SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals’ first selection in Saturday’s Maritime Junior Hockey League Entry Draft has family ties to the Prince County city.
The Caps selected forward Jonah Jelley in the second round, 21st overall. He is the 16-year-old son of Mark and Kimberley Jelley. Mark is from Summerside and the family moved to Charlottetown from Moncton, N.B., two years ago. It was at that time Jelley headed to Wilcox, Sask., to attend school and play for the Notre Dame Hounds.
“I wasn’t sure when I was going to go, but I really wanted to come to Summerside and play locally,” said Jelley. “I am super, super pumped.”
Caps general manager Pat McIver described Jelley as a “very skilled and smart” player.
“Jonah is a very good offensive player,” said McIver. “We feel he’s a guy who is going to play junior A and is going to be able to step in and compete for a spot on our team this year and be a future Capital.”
The five-foot-nine and 160-pound Jelley had 44 points, including 13 goals, in 36 regular-season games with Notre Dame’s minor midget team during the 2019-20 campaign.
"I see myself as a play-making forward who sees the ice well and has good hockey sense who finds that open guy and plays a full 200-foot game on both sides of the puck, defensively and offensively,” said Jelley, who is looking forward to competing for a roster position in training camp.
Picks
The Capitals selected nine players in the draft, including defenceman and Summerside native Sid McNeill, who was announced as a territorial pick on June 8.
Teams that passed on territorial selections received an extra pick. Since the Caps only made one territorial selection, they drafted forward Jake Kyle of the Saint John Vitos in the fifth round. Kyle, 18, had 41 points, including 16 goals, in 39 regular-season games in the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League last season.
“He’s an ’02-born player and is ready to step in now,” said McIver. “He was captain of his team last year and comes highly recommended.
“I didn’t personally see him a lot myself, but we are hearing great things and we think he’s going to come in and make our team this year.”
The Capitals drafted forward Carter Murchison in Round 6. He is the son of former Western Capital Bruce Murchison and his grandmother, Judy Murchison, is a former team president of the Caps.
He had 35 points, including 12 goals, in 35 games with the Cole Harbour Wolfpack in the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies selected him in the third round (43rd overall) of the recent Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) draft.
“The Murchison kid is a good player and there is a chance he might play in the Q,” said McIver. “If not, he has strong ties to P.E.I. and strong ties to the organization.
“If it doesn’t work out in major junior, we think he will be in Summerside.”
Three Knights
The Caps took three Charlottetown Knights in Rounds 7, 8 and 9 – defenceman Will Smith of Albany, forward Jesse Blanchard of Summerside and goaltender Aiden Williams of Springhill. Smith had seven points, including three goals, during the 2019-20 New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League regular season, while Blanchard had eight goals and 15 points in 38 regular-season contests. In 17 regular-season games, Williams went 5-7-2 (won-lost-overtime losses) and had a 3.09 goals-against average and .910 save percentage.
The Caps took goaltender Cruz Loughlin of the East Coast Blizzard in the ninth round. Loughlin went 10-3-2 in 17 regular-season games in the Newfoundland and Labrador Major MIdget Hockey League last season. He sported a 2.77 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.
“We really like the two goalies we selected,” said McIver. “We got them late, but we feel they are guys who are going to be really good at our level."
The Caps selected defenceman Jacob Squires of Charlottetown with their final pick in the 10th round. Squires had three assists in 52 regular-season games with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in his rookie season in the QMJHL. He was traded to the Cape Breton Eagles on June 6.
Picks
A look at the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals’ 2020 draft picks:
Player Pos. 2019-20 team
Territorial
Sid McNeill D Oakland Junior Grizzlies U15
Second Round
Jonah Jelley F Notre Dame Hounds minor midget
Fifth Round
Jake Kyle F Saint John Vitos
Sixth Round
Carter Murchison F Cole Harbour Wolf Pack
Seventh Round
Will Smith D Charlottetown Knights
Eighth Round
Jesse Blanchard F Charlottetown Knights
Ninth Round
Aiden Williams G Charlottetown Knights
10th Round
Cruz Loughlin G East Coast Blizzard
Jacob Squires D Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Note: Squires was traded to the Cape Breton Eagles in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on June 6.
