CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Matthew Welsh has been through two playoffs with the Charlottetown Islanders, but this one will be different.
There is no Mason McDonald or Mark Grametbauer.
This is his team.
And he’s ready to carry the load.
“The last two years I’ve had some great goalie partners, as I do this year as well. It was one of those roles where I was in a learning position rather than the starting position,” he explained before Tuesday’s practice. “This year, going into playoffs and having the chance to play and be in that role model position for Dakota (Lund-Cornish) is definitely exciting. I am ready to embrace it, and it’s something that I’ve been looking forward to my whole career.”
The Islanders selected Welsh in the second round (37th overall) of the 2015 draft. He played 26 games in his rookie season while backing up McDonald in 2015-16. He played 38 games last season when he shared the net first with Blade Mann-Dixon and then Grametbauer down the stretch.
He set a new franchise record with 31 wins this season while playing 54 games and a league-high 3,126 minutes, just ahead of Grametbauer.
“It might show in my stats, but that 31 wins is a team number,” Welsh said.
He has earned the trust of his teammates for his play on the ice while team staff members rave about his work off the ice and in the community – on his own – without being asked to do a thing.
He won the team’s MVP award, among four honours he received at the year-end banquet, is up for the league scholastic player award and the team is ready for him to backstop it into the playoffs.
“He’s finally the bonafide No. 1 here,” head coach and general manager Jim Hulton said. “That’s been in the plan, probably, since the first day he got here three years ago that it’d eventually be his throne to ascend to, and he’s proven that all season.”
It started in August when Welsh and captain Pierre-Olivier (P.O.) Joseph were the two fittest athletes coming into camp.
“That told us, right off the hop, that he was not only ready, but that he had prepared incredibly hard all summer to be the No. 1 guy that could log a ton of minutes, so we didn't want to disappoint him,” Hulton said.
And Welsh hasn’t disappointed the team or fan base?
“No, he certainly hasn’t,” the bench boss said. “He’s been outstanding, and for us to keep pushing this season into the areas we want to be he’s going to have to be that guy.”
Welsh has a calm demeanour and doesn’t ride the wave of emotion, keys for playoffs success.
The Islanders start the playoffs today against the Quebec Remparts at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City. It is one of the league’s marquee franchises in one of the biggest markets in Eastern Canada.
Welsh admitted it’s a bigger building with more fans and media around.
“I don't think it changes our approach,” he said. “For us, we just have to go and play our game. It’s going to be nice to prove a lot of people wrong and just be the underdog all playoffs long.”
Need to know
Matthew Welsh
Who – A third-year Charlottetown Islanders goalie.
Personal – An 18-year-old Halifax native who is listed at five-foot-11, 177 pounds.
Did you know? Welsh started his only playoff game last year in Game 4 on the road at Blainville-Boisbriand in the league semifinal.
Statistics
Season W L SO GAA SAV%
2015-16 12 13 2 3.20 .904
2016-17 24 14 3 3.24 .899
2017-18 31 22 3 2.76 .907
Record setter – Welsh holds 19 franchise records, including:
• Most points by a goalie in a career – 8
• Most wins by a goalie in one season – 31
• Mot regulation time wins by a goalie in a career – 51
• Most overtime wins by a goalie in a career – 11
• Most shootout wins by a goalie in a career – 5
• Most shutouts by a goalie in a career – 8
• Most wins by a goalie in a career – 67
• Longest streak without allowing a goal by a goalie in one season – 151:16
