Can Sea Dogs find St. John's success?

Jeff Parsons/Newfoundland Regiment

There's really no way to sugarcoat it: the Saint John Sea Dogs have not played well in St. John's.

The Sea Dogs will open the 2026-27 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League season at their house of horrors – the Mary Brown's Centre – on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. Atlantic. The two will battle the next night in St. John's as well.

The Sea Dogs made two trips to Newfoundland last season and lost all four games. They were outscored 23-8.

Saint John 3 @ Newfoundland 6 (Oct. 24 2025)

Saint John 1 @ Newfoundland 5 (Oct. 25 2025) 

Saint John 3 @ Newfoundland 7 (Feb. 11 2026)

Saint John 1 @ Newfoundland 5 (Feb. 12 2026) 

At home and away, the Sea Dogs went a combined 0-6-2-0 against Gordie Dwyer's squad last season. 

Struggling in St. John's is nothing new for the Sea Dogs. The team is 2-13-0-0 all-time in the building, which includes results against the Regiment and St. John's Fog Devils.

2005-06: 0-6-0-0 (0-4-0-0 at St. John's) 

2006-07: 3-3-0-0 (0-2-0-0 at St. John's) 

2007-08: 4-4-0-0 (2-3-0-0 at St. John's)

2025-26: 0-6-2-0 (0-4-0-0 at St. John's)

The Sea Dogs have not won a game in Newfoundland since Jan. 3, 2008.

The 2007-08 Sea Dogs team was the only one to win a game in St. John's. That team reached the QMJHL's final four. A win this weekend –  or, if you're feeling positively greedy, a sweep – could be the ultimate positive vibe to start this new season.

The Sea Dogs also travel to Newfoundland Feb. 11-12.

Sea Dogs return to Newfoundland

ST. JOHN'S, NL - Greetings from downtown St. John's where the Saint John Sea Dogs will take to the ice in unfamiliar territory this weekend.

For the first time since the 2007-08 season, the Sea Dogs will travel to Newfoundland for a QMJHL game. The team hasn't made the trek to St. John's since Jan. 6, 2008. Pascal Amyot scored Saint John's only goal in that 6-1 loss to the Fog Devils.

The Sea Dogs were, of course, expansion cousins with the Fog Devils and entered the league together in 2005-06. Despite that link, the Dogs didn't travel to St. John's a whole lot, playing in the city just 11 times before the team moved to Verdun ahead of the 2008-09 season.

Saint John is 2-9-0-0 all-time at Mary Brown's Centre – which was previously known as Mile One Centre. Here's a look at the Sea Dogs' season-by-season results against the Fog Devils.

2005-06: 0-6-0-0 (0-4-0-0 at St. John's)

2006-07: 3-3-0-0 (0-2-0-0 at St. John's)

2007-08: 4-4-0-0 (2-3-0-0 at St. John's)

The Sea Dogs will play the Newfoundland Regiment on Friday and Saturday night in St. John's. They'll also make the flight over for two games in mid-February.

Newfoundland will make their first appearance at TD Station on New Year's Eve.

The Regiment are off to a 6-6-0-0 start and are 4-4-0-0 at home. They sit one point ahead of the Sea Dogs in the standings, who own a 5-4-1-0 record.

It'll be a homecoming for Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard and assistant Mark Lee, who are both Newfoundlanders. The Regiment are coached by former Sea Dogs head coach Gordie Dwyer.

Newfoundland Regiment are here

The Newfoundland Regiment hockey club was officially born on Thursday afternoon in St. John's.

The QMJHL, team ownership and government officials unveiled the name and logo of the league's newest team at a press conference held inside a military building in St. John's.

According to the team's press release, "the name, inspired by the storied history of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, one of Canada's oldest, is intended to reflect a deep connection to the province's past and a commitment to honouring the valour and bravery of those who served with distinction as well as those who continue to serve with the modern-day Royal Newfoundland Regiment."

The name and logo were announced by Newfoundland and Labrador premier Andrew Furey and this video.

The team's name and logo were leaked earlier this week after months of speculation. 

SportsLogos.net has a great breakdown of the logo and colours.

According to the news release, "the team’s new logo prominently features a Woodland Caribou, the symbol for which the Regiment is known and a nod to the Regiment's past and current cap badge. This symbol, along with the regimental crest and the crown icon in the logo, captures the spirit of excellence and dedication exemplified by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Team colors include puttee blue, legacy maroon and heritage tan."

The origins of our logo. 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/mj2pnD97v0

— Newfoundland Regiment (@nlregiment) January 23, 2025

No jerseys were unveiled on Thursday. Long-time St. John's hockey mascot Buddy the Puffin was in attendance, though.

The Regiment will begin play next season when the Acadie-Bathurst Titan relocate to St. John's. It's the second time the city will be home to a QMJHL franchise following the St. John's Fog Devils from 2005 to 2008.

Newfoundland team set to announce name

The QMJHL's newest team will unveil its name and logo on Thursday.

The league confirmed Wednesday that the Newfoundland QMJHL franchise is set to announce its identity. The press conference will be held at 12:30 p.m. Atlantic and will be live streamed on YouTube.

"Join us for the exciting reveal of the logo and team name for Newfoundland's newest addition to the QMJHL," read the league's press invitation. "This event marks a significant milestone for hockey fans and the community in Newfoundland."

While some of the teasers the franchise has been posting on social media would indicate otherwise, the franchise is widely expected to be called the Newfoundland Regiment, a tribute to the province's military history.

Thursday's press conference will be held at a military building in St. John's, which is home to the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Museum.

The team's logo may also have been leaked Wednesday thanks to a Reddit user who discovered the below on the federal trademark website.

This colour scheme isn't like any other in the QMJHL, which is nice. It is a bit similar to what the PWHL's Montreal Victoire are sporting this season.

The Acadie-Bathurst Titan will relocate to St. John's for the 2025-26 season. It's the first time the QMJHL has returned to Newfoundland since the Fog Devils left in 2008.

Notebook: Home cooking

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs played a pair of games in less than 24 hours – in two different provinces – this weekend.

The Sea Dogs played the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday night at Scotiabank Centre, made the four hour drive home after the game and were then right back at it against the Moose on Sunday afternoon at TD Station.

The team won't have to worry about bus trips for a bit. Sunday's game was the first of five straight at TD Station.

Sunday, Jan. 12 vs Halifax - 5-1 loss

Friday, Jan. 17 vs Charlottetown

Sunday, Jan. 19 vs Quebec

Thursday, Jan. 23 vs Chicoutimi

Friday, Jan. 24 vs Rimouski

The Sea Dogs will then play four straight games on the road – three of which will be in Quebec – before playing five straight at home again.

BONNET HERE TO STAY

17-year-old defenseman Julien Bonnet is expected to remain with the Sea Dogs for the remainder of the season. He has been added to the team's online active roster.

Bonnet, a seventh-round pick of Saint John in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft, has already appeared in 13 games with Saint John this season. He's been held scoreless.

Bonnet joined the team on a few occasions this year as an injury replacement. He's been close to a regular in the club's lineup since early December.

The 6'02", 183 lbs defenseman has also played 11 games with the QJHL's Gatineau Flames this season, posting a goal and four assists in 11 games.

Titan officially moving to St. John's

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Acadie-Bathurst Titan are officially relocating to St. John's at the end of this season.

The Titan and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League made the announcement in a virtual press conference Friday morning. The move has been rumoured and reported for a few months now. The sale was finalized Thursday night.

The Titan, who have been at or near the bottom of the QMJHL's attendance figures for 15 years or so now, have officially been for sale since January. During the press conference it was revealed that three buyers came forward to purchase the team – but none had intentions of leaving the franchise in northern New Brunswick.

″I said it last January when the sale process began: the objective of the QMJHL and the Titan owners has always been to find local investors to keep the team in Bathurst," said commissioner Mario Cecchini in a news release. "However, none of the interested groups had any intention of operating the team in Bathurst in the medium term. My heart goes out to the Titan fans. I sympathize and understand their pain and frustration."

In what was a very transparent news conference, it was said that the Titan have been losing around $1 million per season.  

″It’s a sad day," said Titan president Serge Thériault, one of the 11 Titan shareholders. "The Titan has been an integral part of the Bathurst community for 27 years. The team gave us great moments and rallied the population. Unfortunately, we were playing in the smallest major junior market in Canada, and attendance dropped over the years. This made it impossible for us, the owners, to continue. I’d like to thank the Titan fans and corporate partners for their support since 1998.″

QMJHL, Titan to hold press conference

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The future of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan could become clearer on Friday.

Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League commissioner Mario Cecchini and two of the Titan's current shareholders – Marc Guignard and Serge Thériault – will hold a virtual press conference on Friday at 11 a.m. The subject of the press conference wasn't included in the invite, but it's almost certainly about the club's future in Bathurst.

Rumours and speculation about the franchise being sold and relocated to St. John's have been circulating all season. In recent weeks, those rumours have turned more into facts and, at this point, it would be a surprise to not see the team move to Newfoundland in time for next season.

The league is in a tough spot here and it will be interesting how they choose to handle this sale. On the one hand, you'd like to get the news out soon to help generate some excitement in Newfoundland. On the other hand, it's generally not a good idea to create a "lame duck" team that knows its days in the city are numbered, which we recently saw with the Oakland Athletics baseball team.

RDS reported this week that the Titan were sold to a group from Newfoundland for more than $5.5 million. RDS also reported that draft schedules are already in the works for next season, which includes travel to St. John's.

The Titan have been publicly up for sale since January. The franchise has been at or near the bottom of league attendance for the last 15 years.

Notebook: Gallant, Kelly to lead Canada

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Former Saint John Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant has gotten the call to coach Canada at the international level once again.

Gallant has been named the head coach of Team Canada for this year's Spengler Cup tournament, which will begin on Boxing Day in Switzerland. Gallant will, as usual, be joined by Mike Kelly, who will be one of three assistant coaches.

The duo had success at the international level just a few years ago. From Hockey Canada's news release:

Gallant returns behind the bench for the first time since winning a gold medal with Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2021 IIHF World Championship. As an assistant coach he won gold and silver at Men’s Worlds in 2007 and 2017. He also served as an assistant coach with Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Canada's first game will be against host HC Davos on Dec. 26. All games will air on TSN.

GRAVEL IN SO

Charles-Edward Gravel remains lights out in shootouts this season.

Gravel stopped all three shots he faced in Saturday's shootout, helping the Sea Dogs earn a 5-4 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. The 20-year-old goaltender has allowed just one goal on 23 shootout attempts this season and leads the league in shootout victories with three.

The franchise record for shootout attempts faced in a single season is 31, set by Travis Fullerton in 2007-08. Gravel and Fullerton are now tied for the most shootout saves in a single season with 22.

Gravel has a career .792 save percentage in shootouts. This season he is running at .957%.

Notebook: Trade period nearing

Eriks Mateiko/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's that time of year.

The QMJHL's holiday trading period begins on Monday and stretches until Jan. 6, the day after the gold medal game of the IIHF World Junior Championship.

Many are wondering, so here we go: the next trading period in the #QMJHL runs from Monday, December 16 to Monday, January 6, at noon.

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) December 9, 2024

It's an intriguing year for a few reasons. The Memorial Cup is being hosted within the league which always adds some drama (and some higher prices). Then you have the new NCAA rules which creates some roster possibilities and question marks across the league. Lastly, there simply aren't a lot of star players on rebuilding teams that are obvious trade candidates, so that adds some mystery to the intrigue.

FACTS AND STATS

A few random stats as the first half of the QMJHL season comes to a close this weekend for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

• The Sea Dogs find themselves two games below .500 after back-to-back losses. They've lost three straight games on two separate occasions this season.
• Saint John is 8-7-0-0 at TD Station but have been outscored 44-39.
• Saint John and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan are the only teams that haven't lost in extra time.
• The Sea Dogs are tied for the fewest games in which they've scored first in with 11. They're 8-3-0-0 in those games.
• Saint John has allowed just one shorthanded goal this season.
• Saint John has struggled in third periods of late. They've been outscored 34-30 in third periods. 

MURPHY SIGNS

19-year-old forward Patrick Murphy, a first-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2022 QMJHL American Draft, officially signed with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens last Thursday.

Murphy had been playing in the BCHL where he posted eight goals and eight assists in 21 games with the Cranbrook Bucks this season.

Murphy made his QMJHL debut over the weekend but was held pointless in both games he appeared in.

Report: BOG to vote on Titan relocation

The QMJHL's return to Newfoundland and Labrador is likely to get the stamp of approval this week.

Jeff Marek reports that the league's board of governors is expected to approve the sale and relocation of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan to St. John's.

At the QMJHL BOG meeting this week expect a vote to pass on the sale and relocation of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan to a group in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

— Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) December 8, 2024

This has been rumoured for a few months but it's been quiet in recent weeks. But it's believed to have been quiet because it's been a done deal for a while. Officials in St. John's have been saying all the right things without really saying much of anything.

The QMJHL left St. John's in 2008 after three seasons of the Fog Devils. Ironically, 15 years ago, the Titan were nearly bought and relocated to St. John's. 15 year later it looks like that is actually going to happen.

The St. John's squad will face the same logistical and financial issues that the Fog Devils, AHL and ECHL teams all faced. But, this time around, there seems to be a recognition that this is it. Ownership, government, sponsors and fans know that it's either make the QMJHL work or have no high level hockey playing at Mary Brown's Centre.

This will, obviously, have an impact on the QMJHL's schedule. The Saint John Sea Dogs, for example, aren't going to be able to make a mid-week day trip to St. John's like they do to Bathurst currently. In the Fog Devils days, teams would fly over and play two or three games before returning home. The Fog Devils would typically play three to six road games during a trek to the mainland. 

While it's a happy time for hockey fans in Newfoundland, it's s sad moment for fans in northern New Brunswick. Unfortunately, this move has felt inevitable for awhile. The Titan have been for sale for nearly a year, and nobody can say the QMJHL hasn't given the market a chance over the last decade.

Bathurst is currently averaging a league low 1,550 fans per game.

Notebook: Sea Dogs release new video series

The Saint John Sea Dogs have released a new behind-the-scenes video series.

The Sea Dogs released the debut episode of "Closer To The Game presented by TD" on Monday. The episode goes behind the scenes of Saint John's regular season opener in September.

Last year, the Sea Dogs released a four-part series called "Rising Tide."

MORIN MENTION

Sea Dogs forward Zachary Morin is starting to get more NHL Draft attention.

Morin was ranked 29th in Craig Button's latest 2025 NHL Draft rankings over at TSN. Button has an intriguing list with Brampton Steelheads forward Porter Martone ranked first ahead of American James Hagens.

Morin has been averaging nearly a point-per-game since leaving the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms for the Sea Dogs. In 18 QMJHL games, the 17-year-old has four goals and 12 assists.

THROWBACK NIGHT

The Sea Dogs will be holding a Throwback Night on Friday when they host the Gatineau Olympiques. The team will be sporting the same jersey design as the one they wore for their first four seasons in the city.

Notebook: Sea Dogs attracting small crowds early this season

The Saint John Sea Dogs have been a pleasant surprise on the ice. Off the ice, attendance for games at TD Station has not been too pleasant.

Through six home games, the Sea Dogs are averaging 2,550 fans per game, placing them 10th in the 18-team QMJHL. They're slightly behind small markets Shawinigan and Victoriaville.

Crowds are typically lower this time of year compared to the winter months – but Saint John's average attendance is down nearly 500 fans per game from where it was at this point a year ago. The Sea Dogs averaged 3,011 fans per game after six home games last season.

Saint John's last three home games have seen particularly small crowds.

Sunday, Oct. 6 - 1,859

Friday, Oct. 11 - 2,006

Saturday, Oct. 12 - 2,150

The Oct. 6 attendance of 1,859 was Saint John's smallest regular season crowd since Dec. 17, 2022 when 1,813 watched the Sea Dogs host the Cape Breton Eagles.

COMING UP

Just how "for real" is this Sea Dogs team? We could get a good indication this week.

The Sea Dogs will play three games in four nights this week, beginning with a Thursday night contest in Moncton. The Wildcats enter play on Monday with a 5-1-1-0 record and have already defeated the Sea Dogs once this season.

The Sea Dogs will then play a Friday-Sunday home-and-home against the Maritimes Division leading Acadie-Bathurst Titan, with the first game taking place at the KC Irving Regional Centre. The Titan are a surprising 7-3-0-0 this season and have won four straight games.

Sunday's game at TD Station will be Saint John's final game until Halloween night.

Notebook: Stella responds to news

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Anthony Stella took to X on Friday afternoon, just a few hours after being relieved of his duties as Saint John Sea Dogs general manager.

Bitter sweet day today as I’ve been let go by the Sea Dogs. 11 years with this organization and I’ve grown so much and have countless memories. Thank you to the scouts who gave everything to building these teams. Thank you to all the players who have battled for the logo.

— Anthony Stella (@AnthonyStella_) October 4, 2024

The Sea Dogs made the move Friday morning, replacing Stella with head coach Travis Crickard. Crickard will handle both roles.

Stella had been the team's general manager since April 2023. He had been with the club since the 2014-15 season, steadily working his way up to the GM position.

One notable response to Stella's tweet came from one of the player's he assisted in drafting: defenseman William Villeneuve.

Good luck in the future Anthony, you are a real one. Excited to see what’s next for you. Take care

— William Villeneuve (@WilliamVillene9) October 4, 2024

BEVERIDGE BACK

After welcoming Matteo Mann back on Thursday, the Sea Dogs could soon be getting another key piece back in their lineup.

Kevin Barrett of Postmedia reports that forward Egan Beveridge will soon rejoin the team and will make his season debut in the near future.

Second year SJ Sea Dogs forward Egan Beveridge en route to the Port City and will be in town this weekend. Possibility he could play this weekend but his seasonal debut more than likely the following week. All could change.

— Kevin Barrett (@KevinBarrettNB) October 3, 2024

Beveridge did not take part in the team's training camp, staying home due to personal matters.

The 17-year-old forward recorded nine goals and 10 assists in 62 games with Saint John last year. The New Hampshire native was a second-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Beveridge, along with the (likely) impending signing of Zachary Morin, will be huge additions to Saint John's offense.

Notebook: Mateiko signs ELC

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Just a few days after being reassigned to Saint John, the Washington Capitals have signed Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko to a three-year, entry level contract.

According to the Capitals, "Mateiko's contract will carry an average annual value of $889,167" at the NHL level.

The Latvian was a third-round pick of the Capitals in this summer's NHL Draft. He has spent the past two seasons in Saint John and made his 2024-25 debut on Friday night in Charlottetown, recording one shot and a +1 rating. He played on Saint John's top line with Tyler Peddle and Ben Cross.

The 18-year-old also worn an 'A' on his sweater Friday and is likely a strong candidate to be the team's captain this season.

HATTIE FOR PEDDLE

Welcome back Tyler Peddle.

The 19-year-old recorded his second career QMJHL hat trick in his 2024-25 regular season debut on Friday, leading the Sea Dogs to a 6-2 win over the Charlottetown Islanders.

Peddle seems to enjoy playing against the Islanders. He recorded four goals and an assist in six meetings with Charlottetown last season.

The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect picked up where he left off. Peddle ended the 2023-24 regular season with eight goals in his final 10 games.

Notebook: Theme nights announced

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs will sport some different looks this season.

The Sea Dogs released their theme night schedule for the 2024-25 season last week and revealed that there will be six speciality jersey nights.

There are a few new theme nights this year compared to what has been done in the past. Along with championship era nights, the team will hold a throwback night, a toque/mitten toss, a next gen game and a wrestling night. There will also be a Superstore Contest Jersey Night, which has been popular in the OHL and WHL for a few years now.

LINEUP NEWS

There were no surprises with Saint John's lineup this weekend.

With three key forwards not with the team at the moment – Eriks Mateiko, Tyler Peddle and Egan Beveridge – Saint John dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen in both contests.

Mateiko, Peddle and defenseman Matteo Mann remain at NHL training camps, so they could be returned to junior hockey at any time. Mann is the only one of the three who could play pro hockey this season, but the expectation at this point is that he will be returned to Saint John.

The Sea Dogs are hopeful that Beveridge, who was listed as a healthy scratch this weekend, will report to Saint John this season. When that will be is not yet clear.

RICHARD TRADED

The Sea Dogs made a trade on Friday, dealing 18-year-old defenseman Jeremie Richard to the Shawinigan Cataractes for a 12th-round pick in the 2026 QMJHL Entry.

Richard, a third-round pick of Saint John in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft, appeared in 33 games with the Sea Dogs over two seasons, posting a goal and an assist.

Richard attended Sea Dogs training camp as a forward this year. He has since rejoined the Maritime Hockey League's Amherst Ramblers, where he played 17 games last season.

QMJHL's return to St. John's seems likely

SAINT JOHN - The QMJHL's return to Newfoundland is becoming more of a question of "when" rather then "if."

RDS' Stephane Leroux reported yesterday that there is a group in St. John's working to bring a team back to Newfoundland, which would be a first since the Fog Devils (RIP) left for Verdun in 2008.

At the league's annual press conference, held this afternoon in Saint John, commissioner Gilles Courteau confirmed that St. John's is interested in getting back into the league and that a group has been formed to evaluate the application.

Leroux reported that Courteau has met with Newfoundland labour officials regarding the class against lawsuit against the CHL and the classifying of players as amateurs. That's certainly not the only issue surrounding St. John's, as costs - particularly travel - are obviously a concern.

But the biggest issue at the moment seems to be what team will relocate to St. John's?

Courteau said on Friday that the league will not expand to 19 teams, which makes sense. The only option for St. John's is relocation, and, at this time anyways, there is no obvious team knocking on death's door. But, as we saw with Lewiston (RIP), that can change and become public in a hurry. Even for a team that's struggling but doing ok, the St. John's group could make a purchasing offer that would be hard to refuse.

If there's any team reaching the point of impending doom, it seems to be the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, which is ironically the former Fog Devils franchise. The team's attendance isn't great - but also not terrible. Laval getting an AHL team this season could cause problems though and there are issues surrounding Quebecor owning a majority of both the Armada and Quebec Remparts franchises.

It sucks to see a team move, but it will happen at some point. And the destination seems very likely to be Newfoundland.

Will the QMJHL return to St. John's soon?

With the Saint John Sea Dogs taking on the team formerly known as the St. John's Fog Devils in the President Cup Final, it's brought back some memories.

It seems like forever ago since the Sea Dogs and QMJHL teams made the occasional voyage to Newfoundland. With St. John's losing its AHL team, it's made many wonder: will junior hockey be making a return to St. John's soon?

This is from Wednesday's St. John's Telegram:

There probably won’t be a replacement team, in any league, here next season, although there is hope Glenn Stanford’s efforts will mean the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League becomes an option in 2018-19.

On April 28, here's what The Telegram's Robin Short wrote:

If the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League doesn’t happen next year, look for a team in St. John’s two years from now.

And here's what Brendan McCarthy wrote on April 30:

However, a willing buyer needs a willing seller and, as of yet, there hasn’t been a QMJHL team that has undeniably been made available for purchase. And the Q isn’t selling an expansion franchise as it did when the Fog Devils came here in 2005.

While a lot of things need to come together, it seems like there is a lot of optimism that the QMJHL will be returning to The Rock somewhat soon.

It's looking like Mile One Centre will be without high-level hockey for the 2017-18 season, which may be a good thing for the market, long-term. The Montreal Canadians are moving the AHL's IceCaps to a new rink in Laval - ironically just a short drive from the Armada's rink.

There are plenty of hurdles to having a QMJHL team in Newfoundland, obviously. There needs to be a buyer. There needs to be a seller. There has to be a solution to financing travel. That arena lease issue thing the Fog Devils had needs to be looked at. These are some significant hurdles, but at the same time, St. John's is a huge market with an arena worthy of hosting a Memorial Cup. It's hard to imagine the league not wanting to capitalize on those opportunities.

It's also been a bit of a weird time in the QMJHL, as there seems to be no team that has been struggling with ownership or finances enough (publicly, anyways) that relocation is required. But that could always change very quickly, as we've seen in the past (see: Lewiston Maineiacs, 2011). It's unlikely the league expands anytime soon, so relocation is looking like the only option for a St. John's team.

Ironically, there will be plenty of eyes watching the attendance numbers of the old Fog Devils, the Armada, over the next few years. The Laval AHL team will be playing close by and is much easier to access by public transit (it's across the street from a metro stop). You'd hate to see a team move, obviously, but, y'know, that's how it goes.

Anyways, all this is speculation. We'll no doubt start hearing QMJHL-to-St-John's rumours a lot over the next year - or however long it takes.

This Ticket Is In The Hockey Hall Of Fame

TORONTO – I was at the Hockey Hall of Fame last week and snapped the above picture (just look at that glare!).

If you can’t tell, it’s a season ticket holder ticket from the Sea Dogs’ first ever regular season game from back in 2005. Nice to see the St. John’s Fog Devils are represented in the Hall in some way.

Sea Dogs Notebook

A special moment for the MacAulays. twitter.com/HFXMooseheads/…
— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) May 27, 2013

GALIEV

Got news for you: Stanislav Galiev is a winner.

As Russian Machine Never Breaks breaks down, Galiev has now won league championships in each of his past three seasons thanks to back-to-back QMJHL titles with Saint John and an ECHL title with the Reading Royals this season.

Galiev also won a USHL title with the Indiana Ice in 2009 before joining the Sea Dogs and came within two wins of a 2010 QMJHL Championship.

The Russian forward, playing in his first pro season, only played in Game 5 of the Kelly Cup Final due to injury.

“It’s something special for me because the coach trusts me,” he told The Sports Lair. It’s a Game 5. I was a little injured and wasn’t 100-percent. My foot still hurts a little bit, but it was nice to forget everything out there and help my team get the Cup.”

Galiev had 23 goals and 24 assists in 64 regular season ECHL games and added four goals and seven assists in 10 post-season contests.

Thanks to Emily B. from Japers’ Rink for the link.

CAPITALS

This news came out of nowhere.

The Summerside Journal Pioneer reports that the MHL’s Summerside Western Capitals might be moving. This comes just a couple weeks after hosting the RBC Cup.

The newspaper reports that the team has “given notice to the league that the team is now in the process of seeking another venue for the 2013-2014 junior A hockey season. The reason behind the move is a breakdown in negotiations between the city and management and owners of the team.”

The Caps have had plenty of Sea Dogs connections over the years.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Four Goal Leads Aren't Always Safe

Ed. Note: Each Friday, SN takes a look at a moment(s) in Sea Dogs history. In a continuing trend of random topics that make little sense to any current event, we look back at two wins featuring four goal leads from the 2007-08 season.

Earlier this season, the Saint John Sea Dogs blew a 5-1 mid-second period lead to fall to the Drummondville Voltigeurs 7-6 in a shootout. Back during the 2007-2008 campaign, two memorable matches featured some whacky events surrounding four goal leads as well.

Back on October 27, 2007, the Sea Dogs climbed out of a 5-1 second period lead themselves. It was easily one of the most entertaining games ever played by the Sea Dogs (at the time). This game is also high on our list of the greatest Alex Grant moments in team history.

Just how remarkable was this game at the time? Just look at the Sea Dogs’ website game recap opening paragraph:

Harbour Station bore witness to an event fraught with awesomeness on Saturday night, as the Saint John Sea Dogs earned their tenth win of the season in amazingly dramatic fashion, erasing a four-goal deficit in handing the St. John's Fog Devils a 6-5 shootout loss.