Notebook: It's development camp weekend

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

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

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

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

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

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

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

A breakdown of the roster can be found here.

Development camp is open to the public.

IMPORT DRAFT AFTERMATH

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

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

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

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) July 2, 2025

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

Here's some more video.

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

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

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

Bedard show carries Pats to upset win

REGINA - Greetings from Regina, where all the talk at the hotel restaurant this morning was about the show Connor Bedard put on last night.

Trailing 3-0 in the second period, Bedard posted five points - four goals and an assist - to lift the Regina Pats to a 5-3 win over the CHL No. 1 ranked Winnipeg Ice at the Brandt Centre. His fourth goal was an empty netter that came off a nice shot block by teammate Tanner Howe.

TSN's "Bad for Bedard" song, which was created for Friday's NHL trade deadline, was shown on the big screen during the second intermission on Friday.

Bedard now has 58 goals and 119 points in just 46 Western Hockey League games this season. He leads the entire CHL in points and goals. He is sixth in assists (61).

A lock to be the top pick in this year's NHL Draft, Bedard could reach the 60-goal mark this weekend with two more big upcoming games. After hosting Winnipeg on Friday (first in the Eastern Conference with 97 points), they host the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday (third, 82 points) and Saskatoon Blades on Sunday (second, 85 points).

It was a bit of a statement victory for the Pats on Friday. Winners of five straight, Regina sits sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 30-24-2-1 record. They have 11 games remaining in the regular season.

Bulldogs advance to semifinal

SAINT JOHN - The Hamilton Bulldogs are semifinal bound.

Mason McTavish netted a pair of goals - including the game-winner - and an assist in the Bulldogs' 4-2 round-robin victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday at TD Station.

The Bulldogs needed to win in regulation time in order to advance. They did just that, never trailing in their first win of the tournament.

Hamilton advances to Monday's semifinal with the win where they'll play either the Saint John Sea Dogs or Shawinigan Cataractes. The Oil Kings, meanwhile, are heading home.

The last WHL champion to finish the round robin in first place was the 2008 Spokane Chiefs.

— OHL Arena Guide (@ohlarenaguide) June 25, 2022

Avery Hayes and Ryan Winterton also had Hamilton goals. Marco Costantini was very good in net, making 40 saves in the win

Jalen Luypen and Jake Neighbours scored for Edmonton. Sebastian Cossa made 32 stops in the loss.

Notebook: Sea Dogs' PK will be tested

QUISPAMSIS, NB - The Saint John Sea Dogs' penalty kill will face a serious challenge on Saturday at the 2022 Memorial Cup.

With a bye to Wednesday's championship game on the line, the Sea Dogs will face their old Memorial Cup rival, the Shawinigan Cataractes, in the final game of the round-robin. Saint John needs a win in regulation time in order to earn the bye.

Shawinigan's power play went 3/7 in a 3-2 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs on Thursday. They went 1/5 in their opening game, a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oil Kings.

When Shawinigan's power play is clicking, they typically get a positive result. Here'a a look at their power play performances over the past seven games:

President Cup Final Game 1: 3/4 (win)

President Cup Final Game 2: 2/3 (win)

President Cup Final Game 3: 0/5 (win)

President Cup Final Game 4: 0/1 (loss)

President Cup Final Game 5: 1/5 (win)

Memorial Cup Game 1 (4-3 win): 1/5 (win)

Memorial Cup Game 2 (3-2 win): 3/7 (win)

Saint John's penalty kill has really struggled so far at the Memorial Cup, allowing four goals against on six opportunities. This comes after the team successfully killed off all 17 power play chances they gave the Rimouski Oceanic in their first round series loss.

On the flip side, Saint John's power play is 0/5 so far at the national championship tournament.

Saint John's best option on Saturday may simply be to do whatever they can to stay out of the box. The team will want to keep their composure in what is sure to be an electric atmosphere.

SEA DOGS VS WHL

With Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings, the Sea Dogs are now 2-0-1 all-time against Western Hockey League teams.

2011 vs Kootenay: 5-4 loss (OT)

2012 vs Edmonton: 5-2 win

2017 vs Seattle: 7-0 win

2022 vs Edmonton: 4-3 loss (OT)

The Sea Dogs face the Cataractes on Saturday, the only QMJHL team the Sea Dogs have ever faced in Memorial Cup competition. The two teams split their pair of games at the 2012 tournament.

A lot on the line in next two games

Vincent Ethier/CHL

SAINT JOHN - The first four games of the round-robin portion of the 2022 Memorial Cup have been excellent. The final two matches could be even better.

Friday's 7 p.m. game between the Hamilton Bulldogs and Edmonton Oil Kings and Saturday's 5 p.m. contest between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Shawinigan Cataractes both have a lot on the line.

The Bulldogs, off to an 0-2 start following Thursday's loss to Shawinigan, must win in regulation time just to stay alive in the tournament.

Both Saint John and Shawinigan have already guaranteed themselves at least a spot in the semifinal. Saturday's contest will determine who gets the bye to Wednesday's championship game. Saint John must win in regulation time Saturday in order to receive the bye.

The stakes:
- Hamilton advances to the semi w/ a regulation win
- Edmonton advances to the semi w/ one point
- Saint John and Shawinigan will both advance
- Saint John advances directly to final w/ regulation win
- Shawinigan advances directly to final w/ one point

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) June 24, 2022

This, of course, brings up the fun question: will Hamilton and/or Saint John pull their goaltender if the game is tied late in the third?

Takeaways from Saint John's 4-3 OT loss

Vincent Ethier/CHL

SAINT JOHN - The first three-on-three overtime in Memorial Cup history was one to remember.

The Saint John Sea Dogs and Edmonton Oil Kings went back-and-forth for just over eight minutes, combining to record 12 shots on net. Edmonton's Jaxsen Wiebe won the game at 8:05, ripping a wrist shot over the shoulder of Saint John netminder Nikolas Hurtubise.

"Fans didn't sit down, did they?" said Oil Kings head coach Brad Lauer about the overtime format. "Entertainment wise, it was exciting hockey going back-and-forth. Coaching wise, it's maybe not something I like. I get the format. I think it's fun and I think it's great for the kids. The kids were having fun with it. That was important."

The Canadian Hockey League introduced 20-minute periods of sudden-death, three-on-three overtime for this year's round-robin portion of the Memorial Cup. A new point system was also introduced where teams are awarded three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime win and one point for an overtime loss.

The Oil Kings are now 1-1-0 for two points heading into their final round-robin game on Friday against the Hamilton Bulldogs. The Sea Dogs, meanwhile, fell to 1-0-1 for four points and will close out round-robin play on Saturday against the Shawinigan Cataractes.

The first seven minutes of the game were a lot like overtime: back-and-forth with plenty of chances. Saint John went down 2-0 less than five minutes in and then tied the game at 6:26. William Dufour put Saint John up 3-2 with a goal at the 10-minute mark.

"We had a rough start," Dufour said after the game. "They were up 2-0 after five minutes but we bounced back right away and that was good for our team. We showed some character.

"In overtime we had some chances, like myself. I could have finished the game on the 2-on-0 with (Jeremie) Poirier but (Oil Kings goaltender Sebastian) Cossa made a big save and that's why he's drafted first-round NHL. He's a pretty good goalie."

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 3, Edmonton 4 (OT)

Vincent Ethier/CHL

SAINT JOHN - The streak is over for the Western Hockey League.

For the first time since the 2015 semifinal, a WHL champion won a Memorial Cup game thanks to the Edmonton Oil Kings, who posted a 4-3 overtime victory over the host Saint John Sea Dogs on Wednesday at TD Station.

The Oil Kings were coming off a 4-3 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes in their tournament opener on Tuesday. Wednesday's win earned them two points while the Sea Dogs collected a single point for their overtime loss.

Jaxsen Wiebe had quite the game for Edmonton, completing a hat trick by scoring the overtime winner  8:05 into the three-in-three frame. Wiebe also had a rare Memorial Cup fight, dropping the gloves with Riley Bezeau in the first period.

Carter Souch also scored for Edmonton. Sebastian Cossa made 36 stops in the win.

Raivis Ansons, Josh Lawrence and William Dufour scored for Saint John. Nikolas Hurtubise made 27 saves in the loss.

The game kicked off with a wild first period that saw the Sea Dogs carry a 3-2 lead into the second period. Things calmed down from there, but both teams had some quality chances throughout the remainder of regulation.

Overtime was quite the show with both teams getting plenty of opportunities. Wiebe netted the winner 8:05 in, ripping a perfectly placed shot over the shoulder of Hurtubise.

While a disappointing result for Saint John, they once again proved they can skate with a league champion. The Dogs can still end the round-robin with a winning record with a victory over the Cataractes on Saturday.

Sea Dogs ready to face hungry Oil Kings

Vincent Ethier/CHL

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are prepared to face a determined Edmonton Oil Kings squad tonight.

While it's technically not a must-win game for the Oil Kings, going down 0-2 at the Memorial Cup is a big hole to climb out of. Edmonton dropped their first game of the tournament Tuesday night, falling 4-3 to the Shawinigan Cataractes.

"When you lose a game your team is going to be better," said Sea Dogs head coach Gardiner MacDougall following the team's practice Wednesday at TD Station. "We know we're going to face a best edition of our opponent tonight. We have to be ready."

MacDougall said he talked to his team about the recent Stanley Cup Final games between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche. After losing 7-0 in Game 2, Tampa rebounded with a 6-2 win a couple days later.

"Obviously they're going to come out hungry," said forward Brady Burns. "They just lost last night. We're obviously 1-0 but we've got to have the same mentality that they do. They want this one but now we've got to come out and want it more. I think our team is pretty confident. As the coach said, we want to get better and better every game and I feel we've done a good job doing that over the past month. I think every day we've seen improvement and I think the more we play the more we'll get better. 

"I think we're going to come out and try and have a good first 10 minutes and the we'll worry about it from there out."

Memorial Cup Game Day 2: vs Oil Kings

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs look to improve to 2-0 tonight at the 2022 Memorial Cup.

The Sea Dogs, coming off a strong 5-3 victory on Monday over the Hamilton Bulldogs, take on the Western Hockey League champion Edmonton Oil Kings. Game time is 7 p.m. at TD Station.

A victory tonight would take some of the pressure off the Sea Dogs heading into their final round-robin game on Saturday. It'll be interesting to see if the Dogs can play with the same urgency and intensity as the Oil Kings no doubt will. This is something Saint John seemed to struggle with in their opening round playoff loss to the Rimouski Oceanic.

Tonight is a huge night for the Oil Kings. After falling 4-3 to the Shawinigan Cataractes last night, Edmonton will not want to go down 0-2. It's not an impossible hole to get out of, but it's a very difficult one.

The Oil Kings will also look to end the bizarre losing streak for WHL champions at the Memorial Cup, which has now reached 14 games.

TV/Radio/Webcast: TSN & RDS/93 CFBC/TSN.ca

Capacity/Proof of Vaccination/Masks: 100%/None/Not mandatory

Tournament records: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0 for three points while the Oil Kings are 0-1-0 for no points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-3 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs on Monday. Ryan Francis scored a pair of goals while singles came from Yan Kuznetsov, William Dufour and Peter Reynolds. Nikolas Hurtubise made 17 saves in the win. The Oil Kings are coming off a 4-3 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes last night. Luke Prokop, Tyler Horstmann and Cole Miller scored for Edmonton. Sebastian Cossa made 31 stops in the loss.

Regular season records: The Sea Dogs finished with a record of 47-17-1-3 for 98 points (second Maritimes/third Eastern/third QMJHL) while the Oil Kings went 50-14-3-1 for 104 points (first Central/second Eastern/second WHL).

Cataractes open tournament with victory

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The streak goes on for Western Hockey League champions.

The Edmonton Oil Kings fell 4-3 to the Shawinigan Cataractes on Tuesday night at the 2022 Memorial Cup at TD Station. It's the 14th straight loss for a WHL champion at the Memorial Cup, a streak dating back to the 2015 tournament.

Things were looking up for the Oil Kings in the second period, grabbing 2-1 and 3-2 leads. But, like at times during the President Cup final, the Cataractes had a strong third period, scoring twice just over a minute apart to take a 4-3 lead - and that's how the game would end.

Shawinigan had solid performances from their top players. Jordan Tourigny, Xavier Bourgault, Pierrick Dube and Olivier Nadeau all scored. Mavrik Bourque had a pair of assists while Bourgault had one. Charles-Antoine Lavallee made 25 stops in the victory.

Edmonton had goals from Luke Prokop, Tyler Horstmann and Cole Miller. Sebastian Cossa made 31 saves in the loss.

The Cataractes, meanwhile, have now won four straight Memorial Cup games - a winning streak that began with a victory over the Oil Kings on May 24, 2012. The team won their final three games of the 2012 tournament to win the trophy on home ice. 

Some notes...

• Edmonton defenseman Carson Golder was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding in the first period. The Cataractes opened the scoring on the power play.
• Shawinigan went 1/5 on the power play while Edmonton went 0/5.
• The Oil Kings won 46/74 faceoffs.
• Former Sea Dogs forward and 2011 Memorial Cup champion Zack Phillips performed the ceremonial puck drop.
• Oil Kings goaltender Sebastian Cossa has not allowed more than four goals in a playoff game this year.
• Hockey trick star artist Zac Bell performed during the second intermission.
• Bit surprising to see the CHL using the second half of Shawinigan's goal song during this tournament.
• The 50/50 winner took home $12,183.
• The Sea Dogs face the Oil Kings Wednesday night. Shawinigan returns to action on Thursday when they face the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Notebook: Cataractes, Kings meet tonight

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

SAINT JOHN - The Shawinigan Cataractes and Edmonton Oil Kings play their first games of the 2022 Memorial Cup Tuesday night at TD Station.

The Cataractes are coming off a five-game President Cup final series win over the Charlottetown Islanders. Shawinigan has one of the best duos in junior hockey in forwards Xavier Bourgault and Mavrik Bourque. The Oil Kings will need to find a way to stop the pair if they hope to win their opener. 

Shawinigan also has second line overager Pierrick Dube, who has been tremendous this post-season. Dube scored the President Cup wining goal in overtime in Game 5 in Charlottetown.

The Oil Kings, meanwhile, have one of the deepest lineups in the Canadian Hockey League. Even without Dylan Guenther, who is out for the tournament with an injury, the team still has plenty of star power in Kaiden Guhle, Jake Neighbours, Sebastien Cossa and others.

Game time is 7 p.m.

The two franchises have met twice previously. At the 2012 tournament in Shawinigan, the Oil Kings defeated the Cataractes 4-3 in the Memorial Cup opener. Shawinigan then eliminated Edmonton from the tournament with a 6-1 victory in the tie-breaker game a few days later.

UP NEXT

The host Saint John Sea Dogs return to action Wednesday night, taking on the Oil Kings.

The Sea Dogs played their first game in 38 days on Monday night, posting an impressive 5-3 victory over the Ontario Hockey League champion Hamilton Bulldogs.

Following Wednesday's game, the Sea Dogs will have two days off to prepare for their final game of the round-robin - a Saturday matchup with the rival Cataractes.

Notebook: It's going to be cold

SAINT JOHN - If you're coming to any Memorial Cup games at TD Station, you're asked to dress warmer than usual.

Even though it's late June and it's warm(ish) outside, fans may want to grab an extra sweater to bring to the rink.

"Please be advised the arena will be kept very cool in temperature to maintain ice quality," reads the TD Station website. "Dress accordingly.

"To control building humidity and temperature, there is no re-entry upon exit. This includes exiting the building to smoke. We appreciate your cooperation."

The box office will open at noon on game days and stay open until the second period. TD Station is also asking fans to be mindful of their tickets. There will be no reprinting lost tickets.

RULE CHANGES

There have been a few rule changes made to the Memorial Cup point system and overtime format.

From the CHL website:

The modifications include a new point system for the six-game round robin whereby teams will receive three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime win, and one point for an overtime loss.

Additionally, overtime in the round robin will be played in a 3-on-3 format in 20-minute periods until a winner is decided. Intermissions between the third period and overtime and each additional overtime period will be 15 minutes. There will be no TV timeouts during overtime although a quick scrape of the front of nets and benches will be done at the first stoppage after the 10-minute mark should the overtime continue.

So there's that.

Spirits high for Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs held their first official Memorial Cup practice on Sunday morning at TD Station.

Spirits appeared high during and after the high tempo practice held by new head coach Gardiner MacDougall and the rest of the coaching staff.

"We've been training and practicing for a month," said forward William Dufour after Sunday's practice. "We're always together and doing some activities outside the rink together. (Spirit is) very high. It's very nice right now.

"I can't wait for tomorrow."

Hear from William Dufour, Josh Lawrence and Vincent Sevigny after the @SJSeaDogs first practice at the 2022 #MemorialCup presented by @KiaCanada! pic.twitter.com/uF1xvLQtyW

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) June 19, 2022

Monday's game against the Ontario Hockey League champion Hamilton Bulldogs will be Saint John's first since a 4-3 overtime setback to the Rimouski Oceanic on May 12. There is plenty of mystery surrounding the Sea Dogs given their long layoff and coaching change.

“It is a big challenge but it is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said MacDougall at Saturday night's coaches press conference. “The last month has been an exhilarating experience for everyone. (Our players) went through probably the most adversity they have had. They have proven that they can be very successful in the regular season. I give full credit to the players as they have been very receptive and the buy-in has been terrific.”

MacDougall played up Saint John's underdog storyline during the press conference. The veteran coach and the team's roster have had a positive mindset about the lengthy layoff.

"We've kind of embraced what we've been going through with the hard workouts and the hard skates and just having fun with it, sticking together," said forward Josh Lawrence. "Hopefully it will pay off this week."

Notebook: Dufour makes first all-star team

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Saint John Sea Dogs forward William Dufour, who was recently named the QMJHL's most valuable player, has been named to the league's first all-star team.

Former Sea Dogs forward Joshua Roy was also named to the team.

The cream of the crop! Here are your First Team All-Stars for the 2021-22 season! 🤩#GoldenPuck | #QMJHL

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) June 17, 2022

Goaltender Samuel Richard will join Gardiner MacDougall's UNB Reds next season.

Dufour will be the QMJHL's representative for the CHL player of the year award.

FEDS MONEY

Saint John MP Wayne Long held a press conference at Market Square Friday, announcing a $1 million contribution to the 2022 Memorial Cup.

The Memorial Cup is here!

I'm thrilled to announce $1M federal from ACOA to support the Memorial Cup. You can feel the momentum in Saint John!

This funding is supporting the new ball hockey rink, as well as upgrades to TD Station, the press box, and Wi-Fi. pic.twitter.com/el2mzES6K1

— Wayne Long (@MPWayneLong) June 17, 2022

According to news release, "funding for this project is provided through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program."

The money will "support marketing, promotional and Fanfest activities such as the concert series and an outdoor ball hockey facility, as well as infrastructure including VIP tents, staging, lighting, press box upgrades, and wi-fi improvements."

Oil Kings' Guenther to miss Memorial Cup

Embed from Getty Images

SAINT JOHN - The Edmonton Oil Kings will be without one of their top forwards at the Memorial Cup.

It was reported Friday that Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Guenther, selected ninth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, will miss the tournament due to an injury suffered in the Western Hockey League final.

Coyotes prospect & Edmonton Oil Kings F Dylan Guenther will miss the Memorial Cup due to a lower-body injury sustained in Game 3 of the WHL championship series against Seattle.
Really tough break for Guenther. The MC is an unreal experience.
More info soon in a Neutral Zone.

— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) June 17, 2022

The 19-year-old, who was a member of Canada's world junior team, had 45 goals and 91 points in 59 regular season games with the Oil Kings. He added 13 goals and 21 points in 16 playoff games.

Last practice on home ice.#TheKingdom | #ChaseTheCrown pic.twitter.com/yG6e6NYZRq

— y - Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) June 17, 2022

Guenther is one of four first-round picks on the Oil Kings, joining forward Jake Neighbours (St. Louis Blues), defenseman Kaiden Guhle (Montreal Canadiens) and goaltender Sebastian Cossa (Detroit Red Wings).

Edmonton opens the tournament Tuesday against the Shawinigan Cataractes.

Hamilton Bulldogs captain Colton Kammerer, meanwhile, has not played since the second game of the Ontario Hockey League final due to an injury. The defenseman did take part in the post-game festivities following Hamilton's Game 7 victory.

Teams will arrive Saturday in Saint John and all four clubs will practice Sunday. The Sea Dogs are expected to be the first team on the ice Sunday morning at TD Station.

All four head coaches will take part in a press conference Saturday night.

Notebook: Smallman advances to AHL final

Embed from Getty Images

Former Saint John Sea Dogs captain Spencer Smallman will play in the American Hockey League's Calder Cup final.

Smallman and the Wolves advanced to the league final by defeating the Stockton Heat in six games in the Western Conference final. They'll face the Springfield Thunderbirds, who needed seven games to eliminate the Laval Rocket. The best-of-seven series begins Sunday in Chicago.

Smallman recorded an assist on the goal that sent the Wolves to the final. He now has a goal and three helpers in 13 playoff games.

The 25-year-old is playing in his first Calder Cup playoffs. He's appeared in 130 career regular season AHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes' affiliate.

With the Rocket being eliminated, Joshua Roy's season is officially over. The former Sea Dogs forward appeared in just one playoff game with Laval after joining the team following the Sherbrooke Phoenix's elimination from the President Cup final.

WHO STARTS?

One of the major questions heading into Saint John's Memorial Cup opener Monday: who will start in goal?

Thomas Couture started all five of Saint John's playoff games but was pulled just 6:50 into the team's forgettable Game 5 performance, allowing two goals on four shots. The more experienced Nikolas Hurtubise, who won the President Cup with the Victoriaville Tigres the year before, had a very strong showing in relief, allowing two goals on 23 shots.

"I haven't even thought about it," Sea Dogs head coach Gardiner MacDougall told the Telegraph-Journal (paywall) on Monday.

"That's down the road. My thing is that I never usually make that decision until game day. So when game day comes, we will make that decision and move forward."

Oil Kings secure Memorial Cup spot

Andy Devlin/WHL

SAINT JOHN - The 2012 vibes keep getting stronger and stronger.

A few days after the Shawinigan Cataractes clinched a spot in the 2022 Memorial Cup, the Edmonton Oil Kings did the same, winning the Western Hockey League championship in six games over the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The Cataractes, Oil Kings and Saint John Sea Dogs all competed in the 2012 Memorial Cup in Shawinigan. The Ontario Hockey League was represented by the London Knights that year.

The Oil Kings swept their first two rounds of the WHL playoffs before needing five games to defeat the powerhouse Winnipeg Ice in the Eastern Conference final. Many assumed the winner of the Oil Kings-Ice matchup would represent the WHL at the Memorial Cup.

The Thunderbirds, who faced the Sea Dogs at the 2017 Memorial Cup, proved to be a worthy opponent, winning the opening game of the series and staving off elimination in Game 5. Edmonton proved too powerful in Monday's Game 6, outshooting Seattle 21-4 in the opening period en route to a 2-0 series clinching victory.

CHAMPIONS.#TheKingdom | #ChaseTheCrown | 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 pic.twitter.com/Wk1V1sCoQP

— y - Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) June 14, 2022

This is Edmonton's first WHL title since 2014. The team captured the Memorial Cup that year as well.

Edmonton has a loaded roster with eight NHL prospects. They are headlined by Dylan Guenther, Jake Neighbours, Sebastian Cossa, Justin Sourdif, Kaiden Guhle and Luke Prokop.

The Oil Kings open the Memorial Cup on Tuesday, June 21 against the Cataractes at TD Station. They face the Sea Dogs the next night.

Cataractes win first President Cup title

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Shawinigan Cataractes have clinched a spot in the 2022 Memorial Cup tournament.

Pierrick Dube scored the game-tying goal midway through the third period and then netted the President Cup clinching goal just 41 seconds into overtime, securing the Cataractes a 4-3 win in Game 5 and the franchise's first Quebec Major Junior Hockey League championship.

The Champs! 🏆#RoadtoMemorialCup | @Cataractes_Shaw pic.twitter.com/ZNsiJRDmkZ

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) June 12, 2022

The Cataractes trailed 3-1 in the second period and the Islanders seemed poised to force a Game 6 back in Shawinigan. But the Cataractes' top two lines began to take over momentum - especially in the third period.

Shawinigan nearly won the game in regulation time but defenseman Noah Laaouan - who had the misfortune of scoring on his own net in overtime in Game 3 - made a tremendous play to keep the game tied.

What a save by… NOAH LAAOUAN!
The @IslandersHKY d-man made this ridiculous play to help out his goaltender! 🤯#PresidentCup | #InMemoryOfGuy pic.twitter.com/vzeR9YSzrI

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) June 11, 2022

This was the third game of the series that went to overtime and Shawinigan won all of them. Despite winning the series in five games, a few bounces here or there for the Islanders and this series could have gone longer - or even in Charlottetown's favour. But that's just the way it goes.

Cataractes, Oil Kings can clinch tonight

Ghyslain Bergeron/QMJHL

Two spots in the 2022 Memorial Cup tournament could be secured tonight.

The Shawinigan Cataractes and Edmonton Oil Kings carry 3-1 series leads into their respective Game 5s tonight. The Cataractes visit the Charlottetown Islanders at 5 p.m. while the Oil Kings host the Seattle Thunderbirds at 10 p.m. Both games are on TSN.

The Cataractes failed to clinch their first Quebec Major Junior Hockey League title on Thursday on home ice, falling 7-0. Shawinigan, having won the first three games of the series, still have the odds in their favour. It's been a tight series though, one that could easily have the Islanders up 3-1 right now.

The Cataractes will be without one of their top defenseman, Zachary Massicotte, due to a one-game suspension for a check to the head.

Cataractes Zachary Massicotte has been assessed a 5-minute major and game misconduct for a check to the head on Islanders Ben Boyd.#PresidentCup pic.twitter.com/cJWiEKstiW

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 10, 2022

In the Western Hockey League, the Oil Kings have won three straight games after losing the series opener. A win tonight would send them to the Memorial Cup for the first time since 2014.

Quick Hits: Roy makes AHL debut

Embed from Getty Images

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Joshua Roy made his professional debut Wednesday night in Laval.

Suiting up for the third game of the American Hockey League's Eastern Conference final, Roy posted three shots in the Rocket's 6-3 loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds. Springfield now leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.

Joshua! #GoRocket pic.twitter.com/DREjw72Neq

— x - Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) June 8, 2022

Roy is coming off a sensational season with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, winning the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League scoring race with 51 goals and 119 points in 66 games. He added eight goals and 23 points in 11 playoff games. The Phoenix were eliminated in the President Cup semifinals by the Charlottetown Islanders.

The 19-year-old was a fifth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in last year's NHL Draft.

In the AHL's Western Conference final, former Sea Dogs captain Spencer Smallman and the Chicago Wolves have taken a 3-0 series lead over the Stockton Heat thanks to a 3-0 win Wednesday night.

Both series resume play on Friday.