Quebec team games on hold until Oct. 28

And then there were five.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced the inevitable on Wednesday, postponing all games involving the 12 Quebec-based teams until Oct. 28. Nearly half of those teams were in or heading towards the province's red zone, which prohibits sports, while one of those clubs and another are still dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.

According to a press release, "the league’s decision was made by the Assembly of Members in a meeting held earlier today. With half of the Quebec-based teams located in red zones, it became almost impossible to operate in these circumstances. Nevertheless, QMJHL student-athletes will continue to practice in their facilities while pursuing their studies.

"The QMJHL is working closely with public health officials and is committed to following their guidelines. The league’s cooperation is essential for the pursuit of its activities."

The league said it will reassess the situation in two weeks, when hopefully Quebec has the pandemic much more under control.

This news seemed more and more likely with each passing day as more markets were added to red zones. The big question was whether the league would continue to operate in the Maritimes - and the answer is yes.

With the exception of the Moncton Wildcats - who are currently in the provinces's orange phase, which prohibits sports activities and entertainment venues - the five other Maritimes-based clubs will continue on as scheduled. Moncton's games for this weekend have been postponed, but the club has been given permission to continue to practicing, according to the Times & Transcript.

The Saint John Sea Dogs were scheduled to host the Wildcats last Saturday and visit Moncton on Friday, but both of those games will have to be played at a later date. Saint John's next game will be on Saturday when they visit the Halifax Mooseheads - and Nova Scotia confirmed Wednesday that the province's borders will remain open to New Brunswickers despite the recent outbreaks.

So, none of this is ideal, but hopefully it's only temporary and all teams are back in action come November.

The WHL, meanwhile, announced Wednesday that it plans to begin its regular season on Jan. 8 with teams only playing within their divisions. The OHL plans to start on Dec. 1.

Another QMJHL team to be put on pause

A seventh Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team will be forced to take a pause due to COVID-19.

It was announced Tuesday that Victoriaville will be the latest QMJHL market to be placed into the red zone by the Quebec government, putting on a pause on the team's games until further notice.

According to the Victoriaville newspaper La Nouvelle Union, the region won't be turned red until Monday, meaning the Tigres could technically play their weekend games. We'll see what happens.

Victoriaville joins the Quebec Remparts as teams in the East Division that are in red regions while it's believed the Shawinigan Cataractes could soon be in the same boat. In the West, the Drummondville Voltigeurs, Gatineau Olympiques and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada are all in the red. The Armada and Sherbrooke Phoenix, meanwhile, are dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks amongst themselves.

In the Maritimes, Moncton has been placed into the orange phase by the New Brunswick government, which puts a pause on all sporting events and closes entertainment venues. Last Saturday's Wildcats game in Saint John was postponed and the team will presumably be out of action for at least a couple weeks. No official announcement has been made yet.

So less than three weeks into the regular season, six teams are impacted by government regulations and two by COVID outbreaks (the Armada fall into both categories). This is a rough scene for the QMJHL, and we're reaching the point where you have to wonder if hitting the brakes for a few weeks is the simplest - and safest - option. This past week showed all of us just how quickly things can take a turn.

The Sea Dogs are scheduled to play in Moncton on Friday night, but that game is unlikely to happen. On Saturday, assuming the Atlantic bubble is still a thing, Saint John will visit the Halifax Mooseheads

Sea Dogs/Wildcats game postponed

SAINT JOHN - Tonight's Saint John Sea Dogs home game against the Moncton Wildcats has been postponed by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The decision comes after the Moncton area was placed back into the orange phase by the provincial government due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak.

From the Sea Dogs:

Following the New Brunswick Government’s decision to return the Moncton area to the Orange level, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League postpones tonight's game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and the Moncton Wildcats until further notice. The game was scheduled to take place at TD Station in Saint John, NB.

In New Brunswick, an Orange level translates into the following rules: no organized sports are allowed, sport and recreational facilities are closed as well as large live event venues. This also includes travel restrictions that limit travel outside the designated zone. 

This announcement does not effect any future Sea Dogs home games. The QMJHL remains in constant contact with regional Public Health Officials. We thank you for your patience and understanding during this time and urge everyone to stay safe.

Moncton went into the orange phase at midnight and the government has requested people not travel in and out of the area. The Wildcats played in Halifax last night and were not expected to return home, allowing them to play tonight's game in Saint John. Obviously some thoughts changed overnight - and it's probably the right call. There's no point in taking chances when there's plenty of time to reschedule this game for later in the season.

The Sea Dogs are scheduled to play in Moncton next Friday, but that game will likely get postponed as well.

This is the first COVID related issue for a QMJHL team in the Maritimes this season. In Quebec, there have been confirmed cases on the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and Sherbrooke Phoenix, which have postponed several games. Meanwhile, the Armada, Quebec Remparts and soon the Drummondville Voltigeurs have all been placed in red zones by the Quebec government, which will put a pause on sports for the rest of the month.

Game Day 4: vs Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - Two teams coming off their first wins of the season meet tonight at TD Station.

The Saint John Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 home shootout win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last night while the Moncton Wildcats picked up a 4-2 road win over the Halifax Mooseheads. Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

So... will this game be played? At the time of this writing, everything was good to go. The Wildcats were not expected to spend the night in Moncton, which went back into the orange phase as of midnight last night, putting limitations on sports, entertainment venues and travel in and out. The bigger question might be: when will the Wildcats play after tonight's game?

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/CFBC 930 AM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-1-0 this season for three points (fourth Maritimes, 12th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 1-2-0-0 for two points (fifth Maritimes, 14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 shootout win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last night on home ice. Joshua Roy scored Saint John's only goal in regulation and the only goal of the shootout. Noah Patenaude made 34 saves in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 4-2 win in Halifax last night. Jacob Stewart scored a pair while singles came from Gabriel Bernier and Connor Olson. Dakota Lund-Cornish made 20 saves in the win.

2020-21 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 3-5-0-0 against the Wildcats last season while Moncton went 5-3-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Sept. 25 in pre-season action where the Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs 3-2 in overtime at TD Station. Dominic Leblanc scored twice for Moncton while Jacob Hudson netted the overtime winner. Jeremie Poirier and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Dakota Lund-Cornish made 21 stops in the win. Creed Jones made 36 stops in the loss.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 2-1 (SO)

FINAL: Bathurst 1, Saint John 2 (SO)

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs picked up their first win of the season on Friday night at TD Station.

Joshua Roy scored in regulation time and added the only goal of the shootout to give the Sea Dogs a 2-1 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Two of Saint John's three games so far this season have needed extra time.

The Sea Dogs fired 50 shots on net in the win but had a hard time beating Titan netminder Chad Arsenault - the last-minute pickup who has been one of the league's best stories. Arsenault has helped the Titan earn points in all three of their games, allowing just four goals on 120 total shots.

Saint John had a number of excellent scoring opportunities that were denied by Arsenault. The Dogs still weren't quite clicking on all cylinders, but this game was definitely the club's best 65-minute performance of the year.

Noah Patenaude made 34 saves in the win. The Sea Dogs are now 1-1-1-0.

Bennett MacArthur scored Bathurst's lone goal.

Game Day 3: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to earn their first win of the season tonight at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs lost both games they played last weekend, blowing a third period lead in Bathurst on Friday and then had a comeback fall short on Saturday against Charlottetown. It was obvious that the team had plenty to work on and tonight, after a week of practice, we'll see how they look.

Game time between the Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/CFBC 630 AM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-1-0 for one point (fifth Maritimes, 15th QMJHL) while the Titan are 2-0-0-0 for four points (second Maritimes, fourth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-5 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders last Saturday. Nicholas Girouard, Peter Reynolds, Dawson Stairs, Josh Lawrence and Jeremie Poirier scored for Saint John. Creed Jones made 29 stops in the loss. The Titan are coming off a 2-0 win in Moncton last Sunday. Bennett MacArthur and Mathieu Desgagnes score for Bathurst. Chad Arsenault made 34 saves in the shutout win.

2020-21 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-0-1-0 against the Titan while Bathurst is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: One week ago at the KC Irving Regional Centre where the Titan defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3 in overtime. Mathieu Desgagnes scored a pair for Bathurst while singles came from Cole Huckins and Riley Kidney. Saint John goals came from Joshua Roy, Kale McCallum and Alex Drover. Chad Arsenault made 33 saves in the win. Noah Patenaude made 42 stops in the loss.