Sea Dogs at NHL development camps

Dan Chisholm/Ottawa Senators

It's a light year for the Saint John Sea Dogs at NHL summer development camps.

Undrafted forward Cole Burbidge is the only current Sea Dog that received an NHL development camp invite. Burbidge took part in Ottawa Senators camp as a free agent.

There are a few former Sea Dogs taking part in camps this summer — but the list is short. Notably, two Dogs alumni — defensemen Jeremie Poirier and Yan Kuznetsov — were on the Calgary Flames development camp roster.

"A 2022 Memorial Cup champion along with Poirier with the Saint John Sea Dogs, Kuznetsov has steps to take to be with the big club, but opportunities may present themselves with six of the club’s top eight defensemen due to become unrestricted free-agents after the 2023-24 season," wrote Randy Sportak of The Hockey News.

Here's a full list of current and former Sea Dogs who were/are taking part in NHL development camps this summer.

Anaheim Ducks: None

Arizona Coyotes: Kale McCallum

Boston Bruins: None

Buffalo Sabres: None

Calgary Flames: Yan Kuznetsov Jeremie Poirier 

Carolina Hurricanes: None

Chicago Blackhawks: None

Colorado Avalanche: None

Columbus Blue Jackets: None

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

Gauthier signed by Islanders

Embed from Getty Images

Julien Gauthier is returning to the New York area.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs forward signed a two-year deal with the New York Islanders on Wednesday. Gauthier has spent parts of the past four seasons with the New York Rangers but was dealt to the Ottawa Senators in February.

According to the New York Post, Gauthier "inked a two-year, one-way deal at $787,500 average annual value." The fact that the deal is one-way would indicate that the Islanders plan to have Gauthier in their lineup come the fall.

Gauthier struggled to find consistent playing time in the deep Rangers lineup. In 57 games with the Rangers and Senators, the 25-year-old posted nine goals and five assists. He also appeared in four AHL games with the Hartford Wolf Pack. 

Gauthier has 14 goals and 18 assists in 153 career NHL games.

The Sea Dogs acquired Gauthier from the Val-d'Or Foreurs during the 2017 holiday trade period. He posted 10 goals and 14 assists in 20 regular season games and another 11 goals and six assists in 16 playoff games, helping Saint John win the President Cup.

Gauthier played with Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph in Ottawa, who were also part of that 2017 Sea Dogs team. Ottawa recently signed Matthew Highmore for the upcoming season.

There are no former Sea Dogs currently on the Islanders' roster, but prospect William Dufour could see some game action this coming season. Dufour, who spent the 2022-23 season with the AHL's Bridgeport Islanders, played in one game with New York last year.

Former Sea Dogs captain Vincent Sevigny also played in Bridgeport last season.

Busy CHL Import Draft for QMJHL teams

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

As expected, the Saint John Sea Dogs did not select in Wednesday's CHL Import Draft.

The Sea Dogs, who held the 11th overall pick in the CHL-wide draft, were the first team to pass on their selection. Only four teams in the first 40 picks did not select — and, oddly, all four were QMJHL teams (Saint John, Drummondville, Baie-Comeau and Rouyn-Noranda).

Saint John also entered the draft with the 71st overall pick.

This is the first time the Sea Dogs have passed on a pick since 2019 and the first time they've passed on both since 2011. Only two other times in team history — 2008 and 2011 — has Saint John not made a selection at all.

Forwards Pavel Simek and Eriks Mateiko will both return for second seasons with the Sea Dogs and makeup the squad's import duo. Both are coming off solid rookie campaigns after being selected in last year's CHL Import Draft.

While it was a quiet day for Saint John, it was a busy day for a number of other QMJHL teams. Here are a few notes from the draft.

• Slovakian forward Martin Misiak was taken first overall by the OHL's Erie Otters. Misiak joined the USHL champion Youngstown Phantoms (roughly 90 minutes away from Erie) after the world juniors and went on to be selected in the second round of the NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Notably, he was taken second overall by the Saginaw Spirit in last year's CHL Import Draft.
• With the second overall pick, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan picked Slovakian forward Juraj Pekarcik, a third round selection of the St. Louis Blues in last week's NHL Draft.
• The Moncton Wildcats used both of their picks on Wednesday, taking Czech defenseman Ales Zielinski and Czech forward Sebastian Glas. Moncton also signed German forward Julius Sumpf this week — who does not count as an import as he is also a Canadian citizen.
• The Halifax Mooseheads made one pick, selecting Swiss forward Yannik Ponzetto. The Mooseheads confirmed that Czech defenceman David Moravec will return to the club while captain Attilio Biasca will play professionally in Switzerland next season.
• German defenseman Norwin Panocha, a seventh round pick of the Buffalo Sabres last week, was picked by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens 32nd overall.
• With the 37th overall pick, the OHL's Flint Firebirds selected Swedish forward Markas Samenas, who spent last season with the Titan.
• In the second round, the Titan drafted soon-to-turn-19-years-old goaltender Antoine Keller, who was a seventh round pick of the Washington Capitals in last week's NHL Draft. Keller, who is a French and Swiss citizen, played in Switzerland last season but was also a member of France's national junior team.
• The OHL's Brantford Bulldogs (formerly known as the Hamilton Bulldogs), selected Czech defenseman Adam Jiricek, a top prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft and the younger brother of Columbus Blue Jackets prospect David Jiricek.
• The WHL's Wenatchee Wild (formerly known as the Winnipeg Ice), selected Japanese forward Kenta Isogai with the final pick of the first round. Isogai, who will turn 19 in August, has spent the past three seasons with the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms.
• Kristers Ansons, the younger brother of former Sea Dogs forward Raivis Ansons, was taken in the second round by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
• Alex Cajkovic, the younger brother of former Sea Dogs forward Maxim Cajkovic, was taken in the second round by the OHL's North Bay Battalion.
• Only one Russian was taken: forward Valentin Zhugin was picked by the OHL's Saginaw Spirit. Zhugin was eligible for the draft because he has spent the past two seasons with the OHL's Guelph Storm.
• Ukrainian forward Ihnat Pazii, who has spent the past couple seasons in the United States, was taken 55th overall by North Bay.
• 28 of the 75 players picked on Wednesday were from Czechia.

Sea Dogs will pass on Import Draft

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

There won't be much suspense from the Saint John Sea Dogs during Wednesday's CHL Import Draft.

General manager Antony Stella announced Tuesday that the team will be passing on both of their selections and, in doing so, confirming that forwards Pavel Simek and Eriks Mateiko will both be returning for second seasons in Saint John.

“We’re happy to announce that both Pavel and Eriks will be returning next season to Saint John,” said Stella in a news release. “Considering the adjustment period that they had in year one in a new country, new league and a new brand of hockey, both players showed they can be impactful.” 

The Sea Dogs were scheduled to pick 11th and 71st overall. Passing on 11th overall isn't the most ideal situation, but the Import Draft is more about who you know than where you pick. Teams can often get the player(s) they want no matter where they select.

Both Simek and Mateiko proved to be valuable imports last season and should be significant pieces to the Sea Dogs lineup this year. Simek, taken 48th overall in last year's Import Draft, had 29 points in 61 QMJHL games while Mateiko, selected 108th, had 36 points in 62 games.

Mateiko recently captained Latvia at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship where he recorded a goal and an assist in five games.

“We expect them both to take a step forward this upcoming season on and off the ice and for them to continue to contribute to our team,” Stella said.

This is the first time the Sea Dogs have passed on a pick since 2019 and the first time they've passed on both since 2011. Only two other times in team history — 2008 and 2011 — has Saint John not made a selection at all.

The OHL's Erie Otters will pick first overall followed by the QMJHL's Acadie-Bathurst Titan and WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings. The draft, which begins at noon Atlantic, can be followed online.

Senators add more former Sea Dogs

Embed from Getty Images 

The Ottawa Senators continue to try and get the 2017 President Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs back together.

After bringing in Mathieu Joseph to join Thomas Chabot last year, the Sens added forwards Matthew Highmore and Boko Imama to their organization on Saturday. All four helped the Sea Dogs win the QMJHL championship in 2017.

Both Highmore and Imama signed one-year, two-way contracts with the Senators, allowing them to move back-and-forth between Ottawa and AHL Belleville. Both players spent most of last season in the AHL.

Highmore, after playing in 46 games with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021-22, appeared in just two NHL games with the St. Louis Blues this past season. In 68 AHL games with the Springfield Thunderbirds, Highmore recorded 19 goals and 42 assists. He was considered one of the top AHL forwards on the market.

Forward Matthew Highmore signed a 1 year deal with @Senators yesterday. @MHighmore15 @OctagonHockey pic.twitter.com/xF4zAqPJOl

— Allan Walsh🏒 (@walsha) July 2, 2023

Imama, meanwhile, appeared in five games with the Arizona Coyotes last season. In 50 AHL games with the Tucson Roadrunners, the 26-year-old had five goals, 10 assists and 109 penalty minutes.

Forward Julien Gauthier, who was also a member of that 2017 Sea Dogs team, has become an unrestricted free agent. The 25-year-old played in 17 games with Ottawa last year after being acquired from the New York Rangers, posting three goals and two assists.

Belleville will likely feature another former Sea Dogs forward in 2023-24 in Philippe Daoust. The 2022 Memorial Cup champion played in just nine games last season after suffering a season ending injury early in the year.

Another Ottawa connection: current Sea Dogs forward Cole Burbidge will attend Senators development camp this week after receiving a free agent invite.