CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The UPEI Panthers have landed identical twin brothers who will be fan favourites and despised by the opposition, men’s hockey coach Forbes MacPherson said.
Drake and Darian Pilon arrived in Charlottetown Wednesday from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., after three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Sudbury Wolves.
“They’re just like two little balls of hate on the ice,” head coach Forbes MacPherson said. “They drive teams crazy. . . They play the right way, they have high compete (levels) and high energy. You don't have to poke, prod or trick them into playing a certain way. That’s they’re DNA. They play hard.”
Something a couple of scouts told MacPherson stuck with him.
“They are going to drive UPEI’s bus. They are going to be the engine,” MacPherson said he was told. “Those are the types of teams that I like to coach.”
Drake, who is three minutes older than Darian, said it’s natural.
“It’s just the way we play,” he said. “We’re hard on the body, we get in-your-face and not many guys really like it – who would?”
Players of this ilk sometimes cross the line, something MacPherson is ready for.
“I’d rather try to tame a lion than paint stripes on a cat,” he said.
Darian described himself as a gritty, hard-nosed, fast winger with high hockey IQ and skill.
“I like to put the puck in the net, but I can also shutdown top lines and play with the best of them,” he said.
Drake used some similar adjectives to describe his play.
“Hard-working, in-your-face. (I) hit hard, get on the forecheck and create offence that way and really a defensive shutdown player,” he said.
The Pilons had connections inside the Panthers’ dressing room in Owen Headrick, Doug Blaisdell, Troy Lajeunesse and Gabe Guertler as they were considering life after junior hockey. It will help them adjust to a new city, province, university and team.
But it wasn’t the driving force behind their decision to commit to the Panthers.
“They called us first before any other team,” Drake said. “I thought it was huge.
“It shows . . . you’re up at the top of the recruiting process. They wanted us early. They picked us out and sought us out, they didn't work the way down the list.”
The brothers have played together their whole life in every sport they picked up.
“We never really asked to be a package deal. It’s just always worked out like that,” Darian said.
They have predominantly played on the same line during their hockey careers, but Darian said sometimes the coaches have split them up for a week or two when the competitiveness between them became too much.
MacPherson said the team has imaginary line combinations right now that has the two of them playing together, but those can change through training camp and the season.
“Ultimately, these guys are really team guys that play hard and they'll want to do what’s best for the team. That’s just they’re nature,” he said.
The team hits the ice for the first time Saturday at 11 a.m. at MacLauchlan Arena.
Need to know
A look at the newest announced recruits to the UPEI Panthers’ men’s hockey team.
Drake Pilon
Age – 20.
Height, weight, position – Five-foot-10, 190-pound right-winger.
Hometown – Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts. PIM
55 10 17 27 121
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Darian Pilon
Age – 20.
Height, weight, position – Five-foot-10, 185-pound forward who can play left wing or centre.
Hometown – Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
2019-20 statistics
GP G A Pts. PIM
65 18 17 35 107
"They play with high energy, they’re high octane. They’re guys that you kind of just open the gate and they go. And they don't stop until they’re back inside the gate.”
Panthers’ head coach Forbes MacPherson
Recruiting class
A look at the announced recruits for the UPEI Panthers’ men’s hockey team. Head coach Forbes MacPherson said there is one more player who will be announced next week. The list includes who they finished last season playing for:
F Jordan Maher, Charlottetown Islanders
F Jesse Sutton, Acadie-Bathurst Titan
F T.J. Shea, Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals
D Conor MacEachern, Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals
F Darian Pilon, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
F Drake Pilon, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)