Our 18: the 2022-2023 Charlottetown Islanders

September 23, 2022 – Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) – Charlottetown Islanders News Release

The Charlottetown Islanders made franchise history by punching their ticket to the President Cup Final for the first time last spring. Now, it’s time for the hard-working franchise to make the climb back to the top.

With seven of the top eight scorers from last year’s squad gone via either trade or graduation, the success in the immediate wake of the club’s more successful season to date lays in the hands of such returnees as center Jakub Brabenec, the 2022 QMJHL Rookie of the Year and Vegas Golden Knights prospect. He’ll be joined by fellow returnees Keiran Gallant and Ben Boyd, the hard-nosed 2021 Columbus Blue Jackets draftee. Veteran Dawson Stairs will also play a major role after being a key mid-season acquisition from the Cape Breton Eagles last year.

Defensively, the Isles will be led by a pair of savvy veterans in Montreal Canadiens 2021 draftee William Trudeau and Jeremie Biakabutuka, another key acquisition of the club from last season. To provide depth for the transitional group, a pair of veterans, Jacob Squires and Alexandre Tessier, were picked up in the off-season from the Eagles and Halifax Mooseheads, respectively.

Between the pipes, Francesco Lapenna and Oliver Satny, the duo that led the club to the Final last season, are back once again.

Transitioning as a team is a way of life in junior hockey. However, with Head Coach and GM Jim Hulton in place to provide the same sound guidance the organization has become accustomed to, it’s safe to assume, even as the club begins its battle back to the top, there will be no easy games against this group.

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2021-2022 Islanders Stats:

Team Record 48-13-7-0 (103 points)

Division Ranking 1st Maritimes

Overall Ranking 2nd

Goals For 283 (3rd)

Goals Against 179 (2nd)

PP (Overall) 26.2% (5th)

PK (Overall) 84.3% (1st)

Leading Rookie (PTS) Brabenec (17-47-64)

Leading Scorers (PTS) Guay (55-49-104)

Simoneau (24-62-86)

Cormier (33-48-81)

Budgell (40-39-79)

Brabenec (17-47-64)

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