Power Play Lifts Moncton over Charlottetown
QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders

Power Play Lifts Moncton over Charlottetown

Published on February 8, 2026 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


The Charlottetown Islanders fought hard against the league-leading Moncton Wildcats at even strength Saturday night, but special teams proved decisive as Moncton skated away with a 10-4 victory at the Eastlink Centre.

Charlottetown entered the matchup shorthanded, missing Ivan Ryabkin due to injury while Jude Herron and Nikita Voyaga served suspensions. The Islanders also welcomed back defensemen Dylan MacKinnon and Owen Conrad to the lineup, with MacKinnon facing his former club with whom he helped capture last season's Gilles-Courteau Trophy. Donald Hickey got the start in goal opposite Wildcats netminder Rudy Guimond.

The Islanders came out with energy and opened the scoring early when Ross Campbell finished a faceoff play from Matt Butler to give Charlottetown a 1-0 lead. Moncton quickly responded, however, tying the game on a Gabe Smith power-play goal before taking the lead later in the period on a deflection from Max Vilen. Despite a strong opening frame that saw Charlottetown generate early chances, the Wildcats carried a 2-1 advantage into the intermission.

Special teams took over in the second period. Moncton struck again on the power play just 45 seconds into the frame to extend the lead, then added another even-strength tally to make it 4-1. The Islanders pushed back midway through the period when Will Shields capitalized on the Isles' lone powerplay goal to cut the deficit to 4-2. Moncton once again responded quickly and pushed the game to 5-2 before Brady Peddle later scored during four-on-four play to keep Charlottetown within reach.

However, continued penalties proved costly. The Wildcats converted multiple power-play opportunities late in the period, including a goal during a lengthy major penalty, sending Moncton to the dressing room with a 6-3 lead.

The third period followed a similar pattern as Moncton added two more power-play goals early to pull away. Charlottetown continued to battle, with CJ Watroba scoring late in the frame, but the Wildcats continued to capitalize on their chances to seal the 10-4 result.

Despite the final score, the Islanders finished with a 38-35 edge in shots, generating consistent offensive pressure throughout the night. Moncton's special teams ultimately told the story, as the Wildcats scored five times on the power play to secure the win.

Charlottetown will now look to regroup quickly as the Eastern Conference playoff race tightens, aiming to translate their even-strength play and offensive chances into a more disciplined effort moving forward.

Check out the Charlottetown Islanders Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 8, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central