Notebook: It's Bathurst... again

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs take on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan not once, but twice this weekend.

If you want to the Sea Dogs win games, this might be news for you. Saint John has yet to lose in regulation time against Bathurst this season. But if you want to see a variety of teams, this is not good news for you.

These two games with be the fifth and sixth meetings of the season between the Sea Dogs and Titan — a significant number given that it's just the first week of November.

Saint John is 3-0-0-1 against Bathurst this season.

The Sea Dogs host the Titan on Friday night before travelling to the KC Irving Regional Centre on Saturday for a 4 p.m. start.

Following this weekend's games, the Sea Dogs and Titan meet three more times this season: Dec. 31 in Saint John, Feb. 2 in Bathurst and March 14 in Saint John.

HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER

The Sea Dogs will be holding their annual Hockey Fights Cancer themed game on Friday. The team will be sporting pink/purple jerseys per usual.

#HockeyFightsCancer jerseys have arrived. 💜

Join us for the game this Friday, November 3rd against the @ABTitan. Jerseys will be raffled off in support of Breasts Ahoy, a breast cancer survivor dragon boat team.

🎟️: https://t.co/LvsBJIcMkg#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/ShQxuJawSe

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) October 30, 2023

Friday's match will also feature intermission performances from The Artificially Hip, a Tragically Hip cover band.

Notebook: Are Wildcats NB's most loved?

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Are the Moncton Wildcats New Brunswick's team?

According to this graphic shared by All Sports Culture on Instagram, the Wildcats are New Brunswick's most loved team. The only other CHL team that makes an appearance are the Charlottetown Islanders in Prince Edward Island.

The Wildcats own New Brunswick per this. pic.twitter.com/MHcL5nR8El

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) October 18, 2023

Attendance wise, it adds up compared to the Saint John Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst. But are the Wildcats more loved than an NHL team in New Brunswick?

TOP SCORERS

Peter Reynolds continues to lead the Sea Dogs in scoring this season, posting five goals and five assists for 10 points in nine games. His five goals also leads the team.

Behind Reynolds is a three-way tie for second in team scoring — Vince Elie (four goals and four assists), Eriks Mateiko (four goals and four assists) and Noah Reinhart (two goals and six assists) all have eight points each.

Reinhart's six assists is the most on the team.

On the backend, Joseph Ianniello leads the way offensively with six points (one goal and five assists).

STRONG START

How about Justin Robinson so far in his young QMJHL career?

The rookie netminder is 2-0 with a 1.42 goals against average and a .954 save percentage. He has recorded wins against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Val-d'Or Foreurs. He also stopped 25 of 27 shots in a relief appearance against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Sunday.

Robinson, 17, was a sixth-round pick of Saint John in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft. He spent last season playing with Amos in the Quebec under-18 circuit.

Notebook: Sea Dogs host Eagles in back-to-back this weekend

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - A couple of familiar faces will be on the ice at TD Station this weekend.

Former Saint John Sea Dogs forwards Cam MacDonald and Cole Burbidge will presumably be in the Cape Breton Eagles lineup on Friday and Saturday. MacDonald was released from his tryout with the Arizona Coyotes earlier this week.

MacDonald, who helped the Sea Dogs win the Memorial Cup in 2022, made his TD Station return last season when he was a member of the Gatineau Olympiques. Burbidge, who was traded to Cape Breton in August, will be playing his first game against Saint John.

Burbidge had an impressive first QMJHL season with the Sea Dogs last year, recording 19 goals and 50 points in 68 games. Like most players on the Eagles, he's been held pointless through the first two games of this season.

Cape Breton had a rough opening weekend, dropping back-to-back home games to the Moncton Wildcats and getting outscored 13-1 in the process. 

Both Friday and Saturday games are 7 p.m. starts.

THEME NIGHTS

The Sea Dogs have announced their first few theme nights of the season.

As was indicated on the TD Station boards, the Sea Dogs will welcome Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall on Oct. 21 and on Nov. 13, the Sea Dogs will host a Taylor Swift Tribute. Note that the Nov. 13 game is on a Monday (a holiday for many) at 2 p.m.

The team also announced on social media Wednesday that the club's Nov. 3 game against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan will be the annual Hockey Fights Cancer Game with performances by The Artificially Hip.

THN on the Q: QMJHL's opening weekend, new award and number retirements

.@willmacwriter and @station_nation analyze the opening weekend of the @QMJHL regular season, the Patrick Roy Trophy, MacKinnon and Pominville's number retirements and more: https://t.co/bPeCVgessv

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) September 27, 2023

Check out the full episode and subscribe on your preferred platform.

Notebook: It's (home) opening night

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will play their first of 34 regular season home games tonight at TD Station — and there will be a special guest in attendance.

The Sea Dogs announced Friday that wrestling legend Bret "The Hitman" Hart will be at the game. Hart does have a connection to junior hockey with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen having been named in his honour (Hart was one of the original investors in the team).

The Best There Is, the Best There Was, and the Best There Ever Will Be.

BREAKING: Bret "The Hitman" Hart will be in attendance for tomorrow's Home Opener. Tickets are ONLY $7.

🎟️: https://t.co/LvsBJIcMkg pic.twitter.com/icKF1Muv9U

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 22, 2023

There will also be a special offer available at the game. Fans can stop by Sea Dogs Central and purchase a $50 Sea Dogs store gift card that will include $50 worth of free 50/50 tickets. There are a limited quantity of gift cards available.

There will also be some new concession offerings to check out — including Maestro Fresh Wes inspired backbone sliders.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MAESTRO FRESH WES (@maestrofreshwes)

Puck drop between the Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan is 7 p.m.

MANN INJURED

Newly acquired defenseman Matteo Mann will be unavailable for the Sea Dogs longer than expected.

Mann was likely going to miss the start of the season while attending Philadelphia Flyers rookie and training camp but an injury will sideline the big defender even longer. Postmedia (paywall) reported this week that Mann will miss all of September and much of October with a shoulder injury he suffered at Flyers rookie camp.

Mann was acquired by the Sea Dogs from the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in late August but did not appear in any pre-season games with Saint John.

Notebook: Changes at TD Station

Fans will notice a few changes to the TD Station concessions when the Saint John Sea Dogs open their regular season home schedule on Saturday.

The most obvious is the relocation of Tim Hortons, which has moved from its spot behind/above the Ice Bar to a more spacious location behind/above the visitor's bench. The new Tims accepts debit/credit, which was not available at its previous location.

Only a couple of the main concessions — which were OVG360 branded, the new operator of TD Station — were open during the pre-season but it looks like some new menu items have been added. We'll see what other changes have been made on Saturday.

The Sea Dogs begin regular season play on Friday in Bathurst before returning home to host the Titan on Saturday at 7 p.m.

While nothing has been officially announced, tickets for Saturday's game are listed for just $8.05 on the TD Station website. Parking is listed at $7, a $2 increase from the pre-season and last season.

SCOUTING CHANGES

The Sea Dogs announced a number of changes to their scouting staff last week.

From the Sea Dogs website:

• Justin Landry has been promoted to assistant to the general manager
• Marc-Olivier Heredia has been promoted to head of player personnel and head scout
• Chris Hatzitolios has been promoted to hockey operations assistant
• Sean Mundey and Andy Lehoux will return to the scouting staff. Senior advisor Wayne Mundey is also back.
• Trevor Scott has been hired as a scout

OUR 18

The Sea Dogs were featured in the league's "My 18" season preview series on Sunday.

Now entering Year 2 following their Memorial Cup win, the @SJSeaDogs will look to continue climbing up the standings this season! ⬆️

🗒️ : https://t.co/5C1s2dluZ4#Pogo | #Our18 pic.twitter.com/BJAWSnRLNF

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) September 17, 2023

BREEN NAMED CAPTAIN

Lynden Breen of Grand Bay-Westfield has been named one of the captain's of the University of Maine Black Bears men's hockey team for the upcoming season.

Introducing the Captains of your 2023-24 Maine Black Bears 🫡

📝: https://t.co/h8RrfMrNW0#blackbearnation | #JourneyNorth pic.twitter.com/A0Gv3D374X

— Maine Men’s Ice Hockey (@MaineIceHockey) September 14, 2023

Breen, who wore an 'A' last season, recorded 21 goals and 15 assists in 36 games with the Black Bears last year, his third with Maine.

Notebook: Dixon takes over Gryphons

University of Guelph

Josh Dixon has been named head coach of the University of Guelph men's hockey team.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs head coach joins the Gryphons after spending the past two seasons as an associate coach with the WHL's Prince George Cougars.

"It is an honour to join the University of Guelph Gryphons and such an impressive athletics department with an established tradition of success, both in student-athlete development and experience in addition to championship achievement at both the provincial and national levels," said Dixon in a news release. "I look forward to the opportunity to lead the men's hockey program back to national prominence and be a part of the excellent culture the Gryphons have created."

Dixon has previous coaching experience at the university level, working with Carleton, Calgary and Mount Royal as an assistant coach.

Dixon spent parts of three seasons with the Sea Dogs before being fired during the 2019-20 season. His numbers in Saint John were less than impressive as he worked with a young and rebuilding team.

The Gryphons have been a strong program over the past decade or so but have had a couple of off years coming out of the pandemic. 

HEAD COACH HIRES

Speaking of head coaches, some hires have been made around the QMJHL.

The biggest is in Quebec City where the rebuilding Remparts will be led by veteran QMJHL coach Eric Veilleux, the team announced Thursday. Veilleux was the long-time head coach of the Shawinigan Cataractes and has also worked as a head coach with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Halifax Mooseheads. He has spent the past four seasons as an assistant with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch.

Two long-time assistant coaches in the QMJHL have been given head coaching opportunities. Benoit Desrosiers will lead the Gatineau Olympiques while Mathieu Turcotte will run the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada bench.

The hires leave the Halifax Mooseheads, Cape Breton Eagles, Sherbrooke Phoenix and Rimouski Oceanic as teams without head coaches at the moment. The Eagles are reportedly close to making an announcement.

#BREAKING: The Cape Breton Eagles have a coach picked and are finishing up the hiring process now. Announcement expected early next week.@capebretonpost #Eagles #CapeBreton #QMJHL

— Luke Dyment (@lwdyment) July 6, 2023

Notebook: Development camp underway

QUISPAMSIS, NB - The Saint John Sea Dogs got the on-ice portion of their 2023 summer development camp underway on Saturday at the qplex.

Goaltenders, defensemen and forwards took to the ice in separate sessions in the morning. Later in the day, the three groups combined to take part in a couple hours of practices.

The sessions allowed Sea Dogs management and fans to see some of the team's top prospects on the ice together for the first time, including 2023 second-round picks Egan Beveridge, Olivier Duhamel and Benjamin Amyot. The full roster of invitees can be found here.

Sea Dogs 2nd round American draft selection Daniel Daley, from Franklin HS is also in attendance and is looking equally as impressive.

Love this drill, by the way. pic.twitter.com/DSxSI1amxb

— Brayden Olafson (@olaf1393) June 24, 2023

The group attended the Sea Dogs Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday night. Development camp continues on Sunday with a 9 a.m. practice and a 10:30 a.m. 3-on-3 series at the qplex.

This is the first time the Sea Dogs have held a development camp since 2019 due to the pandemic.

COYLE SPEAKS

One video that didn't make it into Friday night's Sea Dogs Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Gerard Gallant and Mike Kelly was this message from Charlie Coyle.

Messages from Sea Dogs alumni are starting to come in ahead of tonight's Sea Dogs Hall of Fame induction ceremony!@NHLBruins | @CharlieCoyle_3 pic.twitter.com/oQ7en6hiCs

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) June 23, 2023

Coyle, now a member of the Boston Bruins, joined the Sea Dogs for the second half of the 2011-12 season and was named the QMJHL's playoff MVP.

Notebook: Everblades take ECHL title

ECHL

The Florida Everblades are, once again, Kelly Cup champions.

The Everblades clinched their second consecutive ECHL title on Friday night, completing a sweep of the No. 1 ranked Idaho Steelheads. Idaho finished the regular season with 119 points while Florida finished 11th in the league's overall standings with 85.

Florida won last year's league title by defeating the Toledo Walleye in five games in the league final.

Florida's roster includes former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier LeBlanc, who appeared in just one post-season game. The 27-year-old, who also spent three seasons at UNB before turning pro, appeared in 10 regular season games with Florida, recording one assist.

This past season, LeBlanc also played 39 games with the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings and seven matches with the AHL's Cleveland Monsters.

BEVERIDGE VIDEO

From John Moore, here's Egan Beveridge talking about joining the Sea Dogs at Saturday's QMJHL Entry Draft.

Notebook: Laforge Memorial Cup jersey up for sale

An interesting find on eBay recently: someone is selling a Nico Laforge jersey from Saint John's first game of the 2022 Memorial Cup. The asking price is just under $1,400 Canadian.

Laforge did not play in that game or in any games at last year's Memorial Cup.

"Not worn by player but appears to have been washed by the team," notes the seller.

LAWRENCE HONOURED

Former Sea Dogs forward Josh Lawrence was named to the CHL's second all-star team on Thursday.

Here's your CHL Second All-Star Team! #CHLAwards pic.twitter.com/9R6DZkGeOc

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) June 1, 2023

Lawrence posted 50 goals and 119 points (his second straight season of 100+ points) in 69 games split between the Halifax Mooseheads and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He added 12 goals and 31 points in 21 playoff games.

Lawrence's teammates were also honoured. Jordan Dumais was named a first team all-star while Alexandre Doucet was on the third all-star squad.

Notebook: Lawrence takes over scoring lead

CHL TV

Following a three-point performance on Saturday, former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Josh Lawrence now leads the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in playoff scoring.

After being held pointless in Game 1, Lawrence recorded a goal and two assists in the Halifax Mooseheads' 6-3 win over the Quebec Remparts at Videotron Centre. The victory evens up the best-of-seven Gilles Courteau Trophy final at 1-1.

The 20-year-old now has 10 goals and 18 assists in 17 games this post-season. Lawrence also continues to take the majority of important faceoffs for the Mooseheads, taking 30 in Game 1 and 29 in Game 2.

Josh Lawrence takes the lead in the playoff scoring race with his 10th! 🔥 That’s five unanswered for the Moose! #QPlayoffs | @HFXMooseheads pic.twitter.com/Hzm5FGkHsy

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) May 14, 2023

Lawrence finished the regular season with 119 points - second only to his teammate, Jordan Dumais. With Dumais out of the lineup since Game 2 of the semifinals, much of the Mooseheads offence has been led by Lawrence and Alexandre Doucet.

The league final now shifts to Halifax where Games 3 and 4 will be played Tuesday and Wednesday night, respectively. All remaining games of the series will be broadcast by TSN.

WHO'S LEFT?

Of the four teams who played in the QMJHL semifinals, two of them have never faced the Sea Dogs in the playoffs.

The Sea Dogs have never faced the Quebec Remparts or the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the Gilles Courteau Trophy playoffs. The Remparts are the lone Eastern Conference franchise the Sea Dogs have never met in the post-season. Saint John has never played the Charlottetown Islanders either, but they did meet twice when the franchise was known as the PEI Rocket.

In the Western Conference, the Sea Dogs have never played the Phoenix of the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Notebook: Three ex-Dogs remain in race for Gilles Courteau Trophy

Gatineau Olympiques

Only three former Saint John Sea Dogs remain in the Gilles Courteau Trophy playoffs.

Josh Lawrence of the Halifax Mooseheads and Joshua Roy of the Sherbrooke Phoenix are currently in a battle to grab the second spot in the QMJHL championship series. The winner will face Charles Savoie and the Quebec Remparts in the final round.

The Remparts eliminated Cam MacDonald and the Gatineau Olympiques earlier this week. MacDonald, who the Sea Dogs dealt to Gatineau during the holiday trade period, had five goals and three assists in 13 playoff games.

A fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021, MacDonald remains unsigned by the NHL club, meaning he could return to the QMJHL as an overager next season.

Here's an updated look at how former Sea Dogs have performed in the QMJHL playoffs so far.

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Joshua Roy	SHE	12	12	12	24
Josh Lawrence	HAL	13	8	15	23
Cam MacDonald	GAT	13	5	3	8
Charles Savoie	QUE	12	2	5	7
Marshall Lessard	BAC	6	1	2	3
Connor Trenholm	MON	12	0	3	3
Leighton Carruthers	ROU	8	0	0	0
Simon Hughes	CHA	4	0	0	0

Rouyn-Noranda goaltender Thomas Couture finished 4-5 with a 3.93 goals against average and a .883 save percentage in nine playoff games.

VELENO HEADED TO WORLDS

Former Sea Dogs forward Joe Veleno has been named to Hockey Canada's roster for the upcoming IIHF World Championship in Finland and Latvia.

This will be the first time Veleno has played for Canada at the men's worlds. The 23-year-old has represented Canada at the under-20, under-18 and under-17 levels.

The former Sea Dogs captain appeared in 81 games with the Detroit Red Wings this past season, recording nine goals and 11 assists. Detroit's general manager, Steve Yzerman, is an associate general manager with Team Canada.

Canada begins the tournament May 12 against Latvia.

Notebook: Wildcats win lottery

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

The Moncton Wildcats were the winners of Wednesday's QMJHL Draft Lottery.

The Wildcats had the second best odds of winning the draft lottery behind the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, who will be picking second. Moncton hasn't selected first overall since 2018 when they drafted defenseman Brandon Gormley.

Here's who will (currently) be picking in the top-five of June's QMJHL Entry Draft.

1st pick – Moncton Wildcats (from Val-d’Or)

2nd pick – Chicoutimi Saguenéens (from Acadie-Bathurst)

3rd pick – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada

4th pick – Val-d’Or Foreurs (from Saint John)

5th pick – Rimouski Océanic (from Charlottetown)

Val-d'Or's pick was originally Saint John's and was dealt to the Foreurs in the Jonathan Lemieux trade.

At this time, it looks like forward Caleb Desnoyers will be picked first overall. Desnoyers' older brother, Elliot Desnoyers, was taken 18th overall by the Wildcats in the 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft and was traded to the Halifax Mooseheads two seasons later.

The 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft takes place Saturday, June 10 in Sherbrooke.

FIRST ROUND PICKS

Here's how the first round of this year's QMJHL Entry Draft is currently scheduled to go. There will no doubt be some trades and movement.

L’ordre de sélection de la première ronde pour le repêchage de la LHJMQ

1st round draft order for the QMJHL Draft #Qdraft @ScoutingService pic.twitter.com/2L9lpKv3hQ

— Jérôme Bérubé (@Jerome_Berube) April 26, 2023

Chicoutimi has two compensation picks for players who did not report to the club. The rights of those players have been relinquished. 

Catching up on some news

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko and Team Latvia fell to 0-2 at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship on Friday.

The Latvians fell 5-2 to Finland a day after opening the tournament with a 7-1 loss to the United States.

Mateiko, who is captaining Latvia, was held pointless in 19:01 of ice time. He recorded one shot on goal while playing on the team's top line - a line that includes Kristers Ansons, the brother of former Sea Dogs forward Raivis Ansons.

Latvia returns to action on Sunday, taking on host Switzerland.

Sea Dogs forward Pavel Simek and Team Czechia are back in action on Saturday, taking on Germany. Czechia dropped their opener 3-2 in a shootout to Slovakia on Thursday.

Team Canada, meanwhile, rebounded from an ugly 8-0 loss to Sweden on Thursday with an 8-0 win over Germany on Friday. Victoriaville Tigres goaltender Gabriel D'Aigle, the only QMJHL player on the Canadian roster, was the backup.

Some other notes on this Friday evening...

• The Halifax Mooseheads can secure a spot in the QMJHL semifinals with a win over the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Centre. The Mooseheads took a 3-1 series lead on Thursday, defeating the Wildcats 3-0. Josh Lawrence was held pointless in the win.
• Les 2 Rives has a story on Sea Dogs forward Alexis Cournoyer and his solid season.
• The Chicoutimi Sagueneens will release the rights of first-round pick Sacha Boisvert and receive a first-round pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft as compensation. Boisvert spent this past season in the USHL and has committed to the University of North Dakota. UND is one of the premier college hockey programs but rarely recruits from QMJHL territory. 
• CBC Nova Scotia spoke with Sea Dogs forward Brady Burns about his friend and fellow Nova Scotian Jacob Quillan, who scored the overtime winner in the NCAA championship game.
• The NCAA men's hockey final had record TV ratings on ESPN. TSN owns the NCAA hockey rights in Canada (along with the CHL rights) and only aired the game online through TSN+.
• In the Maritime Hockey League final, Ben Roode and the Yarmouth Mariners carry a 3-0 series lead over Brandon Casey and the Edmundston Blizzard heading into action Friday.
• In Ontario, former Sea Dogs forward Jacob Chantler and the St. Marys Lincolns were eliminated in the conference championship of the GOJHL playoffs. Chantler had two goals and 12 assists in 13 playoff games with the Lincolns.
• Former Sea Dogs defenseman Matt Murphy will be working with the Champions Hockey spring and summer program this off-season. Murphy spent parts of this past season in the AHL, ECHL and Austria.
• It feels like the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads are entering an important season off the ice.
• Cape Breton's Centre 200 needs some upgrades, reports CTV Atlantic.
• Bill Schurman has passed away. Schurman, a PEI native, spent many years involved with the QMJHL, working in front offices in Moncton and Lewiston and most recently in Charlottetown's Eastlink Centre.
• On this week's episode of The Hockey News on the Q, Will MacLaren and I discuss the QMJHL playoffs, awards season, St. Louis Blues prospects and Cole Burbidge.

.@willmacwriter and @station_nation discuss the second round of the QMJHL playoffs, the @QMJHL Awards, @StLouisBlues prospects and more: https://t.co/v3KgaHQtSo

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) April 19, 2023

Notebook: McCluskey pushes Bearcats to first round MHL series win

UNB Athletics

HALIFAX - Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Carter McCluskey played a key role in getting the Truro Bearcats into the second round of the Maritime Hockey League playoffs.

McCluskey, who appeared in 22 games with the Cape Breton Eagles earlier this season, recorded four goals and two assists in just three games, helping lift the Bearcats to a 4-2 series win over the Valley Wildcats.

Those numbers included scoring the overtime winner in Game 5 on Sunday.

Carter McCluskey with a statement in his return with a first star performance(2G 1A) which included this overtime winner in front of 1200 strong at the RECC! We can close out the series Tuesday night in Berwick! #ExpectToWin pic.twitter.com/SCBbhpGNeK

— Truro Junior ‘A’ Bearcats (@trurobearcats) March 27, 2023

McCluskey, Cael MacDonald and the Bearcats will face Ben Roode and the Yarmouth Mariners in the next round.

The other series will feature the Edmundston Blizzard (Brandon Casey) facing either the Summerside Western Capitals or Campbellton Tigers (Connor Richard and Dawson Stairs). The Capitals host the Tigers in a Game 7 on Friday.

FINAL RANKINGS

The Gatineau Olympiques finished the regular season fourth in the QMJHL standings but have been ranked No. 1 in the final edition of the CHL Top 10.

Three other QMJHL teams were ranked as well.

The @OlympiquesGAT finish 🔝 of the @KiaCanada CHL Top 🔟 rankings!

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) March 28, 2023 

Sea Dogs in control entering final weekend

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The final weekend of the regular season has arrived. The big question is: will the Saint John Sea Dogs be playing next weekend?

Things are looking good for the Sea Dogs. Saint John sits 15th in the overall standings with 53 points, one-point up on the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and Val-d'Or Foreurs. The top-16 teams qualify for the playoffs.

The Sea Dogs have two games remaining - Friday in Charlottetown and Saturday at home against Bathurst. Blainville-Boisbriand has two games remaining - a home-and-home with Gatineau - while Val-d'Or plays their final game on Saturday at home against Rouyn-Noranda.

There are a number of scenarios for Saint John to clinch a playoff spot this weekend - and there are a few where they could miss. But, with a one-point lead and two games to play, the Sea Dogs control their own destiny.

Here are a few other things to note heading into the final couple games...

• The Sea Dogs visit the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. Saint John is 11-17-4-1 on the road.
• Saint John is 5-3-0-0 against Charlottetown this year, already clinching the season series.
• Note that Saturday's home game against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan is a 4 p.m. start. All 18 teams are in action on Saturday afternoon.
• The Sea Dogs are 4-3-3-0 in their last 10 games, a stretch that has put them into a playoff position. In the Telegraph-Journal (paywall), Kevin Barrett details how this recent run is a rare accomplishment for a rebuilding Sea Dogs team.
• This will be the final weekend of regular season play for Sea Dogs overagers Brady Burns, Charlie DesRoches and Alex Drover. The departure of Burns and DesRoches, who were part of Saint John's big 2018 draft class, truly signals the end of an era.
• Burns enters the weekend in a tie with Jonathan Huberdeau for the franchise record in career points with 257.
• The Sea Dogs have technically not missed the playoffs since the 2018-19 season. There were no playoffs in 2019-20 but the team would have qualified. The 2020-21 COVID season had the provincial tournament thing which were classified as playoff games. Saint John has not won a playoff round, though, since lifting the President Cup in 2017.
• If the Sea Dogs do qualify for the playoffs, they'll be crossing over to the Western Conference and play either Joshua Roy's Sherbrooke Phoenix or Cam MacDonald's Gatineau Olympiques. Not an easy task.
• The Phoenix defeated the Olympiques 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday, ending Gatineau's 21-game winning streak. The two are tied atop the Western Conference with 101 points.
• On this week's episode of The Hockey News on the Q, Will MacLaren and I are joined by Gatineau forward and world junior gold medalist Zach Dean. We also discuss the potential fighting ban and the league's playoff race.

.@willmacwriter and @station_nation chat with @OlympiquesGAT forward Zach Dean, analyze the likely new @QMJHL fighting rules, @mnwild prospects and more: https://t.co/TBLU2Nd263

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) March 22, 2023

Notebook: Sea Dogs rookies impressing

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

First-year players are making an impact for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Heading into Wednesday's action, seven Sea Dogs sit in the top-21 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League rookie scoring.

4. Cole Burbidge - 18 goals, 29 assists, 47 points

7. Noah Reinhart - 16 goals, 25 assists, 41 points

10. Nicolas Bilodeau - nine goals, 31 assists, 40 points

13. Eriks Mateiko - 16 goals, 17 assists, 33 points

15. Pavel Simek - 12 goals, 16 assists, 28 points

18. Vince Elie - nine goals, 16 assists, 25 points

21. Nate Tivey - two goals, 22 assists, 24 points

Six of Saint John's top-nine scorers are rookies.

Bilodeau sits second in assists amongst all QMJHL rookies while Burbidge is fourth.

Bilodeau also continues to lead all QMJHL rookie defensemen in scoring.

While it is worth noting that none of these players are "true rookies" (i.e. 16-year-olds who were drafted last summer), the success of these first-year players certainly provides some optimism for Saint John's rebuild. The discovering of players like Reinhart, Tivey, Joseph Ianniello and others is also impressive.

ISLES INCOMING

The Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders will become quite familiar with each other before the season ends.

Following Tuesday night's meeting in Charlottetown, the Islanders travel to Saint John this Sunday for a 3 p.m. matchup with the Sea Dogs. Then next Friday, March 24, the Sea Dogs play their final regular season road game of the year at the Eastlink Centre.

Following Tuesday's 7-2 win, the Sea Dogs are 4-3-0-0 against the Islanders this season.

Notebook: New playoff logo unveiled

The President Cup playoffs have a new name and look.

With the QMJHL's championship trophy being renamed in honour of retiring commissioner Gilles Courteau, the league released a new logo for this year's post-season, which will begin just over a month from now.

As sportslogos.net breaks down, the logo is quite similar to last year's.

The QMJHL has released a new playoff logo following the renaming of their championship trophy from the President Cup to the Gilles Courteau Trophy for 2023.

Story, history here: https://t.co/6bFmwFj6jm pic.twitter.com/gSAaYwHACe

— Chris Creamer (@sportslogosnet) February 21, 2023

The QMJHL's regular season ends on Saturday, March 25. The Sea Dogs host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 4 p.m. that day.

NEW POD EPISODE

This week on The Hockey News on the Q podcast, Will MacLaren and I discuss the sale of the Halifax Mooseheads; the race for the final playoff spots; QMJHL players in the Arizona Coyotes system; and much more.

The @HFXMooseheads have a new majority owner. @willmacwriter and @station_nation break that down along with the @QMJHL playoff race, #Yotes prospects and more: https://t.co/Y8oGGNrEEL

— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) February 22, 2023 

What could Mooseheads' sale mean for Q?

Halifax Mooseheads

HALIFAX - In a surprising announcement made Tuesday morning, Halifax Mooseheads majority owner Bobby Smith announced he's sold his stake in the team to Michigan-based businessman Sam Simon.

Simon is the founder and chairman of Simon Group Holdings, a portfolio that includes Atlas Oil. He and his son Peter Simon, who will assist in operating the team, will remain based in Michigan. Peter will travel with the Mooseheads on their Quebec road trip this week, reports the Chronicle Herald.

Get to know the new majority owners of your Halifax Mooseheads in a recap of today's historic announcement for the franchise. #GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/TAAX0pbglm

— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) February 21, 2023

This could impact the entire QMJHL in a number of ways. 

• While financial terms were not disclosed, this deal sets some sort of ballpark range for what junior hockey teams are worth right now in this post-pandemic world.
• The Mooseheads are obviously quite influential and what they do moving forward will likely be followed by other teams.
• Having owners who are not closely connected to the league or region is quite interesting - and could provide some much needed fresh ideas and plans to junior hockey.
• It's fair to say that Bobby Smith was a powerful and influential owner in the QMJHL. He was also quite involved with the Mooseheads' on-ice product. Smith and commissioner Gilles Courteau departing will be quite a change for the league.

It was all smiles at Tuesday's press conference, but plenty of fans have voiced some worries about what the future could bring.

L'Heureux gets 10 games for fan incident

Halifax Mooseheads

Zachary L'Heureux has been suspended 10 games by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The suspension comes a week after the Halifax Mooseheads forward was involved in a post-game altercation with fans at the Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau.

Primeur : J’ai obtenu une vidéo qui montre que Zachary L’Heureux (@HFXMooseheads) passe son bâton entre la porte et la bande et il semble tenter de frapper des partisans. @OlympiquesGAT @LHJMQ pic.twitter.com/AHOG7Z21uh

— Yanick St-Denis (@StDenis1047) February 10, 2023

From the league's news release:

Here is the rationale that led to the decision:

As demonstrated in the new video footage obtained by the League, the player’s gesture which occurred following the game simply cannot be tolerated by the QMJHL. Moreover, since the player has been suspended on several occasions, he is considered as a repeat offender.

The Director of Player Safety came to this decision after reviewing the video of the incident, talking to the player and the organization involved and after consulting with the Advisory Committee for disciplinary action.

For L'Heureux, a first-round pick of the Nashville Predators, this is the ninth suspension of his QMJHL career. He has 18 goals and 19 assists in just 24 games this season. He missed much of the first half with an injury.

According to the Mooseheads website, "L’Heureux was originally handed an indefinite suspension on Friday and sat out the remaining two games of the Mooseheads’ road trip. He will be eligible to return to the lineup on Thursday, March 9th in Acadie-Bathurst."