Joseph named to Team of the Week

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph was named to the QMJHL Team of the Week of Monday.

Joseph recorded three goals and three assists in Saint John's three road games last week, helping the club go 2-1-0-0 on their Quebec road trip.

Here they are! Your members on the latest Team of the Week!

STATS 📊: https://t.co/v4eMcEQh5Y@FloHockey | #TOTW pic.twitter.com/zL14motKs1

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) December 15, 2025

The 16-year-old has four goals and four assists in five games this month. He now sits sixth in QMJHL rookie scoring with 26 points (12 goals and 14 assists) in 24 games.

It's the second week in a row a Sea Dog has made the QMJHL Team of the Week. Last week, Sea Dogs captain Olivier Groulx earned the honour.

Notebook: Crickard named to Youth Olympic Games staff

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard has been named to Team Canada's coaching staff for the upcoming Winter Youth Olympic Games in South Korea.

The coaching staff is led by head coach Ryan Smith of the WHL's Spokane Chiefs. Former Blainville-Boisbriand Armada head coach Bruce Richardson will be the other assistant. 

According to the Team Canada press release, "men’s hockey will take place Jan. 27-31 (Days 8-12) at the Gangneung Hockey Centre. Team Canada opens the Youth Olympic tournament against host South Korea on Jan. 27 at 7 a.m. and will play Finland on Jan. 29 at 7 a.m. Semifinals will be played on Jan. 30, with the medal games set for Jan. 31."

Team Canada won bronze at the 2020 event in Switzerland.

The Canadian roster features a few of the top prospects available in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft — which is certainly notable from a Sea Dogs perspective. The roster includes defenseman Cameron Chartrand (Bishop Kearney Selects) along with forwards Tynan Lawrence (Shattuck-St. Mary’s) and Aiden O’Donnell (Dartmouth).

Lawrence is the younger brother for former Sea Dogs forward Josh Lawrence.

COMING UP

The Sea Dogs play three games this week — including a pair of back-to-back midweek home games.

Saint John hosts the Charlottetown Islanders on Wednesday and then Vince Elie and the Shawinigan Cataractes on Thursday. Both of those are 7 p.m. starts.

Following Thursday's game, the Sea Dogs will play eight straight games on the road. They won't be at TD Station again until Feb. 15.

On Saturday, the Sea Dogs will be on the road to face Cam MacDonald, Cole Burbidge and the Cape Breton Eagles at 7 p.m.

Notebook: Q players shine in Canada win

MONCTON - Quebec Major Junior Hockey League players impressed in Team Canada's 6-0 pre-tournament win over Switzerland on Monday night at Avenir Centre.

Canada's third line of Joshua Roy (Sherbrooke), Nathan Gaucher (Quebec) and Zach Dean (Gatineau) created Canada's first two goals in the 6-0 victory.

“[Dean, Gaucher and Roy] set the tone for us," said Canada head coach Dennis Williams after the game. "They were grinding their opponents, working together and feeding off each other. [Establishing chemistry] is never an issue when you come to an event like this. Everyone is coming from across the country and different leagues, but we are all here for a common goal. It’s one team and one country, and you could see a lot of that chemistry on all our lines tonight.”

A few other notes from the game...

• There is clear chemistry between Shane Wright and Connor Bedard on Canada's top line. Wright had two goals and an assist while Bedard had three helpers.
• Roy is one of four players on Team Canada who was a first overall pick in a CHL league draft. Roy was taken first overall by Saint John in the 2019 QMJHL Entry Draft.
• Switzerland featured an all-QMJHL top line of Attilio Biasca (Halifax), Jonas Taibel (Moncton) and Louis Robin (Val-d'Or).
• There were loud cheers for Taibel and fellow Wildcat Miles Muller when the rosters were announced in the building.
• Sea Dogs defenseman Vincent Despont was listed on Switzerland's fourth pairing (all players were permitted to dress). He didn't play a ton.

Canada faces Simon Nemec and Slovakia in pre-tournament play on Wednesday in Moncton. Nemec was taken second overall by the New Jersey Devils in this year's NHL Draft. He was also selected fourth overall by the Cape Breton Eagles in the 2021 CHL Import Draft.

BIG CROWDS AND LINES

The qplex in Quispamsis was packed for Monday's world junior pre-tournament game between the United States and Finland. The US won 5-2 on the strength of three second period goals.

Packed house in the QPlex tonight as the United States plays Finland for or-tournament action ahead of the World Junior Hockey Championship #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/pGARYnvzUB

— Matthew Daigle (@MatthewDaigle17) December 19, 2022

In Moncton on Monday, the Avenir Centre was packed (or very close to it) for the first of two Canada pre-tournament games that will be held at the venue. There were long lines outside the building prior to doors opening which... were kind of solved by people getting out of the line and walking around to different entrances.

Line goes all the way to the big garage doors in the back of the building pic.twitter.com/gRdiAyOMLE

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) December 19, 2022

The full schedule for Moncton's "World Juniors Community Festival" can be found online.

Notebook: Despont on Swiss camp roster

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

KAMLOOPS, BC - Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Vincent Despont has been named to Switzerland's camp roster for the World Junior Hockey Championship.

28 players were named to the roster. According to Swiss Hockey News, "five members will still have to be cut from the provisional roster to get down to 20 players and three goalies. The decision will be made after the last preparation game."

🏒🇨🇭 28 Spieler reisen nach Kanada für die Vorbereitung auf die U20-Weltmeisterschaft.

📋 https://t.co/azA4UyZoxe

👉 28 joueurs convoqués pour la préparation aux Mondiaux Juniors en Canada. 28 giocatori si recano in Canada per la preparazione alla Mondiale U20. 💪 pic.twitter.com/hBUu1wS2K9

— Swiss Ice Hockey (@SwissIceHockey) November 30, 2022

Switzerland will play three pre-tournament games in Canada before the start of the tournament, facing Canada, Sweden and Czechia.

Despont appeared in five games with Switzerland at last year's event, posting an assist. 

LAWRENCE DEBUTS

Former Sea Dogs forward Josh Lawrence made a strong first impression with his new club on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old forward recorded three assists in the Halifax Mooseheads' 5-3 victory over the Rimouski Oceanic. He was named first star.

Lawrence was traded to the Mooseheads by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Monday. He made his debut on a line with Attilio Biasca and Stephane Jr Huard.

The Mooseheads continue their road trip on Friday in Chicoutimi and Saturday in Baie-Comeau. Lawrence will make his home debut next Thursday against his former team, the Armada.

Notebook: GNB announces 2022 Memorial Cup support

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The provincial government announced last week that it is providing up to $1.1 million in support to the host committee of the 2022 Memorial Cup.

According to a news release, provincial funding is being provided through the Regional Development Corporation’s Community Development Fund.

“The Memorial Cup will be an exceptional event for our province and, in addition to the positive financial impact, it will create memories that will last a lifetime,” said Mark-Anthony Ashfield, chair of the Host Organizing Committee, in the news release. “We are grateful for the partnership and support we have received from the province in making this dream become a reality.”

The event is getting closer and closer. The first game of the tournament will be played June 20 at TD Station.

CUP LEGACY

We're starting to get a look at some of the outside-of-the-arena projects surrounding the 2022 Memorial Cup.

According to The Wave, "the host organizing committee will pay to build a ball hockey surface next to the skateboard park in the area of TD Station."

“We also wanted this to be something that would fit in with the existing infrastructure and the flow of the city, and something that would be professionally done, and something we can all be proud of for years to come,” Mark-Anthony Ashfield, chair of the Host Organizing Committee, told city council recently, via The Wave.

It's been a good week

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's been a good week for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The team has moved all the way up to No. 5 in the CHL Top 10 rankings after a week that saw them earn four victories - a couple of which were against two of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's top teams in the Charlottetown Islanders and Sherbrooke Phoenix.

The Week 25 edition of the @KiaCanada CHL Top-10 Rankings has arrived!

📰 | https://t.co/YFZ6Vu9nZM pic.twitter.com/Y9LAUr2Zlj

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) April 20, 2022

The Quebec Remparts were the top ranked QMJHL team at No. 4. The Islanders were ranked seventh while the Phoenix were an honourable mention.

From the CHL website:

A dominant second half now sees the 2022 Memorial Cup presented by Kia host Saint John Sea Dogs ranked fifth nationally following a stretch in which the squad has won 10 straight and 21 of its last 23 appearances. Bringing no shortage of offense, the Sea Dogs have racked up 42 goals in their last eight outings, headlined by league-leading scorer and New York Islanders prospect William Dufour who has registered 109 points counting 52 goals and 57 assists in 61 games.

Sea Dogs forward William Dufour, meanwhile, picked up more honours this week. Dufour was named to the QMJHL Team of the Week and named the QMJHL's Player of the Week. It's the second time this season Dufour has earned the weekly honour.

Notebook: Dogs, Isles meet one final time

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The final meeting of the regular season between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders is on deck.

The Sea Dogs travel to Charlottetown on Thursday to face one of the league's top teams at 7 p.m. The Islanders are currently tied with the Quebec Remparts - who the Sea Dogs defeated 4-2 on Sunday - for top spot in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The Islanders are starting to heat up again after a rough stretch of injuries. Charlottetown carries a three-game winning streak into Thursday's matchup while Saint John has won six straight.

The Sea Dogs are 3-5-0-0 against the Islanders this season.

Following Thursday's game, the Sea Dogs travel to Sydney one last time for back-to-back games against the Cape Breton Eagles on Saturday and Sunday.

SEVIGNY HONOURED

Sea Dogs captain Vincent Sevigny has been named to the QMJHL's team of the week.

The defenseman posted two goals and three assists in three games last week, helping the club extend their winning streak to six games.

Here are the top players from the past week! 👇#QMJHL | @Videotron

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) April 11, 2022

Sevigny is averaging just under a point-per-game with the Sea Dogs, recording 10 goals and 27 points in 28 games.

Notebook: Quebec bubble begins

Jonathan Roy/QMJHL

The QMJHL's Quebec City "protected environment" kicked off on Tuesday afternoon with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada taking on the Victoriaville Tigres.

It was just the third game of the season for the Armada and their first match since Oct. 4.

The Armada, Tigres, Drummondville Voltigeurs, Quebec Remparts, Gatineau Olympiques, Shawinigan Cataractes and Chicoutimi Sagueneens are all taking part in the event. Games count towards the regular season standings. There was some concern about the Voltigeurs joining due to an undetermined COVID-19 test result, but the club received clearance on Tuesday.

The league also announced that the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Val-d'Or Foreurs will venture outside their divisions this weekend, travelling to Baie-Comeau and Rimouski. The four cities are currently not in Quebec's red zone classification. The Sherbrooke Phoenix, who have been red zoned and didn't have time to meet the Quebec City bubble requirements, will be the only team sidelined this week.

Phoenix head coach and general manager Stephane Julien was not overly optimistic about his team returning to action anytime soon, telling Le Tribune that he doesn't expect the club to play another game in the calendar year.

MORE ON HUGHES

The Sea Dogs announced Monday that 16-year-old forward Simon Hughes "will join the Sea Dogs later this week and will begin training and practicing with the club."

News came out Sunday that Hughes, a second-round pick of Saint John in June's QMJHL Entry Draft, had signed with the Sea Dogs after parting ways with his US prep school.

“We’re happy to welcome Simon and his family to Saint John,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release. “He adds size, skill, and offensive depth to our team. He’s only 16 and hasn’t played or practiced for a number of weeks so we will be patient with him. Our coaching and training staff will work with him over the coming weeks to get him into game shape and help him adjust to the pace and life of a Major Junior player.”

.@SJSeaDogs 2nd Rd Pick Simon Hughes anxious to join team as 16 yr old rookie this week. @HockeyPEI #QMJHL pic.twitter.com/qA8IErFRMf

— John Moore (@rinkrant) November 15, 2020

Notebook: Sea Dogs visit Islanders Friday

The Saint John Sea Dogs will be the first visiting team to hit the Eastlink Centre ice on Friday.

The Sea Dogs will take on the Charlottetown Islanders in the PEI club's home opener. The Islanders held their training camp at UPEI and have played all pre-season and regular season games on the road so far this season due to the Eastlink Centre's lengthy conversion from a COVID-19 testing site back into a hockey rink.

Ice logos and lines are painted. We are only a week away from live @IslandersHKY action! pic.twitter.com/xw5Unj9gmL

— Eastlink Centre Charlottetown (@EastlinkCtrPEI) October 16, 2020

It'll be the second meeting of the season between the two. Charlottetown defeated the Sea Dogs 6-5 in Saint John on Oct. 3 - which was the Dogs' home opener.

The Islanders are 4-1-0-0 while the Sea Dogs are 1-1-1-1.

Following Friday's game, the Sea Dogs host the surprising Acadie-Bathurst Titan, who are 5-0-0-1, on Saturday at TD Station.

DESROCHES RECOGNIZED

Sea Dogs defenseman Charlie DesRoches has been named to the QMJHL's Team of the Week.

DesRoches recorded two assists and was a +3 in Saint John's 5-4 shootout loss in Halifax on Saturday night. He also recorded three shots on goal in the game.

The third-year defenseman has three assists in four games this season.

ROY STAYING HOT

Joshua Roy has been impressive so far this season, recording at least a point in each of the Sea Dogs' four games. Roy has registered three goals and two assists to lead the team in scoring.

Going back to last season, Roy now has points in seven straight regular season games and 13 of his past 14.