Notebook: Thomas back with Sea Dogs

CHL

Former Saint John Sea Dogs captain Mike Thomas is back with the organization.

The team announced Monday that Thomas, who captained the Sea Dogs to a Memorial Cup championship in 2011, has been named Saint John's "Player Mentor."

According to a Sea Dogs news release, "Thomas will work closely with the team’s leadership group, providing mentorship, guidance, and support throughout the season. He will also serve as a resource for players, helping foster a strong team-first culture while supporting the continued development of the club’s leadership core."

Thomas is the first person to have this title with the Sea Dogs.

“We’re excited to welcome Mike back to the team in an official capacity,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie. “Since Mike finished his playing career with the Sea Dogs, he has always stayed engaged with the team and taken a keen interest in the development of our players. Mike’s championship pedigree, leadership, and teaching background make him a valuable resource for our team.”

OFFICIATING CHANGES

Ghislain Hébert has been named the QMJHL's Director of Officiating, the league announced this week.

From the league's news release:

Hébert officiated in the NHL from 2009 to 2025, working 1,005 regular-season games over the course of his career. Last season, he officiated in Germany’s top professional league, the DEL.

Prior to joining the NHL in 2009, he spent one season in both the ECHL and the American Hockey League after a seven-year stint in the QMJHL, including four seasons as a linesman and three as a referee. 

Ghislain Hébert assumes his new responsibilities effective immediately and will report to QMJHL Vice-President of Hockey Operations, Éric Chouinard.

Hébert replaces Richard Trottier, who held the position for the past 16 seasons.

Rangers win 2026 Memorial Cup

Steve Dunsmoor/CHL

For the first time since 2003, the Kitchener Rangers are Memorial Cup champions.

The Rangers defeated Landon DuPont and the Everett Silvertips 6-2 in Sunday's championship game in Kelowna. The first half of the contest was close but the Rangers blew it open with a pair of power play goals early in the third period.

It's the third Memorial Cup title for the Rangers franchise, who also won their first OHL championship since 2008.

Sam O'Reilly, who won the Memorial Cup with the London Knights last year, was named tournament MVP.

Captain Cameron Reid hoists the #MemorialCup as the @OHLRangers are crowned 2026 champions! pic.twitter.com/KVPxOkPBpY

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) June 1, 2026

Kitchener's coaching staff includes Brad Flynn, the son of former Sea Dogs head coach Danny Flynn.

It's the third straight Memorial Cup title for the OHL. The WHL, meanwhile, still haven't won a national championship since the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014.

The QMJHL's Chicoutimi Saguenéens (1-3-0) finish the tournament third overall while the host Kelowna Rockets (0-2-1) finish fourth. The Rockets were outscored 12-2.

Next year's tournament will take place in Guelph while the QMJHL will host in 2028.

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.

Saguenéens eliminated in Memorial Cup semi

Steve Dunsmoor/CHL

For a third straight year, the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League had a disappointing showing at the Memorial Cup.

The QMJHL champion Chicoutimi Saguenéens fell 6-1 to the Everett Silvertips in Friday's semifinal. The game was tight early on but, once Everett got rolling, there was no looking back. The Silvertips scored three times in the middle frame while Landon Dupont was named player of the game with a pair of goals.

Everett, playing in their first Memorial Cup, will face the OHL champion Kitchener Rangers in Sunday's championship game. The Silvertips will try and capture the WHL's first Memorial Cup title since 2014.

The Saguenéens head home with a 1-3-0 record. Their lone win came in overtime against the winless host Kelowna Rockets.

Not having overage defenseman Jordan Tourigny, who played with the Shawinigan Cataractes at the 2022 Memorial Cup in Saint John, was less than ideal for Chicoutimi. Tourigny was suspended for the remainder of the tournament for this play against Kitchener.

Since the Quebec Remparts hoisted the Memorial Cup in 2023, no QMJHL team has made it past the semifinals. That Remparts win was the last of four straight Memorial Cup championships for the QMJHL.

Les Silvertips d'Everett ont rendez-vous avec les Rangers de Kitchener en finale de la Coupe Memorial, dimanche soir, une troisième consécutive sans formation de la LHJMQ.

Une première depuis 2010.

Depuis 2023, la fiche de la Q est de 1-12 vs #WHL et #OHL dans le tournoi.

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) May 30, 2026

The host Rockets, meanwhile, went 0-2-1 and were outscored 12-2. While host teams have had success recently (Saginaw in 2024 and Saint John in 2022), it continues to feel like we're at a point where the format really needs to be looked at, especially if the the way teams build is changing with the new NCAA rules.

The good news for Kelowna: every game has been announced as a sell out.

Next year's tournament will take place in Guelph.

Notebook: Fullerton to UNB

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Angelo Fullerton has committed to play with the UNB Reds next season.

“We’re very excited to land Angelo at UNB,” said Reds head coach Rob Hennigar in a news release. “He had a big year with the Sea Dogs and had a lot of interest not just in U SPORTS but also from down south. His size and desire to compete every night make him a key addition to our group.”

Fullerton spent his overage season with the Saint John Sea Dogs and posted career highs in goals (27), assists (19) and points (46) in 61 games. He also recorded two goals in four playoff games.

The Quispamsis native spent most of his QMJHL career with the Cape Breton Eagles. In 217 career games in the league, Fullerton recorded 46 goals and 40 assists.

“This past season saw Angelo shine with Saint John, and in a bigger role,” said Hennigar. “His confidence grew and he proved that he could not only play hard every night but also produce at a high level. We think he’s just scratching the surface as to what he can do.”

Fullerton, who will study business at UNB, is the team's first announced recruit for the 2026-27 season.

Last season, UNB's roster included former Sea Dogs Peter Reynolds, Nick Blagden and Leighton Carruthers.

SEA DOGS STATEMENT

The Sea Dogs shared the above statement on Tuesday following the death of Wildcats owner Robert Irving.

Irving purchased the Wildcats in 1996 and his involvement in the league played a major role in the expansion of the QMJHL into Atlantic Canada.

Capitals advance to Centennial Cup final

Mike Bernard/Hockey Canada

The Summerside Western Capitals will play for a national championship on home ice Sunday evening.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Matthew MacLean scored and had an assist in the Capitals' 5-2 win over Collège Français de Longueuil on Saturday to earn a spot in the Centennial Cup championship game.

The Capitals will face Manitoba's Niverville Nighthawks for the national title. Game time is 7 p.m. at Summerside's Credit Union Place.

Summerside, who were eliminated in the semifinals of the Maritime Junior Hockey League playoffs, are 4-1-1 at the tournament. The Nighthawks, meanwhile, are 5-0-0.

#CentennialCup SF2 | And they’re from Prince Edward Island! Matthew MacLean puts the @SsideCapitals ahead 2-1 late in the 2nd! pic.twitter.com/9JVyffeQeP

— CJHL (@cjhlhockey) May 16, 2026

Niverville beat Summerside 5-4 in overtime in the preliminary round.

MacLean has a goal and three assists in the tournament. Former Sea Dogs goaltender Justin Robinson has appeared in two games, posting a 3.56 goals against average and a .879 save percentage.

The Capitals won the Centennial Cup in 1997 – a team that was coached by Gerard Gallant. They appeared in the championship game in 2013 – which was also hosted in Summerside – but fell 3-1 to the Brooks Bandits.

An Atlantic Canadian team has not won the Centennial Cup since the Halifax Oland Exports in 2002.

QMJHL final tied at 2-2

Bruno Girard/Chicoutimi Saguenéens

MONCTON - The Gilles-Courteau Trophy final is now a best-of-three.

The Moncton Wildcats overcame 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to defeat the Chicoutimi Saguenéens 4-3 on Wednesday night at Georges Vezina Centre, evening the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League championship series at 2-2.

Game 5 will take place Friday at Avenir Centre. Game 6 will be Sunday night back in Chicoutimi while a Game 7, if needed, would be Tuesday in Moncton.

The Wildcats scored three unanswered goals in Wednesday's win, which included two in the third period. Rian Chudzinski scored the winner at 14:15 of the third.

St. Andrews native Gabe Smith scored twice for Moncton. He continues to lead the QMJHL in playoff goals (18) and points (30).

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Max Vilen was an impressive +3 in the victory. He had one assist and three shots.

A few other news and notes...

• Chicoutimi forward Maxim Massé, the QMJHL's MVP who recorded 51 goals in the regular season, has yet to score in this series against Moncton. He has six goals in 18 playoff games this year.
• This Chicoutimi/Moncton series has been living up to the hype with each of the past three games being decided by a goal.
• It's looking like Avenir Centre will be sold out for Friday's Game 5. The first two games of the series in Moncton had large crowds but were not at capacity.
• In the WHL final, the top-seeded Everett Silvertips have taken a 3-1 series lead over the Prince Albert Raiders. Game 5 is Friday night in Prince Albert.
• At the Centennial Cup, the Summerside Western Capitals will face the Truro Bearcats in quarterfinal play on Friday. Matthew MacLean, Justin Robinson and the Capitals were eliminated in Game 7 of the Maritime Junior Hockey League semifinals by the Bearcats.
• In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Joe Veleno and the Montreal Canadiens have taken a 3-2 series lead over the Buffalo Sabres thanks to a 6-3 win on Wednesday. Veleno had one shot and was a -1 in 9:56 of ice time. Game 6 is Saturday in Montreal.

Wildcats win Game 7 to advance to QMJHL final

Daniel St Louis/Moncton Wildcats

MONCTON - For a second straight year, the Moncton Wildcats are headed to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League final.

Captain Caleb Desnoyers scored and added two assists to lift the Wildcats to a 6-2 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in Game 7 of the Gilles-Courteau Trophy semifinals on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats, the top seed entering the post-season, advance to the league final where they'll face the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, the No. 2 seed. The series is expected to start on Friday night at Avenir Centre.

It was far from a perfect performance by the the Wildcats – but it was enough to get the job done. Blainville-Boisbriand opened the scoring but never led again. The visitors were able to carry the play at times but it just wasn't enough to down the 'Cats.

Tommy Bleyl scored a pair of goals while Gavin Cornforth, Alex Mercier and Gabe Smith added singles. Rudy Guimond made 26 saves in the win.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Max Vilen was held of the scoresheet but did play some key minutes on Moncton's second defensive pairing.

Ludovik Grenier and Xavier Villeneuve scored for Blainville-Boisbriand. Zach Pelletier, who made a second straight start in place of the injured William Lacelle, made 27 stops in the loss.

The loss ends the seasons for former Sea Dogs forwards Jacob Beaulieu Elliot Dubé. Beaulieu was held off the scoresheet while Dubé had one shot.

The series will certainly be remembered for some time. The four overtime game. The benches emptying after Game 2. The Armada's last second heroics in Game 6 to force a winner-take-all game back in Moncton. The Wildcats likely would have preferred a smoother semifinal series – but what a series it was.

Things certainly don't get any easier for the Wildcats. The Sagueneens finished just one point behind them in the regular season standings and the two split the season series – both winning on the road. Like Moncton, Chicoutimi was undefeated in the playoffs until the semifinals where they needed six games to eliminate the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

Moncton will be playing in the Gilles-Courteau Trophy final for a second straight season. For Chicoutimi, this will be their first trip to the league final since 1997.

This was the anticipated championship matchup and has the makings of a classic league final. Now we'll see if it can live up to the hype.

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

Sebastien Gervais/Blainville-Boisbriand Armada

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

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

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

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) May 3, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notebook: Five Sea Dogs make NHL Central Scouting final rankings

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Five Saint John Sea Dogs were listed in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft.

Olivers Murnieks, Cameron Chartrand, William Yared and Dylan Rozzi were all ranked amongst North American skaters while Rafaël Courchesne was listed amongst North American goaltenders.

98 - Olivers Murnieks

155 - Cameron Chartrand

172 - William Yared

195 - Dylan Rozzi

27 - Rafaël Courchesne

Penn State forward Gavin McKenna was the top-ranked skater. Quebec Remparts forward Maddox Dagenais was the top-ranked skater from the QMJHL at No. 15.

Fredericton's Tynan Lawrence, the younger brother of former Sea Dogs forward Josh Lawrence, was ranked seventh.

The full rankings can be found here.

The 2026 NHL Draft takes place June 26-27.

JOSEPH NOMINATED

Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph was nominated for two QMJHL awards.

Joseph was nominated for the Michel-Bergeron Trophy, which is awarded annually to the offensive rookie of the year, and the Paul-Dumont Trophy, which is awarded to the personality of the year.

Victoriaville Tigres forward Egor Shilov won the Michel-Bergeron Trophy while Newfound Regiment president Glenn Stanford won the Paul-Dumont Trophy.

Jonathan Huberdeau won the Paul-Dumont Trophy in 2012 while Thomas Chabot won in 2017. No Sea Dog has ever won the Michel-Bergeron Trophy.

SUMMERSIDE ELIMINATED

The Summerside Western Capitals had their Maritime Junior Hockey League playoff run come to an end last week.

The Western Capitals fell 3-2 to the Truro Bearcats in Game 7 of the North Division final on Thursday in Summerside. The Bearcats advance to the MHL final where they'll face the Edmundston Blizzard.

Summerside is hosting this year's Centennial Cup national championship. Their first game is on May 7 against the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions.

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Matthew MacLean had an assist in Game 7, giving him a goal and six helpers in 14 playoff games. Goaltender Justin Robinson only made one appearance, going 0-1.

Notebook: Q prospects picked in USHL Draft

Two of the top prospects for the upcoming QMJHL Entry Draft were high picks in last week's USHL Draft.

Defenseman Cameron Chartrand, ranked as the fifth best skater for this year's Entry Draft by QMJHL Central Scouting, went 17th overall to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders while Maddox Dagenais, the top ranked prospect, went 25th overall to the Sioux City Musketeers. 

These selections could end up meaning nothing in terms of the QMJHL Entry Draft and these players report to the league... but it could also be the beginnings of a college hockey pathway.

Been talk about @ridertownusa Phase I draft pick Cameron Chartrand being high pick in QMJHL draft. Riders Coach/GM Mark Carlson said "We're thrilled with Cam. He is real excited to play in Cedar Rapids, really excited about going the college route. We couldn't be happier." #USHL

— Jeff Johnson (@jeje66) May 8, 2024

Other notable selections in Phase I of the draft:

• Maxim Dubé went 31st overall to the Madison Capitols (ranked 27th by QMJHL Central Scouting).
• Dylan Rozzi went 56th overall to the Youngstown Phantoms (ranked 11th).
• Frisco, Texas native Loic Nasreddine went 123rd overall to the Des Moines Buccaneers. He's eligible for the QMJHL Entry Draft because of his father. 
• Alexandre Taillefer went 125th overall to the Chicago Steel (ranked 12th).

Check out this Twitter feed for more on the QMJHL prospects picked.

WILDCAST

I went on the Wildcast podcast this week to discuss the Gardiner MacDougall rumours and the status of the Sea Dogs heading into next month's QMJHL Entry Draft.