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QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders

QMJHL Holiday Break: Midseason Review

December 16, 2022 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


The midway mark of the 2022-2023 QMJHL season is just days away. By this point in the year, teams have a good sense of where they stand among their counterparts. For the Charlottetown Islanders, their first 29 games have brought plenty of opportunity for feedback.

Looked upon prior to the season as one of the teams that will need to compete for a playoff spot, the Islanders have amassed a 12-15-2-0 record for 26 points, eighth overall in the QMJHL's Eastern Conference and third in the Maritimes Division. They sit just four points back of sixth place Baie-Comeau Drakkar, who have played two more games than the Islanders.

"Overall I've liked our resilience. It hasn't been a perfect first half in terms of results, but all of us knew when we embarked on this mission to re-tool that it was going to take some time and patience," explained Islanders head coach and general manager Jim Hulton on what he's seen from his team in the first half. "I've been impressed with the fact that this group hasn't let their results pull them down; they've been able to put some tough nights behind them and step back up. That's a great quality for a young team."

Offensively, Charlottetown sits last among all teams with just 81 goals scored, a rate of 2.79 goals per game. They've received notable contributions from Vegas Golden Knights prospect Jakub Brabenec, who leads the team with 25 points in 28 games. Michael Horth, meanwhile, leads the team with 13 goals to this point in the year.

Two other bright spots for Charlottetown have been the play of free-agent signees Lucas Romeo and Giovanni Morneau. Romeo, a 17-year-old from Oakville, Ontario, has surprised everyone with his combination of offensive touch and physical presence. Morneau, a 19-year-old smooth skater from Ottawa, has impressed with his on-ice vision and puck skills, creating opportunities for his teammates.

On the back-end, the straw that stirs the drink is Jérémie Biakabutuka. The big defender, who opened eyes with his play at Detroit Red Wings training camp this past fall, has served as an anchor and key veteran for what has been a young, inexperienced defensive corps. Biakabutuka currently sits tied for third among all QMJHL defensemen with nine goals, despite playing ten less games than the second-place Tristan Luneau.

However, the true MVP for the Islanders to this point has been between the pipes. Francesco Lapenna has been nothing short of spectacular in goal, carrying the Islanders to victories on any given night this season. The 20-year-old netminder sits third among qualified netminders with a .919 save percentage despite having faced the second-most shots of any goaltender in the league.

Another area of note for Charlottetown has been the emergence of young talents. The team's top draft picks in the 2022 QMJHL Draft, Marcus Kearsey and Alexis Michaud, have made significant contributions early in their QMJHL careers. They, along with fellow rookies Romeo and Anton Topilnyckyj, as well as 2005-born forwards Will Allen, Sam Bowness, and Brett Arsenault, have given Islanders fans a positive glimpse into the future with plenty of room to grow.

"For any young player, coming into this league you want to be consistent. We've chatted with them all individually and let them know that they've had a good first half, but at the same time have also had the most difficult stretch of their career over with. Now can you go home, rest, recharge, and come back and take your game to another level." Said Hulton on the success of his young players.

"This league is like climbing a set of stairs; you have to continue to climb up. If you don't move up, you move on."

One of the important periods of the season looms closer as the first half of the season closes; the holiday trading period will open at noon on Sunday, December 19th. The Islanders have been plenty active over the past few years during this time, with the team acquiring major pieces such as Lapenna, Biakabutuka, Patrick Guay, Drew Elliott, and Noah Laaouan during the trading period since 2018. This time around, things are shaping up to be different; Hulton loaded up ahead of the 2022 Playoffs in an effort to win the President's Cup, and will now try to recoup what was spent during that time.

"There are some things we have in mind. I don't think it's any secret that we're embarking on a bit of a rebuild," Hulton said in an interview last week. "We have two more games to evaluate this team heading into the lone opportunity to change your roster... We want to see who will continue to battle and who continues to think the game on a certain level."

The Islanders will wrap up their first half of the season with a home-at-home series against the Halifax Mooseheads. Charlottetown will travel to Halifax Friday night and return home for a Saturday night matchup. Tickets are available at the Eastlink Centre box office, by phone at 902-629-6625, or online. Don't forget to use promo code MICHAUD online for 47% off your purchase for Cyber Saturday!

Check out the Charlottetown Islanders Statistics



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from December 16, 2022


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