Could the QMJHL return to Lewiston?

Could the QMJHL be returning to Lewiston?

There were reports this week that the league could potentially be eyeing a return to the city that was home to the Maineiacs from 2003 to 2011. The franchise folded at the end of the 2010-11 season and the QMJHL has not had an American-based franchise since.

With the league expected to become much more of a destination for American players in the coming years thanks to the NCAA rule change, US expansion has been a growing topic of conversation. The QMJHL is the only CHL circuit without teams in the United States.

Portland, Maine and Manchester, New Hampshire have always been the most obvious destinations for the QMJHL. But with Portland currently home to the ECHL's Maine Mariners – who seem to have a decent thing going right now as the Boston Bruins' affiliate – that basically leaves Lewiston as the best landing spot for the league in Maine.

Here's this from Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal.

No details right now but rumor in the rinks points to Lewiston, Maine, as possible site for QMJHL franchise

City had QMJHL team from 2003-10, playing out of the Colisee, capacity 4,000

— Mark Divver (@MarkDivver) August 26, 2025

The QMJHL, as you would expect, did not have much to say about the rumours.

Reached out to the Q on the report of Lewiston of a potential spot for a team. A spokesperson said: "We don't have any comment to make on Lewiston, since it's a market that hasn't been in our League since 2011.

We don't comment rumours and we focus on our 18 markets."

— Nathan Fournier (@jrhockeywriter) August 27, 2025

Lewiston's Colisee had been home to the NAHL's Maine Nordiques since 2019. This year, the NCDC's Lewiston Maineiacs are moving in.

Notebook: CHL TV but without the WHL?

WHL

The future of CHL TV is very much in question following an announcement by the Western Hockey League this week.

The WHL announced Thursday that all of its playoff games and the full 2025-26 regular season will be streamed for free on Victory+. The streaming service has been making some noise of late, broadcasting Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks and Texas Rangers games.

From the WHL:

The WHL Playoffs will be available on Victory+ without geo-restrictions, giving fans the opportunity to follow their favorite teams and players on the road to the championship. With Victory+ offering a free, ad-supported streaming service, this ensures that the game is accessible to everyone, no matter where they are or what devices they use, including Samsung and Vizio smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android and web browser.

Making all games available for free is a big move – and one that you have to wonder if the OHL and QMJHL may follow. Following junior hockey isn't easy in this era of dwindling media coverage. It's even harder to follow at a cheap price.

All three leagues have been streamed on the subscription based CHL TV since 2021.

LOTTERY TALK

The Saint John Sea Dogs finished 17th in the 18-team QMJHL, giving them the second best odds of winning the league's draft lottery.

The QMJHL's bottom five teams will all be entered into the lottery.

18. Victoriaville - 9 balls

17. Saint John - 6 balls

16. Halifax - 3 balls

15. Newfoundland - 2 balls

14. Quebec - 1 ball

The Acadie-Bathurst Titan/Newfoundland Regiment own the Gatineau Olympiques' pick.

The Sea Dogs also currently own Cape Breton's first-round pick, which will be 10th overall. We'll see what picks Saint John ends up with on draft day, which will be June 6-7 in Quebec City.

Notebook: Two games to go

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It all comes down to this.

The Saint John Sea Dogs' playoff hopes will be on the line Friday when they host the Cape Breton Eagles at 7 p.m. Just one spot remains in QMJHL's post-season and it will go to either the Sea Dogs or Gatineau Olympiques.

The Olympiques currently own the 16th and final playoff spot and are three points ahead of the Sea Dogs. Saint John owns the tie-breaker, so they need to earn at least three points this weekend and hope the Olympiques do not pick up any wins.

Saint John hosts Cape Breton on Friday and Saturday. Gatineau visits the last-place Victoriaville Tigres on Friday and then hosts the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs have not missed the playoffs since the 2018-19 season.

LOTTERY TIME

No matter where the Sea Dogs finish at this point, they'll be entered into the QMJHL's draft lottery, giving them a shot at selecting first overall.

Current state of the QMJHL Draft Lottery

Victoriaville 18th: 9 balls, 43% chance of drafting 1st
⁰Saint John 17th: 6 balls, 28%
⁰Gatineau (NL Regiment own the pick) 16th: 3 balls, 14%
⁰Halifax 15th: 2 balls, 10%
⁰Quebec 14th: 1 ball, 5% pic.twitter.com/tEYAHdnfrp

— Scott MacIntosh (@scottmacintosh4) March 18, 2025

The date for this year's lottery has not been announced yet. The 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft will take place June 6-7 in Quebec City.

The first overall pick is expected to be either forward Alexis Joseph – who is listed at 6'4" and 192 lbs as a 15-year-old – or forward James Scantlebury, who played with Cameron Chartrand and the Bishop Kearney Selects under-16 squad this past season.

Notebook: Chabot's WJC skates on display

Thomas Chabot's skates were on display at a Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit in Ottawa during this year's IIHF World Junior Championship.

Chabot, now a member of the Ottawa Senators, wore the skates during his impressive 2017 world junior tournament with Team Canada. The Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman was named tournament MVP after posting 10 points in seven games.

Canada's 2017 squad, which also featured Mathieu Joseph and Julien Gauthier, fell in a shootout to the United States in the gold medal game.

PLAYOFFS?

It's still early, but it's worth starting to take a peek at the QMJHL's playoff picture.

After a decent first half that saw the club enter the break with a .500 record, this four-game losing streak to start the second half has slid the Saint John Sea Dogs down the standings a couple spots. The Sea Dogs currently sit 13th overall with a 16-20-0-0 record for 32 points.

The top 16 teams make the playoffs. If the playoffs started today, Saint John would face the Moncton Wildcats.

The Halifax Mooseheads, who currently sit 16th, have 27 points. The Sea Dogs and Mooseheads will play a home-and-home this weekend.

ATTENDANCE WATCH

Attendance remains up in the QMJHL, according to the league.

Attendances in the #QMJHL are up 6.5% compared to this time last season!
To all our fans: THANK YOU!

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) January 7, 2025

In Saint John, where the Sea Dogs have lowered adult ticket prices to $20 for the second half, the team is averaging 2,434 fans per game after 17 home games. After 17 home games last year, the Sea Dogs averaged 2,621 fans per game. 

Not much remains of Maineiacs in Lewiston

LEWISTON, ME - Stepping inside The Colisee these days, it'd be easy to miss the fact that a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League club once called the building home.

It's been almost 13 years since the Lewiston Maineiacs played a game (a game that saw the Saint John Sea Dogs defeat the Maineiacs 6-5). The team folded soon after being eliminated from the 2011 post-season and its players were distributed around the QMJHL through a dispersal draft.

Lewiston has been home to the North American Hockey League's Maine Nordiques since 2019. The NAHL is a Tier II junior league in the USA Hockey system, a level below the United States Hockey League.

This past Sunday, the Maineiacs welcomed the New Hampshire Mountain Kings, a team that just began operation this season. Playing in front of a few hundred fans (in fairness, the game was played at the same time as a New England Patriots game) in Lewiston, New Hampshire won a wild game 6-5.

Catching up on some news

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko and Team Latvia fell to 0-2 at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship on Friday.

The Latvians fell 5-2 to Finland a day after opening the tournament with a 7-1 loss to the United States.

Mateiko, who is captaining Latvia, was held pointless in 19:01 of ice time. He recorded one shot on goal while playing on the team's top line - a line that includes Kristers Ansons, the brother of former Sea Dogs forward Raivis Ansons.

Latvia returns to action on Sunday, taking on host Switzerland.

Sea Dogs forward Pavel Simek and Team Czechia are back in action on Saturday, taking on Germany. Czechia dropped their opener 3-2 in a shootout to Slovakia on Thursday.

Team Canada, meanwhile, rebounded from an ugly 8-0 loss to Sweden on Thursday with an 8-0 win over Germany on Friday. Victoriaville Tigres goaltender Gabriel D'Aigle, the only QMJHL player on the Canadian roster, was the backup.

Some other notes on this Friday evening...

• The Halifax Mooseheads can secure a spot in the QMJHL semifinals with a win over the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Centre. The Mooseheads took a 3-1 series lead on Thursday, defeating the Wildcats 3-0. Josh Lawrence was held pointless in the win.
• Les 2 Rives has a story on Sea Dogs forward Alexis Cournoyer and his solid season.
• The Chicoutimi Sagueneens will release the rights of first-round pick Sacha Boisvert and receive a first-round pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft as compensation. Boisvert spent this past season in the USHL and has committed to the University of North Dakota. UND is one of the premier college hockey programs but rarely recruits from QMJHL territory. 
• CBC Nova Scotia spoke with Sea Dogs forward Brady Burns about his friend and fellow Nova Scotian Jacob Quillan, who scored the overtime winner in the NCAA championship game.
• The NCAA men's hockey final had record TV ratings on ESPN. TSN owns the NCAA hockey rights in Canada (along with the CHL rights) and only aired the game online through TSN+.
• In the Maritime Hockey League final, Ben Roode and the Yarmouth Mariners carry a 3-0 series lead over Brandon Casey and the Edmundston Blizzard heading into action Friday.
• In Ontario, former Sea Dogs forward Jacob Chantler and the St. Marys Lincolns were eliminated in the conference championship of the GOJHL playoffs. Chantler had two goals and 12 assists in 13 playoff games with the Lincolns.
• Former Sea Dogs defenseman Matt Murphy will be working with the Champions Hockey spring and summer program this off-season. Murphy spent parts of this past season in the AHL, ECHL and Austria.
• It feels like the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads are entering an important season off the ice.
• Cape Breton's Centre 200 needs some upgrades, reports CTV Atlantic.
• Bill Schurman has passed away. Schurman, a PEI native, spent many years involved with the QMJHL, working in front offices in Moncton and Lewiston and most recently in Charlottetown's Eastlink Centre.
• On this week's episode of The Hockey News on the Q, Will MacLaren and I discuss the QMJHL playoffs, awards season, St. Louis Blues prospects and Cole Burbidge.

.@willmacwriter and @station_nation discuss the second round of the QMJHL playoffs, the @QMJHL Awards, @StLouisBlues prospects and more: https://t.co/v3KgaHQtSo

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) April 19, 2023

DOGS TAKE SAAB IN DISPERSAL DRAFT

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. – The Saint John Sea Dogs filled one of their vacant holes on defense in today’s Lewiston Maineiacs dispersal draft.

The Sea Dogs used their 17th overall pick in the dispersal draft to select defenseman Ian Saab. The 19-year old from Halifax has spent parts of two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with both the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and the Lewiston Maineiacs.

Selected in the fourth round, 59th overall in the 2009 QMJHL Entry Draft by Cape Breton, Saab played seven games with the Eagles in the 2009-10 season and recorded no points and 12 penalty minutes.

Saab was traded to Lewiston on January 6, 2010 as part of the deal that eventually saw Eric Gelinas land in Chicoutimi and Jacob Legace end up in Cape Breton. He played in 22 games with Lewiston, recording a goal and an assist.

This past season, Saab played in 46 games with the Maineiacs and registered three goals and five assists. In 11 playoff games he had two helpers.

With Eric Gelinas and Simon Despres both likely to turn pro and Gabriel Bourret traded today, Saab should give the Dogs a boost on the backend.

Many Saint John fans may remember Saab from the 2009 pre-season where a Mike Thomas hit forced him to be taken off the Harbour Station ice on a stretcher.

Saint John also had the first pick of the second round in today’s dismantling of the Maineiacs. With the 18th overall selection the Sea Dogs chose to take Lewiston’s fourth round pick in tomorrow’s QMJHL Entry Draft. The pick will be 68th overall.

As expected, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies too Dillon Fournier first overall. Samuel Carrier went second overall to Baie-Comeau and Michael Chaput went third overall to Chicoutimi, a pick they acquired in a trade with Cape Breton.

The always entertaining Kirill Kabanov was selected just prior to Saint John’s selection, going 16th overall to the Montreal Juniors.

A full list of picks can be found over on the RDS website.

MAINEIACS DISPERSAL DRAFT TODAY

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. – It’s Lewiston Maineiacs dispersal draft day at the 2011 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft in Victoriaville.

This afternoon beginning at 1:00 pm AST, 35 players on the Maineiacs’ eligibility list can be selected along with each of their picks in the 2011 QMJHL Entry Draft.

There will be two rounds at the dispersal draft. The first will be in reverse order of the final regular season standings meaning the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies will select first. In the second round, the standings will be flipped again meaning the Saint John Sea Dogs will select first.

Saint John will select 17th and 18th overall in the draft.

Some of the bigger name players available today include Etienne Brodeur, Michael Chaput, Kirill Kabanov, Pierre-Olivier Morin, Stefan Fournier, Matthew Bissonnette, Cameron Critchlow, Samuel Henley, Francis Beauvillier, Samuel Carrier, Samuel, Finn Dillon Fournier, Andrey Makarov, and Antoine Bibeau. They also have a first round draft pick available.

The Huskies are reportedly going to take Dillon Fournier with the first overall pick. Fournier was the top selection in last year’s QMJHL Entry Draft.

Rene Alary of the Rimouski newspaper L'Advantage had an interesting article about the costs associated with regards to where teams select.

The trading window also opens today while the Entry Draft begins tomorrow morning at Colisee Desjardins.

Photo Credit: Lewiston Sun Journal 

DISPERSAL DRAFT DETAILS RELEASED

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League finally announced the format for tomorrow’s Lewiston Maineiacs dispersal draft.

As expected, the draft will done using the “snake” format. There will be two rounds with the first going in reverse order of the final league standings, meaning the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies will select first. In the second round, the standings will be flipped again, meaning the Huskies will pick last and the Saint John Sea Dogs will select first.

This means that Saint John will select 17th and 18th overall.

As for what will be available, via a QMJHL release, “thirty-five players on the Lewiston MAINEiacs’ eligibility list can be selected, even if such player could have been on the team’s protected list in previous years. Also, each of the MAINEiacs’ 2011 draft picks can be selected.”

Any players who are not selected tomorrow are eligible for the QMJHL Entry Draft which will be held on Saturday morning in Victoriaville.

Also, as per a QMJHL release, picks are allowed to be traded during the draft.

Teams will have two minutes to make their selections. Results are expected to be posted on the league’s website shortly after the draft ends.

Metro Q Files had a good breakdown of the players available in the draft. It should be noted that this team was going to be very good this season and a lot of teams in this draft are going to go home with some high quality players.

The full selection list can be seen below:

DOGS PUSHING FOR DRAFT LOTTERY

The Saint John Sea Dogs are pushing for a lottery to determine the order for the Lewiston Maineiacs dispersal draft.

Over 24 hours after the league purchased the Maineiacs and folded the franchise, there has still be no decision or announcement on how the dispersal draft will work. The obvious options seem to be either to hold a draft lottery or to simply have a snake draft with the first round being in the reverse order of the standings.

From the Telegraph-Journal:

Saint John Sea Dogs president Wayne Long said they'll push for a lottery-type draw as opposed to picks based on reverse finishing positions. With the Dogs winning the President's Cup, that would mean they'd get last pick in the dispersal draft.

"We don't think that's fair," said Long. "We would support a lottery where there's names put in a hat and drawn accordingly."

The board of governors will vote on the format for the dispersal draft, said Long.

It’s not surprising the Sea Dogs are pushing for the lottery format because it would at least give them a chance to move up from the No. 17 position.

Associate coach and hockey operations director Mike Kelly told the Summerside Journal Pioneer that the team’s scouting staff has been preparing for this weekend’s Entry Draft for quite some time while the Sea Dogs were winning the President’s Cup and the Memorial Cup.

"What we'll have to do is make sure that we're ready for any player movement, movement of draft picks and the dispersal draft (of the Lewiston Maineiacs),” said Kelly. “The dispersal draft is something that we will spend the next couple of days preparing for."

The dispersal draft is expected to be some time tomorrow. It is still unclear if teams will be able to trade dispersal draft picks.

NO ANNOUNCEMENT ON FORMAT YET

24 hours later and there has still been no announcement on the format for the Lewiston Maineaics’ dispersal draft.

Yesterday, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League bought the troubled hockey club and announced that the team would be dissolved through a special draft featuring the remaining 17 teams.

Metro Montreal reports that, even a full day later, there has still been no agreement on how the draft will work.

Metro Q Files reports that the format is expected to be a snake draft. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, who finished last overall in the standings last year, would pick first followed by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, and so on.

That format would mean Saint John would pick 17th overall given their top finish in the standings. The Dogs would also have the 18th overall pick because the order would flip in the second round.

The dispersal draft is expected to be held on Friday followed by the Entry Draft on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the aftermath of the announcement has been quite interesting.

The Maine Hockey Journal reports that the Maineiacs’ coaching staff found out their services would no longer be needed in Lewiston at the same time as the fans and media did.

The saddest part of these events has been reading the player's reactions on Twitter. They have been left out in the cold for the most part - and that's not good. With players like Nathan MacKinnon and other high end prospects on the fence about playing in the QMJHL next year, this isn’t the image the league needs right now.

DRAFT TIME IN THE 'Q'

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. – The celebration has ended for the Saint John Sea Dogs and now it’s time to start looking towards next season. The stride towards the 2011-12 campaign begins this weekend in Victoriaville at the 2011 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

Saint John will have nine picks in Saturday’s Entry Draft. Their highest pick – pending any trades – will be made in the second round, 36th overall. The Sea Dogs are without a first round because it was sent to Rouyn-Noranda in the Alexandre Beauregard trade.

Here’s where Saint John will be selecting on Saturday:

Round 2 – 36th overall
Round 3 – 50th overall
Round 4 – 72nd overall
Round 5 – 90th overall
Round 6 – 99th overall
Round 8 – 144th overall
Round 9 – 162nd overall
Round 10 – 180th overall
Round 11 – 198th overall

With the Lewiston Maineiacs folding yesterday, we’ll assume all of these picks will move up slightly.

The Maineiacs’ dispersal draft has added a whole other element to draft weekend as their roster will be divided up amongst the 17 remaining teams. The draft is expected to be held on Friday but the format has yet to be announced.

Then of course there is the possibility of trades. There has been one rumor going around since Christmas that would see either Danick Gauthier or Steven Anthony sent to Chicoutimi to complete the Eric Gelinas trade. But who knows if that will materialize.

Then during Sunday’s championship game of the Memorial Cup, rumors started buzzing around Twitter that Gabriel Bourret would be traded to the Sagueneens for a second round pick in the draft.

It’s going to be an exciting and interesting few days as the Dogs try and set themselves up for a second straight championship.

R.I.P. LEWISTON MAINEIACS

The Saint John Sea Dogs eliminated the Lewiston Maineiacs in a four-game sweep in the third round of this year’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. It was the final game of the Maineiacs’ season and, as it turns out, their last game ever

As has been rumored and speculated for several days now, the QMJHL officially announced tonight that the league has bought the franchise and will fold it. As the Lewiston Sun Journal reports along with many other media outlets, the sale was reportedly worth $3 - $3.5 million.

From the release:

“Following a vote from League Members, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is purchasing the Lewiston MAINEiacs franchise,” said the Commissioner. “Therefore, the franchise will be dissolved and the players submitted to a special draft. Details surrounding a special dispersal draft will be unveiled as soon as they become available.”

The Commissioner added: “I am disappointed for the fans in Lewiston. The MAINEiacs enjoyed some very good moments, including a President Cup championship in 2007. I know that Mark Just and his ownership group did all that they could to save the franchise, but the situation was no longer viable.”

“I am truly sad for MAINEiacs fans,” added majority owner Mark Just. “For those that supported the team over the past few years, I would like to thank you. Nonetheless, mounting financial losses became too much to bear for our ownership group.”

The league will play with 17 teams next season and, per the release, a schedule is finally being worked on for the 2011-12 season. The QMJHL will return to 18 teams for the 2012-13 campaign as they will award an expansion team to Sherbrooke, Que. The ownership group is led by former NHL goaltender Jocelyn Thibault.

No matter what the reasons are, it doesn’t look good on any league to have teams fold like this. Even more bizarre is the fact that an expansion team will be added for 2012-13. Apparently the Sherbrooke arena is not quite ready to roll for next season which killed the idea of relocation.

The dispersal draft is expected to be held on Friday, the day prior to the entry draft. The format hasn’t been announced yet but it’s already stirring a lot of interest.

Lewiston is loaded with quality players and would have finished in the upper tier of the league next season. The likes of Etienne Brodeur, Kirill Kabanov, Michael Chaput, and Dillon Fournier will be hot commodities.

It’s going to be an interesting few days to see how this mess all works out.

POSTSCRIPT: Sea Dogs 6, MAINEiacs 5

RECAP
LEWISTON, Me. – The Saint John Sea Dogs are heading back to the President’s Cup final.

The Sea Dogs advanced to the final after eliminating the Lewiston Maineiacs in a four game sweep in the semifinals. It was entertaining series and the two teams saved the best for last. In Game Four last night at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, the Sea Dogs battled back from thee-goals down to win 6-5 and ultimately end the Maineiacs’ season.

It was a rough start for the Dogs and their starting goaltender, Mathieu Corbeil. Cameron Critchlow and Alex Zafiris both scored to give Lewiston a 2-0 lead just 2:43 in. That would be it for Corbeil who allowed two goals on two shots.

Jacob DeSerres came in in relief and also got off to a rough start. Olivier Dame-Malka scored on a wrist shot at 5:05 to extend the Maineiacs’ lead to 3-0.

Saint John finally got things straightened out at 7:07 as Zack Phillips scored to make it a two-goal game going into the second period.

In the middle frame, Nathan Beaulieu scored on an early power play to get the Dogs within one. But Lewiston responded quickly as Stefan Fournier scored at 3:44 to make it a 4-2 contest. The wildness continued as Scott Oke and Jonathan Huberdeau both scored solo markers to tie the match 4-4 heading into the final frame.

At 4:35 on a man advantage, Eric Gelinas let a bomb go that beat Maineiacs goaltender Andrey Makarov to put Saint John in front for the first time. But the lead was short lived as Pierre-Olivier Morin scored a little over a minute later to make it 5-5.

With 2:52 remaining in regulation, Stephen MacAulay scored his second game-winning goal of the series to give the Sea Dogs a 6-5 victory and series win.

SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
Saint John continues to sport the same lineup. Forwards Aidan Kelly and Jason Cameron along with defenseman Jason Seed were all healthy scratches.

SEA DOGS MOVING ON

SN RECAP
FINAL: Sea Dogs 6, MAINEiacs 5

LEWISTON, Me. – A wild Game Four ended a wild semifinal playoff series against the Saint John Sea Dogs and the Lewiston Maineiacs.

Five minutes into the game and many were already making plans for a Game Five on Friday. But the Sea Dogs pulled off a huge comeback to win the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League match 6-5 and earn a 4-0 sweep in the series.

The victory means that, for the second straight season, the club advances to the President’s Cup Final where they will play the winner of the Quebec - Gatineau series.

It was a game that had a bit of everything. Just 5:05 into regulation there were three goals, a goaltending change, and a broken pane of glass. But Saint John battled back and finally tied it in the second period before pulling ahead in the third.

Zack Phillips, Nathan Beaulieu, Scott Oke, Jonathan Huberdeau, Eric Gelinas, and Stephen MacAulay all scored for winners. Mike Thomas had two assists. Mathieu Corbeil, who was unbelievable in Games Two and Three, was pulled after allowing two goals on two shots. His replacement, Jacob DeSerres, made some big stops to keep the Dogs in the game. He made 25 saves overall on the night.

Other than the terrible start, Saint John played a decent game. They certainly didn’t panic after going down by three. If there is anything we’ve come to realize about the 2010-11 edition of the Sea Dogs, it’s that a three-goal lead with 55 minutes left is not too big of a mountain to climb.

Lewiston was expected to come out flying in the opening frame - and they did just that. After all, it was their season on the line. But the Maineiacs, like in the first three games, just couldn’t keep the goals pumping like Saint John and kept giving them opportunities. They had plenty of chances throughout the game but just couldn’t cash in enough.

Lewiston had goals from Cameron Critchlow, Alex Zafiris, Olivier Dame-Malka, Stefan Fournier, and Pierre-Olivier Morin. Goaltender Andrey Makarov, making his first start of the post-season, allowed six goals on 31 shots.

LIVE BLOG: Game 4 - Sea Dogs vs MAINEiacs

SEA DOGS NOTEBOOK

ON GALLANT
Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch had an interesting commentary on Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant last week. Along with discussing his current role in Saint John, Arace writes about his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"You know what? It was a great seven years there for me," Gallant said. "There was pressure, and maybe (the promotion to coach) happened a little earlier than it should have happened, but it was an excellent experience. I learned a lot from Dave King and Doug MacLean about video, preparation, practice plans and the like, and that was huge for a young coach."

One of the more interesting notes comes near the end of the article.

Gallant would like another crack at the NHL, but he is not getting ahead of himself. He is happy as of today, happy enough to have turned down at least two offers from American Hockey League teams. As Bowman can attest, when a coach can be selective about what comes next, he is in a good place.

ON THE HOT LIST
Kirill Kabanov’s hot play of late put him on The Hockey News’ Hot List on Tuesday. From THN:

Everyone’s favorite junior loose cannon has focused his ammunition at the opposition this spring and the Maineiacs are soaring because of it. Kabanov has posted seven goals and 18 points in 13 games for Lewiston and is looking like the potent offensive force he was once fawned over as.

DRAFT TRACKER
Buzzing The Net featured Sea Dogs forward Scott Oke in their draft tracker this week. On what scouts say he needs to improve on:

"Probably my physical game. I also have to work on my defensive awareness, there's always room to improve on that. I also see myself becoming a power forward, so I need to get bigger, stronger, learn to finish all my checks. I can produce offensively once I get there."

Oke has four assists in 11 playoff games.

PRE-GAME: Game Four at MAINEiacs

GAME DAY

Game Four, Round Three – President’s Cup Playoffs

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Lewiston MAINEiacs

Tonight, April 27, 2011 at 8:00 pm

Androscoggin Bank Colisee

PREVIEW

LEWISTON, Me. – It’s do or die for the Lewiston Maineiacs tonight at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

The Maineiacs are down three-games-to-none in their best-of-seven semifinal playoff series against the Saint John Sea Dogs. If they are unable to pull off a victory tonight, their season will come to an end.

Lewiston played well last night and had control of the game quite a bit. But when they gave the Sea Dogs chances, they would capitalize. When Lewiston had opportunities, goaltender Mathieu Corbeil was there to make the stop.

The Maineiacs have kept all of the games failry close despite Saint John being up 3-0. They blew a two-goal third period lead in Game One and fell in overtime. In Game Two, the Sea Dogs won the match thanks to a five-minute power play. Then in Game Three, a quick start in the second period was all Saint John would need.

In last night’s game, Jonathan Huberdeau, Tomas Jurco, Ryan Tesink, Mike Thomas, and Stanislav Galiev all scored. Mathieu Corbeil was excellent in goal and made 28 saves for the win.

Kirill Kabanov and Christophe Lalonde scored for Lewiston. Nicholas Champion allowed four goals on 22 shots through 40 minutes. Andrey Makarov came in in relief and stopped all seven shots he faced.

The Maineiacs should come out flying this evening with their season on the line. They had a pretty good start last night as well but the Sea Dogs were able to weather that storm and eventually pull ahead with some quick second period goals.

Saint John will also want to try and stay out of the box. The Dogs took three penalties in the third period alone and gave Lewiston a total of seven power plays on the night. Although they have yet to allow a man advantage goal against on the road in the post-season, that will likely catch up with them eventually.

If Lewiston wins, there will be a Game Five on Friday at Harbour Station. A Saint John win, and it’s off to the President’s Cup Finals for the second straight year.

REGULAR SEASON NUMBERS

	Lewiston	Saint John
Record	40-24-1-3 (2nd East)	58-7-1-2 (1st Maritimes)
Home Record	- - -	32-0-1-1
Road Record	19-12-0-3	- - -
Streak	2-0-0-0	2-0-0-0
Last 10	4-4-1-1	8-2-0-0
Goals For	265	324
Goals Against	223	165
Goals/Game	3.90 (3rd)	4.76 (1st)
Goals Against/Game	3.28 (10th)	2.43 (1st)
Shots/Game	36.81 (1st)	36.81 (1st)
Shots Against/Game	26.96 (5th)	26.96 (5th)
Overall PP	17.4% (13th)	25.1% (6th)
Home PP	- - -	24.4% (8th)
Road PP	17.7% (13th)	- - -
Overall PK	80.4% (6th)	83.7% (1st)
Home PK	- - -	86.1% (1st)
Road PK	80.1% (7th)	- - -
PIM/GAME	17.7 (1st)	13.1 (13th)

POSTSCRIPT: Sea Dogs 5, MAINEiacs 2

RECAP
LEWISTON, Me. – The Saint John Sea Dogs have the Lewiston Maineiacs on the brink of elimination following a 5-2 victory last night at Androscoggin Bank Colisee. The Game Three win gave the Sea Dogs a 3-0 series lead.

The Maineiacs had the better of the chances in the opening frame although shots were at 10 apiece. Lewiston had some momentum going into the second period, but unfortunately for them, it wouldn’t last.

Just 1:56 into the second frame, Jonathan Huberdeau scored his 12th of the playoffs on the power play to give Saint John a 1-0 lead. The Dogs kept the pressure on and made it a 2-0 game at 3:14 as Tomas Jurco scored. Ryan Tesink blew it open at 7:01 and made it a 3-0 affair.

Kirill Kabanov scored at 11:23 to put Lewiston back within two. But just over seven minutes later, Mike Thomas added his second of the post-season at 18:26 to give the Dogs a 4-1 advantage entering intermission.

Lewiston replaced goaltender Nicholas Champion with Andrey Makarov to start the third period. Just 23 seconds in, Christophe Lalonde netted his first of the playoffs to put the Maineiacs back within two. But Saint John goaltender Mathieu Corbeil shut the door on the home team for the rest of the night and made sure the Maineiacs didn’t get within a goal.

Stanislav Galiev scored an empty net marker at 18:15 to make it a 5-2 final.

SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
The Saint John lineup was the same for Game Three as it was for Game Two. Forwards Aidan Kelly and Jason Cameron along with defenseman Jason Seed were all healthy scratches.

MAINEIACS PUSHED TO THE BRINK

SN RECAP
FINAL: Sea Dogs 5, MAINEiacs 2

LEWISTON, Me. – The Saint John Sea Dogs are one win away from returning to the President’s Cup Finals.

The Sea Dogs took a commanding 3-0 series lead following a 5-2 victory in Game Three of their semifinal playoff series against the Lewiston Maineiacs. Game Four, which could be the final match of the series, is Wednesday night at 8:00 pm at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

It was a hard fought, intense match that saw Sea Dogs capitalize on their chances when they had them. After a scoreless opening frame, Saint John jumped out to 3-0 and 4-1 leads in the second period. Lewiston put up a good battle in the third period but the Dogs would hang on for the victory.

Jonathan Huberdeau, Tomas Jurco, Ryan Tesink, Mike Thomas, and Stanislav Galiev all scored for the winners. Zack Phillips added three assists.

Goaltender Mathieu Corbeil – making his second straight start and third of the playoffs – was terrific in goal once again. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect stopped 28-of-30 shots he faced and kept the momentum going in the Sea Dogs’ favour at key points during the game.

Lewiston had goals from Kirill Kabanov and Christophe Lalonde. Nicholas Champion allowed four goals on 22 shots before getting replaced by Andrey Makarov to start the third period. Makarov stopped all seven shots he faced.

Once again, the Maineiacs kept the game close and outplayed the Sea Dogs at times throughout the contest. But when Lewiston has given Saint John opportunities in this series, they have been able to convert on them.