Game Day 16: at Cape Breton

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs will play the backend of a very odd back-to-back this afternoon at Centre 200.

The Sea Dogs played yesterday at TD Station, defeating the Moncton Wildcats 3-1 to extend their winning streak to three games. That game ended around 6:30 p.m. This afternoon at 3 p.m., they'll play in Sydney – which is not a short trek for this quick of a turnaround.

The Sea Dogs were expected to travel to Antigonish last night and complete the journey to Sydney today.

Adding to the logistical challenge is the fact that the Sea Dogs have to play the Eagles. Cape Breton has won four straight games, which began with a dominant 4-1 win in Saint John on Oct. 17.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/Sea Dogs Audio Network

2026-27 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 9-4-1-1 for 20 points (fourth Eastern/sixth QMJHL) while the Eagles are 6-3-1-3 for 16 points (fifth Eastern/ninth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-1 home win over the Moncton Wildcats yesterday. Jabez Seymour, Jayden Connors and Jamie Glance all scored for Saint John. Samuel Meloche made 23 saves in the win. The Eagles are coming off a 4-1 win in Moncton on Friday. Eliot Litalien scored a pair of goals for the Eagles while Alonso Gosselin and Maxim Schafer added singles. Lucas Beckman made 21 stops in the win.

Game Day 15: vs Wildcats

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to win their third straight game today at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs won two of three games last weekend in Quebec, earning wins in Boisbriand and Drummondville. Saturday's victory over the Armada ended a three-game losing streak.

Today, the Sea Dogs will look to keep their winning streak going when they host the Moncton Wildcats at 4 p.m.

The Wildcats played last night on home ice, falling 4-1 to the Cape Breton Eagles. Moncton has been struggling of late, dropping three straight and sitting just 3-7 in their past 10 games. After a good start, they now have a.500 record of 7-7-0-0.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/Sea Dogs Audio Network

2026-27 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 8-4-1-1 for 18 points (fourth Eastern/seventh QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 7-7-0-0 for 14 points (eighth Eastern/13th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a wild 7-5 win in Drummondville on Sunday. Alexander Donovan had a hat trick for Saint John while singles came from Alexis Joseph, Jesse Dunlap, Thomas Charbonneau and Jamie Glance. Samuel Meloche made 26 saves in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 4-1 home loss to the Cape Breton Eagles last night. Tommy Coccaro scored Moncton's lone goal. Yegor Rybkin made 26 saves in the loss.

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.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-1

FINAL: Cape Breton 4, Saint John 1

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - It wasn't a pretty end to the Saint John Sea Dogs' five-game winning streak on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs were bettered in all areas by the Cape Breton Eagles, falling 4-1 at TD Station. It was Saint John's first loss in five games and the first time in seven matches they failed to earn at least a point.

Maxim Schafer scored twice for Cape Breton while Aiden McCullough and Noah Jettelson added singles. Lucas Beckman made 16 stops in the win.

Saint John struggled at both ends of the ice, giving the Eagles a number of odd-man rushes and quality chances while also being unable to generate a lot in terms of offense. The Sea Dogs were outshot 19-5 and 8-5 in the second and third periods, respectively. 

Saint John's only significant amount of offensive zone pressure came late in the first period, allowing Olivier Groulx to open the scoring and give the Dogs a 1-0 lead after one. Cape Breton took control in the final two periods though, scoring twice in each.

Even the Sea Dogs' power play, which has been so good all year, couldn't solve the Eagles, going 0/4.

Samuel Meloche made 28 stops in the loss.

Saint John won't have much time to think about this loss. They host the Val-d'Or Foreurs tomorrow at TD Station – which will not be an easy battle.

Game Day 10: vs Eagles

Shane Wilkie/Cape Breton Eagles

SAINT JOHN - Two teams that have been heading in opposite directions of late collide today at TD Station.

The Saint John Sea Dogs, who have won five straight, host the Cape Breton Eagles, losers of three straight, this afternoon at 4 p.m. Both teams were expected to be amongst the best in the QMJHL this season but have gotten off to very different starts.

This will already be the third meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Eagles. Both of the previous two games required extra time.

Both teams should be rested and ready for this big tilt. The Eagles haven't played since Monday in Sherbrooke while the Sea Dogs have been off since hosting the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Monday.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/Sea Dogs Audio Network

2026-27 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 6-1-1-1 for 14 points (third Eastern/fourth QMJHL) while the Eagles are 2-3-1-3 for eight points (ninth Eastern/14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 shootout win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Monday. Alexander Donovan, Lawrence Williams and Jabez Seymour scored for Saint John. Rafaël Courchesne made 23 saves in the win. The Eagles are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss in Sherbrooke on Monday. Elias Schneider, Maxim Schafer and Reece Peitzsche scored for Cape Breton. Lucas Beckman made 31 stops in the loss.

Notebook: Fight Cancer game Saturday

Saturday will be the Saint John Sea Dogs' annual Fight Cancer game.

As usual, the Sea Dogs will be wearing pink-themed jerseys for the occasion. Judging by the teaser posted online, this year's jersey will be a pink version of the club's new third sweater.

All set for #SeaDogsFightCancer on Saturday 🩷💙 Select game-worn jerseys are now available through our online auction on DASH. Remaining jerseys will be raffled off during Saturday's game! 🔗 » https://t.co/sixizPfsEM 🎟️ » https://t.co/HddIyY460o #GoDogsGo https://t.co/sXfCciZvsd

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) October 15, 2026

More details from the Sea Dogs' website:

This year, the Sea Dogs are proud to once again partner with Breasts Ahoy, a Saint John-based dragon boat team made up of breast cancer survivors. The organization provides survivors with an opportunity to stay active, build lasting friendships and support one another while raising awareness about life after breast cancer.

Fans can make a difference simply by attending the game. For every ticket purchased using promo code PINK26, $5 will be donated directly to Breasts Ahoy.

Game-worn Sea Dogs Fight Cancer jerseys will also be available through an in-game raffle and online auction, giving fans the opportunity to take home a one-of-a-kind jersey while supporting the cause, with a portion of the proceeds donated to Breasts Ahoy.

Tickets are available now at tickets.sjseadogs.com using promo code PINK26, with $5 from every ticket purchased through the offer donated directly to Breasts Ahoy.

Game time against the Cape Breton Eagles is 4 p.m.

Winning (streak) ways are back

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The vibes are high around the Saint John Sea Dogs right now.

The Sea Dogs won a fifth straight game on Monday afternoon, defeating the Drummondville Voltigeurs 4-3 in a shootout. The team has also collected at least a point in each of their past seven games and have suffered just one regulation loss this year.

Saint John is 6-1-1-1, placing them third overall in the QMJHL standings.

Sea Dogs fans are understandably excited about the start – and with good reason. This five-game winning streak is the longest the team has had since 2021-22, the year Saint John hosted the Memorial Cup.

If you remove that 2021-22 season, it's been a rough decade in terms of consistency for the Sea Dogs. Here's a look at the team's longest winning streaks in each of the past 10 seasons.

2025-26: 3

2024-25: 4

2023-24: 3

2022-23: 3 (done 3 times)

2021-22: 15

2020-21: 3 (done 3 times)

2019-20: 3 (done 6 times)

2018-19: 3

2017-18: 3

2016-17: 9

The Sea Dogs also had a 10-game and five-game winning streak in 2021-22. In 2016-17, they also had eight-game and five-game streaks.

Saint John won the Memorial Cup in 2022 and the QMJHL championship in 2017. The franchise is certainly hoping that cycle of championships continues in 2027.

Something else worth noting: Saint John is 4-0-1-1 on home ice this season. The Sea Dogs had one of the league's worst home records last season (11-19-2-0) and had more road wins (12) than home. This is a positive start to the year – and certainly another reason for Sea Dogs fans to be happy right now.

Saint John concludes a stretch of six straight home games with a tough back-to-back at TD Station this weekend. On Saturday at 4 p.m., the Sea Dogs host the struggling Cape Breton Eagles, who will try and turn their season around with a big road win in Saint John. Then on Sunday, the Dogs welcome the Val-d'Or Foreurs who currently sit first overall in the QMJHL.

Notebook: Theme schedule announced

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs released their theme night schedule for the 2026-27 season earlier this week.

There are a few notable new themes, like Dia De Los Muertos (a popular theme in southern US markets), Hockey Benders takeover and Cirque de Sea Dogs.

The usual theme games are also returning, like Sea Dogs fight cancer, military appreciation, teddy bear toss and so on. 

Saint John will also have a 4 p.m. home game on Halloween. The Sea Dogs last played on Halloween in 2024 and had a season low crowd that night.

JOSEPH FIGHT

Here's better video of Alexis Joseph's third period fight on Friday in Cape Breton – the first of his QMJHL career.

The fight took place after Eagles defenseman Aiden McCullough put a hit on Sea Dogs forward Olivier Lemieux. Lemieux has not played since the hit.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-3 (SO)

FINAL: Saint John 4, Cape Breton 3 (SO)

Shane Wilkie/Cape Breton Eagles

SYDNEY, NS - It wasn't easy, but the Saint John Sea Dogs came away with a 4-3 shootout win over the Cape Breton Eagles on Friday at Centre 200.

Jamie Glance and Alexander Donovan scored the only goals of the shootout to give the Sea Dogs the extra point. After not playing in a single shootout all of last season, this was Saint John's second in a week.

The victory ended a three-game losing streak for the Sea Dogs, one that was extended by the Eagles erasing a three-goal deficit on Saturday at TD Station and skating away with a 5-4 overtime win.

It looked as though this game may have a similar script to Saturday's. Despite being heavily outshot, Saint John grabbed a 2-0 lead early in the second period. But the Eagles then scored three straight goals to carry a 3-2 advantage into the third.

Shots were 31-12 in favour of the Eagles in the first two periods combined. The Sea Dogs settled things down in the third and netted the equalizer quickly after an offensive zone faceoff at 7:11, ultimately sending the game into extra time.

It wasn't the prettiest performance by the Sea Dogs, but it got the job done – and that's just the way life is going to be a lot of times in Atlantic Canada this season. This was the third straight extra time game for Saint John.

Donovan, Glance and Dylan Rozzi scored in regulation time for Saint John. Samuel Meloche was named the game's third star, making 37 stops in the win.

Derek Andrews, Elias Schneider and Liam Lefebvre scored for Cape Breton. Lukas Beckman made 20 stops in the loss.

Game Day 5: at Cape Breton

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to get some revenge on the Cape Breton Eagles tonight.

The Sea Dogs blew a 3-0 lead in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Eagles on Saturday at TD Station. It looked as the Sea Dogs, who had a strong start, faded as the game went along. We'll see how they fare tonight with fresh legs.

This will be Saint John's third road game of the season. They split a pair of games in Newfoundland during opening weekend.

Both the Sea Dogs and Eagles remain in the CHL Top-10, making this one of the league's biggest matchups of the week. Hopefully it can live up to the hype.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m. at Centre 200.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/Sea Dogs Audio Network

2026-27 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-1-1 for four points (seventh Eastern/13th QMJHL) while the Eagles are 1-1-0-2 for four points (eighth Eastern/14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Eagles met last Saturday at TD Station where Cape Breton posted a 5-4 overtime win. Reece Peitzsche, Liam Lefebvre, Eliot Litalien, Elias Schneider and Jacob Hartlin scored for Cape Breton. Alexander Donovan, Oliver Ozogany, Thomas Charbonneau and Olivier Groulx scored for Saint John. Lucas Beckman made 21 stops in the victory. Rafaël Courchesne made 22 saves in the loss.

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.

Late goals have been costly for Sea Dogs

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

SAINT JOHN - Just four games into the regular season, there is certainly one trend the Saint John Sea Dogs will no doubt want to correct.

Third period goals against have proved costly for the Sea Dogs so far. In all three of their losses, the team allowed goals in the final half of the third period, goals that proved to be pivotal in the game's outcome.

Sept. 19 - 4-2 loss at Newfoundland: allowed game-tying goal at 11:50 of the third period and the game-winning goal at 16:12. Regiment added an empty netter at 19:31.

Sept. 25 - 4-3 SOL vs Moncton: allowed Moncton to take a 3-2 lead at 13:29 of the third period on a power play. Saint John tied the game with 1:15 to go before falling in a shootout.

Sept. 26 - 5-4 OTL vs Cape Breton: allowed game-tying goal at 13:20 of the third period on a power play. Eagles went on to win the game in overtime.

The Sea Dogs have been outscored 7-3 in third periods this season. They've outscored opponents 6-3 in first periods and 4-3 in seconds, respectively.

All three of Saint John's losses have been close games. The team is 1-1-1-1 after four games, which is certainly not bad – but this weekend's losses sting given how they played out. 

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-4 (OT)

FINAL: Cape Breton 5, Saint John 4 (OT)

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs blew 3-0 and 4-3 leads in an overtime loss to the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday at TD Station.

Reece Peitzsche scored 1:07 into the extra frame to give the Eagles the 5-4 victory – the team's first of the season after three straight losses to start the year. The Sea Dogs, meanwhile, have now lost three straight after winning their season opener, falling to 1-1-1-1.

Saint John led 3-0 after the first period, scoring on their first two shots of the game. But Cape Breton slowly got back into it during the second period, scoring three straight to even things up at 3-3. Alexander Donovan scored a late power play goal to give the Dogs a 4-3 lead heading into the third.

In the final frame, the Eagles were able to swing momentum back in their direction, outshooting the Sea Dogs 11-5. It looked as though Saint John – who went to a shootout the night before – had ran out of gas at times.

At 13:20 of the the third, Liam Lefebvre scored on a power play to make it 4-4 and eventually force overtime, allowing Peitzsche to net the winner.

Along with Peitzsche and Lefebvre, Eliot Litalien, Elias Schneider and Jacob Hartlin also scored. Lucas Beckman recovered from a rough opening frame, making 21 stops in the victory.

Donovan, Oliver Ozogany, Thomas Charbonneau and Olivier Groulx scored for Saint John. Rafaël Courchesne made 22 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs will have the week to recover from this tough loss – but they have a chance at revenge. These two meet again on Friday at Centre 200.

Game Day 4: vs Eagles

JaimeLee Gouthro/Cape Breton Eagles

SAINT JOHN - An early season home-and-home between two of the CHL's top-ranked teams begins today at TD Station.

The Saint John Sea Dogs, ranked seventh in the latest CHL Top-10 rankings, host the Cape Breton Eagles, ranked third, today at 4 p.m. The two teams then battle on Friday night at Sydney's Centre 200.

Both teams will be looking to end early season losing skids today. The Sea Dogs have dropped two straight after falling in a shootout to the Moncton Wildcats last night. The Eagles, meanwhile, are still looking for their first win, starting the year off 0-1-0-2.

It's early, obviously, but this will be a big test for both clubs.

Today also marks the beginning of new Saturday start times for the Sea Dogs. All Saturday home games will begin at 4 p.m. this year at TD Station.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/Sea Dogs Audio Network

2026-27 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-0-1 for three points (fifth Eastern/10th QMJHL) while the Eagles are 0-1-0-2 for two points (eighth Eastern/16th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Moncton Wildcats last night at TD Station. Olivier Lemieux, Dylan Rozzi and Alexis Joseph scored for Saint John. Samuel Meloche made 22 stops in the loss. The Eagles are coming off a 4-1 loss in Charlottetown last night. Noah Jettelson scored Cape Breton's lone goal. Lucas Beckman made 21 stops in the loss.

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.

Notebook: Crickard, Beaulieu win wild WHL debut

Swift Current Broncos

It was quite a Western Hockey League coaching debut for Travis Crickard and the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday.

The Broncos defeated the Prince Albert Raiders 5-2 in a game that was highlighted by an old school line brawl in the second period. Former Sea Dogs forward Jacob Beaulieu, also making his WHL regular season debut, was involved.

Haven't seen a legit 5 on 5 in awhile. #WHL
Swift Current Vs Prince Albert 09.19.26 #HFH pic.twitter.com/Yz7W8mpN0E

— Hockey Fight History (@HistoryOfFights) September 20, 2026

Crickard, the former head coach and general manager of the Sea Dogs, took over as Broncos head coach and general manager during the off-season.

Beaulieu was a free agent invite to Broncos training camp. The overage forward was also named part of the team's leadership group for the 2026-27 season.

The Broncos don't play again until Friday when they face the Moose Jaw Warriors.

SATURDAY FIGHTS

The Sea Dogs and Newfoundland Regiment had two fights within the first few minutes of the second period on Saturday.

The first saw a couple of Newfoundlanders drop the gloves as soon-to-turn-17-year-old Benjamin Veitch took on 19-year-old Jabez Seymour. 

Soon after, Matyas Cancik, in just his second career QMJHL game, took on 19-year-old Ryan Dwyer.

Both games this weekend were physical at times – which is often the case against Gordie Dwyer teams. It will be interesting to see if the Sea Dogs continue to lean into that style against other opponents.

Notebook: Joseph, Glance named to QMJHL Prospects Game roster

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Two Saint John Sea Dogs were among the first players to earn invites to October's QMJHL Prospects Game.

Sea Dogs forwards Alexis Joseph and Jamie Glance have both been selected to take part in the event. The roster is selected by NHL Central Scouting.

Carter Meyer and Patrick Déniger of the Quebec Remparts along with Malik L’Italien of the Halifax Mooseheads and Vladimir Shtyrkhunov of the Shawinigan Cataractes were also named to the event's roster on Thursday.

“Alexis, Jamie, Carter, Malik, Vladimir and Patrick have very bright futures ahead of them, and on October 28, they will have the opportunity to showcase their talent in front of approximately 100 National Hockey League scouts and executives,” said QMJHL vice-president of hockey operations Éric Chouinard in a news release.

This will be the second year for the event, which includes the top players available for that season's NHL Draft. Six Sea Dogs took part in last year's game: Olivers Murnieks, Zachary Morin, William Yared, Dylan Rozzi, Cameron Chartrand and Rafaël Courchesne.

This year's event will be held Oct. 28 in Gatineau.

OPENING NIGHT

The Sea Dogs have had quite a bit of success in season openers of late.

The team in 4-1-0-0 in their last five season openers. Two of those five games were on the road – and, technically, against the Newfoundland Regiment franchise (previously the Acadie-Bathurst Titan). The Sea Dogs open the 2026-27 regular season on Friday in Newfoundland.

2025: 3-2 win vs Cape Breton

2024: 3-0 loss vs Moncton

2023: 6-4 win at Bathurst

2022: 4-3 win at Bathurst

2021: 4-2 win vs Charlottetown

Zachary Morin, Olivier Duhamel and William Yared all scored in Saint John's season opener last year. Justin Robinson made 29 stops in the win.

The Sea Dogs have never opened a season in Newfoundland. They did host the St. John's Fog Devils in the club's inaugural game in 2005.

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: 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 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.