Sea Dogs claim Wagner; Forlin leaves

Moncton Wildcats

The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League trade period might be over but the roster moves continue for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

On Thursday, the team announced that they've claimed 19-year-old forward Mitchell Wagner off waivers from the Moncton Wildcats. The Middle Sackville native has spent most of this season with the Maritime Hockey League's Miramichi Timberwolves but has appeared in six games with the Wildcats recently.

“Mitchell caught our eye a number of times when he recently played against us with the Wildcats," said Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Travis Crickard in a news release. "When we saw he was available on waivers, we spent some time watching his games and felt he would be a solid addition to the depth of our team. He brings size, grit, and quality experience having won an MHL championship with Miramichi.”

Wagner was an eighth-round pick of the Charlottetown Islanders in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft. The games he's spent with the Wildcats this season are the only QMJHL matches he has played. He scored his first QMJHL goal against Saint John on Dec. 28.

In 22 games with Miramichi this season, Wagner has 12 goals and 12 assists.

Wagner is listed at 6'04" and 203 lbs, which makes him one of the bigger players on Saint John's roster.

18-year-old forward Parker Forlin, meanwhile, has left the team for personal reason. Forlin left the OJHL's Niagara Falls Canucks to join the Sea Dogs on Dec. 30.

Forlin appeared in three games with Saint John, recording one assist.

“When pursuing hockey dreams young men face many challenges such as living in a new city, integrating with a new team, living in a new home with a new family, attending a new school, and playing with people who speak different languages,” said Crickard. “Parker indicated a significant struggle with this adjustment as it was his first time living away from home.”

More roster additions could still be announced by the Sea Dogs in the coming days.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 3-0

FINAL: Drummondville 3, Saint John 0

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - It was a respectable showing against one of the league's top teams, but the Saint John Sea Dogs could not snap their losing streak on Wednesday at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs lost a fifth straight game, falling 3-0 to the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Saint John is now five games below .500 and have yet to win since the holiday break ended.

The Volts, the defending QMJHL champions, sit second in the overall standings and loaded up at this year's trade deadline. They showed their dominance at times, not allowing the Sea Dogs to maintain puck control for very long.

The Sea Dogs were able to hang around with the Volts but allowing two goals in the first period put them into a hole. Saint John was able to register 21 shots with only four of those being listed as dangerous. The Dogs were outshot 13-3 in the middle frame.

Yan Gaudreau's goal at 17:23 of the third period secured the win for the visitors. Saint John was never able to control the puck long enough in the offensive zone to get an extra attacker on the ice.

Justin Larose, recently acquired from the Victoriaville Tigres, and Ethan Gauthuer, who just returned from the world juniors, recorded Drummondville's other goals.

Riley Mercer made 21 saves in the shutout win.

Charles-Edward Gravel made 33 stops in the loss.

With Saint John losing and Charlottetown winning, the Islanders leapfrog the Sea Dogs in the standings.

Game Day 37: vs Voltigeurs

SAINT JOHN - For the first time in 2025, the Saint John Sea Dogs will take to the ice at TD Station.

Saint John's first home game since Dec. 14 will not be an easy one.

The Sea Dogs host the powerhouse Drummondville Voltigeurs tonight at 7 p.m. The defending QMJHL champions have loaded up again, adding Justin Larose and Nathan Baril to an already strong lineup. The Volts could also have Ethan Gauthier back from the world juniors tonight and are led offensively by veterans Luke Woodworth and Sam Oliver.

The Volts sit second overall in the QMJHL standings with 54 points, placing them six back of the league-leading Moncton Wildcats.

Saint John will look to end a four-game losing streak tonight. They have yet to win a game since returning from the Christmas break.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 16-20-0-0 for 32 points (fourth Maritimes/eighth Eastern/13th QMJHL) while the Voltigeurs are 25-8-2-2 for 54 points (first Central/first Western/second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 loss in Charlottetown on Saturday. Benjamin Amyot scored Saint John's lone goal. Charles-Edward Gravel was pulled after allowing two goals on six shots in the first period. Justin Robinson allowed three goals on 23 shots in relief. The Voltigeurs are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Sunday. Adam Cavallin and David Bosson scored for Drummondville. Louis-Felix Charrois made 27 stops in the loss.

Notebook: Chabot's WJC skates on display

Thomas Chabot's skates were on display at a Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit in Ottawa during this year's IIHF World Junior Championship.

Chabot, now a member of the Ottawa Senators, wore the skates during his impressive 2017 world junior tournament with Team Canada. The Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman was named tournament MVP after posting 10 points in seven games.

Canada's 2017 squad, which also featured Mathieu Joseph and Julien Gauthier, fell in a shootout to the United States in the gold medal game.

PLAYOFFS?

It's still early, but it's worth starting to take a peek at the QMJHL's playoff picture.

After a decent first half that saw the club enter the break with a .500 record, this four-game losing streak to start the second half has slid the Saint John Sea Dogs down the standings a couple spots. The Sea Dogs currently sit 13th overall with a 16-20-0-0 record for 32 points.

The top 16 teams make the playoffs. If the playoffs started today, Saint John would face the Moncton Wildcats.

The Halifax Mooseheads, who currently sit 16th, have 27 points. The Sea Dogs and Mooseheads will play a home-and-home this weekend.

ATTENDANCE WATCH

Attendance remains up in the QMJHL, according to the league.

Attendances in the #QMJHL are up 6.5% compared to this time last season!
To all our fans: THANK YOU!

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) January 7, 2025

In Saint John, where the Sea Dogs have lowered adult ticket prices to $20 for the second half, the team is averaging 2,434 fans per game after 17 home games. After 17 home games last year, the Sea Dogs averaged 2,621 fans per game. 

Wildcats land Gill, Rousseau

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A couple blockbuster trades made by the Moncton Wildcats highlighted Monday's QMJHL trade deadline.

As expected, the Wildcats acquired overage defenseman Dyllan Gill from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in exchange for draft picks and prospect Niko El Khouri. Gill, a Riverview native and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, has been playing with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch where he's posted two goals and two assists this season.

Then the Wildcats made a surprise move, trading 20-year-old goaltender Jacob Steinman, a pair of second-round picks and a fourth-rounder to the Halifax Mooseheads in exchange for overage netminder Mathis Rousseau and forward Logan Crosby.

Steinman, in his third season with the Wildcats, has been excellent, posting a 2.13 goals against average and a .928 save percentage. Most would agree, though, that Rousseau is an upgrade – the question is how much? And was this trade really necessary? 

Rousseau's numbers are average this season (by his standard, at least) given that he's on a bad Mooseheads team. But the Wildcats were no doubt attracted to his experience, playing for Team Canada at last year's IIHF World Junior Championship and carrying the Mooseheads to the league final in 2023.

With the additions of Gill and Rousseau, the Wildcats are stacked defensively and remain very well positioned to make a run at a QMJHL title.

A few other of Monday's notable deals...

• The Drummondville Voltigeurs also hope to make a run, acquiring 19-year-old forward Justin Larose from the Victoriaville Tigres in exchange for Maxime Lambert and a plethora of draft picks.
• Former Sea Dogs forward Pavel Simek, who is fresh off helping Czechia win a bronze medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship, was traded to the Charlottetown Islanders by the Rimouski Oceanic. The move had to happen for the Oceanic to make room for Saint John Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko.
• The Mateiko deal was Saint John's only trade during this year's QMJHL holiday trade period.
• On Sunday, the Wildcats traded overage forward Yoan Loshing to the Shawinigan Cataractes to make room for Gill.
• The full list of trades can be found on the QMJHL website.

Mateiko traded to Rimouski

Micheal Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Eriks Mateiko has been traded to the Rimouski Oceanic.

The Saint John Sea Dogs officially traded their captain to the Memorial Cup hosts on Monday morning, just hours before the QMJHL trade deadline. In return, the Sea Dogs receive four picks in the 2026 QMJHL Entry Draft. 

#QMJHLTrade 🔄@SJSeaDogs
➡️ Rimouski : Eriks Mateiko (2005-11-18)@oceanicrimouski
➡️ Saint John : 3rd round 2026, 4th round 2026, 4th round 2026 (SNB), 5th round 2026 pic.twitter.com/oZaeVxs531

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) January 6, 2025

The return for Mateiko – one of the best imports in the QMJHL – looks underwhelming right now. That will be fixed at the draft in June when this deal is fully completed. It's expected Saint John will receive two first round picks.

Despite appearing in just 23 games with the Sea Dogs during the first half of the season, Mateiko continues to be Saint John's leading goal scorer. He's posted 14 goals and five assists this season.

The Latvian forward spent two-and-a-half seasons with Saint John, recording 53 goals and 45 assists in 134 career QMJHL games. He'll go down as one of Saint John's best CHL Import Draft picks, being picked in the second round in 2022.

Mateiko will now get the opportunity to compete for a Memorial Cup championship with the Oceanic. He proved during this year's IIHF World Junior Championship that he can thrive in big games, pulling Latvia into the quarterfinals with five goals in five games.

The Oceanic's next game is Friday against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. They visit Saint John on Jan. 24.