CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The Charlottetown Islanders added some experience to the back end on Monday.
They acquired 19-year-old defenceman Sean Stewart from the Moncton Wildcats for defenceman Anthony Hamel, a third- and a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft.
“We’re getting a feisty, hard-to-play against, competitive guy,” Islanders head coach and general manager Jim Hulton said. “We’re adding depth, grit and experience.”
Those qualities are invaluable for teams looking to make deep post-season runs and the Islanders (12-2-0-0) are tied with the Val-d’Or Foreurs for the most points in the 18-team league through the first part of the season. They added 19-year-old winger Bailey Peach in a deal earlier this month with the Sherbrooke Phoenix.
“(Monday’s trade) is definitely made with playoffs in mind,” Hulton said.
“Our past experience tells us that you can never have enough defenceman and quality D to push deep in the playoffs.”
Stewart, a six-foot, 185-pound, left-shot blue-liner, has a goal and three assists in 13 games this season in Moncton when he was mostly paired with Cornwall’s Jordan Spence. Stewart is described as a throwback defensive defenceman who can make a good first pass, move up and down the lineup and do some heavy lifting on the penalty kill.
“I’m pretty excited to get there,” the Antigonish, N.S., native said after the deal was announced. “They have a great team. They’re making a run at it this year and I am pumped to get there and get started with the organization.”
Stewart was a teammate of Isles goalie Colten Ellis on the Cape Breton West Islanders team that won the Telus Cup national under-18 championship in 2017. The two have remained in touch as their junior careers took them in different directions.
“I am pretty excited to get to be teammates with him again and get to meet all of the other guys as well,” Stewart said.
Hamel, who turns 19 on Jan. 19, had three assists in 14 games this season, his second in Charlottetown after being a fourth-round pick in 2018.
“Quite frankly it sucks,” Hulton said of trading Hamel. “In order to get quality, you have to give quality, and we certainly paid. Anthony is a great kid, a heart-and-soul leader.”
The league announced Monday the trade deadline has been pushed back from Jan. 6 to Jan. 25 at 1 p.m. Atlantic.
Jason Malloy is The Guardian's sports editor. He can be reached by email at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @SportsGuardian.
