QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Sea Dogs training camp opens Saturday with mini-tournament

Published on August 10, 2005 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


SAINT JOHN, August 10, 2005 - Area hockey faithful are being encouraged to show up at Harbour Station Saturday afternoon as the expansion Saint John Sea Dogs open their first training camp.

The camp will run for three weeks, closing on Sept. 2. Almost all training camp activities will be open to the public.

Sea Dog coaching and scouting staff will be in evaluation mode all weekend as training camp moves into high gear with what is being called the "Quest for the Best" mini-tournament. Fans should be in their seats by 4 p.m. on Saturday for a pep rally and their first look at the Sea Dogs.

The mini-tournament will continue on Sunday and culminate with the crowning of a gold team early in the evening. Admission to the tournament is free, although a donation to the South End Little League would be appreciated.

"We want to offer each kid a complete opportunity to show what they can do," said Bob "Tipper" LeBlanc, general manager of the Sea Dogs. "Often a player may have a rough first day and have no chance to redeem themselves. With the "Quest for the Best", we're giving them a full weekend of competitive action."

In total, 64 players have been named to the Sea Dogs training camp roster. They are coming from almost every province in Canada, including 20 from New Brunswick, and the United States. One of the club's two European draft picks will arrive late for camp, but he has a good reason.

Felix Schutz, the club's pick from Germany, has already arrived in Saint John while Martin Bartos of the Czech Republic will be reporting to camp Aug. 18. He's currently playing with his country's national team at the World Under 18 Tournament in the Czech Republic.

The opening of training camp signals the beginning of a new era for hockey in Southern New Brunswick.

"It's been a long journey," said LeBlanc. "The whole organization has been working very hard since January, putting this all together. It will be a very exciting time for the Sea Dog family when we finally see a product on the ice."

Following is the public schedule for the first week of training camp:

Saturday August 13

"Quest for the Best" Tournament
(Harbour Station doors open at 3:30 p.m. for 4 p.m. introductions)
Team A vs. Team C 4:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Team B vs. Team D 6:15 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Sunday August 14

"Quest for the Best" Tournament
Team A vs. Team D 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Team B vs. Team C 10:45 a.m. - 12 noon

(Bronze) 3rd vs. 4th 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
(Gold) 1st vs. 2nd 5:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Monday August 15

Team A (Practice) 1:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Team B (Practice) 3:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Tuesday August 16

Team A (Practice) 8:30 p.m. - 10:15 p.m.
Team B (Practice) 10:30 p.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Team A (Practice) 2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Team B (Practice) 3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Wednesday August 17

Team A (Practice) 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Team B (Practice) 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Black ‘n' Blue Game
Team A vs. Team B
7 p.m. @ Harbour Station
(An exclusive event for Sea Dogs Season ticket holders)


Thursday August 18

Team A (Practice) 9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Team B (Practice) 1:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Team A (Practice) 3:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Friday August 19

Team B Morning Skate 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Exhibition Game
Acadie-Bathurst Titan vs. Sea Dogs 7 p.m. @ Harbour Station
(Purchase all four Sea Dogs pre-season games for $15 or $5 per individual game)

Check out the Saint John Sea Dogs Statistics

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from August 10, 2005


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