Notebook: COVID and the Cup

Vincent Ethier/CHL

Did you contract COVID-19 at the 2022 Memorial Cup?

If you did, you are certainly not alone.

As Global News reported this week, "in its latest weekly COVID-19 update, Public Health reported 286 COVID-19 cases confirmed by PCR tests, and 483 positive self-reported POCT tests in Zone 2 alone."

COVID (seemingly, anyways) started to become a problem in the second half of the Memorial Cup. With the exception of players and hockey operations staff, everyone at ice level was asked to wear a mask for the final few days of the tournament. That rule was not in place when the event began.

From @BJMCBC: of the 1,915 new COVID-19 cases reported in NB in the past week, 769 are in the Saint John region.

That’s just confirmed/reported cases. The real number is much higher. Mask up buds 😷 https://t.co/gCQcgHMKrQ

— Julia Wright (@thewrightpage) July 5, 2022

Very few masks could be spotted at TD Station, which hosted some of the largest indoor gatherings since the pandemic began. Many fans and tournament attendees have reported their positive cases on social media over the past week.

“I wouldn’t necessarily use the word blame," chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell told Global in an interview on Tuesday. "Again, I think the risks increase when you’re in indoor settings, we’ve always known that, and they decrease in outdoor settings. So, when people make choices about gathering, and who they’re gathering with, and whether they’re wearing a mask, etcetera.”

Stay safe out there, folks.

UP NEXT FOR DUFOUR

In an interview with the New York Post, William Dufour said his goal at New York Islanders training camp this fall is to make the NHL club.

“For sure I’m going for it, going to camp with a purpose,” Dufour said. “Everybody’s going there to make the team for sure. I’m gonna do everything I can to try and have a spot and get the results in September.”

If he doesn't make the big club out of camp, Dufour will likely start the year with the American Hockey League's Bridgeport Islanders.

Notebook: Hurtubise honoured

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise has been honoured for his play last week.

Hurtubise was named to the QMJHL's Team of the Week on Monday after posting a 2-0 record to go along with a .933 save percentage and 2.00 goals against average. The netminder helped the Sea Dogs pick up a couple big wins over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Charlottetown Islanders.

Since joining the Sea Dogs, Hurtubise is 6-2 with a 2.72 GAA and .904 save percentage.

Hurtubise leads all QMJHL goaltenders in minutes played and is third in saves.

Thomas Couture, meanwhile, posted his first career QMJHL shutout on Saturday, helping the Sea Dogs defeat the Moncton Wildcats 5-0. Couture is now 7-2 with the Sea Dogs to go along with a 1.96 GAA and .923 save percentage.

Couture is, somewhat surprisingly, third in the league in wins this season with 18 split between the Sea Dogs and Wildcats.

COUTURE'S NEW GEAR
Thomas Couture's Sea Dogs branded gear arrived last week.

New look for Thomas Couture 😍 pic.twitter.com/u1WjCtWotQ

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) March 8, 2022

COMING UP

After a hectic stretch filled with mid-week games, the Sea Dogs have the week off to prepare for two tilts this weekend.

The Sea Dogs have another big game against the Charlottetown Islanders set for this Friday, this time at TD Station. The two teams met last Friday at Eastlink Centre where Saint John earned a solid 2-1 victory.

The Islanders, who play Thursday at home against the Moncton Wildcats, have a seven-point lead on the Sea Dogs and have played two fewer games. Friday's match will be the final regular season meeting between the two in Saint John.

On Saturday the Sea Dogs host the Wildcats at 7 p.m. In two meetings in the second half, the Sea Dogs have outscored the Wildcats 13-1. The two will also face each other on March 22 (in Moncton) and March 25 (in Saint John).

Notebook: Sea Dogs win weekly honours

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Josh Lawrence has been named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's player of the week.

The 20-year-old forward recorded four goals and six assists in the Saint John Sea Dogs' three lopsided victories last week. He now has 18 goals and 42 assists in 44 games this season. His 42 helpers and 60 points are career highs.

As the league's press release notes, Lawrence was previously named the QMJHL player of the week in September 2018 - his first week in the league.

Lawrence was also named to the QMJHL's team of the week along with William Dufour and William Villeneuve. Dufour posted five goals and four assists in three games last week while Villeneuve had three goals and two assists.

Check out who made it onto the latest @Videotron Team of the Week! 👇#QMJHL | #UnitedAgain | https://t.co/jun3YhR9j0

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) March 7, 2022

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Kale McCallum, now with the Val-d'Or Foreurs, was also named to the team of the week.

BIG NIGHT

Josh Lawrence became the second Sea Dog to record five points in a single game this season on Sunday. William Dufour also had a five-point night on Feb. 8.

The @CHLMemorialCup hosts are heating up! 🔥🔥

🎥 | https://t.co/v1kJA2Qnhy pic.twitter.com/pIhbzVqBTs

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) March 7, 2022

The franchise record for points in a single game is six, which belongs to Alexandre Picard-Hooper (2007-08), Steven Anthony (2008-09) and Ryan Francis (2020-21).

Notebook: COVID postponements return

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It was inevitable that COVID-19 would force the postponements of some Quebec Major Junior Hockey League games in the second half. Still, Tuesday's news was not something anybody wanted to hear.

The league has postponed this weekend's pair of contests between the Charlottetown Islanders and Cape Breton Eagles "due to a COVID-19 outbreak." The QMJHL has come across as quite transparent with case reporting over the past couple years, but Tuesday's news release was noticeably vague.

Both the Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League have had a fairly large amount of games postponed since the Omicron variant arrived. But, both leagues have since gotten things much more under control and have had far fewer postponements in recent weeks.

COVID seems to be hitting hockey leagues across the Maritimes right now. The Maritime Junior Hockey League announced the postponement of six more games Tuesday while the NB/PEI Major U18 Hockey League postponed its showcase event last weekend.

UP NEXT

The Sea Dogs are scheduled to play three road games this week (unless COVID has other plans).

The Dogs return to Halifax on Thursday to face the Mooseheads at 7 p.m. It's a rematch of last Friday's eventful contest that saw a few players suspended. Speaking of suspensions, Halifax forward Zachary L'Heureux is back in action after serving a lengthy one of his own.

On Saturday the Sea Dogs and Titan face off for the first time since the trade deadline. Both teams have loaded up and are among the championship contenders in the league. This game is a 4 p.m. start in Bathurst.

Then on Sunday, Philippe Daoust, Thomas Couture and the Sea Dogs visit Jonathan Lemieux and the Moncton Wildcats. That game is also a 4 p.m. start.

Full capacity QMJHL arenas coming soon

Full capacity arenas are returning soon to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

That is the plan/hope, at least. With Quebec and the Maritimes unveiling their reopening plans over the past few days, the QMJHL released a handy news release explaining the capacity situation in each jurisdiction.

The three New Brunswick clubs will be the first to allow full capacity, which begins next Friday. The majority of the Quebec teams will be allowed full barns by the end of the month while the two Nova Scotia clubs and the Charlottetown Islanders will have to wait nearly two more months.

Here are the breakdowns by province:

New Brunswick

Feb. 18 - Full capacity

Nova Scotia

Feb. 14 - 50% capacity up to 3,000 fans

March14 - 75% capacity up to 5,000 fans

April 14 - Full capacity

Prince Edward Island

Feb. 17 - 50% capacity

March 17 - 75% capacity

April 7 - Full capacity

Quebec

Feb. 21 - 50% capacity

Feb. 28 - Full capacity (except Videotron Centre)

March 14 - Full capacity

Large venues like Quebec City's Videotron Centre and Montreal's Bell Centre must wait until March 14 to be at full capacity. 

Sea Dogs schedule released until Feb. 20

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs' schedule will continue on as originally planned until at least Feb. 20.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League unveiled the circuit's schedule for the week of Feb. 14-20 on Monday. The Sea Dogs will play three games during that stretch, with all three being part of the team's original 2021-22 schedule.

Including this week's games, here is Saint John's confirmed schedule until Feb. 20:

Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. at Baie-Comeau (away)

Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 8:30 p.m. at Chicoutimi (away)

Friday, Feb. 11 at 8:30 p.m. at Oceanic (away)

Friday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. at Halifax (away)

Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. vs Tigres (home)

Sunday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. vs Voltigeurs (home)

According to the news release, "the balance of the 2021-2022 regular season calendar will be published at the end of February."

Saint John's schedule has seen minimal changes since the league restarted play on Feb. 4. The Dogs have yet to play any of the games that were postponed by the league's extended holiday pause.

The Feb. 18 contest in Halifax would be the Mooseheads' first home game since Dec. 16. We'll have to see if the Nova Scotia government allows that game to take place - and if so, with what kind of capacity limitations.

Concessions to reopen; pedway closed

SAINT JOHN - Concessions will be open for this weekend's Saint John Sea Dogs home games at TD Station.

Saint John's final home game of the first half back in December did not allow food or beverages. That rule has been changed as the Sea Dogs finally open their updated second half schedule with a Friday home match against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and a Sunday contest against the Rimouski Oceanic.

Like that Dec. 18 game, social distancing will be enforced and seating will be on a first come, first serve basis.

The City will also be keeping its pedway closure in place. The pedway between the Aquatic Centre and TD Station will be closed 90 minutes before game time and remain closed until 90 minutes after.

Here's a full rundown of the COVID protocols that will be in place:

• According to the TD Station website, "the main lobby will be limited by the 6' social distancing mandate. This may mean a longer wait time outside the building before entry."
• According to the Sea Dogs, "everyone with a ticket will be allowed to enter TD Station for the game, this includes season tickets and single-game tickets. For those of you with flex tickets who would like to attend a game, flex ticket redemptions will be limited to 200 on game-days."
• All tickets will become general admission and fans will choose their seats on a first come, first serve basis. Fans are encouraged to sit with friends and family who are in their bubbles.
• Social distancing will be enforced, which means "one row in front, one behind, and three seats in between each group." As the seating chart above shows, every second row will be closed off.
• The existing two-dose vaccination requirements and masking rules will remain in place. Those aged 11 and younger do not need to be fully vaccinated to enter the building but must be accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult. 

The other two New Brunswick QMJHL clubs will also be in action this weekend and will have similar protocols in place. The Acadie-Bathurst Titan's protocols can be found here and the Moncton Wildcats' here.

QMJHL games set to return Feb. 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's official: Quebec Major Junior Hockey League games are making a return.

The QMJHL announced Friday afternoon "the return to competition of its 18 franchises" on Thursday, Feb. 3. The league has been on pause since Dec. 18 due to COVID-19, making it the only major junior circuit to not start up after the Christmas break.

Only one of the league's four jurisdictions - New Brunswick - will allow up to 50% capacity in arenas, a change that begins Friday (Jan. 28) at midnight. The hope is that Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island soon follow.

Here are some more details on the league's restart:

• The league once again stated that it remains committed to playing its full 68-game schedule. The remainder of the regular season will be played between Feb. 3 and May. 1. The league's schedule was set to end on April 2, so a month has been added on.
• The league will release a new schedule on Monday. The Saint John Sea Dogs have had 15 games postponed. Even with a month added on, that is a lot of games to make up.
• The 12 Quebec-based teams will begin play with no fans in their buildings. Up to 500 fans will be allowed beginning Feb. 7.
• Nova Scotia teams will begin play on the road. Games are not expected to be allowed in Nova Scotia until Feb. 14 at the earliest.
• So what does this mean for the QMJHL playoffs? The league announced that the President Cup playoffs will begin May 5 and end no later than June 15. According to Stephane Leroux of RDS,  expect the first two rounds of the playoffs to be best-of-five.
• So what does this mean for the Memorial Cup? The tournament was originally scheduled for June 4-13 but, with the QMJHL playoffs possibly running until June 15, there's going to have to be an adjustment. "The schedule for the 2022 Memorial Cup presented by Kia will also be released in the upcoming weeks," stated the QMJHL's news release. If the tournament follows the same scheduling format, it will likely run from June 18-27. But we'll have to wait for something official on that.
• Le Soleil notes that these moves will likely move the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft into early July. The draft was scheduled to take place virtually June 17-18.
• Kevin Dube of le Journal de Quebec tweeted Friday morning that some players had expressed interest in heading to the United States if the QMJHL didn't resume play soon. You also have to think the OHL continuing to play in empty buildings was pressuring the QMJHL to do the same.

These times remain unprecedented, folks.

Notebook: Who will be in Saint John?

Embed from Getty Images

Could the Saint John Sea Dogs face some familiar franchises this June?

It's certainly possible that one or more teams the Sea Dogs have faced at previous Memorial Cups could make their way to Saint John in a few months. In the OHL, the Mississauga Steelheads (formerly the St. Michael's Majors (2011)) and London Knights (2012) currently sit atop the standings based on winning percentage.

	Team	GP	Record (Points)	Win %
1	Mississauga Steelheads	35	23-8-1-3 (50)	.714
2	London Knights	32	21-10-1-0 (43)	.672
3	Kingston Frontenacs	32	20-9-3-0 (43)	.672
4	Barrie Colts	30	18-9-3-0 (39)	.650
5	Guelph Storm	32	19-10-2-1 (41)	.641

The Windsor Spitfires (2017) currently have the eighth based winning percentage. The Owen Sound Attack (2011) and Erie Otters (2017) are long shots to win the OHL championship.

In the WHL, the Winnipeg Ice (formerly the Kootenay Ice (2011)) have the best winning percentage while the Edmonton Oil Kings are third (2012) and Seattle Thunderbirds fifth (2017).

	Team	GP	Record (Points)	Win %
1	Winnipeg Ice	37	29-6-2-0 (60)	.811
2	Everett Silvertips	38	27-7-2-2 (58)	.763
3	Edmonton Oil Kings	39	27-9-2-1 (57)	.731
4	Kamloops Blazers	36	24-11-1-0 (49)	.681
5	Seattle Thunderbirds	35	21-10-4-0 (46)	.657

The one other QMJHL team the Sea Dogs have faced in Memorial Cup play, the Shawinigan Cataractes (2012), have a legitimate shot of making it as well. The Cataractes currently have the fifth best winning percentage.

Sea Dogs to practice in Riviere-du-Loup

It's official: the Saint John Sea Dogs are leaving the province and heading to Riviere-du-Loup to practice.

The Sea Dogs announced Monday that the team is departing for the Quebec city to temporally train due to the current COVID-19 restrictions in New Brunswick. From the Sea Dogs:

“It’s important that we allow our student athletes to continue training as it’s vital for their health, morale, and psychological well-being” said Sea Dogs President & General Manager, Trevor Georgie.

Other Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams have permission to train under certain restrictions in Nova Scotia and Quebec. There is no restriction in New Brunswick’s mandatory order for teams to train outside the province.

“Our players need to be ready to play games once we restart and high-level athletes can’t stop training completely over an extended period of time” said Georgie. “This is a temporary solution and we will continue to follow our rigorous protocols. We look forward to returning home to TD Station and performing for our fans soon.”

The Moncton Wildcats announced Monday - in a press release worded very similar to the Sea Dogs' - that the team will travel all the way to Quebec City to train. The Wildcats said just a few days ago they weren't "actively pursuing" an out-of-province practice location.

Radio-Canada reports that the Acadie-Bathurst Titan will practice in Carleton-sur-Mer, which is less than two hours away from Bathurst.

Notebook: Memorial Cup dates could change

In an interview with Global News this week, QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau mentioned that the dates for the 2022 Memorial Cup could be changed.

“We’re even prepared to modify our playoff format," Courteau said about the QMJHL's desire to complete its regular season schedule. "We’re even looking at the possibility of pushing back the start of the Memorial Cup a week or two later.”

Courteau added that he remains confident the league will be able to restart the week of Feb. 1. If the QMJHL is to play a full 68-game schedule, the regular season will very likely need to be extended - which would create the need to adjust playoff scheduling/formatting.

The Memorial Cup is currently scheduled for June 4-13.

“In terms of the Memorial Cup, all stakeholders are resolved to have it here in June,” Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie told Global. “It is still five months away and there has been no talk of cancellation.”

The Global News piece - which the league shared on its Facebook page - is worth the watch/read. 

TALKING 'BOUT PRACTICE

Courteau also told Global News that the league's three New Brunswick teams have asked for permission to practice in another province. New Brunswick's current COVID-19 restrictions only allow people to practice with their household bubble.

Radio-Canada reported Wednesday that the Sea Dogs are looking into practicing in Riviere-du-Loup while the Acadie-Bathurst Titan are looking at Mont-Joli.

Riviere-du-Loup is home to Centre Premier Tech, a 3,000-seat arena that hosted the Telus Cup in 2015.

QMJHL extends pause until Feb. 1

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League confirmed Friday what we already knew: Saint John Sea Dogs hockey will not return in the month of January.

The QMJHL announced that its pause, which was scheduled to end next week, has been extended until Feb. 1. From the league:

With no clear timeline of COVID-19 restrictions being eased, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today announced the postponement of its return to play plans.

Initially scheduled for a return in the week of January 17, the regular season will now resume on February 1. The league is still working on rescheduling all postponed games, with the primary objective of having all franchises play their full 68-game schedule.

The news comes as no surprise given previous reports that the league doesn't want to return to game action until all 18 clubs are allowed at least 50% capacity in their arenas. Even a Feb. 1 return seems like wishful thinking at this point - but every day is an adventure in these unprecedented times we live in. We'll wait and see how things look in a couple weeks.

Friday's QMJHL news comes just hours before New Brunswick enters level 3 of its "winter plan," which does not even allow for full team practices.

Notebook: New Dogs means new numbers

Embed from Getty Images

There will be plenty of new numbers on the ice when the Saint John Sea Dogs return to action.

Eight players have been added to Saint John's active roster following the completion of the trade period. Here's a quick look at the numbers the new arrivals will be wearing.

#1 - Thomas Couture

#19 - Philippe Daoust

#21 - Nicholas Blagden

#27 - Connor Trenholm

#46 - Vincent Sevigny

#55 - Raivis Ansons

#63 - Marshall Lessard

#70 - Nikolas Hurtubise

Daoust takes the number of Yanic Crete who, after being placed on waivers, is returning to play in Ontario. Hurtubise will wear No. 70, which was worn by Jonathan Lemieux this year.

Sevigny's No. 46 has only been worn two other times: Andrew Howes and Nicolas Larocque-Marcoux, both of whom wore the number in 2008.

Lessard will become the first Sea Dog to ever wear No. 63.

NB MOVES INTO LEVEL 3

Obligatory mention about New Brunswick moving into Level 3 of its "winter plan."

Also newly modified is the Level 3 section on sports. pic.twitter.com/MbNtVNCmHO

— Jacques Poitras (@poitrasCBC) January 13, 2022

New Brunswick will stay in Level 3 for at least 16 days, the province announced Thursday. This will postpone an additional five Sea Dogs games. The QMJHL had planned/hoped to resume games next week. No official announcement has been made by the league yet.

LATVIAN HISTORY

According to Elite Prospects, Raivis Ansons will become the first Latvian to play for the Sea Dogs in team history.

Oddly enough, Ansons takes the import spot of Evgeny Sapelnikov, who was the first Belarusian player to suit up for the Sea Dogs.

Ansons has played for Latvia a number of times internationally. At this year's Division 1 A world juniors, the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect recorded four goals and nine points in five games.

WHL, OHL continuing to push through COVID pauses and postponements

Despite a growing number of postponed games and teams put on pause, the Western Hockey League will continue to push forward with its regular season.

“The WHL and our member clubs remain fully committed to playing through the 68-game WHL regular season schedule and playoffs,” league commissioner Ron Robison said in a news release on Friday. “As we work through the challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our priority continues to be to deliver a world-class development experience for WHL players, staff, and officials, and to do so in a safe and healthy manner. On behalf of the entire WHL, I wish to thank WHL fans and WHL corporate partners everywhere for their patience as we work to reschedule games in the coming weeks.”

15 of the WHL's 22 teams are currently on pause "as a result of multiple players and staff being added to the WHL COVID-19 protocol list due to exhibiting symptoms or having tested positive for COVID-19."

Things aren't going much better in the Ontario Hockey League where game postponements have become a near daily occurrence. The league also has to deal with new government restrictions that ban spectators from attending games.

The OHL said in a news release Wednesday that it plans to continue to keep moving forward with its regular season.

It's a much different story in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League where the league has been on pause since the Christmas break. The QMJHL's last game played was on Dec. 18 and its next scheduled contest is for Jan. 19.

On Dec. 30, the league announced that it was further extending its holiday break. Players would report back to their clubs no later than Jan. 14 under this plan with games resuming the week of Jan. 17. That return to game action is certainly in question given, well, everything.

In Le Soleil on Friday, Mikael Lalancette reported that the QMJHL will not resume its schedule until all 18 clubs have clearance to fill their buildings to at least 50% capacity. "Protected environments," which were held throughout Quebec last season, are not on the table, Le Soleil reports.

Notebook: More on the Desnoyers deal

Halifax Mooseheads

More details on the expected Elliot Desnoyers trade have surfaced.

Mikael Lalancette of Le Soleil reports that the Saint John Sea Dogs will acquire the Halifax Mooseheads captain in exchange for prospect Natan Grenier and a first-round pick. Grenier, 16, was a first-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft and has five goals and 18 points in 24 games with the Seminaire St-Francois Blizzard this season.

On me confirme que les Sea Dogs ont remporté le derby Elliott Desnoyers des Mooseheads. Il était l’un des 4 joueurs de la #LHJMQ au Mondial junior. Annonce à venir lors de la fin de la période des transactions. #lesoleil

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) January 2, 2022

This deal will likely have other pieces attached to it come the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft this summer.

The QMJHL's trade deadline is this Thursday, Jan. 6.

DUBE SWEEPSTAKES OVER

20-year-old forward Pierrick Dube will be joining the Shawinigan Cataractes.

Transaction 🔁

Les Cataractes ont acquis l’attaquant de 20 ans, Pierrick Dubé du Le Drakkar de Baie-Comeau .

En retour, les Cats cèdent le vétéran de 20 ans, Marc-Antoine Pépin et un choix de 3e ronde en 2022.

🗞 https://t.co/eFHrzxvdkA#JusquAuBut pic.twitter.com/ktl3u1ZfBz

— Cataractes de Shawinigan (@Cataractes_Shaw) January 2, 2022

Dube started the season with the nearby Trois-Rivieres Lions of the ECHL where he recorded a goal and three assists in 10 games. He was released by the club a few weeks ago with, reportedly, intentions on returning to the QMJHL.

Dube played with both the Quebec Remparts and Chicoutimi Sagueneens last season, posting solid numbers. His QMJHL rights are currently owned by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

2021 comes to a close

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Not matter what you make of 2021, it was a year none of us will forget.

Just think about the things we witnessed over the past 12 months. The Sea Dogs didn't play their first game of the year until March 9 and food and drinks were banned at what ended up being their final home game. The team played in a provincial championship into May. Everyone entering a QMJHL building had to show proof of vaccination. Oh, and the franchise was finally awarded the hosting rights to a Memorial Cup tournament.

That's just a few of the bizarre/remarkable things we saw. The Mooseheads and Eagles opted out of the "playoffs." The Titan and Islanders played a playoff series in Shawinigan. The Tigres surprisingly won the President Cup while the OHL and WHL did not name a league champion.

What a year. And let's face it - a lot of these things really sucked. Hopefully 2022 will be filled with more enjoyable, memorable moments. Those hit different.

With the year coming to a close, here's a look at our most read posts from the past 12 months.

10. Busy trade period begins Sunday
9. Report: Sea Dogs acquire overager Sevigny
8. Dufour having quite the season
7. Reports: Sea Dogs to acquire Volts' Dufour
6. The Titan appear to be in trouble

5. Notebook: QMJHL will require vaccination

4. Report: Gilbert won't return as head coach

3. Report: Crickard joining Sea Dogs' staff

2. Sea Dogs left off Swiss roster

1. Report - Sea Dogs add Chantler from OHL

Thank you for reading and may 2022 bring more hockey news than news news.

QMJHL extends season pause

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's regular season pause will extend until at least the week of Jan. 17.

The league made the unsurprising yet disappointing news on Thursday. The league had originally planned to return from its holiday break this coming Monday, Jan. 3 with games resuming on Jan. 7.

From the QMJHL:

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today announced an extension to its Holiday break until January 14, 2022 as the increase of COVID-19 cases across its communities in Eastern Canada remains a concern.

Players will now report back to their teams no later than January 14, 2022. The QMJHL favours the return of its players within the team environment at this date for three main reasons:

1. Create a safe environment for players and staff; 

2. Support and facilitate their return to school; 

3. Allow them to practice and work out.

Updated QMJHL COVID-19 protocols will include a series of preventive testing before the arrival of players and staff within the team environment. Additional measures will be announced in the upcoming days.

The League’s regular season schedule will resume in the week of January 17, with postponed games to be rescheduled at a later date.

The league's next scheduled game is for Wednesday, Jan. 19. The Saint John Sea Dogs are currently scheduled to return to action on Thursday, Jan. 20 on home ice against the Quebec Remparts. The team has not played since Dec. 18.

COVID cancels/postpones world juniors

These unprecedented times produced another unprecedented event on Wednesday with the cancellation - or maybe postponement? - of the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championship in Alberta.

The announcement comes after a few more positive COVID-19 cases amongst players, resulting in more forfeited games.

From the IIHF:

In addition to ensuring the health and safety of participants, the Council has determined that with another forfeiture – the third forfeited game in two days – the sportive integrity of the event has been compromised, and the event must be cancelled.

The good news, it seems, is that the IIHF will look into rescheduling the tournament for this summer. That's positive news for both players and fans (and also ensures the IIHF/Hockey Canada gets to keep its sponsorship, ticket and TV revenue).

I'm told when players were informed of the cancellation, they were also informed work will continue to find a possibility. Many challenges remain in actually hosting. June, July and August on the table per Tardif just now during the press conference.

— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) December 29, 2021

Tardif making it clear he wants to “restart the competition in a better way.”

As reported, this summer is their focus.

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) December 29, 2021

This news comes at a time when the IIHF has been heavily criticized for its quick cancellation of the World Women's Under-18 Championship and a number of other events scheduled for January.

Notebook: Swiss game cancelled by COVID

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Noah Patenaude, Vincent Despont and Team Switzerland will head into World Junior Hockey Championship action without any pre-tournament play.

Switzerland was scheduled to play the Czech Republic on Thursday in Red Deer but the game was cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols.

It’s my understanding that one player from CZE/SUI has tested positive. That positive test will need to be confirmed. This game has been postponed for precautionary reasons. The player will be isolated. All players are tested every day. Stay tuned, as they say. https://t.co/xabs9SYo7L

— Bobby Margarita (@TSNBobMcKenzie) December 23, 2021

Switzerland's first game of the tournament is scheduled for Monday against Russia. They'll also play the United States (Dec. 28), Slovakia (Dec. 30) and Sweden (Dec. 31) in the preliminary round. All of those games will be played in Red Deer.

BIG JANUARY GAMES

If the QMJHL (including the three New Brunswick based clubs) does indeed resume play on Jan. 7, the Sea Dogs have some big games coming up.

Here's a look at some of January's marquee Sea Dogs games:

Jan. 8 vs Sherbrooke

Jan. 20 vs Quebec

Jan. 21 vs Gatineau

Jan. 27 at Charlottetown

If the league's pause goes further into January, those games against Quebec based clubs may be logistically challenging to reschedule for later in the year. Fingers crossed they happen as it would be great to see how Saint John's new lineup stacks up against some of the league's top teams.

The Sea Dogs venture to Quebec just one more time this season, visiting Baie-Comeau, Chicoutimi and Rimouski in early February.

Notebook: Some trade period updates

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

As it usually does, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League trade period has quieted down after a busy opening few days. Here are a few updates.

• If you missed it, the Vincent Sevigny deal is official. “Vincent brings valuable experience having won the President Cup” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release Monday. “He played an integral role shutting down the other teams’ best players throughout the playoffs and in the President Cup Finals last season. Now he’ll have the opportunity to try and win another with us this season.” 
• In the Telegraph-Journal (paywall), Georgie added that "I expect more moves to come to add to the team."
• In an interview with RDS, Georgie was asked about Saint John's goaltending tandem of Jonathan Lemieux and Noah Patenaude. Georgie said that, as Memorial Cup hosts, they are evaluating every position on the team prior to the Jan. 6 trade deadline.
• Charlottetown's blue line was already excellent and became even better with the acquisition of Jeremie Biakabutuka from Rimouski. The question for the Islanders, like it seems to be every year, is if they have the offense to get it done. They were eliminated in the bubble last year on a 2-0 loss to Victoriaville.
• In the Cape Breton Post, Patrick McNeil writes about why, because of several factors, this may be a quieter trade period than originally anticipated across the league.
• Craig Eagles shares his latest thoughts on the trade period.

INNISS SUSPENDED

Sea Dogs defenseman Christopher Inniss has been suspended two games for a high stick in Saturday's contest against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Inniss was handed a five-minute major and match penalty for the high stick at 7:48 of the opening frame. The Sea Dogs went on to lose the game 4-3.

Inniss has a goal and four assists in 30 games with Saint John this year.

COVID THINGS

Here's a quick look at all the COVID-19 related things you don't want to hear about:

• Remparts president Jacques Tanguay told le Soleil that he hopes QMJHL games will resume as soon as they can - even if it's without fans. Not sure if every team feels that way, but we'll see what happens.
• The World Junior Hockey Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer will be played in front of 50% capacity crowds. Eating and drinking will not be permitted. 
• NHLers won't be going to the Olympics, which sucks. Jonathan Huberdeau likely would have become the first Sea Dog to ever play for Team Canada at an Olympic Games. Thomas Chabot also had a shot at making the team.
• Atlantic University Sport has paused all competition until at least Jan. 19. The games lost are not expected to be made up later in the year. The conference is confident they will complete the 2021-22 season.
• The AHL All-Star Game, scheduled to take place in Laval in February, has been called off due to COVID. Laval was supposed to host the event last year as well, but that was postponed.