CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Jim Hulton had expected there would be a training camp battle for the final overage spot.
But uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League regular season, led the Charlottetown Islanders’ head coach and general manager to make the decision early. He said there were two main reasons.
“No. 1, I think we have to be ready to hit the ground running with a roster and, secondly, I can’t leave guys like Cole Edwards and Chris McQuaid drifting in the wind if there is not going to be a regular type of start to the season,” he said. “In fairness to everybody involved, I thought it was important to just make some decisions.”
Liam Peyton joins Thomas Casey and Cedric Desruisseaux as the Islanders’ three overage players for next season.
They are all forwards. The decision leaves the Isles a bit young on the back end among its five returnees. Noah Laaouan is the lone 19-year-old blue-liner while there are three 18-year-olds (Lukas Cormier, Will Trudeau and Anthony Hamel) and 17-year-old Oscar Plandowski. None were listed at 190 pounds or heavier on the league’s website, but they play with some bite.
“We’re pretty confident in our group of five coming back to get us out of the gate; then we’ll have a much better read on our team heading into the deadline,” Hulton said. “For us, the game is speed and skill-based, so if we’ve got the mobility first, then we’ll worry about the size after.”
Hulton said he spoke with Edwards, a forward from Kingston, Ont., and McQuaid, a Charlottetown native who plays defence, last week and will attempt to find them homes in the league.
“It’s never an easy decision with any of your 19-year-olds who are eligible to come and want to come back,” he said. “It’s not that we don’t want them, it’s that we don’t have enough room.”
While the team is far from thinking about line combinations, Casey and Peyton have some chemistry from playing together in the past.
“Having a big body on Thomas’ line gives him a little extra freedom,” Hulton said. “(He is) at his best when he is an agitator and a buzz saw.”
While centre Nikita Alexandrov is expected to turn pro, the uncertainty around the start of the NHL/AHL season leaves a chance he could be back next season in junior as an overager. Hulton said they would have to deal with that scenario if it arises.
