Game Preview | Sept 24. vs Moncton
With the 2021-2022 QMJHL regular season just one week away, the Charlottetown Islanders prepare for the grind with one final tune-up, taking on the Moncton Wildcats in an exhibition home-at-home series starting tonight at the MacLauchlan Arena at 7:00 pm.
With a number of their regulars away at NHL development camps, the Islanders put forth a valiant effort in their last pre-season game, a 4-2 loss to the Cape Breton Eagles at home. Isaac Vos and Ryan Maynard added the goals in that game; for Maynard, that was his third goal in as many exhibition games.
With the aforementioned NHL development camps over, many Islanders have returned back to Charlottetown to resume their major junior seasons. Brett Budgell, Noah Laaouan, William Trudeau, and Oliver Satny have all arrived back in Charlottetown after being released by their respective NHL teams. It’s anticipated that they will be in the lineup this weekend. The Isles remain without Ben Boyd (Columbus), Xavier Simoneau (Montreal), Oscar Plandowski (Detroit), Jakub Brabenec, and Lukas Cormier (both Vegas), who have all reported to their NHL team’s main training camps.
This will be the first time that the Moncton Wildcats have crossed the Confederation Bridge since November 7th, 2020; the Isles took the win in that game 6-4. A young team on the upswing after a down season, Moncton has picked up two victories in the pre-season and is coming off a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Halifax Mooseheads.
They’ve been led offensively in exhibition by 2004 12th round pick Thomas Auger; the forward picked up an assist in the team’s last game and has picked up six points in seven exhibition games. He’s followed up by sophomore forward Mathis Cloutier with five points in five games.
Like the Islanders, the Wildcats have had players attending NHL development camps; defenseman Charles-Antoine Pilote has returned to Moncton from the Montreal Canadiens development camp, while Ottawa Senators prospect Philippe Daoust remains with the Sens as they progress to their main training camp.
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