Unfinished business
Longest-serving Western Capital has high expectations for second half
It’s been a long wait to get back on the ice, but the longest-serving player with the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals is looking to close out his junior A career with a bang. Defenceman Jesse Annear has high expectations entering his final few months wearing the Caps’ white, blue and red uniforms.
“Jesse is a special guy,” said Caps head coach Billy McGuigan. “He’s in his fourth year here, and he’s bound and determined this will be his best yet.”
Annear, like any other 20-yearold player, does not hide the fact he desperately wants to go out a champion, which would mark the Caps’ first MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League) championship since 2013.
“I’ve had a good time here, honestly, and we’ve had lots of chances to win,” said Annear, who has been part of teams that have been eliminated in the Eastlink North Division final in each of his first three years. “But, this year, I feel we have our best shot.”
The Caps, coming off a 7-1 road victory over the Valley Wildcats on Saturday, sit atop the division and second overall in the 12-team league at 21-5-0 (won-lost-overtime losses).
The Caps return to Eastlink Arena on Monday as the Wildcats make a return visit to Summerside for a 5 p.m. start. A big crowd is anticipated as there is no admission charge for this game, which is part of the City of Summerside’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.
“Any time you get to play in front of a lot of fans it’s definitely exciting, and way more fun, to be honest,” said Annear. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Return
Annear, who returned to the Caps’ lineup in early December, missed the first three months of the 2018-19 season recovering from shoulder surgery on June 5. Although his recovery took a little longer than expected, he acknowledged he’s now 100 per cent. “It’s not very much fun watching your friends play, and not being able to be out there with them, especially when they are playing well,” said the 20-yearold son of Ron and Jeanne Annear of Lower Montague. “It was frustrating that I had a couple of setbacks that made my recovery take longer than it should have been. I’m pretty happy to be back now.”
McGuigan added that the timing of Annear’s return is basically the equivalent of adding an impact defenceman at Christmas. “Obviously, we would have loved to have had him in September, but he wasn’t ready then,” said McGuigan. “Now it’s a bonus for us.
“You get a top-four defenceman, he walks right into your lineup and is familiar with the systems and structure that we play with. It’s great to have his energy level back.” McGuigan said Annear, who will be looked upon to provide leadership on the back end, immediately makes the Caps a better team.
“He’s as fast as any player in the league, he’s creative, he’s good offensively, he plays well defensively, he works hard and he stabilizes our blue-line,” said McGuigan. “He’s been a great player for us in Summerside.”
Midget-aged rookie
The six-foot and 160-pound Annear, who is studying sciences at UPEI, joined the Capitals as a midget-aged 17-year-old rookie for the 2015-16 season after being drafted in the third round, 30th overall, in 2015. Prior to joining the Caps, he played two seasons with the Kensington Wild of the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League.
“It was a little tough at first because I was a lot smaller than other players,” said Annear. “My strength wasn’t quite there, but I found as soon as I adjusted I played pretty well.
“We had a good team that year, and that made it easier because I had good players to pass the puck to.”
Annear, who has played 177 regular-season and playoff games for the Caps and has had increased offensive production each year, said one former Capital who had a big influence on him in his rookie season was team captain and defenceman Bobby Zinkan.
“When I first came to the Caps my confidence rushing the puck and having the puck on my stick wasn’t quite as much as it is now,” said Annear in describing how his game has evolved. “I have a lot more composure now, and more confidence in my abilities than when I first got here.”
Is that something that came with experience?
“It came from experience, and also Billy was good at pushing me to get up into the rush,” answered Annear.
From a coaching perspective, McGuigan assessed Annear’s development over the last four years: “Jesse could always skate
and make plays, but he has gained a ton of confidence with his defensive play.
“He’s a lot better now defending with his stick, he knows how to use his body better, he makes a pass, reads the play and gets into a hole. His read-and-reaction time is faster, he is a lot more aggressive, he has a lot better shot than when he started in the league and he’s worked on that. His overall game, as a whole, has improved, and his development from Day 1 has been outstanding. Jesse’s second half is going to be a great half.”