Islanders preparing for next week’s home opener

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Slow and steady.
The Charlottetown Islanders are using the downtime between games to get ready for opening night of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) regular season. The squad, coming off back-to-back semifinal appearances, concluded the pre-season Sunday in Abram-Village and doesn’t start the regular season until Friday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. when the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles visit the Eastlink Centre.
“It allows us to slow the teaching process down,” head coach Jim Hulton said. “You don't normally have this luxury during the season because you only have a couple of days off.”
And during those days off there are rest and recovery days and time needed to address specific areas of its game while continually working on its special teams.
Hulton said they had games lined up for this weekend, as some of the QMJHL squads do, but they feel through as the other team had a prior commitment. Hulton also didn’t want to play on back-to-back days and recalled what happened in the second to last game of the pre-season a year ago when Pascal Aquin received an eight-game suspension.
“They’re needless games and I’m always worried about injuries and suspension and it’s probably front and centre in our minds after last year,” he said.
The Islanders are holding a season ticket holder barbecue Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Eastlink Centre. Season ticket holders, 34-game flex pack holders and 12-game pack holders will have their chance to pick up their ticket packages, grab a hot dog, meet members of the Islanders and hear from Hulton.
Any season ticket holder unable to collect tickets tomorrow will have the opportunity to do so during regular business hours starting Friday.