CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Tonight could be the last time Will Thompson plays in the rink he called home for 2 ½ seasons.
The 20-year-old defenceman, who is in his final season of junior hockey, comes back to the Eastlink Centre with his Gatineau Olympiques for a 7 p.m. contest with the Charlottetown Islanders. He is one of a trio of former Islanders traded to Gatineau during last year’s trade period.
“It’s definitely going to be pretty weird, playing as the away team this time, but it’ll be fun to get back and see some familiar faces,” Thompson said Friday morning. “I just got to treat it like another game. You can’t get too excited or too nervous, you just have to go out and play your game.”
It shouldn’t be hard as the Fredericton, N.B., native has always brought that steady game to the teams he has suited up for.
Also making their returns with the Olympiques are forwards Mitchell Balmas and Shawn Boudrias, both first-rounds picks of the Islanders.
“It’s going to be very fun, going back to the rink, seeing a lot of familiar faces and playing against a couple of buddies,” Balmas said.
One of those buddies is fellow Nova Scotian Keith Getson. The two were drafted together and were linemates as rookies.
So what’s it going to be like going into the corner looking to retrieve a puck against Getson?
“It’ll be pretty weird,” Balmas admitted. “Me and Getsy came in as little 16-year-olds and made the team and we were together for 2 ½ years.”
Tonight will be a second homecoming of sorts for Balmas in a matter of days. He had two goals and an assist Thursday in a 6-3 win over his hometown Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.
“It was really fun playing in front of family and friends back home and (now I’m) coming to play against a lot of friend here in P.E.I.”
While Thompson and Balmas will be making their return to Charlottetown tonight, Boudrias has already played this season at the Eastlink Centre.
He scored a goal as the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League all-stars defeated the Russians a month ago.
“It was pretty exciting to score,” the pivot said, noting he is looking forward to tonight’s contest. “It’s exciting to go back to (play) the first team I played for in the Q, and I’m happy to see the fans again and my billet family.”
While all three said they enjoyed their time here and were not expecting to be traded, they think things worked out for the best for them.
“When you’re not expecting it, it’s kind of a tough call to get, but, I think, overall it’s kind of turned out for the best for me,” said Thompson, who has formed good chemistry with D partner Darien Kielb. “I really found a home in Gatineau, I’ve been playing well there and enjoying my time.”
“I came into Gatineau and got a lot of ice time,” Balmas said. “The trade worked out very good for me.”
For Boudrias, the deal meant moving closer to home and having more opportunities to play. He attended the Boston Bruins camp and came into the season with more confidence. He’s now centring a line with Balmas and Russian Mikhail Shestopalov.
The teams play against each other twice a season with the second game set for Feb. 14 in Gatineau, Que. The only other possible meeting would come in the playoffs.
Need to know
A look at the three Gatineau Olympiques returning to the Eastlink Centre tonight.
Will Thompson
Position – Defenceman
Age – 20.
Hometown – Fredericton, N.B.
Acquired – Aug. 15, 2014. Charlottetown traded a first-round pick in 2015 to the Saint John Sea Dogs for Thompson.
Traded – Dec. 22, 2016. Charlottetown traded D Will Thompson, F Shawn Boudrias, F Carl Gervais and D Marc-Olivier Alain to Gatineau for D Nicolas Meloche, G Mark Grametbauer and D Jean-Sebastien Taillefer.
2017-18 statistics
GP G A Pts.
28 2 10 12
Mitchell Balmas
Position – LW
Age – 19.
Hometown – Sydney, N.S.
Acquired – First-round pick (seventh overall) in 2014.
Traded – Jan. 5, 2017. Charlottetown traded F Mitchell Balmas, D Jake Barter, a first-round pick in 2019 and a third-round pick in 2018 to Gatineau for F Alex Dostie.
2017-18 statistics
GP G A Pts.
30 18 12 30
Shawn Boudrias
Position – Centre
Age – 18
Hometown – Terrebonne, Que.
Acquired – First-round pick (13th overall) in 2015.
Traded – Dec. 22, 2016. Charlottetown traded D Will Thompson, F Shawn Boudrias, F Carl Gervais and D Marc-Olivier Alain to Gatineau for D Nicolas Meloche, G Mark Grametbauer and D Jean-Sebastien Taillefer.
2017-18 statistics
GP G A Pts.
25 6 15 21
The matchup
Gatineau Charlottetown
Records 15-10-2-2 18-10-1-0
Goals for 92 90
Goals against 79 86
Streak 5-0-1-1 3-0-0-0
Top scorer Mitchell Balmas, 30 points Keith Getson, 25 points
Top goalie Tristan Berube, 2.12GAA Matthew Welsh, 2.54 GAA
Need to know? Charlottetown Islanders head coach and general manager Jim Hulton will miss tonight’s game. He is in Gatineau, Que., for a midget tournament. It is also when the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s general managers get some of their Christmas shopping done. Teams can’t announce trades until Dec. 18.
Gatineau defenceman Will Thompson said: “Our team is kind of starting to find our identity here the last couple of weeks and we’ve been playing well.”
