Sea Dogs’ rookie review

The rookies playing for the Saint John Sea Dogs come from different hockey hotbeds throughout eastern Canada and Europe.

Their quartet of freshman offer a combination of skill, size and toughness. Two were drafted with lots of publicity, while the other two flew under the radar of major junior hockey until this fall.

The most well-known rookie is 15-year-old Joe Veleno. The skilled centre from Montreal is the first player in the proud history of the QMJHL to be granted exceptional status. Drafting Veleno first overall is a source of pride for the Sea Dogs, who placed a billboard of the phenom at the Saint John Airport.

The forward from Montreal has asserted himself well in the season’s early going, notching a goal and five assists in nine games.

“It’s going really well,” Veleno said. “Everyone is buying in and everyone is playing well. I feel more comfortable now that I have a few games in.

“There are still things I have to improve on and work on and adjust to, like the strength and the speed. I don’t think I’m quite there yet, but as time goes on, I think I’ll adjust.”

Sea Dogs head coach Danny Flynn is encouraged with Veleno’s adjustments. The bench boss said it’s important to remember the lanky lad was playing midget AAA hockey as a 14-year-old just a year ago.

“I think he’s had an excellent start,” Flynn said. “When you factor in that he’s only 15 years old, he’s got tremendous potential. He has very good hockey sense and he’s a real explosive skater, and he’s certainly proved that he belongs.”

Defenceman Oliver Felixson was also a long way from the QMJHL last year. The Sea Dogs selected the 17-year-old from Finland 25^th overall in the 2015 CHL Import Draft.

“It’s a different level than back home,” Felixson said. “It’s a more competitive and physical game. I’ve enjoyed it a lot and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the (season).”

Felixson and fellow Saint John defencemen Luke Green and Bailey Webster were identified by Central Scouting as Players to Watch for the 2016 NHL Draft. Saint John’s talented defence corps also includes NHL first-rounders Jakub Zboril (Boston) and Thomas Chabot (Ottawa).

That depth is expected to help Felixson gradually raise his own game.

“You don’t see a lot of 17-year-old Europeans (in major junior),” Flynn said. “Usually, they come over at 18 and 19, so he’s young. But he has great size and very good hockey sense, and lot of potential. This will be a developmental year for him, but he’s already starting to adjust.”

Dawson Theede is also in the process of adjusting. The 18-year-old winger from Whitby, Ont., played in the junior A ranks last year and was signed by Saint John as a free agent to provide toughness.

“The speed of the game is faster and you have to make decisions a lot quicker,” Theede said. “We have a lot of talented guys who can score, but my role is to be physical and create space for other guys.”

Last season saw Theede selected to play for Team Canada East at the World Junior A Championship in Saskatchewan. Canada East lost to Russia in the bronze medal game.

“It was a confidence booster for me,” Theede said. “I didn’t really expect to be part of that team at the start of the year.”

Theede is also an accomplished lacrosse player, having played at the junior A level in Whitby. That’s why he was mending an injury during training camp, but he’s healthy again and has appeared in five games for the Sea Dogs.

“He’s a big, grinding forward,” Flynn said. “He gives us a big body who can bang and provide some grit and I like what I’ve seen so far.”

While many players focus solely on hockey-specific training in the off-season, lacrosse offers benefits for hockey players – provided you don’t get hurt.

“It’s probably one (sport) that might lead to injuries and there’s no real recovery time, because it flows one season into the other,” Flynn said. “But it’s certainly tremendous for your conditioning. Guys who play lacrosse usually arrive in camp in excellent shape.”

Kyle Ward came to camp in excellent shape. A ninth-round draft pick from 2014, the former Moncton midget AAA star refused to fall off the radar.

“Kyle came in and earned a spot on the team,” Flynn said. “He was off to a real strong start and had been making a solid contribution. I like what he’s brought so far.”

Unfortunately, an injury has caused Ward to miss six of Saint John’s first 10 games. The rugged winger is doing his best to stay in shape by working with strength and conditioning coach Terry Blizzard.

“I thought I was playing well, but I still can play better,” Ward said. “I was being a physical guy and playing good defence. I’ve been skating and working out every day and just trying to get back to where I was when I left.”