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QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders

Draft Preview: A Look Back

June 6, 2024 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


Tomorrow's QMJHL stars are about to realize a childhood dream this weekend, hearing their names called at the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft. We wanted to take a trip down memory road with the draft beginning tomorrow night in Moncton.

Looking back on past drafts, we will discuss the best players to ever suit up in the black and harvest gold based on what round they were taken in.

Since the draft for the Islanders doesn't begin until Saturday, we will only be looking at past players from the rounds we pick this year. So no, Lukas Cormier will not be on this list.

Kicking things off, our first selection comes in the third round, 42nd overall. While at this point you may feel a lot of top-end talent is off the board, then Islanders General Manager Grant Sonier was able to find a man who would have a lot of success in an Isles uniform. Keith Getson was taken 48th overall in the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft. Getson would play in 286 regular season games as an Islander and 53 more in the postseason. The Bridgewater, Nova Scotia native scored 57 goals for Charlottetown and tallied 135 points. He shined in the Islanders 2018 playoff run finding the back of the net 10 times in 18 games. Getson was a fan and locker room favourite during his time on P.E.I.

Our next pick comes in the fifth round. Many excellent players who were highly skilled came to the Islanders from the fifth round. Names like Ryan MacKinnon, Antoine Bibeau, and Pascal Aquin, however, only one man can hold the title of best fifth-rounder in Islanders history, and that has to be Pierre-Olivier Joseph. The highest NHL pick in Islanders history was Joseph when he went 23rd overall to the Arizona Coyotes in 2017. After being selected by the Islanders 78th overall in 2015, Joseph quickly made a name for himself through his hockey IQ and maneuverability. The Chambly, Quebec native suited up in exactly 200 games with the Islanders recording 118 points in that time. He ranks fourth all-time in points by a defenseman in Islanders history. He also captained the team from 2017 until he was traded at the deadline in 2019.

Now entering the ring, weighing in at 231 lbs and standing at six-foot-five, from Charlottetown, P.E.I., selected 91st overall in the sixth round, Ross Johnston. Johnston was selected by the Wildcats in 2011 before being traded to the

Islanders in 2014 from Victoriaville. While only appearing in a combined 54 games between playoffs and the regular season for the Islanders, his impact on the team and career longevity make him the easy choice for best sixth-round find for a team. He was a bruiser who could also tap into his skillful side and put the puck in the net. He scored 22 goals across regular season and playoffs and a total of 43 points. Not to mention the intimidating 152 penalty minutes he sat for while wearing an Islanders sweater.

Coming out of the seventh round was a man who came to Charlottetown during the 2021-22 trade deadline; when the Islanders were adding for their push to the franchise's first QMJHL finals. Dawson Stairs was originally selected by the Saint John Sea Dogs 109th overall in 2018. After spending time in Saint John and Cape Breton for three and a half seasons, Stairs finished his QMJHL career with the Islanders. During his tenure, he put up a combined regular season and playoffs points total of 34. A valuable depth add by Jim Hulton.

By the time the 8th round comes along, not many people are expecting an 82-point scorer to still be on the board. Well, in 2013, with the 129th pick, Victoriaville found their diamond in the rough when they called Samuel Blais's name. Blais was over a point-per-game player throughout his QMJHL career and came to the Islanders at the 2015-16 trade deadline. In just 33 games, he posted 42 points and added 19 more in just 12 post-season games. The Montmagny, Quebec native was taken by the St. Louis Blues in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He's played in 257 NHL games where he's recorded 71 points. A pretty good career from a guy once drafted after 128 other players in the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Skipping ahead to the 10th round, we find a Quebec-born player who now calls Prince Edward Island home. Zachary Beauregard didn't hear his name called until 180th overall in 2017. While not classified as a sniper, his on-ice impact for the Islanders was significant. He brought a fire onto the ice with him every game he played, 168 times for the Islanders to be exact. Standing at only five-foot-six, Beauregard was the definition of the saying 'height doesn't measure heart'.

Perhaps the biggest steal of a draft pick the Islanders have ever had play for them came in the 11th round. Given where he was taken and his impact on the game, William Trudeau's name not being called until 194th overall is a mystery I welcome anyone to try and

solve. He laced them up in 166 regular season games for Charlottetown recording 90 points in that time. He was a crucial piece in Jim Hulton's system during his tenure on the Island on both sides of the puck. He was a key contributor during the 2022 finals run scoring seven times in 14 contests. His efforts in the QMJHL were noticed by NHL scouts and rewarded when he was taken in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. Trudeau has spent the past two seasons with the Laval Rocket in the AHL.

Finally, we hold four picks this year between rounds 12-14, so I decided to combine these rounds. The most valuable late-round selection made by the Islanders had to be when Hulton chose Covehead, P.E.I. native Keiran Gallant in the

13th round of the 2018

QMJHL Entry Draft. Gallant would go on to win the Hardest Working Player Award and Fan Favourite Award multiple times during his tenure with his hometown team. He skated in a career total of 221 games for the Islanders and captained the franchise in his final year. He continues to build strong Island roots now as a member of the UPEI Panthers.

The names discussed above show that talent can be found anywhere in the QMJHL Entry Draft. It takes time for some players to grow into the athletes they're capable of. As long as it's Jim Hulton and the rest of the Islanders' incredible scouting team making the selections, fans can rest assured that no matter if it's the third or fourteenth round, talent will be found.

The Islanders' first selection this year will come in the third round 42nd overall. Day two of the draft commences at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Check out the Charlottetown Islanders Statistics

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