109 points counting 52 goals and 57 assists in 61 games.

Sea Dogs forward William Dufour, meanwhile, picked up more honours this week. Dufour was named to the QMJHL Team of the Week and named the QMJHL's Player of the Week. It's the second time this season Dufour has earned the weekly honour.