It’s been a tough start to the season for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Charlottetown Islanders. Fighting an injury bug that has plagued the team for its first twenty games of this season would discourage any player, but don’t tell the four Newfoundland hockey players on the team's roster; throwing in the towel is not in their vocabulary.
Marcus Kearsey - Defence
Deerlake, NL’s Marcus Kearsey, is the backbone of the Islander's defence and team captain. This is his third season with the team.
“I think all the Newfie guys have their role on the Islanders. Donnie is a hell of a goalie. We have a lot of confidence and assurance in him that he will give us his best game every night. Butler and Spencer. Those are two guys who are very different in their play style. They connect very well with what we need here in Charlottetown.
He also said playing with three other guys from home is a fun experience because of the camaraderie.
“Even from a dressing room perspective, it’s great to have a couple of guys from your home province just to say some Newfie things. And to talk in a Newfie accent is pretty cool. To do that with so many guys on a different island is special.”
Kearsey played for a prep school in New Brunswick before being drafted by Charlottetown. The town reminds him of home, and he has excellent billets. He has also been able to get involved in the community.
Kearsey said playing in the QMJHL is a challenge that tests him daily.
“You just have to get better every day. You can’t look at the record and let that determine how you feel about your team. I think we have a good hockey team. We also have a good group of guys who can hold down our dressing room. We have good vibes. That’s all you can wish for: a group of guys that get along together. That’s an important aspect of having success.”
Kearsey had some successful experiences earlier this season, including an invite to the Detroit Red Wings' development, rookie, and main camps. He said it was a surreal experience.
“It was something I had never seen before. They had all the past superstars there, like Nicklas Lindstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and other legends. That was my first impression. My second impression was at the rookie camp and then making the main camp, and I got a chance to meet and skate with all the Red Wing guys like Larkin and Kane, so it was a super cool experience overall.”
Kearsey also spoke with Danny Cleary, a fellow Newfoundlander and the Red Wings' Director of Player Development, and General Manager Steve Yzerman.
“I met with them as soon as the main camp was over. They said they enjoyed watching me play there and that they would keep an eye on me in the years to come. They also told me to keep in contact with them.”
Donald Hickey - Goal
St. Mary’s, NL Goaltender Donald Hickey is in his rookie season with the Islanders. He said playing against the top players in Canada is an absolute dream.
“Oh, it's wicked. It's a great organization, and I'm glad Charlottetown drafted me. The league is much faster, and there is more skill. The first thing I noticed when I started playing here was more traffic in front of my net than junior A. So adjusting to all the traffic and reading the play takes more skill, and you must be faster.
Hickey played in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) Jr. A league for three years in Cornwall, Ontario, played in a U18 league, and attended prep school there.
Hickey said he likes to use his athleticism and quick feet to his advantage when standing between the pipes. He also said his hands are off the charts but feels the need to work on his stickhandling the puck this season.
“There is nothing wrong with it now, but it could always be improved to keep getting used to the game's speed and being ready for shots.”
And it's great to have support from fellow Newfoundlanders on his team.
“It’s nice. This is my first year, and having many Newfies on my team, I feel a huge sense of home being around them.”
Matt Butler - Forward
St. John’s forward Matt Butler, who played at St Mary’s prep school in Minnesota before joining the Islanders two years ago, said the QMJHL is precisely what he expected.
“I'm a smaller forward, so I use my size to my advantage when on the ice—making passes, using my skill in the offensive zone, and shooting the puck. I knew the QMJHL would be fast hockey with highly skilled players, and that's what I'm seeing here. It's fun to come to the rink daily, learn from coaches and teammates, and become a better hockey player.”
Butler said playing at this level and having friends on the ice from back home makes all the difference.
“Having the opportunity to play with other guys from back home is cool. We can talk about our homes and places we played before we came here. It's nice to talk with those guys and enjoy the moment while playing in Charlottetown, especially with Donnie on the net, as he always plays well. It’s great to see. It’s like you have your connection out there.”
Spencer Caines - Power Forward
Spencer Caines of Pasadena, NL, is a different type of forward than Butler. He uses his lanky 6’3"frame to drive the puck to the net and bang bodies in the dirty areas around it to create opportunities for his team.
Caines was born in Ontario and moved back home to Newfoundland when he was young. He was a standout power forward with the Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Valley Wildcats.
Caines said playing Junior A last year prepared him to get used to the stronger guys in the QMJHL.
He said he knew Kearsey from playing in other maritime leagues and immediately developed a friendship with him and the other Newfoundland players soon after Charlottetown signed him.
Caines is also confident that his team can turn it around this year.
“I think we can rebound from this slump we are in. We need to get our guys a little dirtier and be harder to play against.”
Jim Hulton, the Charlottetown Islanders' veteran coach of ten years, agrees. He also believes his Newfoundland players will help get the team there.
“Marcus Kearsey is a pretty big part of our team. He is an offensive defenceman. He went from 29 points in his first year to almost 50 last year. He drives our offence and power play and is our club's leader.”
Matt Butler is starting his second year with us. He is our number-one center and plays a significant role in our offence.
Spencer is a free agent who has scored many goals in the Maritime Junior Hockey League. We were looking to add size and offence to our team. We think he can play a big role there.
Donnie is a player with a big future here. We watched a lot of him in Ontario. We were happy to get him signed.”
Hulton said the best thing about Newfoundland hockey players is that they are easy to coach.
“They integrate well with teammates, and we have them on every team. They are just great people and don’t have much ego, so you don’t hear many complaints. If all we had to coach were players from Newfoundland, there would be a lot of happy coaches.”
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