Preview | October 16 vs Drummondville
Sunday afternoon hockey games are great for weekend family outings. It almost seems fitting that the Charlottetown Islanders welcome a whole host of familiar faces for their first Sunday afternoon game of the season when the Drummondville Voltigeurs make their way to town.
Former Islanders Jacob Goobie, Sam Oliver, Oscar Plandowski, and Drew Elliott will all step into the Eastlink Centre for the first time since last season, this time as members of the Voltigeurs. Goobie and Oliver were traded as part of the deal that brought Francesco Lapenna to Charlottetown at Christmas time last year; Plandowski and Elliott were both traded to Drummondville in separate deals during the 2022 QMJHL Draft.
Charlottetown (3-2-1-0) returns to a hometown crowd after a close 3-2 overtime loss to the Moncton Wildcats last night. The Isles were down by a goal late in the third before Jakub Brabenec tied it up with less than three minutes to go. Oliver Satny made 31 saves in a stellar performance between the pipes despite the loss.
The Voltigeurs (4-5-0-0) are capping off their first trip to the Maritimes this season today. A team thought to be one of the stronger competitors in the Western Conference ahead of the year, the group is facing a number of key injuries that include Elliott, Arizona Coyotes first-round pick Maveric Lamoureux, sharpshooting winger Justin Côté, starting goaltender Riley Mercer, and highly-touted defender Matteo Rotondi. Despite that, Drummondville still pulled out a 4-2 victory Friday night over the Cape Breton Eagles.
In the wake of the injuries, the Voltigeurs have been propelled forward by Nova Scotia forwards Luke Woodworth and Tyler Peddle. Woodworth, a smaller forward typically known for his playmaking abilities, currently leads the Voltigeurs with five goals, while Peddle, expected to be a top-tier prospect ahead of the stacked 2023 NHL Draft, sits second on the team with seven points in nine games.
Today’s game is also significant as it is Charlottetown’s Orange Jersey Game. Canceled last season due to COVID-19 restrictions, Sunday’s game will honour and recognize residential school survivors, their families, and their communities. The Islanders will wear limited edition orange jerseys, recognizing the official colour for survivors of residential schools, as well as featuring the traditional Mi’kmaq Eight-Point Star and Double Curve.
You can still get tickets for today’s Orange Jersey Game by visiting the Eastlink Centre box office, by phone at 902-629-6625, or online by clicking HERE. Don’t forget that Sunday Family Packs are available in person at the Eastlink Centre Box Office for only $55! The package includes 2 (Under-60/60+) and 2 (Under-25/Under-13) tickets plus two Islanders team posters. Following the game, the full Islanders team will be signing autographs for fans.
