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neilhoskins77 · 06-19-2020, 04:33 PM

4th August 2019
It’s my first day as an ice hockey Head Coach, and I have three offers on the table. One is my nearest and dearest team, the Cardiff Devils of the Elite Ice Hockey League in the UK. It would have been the logical choice. But this isn’t about logic, this is about a bit of a challenge.

Offer two was from a Czech team, SK Trhači Kadañ, who play in the second tier Chance Liga. Now that would have been a challenge. Maybe too much of a challenge for a rookie Head Coach straight out of the UK though?

Finally, offer number three. The one that intrigued me the most. Formerly known as the Prince Edward Island Rockets, they rebranded as the Charlottetown Islanders in 2013, playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), out of the Eastlink Centre in the largest city on PEI. This is the franchise that spawned Dion Phaneuf, Maxim Lapierre and Adam McQuaid as their most famous alumni. But this is a franchise that has never won a Championship. It wants to win one quickly, and they want me to lead them to that maiden Title. I accept, despite their ridiculous offer of $2,000 annual salary.

5th August 2019
Day one, and I meet the owner, one Mr Serge Savard. He tells me the target for the forthcoming 2019/20 season is to reach the Playoffs in the QMJHL. The team budget is $74,500, and we have a current payroll of $65,995. He strongly suggests I get to know the club, particularly my roster and chart. Clearly I’ve upset the guy, he seems keen to ruin my day.

We need some help in the Goalie, Defencemen, and Right Wing positions, probably in that order, which shows you how bad the situation is when we only have two dedicated RW’s on the roster. I’ve told him that I’m quite some kind of ‘wheeler dealer’. Turns out I’ll have to be.

11th August 2019
A new starting netminder was a real must for us. We were not well equipped in that department, and I spent several days looking for a club who would be suitable trade partners. I found exactly what I was looking for at the Saint John Sea Dogs. They had five netminders, four of which were better than what we had. Their top man is Swiss, and classed as a foreigner. With only two permitted per roster, and us already at the limit, I made my move for their older, but just as capable back-up, who would comfortably be our number one. I made my move, and went in aggressively, offering them a depth C from our roster who would fit the second line space on their weak looking depth chart. Turns out they rated 18 year old Zachary Beauregard, but not quite enough to accept my offer to send him over in return for goalie Zachary Bouthillier and a First Round pick for 2020. I dropped my request for a pick down to a 2nd Round selection, and their need to enhance their forward corps tempted them, done deal. A very nice upgrade between the pipes, he went at #23 in the 2015 QMJHL Draft, and last summer he was selected as a 7th round outsider by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the ‘18 version of the NHL Draft.

14th August 2019
Quickly, I had earned the tag as the League’s new boy who was willing to talk trades and thrash out a deal. That made me as popular as the kid who got sent to school with freshly baked cupcakes. Drummondville Voltigeurs wanted some of the cake!

The object of their attention was our 16 year old D’man rookie William Trudeau. He is labelled as an Offensive Defenceman, but the most offensive thing about this #194 selection in last years QMJHL Draft was his haircut. They offered me a Third Rounder in the next Draft, a pretty square deal. But square deal’s won’t make us better, and my D is lopsided to the left. So I asked for, and received 18 year right sided Antoine Palardy too. He’s yet to play at this level since being drafted in 2015 and only ten places higher than Trudeau. But he has better size and shot, and I might yet find use for the kid.

06-19-2020, 04:33 PM	#1
neilhoskins77 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: South Wales, UK Posts: 25	The Islanders of the North 4th August 2019 It’s my first day as an ice hockey Head Coach, and I have three offers on the table. One is my nearest and dearest team, the Cardiff Devils of the Elite Ice Hockey League in the UK. It would have been the logical choice. But this isn’t about logic, this is about a bit of a challenge. Offer two was from a Czech team, SK Trhači Kadañ, who play in the second tier Chance Liga. Now that would have been a challenge. Maybe too much of a challenge for a rookie Head Coach straight out of the UK though? Finally, offer number three. The one that intrigued me the most. Formerly known as the Prince Edward Island Rockets, they rebranded as the Charlottetown Islanders in 2013, playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), out of the Eastlink Centre in the largest city on PEI. This is the franchise that spawned Dion Phaneuf, Maxim Lapierre and Adam McQuaid as their most famous alumni. But this is a franchise that has never won a Championship. It wants to win one quickly, and they want me to lead them to that maiden Title. I accept, despite their ridiculous offer of $2,000 annual salary. 5th August 2019 Day one, and I meet the owner, one Mr Serge Savard. He tells me the target for the forthcoming 2019/20 season is to reach the Playoffs in the QMJHL. The team budget is $74,500, and we have a current payroll of $65,995. He strongly suggests I get to know the club, particularly my roster and chart. Clearly I’ve upset the guy, he seems keen to ruin my day. We need some help in the Goalie, Defencemen, and Right Wing positions, probably in that order, which shows you how bad the situation is when we only have two dedicated RW’s on the roster. I’ve told him that I’m quite some kind of ‘wheeler dealer’. Turns out I’ll have to be. 11th August 2019 A new starting netminder was a real must for us. We were not well equipped in that department, and I spent several days looking for a club who would be suitable trade partners. I found exactly what I was looking for at the Saint John Sea Dogs. They had five netminders, four of which were better than what we had. Their top man is Swiss, and classed as a foreigner. With only two permitted per roster, and us already at the limit, I made my move for their older, but just as capable back-up, who would comfortably be our number one. I made my move, and went in aggressively, offering them a depth C from our roster who would fit the second line space on their weak looking depth chart. Turns out they rated 18 year old Zachary Beauregard, but not quite enough to accept my offer to send him over in return for goalie Zachary Bouthillier and a First Round pick for 2020. I dropped my request for a pick down to a 2nd Round selection, and their need to enhance their forward corps tempted them, done deal. A very nice upgrade between the pipes, he went at #23 in the 2015 QMJHL Draft, and last summer he was selected as a 7th round outsider by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the ‘18 version of the NHL Draft. 14th August 2019 Quickly, I had earned the tag as the League’s new boy who was willing to talk trades and thrash out a deal. That made me as popular as the kid who got sent to school with freshly baked cupcakes. Drummondville Voltigeurs wanted some of the cake! The object of their attention was our 16 year old D’man rookie William Trudeau. He is labelled as an Offensive Defenceman, but the most offensive thing about this #194 selection in last years QMJHL Draft was his haircut. They offered me a Third Rounder in the next Draft, a pretty square deal. But square deal’s won’t make us better, and my D is lopsided to the left. So I asked for, and received 18 year right sided Antoine Palardy too. He’s yet to play at this level since being drafted in 2015 and only ten places higher than Trudeau. But he has better size and shot, and I might yet find use for the kid.