Patience will be key this year for Saint John Sea Dogs fans as the team enters a rebuilding phase.
Half of their roster is made up of players who are 16 or 17 years old, but president and GM Trevor Georgie said they have lots of promising young talent.
“You see the talent, you see the youthful exuberance, you see them wanting to make plays and excited to be at the rink,” Georgie told our newsroom.
“You don’t want to get too ahead of yourself but you can also see them at 18, 19, 20 years old of just how good this young group could be.”
#Our18 | Interview with @SJSeaDogs rookie, William Villeneuve. #QMJHL50 pic.twitter.com/R4LUr0wFo1
— QMJHL (@QMJHL) September 3, 2018
Georgie said the 16-year-olds on the team will be fun to watch, but admitted it will be frustrating some nights as they make mistakes along the way.
“Our fans will be able to watch them and maybe think back to Thomas Chabot and Jonathan Huberdeau and Matthew Highmore and Spencer Smallman when they were 16 years old playing in this league and where they started and where they ended up and see some of that promise,” he said.
Saint John nabbed six of the top 30 prospects in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft and also have a strong list of returning players, including Anthony Boucher, Michael Campoli, William Poirier, and Alex D’Orio in net.
#Our18 | Interview with @SJSeaDogs goaltender, @goalie_dor99. #QMJHL50 pic.twitter.com/N0SlaYBJ77
— QMJHL (@QMJHL) September 3, 2018
The Sea Dogs missed out on the post-season last year, so we asked Georgie what they are going to do differently this year.
“For us, it’s about not just making the playoffs this year,” he said. “I’ve said this a few times, but it’s going to be about patience, with a capital “P”. It’s all about skill development, it’s all about giving our young players opportunities, and it’s about culture.”
Georgie said there are lots of strong teams this year but many are reaching their peak, which means they will be rebuilding as the Sea Dogs are hopefully hitting their stride.
Saint John will host the Halifax Mooseheads in their first regular season home game at 7 p.m. on September 21.
(Photo: Brad Perry/Acadia News)
