CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The Charlottetown Islanders are preparing for all scenarios.
As they wait to find out who their third-round opponent will be, head coach and general manager Jim Hulton acknowledged the potential for call-ups, if needed. It includes Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals sniper T.J. Shea.
“If we get into injuries, that’s a possibility,” Hulton said Friday. “We’ve talked about different scenarios of kids in the Quebec area in case somebody ever went down. It’s all hands on deck this time of year.”
Shea had 20 points in 12 playoff games after leading the league with 105 points in 48 regular season games. The Anglo-Tignish native, who turns 20 on May 24, played two games with the Isles earlier this season and is on the team’s protected list.
“He would probably be our first call-up because he’s an older, more experienced player than most guys on our list,” Hulton said.
The Capitals season came to an end Wednesday when they lost Game 7 to the Edmundston Blizzard in the Maritime Junior Hockey League semifinal.
The Islanders also have Capitals forward Zach Thususka of Summerside and Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild forward Evan Gallant of Abram-Village on its protected list.
Hulton said forward Drew Johnston of the Saint John major midget squad, Wild defenceman Zac Arsenault of Montague and goalie Nolan Boyd, who played this season with the Subaru Steele major midget team in Nova Scotia, all came to watch Islanders' playoff games.
The Islanders received some good news regarding centre Thomas Casey this week. The Charlottetown native left the third period of Game 4 with an upper-body injury. It has been diagnosed as a bruised shoulder and he is day to day.
“He had way more range and mobility than anticipated,” Hulton said.
During the playoffs, the Islanders have gone with a 22-man roster, which includes one defenceman and one forward not dressing for games.
Regardless of who the Islanders play in the third round, the schedule will be a 2-2-1-1-1 format.
