FORT WAYNE GIVING DELISLE A CHANCE

It doesn’t look like Steven Delisle will be a Saint John Sea Dog in the immediate future.

Delisle, whose rights were traded to Saint John Friday from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in exchange for a 12th round pick in the 2012 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, was assigned by the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Central Hockey League’s Fort Wayne Komets on Friday. He had been with the American Hockey League’s Springfield Falcons but had not played in a game.

News-Sentinel.com’s Komets blog, Tailing the Komets, posted this yesterday:

He’s a 6-6, 209 pound rookie defenseman who has not played yet this season. Komets GM David Franke said Delisle will be in town Sunday and at practice on Monday. He’ll be in the lineup Friday night.

So it looks like Delisle will get a shot at proffensional hockey in Fort Wayne.

The 20-year old Jackets prospect was considered a long shot to return to junior this season, especially after signing a three-year entry level deal with the Jackets over the summer.

It’s still a good gamble by the Sea Dogs as 12th round picks rarely amount to anything, and, given the timing of the trade, Saint John must. know something others do not. Let us not forget about Gerard Gallant's connections to Columbus as he was the head coach of the team from January 1, 2004 to November 13, 2006.

PRE-GAME: Quebec Remparts vs Saint John Sea Dogs

By Station Nation Staff

GAME DAY
WHO: Quebec Remparts vs Saint John Sea Dogs
WHEN: Today, 4:00 pm
WHERE: Harbour Station

NOTE: The new QMJHL website continues to suck. Apparently there was a problem with their server or something causing yesterday’s Remparts – Rocket game to not have the final stats recorded at the time of this posting.
VISITING TEAM: Quebec Remparts
Record: 17-3-0-2 (1st in Telus East Division)
Last Game: 4-3 overtime win at PEI yesterday
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Audy-Marchessault (22GP-12G-28A-40Pts)
Notes: The Quebec Remparts enter today’s game with a record of 17-3-0-2 which is good for first in the Telus East Division and a tie with the Saint John Sea Dogs for second overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They sit one point behind the Drummondville Voltigeurs who have played four more games… ranked third in the Canadian Hockey League this week in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings… the Remparts are coming off a 4-3 overtime victory in Charlottetown last night against the PEI Rocket. Ryan Bourque scored two goals including the game winner. Singles came courtesy of Frederick Roy and import sensation Mirko Hoefflin. Jimmy Appleby allowed three goals on 19 shots through two periods before giving way to Louis Domingue to start the third. “We were challenged tonight,” said Quebec head coach Patrick Roy to PEIRocket.com after the game… the Remparts are 8-2-0-2 away from home this season and have outscored their opposition 47-35 along the way. Their eight road wins ties them with the Voltigeurs and the Moncton Wildcats for the league high… 6-3-0-1 in their last 10 games. They have won two straight… as they have been known for over the past few years, Quebec likes to score goals. They are second only to the Sea Dogs in goals scored with 97... the Remparts have the best power play in the league with a rating of 0.351%... their power play may be the best in the league but their penalty kill isn’t by any means. They are currently ranked 10th in the league with an efficiency of 0.787%... Jonathan Audy-Marchessault leads Quebec in scoring with 40 points in just 22 games which places him second in league scoring. His 28 assists also leads the team and places him second in the QMJHL among assist leaders… Joel Champagne and Tomas Filippi lead the team in goals with 13 each… Alex Wall leads the club in plus/minus with a +23 rating… Domingue will likely get the start in goal toady for the Remparts. He has a record of 13-2-0-1, a goals against average of 2.18 and a save percentage of 0.901%... this is the final game of a three game road trip through the Maritimes for Quebec. They wrecked the Titan on Friday night in Bathurst, winning 5-2 and outshot them 49-15. They defeated PEI in overtime last night and will now face their toughest test this afternoon in Saint John.

HOME TEAM: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 17-3-0-2 (1st in Atlantic Division)
Last Game: 5-3 win vs Bathurst yesterday
Leading Scorer: Michael Kirkpatrick (22GP-8G-21A-29Pts)
Notes: The Saint John Sea Dogs come into this afternoon’s contest with a record of 17-3-0-1 which places them first in the Maritime Division and in a tie for second overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Quebec Remparts. They sit one point behind the Drummondville Voltigeurs who have played four more games… ranked fourth in the Canadian Hockey League this week in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings… Saint John is coming off a 5-3 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last night at Harbour Station. Simon Despres, Steven Anthony, Michael Kirkpatrick, Scott Oke, and Tomas Jurco all scored for the winners who outshot Bathurst 39-33. Frederic Piche played all 60 minutes and allowed three goals on 33 shots. Mike Thomas also had his first fight of the season. Defenseman Gabriel Bourret was the first star with two assists… 8-1-0-1 in their last 10 games and are coming off a win. The Sea Dogs have picked up at least a point in their last eight games… 10-0-0-1 at home this season and are the only QMJHL team remaining that does not have a regulation loss on home ice… Michael Kirkpatrick has taken over the team point scoring lead with 29 points in 22 games. His 21 assists lead the team as well… Jonathan Huberdeau leads the team in goals with 14 in 22 matches. He also has a team best +25 rating… this is the final game of a four game homestand for Saint John. So far, they are 2-0-0-1. They hit the road for two games next weekend… it isn’t clear who will start in goal tonight but it was suggested on last night's News 88.9 broadcast that Jacob DeSerres may be ready to go. The 20-year has been suffering from a groin injury of late, forcing Frederic Piche to make a rare second straight start last night. DeSerres has a record of 4-1-0-0, a goals against average of 2.77, and a save percentage of 0.898%... Piche has a record of 9-1-0-2, a GAA of 2.33, and a SV% of 0.917%.

SEA DOGS FIGHT THEIR WAY TO 5-3 WIN

SN POST-GAME
FINAL: Titan 3, Sea Dogs 5

SAINT JOHN – It was your typical Saint John Sea Dogs – Acadie-Bathurst Titan match. There were lots of physical play and hits, a great fight, and a good dose of goals.

In the end, the Sea Dogs ended up with a 5-3 victory over the Titan Saturday night at Harbour Station in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.

Simon Despres, Michael Kirkpatrick, Steven Anthony, Scott Oke, and Tomas Jurco all scored for the winners. Frederic Piche played well in net, making some key saves to ensure the win. He made 30 saves on the night.
Olivier Hotte, Gabriel Levesque, and Zach O’Brien all scored for Bathurst. Team Canada hopeful Olivier Roy was sensational in goal despite picking up the loss. Roy made some huge stops throughout the game and showed why is on the world junior radar. The Edmonton Oilers prospect made 34 stops in the loss, Bathurst’s second straight.

Despres made it 1-0 Saint John at 2:34 of the first period when he beat Roy with a point shot through traffic. Saint John would dominate most of the period.

Fast forward to the final minute of the opening frame, Hotte tied the match on the power play. A point shot went past the glove of Piche at 19:55 to make it 1-1 going into intermission.

At 2:13, a Kirkpatrick shot from the hash marks was stopped by Roy but the rebound was released into the crease. Stanislav Galiev tried the get the puck but failed, allowing it to slide to the side of the goal for Anthony who had an open cage to make it 2-1.

After the goal, Christophe Losier and Mike Thomas dropped the gloves in a great tilt between two of the leagues heavyweights. Both players landed some solid shots but Thomas got the better of Losier and earned the victory.

Saint John jumped out to a 3-1 lead at 8:32 on the power play. Bourret stood on the Telus ad below the blue line and sent a perfect pass to Kirkpatrick down low. The 20-year old fired a wrister into the open net to give the Sea Dogs a two goal lead.

But the Titan wouldn’t go away as they made it a one goal game again at 17:06 on a man advantage. Levesque released a point shot that just trickled through the pads of Piche to make it a 3-2 game going into intermission.

The Sea Dogs jumped out to a 4-2 lead at 5:44. Aidan Kelly had possession of the puck in the corner and fired it on net where Oke was. Oke tipped the shot beautifully up and over Roy to give Saint John their two goal lead back.

But Bathurst came right back once again. At 10:16, a rebound went to the side of the net for O’Brien who unleashed a backhander into the net to make it 4-3.

The Sea Dogs would close the game out on the man advantage when Bourret fed Jurco who was parked along the side boards. Jurco fired a wrist shot that beat Roy low glove side to make it a 5-3 final.

Shots were 39-33 Saint John.

The Sea Dogs went 2/5 on the power play while the Titan went 2/4.

LIVE BLOG: Titan vs Sea Dogs

PRE-GAME: Acadie-Bathurst Titan vs Saint John Sea Dogs

By Station Nation Staff

GAME DAY
WHO: Acadie-Bathurst Titan vs Saint John Sea Dogs
WHEN: Tonight, 7:00 pm
WHERE: Harbour Station

VISITING TEAM: Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Record: 15-8-0-0 (2nd in Maritime Division)
Last Game: 5-2 loss vs Quebec yesterday
Leading Scorer: Gabriel Levesque (23GP-8G-24A-32Pts)
Notes: The Acadie-Bathurst Titan come into today’s matchup with a 15-8-0-0 record which is good for second in the Maritime Division and fifth overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League… the Titan are coming off a 5-2 loss against the Quebec Remparts last night at the KC Irving Regional Centre. Bathurst scored two early goals courtesy of Sebastien Trudeau and Zach O’Brien. But it was all downhill from there as the Remparts scored five unanswered goals – including four on the power play – and outshot the Titan by an incredible 49-15 margin. Olivier Roy allowed five goals on 44 shots before getting tugged from the net… Bathurst is 7-4-0-0 on the road this season and have outscored their opposition 31-23 along the way. This is the Titan’s first regular season trip to Harbour Station this season after losing all four matches in the building last year… after getting off to a solid start, Bathurst has been stuttering a bit lately and are 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 games and are coming off a loss… Bathurst has the seventh best power play in the league with a rating of 0.209%. Both of their goals last night came on the man advantage… the Titan have a strong penalty killing unit. They are ranked second the league with a rating of 0.849% despite allowing Quebec to score four extra man advantage markers yesterday… Bathurst has taken a total of 374 penalty minutes this season which is the sixth most in the league and second highest among maritime based teams. Halifax has 448 penalty minutes to lead the division… Gabriel Levesque leads the Titan in scoring with 32 points. He also leads the team in assists with 24 and plus/minus with a +9 rating… Sebastien Trudeau leads the team in goals with 12… not surprisingly, Vincent Arseneau leads the northern New Brunswick team in penalty minutes with 52 in 32 games… Edmonton Oilers prospect Olivier Roy will likely get the start in net as he did for Monday’s Subway Super Series game at Harbour Station. Roy has a record of 8-6-0-0, a goals against average of 2.69, and a save percentage of 0.914... Christope Losier leads the Titan in fights with 6... Bathurst is sixth in the league with 22 fights this season.

HOME TEAM: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 16-3-0-2
Last Game: 4-3 shootout loss vs Chicoutimi last Saturday
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Huberdeau (21GP-14G-14A-28Pts)
Notes: The Saint John Sea Dogs enter today’s action with a 16-3-0-2 record which is good for first place in the Maritime Division, tied for second overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Quebec Remparts (the Drummondville Voltigeurs are one point ahead but have played four more games), and were ranked 4th in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings this week… the Sea Dogs are coming off a thrilling 4-3 shootout loss at home to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens last Saturday. Mike Thomas had the lone Saint John goal entering the final minute of the play with the Sags leading 3-1. But Zach Phillips set-up Nathan Beaulieu with 50 seconds remaining and Jonathan Huberdeau with five seconds left to send the game into extra time. Chicoutimi would pick up the extra point via a shootout win… the shootout loss was the Sea Dogs’ first defeat on home ice this season. They have yet to lose in regulation at Harbour Station, however. They are the owners of a 9-0-0-1 home record and are the only team in the QMJHL without a home regulation loss… Saint John’s power play continues to be middle-of-the-pack. They are ranked ninth with a rating of 0.198%... they are the owners of the league’s fourth best penalty kill with an efficiency of 0.835%... Jonathan Huberdeau is still the Sea Dogs’ leading scorer with 28 points in 21 matches. Michael Kirkpatrick is slowly creeping up though with 27 points. Huberdeau also leads Saint John in goals with 14 (which is also good for a tie for third place in the league goal scoring race), plus/minus with a +25, and penalty minutes with 29… Kirkpatrick leads the Sea Dogs in assists with 20… Zach Phillips, who is second on the Sea Dogs with 13 goals this season, is tied for the league lead in power play goals with six… if the goaltending rotation holds true, Jacob DeSerres should get the start in goal. But as of earlier this week, he was still questionable to play because of a groin pull which he suffered last Friday against Cape Breton. DeSerres has a record of 4-1-0-0, a goals against average of 2.77, and save percentage 0.898%... if he can’t start, Frederic Piche will get the call. The 19-year old has a record of 8-1-0-2, a GAA of 2.77, and a SV% of 0.918%.

DELISLE TRADED TO SAINT JOHN

A surprising trade involving the Saint John Sea Dogs and the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies went down earlier today. The deal saw the Sea Dogs acquire the rights to defenseman Steven Delisle in exchange for a 12th round selection in the 2012 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

The strange part – Delisle is a 20-year old.

First and foremost, it should be noted that his rights had been traded to Saint John but there is a possibility he may never wear a Sea Dogs jersey. Delisle is currently not playing in the QMJHL as an overager, and therefore may be a no show.

The Levise, Quebec native spent four seasons in the Quebec league. He was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fourth round, 107th overall in the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He signed a three-year entry level contract with the Jackets over the summer.

Much like former Sea Dogs defenseman and Vancouver Canucks prospect Yann Sauve, it would be considered a long shot to see him return to junior hockey for another season.

But this deal still seems a bit odd given that Saint John appeared to be set in the 20-year old department. Each team is allowed to carry three 20-year old players, with Saint John’s being forward Michael Kirkpatrick, captain Mike Thomas, and goaltender Jacob DeSerres.

Delisle registered five goals and 24 assists for 29 points, 77 penalty minutes and a +17 plus/minus rating in 64 games with the Gatineau Olympiques and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in 2009-10. He ranked third on the Huskies in penalty minutes and was also third among club defensemen in assists and plus/minus rating. He added one goal, three assists, and 12 penalty minutes in 11 playoff games before the Huskies were eliminated by the Moncton Wildcats.

He tallied 17 goals and 83 assists for 100 points, 300 penalty minutes and a cumulative plus/minus rating of +18 in 253 career QMJHL games. He collected 6-23-29, 82 penalty minutes and was +8 in 70 games with Gatineau in 2007-08 and added 0-10-10 and 16 penalty minutes in 19 playoff games, helping the Olympiques win the QMJHL title.

“Delisle, having earned a pro contract,” reports HockeysFuture.com “,will likely make the jump to pro hockey this season, however, with the abundance of defensemen entering the pro ranks for the Jackets, Delisle may find himself starting the season with limited AHL ice time or earning his minutes in the ECHL. There is also an outside shot that he returns to junior as an overager.”

Oddly enough, Delisle was assigned by the American Hockey League’s Springfield Falcons to the Central Hockey League’s Fort Wayne Komets today according to their website.

It is definitely an odd deal with lots of question marks surrounding it. What drama.