Saturday stuff: Ice on the move

The Winnipeg Ice are no more.

After a couple years of relocation speculation, the Western Hockey League announced the sale of the Ice franchise on Friday. The team will move to Wenatchee, Washington where they'll become the Wenatchee Wild, replacing the city's existing BCHL team.

The Ice moved from Cranbrook, BC to Winnipeg in 2019 on the promise of a major junior sized arena being built in the Manitoba capital's suburbs. No solid agreements were ever reached on a new rink and shovels were never close to being put in the ground. After four seasons of playing at the University of Manitoba's 1,600-seat rink, the Ice have been sold and are moving back to the Pacific time zone.

pic.twitter.com/VVwZHjHRgC

— Winnipeg ICE (@WHLWpgICE) June 16, 2023

The entire situation is likely a cautionary tale for all three CHL circuits: it's probably best not to relocate a team unless a suitable rink is already built or shovels are in the ground.

The Wenatchee WHL franchise will play out of the Town Toyota Center, a 4,300-seat facility that opened in 2008. Wenatchee is located between Seattle and Spokane and north of Kennewick (where Tri-City plays), making the team a natural fit in the league's American division.

While the Ice could never get things sorted off the ice, they were quite successful on it. The team has had back-to-back 50-win seasons and lost to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL final this year. They have some pieces returning but are likely in for a long rebuild at some point due to a lack of draft picks.

The Wenatchee Wild and OHL's Brantford Bulldogs (formerly the Hamilton Bulldogs) will be the only CHL teams in new homes in 2023-24.

Notebook: Let's talk ECHL playoffs

The Florida Everblades are one win away from hoisting the ECHL's Kelly Cup.

While he's only appeared in one playoff game, the Everblades' roster does include former Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier LeBlanc. 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.

Florida currently leads the Idaho Steelheads 3-0 in the best-of-seven final heading into Friday night's Game 4. The Steelheads finished first in the ECHL's regular season standings with 58 wins and 119 points. Florida finished with 85 points.

The AHL's Calder Cup final will not feature any former Sea Dogs. That series, which begins Thursday night, will see the Hershey Bears take on the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

WHERE'D THEY COME FROM?

The Sea Dogs, at this time, will select three times in the second round of Saturday's QMJHL Entry Draft. None of those picks, however, are their own.

Here's where each came from:

• Round 2, 30th overall — originally Baie-Comeau's, the Sea Dogs acquired the pick in the deal that sent Marshall Lessard to the Drakkar last fall.
• Round 2, 33rd overall — originally Moncton's, the Sea Dogs acquired the pick in the deal that sent Connor Trenholm to the Wildcats during this past season's holiday trade period.
• Round 2, 40th overall — originally Quebec's, the Sea Dogs acquired this pick from the Gatineau Olympiques on Wednesday to wrap up the Cam MacDonald deal that was made during the holiday trade period.

Saint John's first round pick (fourth overall) in this year's draft is currently in the hands of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, who acquired the selection in a major trade with the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Wednesday. Saint John's original second round pick (24th overall) is currently owned by the Cape Breton Eagles.

League championship series are set

Seattle Thunderbirds

The Memorial Cup host team has once again come up short in winning their league championship.

The Kamloops Blazers, who will host the Canadian Hockey League's championship tournament later this month, fell in six games to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Hockey League's Western Conference final. The Thunderbirds and their stacked lineup will face the Winnipeg Ice, the CHL's No. 1 ranked team for much of the season, in the WHL final.

The past 13 Memorial Cup host teams have come up short in winning their league championship. The last team to do it were the 2008 Kitchener Rangers, who went on to lose to the Spokane Chiefs in the national final.

The last host team to win both their league championship and the Memorial Cup were the 2005 London Knights, arguably the best junior hockey team of all-time.

The Blazers, who dropped Game 6 on home ice Monday night, won't play again until May 26 when they host the QMJHL champions to open the tournament. Kamloops' break is significantly shorter than what the Saint John Sea Dogs went through last year after losing in the first round.

The Blazers, led by the likes of Logan Stankoven and Olen Zellweger, have a team that is certainly capable of winning the Memorial Cup on home ice. The Sea Dogs (2022), Windsor Spitfires (2017) and Shawinigan Cataractes (2012) have all done so recently as host teams - and all three missed out on playing in their league final.

The WHL final between the Thunderbirds and Ice begins Friday in Winnipeg - but not at the 1,400-seat Wayne Fleming Arena. The Ice announced Monday that their home games for the championship series will be played at the Canada Life Centre, home of the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose. Both the Jets and Moose have been eliminated from the playoffs.

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.

Bedard show carries Pats to upset win

REGINA - Greetings from Regina, where all the talk at the hotel restaurant this morning was about the show Connor Bedard put on last night.

Trailing 3-0 in the second period, Bedard posted five points - four goals and an assist - to lift the Regina Pats to a 5-3 win over the CHL No. 1 ranked Winnipeg Ice at the Brandt Centre. His fourth goal was an empty netter that came off a nice shot block by teammate Tanner Howe.

TSN's "Bad for Bedard" song, which was created for Friday's NHL trade deadline, was shown on the big screen during the second intermission on Friday.

Bedard now has 58 goals and 119 points in just 46 Western Hockey League games this season. He leads the entire CHL in points and goals. He is sixth in assists (61).

A lock to be the top pick in this year's NHL Draft, Bedard could reach the 60-goal mark this weekend with two more big upcoming games. After hosting Winnipeg on Friday (first in the Eastern Conference with 97 points), they host the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday (third, 82 points) and Saskatoon Blades on Sunday (second, 85 points).

It was a bit of a statement victory for the Pats on Friday. Winners of five straight, Regina sits sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 30-24-2-1 record. They have 11 games remaining in the regular season.

Notebook: Q players shine in Canada win

MONCTON - Quebec Major Junior Hockey League players impressed in Team Canada's 6-0 pre-tournament win over Switzerland on Monday night at Avenir Centre.

Canada's third line of Joshua Roy (Sherbrooke), Nathan Gaucher (Quebec) and Zach Dean (Gatineau) created Canada's first two goals in the 6-0 victory.

“[Dean, Gaucher and Roy] set the tone for us," said Canada head coach Dennis Williams after the game. "They were grinding their opponents, working together and feeding off each other. [Establishing chemistry] is never an issue when you come to an event like this. Everyone is coming from across the country and different leagues, but we are all here for a common goal. It’s one team and one country, and you could see a lot of that chemistry on all our lines tonight.”

A few other notes from the game...

• There is clear chemistry between Shane Wright and Connor Bedard on Canada's top line. Wright had two goals and an assist while Bedard had three helpers.
• Roy is one of four players on Team Canada who was a first overall pick in a CHL league draft. Roy was taken first overall by Saint John in the 2019 QMJHL Entry Draft.
• Switzerland featured an all-QMJHL top line of Attilio Biasca (Halifax), Jonas Taibel (Moncton) and Louis Robin (Val-d'Or).
• There were loud cheers for Taibel and fellow Wildcat Miles Muller when the rosters were announced in the building.
• Sea Dogs defenseman Vincent Despont was listed on Switzerland's fourth pairing (all players were permitted to dress). He didn't play a ton.

Canada faces Simon Nemec and Slovakia in pre-tournament play on Wednesday in Moncton. Nemec was taken second overall by the New Jersey Devils in this year's NHL Draft. He was also selected fourth overall by the Cape Breton Eagles in the 2021 CHL Import Draft.

BIG CROWDS AND LINES

The qplex in Quispamsis was packed for Monday's world junior pre-tournament game between the United States and Finland. The US won 5-2 on the strength of three second period goals.

Packed house in the QPlex tonight as the United States plays Finland for or-tournament action ahead of the World Junior Hockey Championship #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/pGARYnvzUB

— Matthew Daigle (@MatthewDaigle17) December 19, 2022

In Moncton on Monday, the Avenir Centre was packed (or very close to it) for the first of two Canada pre-tournament games that will be held at the venue. There were long lines outside the building prior to doors opening which... were kind of solved by people getting out of the line and walking around to different entrances.

Line goes all the way to the big garage doors in the back of the building pic.twitter.com/gRdiAyOMLE

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) December 19, 2022

The full schedule for Moncton's "World Juniors Community Festival" can be found online.

Bulldogs advance to OHL final; Ice eliminated by Oil Kings

OHL website

The Hamilton Bulldogs are rolling into the Ontario Hockey League final while one of the Canadian Hockey League's top-ranked teams has had their season come to an end.

The Bulldogs completed a sweep of the North Bay Battalion Friday night, winning the OHL's Eastern Conference and earning a spot in the OHL final. The Bulldogs became just the third team in OHL history to start the playoffs with a perfect 12-0 record.

12-0
60 GOALS FOR
21 GOALS AGAINST
3 SHUTOUTS
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY, THE HAMILTON BULLDOGS ARE YOUR EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS!🎉🎉#DawgMentality | #BeTheHammer pic.twitter.com/2XEIHAcgeB

— Xyz - Hamilton Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) May 28, 2022

It's the second time the team has won the Eastern Conference since moving to Hamilton in 2015. The Bulldogs won the OHL title in 2018 and lost in the Memorial Cup semifinal to the Regina Pats.

The Bulldogs will face the winner of the Western Conference final which is tied 2-2 between the Windsor Spitfires and Flint Firebirds.

The OHL champion will play the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Memorial Cup opener on June 20.

Notebook: Lawrence close to team record

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

WINNIPEG - Josh Lawrence has quietly climbed up the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League points leader board.

Lawrence enters action Sunday sitting seventh in league scoring with 75 points. His 54 assists in second only to Sherbrooke's Joshua Roy who leads the circuit with 56. Lawrence posted four helpers in Saint John's 8-3 victory over the Moncton Wildcats on Friday.

The Fredericton native has a good shot at breaking the franchise record for most assists in one season. The record currently belongs to Jonathan Huberdeau who recorded 62 in 2010-11.

Lawrence's 54 assists this season place him in a tie with Michael Kirkpatrick (2009-10) for fifth in team history.

WINNING STREAK

The Sea Dogs' winning streak came to an end at 10 games this past week in Charlottetown.

The 10-gamer ties this year's squad with the 2010-11 team for the fourth longest winning streak in franchise history. This was the first time Saint John had won 10 of more games consecutively since the 2011-12 season.

The franchise record remains 22 straight wins, set in 2009-10 - a record that will likely never be broken.

Notebook: Hurtubise impressive in debut

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Nikolas Hurtubise did something on Friday night that hadn't been done by a Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender in over two years: record a shutout.

That long length of time is a little misleading given how few games the Sea Dogs have played over the past two years compared to normal times. But still - that's a long time.

The last Sea Dogs shutout was recorded by Zachary Bouthillier, who made 32 saves in a 3-0 home win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Jan. 12, 2020. Bouthillier had two shutouts during the 2019-20 season that ended abruptly due to COVID.

Hurtubise wasn't tested a ton on Friday, facing only 17 shots. But he was sharp when he had to be and made a few very nice saves.

Friday's contest began a stretch of five games in eight days for the Sea Dogs. We'll likely see Thomas Couture in action soon with Noah Patenaude still out with an injury suffered in December.

FAMILIAR FACES

It looks like Christopher Inniss could make his Chicoutimi Sagueneens debut on Wednesday against the Sea Dogs.

The overage defenseman was placed on waivers by Saint John at the trade deadline and was picked up by the Sags. Inniss was handed a two-game suspension for high sticking in Saint John's last regular season game on Dec. 18, a suspension that will presumably be served this weekend when the Sags host the Halifax Mooseheads and Charlottetown Islanders.

After this weekend's pair of games, Chicoutimi's next contest is on Wednesday against the Sea Dogs.

Inniss is just one of a few former Sea Dogs that Saint John will see in their first five games of the restart. They'll also be seeing Evgeny Sapelnikov (Baie-Comeau) and Alex Drover (Rimouski).

LONG TIME NO SEE

Folks, these are crazy times we live in.

• Last time the Armada visited Saint John (before Friday): Dec. 1, 2019
• Last time the Oceanic visited Saint John: Oct. 31, 2019
• Last time the Sea Dogs visited Baie-Comeau: Feb. 1, 2020
• Last time the Sea Dogs visited Chicoutimi: Jan. 31, 2020
• Last time the Sea Dogs visited Rimouski: Jan. 28, 2020

POWER RANKINGS

Stephane Leroux of RDS has moved the Sea Dogs all the way up to No. 2 in his latest QMJHL power rankings. Only the Charlottetown Islanders were ranked higher.

Rounding out the top five are Sherbrooke, Shawinigan and Quebec.

Notebook: Dufour on fire

Micheal Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Saint John Sea Dogs forward William Dufour was named to the QMJHL's Team of the Week on Monday after recording four goals and three assists in three games the week prior.

The New York Islanders prospect is off to a strong start again this week, registering a goal and two assists in Friday's 4-3 Sea Dogs loss to the Charlottetown Islanders.

Dufour now has 10 goals in 11 games this season which continues to lead the league (as of Saturday afternoon). His three-point night on Friday also pushed him into third overall in scoring with 18 points (again, as of Saturday).

Dufour entered Saturday tied with a few others for the most goals in the entire CHL.

COMING UP

The Sea Dogs are back in action on Sunday, hosting the Halifax Mooseheads at 3 p.m. at TD Station.

This will be the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Mooseheads. The last time they met in regular season play was Nov. 14, 2020.

Following Sunday's contest, the Sea Dogs will play 10 straight games against Quebec-based teams. That stretch gets rolling on Thursday when the team begins in a three-in-three road trip with stops in Quebec City, Shawinigan and Drummondville.

The Sea Dogs' next home game isn't until Nov. 12.

SPOOKY SUNDAY

Sunday will mark the sixth time in Sea Dogs history that the team has played on Halloween. Saint John is 3-2-0-0 all-time in games played on Oct. 31.

2010-11: 7-0 win at Rouyn-Noranda

2012-13: 2-1 loss vs Blainville-Boisbriand

2015-16: 5-3 win vs Val-d'Or

2019-20: 6-1 loss vs Rimouski

2020-21: 5-3 win vs Cape Breton

2021-22: ? vs Halifax

Notebook: More from Courteau's interview

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

A few other points of interest from QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau's interview on Sportsnet's 31 Thoughts podcast last week.

• On the six Maritimes Division teams not receiving government financial support like the 12 Quebec-based clubs: "the (Maritime) governments have not been as responsive as the Quebec (government). The six owners, they knew at that time that the Maritime provinces were not that high to contribute financially. The consequences for the Maritimes Division this year, that's going to be a big hit financially and it's going to be a big loss."
• "We'll see what's going to happen for years to come with our league and what's going to be the real financial impact on our situation," said Courteau, adding that there is still uncertainty over attendance limits and sponsorships next season.
• Courteau said that the league is currently planning to begin it's 2021-22 regular season the first week of October. That aligns with what the WHL has said.
• Why didn't the QMJHL allow players to join Team Canada for the IIHF World Under-18 Championship? Courteau said he wanted to maintain the league's usual policy of only allowing players to attend if their team has been eliminated from the playoffs. He brought up a few reasons for this, including the fact that it didn't seem right/fair that the teams/owners put in all this work to get the league going only to lose their best players down the stretch and into the playoffs - which is a fair point.
• Courteau himself brought up the idea of interleague games between the three CHL leagues: "from a marketing point of view, the CHL is going to have to be able to bring the three leagues closer together. Market the CHL better. Not only for CHL events or Memorial Cup but market the CHL. Last year we were talking a lot about interlocking games between the three leagues. We have to bring something new to our fans. We have to bring something new to our sponsors. We have to be creative."
• As mentioned previously, Courteau said that the QMJHL will host the 2022 Memorial Cup.

FINAL PLAYOFF NUMBERS

Ryan Francis finished the post-season as Saint John's leading scorer, recording four goals and six assists for 10 points. His six assists were also a team high.

Brady Burns led the team in playoff goals with five.

Cam MacDonald's four goals leads all rookies in playoff markers at this time. He currently sits second in rookie scoring (five points) while Riley Bezeau is third (five points as well).

Jeremie Poirier currently leads all QMJHL defensemen in playoff points with nine and goals with four.

IRONMEN

The Sea Dogs played a total of 39 games this season: 33 in the regular season and six in the post-season.

Only five players dressed for all 39 Sea Dogs games: defensemen Jeremie Poirier and William Villeneuve along with forwards Peter Reynolds, Josh Lawrence and Riley Bezeau.

Notebook: What will happen Friday night?

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - Are we in for more crazy on Friday night?

The Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats meet Friday at Avenir Centre for an eighth time this season. It's been a wild season series - especially since the restart. Saint John defeated the Wildcats 5-4 in overtime on March 13 then suffered an ugly 6-2 loss on home ice on March 17. Last Sunday, the Sea Dogs erased a three-goal first period deficit and scored the game-winner in the final minute of regulation to beat the 'Cats 6-5.

Saint John is 4-3-0-0 against Moncton this season - but it has not been easy. Five of the seven meetings between the two have been decided by two goals or fewer.

Moncton 5 @ Saint John 6 (Mar 21 2021)

Moncton 6 @ Saint John 2 (Mar 17 2021)

Saint John 5 @ Moncton 4 (Mar 13 2021) OT 

Moncton 4 @ Saint John 9 (Nov 13 2020)

Moncton 2 @ Saint John 4 (Nov 10 2020)

Saint John 3 @ Moncton 4 (Nov 6 2020)

Saint John 1 @ Moncton 3 (Nov 4 2020)

After Friday's contest, the Sea Dogs and Wildcats are scheduled to meet again March 30 in Moncton and April 2 in Saint John.

QUITE A RESTART

It's been a battle, but the Sea Dogs are a strong 5-1-0-0 since New Brunswick teams returned to action earlier this month.

Don't know about y'all, but it's good to be back. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WpxZI5zuiV

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) March 22, 2021

The Sea Dogs have outscored opponents 28-24 during this stretch for a per-game average of 4.7-4.0. Overall this season the Sea Dogs are averaging 4.0 goals per game (fourth best) and 4.05 goals against per game (fourth worst).

Saint John is averaging a league high 37.62 shots per game.

LEONARD'S FIGHT

Say what you want about fights but it's hard not to consider Liam Leonard's first period tilt with Jacob Stewart a turning point in last Sunday's game. The Sea Dogs were down 3-0 at the time and looked noticeably sharper after the fight.

Leonard, who was tossed from the match at 12:30 of the first period, was named the Sea Dogs' player of the game.

🔨&🧢 for the @mcinnescooper Player of the Game, @LiamRiptide24! 🥊He sparked the team when they needed it most! #andstill pic.twitter.com/srNpaclHCJ

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) March 21, 2021

It was a costly move though: according to the league website, both Leonard and Stewart have been suspended two games (believed to be automatic) for the "staged fight."

Notebook: Francis nabs weekly honours

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Ryan Francis has been named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Player of the Week.

The honour comes as no surprise thanks to a huge week for the Saint John Sea Dogs forward. The 19-year-old recorded four goals in his Sea Dogs debut on Tuesday night, tying the team record for goals in a single game.

Francis followed that game up with two assists on Saturday and another two helpers on Sunday. The Calgary Flames prospect now has an eight-game point streak.

Francis was also named to the QMJHL's Team of the Week. Joining him on the squad is one of his linemates, Vladislav Kotkov, who registered three goals and five assists in three games this week.

Forward Peter Reynolds, who joined Francis and Kotkov on the team's top line, also had a strong week, picking up two goals and four assists.

COMING UP

The Sea Dogs have another three games ahead of them this week.

On Wednesday, the Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats at 7 p.m. Saint John survived a third period collapse in Moncton on Saturday, edging the 'Cats 5-4 in overtime.

On Friday, the Sea Dogs will visit the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7 p.m. The Titan sit second in the Maritimes Division while the Sea Dogs are third, making games between the two even more important. The top two teams in each division receive first round playoff byes.

Then on Sunday afternoon, the Wildcats are back in town to face the Sea Dogs at 3 p.m. 

STANDINGS

Speaking of the Maritimes Division standings, the Charlottetown Islanders continue to separate themselves from the pack, winning their ninth straight game on Sunday in Halifax.

At the bottom of the standings are the Cape Breton Eagles who have now lost five straight.

Notebook: Rogers TV releases schedule

Rogers TV is set to broadcast nearly every New Brunswick based QMJHL game this month.

The station announced earlier this week that it will broadcast 10 games this month (with one of those being in French). Unfortunately for Sea Dogs fans, the two games Rogers TV will not be airing involve the team: Sunday, March 14 against Bathurst and Sunday, March 21 against Moncton.

A small number of tickets are available for purchase in all three New Brunswick markets. The Sea Dogs averaged 1,444 fans in their eight home games this fall.

ROAD WOES

The Sea Dogs will try and do something they haven't done in over a year on Tuesday night: win a road game.

Saint John is 0-4-2-1 away from home this season and have been outscored 34-22. Going back to last season, the Sea Dogs have now lost 10 straight road games with their last win coming on Feb. 16, 2020 in Halifax - a wild 9-7 win over the Mooseheads.

The Sea Dogs will play four road games this month: two in Bathurst and two in Moncton.

Notebook: Busy CHL weekend ahead

Olivier Croteau/QMJHL

The Saint John Sea Dogs won't be in action again this weekend but there will be several ex-Dogs playing.

The Maritimes Division's non-New Brunswick teams and the 12 Quebec-based squads will all be in action this weekend. That includes the QMJHL's fifth-round of "protected environments."

Maxim Cajkovic could make his Val-d'Or Foreurs debut this weekend. The former Sea Dogs forward had been playing in Slovakia but was able to arrive in Val-d'Or a few weeks ago. He joins an already loaded Foreurs squad that is 18-2-2-2 on the year and have won seven straight.

Here's a breakdown of how former Sea Dogs are performing around the QMJHL heading into this weekend's action.

Player	Team	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Joshua Roy	SNB SHE	25	16	12	28
Nathan Larose	CAP	22	14	10	24
Dawson Stairs	SNB CAP	21	9	10	19
Alex Drover	SNB RIM	25	7	9	16
Isiah Campbell	DRU SHA	17	7	6	13
Connor Richard	MON	13	1	1	2

Creed Jones is the only ex-Dogs netminder playing. In eight games between Saint John and Rimouski, the overager is 1-4-1-0 with a 4.06 goals against average and a .868 save percentage.

NEW MASK

By the time the Sea Dogs are playing games again, Zachary Emond may have a new mask.

From @gildersdesign on IG: Zachary Emond’s new mask pic.twitter.com/QOuUjo8b0X

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) February 25, 2021

The 20-year-old goaltender was acquired by Saint John in a trade with Rouyn-Noranda on Jan. 21.

Notebook: MacDonald signs in WHL

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Anderson MacDonald has found a new home.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs forward has signed a standard player agreement with the Western Hockey League's Winnipeg Ice. The club announced the signing on Monday.

The overager has spent the past four seasons in the QMJHL, playing with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, Moncton Wildcats, Acadie-Bathurst Titan and the Sea Dogs. In 23 second half games with his hometown Sea Dogs last season, MacDonald recorded seven goals and nine assists.

MacDonald was not amongst the small group of players that took part in Sea Dogs training camp this year. He has not been playing anywhere this season (according to Elie Prospects, at least).

The 10th-overall pick in the 2016 QMJHL Entry Draft, MacDonald has publicly discussed his battle with mental health issues and how it's impacted his career.

The Ice will join their provincial rival, the Brandon Wheat Kings, and the five Saskatchewan-based WHL clubs in the Regina "hub," which is scheduled to begin on March 12. Winnipeg's lineup is headlined by Vegas Golden Knights prospect Peyton Krebs, who the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights reassigned to the WHL on Sunday.

DRAFT RANKINGS

There are still plenty of questions surrounding the 2021 NHL Draft. The biggest being will there even be a 2021 NHL Draft.

That big question hasn't stop draft rankings from coming out. Future Considerations' latest rankings have Sea Dogs forward Peter Reynolds ranked 34th overall, which is by far the highest any publication has ranked the Fredericton native.

Also on FC's list are Fyodor Svechkov (37th), Joshua Roy (64th) and Bobby Orr (80th).

Roy was ranked 42nd in The Hockey Writers' latest rankings while Svechkov (57th) and Reynolds (64th) also cracked the top-64.