CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Colten Ellis has made a seamless transition to his new team.
The River Denys, N.S., native has fit right in with the Charlottetown Islanders after spending the first three years of his junior career with the Rimouski Oceanic. The Isles acquired the overage goalie in a blockbuster deal during the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft on June 6.
“It’s been great,” Ellis said before Tuesday’s practice. “The biggest thing was everyone here was really welcoming to me and helped make that transition as easy as possible. Everybody has been very supportive.”
Islanders’ veteran Thomas Casey said he has been texting back and forth with Ellis since the trade.
“When we met (on Day 1 of camp) it was like we’ve known each other for a while,” he said. “He’s a good Cape Breton guy, so it was very easy to make conversation with him.”
Jim Hulton, the Isles’ head coach and general manager, said Ellis’ professionalism is what has stood out most to him.
“I think that’s the word that jumps out when I think about him,” he said of the St. Louis Blues’ third-round draft pick, who won the Telus Cup in 2017 with the Cape Breton West Islanders.
“He has a quiet, calm demeanour – which I think is great for a goaltender,” Hulton said, noting Ellis moves quick in the crease and has really good rebound control.
Need to know
Who: Colten Ellis, the Charlottetown Islanders’ No. 1 goalie.
Acquired: The Islanders traded a third-round pick in 2020, plus their own first- and second-round picks in 2021 to Rimouski for Ellis at the draft in June.
Personal: Ellis turns 20 on Oct. 5. He is a six-foot-one, 182-pound goalie from River Denys in Cape Breton, N.S.
Ellis said: “Being a lot closer to home and being with a great organization like this, it’s going to be pretty awesome.”
The mask: Ellis recently received his new Islanders’ mask for the season. The Confederation Bridge is prominently displayed on the right side while the swing bridge at the Canso Causeway, connecting Cape Breton to mainland Nova Scotia, is on the left. A big Islanders logo adorns the top while his number – 92 – is on the chin.
New bucket for @coltenellis29...
— Charlottetown Islanders (@IslandersHKY) September 17, 2020
😍 pic.twitter.com/B63waGkciN
Statistics
Season GP W L GAA SAV%
2017-18 51 33 14 2.35 .913
2018-19 46 27 17 2.47 .910
2019-20 29 18 10 2.41 .904
Ellis, who turns 20 on Oct. 5, was acquired to help bridge the gap from veteran Matthew Welsh to Jacob Goobie, who is entering his sophomore year in Charlottetown, as the Islanders’ No. 1 goalie. Team officials put an emphasis on addressing the role heading into the off-season.
“When a guy like Colten comes on the market, you have to do what it takes to get him here,” Hulton said.
He added the market for such goalies is traditionally limited, and the prices increase during the Christmas trade period.
“And that’s a bold statement because we paid a lot, but honestly we thought the price was going to be even higher at Christmas.”
Ellis and Goobie already had a good working relationship before camp as the duo trained together the past two summers with Scott Gouthro in Cape Breton. The relationship has been fostered by goalie coach Paul Drew in Charlottetown.
“He’s been really helpful,” Goobie said of Ellis. “He’s been giving me little tips as I go along. He’s a really easy guy to talk to and has just been awesome to everybody in the room as well.”
Ellis sees it as a two-way street.
“He’s, obvious, going to be an awesome goalie in this league. I am going to learn from him and he’s going to learn from me, too, so it’s a win-win for both of us.”
Goobie is a competitor and wants to push for as many games as he can but is also thankful for the opportunity to be able to grow alongside veterans like Welsh and Ellis.
“I definitely can’t complain, that's for sure, (they are) two amazing guys to learn from.”
The trade brings Ellis back to the Maritimes to complete his junior career. During his tenure with the Oceanic, Rimouski would visit each of the Maritime teams once during the season. This year, he will only play in the Maritimes due to the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) pandemic.
“I will get to see my family and friends a lot more, so it’s exciting.”
But it also may mean he won’t get to play another game in Rimouski, Que., unless the teams meet in the playoffs, for which a format has yet to be announced.
“Rimouski is always going to hold a special place in my heart,” Ellis said. “Right from Day 1 they were so good to me and welcoming. My billet there, (Marie Soucy), was an unbelievable person. She really made me feel at home, going into a French city … and not knowing any French at all.”
Ellis and Summerside native Carson MacKinnon lived with the same billet family for two years before MacKinnon was traded to the Gatineau Olympiques. MacKinnon is attending UPEI this year and playing for the Panthers, so the two have been able to spend some time together.
Ellis has only played half a game during the pre-season but can see the regular season is nearing.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Ellis said.
“We have a great group of guys and going into the season it’s pretty exciting,” he added. “I think we’re going to be able to do a lot of damage here.”
