CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The Charlottetown junior Islanders turned back the clock almost 50 years to the days of the original junior Islanders with the longest playoff run since the Quebec major junior franchise moved here 15 years ago under the P.E.I. Rocket banner. It was a playoff run that few saw coming back in October when the Islanders got off to a 1-6-1 start that had them ranked as the lowest seed not just in the Q but among all Ontario and Western Canadian teams.
Head coach and general manager Jim Hulton worked with the club and somehow pieced together a team that challenged for a playoff run at the Christmas break, a feat most thought impossible a few months earlier. That this club was able to beat higher ranked Quebec Remparts and Halifax Mooseheads, the latter a stunning four-game playoff sweep, and force regular season champs Blainville-Boisbriand Armada to a seventh game in the Q semifinal is a tribute to Hulton and his staff.
With all 10 rookies returning next year, including 16-year-old playoff standouts Brett Budgell and Nikita Alexandrov and hopefully captain and blue-line star Pierre-Olivier Joseph, plus goaltender Matthew Welsh, the expectations for the Islanders is much, much higher than this time last year. In addition, the Islanders have the fourth overall pick in the upcoming Quebec draft and the possibility that Tignish and Telus Cup standout Brady Morrissey could join the club has Islanders fans believing they could go even further in the playoffs next year. The Halifax Mooseheads are hosting next year's Memorial Cup which means there will be two representatives from the Quebec Major Junior League in the tournament, and the thinking around town is that the Islanders could be that other team. It could happen!
There are many people to thank for the sudden success of the Islanders junior hockey franchise and they include the current shareholders who stepped up when the sale of the Rocket became a certainty. First and foremost, the Savard family from Montreal, the legend Serge Savard Sr. and his son who insisted that the franchise stay in Charlottetown and not be moved. Serge Sr. could have sold the team to the Quebec league for $3.5 million and while he had another private bidder that offered $3.7 million, Serge loaned the present shareholders $2.1 million interest free to keep the team in Charlottetown. Charlottetown's Trent Birt helped put the current group together and Serge agreed to wait until the group was formed, but, unfortunately, Trent was not part of the final cast that made it happen. In major junior hockey and in many business ventures, when a new group of owners takes over, they want their own people in place and that's their right since they want things done their way, that's fair. In addition, Summerside's Grant Sonier, who served as GM of the Islanders for the new group and brought Jim Hulton aboard and swung deals that not only landed goaltender Welsh but Budgell and the fourth overall pick in the upcoming Q draft deserves credit as well.
I could not be happier for the new ownership group of Bobby MacMillan, Shawn and Troy MacKenzie from KKP (Kwik Kopy Printing), Geoff Boyle, Bill Kinney, Dave and Kate Trainor of Action Aero, Darren Gray, Pat Morris, Terry and Teddy Mossey, Terry Hennessey of Source for Sports, Brian MacDonald of BJ's Truck Parts, Brad Campbell and Todd Rix of Riverview Dental, Joel Ives of Century 21, Bill Enserink of Red Isle Produce, Peter MacDonald, the Chapman Family of Chapman Construction and Markan Counter Tops. Well done boys.
Ironman
We love to see Island athletes excel especially beyond our borders, so try to match these two. P.E.I.’s Jody Sanderson and his sister Kathie Sanderson Morgan both competed in the ironman competition recently in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Jody, a banker who lives in Qatar, qualified for the world ironman competition in Hawaii next October. His sister Kathie, a pilot living in Curacao, finished 10th in her division. The South Africa competition consisted off swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 180 kilometres and running a full marathon of 26.2 miles. All must be finished in 17 hours. Heck, I know guys that couldn't complete that task in a year. They grow them tough in York Point.
On the track
Live harness racing continues today with a 12-dash card. Post time is 6 p.m. The $2,500 feature goes in Race 11 and last week's winner Euchred leaves from Post 6 on the outside for driver Gilles Barrieau and trainer Terry Gallant. Others from the rail out, include Keep Coming, Oh To Be Me, Czar Seelster, Tobinator and Mr Irresistible.
At Mohawk tonight, Easy Lover Hanover (Doug McNair) has the rail in the $34,000 feature with a tough field, including from Post 5, Ellis Park (James MacDonald) beaten a nose last week in 1:50.4. Others are Fine Diamond, Fool Me Once and Nirvana Seelster.
There were a number of familiar faces in the Yonkers, New York, winners’ circle recently. Filly Forty Seven won in 1:54.3 in a $22,000 event for mares with Jason Bartlett driving.
Proven Desire came from off the pace to win easily in 1:53.3 in a $15,000 race for trainer Rene Allard and driver Brian Sears.
At Harrah's, Philadelphia the trotter Pappy Go Go made a break in a $14,500 trot and finished off the board for driver David Miller.
Some of the big names were out at The Meadowlands for qualifiers last Saturday, including trot stars Ariana G in 1:53.3 and Hannelore Hanover in 1:52.2.
Three-year-old star from 2017, Filibuster Hanover posted a sharp 1:49.3 trip, with the last quarter in 25 flat. In this one, Breeders crown champ Pure Country (Mark MacDonald) was third, home in 26.1.
Charlottetown's Robert Shepherd is second in Canada in wins at 141, trailing only Louie-Philippe Roy at 176; “Shep” is also seventh in money and is in the midst of his best season. The Ontario leg of the national drivers competition goes May 16, so let’s hope Robert finishes in the top two and advances to the national event.
On a more sombre note, the P.E.I. harness racing scene lost one of its more popular players in the passing last Saturday of Alliston's Bert Honkoop. In recent years, Bert had great success with his home-bred trotters, like stakes winners B J Eldorado, B J Comanche and B J Carmalyta. Our condolences to all connected to this gentleman.
Fred MacDonald’s column appears every Saturday in The Guardian. He can be reached at [email protected].
