Notebook: Busy few days for Sea Dogs

Daniel St-Louis/Moncton Wildcats

It's going to be a busy few days for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Saint John is set to play three games in four days, beginning with a big Friday night showdown in Charlottetown. The Islanders currently sit first overall in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League standings with a 6-1-0-1 record.

The Sea Dogs enter Friday's game on a three-game winning streak, which included big weekend wins over the Moncton Wildcats and Chicoutimi Sagueneens. The Islanders, meanwhile, return home after an impressive 5-1-0-1 road stretch that included stops in Halifax, St. John's and Quebec. Friday's game will be just Charlottetown's second home contest of the year and first since opening night on Sept. 19.

Saint John will then host the Rimouski Oceanic on Saturday night and the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Thanksgiving Monday. The Monday contest will have a 3 p.m. start.

STRUGGLES VS SAGS

Here's a weird one: last Sunday's Sea Dogs win over the Sagueneens was the team's first home victory over Chicoutimi since the 2016-17 season.

The Sags had won seven straight games at TD Station, a streak that came to an end with a 6-5 Sea Dogs win on Sunday.

2025-26: 6-5 W

2024-25: 8-1 L

2023-24: 2-1 OTL

2022-23: 8-4 L

2021-22: 4-2 L

2020-21: No game

2019-20: 5-4 L

2018-19: 3-1 L

2017-18: 4-3 SOL

2016-17: 1-0 W

The Sea Dogs visit the Sagueneens on Dec. 11.

DOGS DAILY: Theede vs Bent

A couple of former Sea Dogs dropped the gloves on Tuesday night in Halifax.

During the first period of the Titan-Mooseheads games, Dawson Theede and Kelly Bent fought. Here’s video, via John Moore:

Theede was in Saint John’s lineup for the Bent/Veleno/Imama incident in December. Theede now has four fights this season.

Bathurst won the game 7-3, giving the Titan (4^th) a four-point lead over the Mooseheads (6^th) in the Maritimes Division standings.

In other news…

• Jason Bell, acquired by the Titan from the Sea Dogs during the holiday trading period, played in his second game with Bathurst on Tuesday night.
• The Titan are now 6-3-0-1 in their last 10 games. They don’t play the Sea Dogs again until Jan. 30 in Bathurst.
• Rogers TV colour commentator Craig Eagles has a blog post on Luke Green.
• Before Sunday’s game, Mathieu Joseph was named the Sea Dogs’ player of the month while Oliver Felixson was named the student of the month.
• The Florida Panthers’ 12-game winning streak came to an end last night with a 3-2 overtime loss in Vancouver. Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and led all Panther forwards in ice time (21:29) in a second star performance.

Sea Dogs Notebook

SHERBROOKE

The Sherbrooke Phoenix lost 8-1 to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar today, meaning they will remain just one-point ahead of the Sea Dogs for 15^th-place in the overall QMJHL standings.

The Phoenix have three games remaining in the regular season – all of them road games.

So with Saint John just one-point back, this makes tomorrow’s Sea Dogs game in Cape Breton a big one. Of Saint John’s final four games, the Eagles are the only opponent that sits below the Dogs in the standings. Game time in Sydney is 4pm tomorrow.

The Sea Dogs round out their schedule with games in Moncton, Halifax, and Charlottetown this week. 

AUGER

Goaltender Sebastien Auger has been Saint John’s most valuable player this season and he has the numbers to back it up.

Auger has the fourth best save percentage in the QMJHL at 0.908. The four netminders ahead of him – the Armada’s Etienne Marcoux, the Rocket’s Antoine Bibeau, and the Remparts’ Francois Brassard – all play for teams in the upper half of the league.

Auger has also played the second most minutes (3025:30) of any goaltender and has made the most saves (1,637).

GAGNE

The Anaheim Ducks officially announced the signing of former Sea Dogs defenseman Kevin Gagne on Wednesday. The 20-year old signed a three-year entry-level deal with the NHL club.

Contract details were not announced by the Ducks but Cap Geek does have them.

Since joining the Rimouski Oceanic in December, Gagne has six goals and 28 assists for 34 points in 27 games.

GALLANT

Some unfortunate news about former Sea Dog Brett Gallant who is currently with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Brett Gallant is out for the year. Shoulder surgery. #BST
— Michael Fornabaio (@fornabaioctp) March 7, 2013

According to the Connecticut Post, “Gallant suffered the injury Feb. 22 in Springfield, 17 days after signing his first NHL contract.”

According to HockeyFights.com, Gallant is second in the AHL in fights this season with 26. The Sound Tigers, the AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, lead the AHL in fights with 85.

Sea Dogs Notebook

TOMORROW

The Sea Dogs are back in action tomorrow night against the PEI Rocket. Game time is 7pm at Harbour Station.

Saint John will look to end a six-game losing skid while PEI has won three straight. Both teams have something to play for down the stretch – the Sea Dogs are trying to get into the playoffs and the Rocket are trying to get home-ice advantage in the first-round.

The Guardian reports today that forward Yan-Pavel Laplante is expected to make his season debut tomorrow. He has missed all season with a shoulder injury. He had 21 points in 57 games last year.

The Sea Dogs are asking fans to bring donations of nutritious cereal (pictured) or breakfast bars to tomorrow’s game. All cereal collected will go to the breakfast programs at seven Community/PALS Schools in the city of Saint John. The only request is that the cereals be healthy and nutritious.

STATS

Interesting piece of info in Sam Cosentino’s latest column over at Sportsnet.ca. The Sea Dogs have the best winning percentage in the Canadian Hockey League in games that go into extra time.

Saint John is 5-1 in overtime games and 3-0 in shootouts for a .889 winning percentage. Their only extra time loss came last Saturday in Shawinigan when the team lost in overtime.

The Barrie Colts are the second best team with a .833 winning percentage.

WECKWORTH

Sea Dogs defenseman David Weckworth has been named the Sea Dogs’ student of the month for January. Weckworth is a student at UNBSJ.

“The scholastic players UL Mutual demonstrate each and every month their commitment towards education. At UL Mutual, we encourage their good work”, said UL Mutual President and CEO, Jacques Desbiens, in a league release.

This initiative’s goal, which was developed by the QMJHL and its member clubs, is to recognize student athletes’ performances both on the ice and at school. The players are selected for their school results, their implication, the school-hockey conciliation, their team spirit and their on-ice performances.

HADE

The Sherbrooke Phoenix announced via their website on Tuesday that former Sea Dog Benjamin Hade has left the team. The defenseman was traded to Sherbrooke in exchange for a 2014 fourth-round pick during the holiday trading period.

Hade had a goal in eight games with Sherbrooke. He had an assist in 12 games with Saint John this season prior to being dealt.

Hade was a fourth-round pick of Saint John in the 2010 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Sea Dogs Notebook

TONIGHT

The Sea Dogs take on the Rimouski Oceanic in a rematch of the 2012 President’s Cup Final tonight at 8:30pm in Rimouski. They’ll face former teammate Kevin Gagne for the first time.

News 88.9’s Tim Roszell tweets that forward Matthew Highmore will not play this weekend due to a death in his family. Defensemen David Weckworth and Jurij Repe will not play due to injury.

Saint John’s road trip continues tomorrow in Victoriaville with a match against the Tigres and ends on Sunday in Sherbrooke against Benjamin Hade and the Phoenix.

TESINK

Ryan Tesink is off to a good start with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The St. Louis Blues prospect was traded to the Armada by Saint John in exchange for a 2013 first-round pick.

Tesink has a goal and three assists in four games with the Armada. He has been held pointless his past two games.

Here’s Tesink speaking to the media after his first game.

The Armada are third overall in the league with a 24-12-1-4 record.

STUDENT

Marcus Cuomo was named the Sea Dogs scholastic player of the month for December yesterday. He’s a St. Malachy's High School student.

Maxime Gravel – who was drafted by the Sea Dogs – was named Rimouski’s scholastic player of the month.

According to a release, “this initiative’s goal, which was developed by the QMJHL and its member clubs, is to recognize student athletes’ performances both on the ice and at school. The players are selected for their school results, their implication, the school-hockey conciliation, their team spirit and their on-ice performances.”

SEA DOGS NOTEBOOK

SAUVE SENT TO MOOSE
As we posted the other day, former Sea Dogs defenseman Yann Sauve was assigned to the Manitoba Moose last Thursday. The 20-year had been playing with the East Coast Hockey League’s Victoria Salmon Kings where he had two assists in seven games.

Sauve’s stint in the ECHL was believed to be for conditioning after finally recovering from a concussion he suffered in September. Now, the Vancouver Canucks must decide where to put Sauve for the rest of the season.

A second round pick of the Canucks in 2008, there have been rumblings of him possibly returning for a final year of junior in Saint John.

OKE NAMED TOP STUDENT
Sea Dogs forward Scott Oke was named the teams Student of the Month for November last week. Oke was presented with the honour at Harbour Station earier this month.

Oke is currently a 12th grade student at St. Malachy’s High School.

ISS FEATURES
Tomas Jurco was the lone Sea Dog to make International Scouting Service's list of top 30 prospects for the upcoming National Hockey League Entry Draft.

Jurco was placed in the No. 22 spot and joined Drummondville’s Sean Couturier, ranked first overall, as the only Quebec leaguers to make the list.

Four Sea Dogs – Jonathan Huberdeau, Zach Phillips, Guillaume Cloutier, and Scott Oke – were listed as “risers.” All four have a paragraph written about them on the Hockey’s Future website.

“Showed us a little more every viewing; played well with Kelly and Tesink,” says the scouting service about Scott Oke. “Showed better vision and passing ability then seen in early viewings; made a few smart 5 foot passes and a few good 30 foot passes, finding seams. Doesn't always see his options, but is showing more patience with puck. Worked hard and made the most of limited ice time...played 4th line with no PP or PK.”

JURCO ON TPS
Last week, Sea Dogs forward Tomas Jurco went on The Pipeline Show radio program. To download the interview, click HERE.

SAUVE NAMED STUDENT OF THE MONTH

After compiling the latest school results, team academic consultants from around the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today released the names of the scholastic players of the month for November.

The Saint John Sea Dogs' award winner this month is defensman Yann Sauve. The Vancouver Canucks prospect is highly regarded by his Kinesiology professor. He is very thorough and conscientious. He obtained excellent marks in his tests and assignments this fall, and is an excellent example for his younger teammates.

This is the first time Sauve has won the award. This initiative’s goal, which was developed by the QMJHL and its member clubs, is to recognize student athletes’ performances both on the ice and in the classroom.

Here is the listing of this month’s award winners:
Acadie-Bathurst Titan – Cameron Critchlow
Baie-Comeau Drakkar – Emrick Guillemette
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles – Logan Shaw
Chicoutimi Saguenéens – Antoine Roussel
Drummondville Voltigeurs – Alexandre Comtois
Gatineau Olympiques – Benjamin Laliberté
Halifax Mooseheads – Mathieu Corbeil-Thériault
Lewiston MAINEiacs – Mathieu Gingras
Moncton Wildcats – Olivier Daoust
Montreal Juniors – Matt Provost
P.E.I. Rocket – Christopher Guay
Quebec Remparts – Mikael Tam
Rimouski Océanic – William Plourde
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies – Jean-Sébastien Bérubé
Shawinigan Cataractes – Raphaël Pouliot
Val-d’Or Foreurs – Sean Coulton
Victoriaville Tigres – Joël Chouinard

SEA DOGS NOTEBOOK

OUELLET LEFT FOR FAMILY REASONS
Yesterday, the Sea Dogs announced that left winger Olivier Ouellet has left the team due "personal reasons." Associate coach and director of hockey operations Mike Kelly gave more details in today's Telegraph-Journal.

"It's not related to hockey,'' Kelly said Thursday. "He decided it was probably best to go home. It's hard to deal with family issues when you're not around family.''

Ouellet, who is from Drummondville, will miss tonight's game in his hometown. He will be out for an undisclosed amount of time. He was scratched last Saturday due to the flu and practised Wednesday.

STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Defenseman Pierre Durepos has been named the Sea Dogs Student of the Month for October. The rookie is a grade 12 student at St. Malachy's High School.

"Pierre has achieved excellent marks in his assignments and was identified by his instructors as an outstanding student," read a QMJHL press release. "He has an average of 85% in his courses."

To see the rest of award winners click HERE. Also, former Sea Dog and current Halifax Moosehead Pascal Amyot, received the Mooseheads' monthly academic honor.

ANTHONY NAMED STUDENT OF THE MONTH

The QMJHL released the list of the September student of the month award winners today. Third year forward Steven Anthony represents the Sea Dogs this month.

"Steven is taking two full-time courses at the University level. He has excellent marks in his assignments and was identified by his instructors as an outstanding student," said the press release.

He is currently attending the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. This past summer he was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks and currently is tied for the team scoring lead.

The QMJHL September students of the month can be seen below:
Acadie-Bathurst – Julien Tremblay
Baie-Comeau – Guillaume Goulet
Cape Breton – Myles Micallef
Chicoutimi – Pierre-Karl Marion
Drummondville – Philippe Bergeron
Gatineau – Vincent Barnard
Halifax – Alex Lemieux
Lewiston – Michael Chaput
Moncton – Matthew Bissonnette
Montreal – Guillaume Asselin
P.E.I. – Jérémi Janneteau
Quebec – Jean-Philippe Gagnon
Rimouski – Charles-Antoine Roy
Rouyn-Noranda – Jérôme Raymond
Saint John – Steven Anthony
Shawinigan – Michaël Bournival
Val-d’Or – Matthieu Thériault
Victoriaville – Olivier Jannard