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Ottawa Citizen

Game on: NL Regiment's QMJHL home opener set for Sept. 18, draft coming this weekend

Article content It's time to mark your calendars: a new era of hockey in NL now has a starting date, as the Newfoundland Regiment has announced its inaugural home game will take place at the Mary Brown's Centre on Thursday, Sept. 18 against the Moncton Wildcats. Article content The highly anticipated inaugural matchup against the defending QMJHL champions will kick off the entire Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League season, with no other games scheduled across the league on that date. Article content Article content Article content The Regiment's first home game will be one worth watching, as the visiting Wildcats roster will feature the top-rated QMJHL prospect ahead of this summer's NHL Entry Draft. Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec native Caleb Desnoyers is likely to be among the first players selected in the first round, and for good reason. Article content Article content Not only did he record 35 goals and 49 assists for 84 points in just 56 games last season, he added another 30 points in the postseason (9G, 21) and helped Moncton to reach the Memorial Cup for the first time since 2010. Article content Following a solid Memorial Cup performance with one goal and one assist in four games played, just yesterday Desnoyers was named captain of the Wildcats for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Article content Yesterday, the club announced that Gordie Dwyer will be the team's first head coach and general manager, and it is believed that the club's complete schedule will be released by the Canadian Hockey League as early as Wednesday. Article content Article content Team staff won't have much time to sit back and revel in their successful week, as most will be heading to Quebec City for the QMJHL Entry Draft taking place on Friday and Saturday. Article content Article content With the Regiment in possession of three first-round selections — including the fifth, sixth and eighth overall picks — the club's newly-minted coach is already on the way to Quebec City, with a pit stop in Prince Edward Island to collect some personal items first. Article content 'From there, we have our league meetings as general manager, and as head coach, we have our scouting meetings. Then the fun really starts on Friday night with the first round of the draft.'