Notebook: Council sports Sea Dogs jerseys

City of Saint John

There were plenty of Saint John Sea Dogs jerseys on display at last week's City Council meeting.

Council members sported Sea Dogs jerseys ahead of the team's home opening weekend. Mayor Donna Reardon wore Olivier Groulx's captain jersey.

The jerseys are discussed at the 14-minute mark of the video below.

RARE SHOOTOUT LOSS

After going the entire 2025-26 season without playing in a shootout, the Sea Dogs took part in one just three games into the 2026-27 campaign.

The Sea Dogs went 0/3 in the breakaway contest and fell 4-3 to the Moncton Wildcats on Friday at TD Station. It was the first career QMJHL shootout attempts for Alexis Joseph and Jamie Glance while Groulx was making just his second appearance.

The Sea Dogs went to extra time nine times last season but all were decided in overtime. Saint John was 4-5 in those games.

Saint John took part in three shootouts during the 2024-25 season, winning all three. The last shootout they played in took place on Dec. 14, 2024 against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Sea Dogs' last shootout loss came on March 20, 2024, fittingly against the Wildcats at TD Station.

USHL season underway

Embed from Getty Images

The United States Hockey League held its annual Fall Classic last week in Chicago.

The event, which brings all of the league's teams into one location to start the year, saw each club play two regular season games. The regular regular season begins this weekend with teams back on their home ice.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forwards Dylan and Matthew Krayer are both playing with the Tri-City Storm, who went 1-1-0-0 at the Fall Classic. Both recorded a goal and two assists.

There are also a few Sea Dogs draft picks playing in the USHL this season, which technically includes Finnegan Sears of the USNTDP. The program plays parts of its season in the USHL.

Here's how former Sea Dogs and draft picks performed at the Fall Classic.

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Dylan Krayer	TC	2	1	2	3
Matthew Krayer	TC	2	1	2	3
Matas Janulis*	CR	2	1	1	2
Finnegan Sears*	NTDP	2	0	1	1
Brian McFadden*	CHI	2	0	0	0

*Draft pick who has not played with Sea Dogs

The only goaltender currently playing in the USHL that was a Sea Dogs draft pick is 19-year-old Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz, who is entering his second season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. He's 1-0 so far, stopping 22 of 24 shots in Muskegon's 3-2 overtime win over the Waterloo Black Hawks.

Oddly enough, Matthew Krayer, Janulis and McFadden were all part of Saint John's 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft class. That class also included Zachary Morin, who previously played with the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms.

It'll be interesting to follow some of these players throughout the year, particularly those who could be future Sea Dogs. These are interesting (and challenging, depending on who you ask) times for the USHL as they try and compete against the CHL for talent.

Notebook: Single game tickets now available

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Single game tickets to every Saint John Sea Dogs home game are now on sale.

Tickets to all 32 home games went on sale Monday at noon. The team had previously announced season ticket details.

Here's a look at the total single game ticket prices – which includes the lovely service and order processing fees – for each age demographic.

Adult: $26

Senior: $25

25 and under: $21

9 and under: $17

It looks like total ticket prices (which, again, include fees and taxes) are pretty similar to what they have been in recent seasons.

One change is that it does appear fans can purchase any seat in the upper bowl this season (with the exception of most end zone seating). Last season, the top half of most upper bowl sections could not be purchased until ticket sales volume required it. 

IT'S GAME WEEK

The Sea Dogs will play regular season hockey this week.

Saint John will open the season on the road this Friday and Saturday, visiting Gordie Dwyer and the Newfoundland Regiment. The Sea Dogs struggled at Mary Brown's Centre last season, going 0-4, and will likely be playing in front of a capacity crowd on Friday.

Both teams will be well rested. The Regiment last played a pre-season game on Aug. 31 while the Sea Dogs haven't played since Sept. 4.

The Sea Dogs will play their first home games the following weekend. Saint John hosts the Moncton Wildcats on Friday, Sept. 25 and the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Notebook: Beaulieu on Swift Current pre-season roster

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

A familiar name is on the Swift Current Broncos' pre-season roster.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Jacob Beaulieu was among the 34 players named to Swift Current's roster for the Western Hockey League's pre-season. The Broncos head coach and general manager is Travis Crickard, who obviously knows Beaulieu quite well.

Beaulieu, an overager, spent parts of four seasons in Saint John. He was a seventh-round pick of the team in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs traded Beaulieu to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada during last season's holiday trade period. He appeared in 32 regular season games with the Armada and another 17 playoff contests

In 210 career QMJHL games, Beaulieu posted 16 goals and 10 assists. He also had 249 penalty minutes – and was known more for his physical presence.

The Broncos continue pre-season play on Friday when they host Saskatoon Blades.

VILEN RETURING TO WILDCATS

The Sea Dogs will be seeing a lot of Max Vilen this season.

The Moncton Wildcats announced on social media that Vilen will return to the club for another season, occupying both an overage and import slot. The Wildcats acquired Vilen from the Sea Dogs during last season's holiday trade period.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Moncton Wildcats (@monctonwildcats)

Vilen recorded a goal and 12 assists in 27 games with the Wildcats in the second half. He added three goals and nine assists in 21 playoff games.

Over the summer, the Swedish defenseman was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the seventh-round of the NHL Draft.

Vilen was selected in the third-round of the 2025 CHL Import Draft by Saint John. He posted two goals and 12 assists in 27 games with the Sea Dogs in the first half.

Notebook: Arkells comment on jersey choice

Arkells

Following quite a bit of feedback, the Arkells have responded to their unexpected wardrobe choice on Saturday night in Moncton.

Opening for the Jonas Brothers on the Université de Moncton campus, lead singer Max Kerman took to the stage wearing a Saint John Sea Dogs jersey – the same one he wore at Area 506 last year.

"Thought I was making friends in Moncton with the jersey. Oops. Great to see you all!," the band wrote in an Instagram post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by arkellsmusic (@arkellsmusic)

JOSEPH RANKED SIXTH

Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph was ranked sixth in The Athletic's pre-season rankings for the 2027 NHL Draft.

The pressure is certainly starting to heat up on Joseph as his second QMJHL season nears.

"He is a summer birthday, so with continued development he could profile as the kind of center teams covet as a cornerstone piece," writes Wheeler. "But you have to show it on the ice again and again, and he has left me wanting more a little too frequently. I thought about dropping him into Tier 3 here and will if he doesn't pick it up."

NHL.com had a story on Joseph during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Sea Dogs forward Jamie Glance, meanwhile, was ranked 22nd by The Athletic. Prospect Finnegan Sears was an honourable mention.

Williams invited to U17 camp

Vincent Éthier/QMJHL

Lawrence Williams has been invited to Hockey Canada’s national under-17 development camp, which is set to take place July 17-21 in Oakville, ON.

Williams, who was drafted 14th overall by the Saint John Sea Dogs in June's QMJHL Entry Draft, was one of 80 players to earn invites. 

The roster is made up of eight goaltenders, 24 defensemen and 48 forwards. 20 of the invitees were drafted into the QMJHL.

The camp is the first step in evaluating players for the 2026 U17 World Challenge, which is scheduled for Nov. 1-7 in Oakville. Canada will have two teams in the event once again this year.

Williams spent last season playing under-18 hockey with the Weeks Major Midgets where he posted 10 goals and 28 assists in 32 regular season games. He added a goal and six assists in 14 playoff games.

The Sea Dogs have been well represented in the U17 World Challenge over the years. Last year in Truro, Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph captained Canada Red to a gold medal. Joseph finished the tournament with six goals and five assists, placing him second in tournament scoring and in a tie for the lead in goals.

Notebook: Poirier signs in Germany

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Jeremie Poirier is heading overseas.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman has signed with Adler Mannheim of the DEL, Germany's highest level of professional hockey. The club announced the signing on Thursday.

The 24-year-old has spent his entire professional career in the AHL, mostly with the Calgary Wranglers. Poirier was traded to the Texas Stars this past season.

Adler verpflichten Jérémie Poirier ✍️

🔗 https://t.co/e8hZAUwENl

Der 24-jährige Kanadier wechselt aus der nordamerikanischen AHL in die @DELoffiziell und erhält bei den Adlern die Rückennummer 54.#AdlerMannheim #PENNYDEL #Eishockey #Hockey #DEL #Mannheim #MERC #Summer pic.twitter.com/t8ZnztYsCd

— Adler Mannheim (@adlermannheim) July 9, 2026

In 51 games split between the Wranglers and Stars in 2025-26, Poirier posted five goals and 11 assists. He leaves North America having recorded 22 goals and 90 assists in 214 regular season AHL games. He had another three goals and nine assists in 17 playoff contests.

Poirier was a third-round pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft but never got into an NHL game. He spent four seasons with Saint John and helped the club win the 2022 Memorial Cup.

SPADAFORE SIGNS WITH FLAMES

Jordan Spadafore is returning to Saint John.

The former Sea Dogs defenseman has signed with the Saint John Flames of the Beausejour Senior Hockey League for the 2026-27 season, the club announced last week. 

The 25-year-old spent parts of two seasons with the Sea Dogs. He also played with the Rimouski Oceanic and Val-d'Or Foreurs during his QMJHL career.

Spadafore played a couple seasons at Nipissing University in North Bay before turning pro in 2023-24. He spent a season with the SPHL's Evansville Thunderbolts before signing with the Milton Keynes Lightning of the National Ice Hockey League, the second-tier of pro hockey in Great Britain. He has played the past two seasons overseas.

So far, along with Spadafore, the Flames will feature former Sea Dogs Nick Blagden, Zach Alchorn and Kiefer Lyons.

Notebook: Lee (officially) joins Mooseheads

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

As reported a couple weeks ago, former Saint John Sea Dogs assistant coach Mark Lee has officially joined the Halifax Mooseheads.

Lee, who will be an assistant coach under Brad MacKenzie, was one of three coaching staff additions announced by the Mooseheads on Wednesday.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the exceptional staff that Brad MacKenzie, Peter, and Sam Simon have assembled,” said Lee in a Mooseheads release. “Having known Josh Hepditch for a long time and competing against him as both a player and a coach, I know our coaching styles will complement each other perfectly. The Halifax Mooseheads are not just a phenomenal organization; they are an elite brand and a top-tier franchise in the CHL. I am eager to see what we can accomplish this season as we work collectively toward bringing a championship back to Halifax.” 

“Mark’s passion for the game combined with his ability to build relationships and connect with players makes him a great addition to our coaching staff,” said MacKenzie. “He brings with him a wealth of experience from his playing career as well as recent history coaching in the QMJHL. I’m looking forward to working alongside Mark and having him work closely with our players.”

Lee, who was sitting with the Mooseheads at this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, was an assistant coach with the Sea Dogs for four seasons. He departed the organization at the same time as Travis Crickard.

DRAFT RANKINGS

The 2026 NHL Draft is just over a week away.

Over at FloHockey, Chris Peters has released his final draft rankings. Sea Dogs forward Olivers Murnieks was ranked 50th.

"He’s a good two-way player with potentially limited offensive upside, but looks like he has the jam to play down the lineup if all works out," writes Peters.

The Hockey Writers, meanwhile, listed Murnieks as one of their "sleeper picks" for this year's draft.

"His offensive game isn’t particularly exciting, but he has a decent shot and can make reasonably clever passes under pressure," they write. "There’s certainly bottom-six potential for Murnieks and his late July birthday means he has lots of development still to come."

Notebook: Peddle commits to StFX

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Former Sea Dogs forward Tyler Peddle as committed to the StFX X-Men for the 2026-27 season.

Peddle was one of seven recruits announced by the X-Men last week. StFX's freshman class will also include forwards Riley Sampson and Jack Greenwell; defensemen Matteo Rotondi, Leyton Stewart and Cory MacGillivray; and goaltender Jack Flanagan.

The move doesn't come as a big surprise given that Peddle's father, Brad, is the long-time coach of the X-Men.

"We are very happy to add Tyler to the team," Brad Peddle said in a release. "He brings a wealth of experience in the QMJHL and at the pro level, attending three NHL camps and exhibition games. Tyler is a very competitive player who brings a heavy power game, plays with pace and will add valuable size and offence to our forward group. He has decided on STFX for the next stage in his development, and we are excited to see him come home and play for the White and Blue."

The 21-year-old spent parts of two seasons with the Sea Dogs. A seventh-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2023 NHL Draft, Peddle spent his overage season with the Charlottetown Islanders where he posted eight goals and seven assists in 48 regular season games under Jim Hulton. He added three goals in seven playoff games.

DONATELLI LOANED TO OCEANIC

American forward Max Donatelli, who is on Saint John's protected list, will attend Rimouski Oceanic training camp on a loan, the club announced last week.

Donatelli, who will turn 19 on Monday, just completed his fourth season of US prep school hockey at St. George's School where he posted 17 goals and 33 assists in 26 games. He also appeared in 27 games with the NV River Rats under-18 team where he recorded 10 goals and 15 assists.

The Rhode Island native attended Saint John's training camp last year. He'd be a long shot to make this year's Sea Dogs team and a loan to another QMJHL squad makes sense.

Notably, the Sea Dogs and Oceanic will meet in pre-season play on Aug. 30 in Woodstock.

Donatelli's brother, Jake, was an eighth-round pick of the Halifax Mooseheads in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

Sea Dogs picks, players drafted into QJHL

Jacob Hamel was taken first overall by the St-Jérôme Panthers in this year's QJHL Draft, which was held on Saturday.

Hamel, who spent last season with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, is the older of brother of Justin Hamel, who the Sea Dogs selected in the 11th-round of this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. The younger Hamel was taken in the third-round, 37th overall by the Panthers.

As mentioned, Justin Hamel could be a player to watch over the next couple years. While he was picked in the 11th-round by Saint John, QMJHL Central Scouting had him projected to be a fifth-round selection.

A few other players with Sea Dogs connections were picked during Saturday's 10-round draft:

• Overage forward Maxime Lafond, who will attended Sea Dogs training camp on a loan from the Drummondville Voltigeurs, was selected in the fourth-round, 43rd overall by the Longueuil Collège Français.
• Forward Madison Bouchard, who was a 10th-round pick of Saint John in the 2025 draft, was taken in the fifth-round, 53rd overall by the Gatineau Nomad.
• 19-year-old forward Alexis Gauthier, who spent all of last season with the Sea Dogs, was picked in the fifth-round, 60th overall by the Terrebonne Cobras.
• 19-year-old defenseman Vincent Croteau, who also spent all of last season with the Sea Dogs, was drafted in the 10th-round, 120th overall by the Cobras.
• Forward Thomas Bond, a 12th-round pick of Saint John in this year's draft, was taken in the 10th-round, 127th overall by the Granby Indigo.

This year's Maritime Junior Hockey League Draft will take place next weekend in Campbellton.

Notebook: Lyons' improvement leads to selection

QMJHL

HALIFAX - A year ago, Brock Lyons was projected to be a fourth-round pick by QMJHL Central Scouting. The Saint John Vito's forward didn't hear his name called.

A year later, he was drafted by his hometown QMJHL team in the ninth-round. The improvements he made on the ice over the past year didn't go unnoticed by the Saint John Sea Dogs' scouting staff.

"Brock was a guy that we were looking at last year but we thought that his compete level was a little inconsistent," said Sea Dogs director of scouting Nick Lepore on Saturday following the conclusion of the QMJHL Entry Draft. "We saw the talent, we saw the skill. He's got size. He really has a lot of good tools. And then this year he really surprised us with his compete levels. Very consistent. It might be due to the fact that he was overlooked last year and he had a chip on his shoulder. He was really, really good all year."

Lyons, 17, posted 25 goals and 28 assists in 36 games with the Vito's. He also appeared in three games with the Maritime Junior Hockey League's Amherst Ramblers.

"We were following him all year. Last year we were kind of saying with Brock, if he steps up his compete level, he can be a very good player and he did that this year," added Lepore.

"By no means did we just select him because he's in Saint John. We really, really like the player. I think he can mix it up at camp as well and he can really force our hand maybe into something. He's a really good player with a lot of good tools and he has a lot of offense in his game as well. He is a shooter. Having him where we got him, it was a no brainer."

Meloche/Courchesne tandem expected

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

HALIFAX - For many years, the Saint John Sea Dogs have had question marks around their goaltending situation at this point in the off-season.

This year, that does not appear to be the case.

Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie confirmed following Saturday's QMJHL Entry Draft that Samuel Meloche and Rafaël Courchesne are expected to be the team's goaltending tandem to start the 2026-27 season.

The Sea Dogs acquired Meloche, a Buffalo Sabres prospect, from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last week. Meloche, who will turn 19 next month, has played over 50 games in each of the past two seasons. He'll certainly be looked upon to carry the majority of the load with Courchesne as his backup.

Courchesne, who will turn 18 in August, went 12-19-2 with a 3.92 goals against average and a .880 save percentage in 38 games with Saint John last year, his first QMJHL season. Georgie said he expects the netminder to have better results this season with a stronger defensive team in front of him.

"Courchesne will be back. That's our plan," said Georgie.

"We believe in Raf big time. He had a really good season for us facing a lot of really high danger shots."

When asked about what this all means for 17-year-old Jase MacPherson – who was a second-round pick of the Sea Dogs in last year's QMJHL Entry Draft – Georgie said the team doesn't want to rush him into the QMJHL. There's always the chance a strong training camp makes things interesting, of course.

Sea Dogs feeling good about draft weekend performance

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - An eventful weekend was a good weekend for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs made a lot of noise during the first-round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, trading down to eventually pull off one of the biggest deals of the night, acquiring defenseman Thomas Charbonneau and forward Ryan Howard from the Quebec Remparts.

With the 14th overall pick, Saint John selected Pictou's Lawrence Williams, one of the top-ranked defensemen in this year's draft class.

The Sea Dogs leave Halifax with a bolstered lineup via trades, 10 players added via the draft and a number of additional picks for future drafts.

"I thought we accomplished mostly what we were looking to do," said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie. "We had a plan coming into the weekend. We wanted to grow our assets, make sure that we were really flexible moving forward in terms of picks and players. We obviously had a positional need on left shot defense and being able to add
Tom (Charbonneau) and Lawrence (Williams), that can make a difference for our group. Howard was a guy we always really liked. Plays hard, plays physical. I think his best years are ahead. So we were able to add him, which fits into our age group. I feel really good about it."

While much of the buzz on Friday centered around Charbonneau and Howard, the Sea Dogs were certainly happy with the selection of Williams. Ranked ninth overall by QMJHL Central Scouting and second amongst defensemen, Williams recorded over a point-per-game (10 goals and 28 assists in 32 regular season games) with the under-18 Weeks Major Midgets last season.

"A two-way defenseman, very reliable, can play offence, can play defensively, can be a shutdown, can play physical. He's kind of like a jack of all trades, he can do a lot of different things," said Sea Dogs director of scouting Nick Lepore. "I think he's the type of player that stabilizes a d-core and that a coach can put on the ice and really have no worries about whether it's offensively or defensively. And just also a great human being, a great kid. We interviewed him twice and we really, really like his character."

More notes from draft weekend

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - Here are some assorted notes (not Saint John Sea Dogs related) from this weekend's Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

First, here's a look inside Scotiabank Centre. The vibes were good and Halifax, unsurprisingly, was a great host. It's almost too bad the weather was so nice as it likely kept some fans outside rather than coming inside to the free event.

The draft continues to be a very fun and entertaining event. Hopefully the league continues to ignore the NHL's lead and keeps things going the way they are for years to come.

A look at Saint John's 2026 draft class

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - With the 2026 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft now completed, let's take a closer look at the Saint John Sea Dogs' class.

Saint John selected 10 players this weekend at Scotiabank Centre: five forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.

Here's a closer look at each.

Round 1, 14th overall - D Lawrence Williams (6'1"m 165 lbs)

Lawrence spent last season with the Weeks Major Midgets where he recorded 10 goals and 28 assists in 32 games. He added another goal and six helpers in 14 playoff games.

The Pictou native was ranked ninth overall by QMJHL Central Scouting – the highest ranked Atlantic Canadian player. Elite Prospects had him ranked 20th and called him "a future QMJHL shutdown defenseman" – which is something Saint John could certainly use.

With the 14th overall selection (finally) @SJSeaDogs select defenseman Lawrence Williams from @WeeksU18

The reigning U18 Nova Scotia rookie defender of the year had 38 points in 32 games. pic.twitter.com/OerZpySnTW

— Puck Preps Eastern Canada (@PuckPrepsEastCa) June 6, 2026

"This kid is a natural transitional 'new era' D, with tons of offensive skill coupled with nasty gritty side to his game," writes Craig Eagles. "His skating is exceptional and only going to get better with maturity, he processes the game so well, always willing to jump into the play, but perhaps his strongest attribute is the ability to pick and chose when to jump in and he also has the innate ability to know when to start driving offensive transition, which a lot of young D don’t understand or ever really figure that out."

Sea Dogs select 10 players at 2026 QMJHL Entry Draft

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs selected 10 players in this year's Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs selected five forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders. Here's a quick look at the picks.

More info to come...

	Player	P	H	W	Team
RD 1, 14	Lawrence Williams	D	6'1	165	Weeks (NS)
RD 2, 31	Nathan Riendeau	RW	5'7	155	Collège Charles-Lemoyne (QC)
RD 6, 91	Carter Odell	C	5'9	140	Halifax Macs (NS)
RD 7, 113	Will Torres	G	5'10	148	Rivers School (MA)
RD 7, 116	Brodie Anderson	D	5'7	133	Cushing Academy (MA)
RD 9, 149	Philippe Harvey	G	6'0	137	Espoirs Saguenay (QC)
RD 9, 150	Brock Lyons	RW	6'1	180	Saint John (NB)
RD 11, 185	Justin Hamel	LD	5'10	165	St-Hyacinthe (QC)
RD 12, 203	Zack Labelle	C	6'0	132	l'Outaouais U17 (QC)
RD 12, 210	Thomas Bond	C	5'9	150	Jonquière (QC)

Notebook: Sea Dogs go D with top pick

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - For the first time since 2022, the Saint John Sea Dogs picked a defenseman with their first selection in the QMJHL Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs picked d-man Lawrence Williams from the Weeks Majors Midgets with the 14th overall pick on Friday night. It's the 11th time in team history that Saint John has picked a defenseman with their first selection.

2005 - Alex Grant (1st round)

2006 - Yann Sauve (1st round)

2007 - Simon Despres (1st round)

2008 - Kevin Gagne (2nd round)

2009 - Pierre Durepos (1st round)

2014 - Luke Green (1st round)

2017 - Brendan Sibley (3rd round)

2018 - William Villeneuve (1st round)

2021 - Natan Grenier (1st round)

2022 - Jeremie Richard (3rd round)

Friday marked the first time the Sea Dogs had ever picked at No. 14.

MORE 2028 TALK

More on the 2028 Memorial Cup: it looks like it will indeed be four teams bidding to host the tournament.

Je peux confirmer que quatre équipes déposeront ou ont déjà déposé leur candidature pour obtenir le tournoi de la Coupe Memorial 2028.

Québec
Gatineau
Moncton
Terre-Neuve

Le choix final aura lieu cet automne. #LHJMQ

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) June 4, 2026

The Wildcats, Remparts and Regiment have all publicly announced that they will be bidding.

Gatineau, Quebec City and Moncton have all hosted previously but not in their current buildings. Newfoundland has never hosted but certainly has an arena capable of doing so.

Teams must officially submit their applications by July.

The 2027 Memorial Cup will be held in Guelph.

2026 first-round is in the books

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - The opening round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft has been completed.

After a lengthy evening inside Halifax's Scotiabank Centre, 13 forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders were selected.

Here's a quick recap of what went down.

		Player	P	H	W	Team (Prov)
1	ROU	Thomas Boisvert	C	5'10	149	Mount St. Charles
2	VIC	Vincent Boutet	D	6'1	196	Séminaire Saint-François
3	BLB	Jacob McKinnon	LW	5'8	157	Séminaire Saint-François
4	SHA	Pierre-Alexandre Lemieux	C	6'2	186	Collège Esther-Blondin
5	VIC	Jakob Royer	RW	6'0	159	Trois-Rivières
6	SHA	Julien Bergeron	LW	6'0	188	Châteauguay
7	HAL	Émrik Ménard	RW	5'10	146	Woodbridge
8	RIM	Justin Gagnon	RW	6'3	170	Collège Notre-Dame
9	SHE	Damien Leduc	LW	6'1	178	Châteauguay
10	RIM	Max Brien	C	6'2	185	Steele Subaru
11	CHA	Aslan Tremblay	C	6'1	206	Amos
12	BAC	Tommy Leroux	C	5'11	189	Collège Charles-Lemoyne
13	NFL	Damian Norris	C	5'11	167	Upper Canada College
14	SNB	Lawrence Williams	D	6'1	165	Weeks
15	ROU	Zachary Lainesse	G	5'11	161	Lévis
16	ROU	Malik Tremblay	RW	5'10	162	Magog
17	BAC	Enzo Roy	LD	5'9	148	Lévis
18	BAC	Nathan Boulanger	G	6'0	143	Collège Esther-Blondin

Who will Sea Dogs draft?

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - Assuming the Saint John Sea Dogs keep the fifth overall pick in this weekend's QMJHL Entry Draft, who could they select?

The first-round of this year's draft takes place Friday night at Halifax's Scotiabank Centre. Here are some potential picks based on what the experts/educated guessers believe.

• QMJHL Central Scouting released their final rankings back in March. If those rankings were to become reality, the Sea Dogs would pick Séminaire St-François Blizzard defenseman Vincent Boutet. Boutet, who won't turn 16 until next week, is listed at 6'1" and 190 lbs.
• Craig Eagles has a breakdown of each player ranked in the first-round by CSR.
• Puck Preps has Magog Cantonniers forward Malik Tremblay at No. 5. Tremblay is listed at 5'9" and 150 lbs but posted 37 points in 42 games last season.

  🚨FINAL 2026 QMJHL DRAFT RANKINGS🚨
  
  The time has finally arrived for us to reveal our list of the top-100 players for the 2026 QMJHL Draft, led by SSF Blizzard forward Jacob McKinnon!
  
  Free Article noting 20 HMs: https://t.co/mucoEADyVc
  
  Full Top-100: https://t.co/cp0pMNqBHX pic.twitter.com/YQCelA3oVK

  — Puck Preps Eastern Canada (@PuckPrepsEastCa) June 3, 2026

• Elite Prospects has Châteauguay Grenadiers forward Julien Bergeron ranked fifth. He posted 55 points in 42 games, finishing as the "highest-scoring 2010-born player in the QM18AAA this season, and third in the entire league."
• Halifax Sports Hub has the Sea Dogs taking Moncton Flyers forward Nathan Leblanc, which would be an off-the-board pick this early in the draft. Leblanc was ranked 54th by QMJHL Central Scouting.
• The Wildcast podcast has the Sea Dogs taking forward Zaac Charbonneau fifth overall – which would be "a classic Saint John draft move" given that the Quebec native tendered with the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks back in December. That means it's very possible the Sea Dogs may have to wait a year to land Charbonneau – if at all. It's a pick that would come with added risk. Charbonneau, a nephew of Daniel Brière, played at Mount St. Charles last season.

  Here it is, folks.
  
  The Annual Wildcast Podcast Mock Draft with special guest, @ARobScouting, and your favourite co-hoster, @Jeremy_Boucher. #QMJHLDraft pic.twitter.com/EEJVmmQTfL

  — 🎙Wildcast Podcast 🎧 (@MonctonWildcast) June 3, 2026

The remaining rounds of this year's draft will take place on Saturday. Saint John currently has a second-round pick but none after that until round six.

Draft weekend is here

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

HALIFAX - It's one of the most wonderful times of the year in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

The first-round of the 2026 QMJHL Entry Draft takes place tonight beginning at 7:30 p.m. Atlantic at Halifax's Scotiabank Centre. The remaining 11 rounds will take place on Saturday.

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies will select first overall. The Saint John Sea Dogs, meanwhile, currently hold the fifth overall pick.

The full draft order can be found on the QMJHL website.

Here's where Saint John is scheduled to pick at the moment:

1st round, 5th overall 

2nd round, 34td overall (ROU) 

6th round, 95th overall 

7th round, 113th overall 

8th round, 131st overall 

9th round, 149th overall 

10th round, 167th overall 

11th round, 185th overall 

12th round, 203rd overall 

12th round, 210th overall (SHA)

The Sea Dogs entered the week with the 15th overall pick as well but dealt that selection to the Rouyn-Nornada Huskies in the Samuel Meloche trade.

Trades will be permitted during the draft.