Notebook: Hockey is near

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Hockey season is almost here.

The Saint John Sea Dogs begin training camp next weekend before playing three pre-season games in the days ahead.

The Sea Dogs begin pre-season play on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at TD Station against the Charlottetown Islanders. The next night the two teams will travel to Pownal, PEI to play a second game.

On Friday, Aug. 25, the Sea Dogs conclude the "first half" of pre-season play with a home contest against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Sea Dogs then resume pre-season play on Sept. 8. The team will play six pre-season matches in total before opening the regular season on Sept. 22 in Bathurst.

SEASON TICKET INFO

The Sea Dogs have announced the list of benefits season tickets will receive this season.

Secure your Season Tickets to take advantage of numerous perks and benefits including concessions discounts, complimentary preseason tickets, and much more.

Season Tickets go on sale Monday, August 14th at the TD Station box office. Subscription plans are available! pic.twitter.com/FEzyIjQYYB

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) August 10, 2023

Along with the classics, there are a few new ones. From the team's website:

• Concessions Vouchers: "One of the new benefits for Season Ticket Members this season are exclusive vouchers which can be redeemed at the TD Station concessions for discounts on food and beverages."
• Free Preseason Tickets: "Preseason games return to TD Station this year with the Sea Dogs are set to play six times, including three home games. Season Ticket Members get tickets to all home preseason games for free."
• Presale access for JSMSE Events: "Another new benefit for Season Ticket Members this season is access to presales for all JSM Sports & Entertainment events that are held at TD Station."

The team also confirmed that tribute performances will be returning again this season.

Few more camp invites announced

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As training camp gets closer, the Saint John Sea Dogs have announced another four free agent invitees.

The team announced Thursday that forwards Alexis Brisson, Mathis Cloutier and Luca Aziz along with defenseman Xavier Delage are all expected to attend training camp, which is set to begin Aug. 18 at TD Station.

Brisson and Cloutier are both overagers with QMJHL experience. Postmedia previously reported on their invites a couple weeks ago.

At this time, the Sea Dogs have five overagers competing for three spots: forwards Brisson, Cloutier and veteran Peter Reynolds along with returning defenseman Jared Cosman and the newly acquired Mathis Gauthier.

The 17-year-old Aziz spent last season with the the Lac St-Louis Lions in the Quebec under-18 circuit where he registered nine goals and 16 points in 42 games. He added one goal in 10 playoff games.

Delage, 19, appeared in 25 QJHL games split between the Princeville Tigers and Cegep Beauce-Appalaches Condors. He also played in 13 games with the Asbestos Nordiks Blades of the Ligue Regionale de Hockey. Delage was a seventh-round pick of the Charlottetown Islanders in the 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft.

A few QMJHL teams have already released their training camp rosters. The Sea Dogs, in recent years anyways, have been one of the final teams to release their camp roster.

Saint John's training camp begins Aug. 18 and the team's first pre-season game is on Tuesday, Aug. 22 against the Charlottetown Islanders.

Sea Dogs release new hype video

With the start of training camp less than two weeks away, the Saint John Sea Dogs unveiled a new hype video on Wednesday.

The video was posted on the team's social media channels and is titled "What Lurks Beneath: The Legend of the Sea Dog."

"Do not fear what lies ahead," reads the description. "Fear what lurks... beneath."

The video is quite a change from what the team has been doing over the past decade or so. It's no doubt inspired by the Seattle Kraken who have similar style hype videos.

The Sea Dogs begin pre-season play on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at TD Station against the Charlottetown Islanders.

A few Sea Dogs alumni updates

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Jonathan Lemieux is turning pro.

It was announced Tuesday that the former Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender has signed a one-year deal with the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Canucks. Lemieux is represented by former QMJHL goaltender Nick Riopel's sports agency.

Really happy to announce that I have signed my first professional contract with the @abbycanucks ! pic.twitter.com/WoQo8BaRU9

— Jonathan Lemieux (@JoLemieux35) August 8, 2023

The 22-year-old spent last season with the Concordia University Stingers where he posted very strong numbers, finishing with a 16-4 record in the regular season to go along with a 1.98 goals against average and a .933 save percentage.

From the Canucks:

Lemieux, 22, is signing his first professional contract out of Concordia University (OUA), where he led the league’s goaltenders in goals-against average (1.98) and lead rookie goaltenders in wins (16) during the 2022-23 USports regular season. The 6’1, 185-pound netminder recorded three shutouts and a .933 save percentage for the Stingers this past season and posted a 4-2-0 record with two shutouts during the 2023 OUA Playoffs. A native of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Lemieux played five major junior seasons in the QMJHL with Val-d’Or, Saint John and Moncton, earning QMJHL Second Team All-Star honours in 2020-21.

Lemieux spent the first half of the 2021-22 season in Saint John before being dealt to the Moncton Wildcats in the Philippe Daoust deal.

Of note, former Sea Dogs goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise — who took over as Saint John's No. 1 netminder following the 2022 trade deadline — is heading to Concordia this fall.

Sea Dogs draft picks at Hlinka Gretzky Cup

USA Hockey

Two Saint John Sea Dogs connections are taking part in this year's under-18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Forward Joseph "JJ" Monteiro and defenseman Will Felicio, who were both picked by the Sea Dogs late in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft, are skating for Team USA at this year's event.

Team USA, who finished second in Group A with six points in three games, will face Team Canada in Friday's semifinal. That game will air at 2 p.m. Atlantic on TSN. 

The other semifinal, which will take place at the same time, will feature Finland and Czechia. The championship game takes place Saturday.

Monteiro just finished up his third season with Mount St. Charles Academy and Elite Prospects has him playing with the BCHL's Salmon Arm Silverbacks this season. He is committed to Providence College of the NCAA.

Felicio, meanwhile, had one of the best offensive seasons by a rookie defensemen in USHL history last year, posting four goals and 24 assists in 55 games with the Madison Capitols. He is committed to the University of Denver.

Will Felicio with a hell of a shot. DU got a good one. pic.twitter.com/Yy2AXM2BNv

— Robert Chalmers (@IvanIvanlvan) August 1, 2023

It's looking unlikely that either will opt for major junior hockey and join the Sea Dogs — but you never know.

Team Canada does have one Sea Dogs connection in forward Justin Poirier, who is the brother of former Saint John defenseman Jeremie Poirier. Poirier of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, forward Maxim Masse of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens and goaltender Gabriel D'Aigle of the Victoriaville Tigres are the only QMJHL players suiting up for Team Canada at this year's tournament, indicating that it's likely going to be another light year for the league early in the 2024 NHL Draft.

D'Aigle is not draft eligible until 2025.

Sea Dogs deal Burbidge to Eagles

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs made a major move on the opening day of the pre-season trade period, dealing forward Cole Burbidge to the Cape Breton Eagles in exchange for a package of picks that include two first-rounders.

The Sea Dogs acquired a 2024 first-round pick (Blainville-Boisbriand), a 2024 second-round pick (Chicoutimi) and a 2025 first-round selection (Cape Breton) in the deal.

Burbidge, who will turn 18 on Aug. 26, had an impressive first-year in the QMJHL, posting 19 goals and 31 assists in 68 games. His performance in the second half was one of the reasons why Saint John was able to qualify for the playoffs.

Burbidge was a second-round pick of Saint John in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft. He earned an invite to Ottawa Senators development camp earlier this summer.

Losing Burbidge is a big blow to Saint John's offense for this coming season — but the package the Sea Dogs received in the trade would be hard to turn down.

The Sea Dogs are still restocking their bank of draft picks following the 2022 Memorial Cup run. Saint John now owns five first-round picks over the next three drafts — including two in 2024 that could be lottery selections (Blainville-Boisbriand and Gatineau).

“It was a tough decision for us to trade a player like Cole, but we’re happy with the return and proud of what he’s done here,” said Sea Dogs general manager Anthony Stella in a news release. “We’ve added another high draft pick this year to go along with Gatineau’s first-round pick and we get two other valuable picks. Now it’s up to us to hit on those picks and continue to build towards another championship.”

Via the French fan boards, here are the picks the Sea Dogs currently own for the next three drafts:

2024: 1BLB-1GAT-2CHI-3BAT-6-7-8-10-11-12-13-14

2025: 1-1CAP-2-6-8-11-12-13-14

2026: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14

The pre-season trade period ends on Aug. 28