Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Rouyn-Noranda 6

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

ROUYN-NORANDA, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs proved to be no match for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Friday.

The Sea Dogs went 0/6 on the power play and allowed a shorthanded goal in a 6-1 loss to the Huskies at Arena Glencore. Saint John goaltender Justin Robinson had another busy night, facing 52 shots in the loss.

Dylan Rozzi scored Saint John's lone goal, which came in the second period on a turnover by Huskies goaltender Samuel Meloche. The Sea Dogs once again struggled to generate quality scoring chances with only 10 of their 30 shots being classified as dangerous.

The Sea Dogs had a chance to grab momentum early in the first period but their power play could not come through. Alexis Poirier was given a four-minute penalty for high sticking at 3:11 and then Ty Higgins took a delay of game infraction at 7:12.

Higgins, Benjamin Brunelle, Remi Gelinas, Lars Steiner, Harijs Cjunskis and Thomas Verdun all had Rouyn-Noranda goals. Meloche made 29 saves in the win.

Game Day 46: at Rouyn-Noranda

ROUYN-NORANDA, QC - The road trip continues tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

After a tough 4-3 loss in Boisbriand on Wednesday, the Sea Dogs have travelled northwest to face the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies tonight. Game time is 8 p.m. Atlantic.

The Sea Dogs led 3-2 after two against the Armada but allowed two goals in the third period in the loss. The Huskies, meanwhile, got roughed up on home ice last night by the hot Charlottetown Islanders, falling 6-3.

The Huskies sit second in the QMJHL's Western Conference and sixth overall in the QMJHL. This will be another tough challenge – especially on the backend – for Saint John.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 19-26-0-0 for 38 points (fifth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Huskies are 24-12-3-5 for 56 points (first West/second Western/sixth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 loss in Blainville-Boisbriand on Wednesday. Nicolas Bilodeau, Olivier Groulx and William Yared all scored. Justin Robinson made 39 saves in the loss. The Huskies are coming off 6-3 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders last night. Thomas Verdon, Ty Higgins and Samuel Rousseau all scored for the Huskies. Zach Pelletier made 21 stops in the loss.

Young is a Sea Dog + some other notes

@stanleyscreative

Eric Young is officially a Saint John Sea Dog.

The Sea Dogs announced the signing of the 19-year-old goaltender on Thursday, a day after he was added to the club's roster.

“With the January 10th deadline already past, we are very fortunate to acquire a goaltender of Eric’s caliber. He was a workhorse for his previous team in the first half and was rewarded by being part of the Top Prospects Game,” said Sea Dogs head coach and general nanager Travis Crickard in a news release. “In communications with folks out west, Eric received glowing reviews about his hunger and commitment to get better everyday. He will be a welcome addition to our program.”

Young leaves the BCHL's Coquitlam Express for the QMJHL. He posted a 13-8-0 record to go along with a .890 save-percentage and a 3.32 goals against average in 25 games this season.

Young will presumably be Justin Robinson's backup for the rest of the season. The Sea Dogs have been in search of a second netminder since the team suddenly released 20-year-old Charles-Edward Gravel on Jan. 19.

A few other news and notes...

• Young joins a long list of players that have left the BCHL for the QMJHL since the NCAA rule change. Young joins forward Dylan Krayer as Sea Dogs players who have done so.
• The Sea Dogs are back in action on Friday when they visit the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at 8 p.m. They play the final game of this Quebec road trip on Saturday, visiting the Val-d'Or Foreurs at 5 p.m.
• Environment Canada's weather forecast for Friday night in Rouyn-Noranda: "Partly cloudy. Wind up to 15 km/h. Low minus 30. Wind chill minus 25 in the evening and minus 39 overnight. Risk of frostbite."
• The Huskies were in action on Thursday, hosting the Charlottetown Islanders.
• It looks like the Sea Dogs will be holding their skills competition on Feb. 4 at the Peter Murray Arena on the west side.
• A weird scheduling quirk: the Moncton Wildcats and Cape Breton Eagles will play their next three games against each other over the span of a week. The two meet Thursday in Sydney, Saturday in Moncton and next Thursday in Moncton.
• A few notable NCAA commitments:
• 17-year-old forward Ryan Dwyer, the son of former Sea Dogs head coach Gordie Dwyer, has committed to RPI. Dwyer is in his second season at Stanstead College in Quebec.
• Quebec Remparts captain Justin Côté has committed to Clarkson University.
• QMJHL leading scorer Jonathan Fauchon of the Rimiuski Oceanic has committed to Providence College.
• Oceanic captain Jacob Mathieu has committed to Northeastern University.
• The QMJHL has launched the Thursday Night Showdown, which will offer fans a free game to watch on YouTube and CHL TV every Thursday. It's a great idea but has the same problem as the CHL on TV days: the matchups aren't very appetizing. Offering the games in both languages would be great as well, especially if the league is truly trying to attract more Americans.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Blainville-Boisbriand 4

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

BOISBRIAND, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs couldn't contain the power play of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada when they needed to most.

With Zachary Morin in the box serving an interference penalty, Egor Goriunov netted his 20th goal of the season to give the Armada a 4-3 advantage at 12:24 of the third period. The Sea Dogs pulled goaltender Justin Robinson in favour of an extra attacker late in the frame but could not net an equalizer.

The Armada entered the game with the best power play in the QMJHL, running at 32.6%. They went 2/3 in this game.

The Sea Dogs, despite being outshot 31-16 through 40 minutes, entered the third with a 3-2 lead thanks to a late second period goal from William Yared. Saint John played a fairly solid road game even though the shot clock was lopsided for a lot of it.

Xavier Villeneuve tied the game at 9:24 of the third, allowing Goriunov to register the game-winner a few minutes later.

Matt Gosselin and Rafaël Cloutier also scored for Blainville-Boisbriand. Felix Hamel made 26 saves in the victory.

Yared, Nicolas Bilodeau and Olivier Groulx all scored for Saint John. Robinson had another busy night in net, making 39 saves in the loss.

Yared recorded a career high three points – a goal and two assists. Saint John's top line of Yared, Groulx and Dylan Rozzi – who are all from the Montreal area – was buzzing all night long.

Young added to Sea Dogs roster

Coquitlam Express Twitter

A new goaltender has been added to the Saint John Sea Dogs' roster.

19-year-old netminder Eric Young has been added to Saint John's online roster. The team has yet to make an official announcement on the addition.

Young has appeared in 25 games with the BCHL's Coquitlam Express this season, posting a 13-8 record to go along with a 3.32 goals against average and a .890 save percentage. According to the BCHL website, he hasn't played a game since Jan. 3.

Young, who turned 19 on Dec. 30, is in his second season with the Express. He's listed at 6'01" and 180 lbs.

The Mill Bay, BC native was still listed on the Express roster as of Wednesday night. The Express did, however, announce the acquisition of another goaltender on Wednesday. 

The BCHL has had a huge exodus of players since the NCAA rule change. Young does not appear to have an NCAA commitment at this time.

Young did not dress for the Sea Dogs on Wednesday in Blainville-Boisbriand. 19-year-old goaltender Cédric Cyr-Dauphinais of the QJHL's Terrebonne Cobras was Justin Robinson's backup.

The Sea Dogs have been in search of a backup for Robinson since the team suddenly released 20-year-old netminder Charles-Edward Gravel on Jan. 19. Robinson has played every game since Gravel's departure.

This move means the Sea Dogs still have an open overage spot on their roster along with both import spots.

Game Day 45: at Blainville-Boisbriand

BOISBRIAND, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin a three-game Quebec road trip tonight in the Montreal suburbs.

The Sea Dogs' defensive play will be put to the test when they take on the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada at 8 p.m. Atlantic. The Armada have scored the second most goals in the QMJHL this season.

Saint John has caught the Armada at a good time though: leading scorer Justin Carbonneau, a top prospect for this year's NHL Draft, will serve a one-game suspension for a check to head during Saturday's game against the Victoriaville Tigres.

The Sea Dogs will look to build off a solid road victory on Sunday in Halifax – the team's first win in regulation time since early December.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 19-25-0-0 for 38 points (fifth Maritimes/ninth Eastern/15th QMJHL) while the Armada are 24-17-2-0 for 50 points (second West/fifth Western/11th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-1 win over the Halifax Mooseheads on Sunday. Zachary Morin scored twice while singles came from Tyler Peddle and Dylan Rozzi. Justin Robinson made 38 stops in the win. The Armada are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Victoriaville Tigres on Saturday. Vincent Desjardins and Matt Gosselin scored for Blainville-Boisbriand. Vincent Gladu and Felix Hamel split the loss in net.