The Saint John Sea Dogs have done an admirable job so far this season, according to the team’s head coach.
Heading into the holiday break, the Sea Dogs were 12th in the QMJHL standings with a total of 31 points.
“It’s been a slow start, but we made some changes on how we play and operate, and as a result, the players have done an admirable job adjusting to those changes, said head coach Travis Crickard.
“Since then, it’s been much better where way more competitive in games against all opponents whether they’re at the top or bottom of the league.”
After playing Junior A with the Flin Flon Bombers in Saskatchewan and college hockey with the SUNY-Potsdam Bears, Crickard found work coaching across the Canadian Hockey League with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets and OHL’s Ottawa 67s before coaching in the Q.
“Three very different leagues, especially this year after the rule changes to fighting in the Quebec Maritime league,” continued Crickard.
“The OHL is a very highly skilled league where teams’ top players are the ones that get drafted in the first round to the NHL. Western League is more pro-style with bigger players that mirror the NHL.
“The Quebec league is a more free-flowing open offensive style that permits players to be more creative as possible, and the league prides itself has the place for great goaltenders,” Crickart added.
Crickard joined the Sea Dogs coaching staff in November 2021 as an assistant coach, winning the Memorial Cup with the team in his first year.
This was his second Memorial Cup appearance after the Rockets lost in the cup finals to the OHL’s Oshawa Generals in 2015.
After winning the 2022 Memorial Cup, Crickard’s goal as the head coach has been developing his young team.
“Total games of league experience for our team is still very low. If I was to compare us to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies we have almost a thousand games less of experience than they do,” said Crickard.
“So right now our goal is to be the more improved team in the league, and build it back up to a championship run in the future, and try to improve on our results from last year.
“We were eliminated in five games last year, so if we can find ways to improve, whether that’s finishing higher in the standings or making a deep playoff run, I think we would be feeling very positive about that,” he said.
The Sea Dogs return to the ice Thursday night as they travel to Cape Breton to face the Eagles.
