Williams named to Canada Red for U17 World Challenge

Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Lawrence Williams has been named to Team Canada Red for the upcoming 2026 U17 World Challenge in Oakville, ON.

44 players were named to the two Canadian teams that will take part in the annual under-17 event.

Williams was one of nine players from the QMJHL named to Team Canada.

CANADA WHITE 

Zackary Lainesse, G, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 

Max Brien, F, Rimouski Océanic 

Jacob McKinnon, F, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 

CANADA RED 

Nathan Boulanger, G, Baie-Comeau Drakkar 

Vincent Boutet, D, Victoriaville Tigres 

Lawrence Williams, D, Saint John Sea Dogs 

Thomas Boisvert, F, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 

Jakob Royer, F, Victoriaville Tigres

Williams, selected by Saint John with the 14th overall pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, has a goal and an assist in seven QMJHL games this season. The 16-year-old registered his first QMJHL goal in Monday's Sea Dogs win over the Drummondville Voltiegurs.

According to a Hockey Canada press release, "the 2026 U17 World Challenge kicks off Nov. 1 with Canada White taking on Czechia and Canada Red matching up against Finland. Teams will play two preliminary-round games before the second- and third-place teams in Group A and B cross over for the quarterfinals on Nov. 5. The first-place teams in each group will advance to the semifinals on Nov. 6, and the tournament will conclude with medal games on Nov. 7. The event also features pre-tournament games at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex on Oct. 30."

Finland, Czechia, the United States and Sweden will all have teams in the tournament.

Last year, Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph captained Canada Red to a gold medal in Truro.

Glance scores at Showcase; Ozogany heading to Hlinka

Saint John Sea Dogs forward Jamie Glance showed off his scoring ability in Team USA Blue's 5-1 victory over Finland on Monday at the World Junior Summer Showcase.

Glance, playing on a third line with Cooper Simpson and Logan Stuart for a second straight game, scored in the third period to give the Americans a 4-1 lead at the time.

Jamie Glance has been quite noticeable today and he just made it 4-1 USA Blue. #WJSS #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/Axs6CmZ3fU

— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) July 27, 2026

Team USA Blue defeated Sweden 6-1 the day before.

Sea Dogs draft pick Vertti Svensk was in Finland's lineup again on Monday, playing on the team's second defense pairing.

There are no games at the event on Tuesday. Play resumes Wednesday with the United States facing Finland and Canada opening up their schedule against Sweden. Sea Dogs goaltender Samuel Meloche is part of the Canadian roster.

Rosters for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, meanwhile, continue to take shape. On Monday, the Sea Dogs confirmed that forward Oliver Ozogany, who was selected 44th overall by the club in this year's CHL Import Draft, has been named to Slovakia's roster for the event.

The 17-year-old spent last season with the USHL's Tri-City Storm, posting nine goals and eight assists in 56 regular season games. 

Ozogany played with Slovakia at this year's IIHF U18 World Championship where he had one assist in five games.

The Sea Dogs will be well represented at this year's Hlinka Gretzky. Matyas Cancik has been named to Czechia's roster while Alexis Joseph was previously named to Team Canada's camp roster.

The tournament takes place Aug. 3-8 in Edmonton.

Cancik named to Czechia's Hlinka Gretzky Cup roster

Jan Běhounek

Fowrard Matyas Cancik, who officially signed with the Saint John Sea Dogs last week, has been named to Czechia's roster for the upcoming Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Cancik has played internationally for Czechia in the past, most notably at last year's U17 World Challenge where he recorded a goal and an assist in four games.

Selected with the 14th overall pick in this year's CHL Import Draft, Cancik signed a QMJHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Sea Dogs on Thursday.

Czechia roster for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. pic.twitter.com/wxwHKNXBad

— Czech Prospects (@CZprospects) July 26, 2026

Cancik split last season with Bílí Tygři Liberec's under-20 and under-17 teams. At the U17 level, the forward posted 22 goals and 22 assists in just 23 games while adding three goals and seven assists in nine playoff games. At the U20 level, he recorded a goal and seven assists in 12 games.

Czechia's first game is Monday, Aug. 3 against the United States. The tournament, which is being held in Edmonton, concludes on Aug. 8.

Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph was previously named to Team Canada's camp roster for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

It's going to be a busy couple weeks for Sea Dogs players and international play. On Sunday, the World Junior Summer Showcase got underway with the recently signed Jamie Glance and import pick Vertti Svensk both in action.

Svensk was on Finland's second defense pairing in a 4-1 win over USA White. In the second game of the day, Glance – playing on a third line with Cooper Simpson and Logan Stuart – helped USA Blue defeat Sweden 6-1.

Williams invited to U17 camp

Vincent Éthier/QMJHL

Lawrence Williams has been invited to Hockey Canada’s national under-17 development camp, which is set to take place July 17-21 in Oakville, ON.

Williams, who was drafted 14th overall by the Saint John Sea Dogs in June's QMJHL Entry Draft, was one of 80 players to earn invites. 

The roster is made up of eight goaltenders, 24 defensemen and 48 forwards. 20 of the invitees were drafted into the QMJHL.

The camp is the first step in evaluating players for the 2026 U17 World Challenge, which is scheduled for Nov. 1-7 in Oakville. Canada will have two teams in the event once again this year.

Williams spent last season playing under-18 hockey with the Weeks Major Midgets where he posted 10 goals and 28 assists in 32 regular season games. He added a goal and six assists in 14 playoff games.

The Sea Dogs have been well represented in the U17 World Challenge over the years. Last year in Truro, Sea Dogs forward Alexis Joseph captained Canada Red to a gold medal. Joseph finished the tournament with six goals and five assists, placing him second in tournament scoring and in a tie for the lead in goals.

Joseph, Canada Red win U17 gold

Alexis Joseph and Team Canada Red are 2025 U17 World Challenge champions.

Joseph captained Canada Red to a 6-3 win over Canada White in Saturday night's gold medal game in Truro.

The Saint John Sea Dogs forward had six goals and five assists at the event. He finished second in tournament scoring and was tied for the lead in goals.

🇨🇦🔴 captain Alexis Joseph (@SJSeaDogs) hoists the #WorldU17 trophy! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Ol126egDxg

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) November 9, 2025

Canada Red finished 1-0-0-1 during the preliminary round and followed that up with an 8-3 win over Sweden in the quarterfinals and a 4-1 victory over Czechia in the semifinals.

The Sea Dogs will certainly be happy to have Joseph back in their lineup next weekend given their recent offensive struggles. The 16-year-old rookie left the team having posted five goals and five assists in his first 12 games.

Finnegan Sears and the United States, meanwhile, won bronze on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Czechia. Sears, a Boston College commit who is playing with the USNTDP this season, was a sixth-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

English audio available for road trip

AMHERST, MA - Greetings from the other Amherst, where the UMass Minutemen will host the Maine Black Bears in a prime Hockey East matchup tonight.

The Saint John Sea Dogs, meanwhile, are in Rimouski to begin a three-game Quebec road trip. That game begins at 8 p.m. Atlantic – and there will be English play-by-play available.

The Sea Dogs announced Wednesday that PEI hockey broadcaster Luke Mutch will call 11 of the team's 12 Quebec road games this season.

From the Sea Dogs:

Mutch will call 11 Sea Dogs road games this season on the Sea Dogs Audio Network and FloHockey, beginning Thursday night against the Rimouski Oceanic. Bruce Smith will continue to handle play-by-play duties for all Sea Dogs home games with Joe Smith on colour commentary.

Mutch began his broadcasting career in 2021 with the Charlottetown Knights Major U18 team. He later became the play-by-play voice of the Summerside Western Capitals in 2023 and joined the Charlottetown Islanders’ broadcast crew in 2024, splitting time calling games with George Matthews and Cory Arsenault. Luke’s QMJHL broadcast debut came on February 10, 2023 as he filled in on the Sea Dogs broadcast alongside Bruce Smith.

Mutch is a very solid broadcaster and will make these road games much more enjoyable to watch/listen. His call will be available on the Sea Dogs Audio Network and FloHockey.

Sea Dogs to make first Quebec trip

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs will make their first trip into Quebec this week.

The Sea Dogs will make four trips to Quebec this season, playing three games against three different opponents each time. All four trips are formatted the same with Saint John playing back-to-back games followed by an off-day before the third and final game.

The Sea Dogs will begin this three-game trek on Thursday when they visit the Rimouski Oceanic. On Friday they'll travel to Drummondville to face the Voltigeurs and close out the trip with a Sunday contest in nearby Victoriaville.

Here's a cleaner look at the schedule.

Thursday at 8 p.m. - at Rimouski (7-7-0-1)

Friday at 8 p.m. - at Drummondville (9-4-1-1)

Sunday at 5 p.m. - at Victoriaville (6-7-2-0)

The Sea Dogs are 4-3-1-0 on the road this season. They recently won back-to-back games in Cape Breton after a rough couple outings in Newfoundland.

The Voltigeurs and Tigres both play in the Western Conference. The Sea Dogs are 1-1-0-0 against teams from the west this season.

The Sea Dogs will play their next five games against non-Atlantic teams. After this road trip, the Sea Dogs will host the Quebec Remparts on Nov. 15 and the Voltigeurs on Nov. 16.

A few other news and notes...

• Olivier Groulx leads Saint John in points (14) and assists (10). Dylan Rozzi has a team high seven goals.
• Rozzi leads the league in game-winning goals with four. Saint John has seven wins this season, meaning Rozzi has scored the winner in over half of them.
• The Sea Dogs will be without forward Alexis Joseph on this road trip due to the U17 World Challenge. Forward Angelo Fullerton should return to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension on Sunday.
• Speaking of Joseph, he had a goal and two assists in Team Canada Red's 6-5 shootout loss to the United States on Tuesday night in Truro.
• The Charlottetown Islanders currently sit first overall in the league although three teams – the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Chicoutimi Sagueneens – have better winning percentages.
• One of the biggest surprises in the league so far has been the Halifax Mooseheads, who own a 10-5-1-0 record. They had a home heavy start to the year, so we'll see how things unfold in the coming weeks.

Joseph nets hat trick in Canada Red win

Hockey Canada

Alexis Jospeh set the tone early and kept it going to lead Team Canada Red to an 8-4 win over Finland on the opening day of the U17 World Challenge on Sunday in Truro.

The Saint John Sea Dogs forward scored 40 seconds in and added two more goals and an assist in the victory. He was named performer of the game.

A 4⃣-point effort to get things started for your @Gatorade Performer of the Game… Alexis Joseph! 🇨🇦

Avec une récolte de 4⃣ points en lever de rideau, la Performance du match Gatorade appartient à… Alexis Joseph! 🇨🇦#WorldU17 | #MondialM17 pic.twitter.com/J97kLRfHBa

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) November 2, 2025

Joseph is captaining Team Canada Red.

In a pre-tournament game on Friday, Joseph registered two goals and three assists to lead Canada Red to a 7-5 win over Czechia.

Canada Red's next game is on Tuesday night against the United States. The quarterfinals take place Thursday; the semifinals on Friday; and the fifth, bronze and gold medal games on Saturday.

Notebook: Six Sea Dogs make Central Scouting's preliminary list

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Six Saint John Sea Dogs were named to NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list for the 2026 NHL Draft.

The list was released on Oct. 20 and is "a compilation of draft-eligible prospects from all the major development leagues throughout North America and Europe."

Forward Olivers Murnieks was the highest rated Sea Dog with a B rating, which indicates a second- or third-round candidate.

Forwards Dylan Rozzi and William Yared; defenseman Cameron Chartrand; and goaltender Rafaël Courchesne all received a C rating, which indicates a fourth or fifth-round candidate.

Forward Zachary Morin, who was passed over in last year's NHL Draft, was given a W rating, indicating a sixth- or seventh-round candidate.

All six players took part in the recent QMJHL Prospects Game.

Former Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna, who is currently playing at Penn State, headlines this year's draft class. Also given an A rating, which indicates a first-round candidate, was Fredericton native Tynan Lawrence, who is playing his second season in the USHL.

COMING UP

The Sea Dogs are back on home ice this Sunday when they host the Moncton Wildcats at 3 p.m.

The Wildcats, oddly, have an entire week off to prepare for this matchup with Saint John. The Wildcats played this past Sunday, falling 5-2 to the Halifax Mooseheads, and don't play again until this Sunday.

Moncton is 6-4-2-0 this season and 4-1-1-0 on the road.

Sunday's game will be Saint John's final home contest until Nov. 15. They'll make their first trip to Quebec in between, visiting Rimouski (Nov. 6), Drummondville (Nov. 7) and Victoriaville (Nov. 9). 

Joseph named to U17 World Challenge

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Alexis Jospeh has been named to Hockey Canada's roster for the upcoming U17 World Challenge.

Joseph was one of eight players from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League to be named to the event's roster, which was unveiled by Hockey Canada on Wednesday. There will be two Canadian teams taking part once again this year with Joseph set to join Canada Red.

Other QMJHL players invited include Mathys Fortin (Drummondville), Loïk Gariépy (Victoriaville), Quinn Norman (Newfoundland), Antoine Provencher (Charlottetown), Benjamin Veitch (Newfoundland), Sam Berthiaume (Cape Breton) and Thomas Charbonneau (Quebec).

All three first overall picks from the most recent CHL drafts earned roster spots: Jospeh, Maddox Schultz of the WHL's Regina Pats and Kaden McGregor of the OHL's Peterborough Petes.

The event will take place Nov. 2-8 in Truro. That means Joseph will likely miss a handful or more of Sea Dogs games, including the team's first road trip to Quebec.

Jospeh has lived up to the hype so far, posting four goals and three assists in nine games. He sits seventh in QMJHL rookie scoring.

Notebook: Nathan Beaulieu retires

Marc Henwood/Station Nation

One of the all-time great Saint John Sea Dogs defensemen has hung up his skates.

32-year-old Nathan Beaulieu announced his retirement from professional hockey last week. He appeared in just eight games last season, all in the KHL.

Beaulieu hasn't played an NHL game since the 2022-23 season when he appeared in 52 contests with the Anaheim Ducks. He has spent the past two seasons overseas.

It was a solid pro hockey career for Beaulieu, appearing in 471 career NHL games split between the Ducks, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins. He was a first-round pick of the Habs in the 2011 NHL Draft.

Congratulations to Nathan Beaulieu, who has officially announced his retirement from pro hockey 🏒⁰
Wishing the former first-round pick the best of luck in the future! pic.twitter.com/yYHEIxRy0j

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) July 23, 2025

Beaulieu spent four seasons with the Sea Dogs and was part of the group that played in three straight league finals and back-to-back Memorial Cups, winning two QMJHL championships and a national title.

He is the son of former Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu, who selected his son in the fourth-round of the 2008 QMJHL Entry Draft.

TRADE PERIOD OPENING

The QMJHL's summer trade period opens Aug. 1 and will run for a few weeks.

For those wondering, the @QMJHL summer trade period will open on Friday and run until Aug. 24 at 1 p.m., Atlantic time. @cbepbp #qmjhl #lhjmq

— Jeremy Fraser (@CBPost_Jeremy) July 28, 2025

The Sea Dogs haven't been overly active on the trade front in recent years, but with such a large camp roster, perhaps we'll see some moves to make space for others. But also: maybe not. This is great analysis.

Five Sea Dogs earn Hockey Canada invites

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Five Saint John Sea Dogs have received invites to Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence summer camps, which will be held later this month in Oakville.

Forward William Yared and defenseman Cameron Chartrand have earned invites to Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp while forwards Alexis Joseph and Nolann Héroux along with goaltender Jase MacPherson have been invited to the national under-17 development camp.

Yared, selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft, posted 14 goals and 16 assists in 58 games during his rookie season with the Sea Dogs.

Chartrand, meanwhile, spent most of this past season with the Bishop Kearney Selects under-16 team. Selected 18th overall by Saint John in 2024, Chartrand signed with the Sea Dogs in March.

One notable omission from the camp is Sea Dogs forward Dylan Rozzi, who registered 34 points in 62 games in his rookie QMJHL season. Rozzi was picked eighth overall by Saint John in 2024.

40 players—four goaltenders, 12 defensemen and 24 forwards—were invited on the under-18 side. The selected players will represent Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, set for Aug. 11-16 in Brno, Czechia, and Trencin, Slovakia. Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Travis Crickard will be an associate coach with the team.

The selection camp is set for July 29  to Aug. 1.

On the under-17 side, it's no surprise to see Jospeh earn an invite after he was picked first overall by Saint John in this year's draft. He registered 56 points in 42 games with Collège Esther-Blondin Phénix last season and it would be quite a surprise to see him left out of this year's U17 World Challenge.

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: Crickard takes silver at U17

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard is back with the team after helping Team Canada Red win silver at the U17 World Challenge in Sarnia.

Canada Red won both of their preliminary round games and earned a bye to the semifinals where they defeated the United States 7-3. In the gold medal game, Red fell 3-1 to Team Canada White.

Along with Crickard, Red's roster included Sea Dogs draft pick Cameron Chartrand, who posted two assists in four games. The 16-year-old defenseman is committed to Boston College, but the recent NCAA rule change has certainly increased hope that he may report to Saint John. Chartrand is currently playing US prep school hockey with the Bishop Kearney Selects.

Eastern Canadian players stat lines at the U17 World Hockey Challenge:

Tynan Lawrence 5GP- 3G 3A
Chad Lygitsakos 4GP- 3G
Cameron Chartrand 4GP- 2A
Benjamin Cossette-Ayotte 5GP- 2A
Maddox Dagenais 4GP- 1A
Romain L’Italien 5GP-
Jayden Plouffe 5GP-

— Austin Robson (@ARobScouting) November 10, 2024

HENRY SIGNS
Sea Dogs draft pick Joshua Henry has committed to Lindenwood University for the 2027-28 season.

Lindenwood is one of the lesser known NCAA Division I schools, playing as an independent in the St. Louis suburbs. 

It's not often a player from the Maritime Hockey League commits to a Division I program. He has three assists in 12 games with the Fredericton Red Wings this season.

Henry, a 16-year-old defenseman, was a sixth-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. He played at Rothesay Netherwood last year.

DRAPEAU TO BCHL

While more and more players are departing the BCHL for the CHL, former Sea Dogs defenseman Nathan Drapeau is heading the other way.

The defenseman – who will turn 20 on Dec. 28 – has signed with the West Kelowna Warriors after appearing in 11 games with the Val-d'Or Foreurs this year.

"Nathan brings experience and poise to our back end," said Warriors head coach and general manager Simon Ferguson in a news release. "He’s a Memorial Cup champion who can quarterback our power play and play in all situations. He’s a highly-coveted player and we expect him to play a big role for us.”

Drapeau spent two seasons with the Sea Dogs, helping the club win the Memorial Cup in 2022.

He has spent the past two seasons in Val-d'Or. He did not play when the Foreurs visited Saint John a couple weeks ago.

Notebook: Extra time has been extra kind

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs have really enjoyed playing beyond 60 minutes of hockey.

Five of Saint John's 18 games this season have required extra time – and the team has won all of them, taking three in overtime and two in a shootout. Saint John's three most recent wins have all come in overtime.

Only the Chicoutimi Sagueneens have needed extra time more this season. The Sags have gone to overtime or shootout an incredible eight times in 17 games.

The Sea Dogs went to extra time in 12 games last season. They were 2-5 in overtime and 1-4 in shootouts.

The franchise record for games that required overtime or shootout is 17, which was set during the 2008-09 season.

U17 UPDATE

Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard and Team Canada Red have secured a spot in the semifinals of the U17 World Challenge in Sarnia.

Team Canada Red finished the preliminary round 2-0, placing them atop Group A. They defeated Finland 3-1 on Sunday to open the tournament and then downed the United States 6-3 on Monday.

The semifinals take place on Friday with the bronze and gold medal games set for Saturday.

Red's roster includes 16-year-old defenseman Cameron Chartrand, who was a first-round pick of Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. Chartrand, who is committed to Boston College, has an assist in two games at the tournament.

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.

Sea Dogs sign Schenk ahead of Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs have signed import Florian Schenk ahead of the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Schenk will be a member of Team Switzerland at the annual tournament, which takes place Aug. 5-10 in Edmonton.

“I am beyond thrilled to join the Saint John Sea Dogs,” said Schenk in a news release. “I can’t wait to hit the ice with such a talented group and contribute to the team’s success.”

The Swiss forward was taken by the Sea Dogs with the seventh overall pick in this year's CHL Import Draft. He was signed to a "QMJHL Scholarship and Development Agreement" on Wednesday.

“Having had the chance to see him live multiple times Florian is a player I was very high on all season,” said Sea Dogs general manager Anthony Stella. “We feel he fits our core and is a great addition for the future of this team.”

Schenk played with the SC Bern program last season, posting 25 points in 42 games at the under-20 level and 12 points in nine games at the under-17 level.

He is eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft.

It looks like Schenk and Eriks Mateiko will start the season as Saint John's pair of import players. Mateiko is poised to be one of the top imports in the QMJHL this season and his name will likely pop up in trade rumours over the next few months.

Schenk's first game at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup is Monday night when Switzerland takes on Canada. The Swiss will also play Sweden and Slovakia in the preliminary round.

Canada's roster features QMJHL players Lucas Beckman (Baie-Comeau), Alex Huang (Chicoutimi), Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton), Emile Guite (Chicoutimi) and Liam Kilfoil (Halifax).

Dogs picks invited to Team Canada camps

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Three Saint John Sea Dogs prospects have been invited to Hockey Canada's under-17 development camp.

Forwards Dylan Rozzi and William Yared along with defenseman Cameron Chartrand all received invites to the summer camp, which will take place in Oakville from July 18-24. Players will be evaluated ahead of the 2024 U17 World Challenge, scheduled for Nov. 1-9 in Sarnia.

There will be two Team Canada's at the World Challenge with Team Canada Red being led by Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard.

Yared (fifth overall), Rozzi (sixth) and Chartrand (19th) were all first round picks of Saint John in June's QMJHL Entry Draft. Rozzi and Chartrand were both selected in the USHL draft this year and both seem to be leaning towards that route.

#SJSeaDogs prospects William Yared, Dylan Rozzi, and Cameron Chartrand have been invited to @HockeyCanada's National Under-17 Development Camp!#GoDogsGo pic.twitter.com/aHbvDYCIY6

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) July 16, 2024

80 players were invited to the under-17 camp – 39 from the OHL, 23 from the WHL and 18 from the QMJHL. Fredericton native Tynan Lawrence – a first round pick of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens who is expected to play in the USHL this coming season – was among the invites.

Quispamsis native Liam Kilfoil of the Halifax Mooseheads was among the 41 players invited to Canada's under-18 camp. 

Bradly Nadeau of Saint-François-de-Madawaska and Dylan MacKinnon of Riverview were the lone Atlantic Canadians invited to Canada's world junior camp, which will take place in Windsor at the end of the month. Nadeau is expected to turn pro this season while MacKinnon will play with the Moncton Wildcats.

Crickard heading to U17 World Challenge

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard will once again step behind the Team Canada bench this fall.

On Friday, Crickard was named the head coach of Team Canada Red for this year's U17 World Challenge, which will be held Nov. 1-9 in Sarnia.

From the Hockey Canada news release:

Crickard recently finished his second season as head coach of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs following one season as an assistant. He won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship and as video coach at the same tournament in 2021. Crickard was an assistant coach for Canada’s men’s hockey team at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, finishing fourth, and was video coach (2016) and assistant coach (2017) with Canada Black at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, winning a silver medal in 2016.

Crickard's assistant coaches will be Matt Anholt of the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes and Wes Wolfe of the OHL's Erie Otters.

Crickard will miss, at minimum, six Sea Dogs games while taking part in the event, including a three-in-three Quebec road trip.

Hockey Canada also announced the coaching staff for the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Friday, which will take place in Edmonton next month. Former Sea Dogs head coach Gordie Dwyer will be an assistant coach.

Notebook: Two weeks away

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's almost that time.

The Saint John Sea Dogs will begin regular season play in two weeks when they travel to Bathurst to face the Titan on Friday, Sept. 22. The two teams will then travel to Saint John and meet the next night for the Sea Dogs' home opener.

Before all that, the Sea Dogs still have three pre-season games remaining. The club will travel to Saint-Quentin, NB Friday to take on the Titan before heading to the UPEI campus in Charlottetown to face the Islanders on Sunday afternoon.

The Sea Dogs will play their final game of the pre-season next Friday at TD Station against the Isles.

SEASON TICKETS

The Sea Dogs shared a new promotional video this week highlighting some of the club's season ticket holders.

Discover the true value of being a #SJSeaDogs Season Ticket Member from those who know it best!

Get your season tickets at the @station_td box office, open tomorrow from 10am to 3pm, or call (506) 657-1234. pic.twitter.com/EJKJdK4iI5

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 6, 2023

NEW WEBSITE LOOK

If you haven't noticed, the Sea Dogs website — and all the websites in the CHL — got a refresh this summer. There are still a few glitches here and there, but the transition appears to be nearly complete. 

The Sea Dogs have also launched a new online store that is powered by Shopify.