CORNWALL, P.E.I. – The Charlottetown Islanders mantra for its training camp was to get a little bit better each day.
“We just want to see progression in all areas,” head coach Jim Hulton said before Thursday’s practice. “We’ve focused a lot on our own zone, on breakouts and defensive zone, this week, so that’s the two areas we will look at and examine the closest.”
The Islanders conclude the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League pre-season this weekend. Charlottetown (2-1-1-0) travels to Saint John, N.B., Saturday to play the Sea Dogs (4-0-0-0) before hosting the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (3-1-0-0) Sunday at the Evangeline Recreation Centre in Abram-Village. Both games are 3 p.m. starts.
Goalies Matthew Welsh and Dakota Lund-Cornish will each get a start during the weekend, but who will play each game had not been determined.
RELATED: 16-year-old Xavier Fortin earns spot on veteran squad.
Montague’s Zac Arsenault remains with the team, giving them six defenders for the weekend with captain Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Hunter Drew both at NHL camps.
The Islanders open the regular season on home ice on Friday, Sept. 21.
Hulton said the veteran core proves its weight in many areas, whether it’s on road trips or helping teach a system at practice.
“You could see it evident on the ice here this week,” he said. “You saw a lot of our veteran guys working with the young guys and that’s what you hope for.”
