Notebook: Hockey is near

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Hockey season is almost here.

The Saint John Sea Dogs begin training camp next weekend before playing three pre-season games in the days ahead.

The Sea Dogs begin pre-season play on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at TD Station against the Charlottetown Islanders. The next night the two teams will travel to Pownal, PEI to play a second game.

On Friday, Aug. 25, the Sea Dogs conclude the "first half" of pre-season play with a home contest against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Sea Dogs then resume pre-season play on Sept. 8. The team will play six pre-season matches in total before opening the regular season on Sept. 22 in Bathurst.

SEASON TICKET INFO

The Sea Dogs have announced the list of benefits season tickets will receive this season.

Secure your Season Tickets to take advantage of numerous perks and benefits including concessions discounts, complimentary preseason tickets, and much more.

Season Tickets go on sale Monday, August 14th at the TD Station box office. Subscription plans are available! pic.twitter.com/FEzyIjQYYB

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) August 10, 2023

Along with the classics, there are a few new ones. From the team's website:

• Concessions Vouchers: "One of the new benefits for Season Ticket Members this season are exclusive vouchers which can be redeemed at the TD Station concessions for discounts on food and beverages."
• Free Preseason Tickets: "Preseason games return to TD Station this year with the Sea Dogs are set to play six times, including three home games. Season Ticket Members get tickets to all home preseason games for free."
• Presale access for JSMSE Events: "Another new benefit for Season Ticket Members this season is access to presales for all JSM Sports & Entertainment events that are held at TD Station."

The team also confirmed that tribute performances will be returning again this season.

QMJHL announces new fighting penalties

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

SHERBROOKE, QC - Greetings from Sherbrooke, where the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League certainly made some noise around the hockey world on Friday.

As was expected, QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini announced additional penalties on fighting in the league. This comes after several months of pressure from the Quebec government to further reduce fighting in the league.

Here are the changes, via a QMJHL news release:

Here are the main points that were approved by the league’s Members:

1. Addition of a game misconduct penalty for any player involved in a fight;
2. Addition of an automatic one-game suspension for any player declared the instigator of a fight;
3. Addition of a minimum two-game automatic suspension for any player identified as the aggressor;
4. In addition to the game misconduct, an automatic one-game suspension will be imposed once a player has reached his second fight, rather than his third.

As those who follow and watch the league know, the amount of fights has dropped drastically over the past decade. It will be interesting to see if this change is all that noticeable given how few fights have occurred in recent seasons.

According to HockeyFights.com, the Charlottetown Islanders led the league in fights last year with 17. The Saint John Sea Dogs had four, tied for the third fewest in the league. The Memorial Cup champion Quebec Remparts had just one.

When the Sea Dogs entered the QMJHL in 2005-06, they had 67 fights that year. 91 the next year.

Saint John had four fights in 2022-23. 15 the year before.

Fighting was leaving with or without today's rule changes. https://t.co/ztKqS5ftj4

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) June 9, 2023

The league also announced some rule changes to video replay, which comes after a couple controversial reviews during the playoffs.

"The Members’ Assembly also approved the addition of tablets to penalty boxes, so that officials can review various sequences during the game," reads a QMJHL news release. "New cameras, located above both blue lines, will also be added to provide better angles for quicker decision-making in offside situations."

Notebook: It's going to be cold

SAINT JOHN - If you're coming to any Memorial Cup games at TD Station, you're asked to dress warmer than usual.

Even though it's late June and it's warm(ish) outside, fans may want to grab an extra sweater to bring to the rink.

"Please be advised the arena will be kept very cool in temperature to maintain ice quality," reads the TD Station website. "Dress accordingly.

"To control building humidity and temperature, there is no re-entry upon exit. This includes exiting the building to smoke. We appreciate your cooperation."

The box office will open at noon on game days and stay open until the second period. TD Station is also asking fans to be mindful of their tickets. There will be no reprinting lost tickets.

RULE CHANGES

There have been a few rule changes made to the Memorial Cup point system and overtime format.

From the CHL website:

The modifications include a new point system for the six-game round robin whereby teams will receive three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime win, and one point for an overtime loss.

Additionally, overtime in the round robin will be played in a 3-on-3 format in 20-minute periods until a winner is decided. Intermissions between the third period and overtime and each additional overtime period will be 15 minutes. There will be no TV timeouts during overtime although a quick scrape of the front of nets and benches will be done at the first stoppage after the 10-minute mark should the overtime continue.

So there's that.

Notebook: Sea Dogs ranked 8th in CHL

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs will open the 2020-21 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season as the eighth ranked team in the country.

The CHL released its pre-season top 10 on Wednesday. The release is a bit of a head scratcher given that the other two major junior leagues may not begin play for another two months - or possibly even longer.

Presenting the 2020-21 Pre-Season #KiaCHLTop10 Rankings:@PhoenixSherbroo open at one ☝️

1-SHE, 2-EDM, 3-OSH, 4-VDO, 5-LDN, 6-KAM, 7-SAG, 8-SNB, 9-POR, 10-CHI.

Honours: BDN, PA, SHA, SOO, WSR

Weekly editions to resume when each of @TheWHL, @OHLHockey and @QMJHL are in action. pic.twitter.com/QK07wgYCWH

— CanadianHockeyLeague (@CHLHockey) September 30, 2020

The Sherbrooke Phoenix (first), Val-d'Or Foreurs (fourth) and Chicoutimi Sagueneens (10th) were the other QMJHL teams to crack the list. The Shawinigan Cataractes were an honourable mention.

WEBCAST DETAILS

The off-season was an emotional rollercoaster for the QMJHL's webcasts.

After many highs and lows, the QMJHL will kick off its regular season with the same provider, Neulion, on the same platform, QMJHL Live, that it has used for the past several years. There are expected to be some quality improvements, but we will find out beginning tonight.

Only two pricing options are available this season: a single game for $7.99 or a monthly all-access pass for $39.99. Season ticket members were sent a discount code for 50% off the monthly pass.

For anyone interested in purchasing the Neulion monthly streaming package to watch #QMJHL #LHJMQ hockey. 🥅🏒

Details ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/tVeHLgagT8

— Denis Leblanc (@DenisL_1981) September 26, 2020

It's unclear if the OHL and WHL will be using Neulion again this season.

Notebook: The Season Has Arrived

It’s time.

The Saint John Sea Dogs open up the 2015-16 regular season on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Harbour Station when they host the Halifax Mooseheads. The Sea Dogs will be without a plethora of key, returning players, meaning several youngsters will literally be put into the spotlight.

The Mooseheads opened their season up on Friday, falling 4-3 in a shootout to the Islanders in Charlottetown.

Saint John also plays on Sunday, hosting the Moncton Wildcats at 3 p.m.

GREEN RANKED

Sea Dogs defenseman Luke Green was ranked 30^th in Craig Button’s September “Craig’s List” rankings.

Most major draft publications have Green projected to be a late first round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Val’d-Or’s Julien Gauthier, sixth, was the highest ranked QMJHL player in "Craig's List."

MEDIA GUIDE RELEASED

The QMJHL released its annual media guide in pdf format this week.

There is always one key piece of information to take from it – the dates of the holiday trading period. This year’s period will begin on Dec. 19, 2015 and end on Jan. 6, 2016.

ON THE TV

The Sea Dogs will be one of just two Maritimes Division teams to appear on MAtv this season.

The Quebec network released their full QMJHL broadcast schedule earlier this week. Saint John’s Nov. 21 game in Chicoutimi will air live on MAtv, giving Joe Veleno and company some airtime in Quebec.

The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are the only other Atlantic team that will air on MAtv this year.

The broadcast schedules for Sportsnet and TVA Sports have not yet been released.

Tuesday Stuff

Unreal goal by Jurco. Some other news and notes:

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

Goodbye, Import Goaltenders

As reported over the past few weeks, European goaltenders in the Canadian Hockey League will soon become a thing of the past.

#CHL announces change to Import Draft rule - 2013 will be the final opportunity for clubs to select European goaltenders at annual draft
— CanadianHockeyLeague (@CHLHockey) June 11, 2013

Euro G born 94/95 may be picked in 1st round '13 #CHL Import Draft, current import G and those selected can play until eligibility exhausted
— CanadianHockeyLeague (@CHLHockey) June 11, 2013

The move has to do with Canada’s recent struggles to produce quality goaltenders, as the Toronto Star explains. Buzzing The Net also has a solid read on the controversial decision.

Switzerland native Robert Mayer is the only Euro goaltender the Sea Dogs have ever had. He played two seasons in Saint John from 2007-2009 and has been playing in the Montreal Canadiens farm system ever since.

Of note, the 2013 CHL Import Draft is on Wednesday, July 3. The Sea Dogs will select ninth overall.

The Trapezoid Is Gone

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is getting rid of the trapezoid.

The league announced today that beginning next season they will no longer have the trapezoid behind the net that limits where a goaltender can play the puck.

The trapezoid has been debated ever since it was put in. The National Hockey League and many other leagues added the trapezoid in 2005-06. Now, most are considering getting rid of it.

The QMJHL Board of Governors also announced today that “a team that has iced the puck shall not be permitted to make any player substitutions prior to the ensuing face-off which will be held in the defensive zone.”

For video review situations, the following situations have been added:

• A hand pass made to a teammate in the offensive zone immediately before a goal is scored.
• A puck that was touched over the shoulders and recovered by a teammate immediately before a goal is scored.

The league is also considering organizing combines in the Boston area in 2013. That would be interesting.

And of note, the holiday trading period will end on January 8, 2013 at 1pm Atlantic.

Photo via Getty