Welcome home
Cape Breton hockey fans will see a familiar face at C200 this fall
It was the worst kept secret of the week. Sydney native Mitchell Balmas is coming home to play for the Screaming Eagles. As with any decision related to the Eagles, it’s been met with mixed enthusiasm in the court of public opinion.
On the one hand, this is an exciting bit of news after another disappointing season for the local major junior team. To add to the excitement, many Cape Bretoners proudly watched Balmas hoist the Memorial Cup on Sunday when his former team, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, took home the title for the first time. Hopes of our home team getting anywhere near the championship, let alone the final, dwindled months ago, but at least we had a local face to cheer for.
On the other hand, Balmas’s return doesn’t come cheap. The Eagles have traded a first-round pick (No. 9), a second-round pick (No. 36) in today’s draft, as well as defenceman Ryan MacLellan. Will the 20-year-old forward be worth all of that?
Of course, no one will know for sure until the season starts, but his stats certainly look promising.
Balmas, who was drafted by the Charlottetown Islanders in the first round, No. 7 overall, in 2014, finished the 2017-18 season with 42 goals and 30 assists for 72 points in 68 games. His 15 power play goals put him tied for third overall in the league. He recorded five goals and eight assists in 16 QMJHL playoff games.
If he can keep that up as an Eagle, he will be one of the top offensive players in the league next season.
And then there’s the potential he has to become the next fan favourite. Remember names like Kyle Farrell, Chris Culligan, Stuart MacRae, George Davis and Joey Haddad? The real question is, who doesn’t?
These players became instant stars for the Eagles. Not only were they local names who gave young hockey players inspiration to set high goals for themselves, but they each also took on a prominent role in the community and gave back whenever asked.
We expect Balmas will fit right into that same model and follow in the example of the Cape Bretoners who donned the Eagles jersey before him. That, combined with another high-scoring season, is a recipe for success as the Eagles try to bolster their chances both on the ice and at the box office for 2018-2019.