Getting closer
Islanders reduce roster by six on Sunday
The Charlottetown Islanders have reduced their training camp roster by six. Goalie Marc-Antoine Dufour, 18, defenceman Tyler Dam and forwards Cameron Bisson, Johnny Foley, Zac Thususka and Evan Gallant were given the news Sunday morning.
It leaves the Islanders with 25 players. Defenceman Pierre-Olivier Joseph is attending camps with the Arizona Coyotes while forward Adam Marsh will join him Sept. 5.
Dufour (Valleyfield, Que.), Gallant (St. Stephen) and Thususka (Summerside) will be junior A affiliate players.
It leaves the Islanders with two goalies, nine defencemen and 14 forwards vying for roster spots.
General manager Jim Hulton said he liked what he saw out of Dufour, but decided to go with returnee Matthew Welsh and rookie Dakota Lund-Cornish.
“He had a really, really good camp, but to me, it doesn’t make much sense having two ’99 goalies,” Hulton said. “Dakota had a really good camp as well. We’re fortunate in the fact that, we think, we finally have some really good goaltending depth in our organization.” The trade window closes Monday morning while there is a waiver process for 19-yearold players who are not signed with teams on Tuesday. Seacow Pond’s Brad Morrissey, who the Islanders drafted in the third round in June, has verbally committed to the University of Maine.
“It’s a setback, but it’s not a closed door,” Hulton said. “He has two years of high school before he could even grace the doors of Maine. . .
“He remains our property for this level and we’ve seen lots of kids in the past changed their mind.”
The Islanders were still waiting word late Sunday night from its top pick, centre Brett Budgell, who also left camp to retain NCAA eligibility. The Islanders gave up five third period goals to lose 6-1 to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan Saturday. The Islanders are now 0-30-0 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League pre-season action.
Cayse Ton scored on a penalty shot in the first period for the Isles lone goal. Anoine Morand tied it in the second and Samuel L’Italien scored the winner four minutes into the third. Justin Ducharme added two goals while Evan White and Dawson Theede each had one. Summerside’s Noah Dobson had an assist.
Welsh was peppered with 52 shots, including 22 in the final frame, in the loss while Simon Boudreault-Belzile made 12 saves on 13 shots in the first two periods for the host Titan and Dominik Tmej was 8-for-8 in the third.
The Islanders return to action on Sept. 9 when they play the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in North Sydney, N.S. The teams play in P.E.I. on Sept. 16 at the Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre in Montague. The Isles complete the preseason on Sept. 17 at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown against the Titan.