New Brunswick bragging rights are on the line as the Saint John Sea Dogs prepare to face the Moncton Wildcats in a first-round playoff series.
The rivalry returns to the post-season for the first time since the President’s Cup final in 2010.
To put that in perspective, Sea Dogs rookie Alexis Joseph was not even a year old when that series took place.
Moncton won that series in six games.
On paper, the series looks like a mismatch.
The Wildcats finished the season in first place in the QMJHL and are the defending champions.
The Sea Dogs finished 14th overall a year after missing the playoffs altogether.
But Saint John president and general manager Trevor Georgie thinks that could help his team.
“You know, the pressure’s all on the number one seed,” he said, referring to the Wildcats. “For us, there’s really no pressure in a matchup like this.”
Georgie said it’s a chance for the Sea Dogs to gain some valuable experience.
“We have a group of 16 players that have not yet played their first CHL playoff game,” Georgie said. “They’re going to their first taste of playoff hockey, and they’re going to get it against a rival.”
Georgie said despite his team’s lack of experience, there’s a lot of talent on the roster.
And the group is ready to go.
“In these situations when you’re playing a top seed, you need to embrace having the pressure off,” Georgie said.
The roster isn’t the only part of the team lacking playoff experience.
Head coach Brian Casey, who took over bench duties in late February, is a rookie at the major junior level
Casey has more than eight years coaching experience at the U Sports, U18 and Junior A levels.
He won back-to-back Atlantic University Sport championships as an assistant coach with the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men in 2016 and 2017, along with a national silver medal in 2016.
Casey was also the head coach of the Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Fredericton Red Wings from 2019 to 2021.
Georgie said Casey has brought positivity and energy to a team that had a difficult start to the season.
“He knows what it takes to go through these stretches and win,” Georgie said.
As far as predictions, Georgie would only say the series should be a good one.
Game 1 is Friday night at the Avenir Centre.
Wildcats vs. Sea Dogs Round 1
- Game 1: March 27, 7 p.m. Saint John @ Moncton
- Game 2: March 28, 7 p.m. Saint John @ Moncton
- Game 3: March 31, 7 p.m. Moncton @ Saint John
- Game 4: April 1, 7 p.m. Moncton @ Saint John
- *Game 5: April 3, 7 p.m. Saint John @ Moncton
- *Game 6: April 5, 3 p.m. Moncton @ Saint John
- *Game 7: April 7, 7 p.m. Saint John @ Moncton
* – if necessary
