The city of Saint John was granted a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League expansion team for the 2005–06 season, to replace the American Hockey League's Saint John Flames that relocated in 2003. The Sea Dogs' first head coach was Christian La Rue under general manager Bob LeBlanc. The Sea Dogs were also given the first overall pick at the 2005 QMJHL Draft, selecting defenceman Alex Grant. The Sea Dogs did not qualify for the playoffs in their first season of play.[2]
During the offseason, La Rue was replaced with former London Knights assistant coach Jacques Beaulieu. Following the mid-season resignation of Leblanc, Beaulieu assumed the dual role of coach and general manager. The Sea Dogs had another first overall pick at the 2006 QMJHL Draft, where they selected defenceman Yann Sauvé.[3] The team missed the playoffs again in 2007, and selected defenceman Simon Després first overall.[4] The team also selected goaltender Robert Mayer third overall at the 2007 CHL Import Draft.[5]
In 2008, the team signed coach Beaulieu's son Nathan.[6] In the 2008–09 season, the Sea Dogs hosted the second game of the Canada–Russia Series at TD Station. The Russians defeated Team QMJHL by a score of 4–3, with the Canadian roster featuring four Sea Dogs players: Grant, Després, Sauvé, and rookie Steven Anthony (in place of an injured Chris DiDomenico).[7][8] Later that season, the Sea Dogs fired Beaulieu after a first round playoff loss.[9]
Karel St. Laurent, shown here with the Reading Royals, won seven games during the winning streak.
In the 2009 QMJHL Draft, the team chose future NHL forward Jonathan Huberdeau 18th overall. In the 2009 CHL Import Draft, the Sea Dogs chose Russian forward Stanislav Galiev first overall as well as Slovakian forward Tomas Jurco fourth overall.[10] In the 2009–10 season, the Saint John Sea Dogs won 22 consecutive games beginning on October 17 until December 12. The offense was led by Mike Hoffman (45 points). Following their streak, the Sea Dogs were first place in the league.[11]
In 2011, Yann Sauvé became the first player from the Saint John Sea Dogs organization to play an NHL game with his draft team, the Vancouver Canucks.[12]
The Sea Dogs tied a QMJHL record for most wins in a season with 58 in 2010–11, and won their first QMJHL President's Cup. In the same season, the Sea Dogs then became the first team from Atlantic Canada to win a Memorial Cup.[13] The Sea Dogs won their second Memorial Cup in 2022.[14]
Saint John Sea Dogs celebrate winning the 2011 Memorial Cup championship.
The Memorial Cup is contested annually by the champions of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and Western Hockey League (WHL), as well as a predetermined host team. The competition consists of a round-robin, a semifinal game, and a final game. Below are the results of every game the Saint John Sea Dogs have competed in.
^"22 Game Winning Streak". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. December 15, 2009. Archived from the original on December 20, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
