November 29, 2012,

Val d’Or, QC – In the lone game on the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Schedule Thursday night, the Saint John Sea Dogs fell to the Val d’Or Foreurs 7-5 at Centre Air Ceebec.

Kevin Gagne scored twice and added an assist, Stephen MacAulay had two goals and Pierre Durepos had a goal and two helpers for Saint John. Jonathan Huberdeau claimed yet another Sea Dog franchise record with his 252^nd career point in a three-point night. Huberdeau took over the career points record from Michael Kirkpatrick. Ryan Tesink chipped in two assists and Alex Fournier stopped 23 of 30 as the Sea Dogs fell to 14-13-0-0.

Anthony Mantha had two goals and Samuel Henley, Brett Hester and Vincent Dunn, Mason Gray and Cedric Henley added singles in response for Val d’Or. Francois Tremblay made 18 saves on 23 shots in the win as the Foreurs climbed to 14-11-0-2.  

Click HERE to view a complete scoresheet from Thursday’s game. For interviews and highlights, visit Sea Dogs TV, the team’s official YouTube channel.

Samuel Henley put the Foreurs on the scoreboard first, beating Fournier with the extra man at 5:56.

Fournier recovered and just over two minutes later made an incredible right-pad save on Russian sniper Anton Zlobin to keep the game close.

MacAulay got the Sea Dogs on the board at 10:28, a power play goal and a deflection from a Durepos shot. It was a historic marker as the franchise crowned a new career points leader with Huberdeau’s assist on the play. The assist, Huberdeau’s 252^nd, put the 19-year-old super star ahead of Kirkpatrick for the lone points leader.

The joy was relatively short lived as the Foreurs crashed the party and scored less than two minutes later, restoring the lead. Michael Beaudry found Mantha all alone at 12:59 of the first.

The Foreurs continued into the second period. Mantha potted his second of the game at 1:06. They followed that up on a broken play, and Hester tallied at 2:21 to make it 4-1 Foreurs.

Saint John pulled back to within two as MacAulay potted his second of the game at 4:59, again on the power play and again assisted by Huberdeau and Durepos.

Durepos made it 4-3 at 7:03 with his second of the season as the Sea Dogs continued their trek back into the game. Ryan Tesink grabbed the second assist.

Dunn put Val d’Or back up by two on a broken play in front as Fournier had the puck covered. Dunn poked it free and put the puck in the net at 11:40.

Gagne scored the Sea Dogs fourth power play goal with an absolute laser beam of a wrist shot for at 14:56. Huberdeau notched the lone assist and his third of the game.

The whirlwind second period ended with the score 5-4 with each team scoring three times in the second. Saint John also narrowly outshot the Foreurs 13-11.

Gagne tied the game up with his eighth of the year with another deadly wrister 5:45 into the third period. Highmore, the Sea Dogs top pick, eighth overall in the QMJHL Entry Draft made a great play at the Val d’Or blueline to set up the goal and notch his first QMJHL point with the assist.

Val d’Or pulled away later in the third as Gray tallied at 9:14 and Cedric Henley scored to make the final 7-5 at 14:02.

The Sea Dogs return home to take on the Rimouski Oceanic Sunday afternoon. It’s another CAA Sunday Fun-day and fans can save by showing their CAA card, getting a Family pack for only $44. Tickets are available at the Harbour Station box office, online at tickets.harbourstation.ca or by calling 657-1234.