CHL Import Draft kicks off today

The 2015 CHL Import Draft kicks off today at 12 p.m. ADT.

As per The Guardian newspaper, the Islanders will be passing on their 28th overall pick and will go with Filip Chlapik and Filip Rydstrom as the team's import players for the upcoming 2015-16 season.

This year, Acadie-Bathurst Titan holds the first overall pick followed by WHL's Saskatoon Blades and then OHL's Sudbury Wolves.

The Charlottetown Islanders drafted both Chlapik and Rydstrom during last year's Import Draft.

Full draft list can be seen here.

Islanders name Hulton as team's new bench boss

The Charlottetown Islanders have named Jim Hulton as its new head coach, the team announced today.

Hulton, 46, previously coached the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the last two seasons. The Kingston, Ont., native had a combined 54-51 record with a .514 winning percentage. This past season, Hulton coached the Storm to a 37-17-6 finish and was named USHL General Manager of the Year in 2015.

In a team press release, Islanders General Manager Grant Sonier said the team went through a long process of narrowing down the candidates.

“Jim brings with him an impressive resume and experience at all levels. He is a motivator, a teacher, and a guy that we think can bring this team to the next level.”

In the same release, Hulton said he is thrilled to be heading to Charlottetown.

“It is a team that is full of high quality talent, which includes several NHL draft picks and is coming off a very successful year. When I interviewed with Grant for the first time it felt like a natural conversation; combining that and my history with Assistant Coach Connor Cameron it felt like a really good fit.”

Handful of Islanders to attend NHL development camps

 Five Charlottetown Islanders players will attend NHL development camps this summer.

Daniel Sprong, Filip Chlapik, Kameron Kielly, Alexandre Goulet and David Henley will all attend development camps.

Sprong and Kielly will be attending the development camp of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sprong was Pittsburgh's 46th overall selection in 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old, Amsterdamn, Netherlands, native scored 39 goals and 88 points in 68 games this season.

Kielly, 18, went undrafted but received a call from the Penguins on Saturday to attend their development camp. Kielly scored 16 goals and 49 points in 67 games, maintaining a plus-one rating.

Kielly announced the news via Twitter.

Not the result I was looking for but still a great day with family and friends and excited to be heading to @penguins camp!

— Kameron Kielly (@Kielly11) June 27, 2015

Only two Islanders players taken in NHL Draft

Filip Chlapik and Daniel Sprong. Photo from Pittsburgh Penguins Instagram.

Only two Charlottetown Islanders players were drafted into the NHL this weekend.

Daniel Sprong and Filip Chlapik were the only two players from the Islands, out of a possible five, to hear their names called Saturday June 27, 2015 in Sunrise, Fla.

Both Sprong and Chlapik were second round picks and just two picks apart.

Pittsburgh Penguins photo.

The Pittsburgh Penguins selected Sprong with the 46th overall selection. Sprong, 18, was ranked as the 20th overall North American skater in Central Scouting's final rankings. The Amsterdam, Netherlands native was Pittsburgh's first selection of the draft. Pittsburgh had four picks through seven rounds. Sprong led the Islanders in scoring for a second straight season, scoring 39 goals and 88 points in 68 games.

Two selections later, the Ottawa Senators grabbed forward Filip Chlapik with the 48th overall pick. Chlapik was ranked as the 18th overall amongst North American skaters in the Central Scouting's final rankings. Chlapik, 18, finished his QMJHL rookie season with 33 goals and 75 points in 64 games. The Prague, Czech Republic native's 33 goals and 75 points set a new franchise record for most goals and points in a season by a rookie.

Unfortunately for Islanders players Kameron Kielly, David Henley and Alexandre Goulet, they were not selected.

Kielly, 18, was ranked 83rd, Henley was ranked 95th and Goulet was ranked 166th.

Islanders Country Exclusive: The Sprong Show Highlight Video

Welcome to the exclusive premier of The Sprong Show, a video edited by Nathan A'Hearn.
 


The Sprong Show - Daniel Sprong from Nathan A'Hearn on Vimeo.

Copyright infringement not intended.

The Sprong Show Trailer

Welcome to an Islanders Country exclusive for a trailer of "The Sprong Show."

The Sprong Show is a video edited by Islanders Country's own Nathan A'Hearn who has put together a highlight package of never before seen clips of NHL draft prospect Daniel Sprong.

The full length video will be premiered exclusively on Islanders Country tomorrow at 11 a.m. ADT.

*Copyright infringement not intended*

Islanders Country 2015 NHL Mock Draft

Daniel Sprong. Photo by Darrell Theriault

To get prepared for the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft on Friday, Islanders Country has joined the party and have done a mock draft of our own.

Like every other mock draft, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel go No. 1 and 2 respectively. In our mock draft, third-ranked North American skater Noah Hanifin falls as low as fifth overall.

Charlottetown Islanders forward Daniel Sprong is selected 24th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs by both Nolan and Nathan. Sprong is ranked 20th overall for North American skaters. Filip Chlapik, ranked 18th overall, does not make our first round picks, but does receive an honourable mention.

Other Islanders players Kameron Kielly, David Henley and Alexandre Goulet are expected to be drafted on Saturday in later rounds.

The first round of the NHL draft is Friday at 7 p.m. EST in Sunrise, Fla. Rounds 2-7 will conclude on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. EST.

Trio of Islanders players invited to Hockey Canada National Teams' Summer Showcase

Mason McDonald. Photo by Darrell Theriault.

Three Charlottetown Islanders players have been invited to Hockey Canada National Teams’ Summer Showchase.

Goaltender Mason McDonald is one of three CHL goaltenders invited to the Under-20 National Junior Team Summer Development Camp which takes place Aug. 1-6 at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary, Alta.

A pair of 2015 draft picks, Shawn Boudrias and goaltender Matthew Welsh, have been invited to Canada’s national under-17 development camp which takes place July 29-Aug. 2 at the Markin MachPhail Centre.

McDonald, 19, posted a 28-26 (won-lost) record with the Islanders last season with a 3.06 goals against average and a 0.906 save percentage. The Halifax, N.S., native recently recovered from a lower-body injury suffered in the first round of the playoffs back in April. McDonald is a second-round pick of the Calgary Flames.

Fellow QMJHL goalie Samuel Montembeault (Blainville-Boisbriand) has also been invited.

Canada will play two games against the Czech Republic and Russia between Aug. 4 and Aug. 6.

Islanders prospect to play for USHL's Chicago Steel

Frank Sullivan. Picture taken from Sullivan's Twitter.

An American Charlottetown Islanders prospect will be joining the Chicago Steel of the USHL next season.

Frank Sullivan, 19, tweeted today that he has joined the United States Hockey League club.

Extremely proud and excited to be a part of @ChicagoSteel! Can't wait to get the season going with the boys.

— Frankie Sullivan (@Sullivan_71_17) June 22, 2015

Charlottetown drafted the Fairfield, Conn., native in the fourth round, 73rd overall in the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Last season, the six-foot, 187-pound defenceman skated with the Springfield Pics of the U.S. Premier Hockey League (USPHL) scoring two goals and five points in 23 games.

Charlottetown's training camp opens Aug. 10 in Pownal.

Former Islanders captain commits to U.P.E.I.

Ryan MacKinnon makes a move around Halifax's Taylor Ford on Feb. 21, 2015. Photo by Darrell Theriault.

Former Charlottetown Islanders defenceman and captain Ryan MacKinnon will continue his hockey career on the Island and has committed to the U.P.E.I. Panthers.

MacKinnon, 20, wrapped up his final season of major junior this past season with the Islanders scoring a career-high 10 goals and 50 points in 64 games, with a minus-14 rating.

The Summerside, P.E.I., native spent the previous three seasons with the Rimouski Oceanic who drafted him in the fifth round, 86th overall in 2011. The six-foot, 185-pound defenceman was traded to Charlottetown on May 30, 2014. MacKinnon served as Rimouski's captain during the 2013-14 season.

Over the course of four seasons and 252 regular season games, MacKinnon scored 20 goals and 107 points with a plus-10 rating.

MacKinnon will join former Oceanic teammate and captain Casey Babineau with the Panthers.

Former Islanders forward Craig MacLauchlan also plays for U.P.E.I.

Pair of Islanders prospects drafted in QJHL

A pair of Charlottetown Islanders prospects were drafted into the Quebec Junior A Hockey League (QJHL) on Saturday.

Prospects Elio Di Meo and Pierre-Olivier Joseph were selected.

Di Meo, 17, was drafted eighth overall by the Rangers de Montreal-Est. The Montreal, Que., native was drafted in the 12th round, 209th overall by the Islanders in 2015. Di Meo played with Laval-Montreal Rousseau Royal of the QMAAA scoring seven goals and 16 points in 42 games.

Joseph, 16, was selected in the eighth round, 104th overall by Les Forts de Chambly. The Islanders drafted Joseph in the fifth round, 78th overall in 2015. Joseph scored three goals and 11 points in 42 games with Collège Antoine-Girouard Gaulois of the QMAAA.

Full draft list can be seen here.

Handful of Islanders selected in MHL Draft

Mitchell Balmas. Photo by Darrell Theriault.

A handful of Charlottetown Islanders players and prospects were drafted in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MHL) on Saturday.

Mitchell Balmas, Dominik Reid, Ian Drysdale and Luke House were the four players selected.

Defenceman Zack McFadden was selected by the Summerside Capitals during the QMJHL Supplementary Draft.

Balmas, 17, was selected in the sixth round, 70th overall by the Amherst Ramblers.

Reid was a territorial pick of the St. Stephen County Aces. The Islanders drafted Reid in the seventh round, 123rd overall in 2015.

Drysdale, was a territorial pick of the Amherst Ramblers. The 16-year-old Halifax, N.S., native was an eighth round pick of the Islanders in 2015.

House, 16, was a territorial pick of the Yarmouth Mariners. The native of Corner Brook, N.L., was a third round pick, 55th overall by the Islanders in 2014.

The full draft list can be seen here.

Ex-Islanders coach Dwyer to coach in KHL

Ex-Charlottetown Islanders head coach Grodie Dwyer has been named the new head coach of the KHL's Medvescak Zagreb based in Croatia.

The Kontential Hockey League club announced the news today.

Welcome to #Medvescak #Zagreb coach @GDwyer32! #TogetherWeAre

— KHL Medvescak Zagreb (@KHL_MedvescakZG) June 15, 2015

Dwyer, 37, was relieved of his coaching duties with the Islanders in late April. The Dalhousie, N.B., native served four seasons behind the bench - two with P.E.I. Rocket and two with the Charlottetown Islanders - while posting an all-time 116-133 (won-lost) record. He was the first coach since Alain Vigneault in 2004 to help the team reach the second round of the playoffs.

Medvescak Zagreb finished 13th in the KHL's West Conference this past season with  a 23-32-5 record for 68 points.

Islanders to open 2015-16 season at home against Mooseheads

Daniel Sprong. Photo by Darrell Theriault.

 The 2015-16 regular season schedule was released by QMJHL today and the Charlottetown Islanders open the season at home on Friday Sept. 11, 2015.

Charlottetown will host the Halifax Mooseheads at 7 p.m. for the season-home opener and will then host the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles the next night at 7 p.m.

The Islanders first road game is Friday Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. in Moncton against bridge-rival Wildcats.

The schedule is 68 games and concludes March 19, 2015 at home against the Halifax Mooseheads.

Full schedule can be seen here. 

Pre-season schedule released

The pre-season schedule for the Charlottetown Islanders has been released.

Charlottetown opens the pre-season schedule on Aug. 14 against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst, N.B at 7 p.m. AST.

The schedule highlights two games against the Quebec Remparts at the Colisée Albin-Aucoin in the Magdalen Islands.

Full pre-season schedule:

Aug. 14, 7 p.m. @ Acadie-Bathurst Titan, K.C. Irving Regional Centre
Aug. 15, 2 p.m. vs. Saint John Sea Dogs, Pownal Sports Centre
Aug. 21, 5 p.m. vs Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Pownal Sports Centre
Aug. 22, 7 p.m. @ Halifax Mooseheads, Rath Eastlink Community Centre in Truro, N.S.
Aug. 28 - 7:30 p.m. AST vs. Quebec Remparts, Colisée Albin-Aucoin, Magdalen Islands
Aug. 30, 7 p.m. AST vs. Quebec Remparts, Colisée Albin-Aucoin, Magdalen Islands

Training camp begins Aug. 10, 2015.

Pair of Islanders goalies invited to Program of Excellence camp

Mason McDonald. Photo by Darrell Theriault.

Two Charlottetown Islanders goaltenders have been invited to Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence goaltending camp.

Mason McDonald and recent draft pick, Matthew Welsh, have been invited to the 10th annual event which takes place June 12-14 at Canlan Ice Sports in Etobicoke, Ont.

McDonald, 19, is coming off his best season in the QMJHL after posting a 28-26 (won-lost) record with a 3.06 goals against average and a 0.906 save percentage. His season was cut short three games into Charlottetown's first round series against Sherbrooke with a lower-body injury.

Welsh, 16, was drafted in the second round, 37th overall by the Islanders in past Saturday's QMJHL Entry Draft. The Halifax, N.S., native posted a 13-4 record with the Halifax Macs of the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League and maintained a 3.32 goals against average and a 0.898 save percentage.

In total, 34 goaltenders were invited to the program.

Islanders select 14 at 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft

Islanders first-round pick Shawn Boudrias. Screen caption from TVA Sports. 

The Charlottetown Islanders selected 14 players today at the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft in Sherbrooke, Que.

A total of eight forwards, five defencemen and one goaltender were drafted by the Islanders.

The Islanders owned the fifth overall pick coming into the draft. Prior to making a selection, the Islanders traded the pick to the Val-d’Or Foreurs for the 13th overall pick and a first-round pick in 2016.

With the 13th overall pick, the Islanders selected 15-year-old forward Shawn Boudrias of the College Esther-Blondin Phenix of the QMAAA. The Terrebonne, Que., native scored 10 goals and 15 points in 40 games. Boudrias will turn 16 when the season begins.

The Islanders were without second- and third-round picks coming into the draft but that was changed with two separate deals.

In the first trade, the Islanders traded their fifth-round, 87th overall pick, along with a second-round pick in 2016 to Rouyn-Noranda for the 37th overall pick.

Charlottetown used the pick to select goaltender Matthew Welsh, 15, from the Halifax Macs of the NSMMHL. Welsh, currently 15, posted a 13-4 (won-lost) record with a 3.36 goals against average and a 0.903 save percentage.

Islanders acquire second-round pick; select goaltender

The Charlottetown Islanders acquired a second-round pick from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and then went on to select goaltender Matthew Welsh with the 37th overall pick today at the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft in Sherbrooke, Que.

In return, Charlottetown sent a fifth-round pick in 2015 (87th overall pick) and a second-round pick in 2016 to Rouyn-Noranda.

Welsh, 15, posted a 13-4 (won-lost) record with the Halifax McDonalds Major Midget of the NSMMMHL with a 3.36 goals against average and 0.903 save percentage.

He was the sixth goalie selected in the draft.

The trade was made official by the QMJHL today.

Islanders select Boudrias with first round pick

Shawn Boudrias. Screen caption from TVA Sports.

The Charlottetown Islanders selected forward Shawn Boudrias with the 13th overall pick today at the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft in Sherbrooke, Que.

Boudrias, who turns 16 on Sept. 14, played with the College Esther-Blondin Phenix of the QMAAA this past season scoring 10 goals and 15 points in 40 games.

The native of Terrebone, Que., stands six-foot-two and 176 pounds.

Charlottetown traded down to acquire the 13th overall from the Val-d’Or Foreurs for the fifth overall pick. Charlottetown also received a first-round pick in 2016 in the trade.

The Islanders don’t make another selection until the fourth round at No. 65, but that is subject to change unless a trade is made.

Islanders trade down in first round

The Charlottetown Islanders traded the fifth overall pick to the Val-d'Or Foreurs today at the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft in Sherbrooke, Que.

In return, the Islanders acquired the 13th overall pick and a first-round pick in 2016 from Val-d'Or.

With the fifth overall pick, the Foreurs selected goaltender Dereck Baribeau from St-Francois of the QMAAA.

The Islanders were without a first-round pick in 2016 after dealing it to Saint John last year for Oliver Cooper.

Charlottetown to host 2016 QMJHL Annual Session and Entry Draft

 PRESS RELEASE

The Charlottetown Islanders will host the 2016 QMJHL Entry Draft.

QMJHL Commissioner Gilles Courteau announced today that the Annual Session and Entry Draft will be held in Charlottetown, P.E.I., for 2016.

"I want to thank the Charlottetown Islanders organization, its group of owners and the City of Charlottetown for their bid to host our annual event," said the Courteau in a press release. "This demonstrates the seriousness of the team’s new administration in our league and is a reflection of the importance of municipal partnerships with our teams. I look forward to returning to Charlottetown for what will be a successful QMJHL Annual Session."

The QMJHL Annual Session will be be held from June 1-4, 2016 and the draft will take place on June 4 at the Eastlink Centre.

The City of Charlottetown previously hosted the QMJHL's Annual Session and Entry Draft in 2006.

Islanders trade prospect McKie to Bathurst

The Charlottetown Islanders have traded 18-year-old prospect Duncan McKie to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan today for a late round pick.

In return, the Islanders receive an 11th-round pick (182nd overall) in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft.

McKie was drafted in the fourth round, 69th overall by the Islanders in 2013. The Kentville, N.S., native never played a game for the Islanders, but participated in two training camps.

The six-foot-two, 201-pound defenceman played with the Valley Wildcats and the Miramichi Timberwolves of the Maritime Junior A League this past season. McKie was pointless in five games with Valley, but registered three goals and nine points in 40 games with Miramichi.

The trade was made official by the QMJHL today.