Notebook: Joseph nominated for another award

JaimeLee Gouthro/Cape Breton Eagles

MONCTON - Saint John Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph was named a finalist for the QMJHL's Sidney Crosby Trophy, which is awarded annually to the league's rookie of the year.

Moncton Wildcats defenseman Tommy Bleyl won the award. Victoriaville Tigres forward Egor Shilov was also nominated.

From the league's press release:

Joseph finished sixth in rookie scoring with 60 points (24 goals, 36 assists) in 54 games. Notably, he was the only 16-year-old player in the top six. In addition to 18 power-play points, he led all rookies with four shorthanded goals. The Sea Dogs’ second-leading scorer, Joseph will not be eligible for the NHL Draft until 2027.

Joseph was also 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.

Bleyl, meanwhile, was also named the QMJHL's defenseman of the year.

LONGEST SEA DOGS GAME

How does the longest game in Sea Dogs history compare to Thursday's four overtime contest between the Moncton Wildcats and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada?

The Sea Dogs have never had a game go beyond double overtime – but they came very close twice during the 2011 President Cup final against the Gatineau Olympiques. Game 4 of that series is the longest in Sea Digs history, lasting 99:16 with Ryan Tesink scoring at 19:16 of the second overtime. The second longest is Game 6, which lasted 95:45 and ended at 15:45 of the second overtime with Alexandre Beauregard scoring the Cup clinching goal.

Saint John has only gone to double overtime four times in team history.

Thursday's game between the Wildcats and Armada was the fifth longest in league history.

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.

Notebook: Baldwin, Lightning set for Prospect Tournament

Tampa Bay Lightning

Everett Baldwin is the only current Saint John Sea Dog attending an NHL training camp this year.

Baldwin, a fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in this year's NHL Draft, is in Tampa for a prospect tournament the team is hosting. The Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators are also participating.

The Lightning prospects will play Nashville on Friday, Florida on Saturday and Carolina on Monday.

Baldwin was a second-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. He appeared in two pre-season games, registering three goals. 

The Rhode Island native is committed to Providence College for the 2026-27 season.

62 QMJHL players will attend NHL camps this year. The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and Moncton Wildcats each have nine.

HOME OPENER DETAILS

The Sea Dogs have announced a number of events surrounding the team's season opening weekend. Here are some of the highlights from a news release.

• On Friday, Sept. 19, there will be a Season Kickoff on the Saint John Boardwalk. From 4:30-6 p.m., fans can enjoy free live music from The Last Call, games, rides in the Saint John Firefighters’ antique fire truck, and autographs with Fleaburn and Sea Dogs players. Plus, the first 300 fans will receive a free hot dog.
• Thousands of rally towels will be handed out at the door as fans enter TD Station for the Sea Dogs' season opener that same night.
• On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Sea Dogs Ball Hockey Classic presented by TD will be held held and will run from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Memorial Cup outdoor rink on Station Street. Full details are on the Sea Dogs website.
• The Sea Dogs also have a home game later that night. The team notes that throughout the weekend, fans can stop by the TD Community Zone, where TD will be giving away limited edition Sea Dogs scarves and other gifts to celebrate Opening Weekend.
  

NEW EQUIPMENT MANAGER

The Sea Dogs have named Dave Campbell the team's new equipment manager. Campbell was with the club for last weekend's pre-season games.

Campbell replaces the recently hired Zak Larnaudie, who accepted a position with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies.

“I am thrilled to join the Saint John Sea Dogs organization,” said Campbell in a news release. “I look forward to contributing to the success of the team on and off the ice to allow the players to succeed to their potential.”

According to the team's news release, "Campbell’s experience includes time with the P.E.I. Rocket and the Cape Breton Eagles in the QMJHL, as well as the Woodstock Slammers (MHL), Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL) and Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL) at the Junior A level." He's also worked a number of Hockey Canada events.

Notebook: Bellamy, MacIntosh trading places

As of last Saturday, Jaxon Bellamy has a new favourite QMJHL team.

The Saint John Vito's defenceman was the first New Brunswicker taken in the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft, going 16th overall to the Moncton Wildcats. But had Bellamy grown up a Sea Dogs fan?

"I was, for a long time. I always followed them," Bellamy told reporters after the conclusion of the first round at Harbour Station. "They came in in 2005, I'm pretty sure, and I just fell in love with them. They were sweet. And now I'm in love with the Moncton Wildcats."

Did he convert to Wildcats fandom that quickly on Saturday?

"Oh yeah, I was pretty quick to do that."

Bellamy had 11 goals and 11 assists in 32 games with the Vito's last season. He added four goals and three assists in 10 playoff games.

The 2017 draft seemed to continue a trend: the Sea Dogs take Moncton players while the Wildcats take Saint John players. Saint John drafted two Moncton Flyers this year while Moncton selected a Vito's d-man and a Rothesay Netherwood forward.

The Sea Dogs selected Flyers forward and Moncton native Aiden MacIntosh in the fourth round.

"I think it will be fun playing in front of friends and family at home," said MacIntosh about playing with Saint John in Moncton. "I'm just really happy to be a part of the Sea Dogs."

Vito's Win Atlantic Championship

Ben Reid became a Saint John Vito’s legend on Sunday.

The Saint John Sea Dogs prospect scored 52 seconds into overtime to give the Vito’s a 2-1 win over the Steele Subaru Major Midgets of Dartmouth in the 2016 Atlantic Major Midget Hockey Championship game.

what a goal ! congrats @sjvitoshockey on a well deserved win ! pic.twitter.com/Bb0lplvnDQ

— Megan Palmer (@meganpalmerxox) April 3, 2016

There was plenty of drama in the match with the Vito’s tying it at 1-1 with just 10 seconds left in regulation time.

Along with Reid, the Vito’s also feature Sea Dogs prospects Ian Smallwood, Alex Lafreniere, Will Kelly and Kyle Anderson. Anderson MacDonald, a top prospect for this year’s QMJHL Entry Draft, is also on the team.

Thursday News & Notes

The Sea Dogs announced today that they’ve called up first round pick Cedric Pare.

Pare, who the Sea Dogs selected with the 10^th overall pick in last year’s QMJHL Entry Draft, has played in five games with Saint John this year, recording one assist.

The 17-year-old forward registered 16 goals and 44 points in 43 games with the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League’s Levis Commandeurs this year. He was held pointless in three playoff games.

“We're bringing him in now to expose him to playoff hockey at this level and help him prepare for next season,” said Sea Dogs general manager Darrell Young in a press release.

The Sea Dogs said Pare will be available to play tomorrow night when the team begins their first round playoff series against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Game time is 7 p.m. at Harbour Station.

You also have to wonder if the call up is related to the health of Saint John’s forwards. The Sea Dogs were without Mathieu Joseph, Matthew Highmore and Adam Marsh last weekend due to injuries. Captain Spencer Smallman was also hurt in Friday’s game, although he did dress on Saturday.

In other news…

• The Sea Dogs enter the playoffs with a banged up team on a three-game losing streak. As if that wasn’t rough enough, they’ll have to face the CHL goaltender of the week in Reilly Pickard. According to a CHL release, last week Pickard posted “a 2-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.80 and save percentage of .953.”
• Luke Green was ranked 57^th in Craig Button’s latest draft rankings.
• The provincial champion Saint John Vito’s feature five Sea Dogs prospects: defenseman Ian Smallwood and Alex Lafreniere along with forwards Will Kelly, Kyle Anderson and Ben Reid.
• There is speculation that former Sea Dogs defenseman Adam Bateman will join the Saint Mary’s Huskies next season.
• The OHL’s Windsor Spitfires will indeed be bidding to host the 2017 Memorial Cup.
• Saturday’s Sea Dogs-Titan game will be broadcast on Rogers TV. Here’s a nice playoff promo Rogers released: 

Sea Dogs Call Up Pair From Vito's

The Sea Dogs have been forced to make a couple rosters moves following last night’s mess in Halifax.

The team announced this morning that defenseman Ian Smallwood and forward Alex Lafreniere of the NB/PEI Major Midget Hockey League’s Saint John Vito’s have been called up.

According to a Sea Dogs press release, “both players are expected to be in the lineup tonight when the Sea Dogs take on the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at 7 p.m. at Centre 200.”

The moves come after defensemen Jason Bell and Oliver Felixson both missed the third period of last night’s game in Halifax. Also, forward Bokondji Imama will presumably be unavailable for some time after leaving the bench to fight Kelly Bent yesterday.

Smallwood, a ninth-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year’s QMJHL Entry Draft, is tied for second in NB/PEIMMHL goal scoring with 13. He also has five assists in 18 games. The 16-year-old has been held pointless in five games with the Sea Dogs this season.

Lafreniere, an 11^th-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year’s draft, is second in scoring on the Vito’s with 10 goals and 23 points in 20 games. He has yet to appear in a QMJHL game.

Following tonight’s game, the Sea Dogs host the Screaming Eagles on Thursday and Mooseheads on Friday.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Notebook: Season Starts Soon

The 2015-16 QMJHL regular season begins in just over a week for the Sea Dogs.

Next Saturday, Sept 12 at 7 p.m., the Sea Dogs will host the Halifax Mooseheads at Harbour Station to kick off a new campaign. They’ll also be in action at the Station on Sunday, Sept. 13 when they host the Moncton Wildcats at 3 p.m.

The Mooseheads went winless in the pre-season, finishing 0-4-0-1 and had one game fogged out. They were outscored 26-12.

THE SEASON AHEAD

Stephane Leroux of RDS has an article where he takes a look at some of the major storylines heading into the 2015-16 season.

The major storylines that involve the Sea Dogs are: the arrival of the league’s first exceptional player in Joe Veleno, Danny Flynn returning to the Q and Luke Green being a highly regarded prospect for the 2016 NHL Draft.

MARSH IN THE NEWS

MLive.com has a solid article on Sea Dogs forward and Detroit Red Wings prospect Adam Marsh.

It sounds like the Red Wings think highly of their 2015 seventh-round pick.

"This was a guy we thought would be gone," said Tyler Wright, Detroit's director of amateur scouting. "We actually talked about him in the sixth round but we went with the big defenseman (Patrick Holway) with the right shot.

"(Marsh) was there in the seventh, so it was a no-brainer for us."

Marsh had 24 goals and 20 assists in 60 games as a QMJHL rookie last season.

SENS PROSPECTS RANKINGS

Hockey’s Future has named Sea Dogs defenseman Thomas Chabot the top prospect in the Ottawa Senators organization.

“If Erik Karlsson signs elsewhere when his contract expires in 2019, the Senators now have a backup plan,” writes Kristopher Bras. “More likely though, Karlsson and Chabot will together give the team one of the most dangerous bluelines in the NHL.”

Chabot is ranked ahead of some notable names – Colin White, Nick Paul and Matt Puempel.

ZBORIL FEAUTURE

The Boston Bruins blog Stanley Cup of Chowder has named Jakub Zboril the 15^th best under-25 player in the B’s organization. They have a nice quick feature on him here.

Sea Dogs Recall A Pair

Ben Reid and Pierre-Luc Lurette have been recalled by the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Reid, a forward, and Lurette, a defenseman, are expected to be available for the Sea Dogs’ regular season opener on Sept. 12 against the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Sea Dogs will have nine players heading to NHL camps in the coming weeks and some or all of those players will miss the team’s season opener. Reid and Lurette will provide some reinforcements.

Reid, a 16-year-old from Quispamsis, was a seventh-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year’s QMJHL Entry Draft. He recorded 13 goals and 16 assists in 35 games with the Saint John Vito’s last season.

Lurette, a 17-year-old defenseman from Val d’Amour, NB, recorded four goals and nine assists in 43 games with the MHL’s Campbellton Tigers last year. Lurette was a sixth-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year’s draft.

Saint John has two pre-season games remaining before they look ahead to the regular season. The Sea Dogs will host the Moncton Wildcats on Thursday at 7 p.m. The team wraps up exhibition play on Friday in Bouctouche against the Wildcats.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Notebook: Free Game In Bathurst

There should be a good crowd on hand to watch Friday’s Sea Dogs pre-season game in Bathurst. From the Titan website:

Indeed, the Titan Foundation announced that the game on Friday, August 21st against the Saint John Sea Dogs at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre will offer free admission to all fans of all ages. The only thing the Titan Foundation is hoping for from fans, is that they will make a donation to the Club Richelieu whom will be present at the game to raise funds. Fans will have full liberty to give whichever amount they so choose, knowing that every little bit helps make a positive contribution to their community.

It’s looking like Saint John’s free pre-season game model is beginning to catch on elsewhere.

TICKETS

The Sea Dogs sent out a news release today reminding fans that tickets to all 34 of Saint John’s regular season home games go on-sale to the general public this Saturday at 12 p.m.

Tickets will also be available to season ticket and flex package holders beginning this Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Harbour Station Box Office.

More details can be found on the Sea Dogs website.

SMALLWOOD STAYING IN SAINT JOHN

Defenseman Ian Smallwood has made a nice impression at Sea Dogs training camp over the past week.

A ninth-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year’s QMJHL Entry Draft, Smallwood had a goal and two assists in Saint John’s pre-season opener last Thursday. Last season with the Notre Dame Hounds, the 16-year-old registered four goals and 11 assists in 36 games. He added a goal and an assist in six playoff games.

The Telegraph-Journal (paywall) reported today that Smallwood could be staying in Saint John with the Vito’s if he doesn’t earn a spot on the Sea Dogs’ crowded backend. The midget AAA team is hosting the Telus Cup in April.

BENT STAYING IN HALIFAX

Former Sea Dogs forward Kelly Bent will be one of Halifax’s three overage players this season.

Mooseheads overagers this season will be Kelly Bent, Danny Moynihan, Eric Brassard after Brandon Vuic and Sam LeBlanc were cut.

— Briggins (@briggins) August 17, 2015

Bent spent the 2013-14 season with Saint John, recording four goals and two assists in 56 games. With Halifax last year he went on to record two goals and nine assists in 58 games. The Halifax native added two goals and two assists in 14 playoff games.

Bent is known for being a pest rather than his point producing ability. He’ll surely be noticeable when the Sea Dogs play him this season.