QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders

Isles and Titan Meet in Highly-Anticipated Matchup

October 31, 2020 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


Had anyone suggested that this game would be one of the most highly-anticipated matchups early in the season, they might have been laughed at.

However, the season is now ten games in and today's matchup between the Charlottetown Islanders and Acadie-Bathurst Titan could go a long way in determining who the true contenders are in the Maritime Division.

The Islanders (7-1-0-0) manhandled the Halifax Mooseheads last night, lighting up starter Cole McLaren to the tune of seven goals in a 7-1 victory last night. William Trudeau propelled the offense from the point with a goal and three assists, while six different Islanders registered goals as the offense was spread throughout the lineup.

One of those players who got on the board was Sam Oliver. The 16-year-old rookie has been on a roll in the friendly confines of the Eastlink Centre, having scored in all three home games to start his tenure in the QMJHL. His overall point streak now sits at five games, dating back to October 10th.

In goal, expect Colten Ellis to get the nod in the second half of back-to-back games. The St. Louis Blues prospect has done everything he possibly could to live up to the hype surrounding his arrival in Charlottetown, currently sitting fourth among qualified netminders with a 2.00 goals against average and sporting a sterling .919 save percentage. His five wins are currently tied for first overall in the QMJHL.

The netminder that Ellis is tied with at the top for wins is actually in the opposite crease in Bathurst, and it's a player that the Islanders are rather familiar with. Chad Arsenault was traded to Bathurst at the start of the season as an emergency contingency plan when top Import Draft selection Jan Bednar couldn't arrive in Canada and Ontario free agent Christian Sbaraglia had to begin his two week isolation period. Since then, Arsenault has been an absolute revelation in goal for the Titan (7-0-1-1), recording an incredible .922 save percentage in seven games played and playing a major role in the resurgence of Bathurst.

In front of Arsenault, the Titan have been getting major contributions from two of their over-age players. Captain Mathieu Desgagnes and Felix-Antoine Marcotty have been lights out offensively, sitting first and third respectively in the QMJHL points race. The duo have been accompanied by 17-year-old sophomore Cole Huckins and Summerside native Bennett MacArthur, who have both been scoring at over a point-per-game pace to start the year.

Despite all that, the Titan are coming off just their second defeat of the season, a high-scoring 7-6 overtime loss to the Moncton Wildcats just last night. They'll be looking to prove today that they belong at the top of the food chain with a good tilt against the Islanders.

Don't forget that tonight's game can be heard across the airwaves on Ocean 100's Saturday Night Hockey! Cory Arsenault and Norman Beck will have the call beginning at 3:45pm!

Check out the Charlottetown Islanders Statistics



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from October 31, 2020


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