Preview: November 2 vs. Saint John Sea Dogs
November 2, 2022 – Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) – Charlottetown Islanders News Release
Speed bumps are bound to arise during any hockey season. It’s safe to say that the Charlottetown Islanders are currently experiencing their first set of speed bumps.
The young Islanders are facing their fair share of adversity early this season, and face their next challenge tonight at home against the defending Memorial Cup Champion Saint John Sea Dogs.
Charlottetown (5-7-1-0) has lost five of their past six games, collecting just seven goals in those losses. The young group has only appeared younger than normal at times as injuries to key veterans have forced rookies to step up into unfamiliar positions throughout the lineup. The Isles are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Rimouski Oceanic on Sunday afternoon, the final game of the team’s first Quebec road trip of the season. In that game, only 11 forwards dressed due to injuries sustained by Will Allen, Jarrett Todd, and Owen Hollingsworth; on defense, Alexandre Tessier and Jacob Squires were the only players who had played a full season of major junior hockey after Jeremie Biakabutuka and Isaac Vos were forced to sit with injuries.
While the status of most injuries remains day-to-day, Vos didn’t receive great news. The rookie defender will be out for four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury. In the wake of the injury, the Islanders have signed 18-year-old defender Raine Nadeau. Standing 6’4 and weighing 200 pounds, Nadeau has spent his season thus far with the Stouffville Spirit (Ontario Junior A). Nadeau attended the Moncton Wildcats training camp this past summer.
The news is positive, however, surrounding a majority of the Islanders younger group of players. Alexis Michaud, Marcus Kearsey, and Lucas Romeo continue to be shining examples of rookies in the Black and Harvest Gold. Michaud picked up four points on the Quebec road trip while Kearsey added four assists of his own. Romeo picked up two goals and an assist in those three games as well.
Meanwhile, Saint John (4-7-0-1) appears to be turning a corner with their young group. The Memorial Cup Champs went undefeated in regulation over their past three games, including statement victories over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Gatineau Olympiques in that time frame.
Despite the overall lack of experience on the Sea Dogs, the team is getting offensive support from a group of familiar faces. Brady Burns, Peter Reynolds, Cam MacDonald, and PEI native Charlie DesRoches lead the charge offensively for Saint John. Those four, along with forward Connor Trenholm, defender Vincent Despont, and goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise, are the lone holdovers from last season’s championship-winning team. That group is imparting their veteran leadership thus far and hoping to have turned a corner on the young season.
You can still get tickets for tonight’s game by visiting the Eastlink Centre box office, by phone at 902-629-6625, or online. Remember, it’s Winning Wednesday! If the Islanders win tonight’s game and you’re in attendance, you can redeem your ticket for a FREE ticket to the next Wednesday home game, January 18th vs. the Moncton Wildcats.
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