CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The Island Storm opened training camp at Bluefield High School on Wednesday and there were a number of very impressive new faces.
The roster includes Los Angeles Drew League standouts Jarrell Tate and Robbie Robinson and former Memphis Grizzlies forward Sampson Carter. Also at the practice was a highly regarded and longtime Drew League bench boss, whose known throughout Los Angeles only as coach Ike.
The Drew League players were highly recommended to Storm head coach Tim Kendrick by coach Ike, who also sent Frank Session to the Storm last year. Another player who comes with an impressive resume is six-foot-eight forward Russell Byrd, a former captain of Michigan State. The Spartans are one of the big names in division 1 USA basketball, having sent something like 50 players to the NBA, including stars like Magic Johnson, Steve Smith, and Draymond Green to name a few. Byrd, 25, has played pro in Israel and has NBL experience, averaging 15 points per game with Moncton in 2016-17 but injuries hampered his game last season split between Kitchener, Ont., and St. John’s, N.L. He is the only Storm player to ever to sign a two-year deal, so obviously owner Duncan Shaw and Kendrick like what they’ve seen.
Hockey
Local hockey fans will have to suffer through a weekend without live action as both the Charlottetown Islanders and the UPEI Panthers are on the road.
The Islanders are in the midst of a three-game swing through Quebec while the Panthers, who played Moncton here last night, are in Fredericton, N.B., for a date with first-place UNB.
The Islanders are playing great hockey right now and were in fourth place in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Eastern Conference with 21 points (10-5-1-0) before Friday’s play. They trailed Moncton, Baie-Comeau and Halifax.
What may upset some Island hockey fanatics is the league’s scoring leader before Thursday’s game in Rimouski, Que., was Summerside native Jeremy McKenna with 29 points, including 11 goals. Two other Island kids that have impressed with other teams are Cornwall’s Jordan Spence in Moncton and 16-year-old Charlie DesRoches with Saint John. DesRoches made one of the Canadian teams for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
The Islanders top pick last summer was Lukas Cormier and he’s a dandy who plays the power play and kills penalties, a rarity for a player that young. He’s also at the international tourney. Charlie was taken in the second round of the Q draft last summer. It annoys me greatly when I see Island kids that we ought to have had here starring with other teams.
The Islanders were slow out of the gate this season but the recent surge of seven straight wins has a lot to do with the strong play of forwards Daniel Hardie, Keith Getson and Kevin Gursoy and the great play of defenceman Hunter Drew. In addition, the line of Derek Gentile-Nikita Alexandrov-Brett Budgell is starting to come around and there’s lots to like about Charlottetown’s Thomas Casey, who plays tough at both ends, is off to a fast start with 10 points, four goals, in 15 games.
On the university puck front, Moncton’s mid-week 4-3 upset of UNB in a shootout is a strong indication the Aigles Bleus are back in the contending ranks. The Panthers (4-4 before Friday’s game) and Moncton (5-3-2) have played well in the early going and UPEI head coach Forbie MacPherson has to be pleased thus far. Moncton and UPEI have already beaten some of the top clubs and with the addition of a player or two at the Christmas break, may further tighten the conference.
Charlottetown’s Kameron Kielly was tied for the conference scoring lead before Friday’s games with Saint Mary’s defenceman Nick Welsh, the older brother of Islanders goalie Matthew Welsh. They both have 13 points while hard-working Panther Gabe Guertler has 10 points.
Harness racing
Live harness racing continues today and tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
This afternoon’s $2,350 feature is the open mares with the likes of Collective Wisdom, Prettyndangerous, West River Ambyr, Drivingthedragon and three others. On Sunday, the $2,650 open class has last week’s winner, Rollwithitharry, who posted a sharp 1:56-and-change victory in his first start in three years, against Winter Blast, Three Truths, I C True Grit and Czar Seelster.
Arthur Blue Chip, the O’Brien winner at two and a full brother to last week’s three-year-old Breeders Crown filly Percy Blue Chip, has arrived at Woodmere Farms and what a handsome individual he is.
At Yonkers, New York, Mark MacDonald has the outside six post with last Saturday’s winner Great Vintage in the $44,000 top class, a race Mark has won three of the last four weeks.
At Western Fair, Sodwana Bay took the $8,500 top class in 1:56:3 for driver Alf Carroll and co-owners Wayne MacRae and Blaine MacPherson of Howmac Farms.
At Mohawk Raceway, Rose Run Quest and Jason Ryan are in to go tonight in the tough $20,000 class and he’s got a shot.
Prominent P.E.I. owner Ian Smith purchased a full-sister to Breeders Crown contender and a close third-place finisher Prescient Beauty at the Lexington Sale three weeks ago.
Freddie stepped to a new lifetime mark of 1:55:2 Thursday, winning under-wraps for driver Mike Stevenson at Plainridge in a $5,800 trot. Pappy Go Go posted a sharp 1:54 victory in a $16,000 trot Oct. 26 at The Meadowlands.
Pigskin picks
The Prophet went a perfect 6-for-6 last week. Let’s take a look at Week 9:
Chicago Bears (4-3) at Buffalo Bills (2-6) – The Bills woes continue as they’ll be without veteran QB Derek Anderson and have no weapons. The Bills defence will keep it close, but with no firepower, I’m taking the Bears all the way.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) at Carolina Panthers (5-2) – The Panthers smothered a tough Baltimore club last week and QB Cam Newton has been red-hot. The Bucs came from far back last week, but Carolina has a far better D than Cincinnati and they are home. Enough said.
Atlanta Falcons (3-4) at Washington Redskins (5-2) – The Redskins can, and will, win the NFC East. They have terrific defence and enough offence as Adrian Peterson is running like a 20-year-old, plus a very smart QB in Alex Smith, who never turns the ball over. Washington by six points.
Houston Texans (5-3) at Denver Broncos (3-5) – Texans J.J. Watt is back to pro bowl form and QB Deshaun Watson tossed five TDs last week. The Texans are the real deal, so get on the bandwagon.
Other notes, New Orleans and Baltimore are home to L.A. Rams and Pittsburgh, respectively, and I like the home club in both cases, but my money stays in my pocket. Yours should too.
Fred MacDonald's column appears every Saturday in The Guardian. He can be reached at [email protected].
