QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders

New Face in the Locker Room Has Optimism on the Upcoming Season

Published on September 21, 2023 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


Cole Huckins, one of the many new faces in the Isles locker room, is feeling excited to move to P.E.I. for his final season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

"I'm just happy to be closer to home. I've always heard great things about P.E.I., there's just a lot of excitement," he said.

At the beginning of the Islanders Training Camp, there were four twenty-year-olds. The QMJHL only allows three 20-year-olds per team. The Fredericton, New Brunswick native had to prove to the coaching staff he was worthy of one of those spots.

"I was playing my game, using my size and skill. I'm going to leave it all out on the ice and show them what I'm capable of."

With this being his fifth season in the league, he has a lot of experience to share.

"I've been in the league five years and I know all the nooks and crannies. I'd say just to show the younger guys what to do, what to expect, and what's expected."

Huckins, 20, went into the 2022 offseason as a member of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan but was traded to the Sherbrooke Phoenix that summer.

This summer, Islanders General Manager, Jim Hulton, traded two draft picks in 2024 and 2025 for Huckins and a 2024 draft pick, continuing the trend of adding more strength to the forward core.

"Everyone here is really friendly, really nice. The team, Jim, everybody, they've been around for a long time," he said. "(Hulton) demands a lot. He's got really high standards. Not just for the team but for yourself."

Huckins, who scored 28 goals and 58 points in 64 games for Sherbrooke last year, was picked by the NHL's Calgary Flames in the third round of the 2021 draft. Although not make the Flames this year, he learned more of what it's like being a professional hockey player.

"Just off the ice the way they take care of their body," he said. "The way the pros prepare and you wanna get to that level. Also just how fast and hard it is, always pucks on the sticks. It keeps you competing and you want to get better every day."

You need to have a good work ethic in hockey and Huckins has it.

"I'd want to improve my consistency. It's a long schedule, 68 games so I think every game I want to perform my best and help the team in every way, on a night in and night out basis."

He's a player who plays hard no matter the situation.

"At my best, it would look like just putting the puck in the net, playing a 200-foot game, being physical, I think honestly, just a complete game, being as dominant as I can be in all three zones."

Only two years removed from the Islanders making a run to the Presidents Cup final (now the Gilles-Courteau Trophy), the Islanders had a down year last year, but Huckins doesn't think it's going to be a replica of last season.

"Last year there was a lot of learning, a lot of younger guys, this year I think they're turning a corner," he said. "I've been really happy with the group of guys and I think the fans in P.E.I. can expect a good year from us, you know, we'll be competitive every game."

There are some specific players that have caught his eye.

"Matthew Butler, he's small but he's got a lot of skill and great vision. Marcus Kearsey had a great year and I think he's a legit defenseman in this league. He'll be a solid backstop back there," he said.

The Islanders' season gets underway on Friday, Sept. 22 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax at 7 p.m. and the home opener is Saturday, Sept. 23 at the Eastlink Centre at 7 p.m.

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from September 21, 2023


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