Notebook: First round nearly completed

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Moncton Wildcats can book a trip to the second round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs with a win on Monday night against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

The Wildcats took a 3-2 series lead with a 3-2 overtime win on Friday in Baie-Comeau. It's been an extremely tight series with three of the five games requiring overtime.

The Wildcats/Drakkar series is the only first round matchup remaining. Gatineau, Rouyn-Noranda, Drummondville and Rimouski all earned trips to the second on Friday with Game 5 victories over Saint John, Shawinigan, Victoriaville and Chicoutimi, respectively.

There were a couple upsets in round one. The Tigres finished 25 points ahead of the Voltigeurs and most predicted Victoriaville to take the series. The Volts kept those receipts.

Et bien… #GoRouges pic.twitter.com/YUy6FnjeFj

— Voltigeurs de Drummondville (@VoltigeursDRU) April 8, 2023

The Oceanic, meanwhile, technically upset the Sagueneens although they were seperated by just one point in the standings. Rimouski is quite familiar with first round upsets as the Saint John Sea Dogs found out last year.

2020-21 : 0,385 vs 0,662 vs SHA
2021-22 : 23 points d'écart vs SNB
2022-23 : 1 point d'écart vs CHI https://t.co/8hoY4zQXBY

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) April 8, 2023

In the Western Conference's second round, Sherbrooke will take on Drummondville and Gatineau will face Rouyn-Noranda. Quebec, Halifax and Rimouski have all advanced on the Eastern Conference side but are awaiting the outcome of the Wildcats/Drakkar series to see who they play.

FINAL NUMBERS

The Sea Dogs were outscored 30-5 in their five game first round playoff series against the Gatineau Olympiques.

Peter Reynolds finished with a team high three points (all assists). Nicolas Bilodeau, Brady Burns and Noah Reinhart each had a goal and an assist.

In net, Ventsislav Shingarov has recorded a league high 185 saves despite being pulled after 40 minutes twice in the series. Gatineau averaged 46 shots per game.

Gatineau's Zach Dean (six goals and seven assists) and Riley Kidney (two goals and nine assists) currently sit atop the playoff scoring leader board. Alexis Gendron has scored a league best eight goals.

Zachary Dean ties Maxime Talbot and Claude Giroux for 3rd most points (13) in a best-of-seven series, and Giroux for 2nd most in series to end in 5.

Olivier Nadeau scores for 4th time in series, tacking on an assist in each game in April. 217 points in 217 combined QMJHL GP. https://t.co/OVi4YIzqn5

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) April 8, 2023

Notebook: Playoffs off to entertaining start

HALIFAX - It wasn't a great opening weekend for the Saint John Sea Dogs but, for the most part, the first round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs are off to a very entertaining start.

Six games went to overtime this weekend with three requiring double OT.

Three of the QMJHL's eight first round series - Baie-Comeau/Moncton, Drummondville/Victoriaville and Shawinigan/Rouyn-Noranda - are tied 1-1. Quebec, Halifax, Rimouski, Sherbrooke and Gatineau all carry 2-0 series leads.

Encore trop tôt pour juger, mais avec 6 prolongations en deux jours de séries #LHJMQ (en 16 parties), on peut parler du début de séries le plus chaudement disputé 1996.

Prometteur pour la suite...

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) April 2, 2023

The Mooseheads erased a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Eagles on Saturday night. Alexandre Doucet's game-tying goal, which came at 18:50 of the third period, was controversial. It was called a goal on the ice and it stayed that way after a review.

The Eagles even retweeted the below video.

Video of Alexandre Doucet's tying goal for the Mooseheads. The officials reviewed it before counting it. Good or bad call? https://t.co/JcC3vxvzeu

— Willy Palov (@WillyPalov) April 2, 2023

All eight series resume on Tuesday.

MORE TITAN TROUBLES

Here we go yet again.

Steve Turcotte of Le Nouvelliste reports that Steve Leal is still trying to finalize a purchase of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Turcotte reports that Leal's first deal to purchase the club was rejected by the QMJHL but a new arrangement could be approved by June's Entry Draft.

It's been long believed that Leal, the president and CEO of Fix Network World, would like to purchase the Titan and eventually move them to the Montreal suburbs. The Titan have been rumoured to be relocating for about 15 years so... we'll wait and see what happens.

A major question/concern about a Titan move is how the division alignments will be impacted.

Notebook: McCluskey pushes Bearcats to first round MHL series win

UNB Athletics

HALIFAX - Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Carter McCluskey played a key role in getting the Truro Bearcats into the second round of the Maritime Hockey League playoffs.

McCluskey, who appeared in 22 games with the Cape Breton Eagles earlier this season, recorded four goals and two assists in just three games, helping lift the Bearcats to a 4-2 series win over the Valley Wildcats.

Those numbers included scoring the overtime winner in Game 5 on Sunday.

Carter McCluskey with a statement in his return with a first star performance(2G 1A) which included this overtime winner in front of 1200 strong at the RECC! We can close out the series Tuesday night in Berwick! #ExpectToWin pic.twitter.com/SCBbhpGNeK

— Truro Junior ‘A’ Bearcats (@trurobearcats) March 27, 2023

McCluskey, Cael MacDonald and the Bearcats will face Ben Roode and the Yarmouth Mariners in the next round.

The other series will feature the Edmundston Blizzard (Brandon Casey) facing either the Summerside Western Capitals or Campbellton Tigers (Connor Richard and Dawson Stairs). The Capitals host the Tigers in a Game 7 on Friday.

FINAL RANKINGS

The Gatineau Olympiques finished the regular season fourth in the QMJHL standings but have been ranked No. 1 in the final edition of the CHL Top 10.

Three other QMJHL teams were ranked as well.

The @OlympiquesGAT finish 🔝 of the @KiaCanada CHL Top 🔟 rankings!

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) March 28, 2023 

Bedard show carries Pats to upset win

REGINA - Greetings from Regina, where all the talk at the hotel restaurant this morning was about the show Connor Bedard put on last night.

Trailing 3-0 in the second period, Bedard posted five points - four goals and an assist - to lift the Regina Pats to a 5-3 win over the CHL No. 1 ranked Winnipeg Ice at the Brandt Centre. His fourth goal was an empty netter that came off a nice shot block by teammate Tanner Howe.

TSN's "Bad for Bedard" song, which was created for Friday's NHL trade deadline, was shown on the big screen during the second intermission on Friday.

Bedard now has 58 goals and 119 points in just 46 Western Hockey League games this season. He leads the entire CHL in points and goals. He is sixth in assists (61).

A lock to be the top pick in this year's NHL Draft, Bedard could reach the 60-goal mark this weekend with two more big upcoming games. After hosting Winnipeg on Friday (first in the Eastern Conference with 97 points), they host the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday (third, 82 points) and Saskatoon Blades on Sunday (second, 85 points).

It was a bit of a statement victory for the Pats on Friday. Winners of five straight, Regina sits sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 30-24-2-1 record. They have 11 games remaining in the regular season.

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.

Memorial Cup ticket prices increased

KAMLOOPS, BC - Greetings from Kamloops, where a major showdown between the Memorial Cup host Blazers and Connor Bedard's Regina Pats will take place Wednesday night.

The matchup comes on the eve of 2023 Memorial Cup ticket packages going on sale to the general public - packages that will cost more than the 2022 tournament in Saint John.

From the CHL:

Full tournament packages to the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia counting all eight games plus an if necessary tie-breaker will be available priced at $600 plus GST and applicable fees. With limited tickets available, fans are encouraged to act quickly to secure their seat to the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia by visiting Ticketmaster.ca. Fans who purchase prior to December 15 will receive a printed Commemorative Souvenir Ticket Package.

Last year, ticket packages were split into two tiers and priced at $390 and $460 plus applicable taxes and fees. The price increase isn't a huge surprise given that just about everything is costing more these days. 

For the 2019 event in Halifax, ticket packages were priced at $450 and $350, before taxes.

The Western Hockey League hasn't hosted a Memorial Cup since Regina in 2018. The 2020 event, which was cancelled by COVID, was supposed to be held in Kelowna.

The scheduling format, meanwhile, for the 2023 tournament will return to "normal," with the event beginning on a Friday night and ending on a Sunday.

Notebook: Where will Svechkov land?

Where will Fyodor - or is it Fedor? - Svechkov land in this year's NHL Draft?

"Plays with his head up and on a swivel," writes Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino, who ranked the Russian forward 16th in his latest rankings. "Can process the play at speed and presents both shooting and playmaking options."

Selected by the Saint John Sea Dogs with 23rd overall pick in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, Svechkov has been ranked as a mid-first round pick by a number of publications and outside the opening round by others.

"Svechkov is known as one of the best defensive forwards in the entire 2021 class," writes Kyle Pereira of Last Word on Sports. "If it wasn’t for Matt Beniers, he would be arguably the best. However, the knock on Svechkov’s overall game is his explosiveness, as well as a fast pace. His offensive production hasn’t been bad, necessarily, but his offensive game isn’t what many scouts would consider high-end."

Svechkov had four goals and 11 assists in 15 games with MHL Ladia Togliatti this season. He had another five goals and 10 assists in 38 games at the VHL level.

"He is a well-rounded player who isn’t spectacular at any one thing," writes Corey Pronman of The Athletic, who has him ranked 20th overall, an improvement of five spots from his previous ranking. "He’s very skilled, showing a lot of confidence and creativity as a puck handler. He skates well and can make highly skilled plays on the move."

It seems like a long shot that he'll report to the Sea Dogs... but you never know - and the team that drafts him this summer may have some say in that.

COMING UP

Only four games remain on Saint John's previously announced New Brunswick only schedule.

The Sea Dogs travel to Moncton on Sunday to face the Wildcats at 4 p.m. and then head up to Bathurst on Tuesday to take on the Titan at 7 p.m.

Saint John has two home games remaining: Friday, April 16 against the Titan and Saturday, April 17 against the Wildcats.

After that... we'll see what happens. If the Atlantic Bubble does indeed open on April 19, there will likely be a couple weeks of non-New Brunswick games ahead for the Sea Dogs.

The Maritimes Division regular season schedule ends on May 1.

Notebook: Francis nabs weekly honours

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Ryan Francis has been named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Player of the Week.

The honour comes as no surprise thanks to a huge week for the Saint John Sea Dogs forward. The 19-year-old recorded four goals in his Sea Dogs debut on Tuesday night, tying the team record for goals in a single game.

Francis followed that game up with two assists on Saturday and another two helpers on Sunday. The Calgary Flames prospect now has an eight-game point streak.

Francis was also named to the QMJHL's Team of the Week. Joining him on the squad is one of his linemates, Vladislav Kotkov, who registered three goals and five assists in three games this week.

Forward Peter Reynolds, who joined Francis and Kotkov on the team's top line, also had a strong week, picking up two goals and four assists.

COMING UP

The Sea Dogs have another three games ahead of them this week.

On Wednesday, the Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats at 7 p.m. Saint John survived a third period collapse in Moncton on Saturday, edging the 'Cats 5-4 in overtime.

On Friday, the Sea Dogs will visit the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7 p.m. The Titan sit second in the Maritimes Division while the Sea Dogs are third, making games between the two even more important. The top two teams in each division receive first round playoff byes.

Then on Sunday afternoon, the Wildcats are back in town to face the Sea Dogs at 3 p.m. 

STANDINGS

Speaking of the Maritimes Division standings, the Charlottetown Islanders continue to separate themselves from the pack, winning their ninth straight game on Sunday in Halifax.

At the bottom of the standings are the Cape Breton Eagles who have now lost five straight.

Titan win Memorial Cup championship

Embed from Getty Images
The Acadie-Bathurst Titan made history on Sunday night in Regina.

The Titan won their first ever Memorial Cup championship, dominating the host Regina Pats in a 3-0 victory. The win is the first national championship for the QMJHL since 2013 and marks just the third time a team from Atlantic Canada has lifted the trophy.

Adam Holwell, Samuel Asselin and Ethan Crossman all scored for the Titan while Evan Fitzpatrick made 28 saves in the shutout win.

Bathurst dominated the first 40 minutes, outshooting the Pats 36-11. Regina goaltender Max Paddock was the only reason the game was close heading into the third. The Pats, predictably, had their moments in the third period - outshooting the Titan 17-8 in the frame - but could not score.

The Titan, in just their second ever tournament appearance, had a fairly smooth run to the championship, finishing the preliminary round 2-1 and earning an automatic spot in the final.

This is, obviously, a huge accomplishment for the Titan franchise - a franchise that has had its struggles in just about every department over the past decade. It's also big for all small market teams across the CHL.

Acadie Bathurst Titan win the 100th MasterCard Memorial Cup

With a population just under 12,000, Bathurst, New Brunswick is the smallest city to win the Memorial Cup since Flin Flon, Manitoba in 1957 (pop. 10,234) #mmc100 pic.twitter.com/234ZAWOYSM

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 28, 2018

Next year's Memorial Cup will take place in Halifax - the first time it's been hosted in Atlantic Canada since 2006.

Titan take on Pats in Memorial Cup final tonight

Embed from Getty Images
REGINA - The Acadie-Bathurst Titan will look to do something no QMJHL team has done since 2013 - win the Memorial Cup final.

The Halifax Mooseheads were the last team from the QMJHL to win a national title, capping off a stretch of three straight Q winners. Since then, a QMJHL team has appeared in the final just once (Rouyn-Noranda in 2016).

The Titan earned an automatic spot in the final earlier this week, finishing with a 2-1 record. They'll take on the host Regina Pats in tonight's final, who finished 2-1 in preliminary round play and defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs in Friday's semifinal.

Game time this evening is 8 p.m. The game can be seen on Sportsnet.

The Pats had a long layoff heading into the tournament after being eliminated in the first round of the WHL playoffs. They'll look to join last year's Windsor Spitfires and the 2012 Shawinigan Cataractes as recent host teams with long breaks to win the tournament. The host team has won the Memorial Cup just three times since 2007.

While the Titan's story isn't really an underdog tale - they were one of the best teams in the QMJHL all season long - it has the feel of one. The Titan are one of the smallest markets in the CHL, and for them to get to this point - especially after everything that has happened to the franchise over the past decade - is quite impressive.

The Titan's only previous Memorial Cup experience was in 1999 when they finished third.

The Titan will also look to become just the third team from Atlantic Canada to win the Memorial Cup following the 2013 Mooseheads and 2011 Saint John Sea Dogs.

Monday Notes: We're in for a good finish

The Saint John Sea Dogs have been hot of late.

The team has won seven straight games and its offence has been on fire, averaging nearly six goals per game over their past five matches - and that includes 14 combined goals in their last two contests. Saint John now has a 33-12-3-1 record, giving them a league best winning percentage of .714.

Saint John has been excellent lately, no doubt. The only issue is that a lot of other teams have been very good of late as well.

The Sea Dogs currently sit first overall in the QMJHL standings with 70 points - but the second-place Shawinigan Cataractes and third-place Rouyn-Noranda Huskies also have 70. Saint John has one game in-hand on Shawinigan and two games on Rouyn-Noranda.

While the overall standings are tight at the top, so is the Maritimes Division. The Charlottetown Islanders are just one point back of the Sea Dogs - but have played two fewer games.

In short, the race for first-place is going to be a lot of fun. Stressful, perhaps, but enjoyable. There's a good chance every game remaining will have an impact on the standings.

Saint John will host Shawinigan in a huge game on Saturday night at Harbour Station. Meanwhile, the Sea Dogs and Islanders have three meetings remaining: Feb. 14 in Charlottetown, March 10 in Saint John and March 17 in Charlottetown.