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QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Veleno Selected by Sea Dogs, Becomes First 'Exceptional Status' Player in QMJHL

June 6, 2015 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


Saint John Sea Dogs Draftee Joseph Veleno
Saint John Sea Dogs Draftee Joseph Veleno
(Saint John Sea Dogs, Credit: Vincent Éthier/QMJHL Media)

SHERBROOKE, QC - The Saint John Sea Dogs are extremely proud to welcome 18 new players to the organization following the 2015 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft.

The Sea Dogs opened the event by taking highly-touted 15-year-old centre Joseph Veleno with the first overall pick.

Veleno was granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada earlier this week to enter the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft as an underage player. He becomes the first player from Quebec and the fifth in Canadian Hockey League history to earn exceptional status.

The Kirkland, Quebec, native had 16 goals and 52 points in 41 games for the Lac St-Louis Lions of the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League (QMAAA). He had four goals and ten points in six games for Team Quebec at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George, British Columbia, and two goals and five points in five games for Team Quebec Blue at the QMJHL Gatorade Excellence Challenge.

Saint John had two more first-round selections as well.

Goaltender Alex D'Orio was taken ninth overall.

The 16-year-old Sherbrooke-native played 23 games for the Magog Cantonniers (QMAAA), posting a 9-12 record with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. Listed at 6'2", 193 lbs., he also played three games for Team Quebec at the Canada Winter Games and three more for Team Quebec Blue at the QMJHL Gatorade Excellence Challenge.

The Sea Dogs selected Cedric Pare tenth overall. The 6'1.5", 190-lb. forward posted six goals and 13 points in 41 games for his hometown Levis Commandeurs (QMAAA). He added two goals and four points in five games for Team Quebec White at the QMJHL Gatorade Excellence Challenge.

Saint John snared its first defenceman of the draft in Vincent Martineau of the College Esther-Blondin Phenix (QMAAA) with a third-round pick, 51st overall. In his first year of midget hockey, the 6'0", 200-lb. rearguard posted three goals and 15 points in 42 games. The native of Terrebonne, Quebec, added one goal and five points in five games for Team Quebec Blue at the QMJHL Gatorade Excellence Challenge.

The Sea Dogs used their fourth-round selection, 57th overall, acquired in a trade with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada during draft week, to choose 16-year-old left winger Morgan Barron from the Newbridge Academy Gladiators, last season's champions of the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League (NSMMHL). The Halifax product, listed at 6'0.5" and 166 lbs., had 17 goals and 42 points in 34 games in his second season with Newbridge. He added eight goals and 24 points in 16 playoff games and two goals and three points in five games at the Telus Cup.

Saint John added 6'2", 183-lb. defenceman Pierre-Luc Lurette in the sixth round, 100th overall. The 16-year-old from Val d'Amour, New Brunswick, registered four goals and 13 points in 43 games last season with the Campbellton Tigers of the Maritime Hockey League (MHL).

The team's first trade of draft day came later in the sixth round. Saint John acquired 2015 sixth- (107th) and seventh-round (119th) selections from the Armada in exchange for a 2016 fourth-round pick, which had been acquired previously from the Gatineau Olympiques.

Following the deal, the Sea Dogs went south of the border in round six, nabbing 15-year-old forward Marc McLaughlin of Cushing Academy (Mass. - US Prep) with the 107th overall selection. The product of North Bellerica, Massachusetts, had 13 goals and 22 points in 33 games last season.

The other newly-obtained pick saw Saint John stay at home and select forward Ben Reid of the Saint John Vito's 119th overall. The 16-year-old Quispamsis-native had 13 goals and 29 points in 35 games.

The Sea Dogs and Armada collaborated on another swap of picks in the eighth round, with Saint John acquiring the 143rd selection in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2016.

The club added defenceman Kallum Muirhead, 16, from the Charlottetown Islanders (NBPEIMMHL) with the choice. In 31 games, the Charlottetown-native had three goals and 13 points along with 71 penalty minutes.

Saint John had two picks in the ninth round.

Defenceman Ben Mirageas of Avon Old Farms (Conn. - US Prep) came with the 154th pick. The product of Newburyport, Massachusetts, recorded one goal and seven points in 24 games last season.

St. John's-native Ian Smallwood was taken 159th overall. The 16-year-old defenceman spent the 2014-15 season with the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League (SMHL) where he had four goals and 15 points in 36 games.

Forward Thomas Morin, 16, of the Beauce-Appalaches Elites (Quebec Midget Espoir) was selected in tenth-round, 172nd overall.

The Sea Dogs held two selections in the eleventh and twelfth rounds.

Newbridge Academy blueliner Jonathan Mason joined the team with the 187th overall choice. The 17-year-old had 12 assists and 82 penalty minutes in 33 games in his first season in the NSMMHL.

Three picks later at 190, Saint John tabbed forward Alexandre Lafreniere, 16, from Outaouais (Quebec Midget Espoir).

In the twelfth round, the Sea Dogs got Matthew O'Leary from the St. John's Privateers of the Newfoundland and Labrador Major Midget Hockey League (NLMMHL). The native of Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador, had one goal and five points in 29 games.

The team took its second goaltender of the day at pick 212 with 15-year-old William Hardy-Murray of the Quebec Cyclones (Quebec Midget Espoir).

Saint John returned home for its thirteenth-round pick, securing forward and Dieppe-native Samuel LeBlanc, 15, of the Rothesay Netherwood Riverhawks.

Forward William Aubry was taken with the Sea Dogs' final choice, in the fourteenth round, 244th overall. The 16-year-old played for the College Charles-Lemoyne Dynamiques (Quebec Midget Espoir) last season.

Check out the Saint John Sea Dogs Statistics




Images from this story

Saint John Sea Dogs Draftee Joseph Veleno
Saint John Sea Dogs Draftee Joseph Veleno
(Vincent Éthier/QMJHL Media)		   



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from June 6, 2015


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