2023 Islanders Entry Draft Recap
12 QMJHL hopefuls from across Eastern Canada have freshly put on the Black and Harvest Gold as the newest members of the Charlottetown Islanders as the 2023 QMJHL Draft has come to it’s conclusion.
“We’re thrilled; you typically hear that a lot but this one in particular was full of surprises for us on the board. I like our depth, I thought we had a good cross section of everything and that was one of the goals heading in.” said Islanders head coach and general manager Jim Hulton on his team’s draft.
The Islanders came into the day with their first pick coming at the end of the first round, 20th overall. With the selection they picked defenseman Owen Conrad from the Pictou County Weeks Crushers. The 6’2 defenseman has an imposing frame and is known for his strong skating ability and first pass. Conrad was rated 10th by QMJHL’s Central Scouting ahead of the draft.
SHERBROOKE,QC-10 JUIN: (Photo par Vincent Ethier/LHJMQ)
The biggest thing that jumps off the page is his size; he’s not even close to being filled out yet. I thought he was easily the best defenseman coming out of Atlantic Canada.” Said Hulton regarding Conrad.
“I’m a bigger defenseman who can skate, both offensively and defensively. Anything you need, I can do; I’m hoping to do that here in Charlottetown.” Said Conrad on his play.
The team’s next pick came in the second round, 38th overall, following a trade with Gatineau that completed the Francesco Lapenna trade. The pick was used to select forward Anthony Flanagan from College Esther-Blondin Phoenix. Rated 44th by QMJHL Central Scouting, the 5’10 forward collected 29 points in 40 regular season games while also collecting three points in six games with Team Quebec at the 2023 Canada Games.
“Anthony plays with a good pace and is a scorer,” said Hulton on Flanagan. “One of the mandates we had coming into this draft was finding some scoring, and Anthony is a natural scorer. He’s scored at both the U-15 and U-18 levels and was a very effective player at the Canada Games. He was someone we looked at with the 20th pick and were very happy that he was still available at 38.”
The team’s third round pick was used to select 5’11 defenseman Zackary Plamondon from the Magog Cantonniers. Plamondon finished 7th among all draft-eligible defensemen in the LHJMAAAQ with 16 points in 38 games. Hulton and Islanders director of scouting Trevor Birt spoke highly of Plamondon’s character, citing two great pre-draft interviews they had with the defender.
“Zackary has a great exuberance and energy about him that translates on the ice, and those are qualities we admire.” Said Hulton on the selection.
SHERBROOKE,QC-10 JUIN: (Photo par Vincent Ethier/LHJMQ)
The first goaltender for the Islanders came off the board in the fourth round when they selected Newfoundland product Donald Hickey. Hickey was a standout for Team Newfoundland at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, posting a 1.91 goals against average in four games. He spent his season with the U-18 Cornwall Colts in Ontario, sporting a .916 save percentage in 26 games while also earning a call-up to the Jr. A Cornwall Colts. Hickey was the first of three goaltenders drafted by the Islanders on Saturday
“When you look at the final four teams in our league left in the playoffs, each starting goalie was a fourth-round pick. There’s no rhyme or reason to where goaltenders come from; they’re one of those anomalies so we figured why not take a few extra swings at it?” said Hulton.
“Hickey is one of those kids we saw at the Canada Games for Newfoundland but played in Ontario and had really good reports by all accounts.”
The team’s fifth selection of the day was reserved for U-17 offensive standout Mathis Valente. The 5’9 forward finished seventh in Quebec’s Midget Espoir with 40 points in 31 games, earning a call-up with the LHJMAAAQ’s Sainte-Eustache Vikings. Hulton noted that Valente will have a great opportunity with the Vikings this coming season to be a premiere offensive player.
On behalf of the entire Charlottetown Islanders organization, we’d like to welcome all of the team’s newest prospects to the organization. We can’t wait to welcome you to Prince Edward Island when the 2023-2024 Training Camp kicks off in August!
