Olympic Games end for Seed, Italy

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The Olympic Winter Games have come to an end for Jason Seed and Italy's men's hockey team.

The hosts were eliminated in the qualifying round on Tuesday, falling 3-0 to Switzerland.

The former Sea Dogs defenseman, who is a dual Canadian and Italian citizen, played in all four of Italy's games, primarily on the bottom pairing. The Italians, as expected, lost all four games – but what an experience for Seed, who has been playing pro hockey in Italy since the 2022-23 season.

Here are Seed's stats line from all four games.

5-2 loss vs Sweden: 15:13 ice time, -2

3-2 loss vs Slovakia: 11:20 ice time, -1

11-0 loss vs Finland: 13:05 ice time, -5

3-0 loss vs Switzerland: 15:53 ice time, even rating

Seed, who was part of Saint John 2011 and 2012 championship teams, became the sixth Sea Dog to play in an Olympic Winter Games, joining Tomas Jurco (2014 & 2022 - Slovakia), Felix Schütz (2018 - Germany), Jurij Repe (2018 - Slovenia), Stanislav Galiev (2022 - ROC) and Alex Grant (2022 - Canada).

Former Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko had been named to Latvia's roster but he could not play due to a season ending injury. The Latvians were eliminated in Tuesday's qualifying round as well.

The quarterfinals will feature Slovakia taking on Germany, Canada facing Czechia, Finland taking on Switzerland and the United States battling Sweden.

Men's hockey set to begin at Milano Cortina 2026

The men's hockey tournament begins Wednesday at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

There will be one former Saint John Sea Dog playing in the tournament: 34-year-old defenseman Jason Seed, who will suit up for host Italy.

Seed, who is a dual Italian and Canadian citizen, has spent the past four seasons playing pro hockey in Italy. 

Italy will play their first game on Wednesday against powerhouse Sweden. They'll also play Slovakia and Finland and will, obviously, be massive underdogs in those games.

The Ottawa native spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs, helping the team win President Cup championships in 2011 and 2012 along with a Memorial Cup title in 2011.

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Former Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko, meanwhile, was named to Latvia's Olympic roster but has been ruled out with an injury. Mateiko is in his first year of pro hockey with the AHL's Hershey Bears but had his season come to an end when he was cut by a skate.

According to a release, 26 QMJHL alumni were named to Olympic rosters, which includes Seed and Mateiko.

Other former Sea Dogs to play at the Olympic Winter Games include Tomas Jurco (2014 & 2022 - Slovakia), Felix Schütz (2018 - Germany), Jurij Repe (2018 - Slovenia), Stanislav Galiev (2022 - ROC) and Alex Grant (2022 - Canada).

Notebook: Fredericton games conclude

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Capital City Series ended in disappointment for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs played their third and final regular season game at Fredericton's Aitken Centre on Sunday, falling 2-0 to the last-place Baie-Comeau Drakkar. The loss gives the Sea Dogs a losing record in Fredericton, finishing 1-2-0-0.

The Sea Dogs defeated the Gatineau Olympiques 5-1 on Jan. 8 and fell 5-2 to the Cape Breton Eagles on Nov. 30.

Attendance for the series saw mixed results. These numbers are bit higher than what the eye test would say.

Sunday, Nov. 30: 3,103

Thursday, Jan. 8: 1,845

Sunday, Feb. 1: 2,345

The series didn't seem to get much hype online from UNB while reaction from Saint John fans wasn't, understandably, overly positive. We'll see what the organization thinks, but it doesn't feel like there is a huge desire to do this series again. But we'll see.

WRESTLING NIGHT

The Sea Dogs announced the return of Wresting Night this week. 

From the team:

Hockey and professional wrestling collide as the Saint John Sea Dogs present Wrestling Night presented by Papadopsmiles Orthodontics on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 7:00 p.m.

On the ice, the Sea Dogs will celebrate a wrestling icon by wearing special Stone Cold Steve Austin-themed jerseys as they battle the Charlottetown Islanders at TD Station. Game-worn jerseys will be auctioned online at sjseadogs.link/auctions.

Wrestling Night will feature appearances from two legendary wrestlers. “The Man Beast” Rhyno, a former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, WCW United States Champion and WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champion, will be in attendance, along with “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters, a former WWE and TNA standout known for his iconic Masterlock Challenge.

Plus, two live wrestling matches will take place inside the Moosehead Light Ice Bar, with one match during each intermission. Rhyno will face “The Muscle Beast” Wesley Pipes for the AIWF Canadian Heavyweight Championship, while Masters will square off against “The Ace of the Maritimes” Dick Durning for the Superstars of Wrestling Heavyweight Championship.

The Sea Dogs are 1-5-0-0 when wearing specialty jerseys this season.

Notebook: Seed named to Team Italy

Jason Seed – a Memorial Cup champion with the Saint John Sea Dogs – has been named to Team Italy for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games.

Seed, who will turn 34 next week, has spent the past four seasons playing in Italy. Elite Prospects lists him as a Canadian and Italian dual citizen.

The Ottawa native spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs, helping the club win back-to-back QMJHL titles in 2011 and 2012 and a Memorial Cup championship in 2011. He was a depth defensemen but did appear in all 17 of the team's playoff games in 2012.

Seed finished his junior career with the Maritime Junior Hockey League's Summerside Western Capitals. He went on to play four seasons at Carleton University before playing professional hockey in Europe.

Seed is likely to be the only Sea Dog alumnus playing at this year's Games. Former Sea Dogs captain Eriks Mateiko was named to Latvia's roster but he has been ruled out due to a season-ending injury.

COMING UP

The Sea Dogs are back at TD Station this weekend, hosting the Sherbrooke Phoenix on Saturday afternoon. Note that this is a 4 p.m. start.

This will be the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Phoenix. Sherbrooke features former Sea Dogs forward Chad Bellemare. They also include goaltender Kyan Labbé, who was a Sea Dogs draft pick.

This will be Saint John's last game at TD Station until Feb. 6. The Sea Dogs are in Moncton on Jan. 29 and Charlottetown on Jan. 31 before hosting the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Feb. 1 in Fredericton.

Mateiko to Milano Cortina

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There will be at least one former Saint John Sea Dog the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

Former Sea Dogs captain Eriks Mateiko was named to Latvia's men's hockey roster on Tuesday morning. The 20-year-old has represented his country at the both the under-20 and under-18 levels, which included being captain of the U18 squad.

🇱🇻 Team Latvia men’s roster for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games just dropped!➡️

Athlete participation requires confirmation by their respective NOC.@lhf_lv @olympics @nhl @nhlpa#Olympics #NHL #IIHF pic.twitter.com/EbcW17NxqB

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) January 6, 2026

The Washington Capitals prospect is in his first season of professional hockey. In 25 games with the AHL's Hershey Bears, Mateiko has a goal and four assists.

Mateiko spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs. He was traded to the Memorial Cup host Rimouski Oceanic at last year's trade deadline.

Men's Olympic hockey will take place Feb. 11-22. Latvia will be in Group C with the United States, Germany and Denmark.

Latvia's first game will be Feb. 12 against the United States.

Galiev, Jurco win Olympic medals

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Two former Saint John Sea Dogs are leaving the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games with medals.

Stanislav Galiev helped the Russian Olympic Committee win silver while Tomas Jurco and Slovakia won bronze.

Galiev, who was originally on ROC's reserve roster, appeared in four games in Beijing and was held pointless. He did not play in Sunday morning's gold medal game that saw Finland defeat the ROC 2-1.

The 30-year-old Galiev continues to add to his impressive collection of rings and medals.

2008-09: USHL Clark Cup champion

2010-11: QMJHL President Cup champion

2010-11: CHL Memorial Cup champion

2011-12: QMJHL President Cup champion

2012-13: ECHL Kelly Cup champion

2017-18: KHL Gagarin Cup champion

2022: Olympic Games silver medalist

Galiev spent three seasons with the Sea Dogs, helping the club go to three straight President Cup finals between 2010 and 2012. He has spent the past five seasons in the KHL.

Grant scores in Olympic debut

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Welcome to the Olympic Games Alex Grant.

The original Saint John Sea Dog scored Canada's first goal of Beijing 2022 just 4:43 into the first period, helping the team defeat Germany 5-1. The goal came after Eric O'Dell absolutely rocked Germany's Marco Nowak behind the goal line.

WHAT A SHOT 🎯

Check out #TeamCanada’s first goal of the #Beijing2022 men’s hockey tournament on @CBCOlympics ⬇️
pic.twitter.com/V9ue5NBQ5L

— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) February 10, 2022

Grant, still wearing No. 20 after all these years, had two shots in 13:32 of ice time.

Canada faces the United States early Saturday morning at 12:10 a.m. Their last preliminary round game is Sunday morning at 9:10 a.m. against China.

Two other Sea Dogs alumni have played in Beijing. Tomas Jurco, playing on a line with former Moncton Wildcat Marek Hrivik, had five shots in 15:58 of ice time in Slovakia's 6-2 loss to Finland. Stanislav Galiev, meanwhile, played in Russia's 1-0 win over Switzerland where he had one shot in 11:57 of ice time.

Notebook: Final Quebec trip set to start

For the final time this regular season, the Saint John Sea Dogs have bussed outside the Maritimes.

The team began its final Quebec road trip after Sunday's 6-2 win over the Rimouski Oceanic at TD Station. They'll visit Baie-Comeau, Chicoutimi and Rimouski this week.

The new-look Sea Dogs are coming off strong back-to-back home wins. They'll look to continue that momentum on this road trip.

Saint John sits ahead of all three of their road trip opponents in the standings. The Sea Dogs are 3-1-0-0 against teams from the East Division this season.

Following this road trip, the Sea Dogs will have a week to prepare for their next contest, a Friday, Feb. 18 match in Halifax against the Mooseheads.

DEBUTS

Several former Sea Dogs debuted with their new teams this weekend.

• Goaltender Jonathan Lemieux made 41 stops and was named third star in Moncton's 4-3 shootout win over Rimouski on Saturday.
• Forward Evgeny Sapelnikov had two goals and an assist in his first two games with the Drakkar. Both of his goals came in Baie-Comeau's 5-2 victory over the Mooseheads on Sunday, a game that saw Sapelnikov named first star.
• Defenseman Christopher Inniss did not play for the Sagueneens over the weekend, serving a two-game suspension he received in Saint John's final game before the Christmas break.
• Cape Breton had the weekend off, meaning Charles Savoie and Carter McCluskey have yet to suit up for their new club. The Eagles are in action Friday in Boisbriand.

THE SHUTOUT

Nikolas Hurtubise's shutout on Friday against the Armada: memorable in more than a few ways.

#QMJHL #LHJMQ BLB/SNB: @SJSeaDogs get their run to the Memorial Cup off to a spectacular start as Nikolas Hurtubise redirects 17, tied for the third fewest in a shutout in franchise history. Team's first goaltender to debut with a shutout since Jacob DeSerres, 10/16/10.

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) February 5, 2022

BEZAEU FIGHT

Via HockeyFights.com, here's Riley Bezeau's fifth fight of the season from Friday's game.

Bezeau, who served an automatic one-game suspension on Sunday for accumulating major penalties, continues to lead the league in fights.

Notebook: Old Dogs in new places

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

When the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season restarts in the coming days, there will be plenty of former Saint John Sea Dogs to keep an eye on.

Five players who suited up for Saint John in the first half of the season will begin playing in their new homes. That list includes Christopher Inniss (Chicoutimi Sagueneens), Evgeny Sapelnikov (Baie-Comeau Drakkar), Jonathan Lemieux (Moncton Wildcats), Carter McCluskey (Cape Breton Eagles) and Charles Savoie (Cape Breton Eagles).

Sea Dogs prospects that were dealt prior to the QMJHL trade deadline - Natan Grenier (Moncton) and Francis Woods (Val-d'Or) - do not appear on the rosters of their new clubs.

Other former Sea Dogs to keep an eye on when the season resumes include Joshua Roy (Sherbrooke Phoenix), Kale McCallum (Val-d'Or Foreurs), Alex Drover (Rimouski Oceanic), Dawson Stairs (Charlottetown Islanders), Nicholas Girouard (Cape Breton Eagles), Simon Hughes (Drummondville Voltigeurs) and Leighton Carruthers (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies).

LONG ON GRANT

Current Saint John MP and former Sea Dogs president Wayne Long released a short statement on Facebook regarding Alex Grant being named to Canada's Olympic hockey team.

From Facebook:

I remember that day in 2005 with Scott McCain up on the stage in Chicoutimi calling out Alex Grant’s name.

Our choice was never in doubt. He was a true leader for our team in those expansion building years! 

Congratulations from all of us involved in those early years for being selected to Team Canada for the Olympics in Beijing. What an honour. This whole community is so proud of you!

SCHEDULING

A couple of potential scheduling issues/problems for a pushed back Memorial Cup: there is a Dallas Smith concert scheduled for TD Station on June 17 and the Acadian Games begin on June 29 in Saint John and Quispamsis. The Acadian Games is likely more of an accommodations issue than facilities.

The QMJHL announced Friday that the President Cup playoffs could go as late as June 15. The Memorial Cup is currently scheduled for June 4-13. Pushing the event back a week, following the same scheduling format, would place it June 11-20. Pushing it two weeks would mean a June 18-27 tournament.

There's also some uncertainty about the World Under-18 Hockey Championship, which is currently scheduled for April 21 - May 1 in Germany. The Canadian roster is made mostly of CHL players whose teams have been eliminated from the playoffs but, with the QMJHL regular season (and you have to think the OHL and WHL may follow) extended to May 1, that could be tricky.

Grant named to Canada's Olympic team

KHL

The original Saint John Sea Dog is going to the Olympic Games.

33-year-old defenseman Alex Grant, Saint John's first ever draft pick, was named to Canada's men's hockey team for Beijing 2022 on Tuesday. He'll become the first Sea Dogs alumnus to play for Canada at an Olympic Games.

Meet Team Canada! 🇨🇦

25 men have been selected to represent 🇨🇦 at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

ROSTER ➡️ https://t.co/d8OVCa3Ceh@TeamCanada | #Beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/pcIv42Qkf6

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) January 25, 2022

Grant was one of 25 players named to the Canadian roster. Other notables on the team's backend include Buffalo Sabres prospect Owen Power and former Moncton Wildcats Brandon Gormley, Mark Barberio and Jason Demers.

Grant was selected first overall by the Sea Dogs in the 2005 QMJHL Entry Draft and spent most of his junior career with the club. He was team captain in 2007-08 and again 2008-09 before being traded mid-season to the Shawinigan Cataractes.

The Antigonish native recorded 44 goals and 143 points in 245 career regular season games in the QMJHL. He added seven goals and 23 points in 35 career playoff games.

Notebook: Who will be in Saint John?

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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.

Jurco to play in second Olympic Games

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At least one former Saint John Sea Dog will take part in the upcoming Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.

Former Sea Dogs forward Tomas Jurco has been named to Slovakia's Olympic roster for a second time. From the IIHF website:

The forward line also features Tomas Jurco, who left the NHL in the summer after seven seasons with Detroit, Chicago, Edmonton and Vegas. He’s now with Barys Nur-Sultan in the KHL and is in line for a second Olympic appearance after representing Slovakia in Sochi in 2014. The 29-year-old winger also has World Championship experience but missed the chance to play on home ice in 2019 as he was winning his second Calder Cup at the time.

Jurco recorded a goal in four games with Slovakia at Sochi 2014.

This season, Jurco has three goals and 11 points 17 games in the KHL. He appeared in eight NHL games last season with the Vegas Golden Knights and spent much of the year in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights.

Jurco was part of the Glory Days Era of Sea Dogs hockey that reached three straight President Cup finals and back-to-back Memorial Cup tournaments between 2010 and 2012. He registered 87 goals and 175 points in 172 career regular season QMJHL games. He added 26 goals and 64 points in 56 playoff games.

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.

Two former Sea Dogs heading to Olympics

A couple of former Saint John Sea Dogs will be representing their countries at next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Felix Schutz of Germany and Jurij Repe of Slovenia have both made their respective country's men's hockey teams for the Games. The men's tournament begins on Feb. 14.

Schutz, selected 41st overall by Saint John in the 2005 CHL Import Draft, has been playing with Kölner Haie of the German DEL league where he has 15 goals and 25 assists in 44 games. The 30-year-old forward has been playing overseas since the 2010-11 season.

Schutz played with Saint John during the club's expansion season and for the first half of the 2006-07 campaign.

This will be Schutz's first Olympics, but he has played internationally with Germany on several occasions.

Repe, selected 34th overall by Saint John in the 2012 CHL Import Draft, has been playing with HC Kladno of the Czech Tier 2 league this season. The 23-year-old defenceman has a goal and eight assists in 27 games.

Repe played with Saint John during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.

This will also be Repe's first Olympics, but he has appeared internationally previously.

Germany will play in Group C with Sweden, Finland and Norway. Their first game will be on Feb. 15 against Finland.

Slovenia will play in Group B with Russia, the United States and Slovakia. Their first game will be on Feb. 14 against the US.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Despres named to Canada's Karjala Cup roster

Simon Despres is a step closer to playing for Team Canada at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Despres was one of the 26 players named to the Canadian roster for the Karjala Cup, which will be held Nov. 8-12 in Helsinki, Finland, and Biel, Switzerland. Canada will face off against Switzerland, Sweden and Finland in the tournament.

Hockey Canada coaches said in a press release that this tournament is the next step in determining who will represent the country at February's Olympics.

“These 26 players are part of the larger group that is still under consideration for the Olympic team; 10 of these players were not with us in August in Russia, while others who remain under consideration won’t join us next month due either to their being unavailable, or because we feel we already have a good sense of where they could fit with our team," said general manager Sean Burke.

#NEWS | 26 @HC_Men to play for Canada at the Karjala Cup, Nov. 8-12, part of the ongoing evaluation for PyeongChang. https://t.co/qfYLG3niG8 pic.twitter.com/m9UxuJPOJZ

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) October 26, 2017

TSN will broadcast Canada's games against Sweden (Nov. 10, 12:30 p.m.) and Finland (Nov. 12, 10130 a.m.).

Despres is playing with the KHL's HC Slovan Bratislava this season where he has three goals and two assists in 17 games.

The 26-year-old defenceman missed almost all of last season with the NHL's Anaheim Ducks due to a concussion. It's believed one of the reasons Despres went to Russia this year was so he could be considered for Canada's Olympic roster, which will not feature NHLers.

Despres spent four seasons with the Saint John Sea Dogs from 2007 to 2011, helping the club win a Memorial Cup title in his final season.

No Sea Dog has ever played for Canada at an Olympic Games.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Wednesday Notebook

Highlights from Sunday’s 2-1 Sea Dogs win:

Connor Donaghey now has 10 goals and 20 assists in 18 games with the MHL’s Yarmouth Mariners. That includes this overtime goal:

Thanks to @avgnsdave for the video.

Some other random stuff:

• The Sea Dogs play a three-in-three this weekend. They host the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday and Saturday night at Harbour Station before travelling to Bathurst on Sunday afternoon for a huge game against the Titan.
• Details about the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft - taking place in Sherbrooke - were released this week. The draft is on May 31^st beginning at 11am Atlantic.
• Defenseman Bailey Webster was named a first-team all-star in the NB/PEI Major Midget Hockey League. He had 25 points – five goals and 20 assists – in 31 regular-season games with the Kensington Wild.
• The AUS Men’s Hockey semi-finals begin tonight. Stephen MacAulay and the Saint Mary’s Huskies take on Mike Thomas and the UNB Varsity Reds while Pierre Durepos and the Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus will face the Acadia Axemen.
• The Sea Dogs tweeted a photo of Stephen Anderson skating on Monday.
• The Canadian Press’ early, early, early roster projection for Team Canada’s 2018 Winter Olympics team includes Jonathan Huberdeau.
• Kitchener Rangers play-by-play man Mike Farwell tweeted on Sunday that “under the new broadcast deal, Sportsnet will be adding Saturday afternoon CHL games to complement traditional Friday night games.” Definitely intriguing with Rogers taking over the national NHL rights next season, which includes Saturday night games.
• Could Jack Eichel go first overall in the 2015 NHL Draft?
• Mike Hoffman, Simon Despres, and Eric Gelinas all got called up to their NHL teams following the Olympic break.

Thursday Notebook

Second thoughts on the CHL/Sportsnet extension: maybe it will actually be good to have junior hockey on the same network as the national NHL broadcasts.

On the one hand, Sportsnet could definitely shove their CHL broadcasts into a corner and forget about them. But on the other hand, there could definitely be a ratings boost by promoting the games on the same station as national NHL broadcasts. Presumably, an increase in ratings would see an increase in games shown. Something to think about.

Some other stuff…

• Huge game on Thursday night at Harbour Station between the Sea Dogs and Cataractes. Saint John currently holds the league’s final playoff spot with 38 points. Shawinigan is right behind them with 38 points as well. It’s the final meeting of the season between the two.
• Tough Olympics for Tomas Jurco and the Slovaks who, following a 5-3 loss to the Czech Republic in the qualification round yesterday, will finish 11^th. Jurco finishes his first Olympics with one goal and eight shots in four games.
• The AUS men’s hockey playoffs begin tonight with Moncton taking on StFX and UPEI facing Saint Mary’s. UNB and Acadia earned a bye through the first-round.
• The AHL website has a big time article on Mike Hoffman. The Ottawa Senators prospect is second in AHL scoring with 27 goals and 63 points in 48 games.
• Chronicle Herald sports columnist Chris Cochrane had a column on new Sea Dogs GM Darrell Young last week. “I went in there (to the interview) with a booklet on how we could attack the situation,” Young said, “they were impressed I took that much time to prepare.”
• Sam Cosentino mentions Hoffman, Young, and Yann Sauve in his latest column over at Sportsnet.ca.
• The Mill Rats have solved their playoff arena issues. They may have to play a game out at UNBSJ, though.
• Mike McGraw visitation and funeral info can be found here.

VIDEO: Jurco Scores First Olympic Goal

Tomas Jurco scored his first Olympic goal in Slovakia’s stunning 3-1 loss to Slovenia today in Sochi.

The goal came with just 18 seconds remaining in the game and Slovenia already had a 3-0 lead. The former Sea Dogs forward had five shots in 14:04 of ice time.

No clue how Slovenia won this game but I’m sure Jurij Repe is happy.

Slovenia 3 : 1 Slovakia well deserved #Olympics2014 #Sochi2014
— Jurij Repe (@JurijRepe) February 15, 2014

Slovakia, who finished fourth in Vancouver, is now 0-2 heading into their game against Russia tomorrow.

Thursday Notebook

St. Malachy’s High School released this video today and it features some current Sea Dogs and Jonathan Huberdeau.

Some other notes:

• Tomas Jurco made his Olympic debut in Slovakia’s 7-1 loss to the United States today in Sochi. Jurco was held pointless, recorded two shots, and was a -1 in 13:34 of ice time. The Slovaks face Slovenia on Saturday.
• John Moore tweeted that newly appointed Sea Dogs GM Darrell Young’s “priorities are acquiring free agents and preparing for 2014 QMJHL Draft."
• The Olympiques YouTube page has some highlights up from Wednesday’s game. Go for the highlights but you’ll stay for the music.
• Mike Hoffman won the fastest skater competition at the AHL All-Star Skills Competition. He added a goal and two assists in the All-Star Game and was named the AHL player of the game.
• Chris DiDomenico has joined a new team.
• The Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats tomorrow night at 7:30 PM. So it’s Moncton vs Saint John on Valentine’s Day. IT’S IRONIC, Y’KNOW.

Tuesday Stuff

Unreal goal by Jurco. Some other news and notes:

• The Sea Dogs take on the Gatineau Olympiques tomorrow night at 7:00 PM at Harbour Station. They also host the Moncton Wildcats on Friday night.
• The QMJHL announced a few rule adjustments yesterday, which includes teams being allowed to select 15-year old players in the 14 rounds of the draft rather than just the first eight beginning in 2015. Changes to league’s odd compensatory picks system were also announced.
• Scott Briggs of the Telegraph-Journal (paywall) reported last week that Sea Dogs president Wayne Long said the new general manager will likely be announced in the final week of February.
• Goaltender Christopher Smith has been sent back down to the major midget ranks by the Sea Dogs. He picked up his first QMJHL win in his first start on Saturday in Bathurst.
• It’s All-Star week in the AHL. Mike Hoffman is the only former Sea Dog taking part. The skills competition takes place tonight in St. John’s and the game tomorrow. Both can be seen on Sportsnet One beginning at 7:30pm AST.
• Remember Steven Anthony? There’s a few paragraphs on him and his development in this Hockey’s Future article.
• Jonathan Huberdeau’s fight against Toronto’s Jake Gardiner last week was his first tilt since his infamous scrap against MacKenzie Weegar in his final game as a Sea Dog. "I got suspended [four games] for it. The referee fell, and they said I pushed him. And I got beat up after that. I don't want to remember that fight," Huberdeau told the Florida Sun-Sentinel.
• The Olympics begin for Tomas Jurco and the Slovaks on Thursday against the United States. Puck drops at 8:30 AM AST and can be seen live on TSN.