The 2022 Memorial Cup got underway on Monday, and the Saint John Sea Dogs came away with a win in their opening game. Ryan Francis of Halifax, Nova Scotia led the Sea Dogs in scoring with two goals and one assist for three points in a 5-3 win over the Ontario Hockey League champion Hamilton Bulldogs.
Francis was one of two Canadian Sea Dogs with a multi-point game. The other was Philippe Daoust of Barrie, Ontario, who also had three points, as he had three assists. Two more Canadians scored for the Sea Dogs as William Dufour of Quebec City, Quebec and Peter Reynolds of Fredericton, New Brunswick found the back of the net.
The Sea Dogs qualified for the Memorial Cup as the host team. They previously won the Memorial Cup in 2011. The Sea Dogs won the Memorial Cup Final by a score of 3-1 over the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors at the Hershey Center in Mississauga, Ontario. The 2011 Memorial Cup most valuable player was Jonathan Huberdeau of Saint-Jerome, Quebec. Huberdeau, has gone to play in two National Hockey League All-Star games representing the Florida Panthers. Meanwhile, the Sea Dogs head coach was Gerard Gallant of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, who is the current head coach of the New York Rangers.
