NOTEBOOK: Alumni Game Approaching

In case you haven’t seen what the inside of Quebec City’s new arena, Videotron Centre, looked like, here it is. Image via the arena’s Facebook page.

ALUMNI GAME IS COMING

Saturday is the big day. The 2015 Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Reunion game - presented by Atlantic Superstore and in support of the Children's Wish Foundation – takes place at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Harbour Station.

Fans will get a chance to see five former team captains, 13 members of Saint John’s 2011 Memorial Cup championship squad and a number of other players who have worn a Sea Dogs jersey at some point in their junior career. The full roster can be seen here.

Tickets to the game are still available and can be purchased through the usual outlets.

3-ON-3 OT COMING SOON

QMJHL will go to 3-on-3 for overtime in pre-season games and almost certain it will be adopted in regular season as well.

— Willy Palov (@WillyPalov) August 6, 2015

Good news if you like being entertained. Le Soleil has more details.

McQUAID HEADS HOME

Former Sea Dogs defenseman and PEI native Alex McQuaid has been traded to the Charlottetown Islanders.

The Islanders acquired McQuaid from the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in exchange for a 10^th round draft pick in the 2016 QMJHL Entry Draft. He played in 32 games with the Quebec Remparts and 22 with the Sags last season, recording a combined two assists.

The 19-year-old was a fourth-round draft choice of the Sea Dogs in 2013. In 53 games with Saint John during the 2013-14 campaign, the d-man registered three assists.

McQuaid joins Oliver Cooper and Will Thompson as former Sea Dogs on the Islanders.

GAUTHIER RE-SIGNS

Former Sea Dogs forward Danick Gauthier has re-signed with the East Coast Hockey League’s Wichita Thunder.

In 66 games with the Thunder last season, the 23-year-old Gauthier registered 29 goals and 39 assists. Since graduating from the QMJHL in 2012, Gauthier has bounced between the AHL and ECHL.

Gauthier is one of the players confirmed to attend Saturday’s alumni game at Harbour Station.

CAN HOFFMAN DO IT AGAIN?

Mike Hoffman was awarded one-year, $2 million deal with the Ottawa Senators by an arbitrator earlier this week, which isn’t a whole lot for one of the Sens’ top offensive contributors last season.

The Senators are looking to see of Hoffman can duplicate or improve on his breakout 2014-15 campaign where he registered 27 goals and 21 assists in 79 games.

"Mike's play tailed off a bit in the second half and we want to see if Mike can do it again... we have a lot of confidence and faith Mike can do that next year," Senators assistant general manager Pierre Dorion said, via theScore.

Hoffman spent the 2009-10 season with Saint John as an overager, recording 46 goals and 39 assists in 56 games.

TROUBLES IN SHAWINIGAN

We haven’t had a Shawinigan Cataractes controversy in some time, but their latest marketing campaign is causing a bit of a stir. Yahoo’s Sunaya Sapurji has a good story on it.