REPORT: Kirkpatrick out three weeks

It’s the news nobody wanted to hear regarding Michael Kirkpatrick’s injury.

Halifax Mooseheads play-by-play man John Moore tweeted this this morning:

Kirkpatrick was injured in Game Four of the Saint John Sea Dogs – Lewiston Maineiacs semifinal on Wednesday. He left the game and never returned.

The 20-year old has had a rough post-season. He missed games two, three and four of the Sea Dogs’ quarter-final series against the Victoriaville Tigres with a concussion. Then in Game One of the semifinals against Lewiston, Kirkpatrick tumbled head first into the boards and cut his nose quite badly.

Obviously, the loss of Kirkpatrick is huge. He can provide offense but is also a very good defensive forward. He is also one of the Sea Dogs’ best faceoff men.

The franchise’s all-time leading scorer has three goals and 10 assists in 10 playoff games this year. In 63 regular season games he had 31 goals and 51 helpers.

The President’s Cup final begins Thursday at Harbour Station. If the Sea Dogs advance to the Memorial Cup, their first game is Friday, May 20 against the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.

SOCK REASSIGNED TO 'WOLVES

Tyrone Sock has been reassigned to the Maritime Junior A Hockey League’s Miramichi Timberwolves, the Saint John Sea Dogs announced yesterday. The defenseman will remain a Saint John Sea Dogs affiliate player.

The move isn’t all that surprising as the acquisitions of Eric Gelinas and Jason Seed puched Sock down the depth charts. With Gelinas and Seed joining Simon Despres, Nathan Beaulieu, Kevin Gagne, Pierre Durepos, and Gabriel Bourret, there just isn’t room for Sock on the blueline at this time.

"He's a very good prospect for our club. With the trades for Eric Gelinas and Jason Seed, and the depth we had on our blueline, we thought it was best for Tyrone to play a lot in Junior A and continue his development," said Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant in a release.

Sock has played in 22 of Saint John’s 41 games this season and recorded one assist, eight penalty minutes, and a plus-two rating. The 17-year old native of Elsipogtog, New Brunswick played in one game with Saint John last year where he dropped the gloves with Acadie-Bathurst Titan forward Vincent Arseneau.



The Timberwolves sit third in the MHL’s Roger Meek division with a record of 19-10-2-4. Notable players on their roster include former Sea Dogs Philip Richer, Dillen Theriault, and Kyle Dilosa and former Sea Dogs prospect Nathan Dunnett.

The 'Wolves play in Campbellton tonight before facing Woostock on Friday. Friday’s tilt can be seen on Rogers TV.

Photo Credit: Saint John Sea Dogs

SEA DOGS MAKE GOALTENDING CHANGE AT DEADLINE

SAINT JOHN - In the final hour of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s trading period, the Saint John Sea Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads pulled off a goalie swap.

The Herd sent 19-year old goaltender Mathieu Corbeil-Theriault to Saint John in exchange for fellow 19-year old backstop Frederic Piche. Halifax also receives a third draft pick in the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft from the Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs have been rumoured over the past two weeks to be making some kind of change in goal - but none involved Corbeil. Over the summer, it was thought that the Sea Dogs may go after the Columbus Blue Jackets prospect at the entry draft as he appeared to be one of the better ‘tenders available at the time. But that turned out to be nothing more than speculation, obviously.

Corbeil’s numbers are not great – but neither are the Mooseheads. He has a record of 7-15-0-1, a 3.76 goals against average, and an .867 save percentage. Over the past month or so, the netminder has, at times, struggled to keep the No. 1 job from rookie Anthony Terenzio.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for him,”Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell said to the Chronicle Herald.

“I don’t think he could be upset with this at all. He’s going to a contending team and he’s going to get a change of scenery. Things weren’t working out for him here. I’ve been traded myself and sometimes it’s the best thing that can happen for a player.”

Corbeil will surely consider the trade a late Christmas gift, going from the cellar dwelling Herd to the top team in the country. With a solid defense core featuring the likes of Simon Despres and Eric Gelinas, his numbers will likely improve over time.

Drafted by the Blue Jackets in the fourth round of the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft, the Montreal native played in 74 games prior to this season, amassing a record of 11-53-0, a GAA of 4.01, and a save percentage of 0.880. Not great numbers, but, again, the Mooseheads haven’t been so great either. Corbeil and the Moose have failed to make it into the post-season for the past two seasons.

“We like Mathieu’s size and athleticism and we think he can help us down the stretch,” said Sea Dogs director of hockey operations Mike Kelly in a release.

Here is an excerpt from Hockey’s Future on the goaltender:

At 6'6, the Montreal native naturally covers a large amount of the net. Coupling that with quickness between the pipes and an excellent glove hand and it is easy to see why Corbeil was invited to attend Hockey Canada's goaltender camp this summer. Although his game still needs plenty of work, especially controlling rebounds and mentally bouncing back from a bad goal, Corbeil is a project who could pay big dividends for whichever team selects him.

Piche was having a career year with Saint John prior to being dealt this afternoon. The well-traveled goaltender has a 14-2-0-2 record with a 2.56 goals against average and .910 save percentage. He has been rotating with Jacob DeSerres in the Sea Dogs crease, creating a solid goaltending tandem.

Given Corbeil has caught the eye of NHL scouts, the new duo should be able to equal that performance – whether the two rotate or not (reality says that rotation won’t last into the playoffs.) The potential for Corbeil to a very good goaltender for Saint John is definitely there.

The Sea Dogs play Corbeil’s former team on Saturday at the Halifax Metro Centre.

With that, the QMJHL holiday trading period has come to a close. The Sea Dogs appear to have done quite well, filling their holes on defense with Jason Seed and Eric Gelinas and acquiring some more grit in Alexandre Beauregard.

BIG BOOST FOR THE BLUE LINE

This afternoon, the Saint John Sea Dogs sent the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League a buzz by landing one of the biggest fish in the trade period pond.

The Sea Dogs acquired Chicoutimi Sagueneens veteran defenseman Eric Gelinas in exchange for rookie defender Guillaume Cloutier today. Rumours are already circulating that Saint John will send more to the Sags at the QMJHL Entry Draft in June.

Gelinas, a New Jersey Devils second round pick in 2009, is considered one of the top defenseman in the QMJHL, and if rumours mean anything, was generating plenty of interest over the past few days.

“Starting to get VERY curious to see where Eric Gelinas ends up,” tweeted Willy Palov of the Chronicle Herald yesterday. “Richard Martel must be cooking up something pretty interesting in Chicoutimi.”

Gelinas, 19, has plenty of QMJHL experience. He spent his first two-and-a-half seasons in Lewiston prior to be traded to Chicoutimi half way through. Prior to this year, Gelinas had played in 182 career Quebec league games, recording 19 goals and 70 assists along the way as well as a -44 rating and 173 penalty minutes.

His plus/minus total is deceiving, however, as the Ottawa native has never played for a contending team like Saint John. With Lewiston and Chicoutimi, Gelinas has never made it past the first round of the playoffs.

This year, the veteran has nine goals and 15 assists in 35 games. He is tied with Moncton’s Brandon Gormley for 20th in league scoring among defenseman.

“We are thrilled to have him,” said Sea Dogs director of hockey operations Mike Kelly in a release. “He is an elite defenseman that will provide a steadying influence on our blue line”

Saint John’s defense has been pretty good this season, but it was obvious at times they were lacking in some areas. Judging by his talent analysis on Hockey’s Future, Gelinas is just what the doctor ordered.

Gelinas displayed leadership qualities this past season in Lewiston, anchoring a mostly inexperienced blueline corps. He has some offensive ability, and has shown himself to be a responsible defensive player, as well. If a scout believes that there is some upside to his game, then Gelinas might be a wise selection for a team looking for a defenseman with size and overall ability.

The Sea Dogs have done a nice job at adding some depth to their defense core over the holiday trading period. Along with Gelinas, the team acquired Jason Seed from the Gatineau Olympiques who should be a suitable replacement for Cloutier.

Saint John now boasts a solid defense unit headlined by Gelinas, Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Simon Despres, the always steady Pierre Durepos and Kevin Gagne, and offensive blue-liner Nathan Beaulieu.

Gelinas played last night for the Sagueneens against the Montreal Juniors. The Sea Dogs’ next game is Saturday night in Halifax.

The trading period closes tomorrow at 1:00 pm AST.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF YANN SAUVE

Is defenseman Yann Sauve returning for an overage season of junior hockey? Well, for the time being, it remains a question mark.

The former Saint John Sea Dogs defender is currently playing in the East Coast Hockey League with the Victoria Salmon Kings, the Vancouver Canucks’ ‘AA’ affiliate. The 20-year old was expected to play with the Manitoba Moose in the American Hockey League, but unfortunately for Sauve, he was hit by a car during Canucks rookie camp and was out of game action for over two months.

"I've been out for two months now and I've got to say I've (come) a long way to get in shape,” said Sauve to the Vancouver Sun earlier this week. “I can just worry about my game. The coach will decide whose playing."

But with a demotion the ECHL and still recovering from the effects of a concussion, rumblings that the first overall selection in the 2006 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft could be returning to the Sea Dogs have begun.

In Tuesday’s L’Acadie Nouvelle, Stephane Paquette reported that the Sea Dogs are denying the rumors of Sauve returning.

Later that night, Canadian Hockey League Insider Sam Cosentino went on The Pipeline Show to talk about Sauve’s possible return (full interview can be found HERE by selecting “CHL Insider: Part 2”).

“It’s slim,” said Cosentino about the possible return of Sauve. “When we were there for the Subway Super Series I spoke to Gerard Gallant and Mike Kelly and they thought he was on their radar; there’s no question about it that there’s a chance. They put that chance somewhere around 50%.”

“I spoke to Mike Gillis the other day – the GM of the Canucks – and I asked him that question. There was a need for bodies in the East Coast league. It was a good place for him to go to get started. It was under the watchful eye of Vancouver.”

“Once they get a little healthier, he is going to report to Manitoba first. They want to try and get him into some games before Christmas time, and maybe, just after the Christmas break, where he’s playing 15-20 minutes a game and then from there make a determination.”

Cosentino went on to say that Gillis “did not close the door” on Sauve returning to Saint John.

“I wouldn’t rule it out yet. I would call it, a probability of it happening, probably at 50% right now. “

Sauve is still considered a wildcard to return. But with the acquisition of Steven Delisle’s rights earlier this season, it’s clear the Sea Dogs are looking for a strong defenseman to help boost their team’s chances down the stretch and into the post-season.

Adding Sauve would be a huge boost for an already steady defense core. Add the veteran to a lineup featuring the experienced Simon Despres, Nathan Beaulieu, Kevin Gagne, Pierre Durepos, and Gabriel Bourret and its shutdown city.

But, if Sauve does not return, there will surely be other options if the Sea Dogs are looking to add a body on defense. Who knows, even a relatively minor transaction like the Christian Morin deal last season could do the trick.

The QMJHL trade deadline opens on December 19.

Photo Credit: David Connell Web Album

REPORT: Delisle Could Be Out For Season

Any chance of 20-year old defenseman Steven Delisle reporting to Saint John appears to be even more unlikely at this point.

According to John A. Cohn of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Delisle could be out for the remainder of the season.

Delisle has a shoulder subluxation -- it is popping in and out of its joint -- that first occurred during training camp with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets and was re-aggravated during Friday's 5-3 loss to Bloomington.

A fourth-round draft pick of Columbus in 2008, Delisle is expected to undergo MRI testing this week.

"It looks like surgery is the next option," Komets coach Al Sims said. "All he did was reach up for a puck and it popped out again, so obviously it needs something more than just time."

The Sea Dogs acquired Delisle’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League rights from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on November 12. The deal saw Saint John acquire the rights to defenseman in exchange for a 12th round selection in the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Reports came up about a week ago that Delisle had suffered a shoulder injury. In six games with the Central Hockey League’s Fort Wayne Koments, the native of Levise, Quebec has no points and two penalty minutes. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect started the season in the American Hockey League prior to being assigned to ‘AA’ Fort Wayne.

Le Droit recently had an article on the former Gatineau Olympiques captain. The newspaper reports that Delisle was given the choice of going to Fort Wayne or Saint John, and after some discussion with his father and his agent, chose to report to the Komets.

His decision makes sense as playing against junior aged players can only help a player’s development for so long. Delisle also pointed out Fort Wayne's proximity to Columbus was key.

Luckily for the Sea Dogs, the deal cost them practically nothing. 12th round picks are often used on risks like this one.

Of note, the QMJHL trading period begins on December 19 and runs through to January 6.

SAUVE SET TO MAKE PRO DEBUT

After several weeks of mystery, former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Yann Sauve is expected to return to the ice this weekend.

The Vancouver Canucks draft pick was hit by a car during rookie camp this past September and has been suffering the effect of a concussion ever since. But after a lengthy recovery, Sauve is expected to make his professional debut this weekend.

Today, the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose officially sent Sauve to the Canucks’ East Coast Hockey League affiliate, the Victoria Salmon Kings.

"He's a top-end second-round draft pick and a lot of Vancouver and Manitoba people will be at our next five or so games to see if Yann is where they want him to be [in terms of fitness and recovery]," said Salmon Kings GM and head coach Mark Morrison to the Victoria Times-Colonist today.

"He's a good skater with a big body. He brings everything."

Sauve is expected to dress for the ECHL club tonight when they host the Idaho Steelheads.

The 20-year old has been with the Moose for most of the season but has not played in a game because of his injury.

"He's not there yet," Manitoba head coach Claude Noel said to Winnipeg Free Press yesterday prior to the announcement of his assignment to the ECHL. "He does need some heavy practice. We've got to sort through that. He's ready to go. He just needs timing. It's been three months. He needs to play. It's hard to play at this level and expect he'll fall right in."

Sauve had one of the year’s best quotes in the Free Press: "It's not really a good time to get injured -- as soon as you step in the pros you get hit by a car or whatever.”

There was a lot of mystery surrounding Sauve’s health after Telegraph-Journal sports columnist Peter McGuire wrote a piece on how the Canucks were keeping his status – and Sauve – quiet.

In four seasons with QMJHL Saint John, Sauve had 20 goals and 82 assists in 251 regular season games. Last season, Sauve appeared in 61 games for the Sea Dogs scoring 36 points (7g-29a) while serving 65 minutes in penalties. The defenseman also helped lead Saint John to the QMJHL Final this past spring where he recorded 15 points (5g-10a) and 36 penalty minutes in 21 playoff contests.

Photo Credit: Winnipeg Free Press

QMJHL SUSPENDS KIRKPATRICK

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has come down hard on Michael Kirkpatrick.

The Saint John Sea Dogs forward has been suspended three games by the QMJHL following his hit from behind during Sunday’s complete mess 9-7 win in Moncton.

As always, “the decisions were rendered after reviewing the videotapes of the incidents, gathering testimonies from the players and the organizations involved, reading the officials’ reports and consulting the independent committee in the matter of disciplinary sanctions,” states to a QMJHL press release.

“The Disciplinary Prefect will not be available for further comment.”

Kirkpatrick was given a checking from behind major and a game misconduct after he nailed Moncton Wildcat defenseman Alex MacDonald along the end boards in the Moncton zone during the third period. The Sea Dogs' 20-year old skated in hard on MacDonald and pushed him into the boards.

Kirkpatrick was involved in a bit of scrum beside the Wildcats net, including some punches by Moncton goaltender Shane Owen, before exiting the ice.

MacDonald sat face first on the ice for a few moments with a Wildcats trainer before heading back to the bench. He would be okay.

It was timely penalty for Saint John, as it gave Moncton a five minute power play with 6:44 to go in an 8-6 game. This game officially had it all.

Kirkpatrick certainly is not known for attacks like this. In 24 games this season he has 23 penalty minutes. The North Sydney native has eight goals and 22 assists which places him second in team scoring. He has been playing on a line with Steven Anthony and Stanislav Galiev of late, a line that has proven to be solid.

The Sea Dogs' next three games are all at home. Saint John hosts Bathurst Friday, Halifax on Sunday, and Lewiston next Friday. Not the easiest of schedules – but not the hardest either.

No video of the hit has popped up yet.
The Disciplinary Prefect, Raymond Bolduc, also announced today that Rouyn-Noranda Huskies winger Christophe Déry has been suspended for a total of three games for high-sticking.

FORT WAYNE GIVING DELISLE A CHANCE

It doesn’t look like Steven Delisle will be a Saint John Sea Dog in the immediate future.

Delisle, whose rights were traded to Saint John Friday from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in exchange for a 12th round pick in the 2012 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, was assigned by the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Central Hockey League’s Fort Wayne Komets on Friday. He had been with the American Hockey League’s Springfield Falcons but had not played in a game.

News-Sentinel.com’s Komets blog, Tailing the Komets, posted this yesterday:

He’s a 6-6, 209 pound rookie defenseman who has not played yet this season. Komets GM David Franke said Delisle will be in town Sunday and at practice on Monday. He’ll be in the lineup Friday night.

So it looks like Delisle will get a shot at proffensional hockey in Fort Wayne.

The 20-year old Jackets prospect was considered a long shot to return to junior this season, especially after signing a three-year entry level deal with the Jackets over the summer.

It’s still a good gamble by the Sea Dogs as 12th round picks rarely amount to anything, and, given the timing of the trade, Saint John must. know something others do not. Let us not forget about Gerard Gallant's connections to Columbus as he was the head coach of the team from January 1, 2004 to November 13, 2006.

DELISLE TRADED TO SAINT JOHN

A surprising trade involving the Saint John Sea Dogs and the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies went down earlier today. The deal saw the Sea Dogs acquire the rights to defenseman Steven Delisle in exchange for a 12th round selection in the 2012 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

The strange part – Delisle is a 20-year old.

First and foremost, it should be noted that his rights had been traded to Saint John but there is a possibility he may never wear a Sea Dogs jersey. Delisle is currently not playing in the QMJHL as an overager, and therefore may be a no show.

The Levise, Quebec native spent four seasons in the Quebec league. He was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fourth round, 107th overall in the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He signed a three-year entry level contract with the Jackets over the summer.

Much like former Sea Dogs defenseman and Vancouver Canucks prospect Yann Sauve, it would be considered a long shot to see him return to junior hockey for another season.

But this deal still seems a bit odd given that Saint John appeared to be set in the 20-year old department. Each team is allowed to carry three 20-year old players, with Saint John’s being forward Michael Kirkpatrick, captain Mike Thomas, and goaltender Jacob DeSerres.

Delisle registered five goals and 24 assists for 29 points, 77 penalty minutes and a +17 plus/minus rating in 64 games with the Gatineau Olympiques and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in 2009-10. He ranked third on the Huskies in penalty minutes and was also third among club defensemen in assists and plus/minus rating. He added one goal, three assists, and 12 penalty minutes in 11 playoff games before the Huskies were eliminated by the Moncton Wildcats.

He tallied 17 goals and 83 assists for 100 points, 300 penalty minutes and a cumulative plus/minus rating of +18 in 253 career QMJHL games. He collected 6-23-29, 82 penalty minutes and was +8 in 70 games with Gatineau in 2007-08 and added 0-10-10 and 16 penalty minutes in 19 playoff games, helping the Olympiques win the QMJHL title.

“Delisle, having earned a pro contract,” reports HockeysFuture.com “,will likely make the jump to pro hockey this season, however, with the abundance of defensemen entering the pro ranks for the Jackets, Delisle may find himself starting the season with limited AHL ice time or earning his minutes in the ECHL. There is also an outside shot that he returns to junior as an overager.”

Oddly enough, Delisle was assigned by the American Hockey League’s Springfield Falcons to the Central Hockey League’s Fort Wayne Komets today according to their website.

It is definitely an odd deal with lots of question marks surrounding it. What drama.

DESPRES TO MISS GAME ONE WITH INJURY

Simon Despres’ hip injury will keep him out of the lineup for Game One of the 2010 Subway Super Series tomorrow night. Despres has missed the last two Saint John Sea Dogs games .

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced today that Chicoutimi Sagueneen Eric Gelinas will take Despres’ roster spot on Team QMJHL for Monday’s game against a Russian national junior team.

A limited amount of tickets are still available for tomorrow’s game at Harbour Station. The game will also be broadcast coast-to-coast on Rogers Sportsnet and RDS. Game time is 7pm.

Gelinas scored in last night’s game at Harbour Station in the Saqueneens 4-3 shootout win over the Sea Dogs at the Station. In 18 games this season, the New Jersey Devils draft pick has three goals and five assists.

Despres will be the second Sea Dog in franchise history to miss the event to an injury. Back in 2008 – the last time Harbour Station hosted a Canada-Russia game – Chris DiDomenico was unable to play after suffering a late injury. DiDomenico still made the Canadian world junior team, however.

The severity of Despres injury is not known as he was listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game all weekend. The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect was scheduled to play in Game Two of the series on Wednesday in Drummondville as well but a QMJHL release did give any info on that game.

Saint John will still be represented by defenseman Nathan Beaulieu and forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Zach Phillips. Stanislav Galiev will also be suiting up for Team Russia. Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant will be an assistant for the Canadian team.

Furthermore, Quebec Remparts goaltender Louis Domingue has been added to the Game Two roster.

"Louis' play has been spectacular these past few weeks, and we feel that he deserves an opportunity to showcase his game at the Subway Super Series,” said Team QMJHL head coach André Tourigny in a release. "Louis will split time with Maxime Clermont in game two."