CHARLOTTETOWN, P.EI. – The key to any junior hockey team is drafting and developing youngsters.
The Charlottetown Islanders have a pair of 16-year-olds on the roster this season in defenceman Lukas Cormier and forward Xavier Fortin.
With the Monctonian tournament just completed, we sat down last week for a discussion with Isles head coach and general manager Jim Hulton on some potential future Islanders.
Here’s a glimpse into the pipeline:
2018 draft
Anthony Hamel
Who – A 16-year-old defenceman from Gatineau, Que.
Acquired – Fourth round, 67th overall.
2018-19 – Hamel is the captain of his midget AAA team in Gatineau. He is five-foot-10, 175 pounds.
Need to know – The Islanders sent him back to midget to ensure he was ready when he arrived in junior.
Hulton said: “Our reports have been very, very good,” he said. “He is a heart and soul, defence-first defender, but one of the things we wanted him to work on was his footwork. . .
“Once we had Lukas in the fold that we needed that steady Eddy. He’s a version of Olivier Desjardins, I think, a guy that flies under the radar, but does a lot of small, intangible things that make a big difference.”
2018-19 statistics
GP G A Pts. PIM
23 2 11 13 60
Nathan Martel
Who – A 17-year-old defenceman from Otterburn Park, Que.
Acquired – Sixth round, 100th overall.
2018-19 – Martel is playing with the Granby Inouk junior A squad in Quebec. He is five-foot-nine, 155 pounds.
Need to know – The Islanders sent the physical defenceman back to Quebec to work on his positioning and play under pressure.
Hulton said: “It’s easier to tame the tiger,” Hulton said. “He was a heart and soul kid. It was a tough release (at training camp) because he was a kid that (tried to do it the) old fashion (way) – come in and tried to earn it.”
2018-19 statistics
GP G A Pts. PIM
19 1 1 2 37
Alex Power
Who – A 16-year-old from St. John’s, N.L.
Acquired – Eighth round, 139th overall.
2018-19 – St. Andrew’s College, a university preparatory school in Aurora, Ont. He was listed as five-foot-11, 165 pounds at the draft. Updated information was unavailable.
Need to know – The Newfoundlander played minor midget with the York Simcoe Express in Ontario during his draft year. He was only in training camp for a short time in order to keep his NCAA eligibility.
Hulton said: “We were intrigued by him at camp,” Hulton said, noting he sees him being a guy who could play an energy role with tenacity and fits the team’s identity.
2018-19 statistics
GP G A Pts.
9 0 2 2
Nathan Kelly
Who – A 16-year-old forward from Paradise, N.L., with the East Coast Blizzard major midget team in Newfoundland
Acquired – Ninth round, 154th overall.
2018-19 – Captain of the St. John’s, N.L.,-based Blizzard. He is five-foot-nine, 165 pounds.
Need to know – Hulton watched Kelly play during the Monctonian. “We liked what we saw. A real intelligent kid. . . He played a skilled game, but he also played with energy and grit.” They also know he is being well coached as P.E.I. Rocket alumnus Brad Yetman is his bench boss.
Hulton said: “When Brad speaks highly of someone there’s credibility to it.”
2018-19 statistics
GP G A Pts.
19 11 13 24
Dell Welton
Who – A 16-year-old from Baddeck, N.S.
Acquired – Eleventh round, 190th overall.
2018-19 – Cape Breton West Islanders. He is six-foot-one, 175 pounds.
Need to know – He skated with Charlottetown in mid-November. The transitional defenceman stuck out at camp but is raw.
Hulton said: “He wasn't afraid to grab the puck and go and that’s a sign of confidence in a young player. . . He was a guy that thinks the game really well offensively. His challenge now is just to make sure he becomes a complete defenceman.””
2018-19 statistics
GP G A Pts.
18 1 12 13
Chad Arsenault
Who – A St. Raphael, south of Wellington, goalie.
Acquired – Twelfth round, 208th overall.
2018-19 – Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild. He was listed as five-foot-six, 155 pounds at draft time.
Need to know – Arsenault made a strong impression at camp with his personality, high energy and being a leader in the fitness testing.
Hulton said: “Chad had unbelievable numbers last year, and all everyone talks about is his size. We’ve seen small goalies have success here before. . . He was unbelievable in the Monctonian, as he has been all year. . . He’s going to find a way to play in this league.”
2018-19 statistics
GP W L OTL GAA SAV%
9 6 2 1 2.86 .901
Keiran Gallant
Who – A 16-year-old Covehead native.
Acquired – Thirteenth round, 226th overall.
2018-19 – Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild. He was listed as five-foot-seven, 154 pounds at draft time.
Need to know – Gallant played at Stanstead in Quebec last year. He was a pleasant surprised at training camp and was noticed at the Monctonian.
Hulton said: “He had a really, really strong tournament as his whole team did. . . We just loved his speed and thought process.”
2018-19 statistics
GP G A Pts. PIM
17 9 12 21 32
Nick Bourque
Acquired – Fourteenth round, 243th overall.
2018-19 – Moncton Flyers. Bourque was listed as five-foot-nine, 162 pounds at the draft.
Need to know – Bourque is the captain of the Flyers and his father (Robert) is an Islanders scout. He has been an affiliate with the Edmundston Blizzard this season.
Hulton said: “Nic probably looked even better at a higher level.”
2018-19 statistics
GP G A Pts. PIM
15 0 6 6 24
2017 draft
Brad Morrissey
Who – A 17-year-old Seacow Pond native.
Acquired – Third round, 53rd overall.
2018-19 – Tri-City Storm (USHL)
Need to know – Committed to the University of Maine.
2018-19 statistics
GP G A Pts. PIM
19 2 7 9 43
Nolan Boyd
Who – A 17-year-old Fall River, N.S., native. He is five-foot-10, 180 pounds.
Acquired – Sixth round, 108th overall.
2018-19 – Grand Falls Rapid junior A.
Hulton said: “Nolan is still very much in the mix. Goalies mature at different times. . . His work ethic and his attitude are very good.”
2018-19 statistics
GP W L GAA SAV%
8 1 3 4.25 .864
Zac Arsenault
Who – A 17-year-old Montague native.
Acquired – 10th round, 179th overall.
2018-19 – Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild.
Need to know – Arsenault needs to be a shutdown guy first who is completely reliable defensively and the offence will come afterwards. He practices with the Islanders when his schedule permits.
Hulton said: “It’s the best of both worlds. (He’s) playing on a real good team there, and in a leadership role, and practising with us, so he’s inching closer to being able to play at this level.”
2018-19 statistics
GP G A Pts. PIM
16 7 11 18 60
