Canada wins gold, Swiss finish 8th at Hlinka

Hockey Canada

Team Canada won gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Saturday night in Edmonton.

But first, let's discuss Florian Schenk and the Swiss.

Switzerland lost the seventh-place game on Friday, falling 5-2 to Finland. The loss means the Swiss went winless in the tournament, posting a 0-3-1 record to finish last in the eight-team event.

Schenk, who was selected seventh overall by the Saint John Sea Dogs in this year's CHL Import Draft, had a goal and an assist in four games with Switzerland, placing him in a tie for second in team scoring. The Swiss scored just five goals in the tournament.

Canada, meanwhile, didn't have much trouble scoring, going 5-0 and outscoring opponents by a combined 24-4.

In Saturday's gold medal game, Quispamsis native Liam Kilfoil of the Halifax Mooseheads and Caleb Desnoyers of the Moncton Wildcats both scored in the 2-1 win over Czechia.

The team also featured QMJHL players Lucas Beckman (Baie-Comeau), Alex Huang (Chicoutimi) and Emile Guite (Chicoutimi). Guite finished in a tie for the team's scoring lead with three goals and four assists in five games.

It's the third straight year Canada won gold in the under-18 event.

Notebook: Jones died in motorcycle accident

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Creed Jones died in a motorcycle accident on Friday, CBC News has confirmed.

The death of the former Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender was announced over the weekend. The 24-year-old was one of two people killed in the crash late Friday in the Ottawa area.

The Sea Dogs have released the below statement.

The #SJSeaDogs are saddened to learn about the passing of former goaltender Creed Jones.

Our thoughts are with Creed’s family and friends during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/4x5vqN6SR1

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) August 4, 2024

Jones also played with the Rimouski Oceanic and Gatineau Olympiques during his time in the QMJHL. The Olympiques announced Monday that they will honour Jones during their game against the Oceanic on Sept. 28.

ST. STEPHEN TICKETS

Tickets are now on sale for Saint John's pre-season opener, which will take place Aug. 20 at St. Stephen's Garcelon Civic Centre.

Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for youths and seniors. Tickets can be purchased here.

This will be Saint John's first game of the 2024 pre-season. They'll be facing the Charlottetown Islanders in the first of back-to-back games between the two. The Sea Dogs travel to Pownal, PEI the next night to face the Islanders again.

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).

Creed Jones has died

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Former Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Creed Jones, it was confirmed on Saturday.

He was 24.

The QMJHL extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Creed Jones. Our hearts are with you during this difficult time. 💔 pic.twitter.com/74mqC99PBl

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) August 3, 2024

Jones played in five games with the Sea Dogs during the COVID season of 2020-21, going 1-3-1. A Peterborough native, he also played in the QMJHL with the Rimouski Oceanic and Gatineau Olympiques.

Following his QMJHL career, he played a season with the University of Ottawa.

Chartrand commits to Boston College

In a not-so-surprising announcement, Saint John Sea Dogs draft pick Cameron Chartrand has committed to play NCAA hockey at Boston College.

Chartrand made the announcement on his Instagram page Friday.

"I am humbled and honoured to announce my commitment to play Division 1 hockey at Boston College," Chartrand wrote. "I would like to thank God, my family, teammates, coaches, advisors and everyone who has helped me along the way."

The Sea Dogs selected Chartrand in the first-round, 19th overall in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. The team – and all QMJHL teams – were well aware of his college hockey intentions. Using a first-round pick to select him allows Saint John to receive a compensation first-round selection if they chose to relinquish his rights.

The 16-year-old defenseman posted six goals and 27 assists in his second season with the Bishop Kearney Selects prep school last year. He was a second-round pick of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in this year's USHL Futures Draft.

Chartrand, a native of Saint-Lazare, Que., played with Team Canada at this year's Youth Olympic Games, a team that had Sea Dogs head coach Travis Crickard on its coaching staff. He also attended Hockey Canada's recent under-17 development camp, which Crickard was involved in as well.

Fellow Sea Dogs first-round picks William Yared and Dylan Rozzi took part in that Hockey Canada camp as well. There is some uncertainty surrounding Rozzi and whether he plans to play college hockey or not.

16-year-old forward Tynan Lawrence, meanwhile, has committed to Boston University. Lawrence, the younger brother of former Sea Dogs forward Josh Lawrence, was a first-round pick of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in this year's draft.

Sea Dogs officially acquire Dubé

As expected, the Saint John Sea Dogs were active on Thursday when the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League trade period opened up. And as expected, the Sea Dogs acquired 17-year-old forward Elliot Dubé from the Gatineau Olympiques in exchange for a pair of draft picks.

“We had a lot of interest in Elliot in his draft year and that carried over throughout this past season,” said Sea Dogs general manager Anthony Stella in a news release. “He was a player we were actively pursuing so to finally add him to our core is a positive step forward.”

The Sea Dogs also acquired a sixth-round pick in the 2027 QMJHL Entry Draft from the Olympiques. In exchange, Saint John dealt a second-round pick in 2026 and Gatineau's own 2025 sixth-round pick.

Listed at 6'0" and 165 lbs, Dubé was a second-round pick of Gatineau in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft but never played a game with the club. He spent last season with Notre Dame College in the Quebec under-18 circuit where he posted 11 goals and 17 assists in 41 games. He added a goal and six assists in six playoff games.

Dubé was an alternate captain with Notre Dame last year, his second season with the club.

As noted in the team's news release, " Saint John now has five of the top 40 players picked in the 2023 draft with Dubé, Egan Beveridge, Benjamin Amyot, Olivier Duhamel, and Olivier Groulx." 

Sea Dogs training camp will likely begin the weekend of Aug. 17. The team's pre-season schedule begins Aug. 20 in St. Stephen.