DOGS COMPLETE ROAD SWEEP

SN RECAP
FINAL: Sea Dogs 7, Huskies 0

ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. – It was the perfect ending to an unreal road trip.

Playing their fourth game in five days in northern Quebec, the Saint John Sea Dogs showed no signs of fatigue BY trouncing the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 7-0 at the Iamgold Arena in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Sunday evening.

With the victory, Saint John swept their four game road trip against the Val-d’Or Foreurs and the Huskies. Sweeping three games in Quebec is tough enough, but winning four games in the two northwestern communities is almost unheard of.

Stanislav Galiev and Michael Kirkpatrick led the way for Saint John producing two goals apiece. Gabriel Bourret, Mike Thomas, and Danick Gauthier also added goals. Steven Anthony and Stephen MacAulay both had two assists. Goaltender Frederic Piche was not tested too much, stopping 28 shots for the shutout victory.

Saint John simply dominated this game from the beginning to the end. Even in the third period when things got a little wild, the team kept their cool and cruised to victory.

Mickael Audette, who took three roughing penalties in the third period, made 29 saves and allowed six goals on the night. Backup Jeffery Noonan stopped eight-of-nine shots when he came in as relief in the second period.

FIRST PERIOD
Saint John dominated the first period. Their first good opportunity came when a Jonathan Huberdeau shot hit something in front, bouncing to Tomas Jurco. Jurco worked his way to the side of the goal with Mickael Audette down but defenseman Gabriel O’Conner dove to keep the puck out.

Zach Phillips then a sent a great pass to Kevin Gagne from the icing line. Gagne shot the puck from just above the dot but sent a low wrister wide of the goal. Then Stephen MacAulay fed a streaking Danick Gauthier but he couldn’t get a shot off.

While News 88.9 was experiencing some technical issues, Steven Anthony just missed a one time shot at the side of the net following a faceoff to the opposite side of Audette.

Saint John made it 1-0 at 10:56 when Michael Kirkpatrick centered the puck for Stanislav Galiev. Galiev wired the disc into the corner of the net to give Saint John the lead.

After Huberdeau was denied on a solid wraparound chance, Jurco cut through the defense but could not get a shot off before ramming into Audette in the Rouyn-Noranda crease.

The Sea Dogs doubled their at 16:23 when Mike Thomas fed Gabriel Bourret. The Saint John defenseman one-timed the puck with nobody around him to give his team a 2-0 lead going into intermission.

The Sea Dogs outshot the Huskies 13-4 in the period.

SECOND PERIOD
Just 11 seconds into the period, MacAulay sent a pass ahead to Danick Gauther as the two crossed the line. Gauthier fired the puck high glove side and beat Audette to make it a 3-0 game.

Maxim Kazakov actually had a good scoring chance following the goal, forcing Bourret to take a hooking penalty at 2:00. After the Huskies failed to get anything going on the power play, Jason Kelly was called for high sticking at 4:04. Despite Nathan Beaulieu firing a couple of good point shots, they could not get anything by Audette on the man advantage.

Following the power play, Ryan Tesink had a partial break but sent the puck wide. Then at 7:11 Jason Cameron and Kelly dropped the gloves in a rather uneventful fight.

The penalties began to come fast and furious following a Saint John power play. Jurco and Sean Girard were called for roughing at 8:57 and then Mike Thomas and Robbie DeFulviis headed off for roughing as well at 9:34.

During the four-on-four span, Scott Oke had a partial break but ripped a long shot wide.

With Beaulieu in the box for Saint John at 11:50, the Sea Dogs went back to their offensive penalty killing style. MacAulay entered the zone and fired a shot on Audette, producing a big rebound. Thomas was right there to sweep it in and make it a 4-0 game.

The Huskies had a decent scoring chance at the other end as Frederic Piche was forced to stop Jerome Raymond with the leather in front.

The Sea Dogs made it 5-0 at 12:28. Galiev chipped the puck ahead to Kirkpatrick who entered the zone down the wing at top speed. Audette did not even move before Kirkpatrick fired a wrist shot that beat the goaltender wide to extend Saint John’s lead. Jeffery Noonan replaced Audette following the goal.

Galiev made it 6-0 at 15:46 immediately following a faceoff, beating Audette down low to officially make it a blowout.

Huberdeau was sent to the box at 17:04 for tripping. A big scrum was produced in front of Piche during the power play, but the goaltender stood his ground and made a few nice stops.

Rouyn-Noranda, despite allowing four goals, kept pace with Saint John as the two fired 17 points each.

THIRD PERIOD
The Sea Dogs went to an early two man advantage at 1:54 with Andrew Roski and Raymond in the box. Huberdeau and Jurco both had decent chances but could not score.

Audette came back into the Huskies crease to open the third, but he was called for roughing after he went after MacAulay and washed his face with his glove for some unknown reason. On the power play, Gauthier made a nice move to get around his man but was stopped in the crease. That would prove to be the best opportunity.

At the other end, Roski had a good chance down low but Piche came up big with the glove. After that, Steven Anthony had a short breakaway but couldn’t get a good shot off after his stick busted. Then Oke was alone at the side but couldn’t get the disc on his stick.

The Sea Dogs had yet another power play after Audette took yet another roughing call for going after MacAulay and Alexandre Beauregard picked up a double minor on the play at 16:19. Bourret also went off on the same play for Saint John.

On the power play, Kirkpatrick tied Ryan Sparling’s franchise goal record at 18:31, scoring the 83rd marker of his career. The 20-year old made a deke on a diving Audette and went in alone to make it 7-0. Audette, of course, picked up a roughing penalty on the play.

In the dying seconds of the game, things got a little wild in the Rouyn-Noranda zone involving everyone. The officials had to hold Audette back. Despite there being 1.6 seconds remaining on the clock, the officials decided to end the match.

Shots in the final frame were 13-7 Saint John.

The Sea Dogs were 1/7 on the power play while the Huskies went 0/5

NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow afternoon.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs return home to host the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday at 7:30 pm at Harbour Station.

Ouch!

• I think George Brett said it best when he was quoted as saying "If a tie is like kissing your sister, losing is like kissing your grandmother with her teeth out." Last night's 6-1 loss in Portland was tough to stomach. It was ugly. It was the Rockets third straight loss and fifth in six games. Ty Rattie led the way for the Hawks with two goals and an assist. Rattie also got into a fight with Cody Chikie, giving the 17 year-old the Gordie Howe Hat trick. You know it was a long night when Rattie can pull off that feat and designated Hawks tough guy Tayler Jordan scores a goal.
  
• A missed 5 on 3 power play about eight minutes into the game really came back to bite the Rockets. With Portland up 1-0, the Rockets had a chance to draw even but failed to score. What usually happens when teams struggle and miss a golden opportunity, the opposition comes back and scores. That's exactly what happened. Four minutes later, the Hawks make it 2-1 and then Shane McColgan's roughing penalty proves costly as the home team scores a power play goal for a 3-0 lead after the opening period.
• Hawks forward Tayler Jordan takes a first period charging penalty after trying to send Rockets defenceman Antoine Corbin into next week with a big hit along the end boards. Who comes to Corbin's aid? Sixteen year-old d-partner Damon Severson. I mean this fight is over before it even starts, but give Severson credit for even attempting to engage with Jordan. Severson was likely unaware that Jordan fought former Rockets tough guy Ryley Grantham a few times in Jordan's rookie season and fared pretty well. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
• While few offensive chances were created from the Rockets older players, two rookies had second period opportunities that would have made the score a little more respectable. Zach Franko hits the goal post while Gal Koren is unable to beat Hawks goaltender Mac Carruth on a nice pass from Shane McColgan.
• In saying that, unlike Friday's 4-2 loss, the Rockets manufactured no where near the same quality chances. It was a easy night for Carruth. The Rockets most dangerous players should be Geordie Wudrick and Brett Bulmer. Those two were essentially non factors. Instead of being difference makes, the two chose to stand idly by.
• Spencer Main cares. The 18 year-old forward is getting involved in some way. Main, uncharacteristically, has three fighting majors in his last five games.
  

• It was nice to catch up with Rockets alumni Joe Suderman. Suderman is in his final year of chiropractic school down in Portland. Suderman chose to take his schooling down in the states because their is only one institution in Canada. Suderman played three seasons with the Rockets from 1998 until 2001 before eventually being traded to the Prince Albert Raiders.
• At least I have one fan! I noticed a gentleman standing within ear-shot of my broadcast location listening in on the post game show. On a commercial break I acknowledged him and found out that he heads up the Portland Winterhawks booster club. He told me he listens to our broadcasts when the Hawks are in Kelowna and called me "one of the most unbiased broadcasters he's heard". I told him, he must have caught me on an off night! All joking aside, it was nice to hear some positive feedback after what I witnessed on the ice.
  

LIVE BLOG: Sea Dogs vs Huskies

PRE-GAME: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

GAME DAY

WHO: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
WHEN: Tonight, 5:00 pm
WHERE: Iamgold Arena

VISITING TEAM: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 14-3-0-1 (1st in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 3-2 overtime win vs Rouyn-Noranda yesterday
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Huberdeau (18GP-13G-11A-24Pts)
Notes: The Saint John Sea Dogs come into today’s game with a 14-3-0-1 record which is good for first in the Maritimes and are tied with the Quebec Remparts for first overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 29 points. The Remparts have, however, played two fewer games. Saint John was an honourable mention in the BMO CHL Top 10 Rankings this past week… the Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 overtime win against these very same Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last night at Iamgold Arena. Jonathan Huberdeau set up Zach Phillips in the first period, scored a shorthanded goal in the third, and then assisted on Simon Depres’ game winner in overtime. Jacob DeSerres stopped 30 pucks to pick up his second straight win… Saint John has now won four straight games – all on the road. They have wins against Halifax, two in Val-d’Or, and one in Rouyn-Noranda… 9-1-0-0 in their last 10 games. Their only loss was a 5-1 defeat in Bathurst… after struggling on the road earlier this season, the Sea Dogs have finally found a winning formula. They are currently 6-3-0-1 away from Harbour Station and have outscored their opponents 38-33 along the way… the Sea Dogs have served the third fewest amount of penalty minutes this season. They have served 207 for an average of 11.5 per game… Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Sea Dogs in points with 24 after a big three point night yesterday. He also leads the team in goals with 13, plus/minus with a +22 rating, and in penalty minutes with 25… Michael Kirkpatrick leads Saint John in assists with 16… Frederic Piche will probably start in net today as the Sea Dogs’ goaltending rotation continues. The 19-year old has a 7-1-0-1 record to go along with a goals against average of 2.53 and save percentage of 0.906%. His GAA places him eighth in the league while his SV% places him eighth as well. He has the seventh most wins in the league… Huberdeau’s +22 rating puts him first in the league in the plus/minus category… Ryan Tesink was a healthy scratch last night but still sits third overall in rookie scoring with 14 points in 16 games… Tyrone Sock did not play yesterday due to the flu.

HOME TEAM: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Record: 4-12-1-1 (6th in Telus West Division)
Last Game: 3-2 overtime loss vs Saint John yesterday
Leading Scorer: Robbie DeFulviis (16GP-6G-5A-11Pts)
Notes: The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies enter today’s action with a 4-12-1-1 record which is good for last in the Telus West Division and 17th overall in the 18-team Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. If the playoffs started today, the Huskies and Baie-Comeau Drakkar would be the two teams absent… the Huskies are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Saint John Sea Dogs yesterday at the Iamgold Arena. Jean-Francois Grenier and former PEI Rocket Jonathan Bonneau each scored for Rouyn-Noranda. Mickael Audette made 29 saves in the loss. The Huskies were able to slow down Saint John’s offensive production, something they will have to do once again today in order to earn a victory… the Huskies have scored the fewest amount of goals this year and have allowed the most against… R-N has lost seven straight matches and have earned a point in only two of them. They are 1-7-1-1 in their last 10 games… 2-6-1-0 at home this season. They are 2-6-0-1 on the road… rookie Robbie DeFulviis had a strong game last night. He continues to lead the Huskies in scoring with 11 points… Jessyko Bernard leads the Huskies in goals with seven… Jerome Raymond and Gabriel O’Conner have a team best six assists… O’Conner is a team worst -19… Mickael Audette has played in the Huskies crease the most of any netminder this season. He is 4-8-1-1 with a 4.10 goals against average and a 0.856 save percentage… Rouyn-Noranda is the 11th youngest team in the QMJHL with an average age of 17.89 years… the club has an average height of 181.52 cm which places them 15th in the league… the Huskies are the 10th heaviest club with an average weight of 80.78 kg… Jason Kelly leads the Huskies in fights with five this season. The team has 18 fights overall this year compared to the Sea Dogs’ seven – the second lowest in the league.

THE FIRST MEETING
From the Sea Dogs’ website:

Saint John defeated Rouyn-Noranda earlier this season, with overage goaltender Jacob DeSerres having blanked the Huskies 2-0 in his QMJHL debut back on October 16. Vancouver Canucks prospect Steven Anthony and Washington Capitals prospect Stanislav Galiev both found the back of the net for the home team in that match, while Team Captain Mike Thomas led all Sea Dogs skaters with three hits on the night.

Saint John is 2-0-0-0 versus the Huskies this season and have outscored them 5-2. Today is the final meeting between the two.

KIRKPATRICK LOOKING TO MAKE HISTORY
Veteran centre Michael Kirkpatrick has accumulated 20 points this season on four goals and 16 assists. Kirkpatrick enters today's action needing two goals to tie fellow Cape Bretoner Ryan Sparling for the all-time Sea Dogs record with 83 career markers.

AROUND THE TOWN
From Wikipedia:

The city of Rouyn (named for Jean-Baptiste Rouyn, a captain in the Royal-Roussillon regiment of Montcalm)appeared after copper was discovered in 1917. Noranda (a contraction of "North Canada") was created later around the Horne mine and foundry. Both were officially constituted as cities in 1926, then merged in 1986.

Since 1966, Rouyn and Noranda constitute the capital of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. It is also the seat of public university UQAT since 1983.

As of 2006, the population was 39,924.

Judging by this video, it looks like an exciting place.



THE COACH
Huskies head coach Andre Tourigny will an assistant for Team Canada at the world juniors. He will also be the head coach for Team QMJHL at the Subway Super Series.

Gerard Gallant, the man facing him today behind the Sea Dogs bench, will be his assistant in the November 8th Super Series game at Harbour Station.

IT’S HALLOWEEN
In partnership with Old Dutch chips, fans attending today’s game are encouraged to wear a costume.

ARENA INFO
Venue: Iamgold Arena (formerly known as Dave Keon Arena)
Seating Capacity: 2,850 (2,150 seated)
Year Built: 1951
Ice Dimensions: 190’ X 85’
QMJHL Arena Guide

MEDIA GUIDE
Radio (Sea Dogs): News 88.9 FM
Live Web Feed: Telus
Television: None
Live Blog: Station Nation
Post-Game Coverage: Station Nation, Le Citoyen

TWITTER
Follow Station Nation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/station_nation for in-game updates, scores, stats, and live coverage during tonight’s game.

AFTER THE BUZZER
After two weeks away from home, the Sea Dogs return to Harbour Station Friday night against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

Heffley rejoins Rockets

Sixteen year-old Colton Heffley is rejoining the Kelowna Rockets.
A second round pick of the Rockets in the 2009 WHL bantam draft, Heffley attended training camp this year and played in a series of exhibition games.
Believing he would see little ice time, the Rockets sent him back to his hometown of Swift Current to play midget hockey this season.
Why the change of heart?
Well, earlier this week the coach and general manager of the midget Legionnaires resigned. It's believed Heffley then asked for his release.
Rather than play with another team in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, the Rockets have elected to bring him back to Kelowna for the remainder of the season.
Heffley joins Damon Severson and Jason Siebert as the three-16 year-old's on the Rockets roster.

SEA DOGS WIN IT IN OT

SN POST-GAME
FINAL (OT): Sea Dogs 3, Huskies 2

ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. – Jonathan Huberdeau is proving to be the go to guy on offense this season.

A goal and two assists by Huberdeau helped guide the Saint John Sea Dogs to a 3-2 overtime win in Rouyn-Noranda Saturday evening against the Huskies in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.

Huberdeau assisted on Zach Phillips’ opening goal, scored a shorthanded marker in the third, and then setup Simon Despres’ game winning goal in the extra session.

It wasn’t a game that will be remembered for its offense. For much of the affair, the two teams just went back-and-forth and had no real momentum or any kind of offensive pressure. But it got the job for the Sea Dogs who will look to sweep their Quebec road swing with a win tomorrow.

Jacob DeSerres played very in net, making some big stops. He made 30 saves to pick up the victory.

The Huskies did all that they could against Saint John with a penalty in overtime being their ultimate demise. Jean-Francois Grenier and Jonathan Bonneau scored for the home team who have know lost seven straight games.

Mickael Audette made 29 saves in goal in the loss.

FIRST PERIOD
After a slow start for both teams, Rouyn-Noranda began to put some pressure on. Jessyko Bernard walked out from the corner and entered the crease area but was stopped by Jacob DeSerres in the Sea Dogs goal. Not long after, a Jason Kelly shot produced a rebound that went to Robbie DeFulviis at the side of the net but he couldn’t get a shot off.

Stanislav Galiev made a nice play at the other end to put some pressure on the Huskies. He spun around and threw the puck in the crease but no Sea Dog was in position to get a stick on it.

Zach Phillips made it 1-0 Saint John at 8:29, beating Mickael Audette with a low wrist shot from the faceoff circle to open the scoring.

Not long after, a turnover in the Huskies zone allowed for Jonathan Huberdeau to walk into the crease area but was stopped. Then, Galiev came down the wing and centered for a streaking Steven Anthony but was tied up at the last minute.

DeSerres made a nice stop on a Vincent Bernier shot later on in the frame. That was followed by Tomas Jurco sending a pass from behind the goal line at the other end to Huberdeau in front but Audette was there to make the stop.

DeSerres was tested again on a Robert McEwan point shot, making a great glove save through a high level of traffic. In the dying seconds of the period, Mike Thomas sent the puck just wide of the goal on a wrist shot down low.

Shots in the opening period were 13-9 Rouyn-Noranda.

SECOND PERIOD
The Sea Dogs had the best scoring opportunities early on. Scott Oke came down the wing and had a step on the Rouyn-Noranda defense but was stopped. Then a lead pass was grabbed by Stephen MacAulay, but a nice defensive play by the Huskies backend forced him away from the net.

Alexandre Beauregard made a great move on DeSerres not long after. The left winger cut through the crease and went to his backhand but was denied by the Sea Dogs stopper.

DeFulviss headed to box at 9:24 for slashing and gave Saint John their first penalty of the game. On the man advantage, Simon Despres ripped a shot off the crossbar. Then a pass from the point found Anthony down low but could not jam it in.

With the penalty over, DeFulviis wired the puck off the far post on a sharp angle shot but stayed out.

Mike Thomas was called for cross checking at 14:28 and it would be costly. The Sea Dogs tried to clear the puck but it was stopped at the point by Jean-Francois Grenier. He walked across the line and fired a shot through traffic that beat DeSerres to tie the match at 1-1 at 16:05.

The Huskies kept their offensive pressure going when a loose puck was picked up by Alexandre Leclerc and quickly fired a shot off the crossbar.

At the other end, Anthony had a great chance in front but was robbed by the pad of Audette in close. Then DeSerres showed off his skills by making a huge stop on a DeFulviis one timer in the crease.

Shots in the second stanza were 11-8 for the visitors.

THIRD PERIOD
With every other game in the QMJHL having been completed by this point, the Sea Dogs went to the penalty kill at 2:19 to open up the third period. MacAulay had a shorthanded breakaway during the span but sent his shot wide. That would be the most dangerous chance for either team on the Huskies power play chance.

DeSerres made a huge kick save later on on Jeremi Janneteau in close. Then at the other end, Huberdeau a good chance in the crease once again but could not score.

At 9:07, MacAulay was called for slashing. But while shorthanded, Michael Kirkpatrick sent Huberdeau in alone. The 2011 top prospect pulled of his trademark backhand-to-forehand move to give Saint John a 2-1 lead.

But the Huskies would not go away despite wasting a power play opportunity. The team had some traffic around the net and were beginning to get some shots off.

After a Bernard hit the post, a mad scramble went down in the Saint John crease. With DeSerres down, Bonneau found the loose puck and deposited it into the empty net at 17:05 to tie the match at 2-2 and force it to overtime.

Shots in the third were 10-9 Saint John.

OVERTIME
The Huskies made a costly error at 1:47 when Grenier cross checked Jurco along the boards.

After a time-out, the Sea Dogs went to work on the power play. Huberdeau tried to rip a one timer on net from the circle but couldn’t get all of it. Fortunatly, Despres was on the doorstep to tip it home and give Saint John a 3-2 win.

Shots in the extra frame were two apiece.

The Sea Dogs were one-for-two on the power play while the Huskies were one-for-three.

SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
Ryan Tesink was a healthy scratch for Saint John while Tyrone Sock – as reported by News 88.9 – had the flu.

On another health note, News 88.9 reported that Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant did make it to the game last night after it was initially thought he was staying behind at the hotel due to sickness.

NOTES
Sea Dogs goaltender Jacob DeSerres had his shutout streak versus Rouyn-Noranda snapped at 96 minutes and five seconds. He recorded a 2-0 shutout against the Huskies at Harbour Station on October 16… it was the same officiating crew as Friday’s game in Val-d’Or… Jonathan Huberdeau was the News 88.9 Top Dog… Simon Despres had an unreal seven shots on goal to lead Saint John… the Sea Dogs scored a shorthanded goal, a power play, and an even strength goal.. with a Moncton loss versus Halifax tonight, the Sea Dogs now sit first in the Maritimes Division.

NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs wrap-up their Quebec road trip with a 5:00 pm game against the Huskies Sunday.

LIVE BLOG: Sea Dogs vs Huskies

Rockets game notes vs. Hawks

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets and Portland Winterhawks are meeting for the third time this season. The Hawks have won the two previous games by 5-1 and 4-2 scores. The seasonal series concludes January 4^th when the Hawks make a visit to Prospera Place. The Rockets are playing the second game of six in nine nights. The Rockets host Prince George Tuesday before traveling to Kamloops to face the Blazers on Wednesday. The Rockets are in Vancouver next Friday before hosting the Chilliwack Bruins on November 6^th. Overall, the Rockets have lost four of their last five games, having been out-scored 22-13.

Rockets recent game: Cody Chikie scored twice in a 4-2 loss last night in Portland. The Rockets would go 0 for 9 on the power play including three chances in a span of over six minutes in the third period with the Hawks holding a slim 2-1 lead. Adam Brown took the loss in goal, making 32 saves. The game featured four fighting majors with Mitchell Callahan, Geordie Wudrick, Spencer Main and Tyson Barrie sitting in the box for no less than five minutes.

Who’s Hot: Shane McColgan had a seven game point streak snapped last night. McColgan had 3+9=12 over that period….Rookie Zach Franko has points in six of his last eight games. Franko has 2+7=9 over that period…Mitchell Callahan has 5+7=12 in his last eight games.

Who’s Not: Evan Bloodoff has one goal in his last eleven. Geordie Wudick has one goal in his first twelve games. Brett Bulmer has one point (an assist) in his last six games.

Fight Club: Tyson Barrie’s five minute major penalty for fighting last night is rare to say the least. Barrie’s only other fighting majors came last season when he was sent to the box along with Calgary Hitmen forward Cody Beach in a game Oct 298/09. Barrie also had a fighting major in his 17 year-old season in a game against the Kootenay Ice. Funny thing is all three of Barrie’s fighting majors in his career have come in the month of October. Geordie Wudrick’s fighting major last night was his first in 123 regular season games. His last fighting major before dropping the mitts with Brett Ponich was November 11/08 against the Calgary Hitmen.

This and That: Cody Chikie’s two goals last night against Portland was the first two-goal game of his career….Colton Sissons assist on Chikie’s second goal was his first point in five games..Wudrick’s third period assist was his first in eleven games…Damon Severson’s assist on Chikie’s first period goal was his first career WHL point….The Rockets are riding a five game losing streak in Portland heading into tonight’s game. The Rockets were 0-2-0-0 last season in Portland losing by identical 3-2 scores. The last win for the Rockets in Portland was March 2, 2008 in a 2-1 victory. Kyle St. Denis and Lucas Bloodoff scored in the win….Defenceman Mitchell Chapman is serving game six of a six game suspension tonight for a kneeing major and game misconduct against the Chilliwack Bruins. Chapman returns to the lineup Tuesday against the Prince George Cougars….The Rockets have scored 34 goals after thirteen games this season. Last season after thirteen games the club had 51 goals….The Rockets have allowed 50 goals against this season. Last season after thirteen games the team had allowed 46 goals against….Last season the Rockets were 7-5-1-0 after thirteen games….Rockets have been involved in seven-one goal games this season. The Rockets are 4-3-0-0 in those seven-one goal games…Adam Brown has started three straight games in goal for the Rockets….Shane McColgan leads the team in scoring with 3+9=12….The Rockets have allowed five power play goals in their last nine games…The Rockets shootout win in Everett October 10^th was the franchises 6^th shootout victory on the road. The Rockets are 6 and 10 in shootouts on the road dating back to 2005-06, when shootouts were introduced as a way to settle games at the WHL level…..The Rockets were involved in 11 shootout games last season. The Rockets were 7 and 4 in those games…The Rockets have failed to open the scoring in eleven of their first thirteen games this season….The Rockets franchise is playing its 1382^nd regular season game tonight. The team has 701 regular season wins….Rockets captain Tyson Barrie has been named to the roster for Team WHL, which will play the Russian Selects next month in the Subway Super Series. Barrie and Team WHL will face the Russians in games in Prince George and Kamloops. Ryan Huska is the head coach for Team WHL.

PRE-GAME: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

GAME DAY

WHO: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Rouyn-Noranda
WHEN: Tonight, 8:30 pm
WHERE: Iamgold Arena

VISITING TEAM: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 13-3-0-1 (2nd in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 7-3 win at Val-d’Or yesterday
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Huberdeau (17GP-12G-9A-21Pts)
Notes: The Saint John Sea Dogs come into today’s game with a 13-3-0-1 record which places them second in the Maritimes Division and third overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They sit behind the second place Moncton Wildcats by a single point – but the ‘Cats have played two more games than Saint John. The Sea Dogs were an honourable mention in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings this week… the Sea Dogs are coming off a dominating performance against the Foreurs in Val-d’Or last night, winning the match 7-3 to make it a two straight wins in Val-d’Or for the club. Stanislav Galiev had a pair of goals while single markers were recorded by Gabriel Bourett, Zach Phillips, Jonathan Huberdeau, Mike Thomas and Simon Despres. Frederic Piche faced just 16 shots on the night… a couple of things to note from last night’s win on the health front. Simon Despres has had a bit of nagging lower body injury but played both Wednesday and Friday night. He was hit hard in the first period last night and was seen gripping his shoulder but stayed in the game. Aidan Kelly also left the game for a brief period after taking a big hit and Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant was not behind the bench because he was feeling under the weather… Saint John is 8-2-0-0 in their last 10 games and won three straight – all on the road. Their three consecutive victories came last Saturday in Halifax, Wednesday in Val-d’Or, and last night’s match… 5-3-0-1 on the road this season. They have now outscored their opponents 35-31 along the way… this is the third game of a massive four game road trip through northern Quebec and the sixth straight game away from Harbour Station… Jonathan Huberdeau leads Saint John in points with 21 this season, goals with 12, penalty minutes with 23, and is a team best +20… Michael Kirkpatrick sits second in team scoring and has a team best 15 assists… Tomas Jurco has still not taken a penalty this season after 17 games played… Jacob DeSerres will likely get the call between the pipes this evening. He played his first career QMJHL game against the Huskies back at Harbour Station two weeks ago today, shutting them out 2-0. He has a 3.00 goals against average, a 0.889 save percentage, and a 2-1-0-0 record. His last game was on Wednesday in a 5-4 win over the Foreurs.

EARLIER THIS SEASON
From the Sea Dogs’ website:

Saint John defeated Rouyn-Noranda earlier this season, with overage goaltender Jacob DeSerres having blanked the Huskies 2-0 in his QMJHL debut back on October 16. Vancouver Canucks prospect Steven Anthony and Washington Capitals prospect Stanislav Galiev both found the back of the net for the home team in that match, while Team Captain Mike Thomas led all Sea Dogs skaters with three hits on the night.

KIRKPATRICK LOOKING TO MAKE HISTORY
Veteran centre Michael Kirkpatrick has accumulated 19 points this season on four goals and 15 assists. Kirkpatrick enters this weekend's action needing two goals to tie fellow Cape Bretoner Ryan Sparling for the all-time Sea Dogs record with 83 career markers.

HOME TEAM: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Record: 4-12-0-1 (6th in Telus West Division)
Last Game: 9-4 loss vs Val-d’Or Saturday
Leading Scorer: Robbie DeFulviis (15GP-6G-5A-11Pts)
Notes: The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies enter tonight’s affair with a 4-12-0-1 record which places them last in the Telus West Division and 17th overall in the 18-team Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They sit four points ahead of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar for last place and are two points behind the 16th ranked Halifax Mooseheads. They are the definition of a rebuilding team… the Huskies are coming off a 9-4 home loss against the Val-d’Or Foreurs last Saturday. Jessyko Bernard had two goals while Jason Houde and Maxim Kazakov added singles. Goaltenders Mickael Audette and Jeffery Noonan combined to allow nine goals on 34 shots. The Huskies actually outshot the Foreurs 40-34 in the game… 1-8-0-1 in their last 10 games and have lost six straight games, picking up a point in just one of them… they are 2-6-0-0 at home this season and have been outscored 44-19 along the way… the Huskies have the 16th best power play with a rating of 0.123%... owners of the 14th best penalty kill with a rating of 0.756%... Robbie DeFulviis leads the Huskies in scoring with 11 points in 15 games… Jessyko Bernard leads the team in goals with seven… Jerome Raymond has a team high six assists… former Sea Dogs defenseman Robert McEwan has two assists, four penalty minutes, and a -9 rating in nine games with Rouyn-Noranda… Rouyn-Noranda is the 11th youngest team in the QMJHL with an average age of 17.89 years… the club has an average height of 181.52 cm which places them 15th in the league… the Huskies are the 10th heaviest club with an average weight of 80.78 kg… this is the 501st home game for the Huskies franchise. They celebrated their 500th home game last Saturday… Jason Kelly leads the Huskies in fights with five this season. The team has 18 fights overall this year compared to the Sea Dogs’ seven – the second lowest in the league.

ARENA INFO
Venue: Iamgold Arena (formerly known as Dave Keon Arena)
Seating Capacity: 2,850 (2,150 seated)
Year Built: 1951
Ice Dimensions: 190’ X 85’
QMJHL Arena Guide

A video tour of the facility:



GOAL HORN
This is the best video we could find, featuring the start of warm-up from the Sea Dogs - Huskies 2008 playoff series. For some reason it can't be embeded

MEDIA GUIDE
Radio (Sea Dogs): News 88.9 FM
Live Web Feed: Telus
Television: None
Live Blog: Station Nation
Post-Game Coverage: Station Nation, Le Citoyen

TWITTER
Follow Station Nation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/station_nation for in-game updates, scores, stats, and live coverage during tonight’s game.

AFTER THE BUZZER
The Sea Dogs end their road trip tomorrow at 5:00 pm in Rouyn-Noranda.

Photo Credits: Marc Henwood photography, QMJHL Arena Guide

Missed chances bite Rockets

• 0 for 9. That statistic alone was the main reason why the Kelowna Rockets were unable to pull out a point in their first visit to Portland this season. The Rockets failed to score on nine power play chances in a 4-2 loss Friday night to the Portland Winterhawks.
• This was a 2-1 hockey game in favour of the Hawks with about five minutes left to go in the third period. The Hawks would score two quick goals for their 11th win of the season. Cody Chikie scored twice for the Rockets, with his second of the game coming with just three seconds left in regulation time. The loss drops the Rockets record to 4 and 9.These two teams meet again Saturday night in Portland.

• The Rockets are now 2 for 29 on the power play in their last five games. That's a success rate of 7%.
• The Rockets energy level was much improved from what we witnessed Tuesday in a 3-1 home ice loss to Brandon. It was nice to see a workman like approach from more than just a handful of players. On this night, only a handful of players struggled.
  
• The Rockets had three tremendous chances in the third period to tie the game. Mackenzie Johnston rings one off the post while Mitchell Callahan somehow chops one over the net with the puck on his stick and nothing but a wide open cage. Geordie Wudrick also had a glorious chance, but shot the puck high and wide of the goal.
• Missed chances on the power play in the third period (three chances in a span of 7 minutes) in a one goal game came back to bite the Rockets. Moments after the Rockets power play expires, Hawks forward Brad Ross sneaks behind rookie defenseman Damon Severson and scores to make it 3-1. Lights out. Game over.
  
• Don't slag Severson though. The 16 year-old is out on the ice in a one goal game with five minutes left in regulation time against one of the best teams in the league. What does that say about his ability? I was watching Severson and comparing him with 16 year-old Portland rear guard Derrick Pouliot. Pouliot is a first round bantam pick. Severson was a 9th rounder. In Friday's game, Severson was equally as good, if not better, than his 16 year-old counterpart.
  
• Nino Niederreiter was back in a Winterhawks jersey Friday night. Playing with Ryan Johansen and Brad Ross, he looked a little out of sinc as he made the transition back to major junior hockey. Who would have thought the 18 year-old would get into a fight in his first game back? Niederreiter tangled with Rockets forward Spencer Main in a second period tilt after Rockets defenseman Mackenzie Johnston was checked heavily into the end boards. Main will likely be able to say someday when Niederreiter is making some noise at the NHL level, "I fought that guy".
• The game took two hours and 42 minutes to complete. A piece of plexi-glass at Memorial Coliseum was partially to blame. It popped out twice, once in the first period and again in the third. In the first instance, the two teams were sent to the dressing room with 50 seconds left. After cleaning the ice, the teams returned to play out the period before beginning the second frame.
  

DOGS WRECK FOREURS 7-3

SN RECAP
FINAL: Sea Dogs 7, Val-d’Or 3

VAL-D’OR, Que. – The road woes are clearing up for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

A dominating performance by the Sea Dogs at the Air Creebec Centre in Val-d’Or tonight gave the visitors a 7-3 win over the Foreurs in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.

Coming off a dramatic 5-4 win over the same Foreurs team on Wednesday night, it was thought that this may be an intense and close battle. But that was not the case as the Sea Dogs stomped over the home team, keeping them to just 16 shots in the night.

Stanislav Galiev had a pair of goals while single markers were recorded by Gabriel Bourett, Zach Phillips, Jonathan Huberdeau, Mike Thomas and Simon Despres. Frederic Piche put in a solid outing in goal, doing his job and stopping 13 shots on the night.

Jonathan Hazen scored a couple of goals and Alexandre Touchette added another. Jacob Chouinard and Francois Tremblay combined to allow seven goals on 32 shots.

The Sea Dogs will certainly look to build on this win as they move on to Rouyn-Noranda.

FIRST PERIOD
After a slow first few minutes to open the period, Thierry Comtois had a good chance when he shot a loose puck through traffic, forcing Frederic Piche to defelect the puck away with his stick. Shortly after, Saint John started to get some pucks on net via a Mike Thomas point shot. Then Ryan Tesnk went below the goal line and centered for Aidan Kelly in front but could not get a shot off.

At 9:58, Tomas Jurco came down the wing and centered for a streaking Zach Phillips who had an open cage. His fourth straight game with a goal made it a 1-0 game.

Then Tesink made an unreal inside-out move around a defenseman, getting a good shot that produced a rebound that was just out of the reach of Gabriel Bourret.

At 11:45 Kelly threw the puck out of play and was given a delay of game penalty. But before the whistle blew he was hit hard in the corner and was forced to leave the game but would return. Alexandre Carrier was given a roughing penalty on the play.

During the four-on-four span, Bourret shot the puck on net but was stopped followed by Simon Despres getting a shot off. Bourret picked up Despres rebound and had an open cage at 12:59 to make it 2-0 Sea Dogs.

At 13:22, Comtois was given a five minute major and game misconduct after nailing Despres in the same spot Kelly was injured. The Big Horse was down for a bit but skated back to the bench favouring his shoulder. Steven Anthony was given a roughing penalty on the play after a semi-scrap took place.

Later in the period, Tomas Jurco cut through the crease and got a backhand shot off only to be stopped by Jacob Chouinard in the Val-d’Or crease.

Shots in the opening frame were 11-5 for the visitors.

SECOND PERIOD
Steven Anthony has the best chance early for Saint John, skating down the wing and shooting on a two-on-one only to be stopped by the glove of Chouinard. Then at the other end, Frederic Piche stood his ground by making his own save with the leather.

Jonathan Huberdeau had a short break a few minutes later, backhanding the puck in on Chouinard but was stopped by the big pad of the Foreurs netminder.

Ryan Tesink was called for slashing at 8:24 to give the Foreurs a power play – but it would turn out to be Saint John who would take advantage of the uneven play.

At 9:30, Mike Thomas entered the zone on a partial two-on-one for Saint John, ripping a half-slap shot over Chouinard to give the Dogs a three goal lead. Rookie Francois Tremblay would replace Chouinard in the Val-d’Or crease following the goal.

On the same penalty kill, Saint John’s offense clicked again in amazing fashion. Huberdeau made a great move to get around a Val-d’Or defenseman while cutting through the crease. He did a small spin move in front and then a nifty deke to get the disc past Tremblay on a YouTube worthy play.

With the penalty to Tesink over, Saint John almost made it 5-0 when a lead pass found Scott Oke ahead of everyone but was stoped by the pad of Tremblay on a nice move by Oke.

The Foreurs got on the board at 16:07 when Jonathan Hazen was left all alone in front of Piche in the Saint John zone. He riffled a shot up and over the Sea Dogs goaltender to make it a 4-1 game.

But just 53 seconds later, Anthony fired the puck right on but was stopped, forcing a large rebound to be given up by Tremblay. The struggeling Stanisalv Galiev found it at the side of the goal and scored on the open cage opportunity to get Saint John’s four goal lead back.

Guillaume Gelinas was called for roughing at 17:48, putting the Sea Dogs to power play for the second time. Just nine seconds in, a Despres wrist shot and a Huberdeau screen made it a 6-1 Sea Dogs lead heading into intermission.

Shots in the middle stanza were 10-2 Saint John.

THIRD PERIOD
The Sea Dogs kept their offense going in the third. Just 34 seconds in, an Anthony shot caused a scrum in front with the puck squirting to the side of the goal for Galiev who scored his second of the match to make it a 7-1 game.

After Hazen had a decent chance in front of Piche, Stephen MacAulay performed a great wraparound move but was robbed by Tremblay in the Foreurs crease. The Sea Dogs offense took off again after that as a Michael Kirkpatrick wrist shot was deflected away by the pad of Tremblay. Pierre Durepos then hit the post on a point shot followed by Phillips sending a nice cross-crease pass to Huberdeau but he didn’t have any room to work with in front.

The Durepos post shot would be reviewed – and a quick one at that – but was ruled no goal as the original call stated.

Scott Oke was called for hooking at 11:13, giving the Foreurs a man advantage opportunity. Val-d’Or would capitalize as Hazen scored just nine seconds in on a wrist shot to make it a 7-2 game.

The home team began to take control of the game late, something the Saint John coaching staff will no doubt not be pleased with. The Foreurs would add another goal at 16:48 after a scramble in the crease forced the puck to find the side of the crease. Alexandre Touchette took advantage and beat the fallen Piche to make it a 7-3 game.

Late in the match, Oke had another solid chance after he made a great move around a defenseman but was ultimately stopped by Tremblay.

Shots in the final period were 11-9 Saint John.

Both teams went 1/2 on the power play.

SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
Tyrone Sock and Jason Cameron were healthy scratches for the Sea Dogs. Also, Saint John head coach Gerard Gallant didn't travel with the team to the match because of flu like issues EDIT: according to the Telegraph-Journal he did go to the game. Associate coach Mike Kelly ran the show behind the bench.

NOTES
The Foreurs wore pink jerseys to support breast cancer research. There was a pre-game ceremony at center ice to honour the event… Val-d’Or forward Brett Hester served the first game of his two game suspension tonight after being suspended following his hit on Guillaume Cloutier Wednesday… both Aidan Kelly and Simon Despres returned from first period injuries… Zach Phillips has scored a goal in each of his past four games… the Sea Dogs improved to 5-3-0-1 on the road this season… Mike Kelly is now 2-0 as head coach of the Sea Dogs… with two goals and two assists, Stanislav Galiev had a team high four points… the attendance was a mere 1,813… Simon Despres and Michael Kirkpatrick were a team high +3… Jean-Francois Leblanc and Olivier Archambault were a Foreurs worst -4 on the night… Galiev was the News 88.9 Top Dog.

NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs face the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies Saturday night at 8:30 pm at the building-formally-known-as the Dave Keon Arena.

LIVE BLOG: Sea Dogs vs Foreurs

An audio chat with Nino Niederreiter

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: The Sea Dogs Painting

We stumbled across a gem on YouTube today.

As you can see in the video, the Saint John Sea Dogs were featured in some kind of infomercial awhile back for the special CHL paintings that were sold at every rink a couple of years ago. It looks like it was photoshoped in so every team probably had a video feature at one point.

The guy (and the dog) in the video are certainly not the Shamwow guy as far as salesman go.

This looks like a commercial that is played during a telethon on PBS.




Max is a beast. What a lucky dog.

(Ed. Note:‘Flashback Fridays’ is a weekly feature here on SN. Each week, we look back at an event that went down over the past six years in Sea Dogs history. Send any suggestions to stationnation@yahoo.ca.)

PRE-GAME: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Val-d'Or Foreurs

GAME DAY

WHO: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Val-d’Or Foreurs
WHEN: Tonight, 8:30 pm
WHERE: Air Creebec Centre

VISITING TEAM: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 12-3-0-1 (2nd in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 5-4 win at Val-d’Or Wednesday
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Huberdeau (16GP-11G-9A-20Pts)
Notes: The Saint John Sea Dogs enter play tonight with a 12-3-0-1 record which is good for second in the Maritimes Division and fourth overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The club sits second overall in the league in terms of winning percentage. They were an honourable mention in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings this week… the Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 win over theForeurs on Wednesday night at the Air Creebec Centre. Ryan Tesink scored a pair while singles came from Aidan Kelly, Zach Phillips, and Jonathan Huberdeau. Jacob DeSerres picked up the win in goal… Saint John is currently 2-1-0-0 on their epic six game road swing which continues tonight and ends with a pair of games in Rouyn-Noranda on the weekend. The Sea Dogs have had their struggles on the road and are 4-3-0-1 with 28 goals for as well as against… Saint John has the third best penalty killing unit in the league with a rating of 0.848%. On the road, they are running at 0.846% while a man down… Saint John has been struggling of the power play and have the 13th best unit in the 18 team circuit at 0.176%... Jonathan Huberdeau leads Saint John in points with 20 and in goals with 11. He is also a team best +18… Michael Kirkpatrick leads the squad in assists with 14 in just 16 matches… Ryan Tesink is coming into this game hot. He recorded two goals and two assists in Wednesday’s win. He sits third in rookie scoring with five goals and nine assists in 14 games… Frederic Piche will likely get the start in goal this evening as Saint John moves forward with their goaltending rotation. Piche is 6-1-0-1 with a 2.47 goals against average and a 0.912 save percentage… Stanislav Galiev’s slow start continues to grow longer. He has five goals and two assists in 12 games but is a team worst -5… on a random note, tonight will be the 363rd game in franchise history.

KIRKPATRICK STILL TRYING TO MAKE HISTORY
From the Sea Dogs website:

Veteran centre Michael Kirkpatrick has also accumulated 18 points this season on four goals and fourteen assists. Kirkpatrick enters this week’s action needing two goals to tie fellow Cape Bretoner Ryan Sparling for the all-time Sea Dogs record with 83 career markers.

HOME TEAM: Val-d’Or Foreurs
Record: 10-6-2-0 (3rd in Telus West Division)
Last Game: 5-4 loss vs Saint John Wednesday
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Hazen (14GP-7G-10A-17Pts)
Notes: The Val-d’Or Foreurs come into today’s game with a 10-6-2-0 record which puts them third in the Telus West Division and eighth overall in the QMJHL… the Foreurs are coming off a 5-4 loss to the Sea Dogs on Wednesday at home. The team led 4-2 going into the third period but allowed the game to slip away. Olivier Archambault, Gabriel Beaupre, Jean-Francois Leblanc, and Guillaume Naud all scored for the home team in the loss. Jacob Chouinard picked up the loss in net… at the Air Creebec Centre this season, the Foreurs are 5-3-1-0 and have outscored their opponents 32-28 along the way… Jonathan Hazen leads the team in points with 17… Olivier Archambault leads the northwestern Quebec team in goals with nine… left winger Marc-Alain Begin has a team high 11 assists… missing Wednesday’s game were Cedrick Henley with a wrist injury, Mathieu Theriault also has a wrist injury, while Anthony Taylor hurt his foot blocking a shot on Saturday versus Rouyn-Noranda. No word if any of these players will hit the ice tonight… Jacob Chouinard has seen the majority of playing time on goal for Val-d’Or this season. He has a 7-6-1-0 record to go along with a 3.38 goals against average and a 0.889 save percentage… Brett Hester has been suspended for two games following his check from behind of Guillaume Cloutier in Wednesday’s game against Saint John… Jean-Francois Leblanc had a goal and two assists on Wednesday versus the Sea Dogs.

PINK IN THE RINK
The Foreurs will be wearing pink jersey’s this evening to help raise money for breast cancer research as all 18 QMJHL teams have done over the month of October. The minimum bid is $150 per jersey.

FLASHBACK
There is a former Sea Dog on the Foreurs in Nicolas Larocque-Marcoux. In nine games with the Shawinigan Cataractes earlier this season, Marcoux had four assists. He made his Foreurs debut Wednesday and recorded one assist.

Drafted by Saint John in the ninth round of the 2008 QMJHL Entry Draft, Marcoux played in three career games with the Sea Dogs in 2008-09, recording no points, two penalty minutes, and was a -1.

ARENA INFO
Venue: Air Creebec Centre
Seating Capacity: 3,504 (2,140 seated)
Year Built: 1949
QMJHL Arena Guide

GOAL HORN



MEDIA GUIDE
Radio (Sea Dogs): News 88.9 FM
Live Web Feed: Telus
Television: None
Live Blog: Station Nation
Post-Game Coverage: Station Nation, L’Echo Abitibien, Telegraph-Journal

TWITTER
Follow Station Nation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/station_nation for in-game updates, scores, stats, and live coverage during tonight’s game.

AFTER THE BUZZER
Saint John travels to Rouyn-Noranda to face the Huskies tomorrow evening at 8:30 pm.

Saying sorry/Brett Bulmer needs to fly around and I want the Roloff's

• If you missed my Twitter earlier today, I want to apologise to the WHL schedule maker, whoever he or she may be. I have jokingly bad mouthed them over the years for what is often a ridiculous schedule. But I take it all back after seeing that the Rockets are playing two games, on back-to-back nights, this weekend in Portland. Now is it too much to ask if the Rockets can play four straight road games in Prince George? Didn't think so.
• It was suggested on a comment left on this blog this week that Tyson Barrie and Brett Bulmer are playing selfish hockey. I don't agree. I think both are trying to do too much in an effort to help their team, so it appears to look that way. When you are gifted offensively, these type of players often shoot rather than pass. Top goal scorers all have that similar trait. Jesse Schultz, Justin Keller, Jamie Benn and Chuck Kobasew were all that way. I'm not saying they never distributed the puck, but they were more apt to shoot than pass. The reason few people suggested they were selfish was because they usually scored.
• In the case of Brett Bulmer, I would like to see him hit people like he did last season. Do you remember the Brett Bulmer of one year ago that went flying around hitting everything in sight despite his slim frame? He was affective and fun to watch. That's what I hope to see from him tonight against the Hawks. Get involved physically and the offense will come.
  
• If you had your head in the sand, you didn't catch that the New York Islanders have returned Nino Niederreiter back to the Hawks. Niederreiter was the Islanders 1st pick in the opening round in this summers draft and played in nine NHL games. How odd will it be for the 18 year-old when he takes to the ice tonight at Memorial Coliseum? Two nights ago he was playing in front of 21 thousand fans in Montreal. Tonight is he welcomed by five thousand of the Hawks faithful?
  
• I, for one, am glad Niederreiter is back with the Hawks. Why? Any time the Western Hockey League can have a marquee player of his ability, it's never a bad thing. That, and I will never be a fan of the NHL taking 18 year old junior players and pushing them into the pro's prematurely.
• The Rockets can only hope that the return of Neiderreiter has some of the Hawks players either trying to be too perfect or simply stepping aside to let 'Nino' do all the work. Do I think that will happen? No. Do I hope it will? Of course.
• Wish for a low score tonight. A high score spells trouble for the Rockets. Exchanging chances with the Hawks is playing with fire. Just ask the Kamloops Blazers, who lost 8-6 to Portland earlier this month.
  
• In looking at the Hawks roster in the new WHL guide, I was shocked to learn that Max Gordichuk and Matt Betcker are still on the team. Obviously it was in error, but it struck me odd that the Hawks had two over-over-overages, considering Gordichuck was born in 1986 and Betker was born in 1989.
• I've known this for years, but it doesn't impact you until you purchase something in Oregon. No sales tax. I bought some D-3's, as I attempt to fight off a cold. What was the price tag on the item? $9.99. What price did I pay? 9.99. It's just another reason why I love Oregon.
• Over the last couple of years I've really been impressed on how the Hawks organization puts on a terrific off-ice show for its fans. The caffeinated hopped up host in the stands and the cheerleaders are a great touch. But do you know what would really impress me? How about Amy and Matt Roloff singing the national anthems? I will admit the Bartel family watches 'Little People - Big World' religiously. I hear the Roloff farm is about a half hour outside of Portland.
  

HESTER SUSPENDED FOR HIT

Val-d’Or Foreurs left winger Brett Hester has been suspended for two games by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after an incident in a 5-4 loss to the Saint John Sea Dogs on Wednesday night.

The play happened at 8:34 of the second period at the Air Creebec Centre, just 25 seconds after a Zach Phillips goal cut the Foreurs’ lead to one. Hester entered the Saint John zone where rookie defenseman Guillaume Cloutier was standing and nailed him from behind, causing a big scrum in the corner.

Cloutier was attended to on the ice by Sea Dogs athletic therapist Jeff Kelly before skating back to the bench under his own power.

Hester, a Val-d’Or native, was given a game misconduct and a five minute major penalty for checking from behind.

The QMJHL announced today that the forward has been suspended for a couple of matches. The Foreurs play the Sea Dogs tomorrow night at 8:30 pm at the Air Creebec Centre and visit the Victoriaville Tigres on Thursday.

In 13 games this season, the 16-year old has two goals and no assists.

POSTSCRIPT: Sea Dogs 5, Foreurs 4

By Station Nation Staff

SEA DOGS – FOREURS GAME AT A GLANCE
Final Score: Saint John 5, Val-d’Or 4
Saint John Goals: Aidan Kelly (3), Zach Phillips (9), Jonathan Huberdeau (11), and Ryan Tesink (4, 5)
Val-d’Or Goals: Olivier Archambault (9), Gabriel Beaupre (2), Jean-Francois Leblanc (7), Guillaume Naud (3)
Winning Goaltender: SNB – Jacob DeSerres
Losing Goaltender: VAL – Jacob Chouinard
News 88.9 Top Dog: Ryan Tesink

THE NUMBERS
Power Play: Foreurs: 0/1, Sea Dogs: 0/3
Shots on Goal: Foreurs: 12+9+15=36, Sea Dogs: 11+12+9=32
Length: 2:19
Attendance: 1,459

SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
News 88.9 reported that Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Simon Despres has been suffering from a lower body injury and was a game time decision. He did play however, forcing Tyrone Sock out of the lineup. Scott Oke sat out as the extra forward.

DOGS WIN A THRILLER
It was not the prettiest thing ever but it was certainly the most exciting victory of the season for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs defeated the Val-d’Or Foreurs 5-4 last evening in dramatic fashion in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action at the Air Creebec Centre. Saint John entered the third period down 4-2 but climbed back to win the match 5-4 in a fast paced, action packed third period.

“We played a pretty solid game and we had a lot of scoring chances,’’ Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant said to the Telegraph-Journal, singing a much different tune than after Saturday’s win in Halifax. “We had a couple of little letdowns, but we played hard. I thought for the most part it was a consistent effort from our team.’’

The Foreurs opened the scoring at 4:40 after the bounce in behind the Saint John goal caused a turnover. The puck eventually found the stick on Olivier Archambault to make it a 1-0 game. But the Sea Dogs responded at 12:08 after a Foreurs turnover in the offensive zone. Ryan Tesink threaded a pass to Aidan Kelly at the side of the goal to tie the match at 1-1 heading to intermission.

But the wheels began to fall off for the Sea Dogs in the second period. On a delayed penalty call against the Sea Dogs, Gabriel Beaupre beat Jacob DeSerres up high to give Val-d’Or their lead back. Then Jean-Francois Leblanc deflected a shot past the Sea Dogs goaltender to make it 3-1.

Zach Phillips would make it a one goal game again at 11:09 when he blasted a puck by Jacob Chouinard after a nice cross ice pass. But the home team responded again as Guillaume Naud scored at 17:31 to give his squad a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame.

In the third, Saint John’s comeback began when Ryan Tesink fed Jonathan Huberdeau who scored on a hard wrist shot to make it 4-3. Then the two connected again, this time with Huberdeau picking up the assist and Tesink recording the goal to tie the match at 4-4.

Then at 17:46, a strange play behind the Val-d’Or net left Tesink alone at the side of the goal with the puck bouncing a bit. The Saint John native batted the puck in to give the Sea Dogs their first lead of the game. Despite the light going on, play would resume for over a minute following the goal. It was finally reviewed and awarded a goal, forcing the clock to be reset.

THE TESINK SHOW
Ryan Tesink was the story of this one. After getting off to a hot start to begin the campaign, the rookie has since cooled down. But the native son caught fire again last night, recording two goals and two assists.

Points are always nice, but the points he recorded were big ones for Saint John. He assisted on Aidan Kelly’s first period goal to tie the game, assisted on Jonathan Huberdeau’s third period goal to put the Sea Dogs within one, and then scored the tying and winning goal in the latter stages of the third period.

“We killed a penalty (early in the third period) and then we scored a big goal after that,’’ Gerard Gallant said speaking of about Huberdeau’s third period marker.

DeSERRES FINALLY GETS HIS GROOVE ON
We debated for awhile on this, but still couldn’t find the right word to describe Jacob DeSerres’ performance last night. You could say that this was DeSerres’ first “normal” game in the QMJHL after his first performance was hardly a test and his second opportunity was awarded with a brutal Saint John defense core.

The WHL castoff was solid in net, stopping 32-of-36 shots on the night. His biggest save may have been in the third period when Simon Despres was the only man back on a Val-d’or three-on-one. The centerman chose to shoot the puck but DeSerres stayed with him and denied him of a goal.

He made several other big saves on the night and definitely deserves some credit for the win.

HESTER HITS CLOUTIER
After the Foreurs took a 3-1 lead, Brett Hester nailed Guillaume Cloutier in the corner at 8:34 of the second period. Cloutier laid on the ice for a few minutes while a huge scrum went down on top of him with Nathan Beaulieu being very involved.

Cloutier would be okay and skated back to the bench with Sea Dogs athletic therapist Jeff Kelly at his side. Hester was given a game misconduct on the play and a lengthy penalty on the play.

It looked for a moment like chaos was going to go down at the Air Creebec Centre as Mike Thomas was being pushed back to the bench by an official while yelling at someone. Nothing came out of it.

WEIRD
During the intermissions, music videos were played on Val-d’Or’s bizarre video screen/scoreboard. First they played some weird video full of gangsters and bling doing their business. A few minutes later, video clips from the awesome movie "Stuart Little" were being shown.

GAME CHANGER… ALMOST
The puck swung in Val-d’Or’s favour during the second period when the puck was thrown out of play by a Foreurs player while the Sea Dogs had just begun a power play. At this point in the game, the Sea Dogs were down 4-2 and a lengthy two-man advantage would have been huge.

It looked as though it would be a delay of game penalty after the disc almost hit the Telus webcast camera. The officials discussed it for a moment and made no call, forcing Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant to flip his lid.

“He says some words we can’t say on radio,” said Sea Dogs play-by-play man Tim Roszell of the colourful word chose made by the coach.

CTV FAIL
In a shocking turn of events, the QMJHL website failed to produce the third period results of last nights game. It wasn’t until long after the match was done that the score sheet was changed to show the Sea Dogs’ offensive outburst and ultimate victory.

Unfortunately, CTV Atlantic doesn’t care, and announced last night and this morning that the Sea Dogs lost 4-2 in Val-d’Or. This from the same station that pronounces “Jurco” as “Jerko.”

We’re actually surprised the station realizes that there are teams outside of Halifax.

Thanks to the several people who sent in this info.

OUT OF TOWN
From The Canadian Press:

Elsewhere in the QMJHL it was: Lewiston 4, Rimouski 2; Chicoutimi 3, Drummondville 2; and Gatineau 6, Halifax 2.

QUICK HITS
Val-d’Or fans hated the officiating crew all game. There were some non-calls that were borderline… the Sea Dogs improved on their road woes with the win. They now have a record of 4-3-0-1 while away from Harbour Station… Gabriel Beaupre had an eventful night for the Foreurs. He got hit in the face with something in the first and was forced to wear the full cage for the rest of the net, then scored a goal, and then blocked a Tomas Jurco one timer… the Foreurs honoured Remembrance Day a little early with a pre-game ceremony prior to puck drop. A few veterans were on hand and a video tribute was played… the Foreurs’ mascot wears suspenders… Saint John improved to 8-3-0-1 all-time at the Air Creebec Centre.

NEXT GAME
Same team. Same time. Same place. Different day. The Sea Dogs and Foreurs play again tomorrow night at 8:30 pm.