Islanders Fall to Regiment on Country Night, Turn Focus to Wildcats Showdown
QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders

Islanders Fall to Regiment on Country Night, Turn Focus to Wildcats Showdown

Published on February 7, 2026 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


The Charlottetown Islanders saw a strong start slip away Friday night, falling 5-2 to the Newfoundland Regiment at the Eastlink Centre Charlottetown in front of a lively Country Night crowd of over 3300 fans.

Despite missing suspended defensemen Dylan MacKinnon and Owen Conrad, the Islanders delivered an energetic opening effort and grabbed an early lead. Ross Campbell set up Alexis Beaulieu for a highlight-reel finish midway through the first period, giving Charlottetown a 1-0 advantage after twenty minutes while Donald Hickey turned aside all eight Newfoundland shots.

Charlottetown extended the lead in the second period when Campbell tipped home a Matt Butler pass on the power play, recording his second point of the night and pushing the Islanders ahead 2-0. Hickey continued his strong performance throughout the period, making several key stops as the Regiment pushed back with a heavy shot advantage. Newfoundland finally broke through late in the frame when former Islander Alexis Michaud converted on the power play to cut the lead to 2-1 heading into the third.

The game shifted quickly in the final period. Newfoundland tied the contest just over three minutes in before a lengthy third-period penalty proved decisive. The Regiment struck twice on the extended power play to take control of the game, and a late shorthanded empty-net goal sealed a 5-2 final despite a strong early effort from Charlottetown.

Hickey finished the night with several key saves that kept the Islanders in front for much of the game, but the late special-teams sequence ultimately swung momentum in Newfoundland's favor.

Quick Turnaround: Wildcats in Town Tonight

The Islanders will have little time to dwell on the loss as they return to the Eastlink Centre tonight for a 7:00 p.m. matchup against the league-leading Moncton Wildcats.

Charlottetown is expected to receive a major boost on the blue line with the return of Dylan MacKinnon and Owen Conrad from suspension, while Nikita Voyaga could miss the contest following a late fight Friday night, and Jude Herron's status remains uncertain pending possible league review.

The challenge will be significant. Moncton enters the game sitting first overall in the QMJHL and is coming off a 5-2 victory over Saint John. The Wildcats feature one of the league's most dangerous lineups, led by assist leader Tommy Bleyl and power-play scoring leader Gabe Smith, while goaltender Rudy Guimond ranks among the league leaders in wins, save percentage, and goals-against average.

For the Islanders, the stakes remain high in a tightly packed Eastern Conference playoff race. Nathan Leek continues to pace the offense with 34 goals, while captain Marcus Kearsey leads all QMJHL defensemen with 12 goals.

After Friday's setback, Charlottetown will look for a strong bounce-back performance on home ice as they attempt to hand the league's top team its first loss against the Islanders this season and strengthen their push for playoff positioning.

Check out the Charlottetown Islanders Statistics

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 7, 2026


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