QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Sea Dogs Add Ten Prospects in Draft

Published on June 4, 2011 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


Victoriaville, Que.- The whirlwind week continued Saturday for the Saint John Sea Dogs with the QMJHL Entry Draft, the major annual event that signals the beginning of a new season.

The team proudly displayed the Memorial Cup at its draft table Saturday and received congratulations from Commissioner Gilles Courteau, the host committee from the Victoriaville Tigres, and several other teams. But the draft is about building for the future, which the Sea Dogs did, adding 10 young prospects to their system.

The Sea Dogs did not hold a pick in the first round after trading it to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies for Alexandre Beauregard during the Christmas trading period. The trade certainly worked out, as Beauregard scored the double-overtime President's Cup winner. It also, however, meant the team didn't hold a pick until the second round, giving the team's outstanding scouting staff, led by head scout Christian Vermette, a chance to shine and unearth some hidden gems in the lower rounds.

The Sea Dogs were originally scheduled to make their first selection with the final pick of the second round, at 36th overall. They instead decided to package that pick, along with a fourth-rounder and a 2012 second-round choice, to acquire the 19th overall pick, first in the second round.

Saint John used the selection to draft six-foot-two, 189-pound forward Oliver Cooper of the New Brunswick - Prince Edward Island Major Midget League's Fredericton Canadiens. Cooper posted 11 goals, 24 points and 52 penalty minutes in 33 games for the midget Habs, and also played for New Brunswick at the 2011 Canada Winter Games.

"It's pretty flattering and it's exciting to be part of this team and this organization," said of Saint John trading up to acquire him. "It feels pretty good."

Cooper described himself as a power forward and said he's looking forward to continuing his career close to home.

In the third round, Saint John selected six-foot, 178-pound defenseman Maxime Gravel from Esther-Blondin (Que.) midget AAA. Gravel posted 10 goals and 22 points in 36 games with Esther-Blondin.

"There was a player there (Cooper) that we weren't expecting to be there so we moved up to pick him. Oliver Cooper is a big strong forward that we think has got a ton of upside, then we picked Maxime Gravel, a right-shot defenseman with a real good shot," said Sea Dogs director of hockey operations Mike Kelly.

The Dogs followed up by taking Cooper's linemate McKenzie Brown in the fourth round. Brown, a five-foot-nine, 153-pounder who also played at the Canada Games, had seven goals and 16 points in 36 games.

The Sea Dogs selected their final 15-year-old of the draft in the fifth round, opting for goaltender Alex Fournier of the Antoine-Girouard (Que.) midget espoirs program.

In the sixth round, Saint John picked up forward Steven Anderson, a Morell, P.E.I., native who played his 16-year-old season at Upper Canada College. Anderson played with Devon Oliver-Dares of the Sea Dogs for Team Atlantic at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

The Sea Dogs pulled off a potential low-risk, high-reward move in the seventh round, flipping a 2012 sixth-round pick to the Rimouski Oceanic and grabbing NHL-drafted forward Connor Brickley. Brickley, a 2010 Florida Panthers second-rounder, played last season at the University of Vermont, recording four goals and 13 points in 35 games as an 18-year-old freshman. The six-foot-one, 195-pound Everett, Mass., native had been returned to the player pool from the Lewiston Maineiacs franchise, which will not operate next season after being acquired by the league.

Saint John went with another American player in the eighth round in six-foot-one, 175-pound defenseman Ryan Segalla from Salisbury School. In the ninth round they chose goalie Shawn Jeffrey of Cape Breton West midget AAA. In the tenth round it was another Salisbury rearguard, five-foot-11, 183-pound Quebecer Marc Biega.

Finally the Dogs grabbed Charlottetown midget AAA defenseman Ryan Kelly, the son of Mike Kelly, in the 11th round.

Check out the Saint John Sea Dogs Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from June 4, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central