Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-4

FINAL: Saint John 5, Moncton 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

FREDERICTON - Olivier Groulx's power play goal was the difference as the Saint John Sea Dogs defeated the Moncton Wildcats 5-4 in pre-season play on Friday night at the Aitken Centre.

Groulx finished off a nice passing play, ripping the puck up on high on Wildcats goaltender Jacoby Weiner to give Saint John a 5-4 advantage with 4:21 to play. Moncton pressed at times in the final minutes but Saint John was able to hang on.

Along with Groulx, Alexis Joseph, Alexander Donovan, Brock Lyons and Dylan Rozzi also scored in what was an entertaining pre-season tilt. Jase MacPherson made 33 stops in the win.

Moncton had goals from Niko Tournas, Charlie Benigno, Elliott Mullen and Jiko Laitinen. Yegor Rybkin played the first half of the game, allowing three goals on 23 shots. Weiner allowed two goals on 11 shots in the second half.

After playing to a 1-1 tie after 20 minutes, the two teams combined for six goals in the second period. Moncton grabbed a 2-1 lead early on only for Donovan and Lyons to score 50 seconds apart to give Saint John a 3-2 advantage.

After the Wildcats tied it up again, Rozzi scored at 15:42 to put Saint John ahead again – only for Laitinen to score the equalizer less than three minutes later.

In the third, Groulx netted the lone goal on a power play. Saint John went 2/3 on the man advantage while Moncton went 0/2.

Notebook: Magnusson signs in BCHL

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Carl-Otto Magnusson has found a home for the 2026-27 season.

The overage defenseman has signed with the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL. The move comes after Magnusson was not part of UConn's freshman class for this upcoming season.

“I’m really excited to join the Nanaimo Clippers and get to know all the guys, the town and the community,” said Magnusson in a news release. “I’m looking forward to getting over there, meeting everyone and competing with the team. I can’t wait to get started!”

The defensive defenseman was traded to Saint John from the Moncton Wildcats during the holiday trade period. Magnusson was held pointless in 25 regular season games with the Sea Dogs and in three playoff contests. He was listed as a healthy scratch for one of the Sea Dogs' post-season matches.

While eligible to play another season in the QMJHL, he would take up both an overage and import spots, something that doesn't happen too often.

REGIMENT CAMP IN SUMMERSIDE

The Newfoundland Regiment are holding the first portion of their training camp in Summerside.

The Regiment are using the Gerard "Turk" Gallant Arena, which is the secondary ice surface at Summerside's Credit Union Place. In attendance on Thursday was Gallant himself. 

The former Sea Dogs head coach was seen catching up with another former Sea Dogs head coach in Gordie Dwyer, the Regiment's bench boss and general manager.

The pride of Summerside 🤩

Jack Adams winner and local legend Gerard Gallant stopped by the rink this morning to take in some intrasquad action.

Unite. Inspire. Defend. pic.twitter.com/imzS74xhjB

— Newfoundland Regiment (@nlregiment) August 20, 2026

The Regiment will play a couple pre-season games in the Maritimes this weekend before shifting things to Newfoundland.

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.

Report: Lacelle to play NCAA hockey next season

Embed from Getty Images

Next week's QMJHL trade period completely changed on Wednesday.

Mikaël Lalancette of Le Soleil was first to report the bombshell news that 18-year-old goaltender William Lacelle will play NCAA hockey next season. Lacelle was likely to be the most sought after – and expensive – goaltender on the QMJHL's trade market.

The decision is a big blow to the Rimouski Oceanic, who were set to negotiate and receive the return for Lacelle, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada confirmed recently. That return was likely to be significant.

The Oceanic traded Lacelle to the Armada on Jan. 5 for Rafaël Cloutier, a fifth-round pick in 2026, a first-round pick in 2027 and a first-round pick in 2028.

Grosse nouvelle #LHJMQ:

Le gardien William Lacelle a décidé de quitter pour la NCAA dès cette année.

Les détails:https://t.co/Or6NjIpa01

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) May 27, 2026

Lacelle went 13-7-1 with the Armada in the regular season and posted a 2.11 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. He also had a 10-5 record in the playoffs to go along with a 2.83 GAA and .909 SV%, helping the Armada reach the league semifinals.

There are a few things to take in here:

• The price for other goaltenders on the QMJHL trade market has suddenly become higher. At the same time, teams looking to trade for Lacelle suddenly have quite a few assets they can use to make other moves. This changes a lot.
• Behind the scenes, maybe there had been some warnings about this potentially happening. But, in public at least, this seems to have happened very suddenly – and is further proof of the challenges that come from the new NCAA/CHL landscape. This is an overly simplified way of putting it, but just about anyone could leave at any time. The way teams plan out their cycles is going to have to change.
• You have to wonder if the uncertainty around players leaving the CHL will change the way the QMJHL's infamous "futures" trades work. There could obviously be conditions added to deals, but it does add a layer of complication that maybe some teams would prefer to not get involved with. We'll see.
• This is a blow for the QMJHL (and CHL). You want to see players develop the best they can with the paths available to them, but you also want to see the best players playing in the league as much as possible.

Lacelle is expected to join the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks of the NCHC for the 2026-27 season. He is eligible and will likely be picked in this year's NHL Draft.

The 2026 QMJHL Entry Draft takes place June 5-6 in Halifax.

Notebook: Five Sea Dogs make NHL Central Scouting final rankings

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Five Saint John Sea Dogs were listed in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft.

Olivers Murnieks, Cameron Chartrand, William Yared and Dylan Rozzi were all ranked amongst North American skaters while Rafaël Courchesne was listed amongst North American goaltenders.

98 - Olivers Murnieks

155 - Cameron Chartrand

172 - William Yared

195 - Dylan Rozzi

27 - Rafaël Courchesne

Penn State forward Gavin McKenna was the top-ranked skater. Quebec Remparts forward Maddox Dagenais was the top-ranked skater from the QMJHL at No. 15.

Fredericton's Tynan Lawrence, the younger brother of former Sea Dogs forward Josh Lawrence, was ranked seventh.

The full rankings can be found here.

The 2026 NHL Draft takes place June 26-27.

JOSEPH NOMINATED

Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph was nominated for two QMJHL awards.

Joseph was nominated for the Michel-Bergeron Trophy, which is awarded annually to the offensive rookie of the year, and the Paul-Dumont Trophy, which is awarded to the personality of the year.

Victoriaville Tigres forward Egor Shilov won the Michel-Bergeron Trophy while Newfound Regiment president Glenn Stanford won the Paul-Dumont Trophy.

Jonathan Huberdeau won the Paul-Dumont Trophy in 2012 while Thomas Chabot won in 2017. No Sea Dog has ever won the Michel-Bergeron Trophy.

SUMMERSIDE ELIMINATED

The Summerside Western Capitals had their Maritime Junior Hockey League playoff run come to an end last week.

The Western Capitals fell 3-2 to the Truro Bearcats in Game 7 of the North Division final on Thursday in Summerside. The Bearcats advance to the MHL final where they'll face the Edmundston Blizzard.

Summerside is hosting this year's Centennial Cup national championship. Their first game is on May 7 against the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions.

Former Sea Dogs defenseman Matthew MacLean had an assist in Game 7, giving him a goal and six helpers in 14 playoff games. Goaltender Justin Robinson only made one appearance, going 0-1.

Reds win AUS title again; standings update

Atlantic University Sport Facebook

They've done it again.

For an eighth straight season, the UNB Reds are Atlantic University Sport men's hockey champions.

The Reds clinched the best-of-three final with a 4-1 victory over the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus on Thursday night at the Aitken Centre. Moncton won the Game 1, 4-3, in Fredericton on Sunday but UNB took Game 2, scoring in the final second of overtime to earn a 4-3 win.

Moncton scored first in Thursday's deciding game only for UNB to net four unanswered goals.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs Nick Blagden and Leighton Carruthers were in the UNB lineup on Thursday. Peter Reynolds, meanwhile, has not played since January due to an injury.

Former Sea Dog Jeremie Jacob dressed for the Aigles Bleus. Justin Gendron did not play for a second straight game.

By UNB standards, this was an odd season. The team struggled at times during the regular season and were six points back of first with a month to go – yet they still pulled it off, finishing in top spot. In the playoffs, they trailed the AUS final 1-0 but still pulled off the series win. In short, a season that didn't feel like a UNB season ends... just like a UNB season.

The season isn't over for UNB or UdeM. They've both qualified for the University Cup tournament, which begins next Thursday at Halifax's Scotiabank Centre. The tournament is being hosted by Saint Mary's University.

Wildcats defeat Armada; NCAA conference playoffs begin

Daniel St. Louis/Moncton Wildcats

MONCTON - The Moncton Wildcats picked up a key win on Friday night at Avenir Centre.

Moncton scored three times in the final 5:16 to defeat the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 4-1. The win moves the Wildcats into first-place in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League standings – for now at least. They have a one-point lead over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens but the Sags have played one less game.

While still not official, the Saint John Sea Dogs will very likely play whoever finishes first overall in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Wildcats host the Sea Dogs on Sunday. The Sagueneens, meanwhile, host the Charlottetown Islanders on Saturday and the Victoriaville Tigres on Sunday.

The Armada, who are in a race with the Drummondville Voltigeurs for top spot in the Western Conference and third overall in the league, head home having lost three of four games on the Maritime portion of their road trip. They lost in Charlottetown, Saint John and Moncton but did win in Halifax, a game that saw both Elliot Dubé and Jacob Beaulieu score.

A few other news and notes from Friday night...

• In that Armada/Wildcats game, Moncton's Kuzma Voronin was given a game misconduct late in the third period after throwing his stick into the crowd during a goal celebration.
• The Rimouski Oceanic lost their 20th straight game, falling 9-2 to the Sherbrooke Phoenix. They only have six games remaining, so even if they lose out, they will not reach the league record of 27 straight losses.
• Former Sea Dogs forward Charles Savoie had an assist and three shots in Lindenwood's 5-4 win over Long Island in the United Collegiate Hockey Cup on Thursday. Lindenwood will play Alaska on Saturday in the championship game.
• Matteo Mann and Colorado College fell 5-2 to Western Michigan in the opening game of their best-of-three NCHC quarterfinal playoff series. Game 2 is Saturday.
• Noah Reinhart scored as Michigan Tech defeated Bowling Green 5-3 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three CCHA quarterfinal playoff series. Game 2 is Saturday.

  Noah Reinhart on the power-play! Huskies lead 3-2 in the 2nd period. #mtuhky #FollowTheHuskies pic.twitter.com/u82bIx9eTi

  — Michigan Tech Hockey (@mtuhky) March 7, 2026

• Charles-Edward Gravel made 65 saves as Mercyhurst fell 4-3 in triple overtime to Bentley in Game 1 of the best-of-three AHA quarterfinal playoff series. Shots were 68-26 in favour of Bentley, who are the top seed in the AHA. Game 2 is Saturday.

Notebook: Dogs to honour Fredericton Canadiens

For a second time this season, the Saint John Sea Dogs will wear some AHL inspired threads.

Back in November, the Sea Dogs wore Saint John Flames jerseys that were redesigned to match the Sea Dogs' current blue, black and grey colours. On Sunday, the team will wear the blue, white and red of the Fredericton Canadiens.

The team teased the jerseys that they'll wear Sunday afternoon at the Aitken Centre earlier this week.

All set for our final game of the #CapitalCitySeries in Fredericton on Sunday. 🟦⬜️🟥

⏰ 3:00 p.m.
📍 Aitken Centre
🎟️ https://t.co/YCQn2csIhF#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/WELx0hrZIE

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) January 30, 2026

The Canadiens played at the Aitken Centre in the 1990s. They relocated to Quebec City in 1999.

This will be the sixth time this season the Sea Dogs wear a speciality jersey. They are 1-4-0-0 so far.

Nov. 15 vs Quebec (4-0 W) - Pink in the Rink 

Nov. 21 vs Wildcats (8-4 L) - Saint John Flames Night 

Dec. 7 vs Wildcats (4-2 L) - Christmas Jerseys 

Dec. 17 vs Mooseheads (4-3 L) - Christmas Jerseys

Jan. 24 vs Phoenix (6-3 L) - Superhero Jerseys

Sunday's game will also be Saint John's third and final regular season match in Fredericton. They are 1-1-0-0 in the Capital City Series so far.

Notebook: ECHL happenings

There's a lot going on in the ECHL right now.

It's probably fair to say that the league is as stable as it's ever been but a player strike – which could begin on Boxing Day – could certainly put a halt to that.

We'll see how this all plays out over the next few days, but it's sounding like the two sides are quite far apart. Cancelling games would be devastating for many of the league's teams.

While we wait to see what happens off the ice, here are a few notes from on the ice:

• Former Sea Dogs forward Nathan Noel was recently claimed by the Norfolk Admirals. The 28-year-old has a goal and two assists in four games with the Admirals. Noel had been playing with the Iowa Heartlanders. The St. John's native has appeared in 194 career ECHL games over seven seasons.
• Former Sea Dogs forward Nico Blachman was suspended five games and fined an undisclosed amount on Dec. 20 for some warmup shenanigans in a game against the Indy Fuel. Blachman has appeared in just three games with the Fort Wayne Komets this season but has 23 penalty minutes.

  Nico Blachman is in the lineup tonight. On an unrelated note, the Fuel and #Komets have a little get together during warm ups here at Memorial Coliseum. pic.twitter.com/BGomKwY59t

  — James Krause (@jkrausepro) December 20, 2025

• Drew Elliott has an impressive eight goals and six assists in 17 games with the Tulsa Oilers this season. In the regular season and playoffs combined, Elliott now has 23 points in 26 career ECHL games.

FIRST GOAL STRUGGLES

The Sea Dogs scored first in just 11 of their 32 games in the first half of the QMJHL season. The Charlottetown Islanders and Rimouski Oceanic have also only scored first in 11 games while the Victoriaville Tigres have done so a league low nine times.

The Dogs are also one of two teams – the last-place Baie-Comeau Drakkar being the other – with a below .500 record when scoring the game's first goal. Saint John 4-6-1-0 in those contests.

Here's a look at the entire league (click the enlarge):

WJC SOON

Sea Dogs forward Olivers Murnieks and Team Latvia open the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship on Saturday against Team Canada.

As Steven Ellis wrote in his Team Latvia preview at Daily Faceoff, this tournament will offer Murnieks a chance to get a challenging season back on track.

Perhaps the more interesting prospect is Olivers Mūrnieks, who is coming off a concussion. Projected to go in the first round early on, Mūrnieks has had a difficult season with the Saint John Sea Dogs, with just 13 points in 22 games. He was one of Latvia’s best forwards at last year’s tournament and is easily one of the most skilled centers in the nation’s history. Can he use this event to help get his game back on the right track?

Murnieks has appeared in just one QMJHL game since Nov. 30. His last game action came on Dec. 4.

The IIHF website also has a world juniors preview that includes a mention of Murnieks.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 3-0

FINAL: Saint John 0, Rimouski 3

Iften Redjah/Rimouski Oceanic

RIMOUSKI, QC - William Lacelle stopped all 26 shots he faced to lead the Rimouski Oceanic to a 3-0 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Thursday.

It's the first time this season the Sea Dogs have been shutout. Saint John went 0/3 on the power play – which included a five-minute man advantage in the third period – and were outshot 28-26.

Liam Lefebvre, Dovydas Jukna and Mathys Dubé scored for Rimouski.

Rafaël Courchesne made 25 saves in the loss.

It was a fairly evenly played game between two teams that sit beside each other in the standings. Saint John entered the third period trailing 2-0 and had a great opportunity to get back into the game when Jack Martin was awarded a five-minute major and game misconduct for a check-to-the-head on Olivier Duhamel. Not only could the Dogs not score, they spent much of the time remaining in the third period on the penalty kill, taking four minor penalties.

The Sea Dogs have now dipped below the .500 mark with a 7-8-1-0 record. They have two games remaining on this three-game trek, visiting the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Friday and the Victoriaville Tigres on Sunday.

English audio available for road trip

AMHERST, MA - Greetings from the other Amherst, where the UMass Minutemen will host the Maine Black Bears in a prime Hockey East matchup tonight.

The Saint John Sea Dogs, meanwhile, are in Rimouski to begin a three-game Quebec road trip. That game begins at 8 p.m. Atlantic – and there will be English play-by-play available.

The Sea Dogs announced Wednesday that PEI hockey broadcaster Luke Mutch will call 11 of the team's 12 Quebec road games this season.

From the Sea Dogs:

Mutch will call 11 Sea Dogs road games this season on the Sea Dogs Audio Network and FloHockey, beginning Thursday night against the Rimouski Oceanic. Bruce Smith will continue to handle play-by-play duties for all Sea Dogs home games with Joe Smith on colour commentary.

Mutch began his broadcasting career in 2021 with the Charlottetown Knights Major U18 team. He later became the play-by-play voice of the Summerside Western Capitals in 2023 and joined the Charlottetown Islanders’ broadcast crew in 2024, splitting time calling games with George Matthews and Cory Arsenault. Luke’s QMJHL broadcast debut came on February 10, 2023 as he filled in on the Sea Dogs broadcast alongside Bruce Smith.

Mutch is a very solid broadcaster and will make these road games much more enjoyable to watch/listen. His call will be available on the Sea Dogs Audio Network and FloHockey.

Game Day 16: at Rimouski

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

RIMOUSKI, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin a three-game road trip tonight against the Rimouski Oceanic.

The Sea Dogs and Oceanic conclude their season series at 8 p.m. at Colisée Financière Sun Life. The two met last month at TD Station where Rimouski skated away with a 3-2 victory.

This will be Saint John's first trip to Quebec this season. They've been up-and-down on the road this year and sit with a 4-3-1-0 record. They're coming off back-to-back road wins in Cape Breton but those games followed back-to-back losses in Newfoundland.

The Sea Dogs will visit the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Friday and the Victoriaville Tigres on Sunday.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/Sea Dogs Audio Network

Records: The Sea Dogs are 7-7-1-0 for 15 points (sixth Eastern/13th QMJHL) while the Oceanic are 7-7-0-1 for 15 points (seventh Eastern/14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday. Olivier Groulx and Max Vilen scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 21 saves in the loss. The Oceanic are coming off a 3-2 win in Quebec City on Sunday. Jack Martin, Luke Patterson and Evan Depatie scored for Rimouski. William Lacelle made 45 stops in the win.

Sea Dogs to make first Quebec trip

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs will make their first trip into Quebec this week.

The Sea Dogs will make four trips to Quebec this season, playing three games against three different opponents each time. All four trips are formatted the same with Saint John playing back-to-back games followed by an off-day before the third and final game.

The Sea Dogs will begin this three-game trek on Thursday when they visit the Rimouski Oceanic. On Friday they'll travel to Drummondville to face the Voltigeurs and close out the trip with a Sunday contest in nearby Victoriaville.

Here's a cleaner look at the schedule.

Thursday at 8 p.m. - at Rimouski (7-7-0-1)

Friday at 8 p.m. - at Drummondville (9-4-1-1)

Sunday at 5 p.m. - at Victoriaville (6-7-2-0)

The Sea Dogs are 4-3-1-0 on the road this season. They recently won back-to-back games in Cape Breton after a rough couple outings in Newfoundland.

The Voltigeurs and Tigres both play in the Western Conference. The Sea Dogs are 1-1-0-0 against teams from the west this season.

The Sea Dogs will play their next five games against non-Atlantic teams. After this road trip, the Sea Dogs will host the Quebec Remparts on Nov. 15 and the Voltigeurs on Nov. 16.

A few other news and notes...

• Olivier Groulx leads Saint John in points (14) and assists (10). Dylan Rozzi has a team high seven goals.
• Rozzi leads the league in game-winning goals with four. Saint John has seven wins this season, meaning Rozzi has scored the winner in over half of them.
• The Sea Dogs will be without forward Alexis Joseph on this road trip due to the U17 World Challenge. Forward Angelo Fullerton should return to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension on Sunday.
• Speaking of Joseph, he had a goal and two assists in Team Canada Red's 6-5 shootout loss to the United States on Tuesday night in Truro.
• The Charlottetown Islanders currently sit first overall in the league although three teams – the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Chicoutimi Sagueneens – have better winning percentages.
• One of the biggest surprises in the league so far has been the Halifax Mooseheads, who own a 10-5-1-0 record. They had a home heavy start to the year, so we'll see how things unfold in the coming weeks.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 3-2

FINAL: Rimouski 3, Saint John 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - William Lacelle made 34 saves as the Rimouski Oceanic upset the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday at TD Station.

Lacelle was named first star following the Oceanic's 3-2 victory. Saint John led 2-0 after the first period but Rimouski turned it on in the second period – a period the Sea Dogs had been very good in up until this point – scoring three times on 10 shots.

Lou Levesque, Liam Lefebvre and Alex Massé all scored for the Oceanic. Massé's goal, the game-winner, came shorthanded.

Egan Beveridge and Angelo Fullerton scored for Saint John. Olivier Groulx had a pair of assists. Rafaël Courchesne made 22 stops in the loss.

The Sea Dogs outshot the Oceanic 36-25 but went 0/6 on the power play.

This was Rimouski's first road win of the season. The Oceanic were also playing their third game in as many nights after falling in Halifax on Thursday and Moncton on Friday.

Game Day 8: vs Oceanic

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to start a new winning streak tonight.

The Sea Dogs had their three-game winning streak come to an end last night in Charlottetown, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Islanders. Saint John forced extra time thanks to a late third period goal from Zachary Morin.

Saint John will host the Rimouski Oceanic tonight at 7 p.m. Last year's Memorial Cup hosts are off to a respectable 3-4-0-1 start but are 0-2-0-1 on the road so far.

This will be the third game in three days for Rimouski. They fell 5-4 in Halifax on Thursday and 2-1 in Moncton last night.

Stream/TV/Radio: FloHockey/None/Sea Dogs Radio

Records: The Sea Dogs are 4-2-1-0 for nine points (fourth Eastern/seventh QMJHL) while the Oceanic are 3-4-0-1 for seven points (eighth Eastern/14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss in Charlottetown last night. Alexander Donovan, William Yared and Zachary Morin scored for Saint John. Justin Robinson made 35 loss in the loss. The Oceanic are coming off a 2-1 loss in Moncton last night. Mathys Dubé scored Rimouski's lone goal. Mathis Langevin made 40 saves in the loss.

Notebook: Calder Cup final tied 1-1

Ian Yount

The AHL's Calder Cup final is heading to British Columbia tied 1-1.

The Charlotte Checkers tied the best-of-seven series with a 3-2 overtime win on Sunday. This comes after the Abbotsford Canucks took Game 1 by a final score of 4-3 in double overtime.

The next three games will all be played in Abbotsford beginning with Game 3 on Tuesday night.

Riley Bezeau is the lone Saint John Sea Dogs alumnus on either roster. He was serving a one-game suspension for a checking-to-the-head major penalty in Game 1 and did not dress for Game 2.

Bezeau has appeared in four playoff games with the Checkers, recording three goals.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Sea Dogs announced that they are looking to fill a number of game day operations positions for this coming season.

One of those openings includes a mascot performer. The team is looking for someone to "embody the spirit and character of Fleaburn, the team’s mascot." The requirements include "strong communication skills (non-verbal)."

The team is also looking for videoboard operators and game day staff. 

Moncton's season ends with semifinal loss

Vincent Éthier / CHL

The Memorial Cup continues to elude the Moncton Wildcats.

Gardiner MacDougall and the Wildcats fell 5-2 to the London Knights in the semifinal game of the 2025 Memorial Cup on Friday, ending their hopes of a national championship. London advances to Sunday's final where they'll face the Medicine Hat Tigers.

This was the third time in franchise history that the Wildcats earned a spot in the tournament. They've come up short all three times with their closest victory being a loss in the 2006 championship game.

Maybe it was the tougher competition or something else, but the Wildcats just didn't look like themselves over the past few weeks. They struggled to produce consistent, 60-minute performances and let opponents control play for lengthy stretches.

Despite Friday's loss, it was quite the season for the Wildcats, who won the QMJHL's regular season title and Gilles-Courteau Trophy. Moncton went 53-9-2-0 during regular season play.

It was a rough tournament for the QMJHL with the league's only win coming in the game that put the Wildcats and Rimouski Oceanic against each other. The Wildcats finish with a 1-3 record while the Oceanic went 0-3.

The QMJHL won every Memorial Cup tournament from 2018 to 2023 (there were no tournaments in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic). The OHL's Saginaw Spirit won last season, defeating London in the final.

Medicine Hat will try and capture the WHL's first national title since the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014.

Notebook: Mateiko's season ends in a loss

Vincent Éthier / CHL

Eriks Mateiko and the Rimouski Oceanic were eliminated from the Memorial Cup on Wednesday, falling 6-2 to the Moncton Wildcats. The former Sea Dogs captain was the lone Sea Dogs alumnus participating in the event.

Wednesday's game was likely Mateiko's last in the QMJHL. Mateiko had a goal in three games at the tournament after posting seven goals and four assists in 18 playoff games. 

The Wildcats don't feature any former Sea Dogs players but do have a few former coaches on their staff – including Gardiner MacDougall.

The Wildcats face the London Knights in the Memorial Cup semifinal on Friday at 8 p.m. The winner advances to Sunday's championship game against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

PEDDLE NOT SIGNING

Tyler Peddle is reportedly about to become a free agent.

According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the Columbus Blue Jackets will not sign the Sea Dogs forward ahead of the June 1 deadline, making him a free agent. Peddle was a seventh-round pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Told #CBJ will not be signing F Tyler Peddle or F Martin Rysavy by the June 1 deadline, relinquishing their rights to the players.
Peddle, 20, was a 7th-round pick (No. 224 overall) in 2024, while Rysavy, 22, was a 7th-round pick (No. 197 overall) in 2021.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) May 24, 2025

Peddle joined the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, for a short period after Saint John's season ended. He did not appear in any AHL games.

Peddle is eligible to return to Saint John for his overage season. He posted 15 goals and 14 assists in 54 games this past season.

Wildcats move on to semifinal

Vincent Éthier / CHL

The Moncton Wildcats overcame an ugly start to keep their Memorial Cup hopes alive on Wednesday.

The Wildcats were heavily outplayed in the first period but rebounded in the final 40 minutes for a 6-2 win over the Rimouski Oceanic in round robin play. The win pushes Moncton into Friday's semifinal against the London Knights while Rimouski's season ends with the loss.

St. Andrews native Gabe Smith scored a pair of goals for Moncton while singles came from Julius Sumpf, Juraj Pekarcik, Etienne Morin and Alex Mercier. Mathis Rousseau made 32 saves in the win.

The Wildcats trailed 2-1 after the first period and were outshot 17-6. But Moncton turned things around in the second period, scoring twice to take a 3-2 lead into the third.

Morin put the Wildcats up 4-2 with a goal just 4:02 into the third. They secured the win with a pair of empty net goals late in the period.

It was a far from a perfect game for Moncton, but it was certainly a better showing and result than their 3-1 loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers on Monday. The Wildcats were able to get their offense going, something they've struggled with at this tournament.

The Wildcats will look to carry this momentum into Friday's semifinal against the Knights, which will obviously be their biggest game of the season. The semifinal winner will play the Tigers in Sunday's championship game.

Wildcats, Oceanic both down 0-2

Vincent Éthier / CHL

The road to a Memorial Cup title for the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League has gotten more challenging.

The Moncton Wildcats fell 3-1 to the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers on Monday night, falling to 0-2 at this year's tournament. The Rimouski Oceanic, meanwhile, are also 0-2 following a 3-1 loss to the OHL champion London Knights on Sunday.

The results of the past two days mean no tiebreaker game will be required this year. Here's how the next couple days will play out:

• The winner of Tuesday's London/Medicine Hat game will earn a bye to Sunday's championship game.
• The loser of Tuesday's London/Medicine Hat game will secure a spot in Friday's semifinal game.
• The winner of Wednesday's Rimouski/Moncton game will earn a spot in a Friday's semifinal game.
• The loser of Wednesday's Rimouski/Moncton game will be eliminated.

On Monday, the Wildcats, once again, just couldn't get things clicking properly. After a fairly 50-50 first period, Medicine Hat outshot Moncton 17-6 in the second and carried a 2-0 lead into the third. The Wildcats scored early in the third to get within one but some ill-timed penalties essentially erased any chance of a Moncton comeback.

The Wildcats have scored just three goals so far at the Memorial Cup and all have been from defensemen.

Moncton has now lost six straight games at the Memorial Cup with their last win coming in the 2006 semifinal game. They'll look to snap this skid with their season on the line on Wednesday.