Saint John Sea Dogs sad to say goodbye to season and each other

Spencer Smallman said win or lose, he knew there would be tears this weekend.

The captain of the Saint John Sea Dogs was just hoping the tears would comeSunday after a Memorial Cup victory, not Friday after a 6-3 loss to the Erie Otters that ended the team's season before they were ready to say goodbye.

"It made it so hard for us because we're such a close group," Smallman said after the game, his last as a junior player.

"It's going to be hard to be without them ...but you know, things happen."

• Otters to play host Spitfires in 'all-OHL' Memorial Cup final

The Sea Dogs won the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League title and came within one victory of advancing to the Memorial Cup final.

Seventeen-year-old centre Joe Veleno said their accomplishments on the ice should make them proud, but what he's most thankful for is just being part of team of "great guys."

There's a lot of good things to be proud of.- Bokondji Imama

"It's tough to see all the sad faces in the room," he said. "A lot of guys are leaving next year. It hurts to see that."

Veleno was wearing teammate Bokondji Imama's number51 shirt for the post-game interviewbecause he couldn't find his own. It was symbolic of the unselfish nature of the team, Valeno said.

"No one thinks thinks of themselves. Everyone just sticks together and battles together."

Imama, a rugged six-foot-one, 217-pound winger whose junior career ended with the loss, couldn't hold back his tears.

"Sometimes you just don't get what you want," he said. "But there's a lot of good things to be proud of. There was a lot of good teams and I'm really proud of the boys. We battled till the end."

The Sea Dogs returned to Saint John on Saturday afternoon. In the coming days, they'll pack up and go their separate ways.

The Otters, meanwhile, will face the Windsor Spitfires in Sunday's Memorial Cup championship.