CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Keith Getson loved his time in Charlottetown but is looking forward to playing close to home and in the Memorial Cup.
The Charlottetown Islanders traded their longest-serving member to the Halifax Mooseheads Saturday for Jordan Maher, a third-round pick in 2019 and a second-round pick in 2020.
“It’s going to be tough . . . but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Getson said Saturday.
Getson was a third-round pick (48th overall) of the Islanders in 2014. He played the past 4 ½ seasons in Charlottetown and was a key part of the squad that went to the third round the past two seasons.
“I can’t thank P.E.I. enough,” the Bridgewater, N.S., native said. “P.E.I. is a second home to me and I’ll always love it in P.E.I. I’ll always (return for) visits and I’ll always stay close to my billets with Gary and Glenda (Bowness). P.E.I. has a really close place to my heart.”
RELATED: Click here for a story on Getson from earlier this month.
Getson is in his final season of junior hockey and the Islanders are retooling after back-to-back appearances in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League semifinal. Halifax is the hosting the Memorial Cup from May 17-26.
Getson said he received a call from Islanders head coach and general manager Jim Hulton asking if he wanted to play for Halifax at the Memorial Cup.
“I’m blessed,” Getson said. “I grew up a huge Halifax Mooseheads fan. To be able to play in the Memorial Cup in pretty much my hometown, it’s a childhood dream.”
Islanders assistant general manager Guy Girouard said the organization doesn’t view its players as pawns when making hard decisions like trading guys who spent their entire junior career on the Island.
“Keith Getson has been such a great part of the organization, so we made sure that if we were going to move him, it was going to be a great situation for him,” he said. “Hopefully it’s a storybook ending for him.”
Girouard said trading Getson was a bittersweet moment.
“He’s been a heart-and-soul guy for the organization,” he said. “Getsy deserves that chance to go and play at home, play for a Memorial Cup.”
He called him a “warrior” who will be a great asset to the Mooseheads and add veteran leadership.
But the Islanders are also getting a key piece back in return in Maher.
The Gander, N.L., native was drafted sixth overall by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in 2014. He was part of the Titan’s Memorial Cup-winning team last season when he was a point per game player. He has 19 points in 33 games this season.
Girouard called it a win-win for both teams.
“They’re getting a great player,” he said.
“We’re getting Maher back who has some good experience and will help us down the stretch here,” he added. “We’ll see what happens here in the second half, but by no means are we throwing in the towel.”
Getson grew up playing with Mooseheads defenceman Walter Flower, a Lunenburg, N.S., native, and knows other guys on Halifax’s roster.
His first game as a member of the Herd will be against the Islanders in Charlottetown on Friday.
“It’s going to be weird pulling on a Mooseheads jersey and my first game being back in the Eastlink Centre,” he said.
