ALBERTON - The Prince County Senior Hockey League is no more.
Welcome to the Superior Coach Lines Island Senior Hockey League, featuring four of the teams from the old Prince County league and a new entry, the Montague Marines.
"From my perspective, the skill level of the league went up significantly," said league president Jeff Ellsworth.
Some teams acquired players from the Alberton and Tyne Valley teams that decided to take a year off. As well, teams have extended their reach beyond their communities.
There's also a new crop of former junior and college players joining the senior ranks, Ellsworth noted
Team managers are in agreement that the skill level has improved this year.
Following are team profiles:
Kensington Granites
The defending champions haven't lost a step.
"We'll probably be very comparable to last year's team," said manager Pat McIver, who added Kensington is young and features strong goaltending.
Todd Gregory, who graduated from the Kensington Vipers of the Island Junior Hockey League, and returnee Tim MacPhee are the netminders.
Returning veterans are forwards Trevor Whelan and Jasun Campbell, and defenceman Ben Ramsay.
Newcomers include Cory Conway, who played with the Vipers last season; Tyler Murphy from the IJHL's Western Red Wings, and former Red Wing Ian Postma.
McIver said the Granites will look to Campbell, Andrew Hayes, Mark Gregory and Kirk MacPhee for scoring. They're hoping to have defenceman John Murphy back soon.
Ramsay, Jonathan Cameron and Ronnie Pineau will anchor the defence. If the going gets rough, Kensington can count on Whelan, Ramsay, Pineau and Cameron, suggested McIver.
The Granites, McIver said, are comprised primarily of players from central P.E.I.
McIver welcomes the addition of Montague. Montague's entry, plus drawing players from Tyne Valley and Alberton, he said, led to the strengthening of all teams.
"It's definitely a better product on the ice," he stressed.
O'Leary Maroons
O'Leary finished second in the regular season last year, and lost the best-of-seven final to Kensington 4-1.
"We should be a little stronger on defence," offered manager Barry Cooke, adding the Maroons acquired four new defencemen. They are Morgan Cooke, Joel Noonan of Summerside, and two players returning to competitive hockey after lengthy absences - Alex Morgan, a graduate from the Western Regals' midget AAA program, and former junior 'B' player Matthew Totten.
Up front, Aaron Sweet has joined the Maroons from the Western Red Wings, and Matthew Morgan returns after a year off.
The Maroons boast five sets of brothers - Steven and Sandy Stewart, Matt and Alex Morgan, Kyle and Kory Cooke, Steven and Simon Smallman and David and Aaron Sweet.
The team's top line, suggests Barry Cooke, is likely to feature Andre Howard between Kory Cooke and Darcy Harris.
Derek Fitzpatrick and Sandy Stewart form the goaltending tandem.
The Maroons had close to 25 players try out this year.
Wellington Flyers
The Flyers welcome a new sponsor, Ron's Plumbing and Heating.
Returning forward Jamie Caissie says the Flyers could be a team to reckon with.
"We're definitely stronger than we were the last couple of years," he stressed.
The Flyers added four players who became available because of Tyne Valley's decision not to ice a team. They are goaltender Jeff Noye and forwards Tylan Robinson, Kyle Sark and Colin Arsenault.
"We don't even know how many (Tyne Valley players) we've got yet," said Caissie. "We're hoping for a few more."
New to the league are Ryan Gallant, who played junior 'C' in Nova Scotia last year while attending college, and Dominique Gallant, who hasn't played competitive hockey since playing for Evangeline's junior 'B' team.
Nick Gallant is back up front after a year off.
Along with Caissie, goaltender John MacLellan and forward Shawn Bernard are back.
Randy Gallant is manager.
Tignish Aces
For Aces defenceman and co-manager Gary McRae, everything is relative.
"We're a lot stronger, but the league is a lot stronger, too," he said.
"It's going to be the best senior hockey on the Island in a while."
After a year in the New Brunswick Senior Hockey League, David Oliver has returned to help lead the Aces. He will have help from Jeff Keough, the team's top scorer last season.
The Aces have added Mitchell Hardy and Garrett Lewis from Alberton.
McRae said Tignish is hoping to sign Kyle Fraser, and former Summerside Western Capital and UPEI Panther Jordan Knox is expected to contribute offensively.
New defencemen are Robbie Bulger from Tyne Valley and former Viper Skylar Hustler. Trevor Kinch also returns.
Troy Ellsworth and Jonathan Gaudet are the goaltenders.
The Aces, who were the last team to hit the ice, will not begin their regular season until Dec. 4.
Montague Marines
"I've been trying to get in this league for about four years," declared manager Tom Walker.
But, at the time, the Prince County league was reluctant to expand.
"This year, they contacted me," added Walker.
Timing was right, he suggested. The league was interested in expanding to an Island-wide loop, there's player interest in eastern P.E.I., and Montague has a new arena.
"We have enough players for a competitive team," Walker said, adding he hopes the team draws well.
The Norsemen were the last senior team to play out of Montague, said Walker, estimating that was 10 to 15 years ago. He recalls Souris from the old Eastern Kings Hockey League and Kensington, from the Prince County league, playing a provincial final before big crowds in Charlottetown in 1996.
Leading the Marines offensively will be 24-year-old Mark Carragher, who played NCAA hockey and played semi-pro in Texas last year. He'll be on a line with former junior 'A' player Jamie MacInnis and Josh Whiteway.
Joe Gardiner and Kendall Palmer, who is familiar to Prince County fans, form the goaltending duo.
Ryan Murphy and Scotty Ramsay will provide muscle. They will play regular shifts, Walker added.
With an average age of 27, Walker said the Marines are relatively young.
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