Ethan Beaulieu is a key contributor for the Kensington Wild.
Beaulieu’s loyalty has not gone unnoticed by Wild franchise
KENSINGTON
There was never any question what uniform Ethan Beaulieu would wear for the 2018-19 season.
“I really like it here, and figured I would finish my midget career here with all my buddies,” said Beaulieu, who proudly dons the red, white and green jerseys of the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild. “It’s been a great run. I’ve had a lot of fun here all three years, and it’s gone by pretty fast.” Beaulieu’s return was welcomed news for the Wild, members of the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League.
“Ethan got drafted (by the Berwick, N.S.-based Valley Wildcats) in the Maritime Junior Hockey League (in June 2018), and he made it clear he was coming back no matter what,” said Wild head coach Kyle Dunn. “As a coach, in the summer, you love to hear a third-year guy is coming back.
“Right off the bat you see leadership from him saying, ‘I want to be here, and I want to be a part of a winning organization.’
“It’s great to have him back.”
Team captain
The Wild rewarded Beaulieu’s loyalty by naming him the sixth team captain in franchise history. With the Wild starting the regular season with only three third-year players, Beaulieu assumed a heavy leadership role right from the beginning of training camp. “Ethan is a guy who is looked upon by our team as a leader, and the coaching staff saw him as a leader as well,” said Dunn. “It was a pretty easy choice to make Ethan captain.” Beaulieu, a Grade 12 student at Three Oaks Senior High School in Summerside, admitted it was “pretty exciting when I got the news” about being named team captain before the Wild’s home opener on Sept. 22. When asked about his style of leadership, Beaulieu responded, “I am pretty quiet, so I try to bring it on the ice.”
Beaulieu did not have to look far for advice when it came to decide where he would play major midget hockey. His older brother, Lucas, who is also a defenceman now playing with the Western Red Wings of the Island Junior Hockey League, played with the Wild for their first three seasons.
“Lucas said he really enjoyed his three years here,” said the younger son of Richard and Tracy Beaulieu of Borden-Carleton. “I had the option to go to Charlottetown, but I knew I wanted to come here.”
Home game
Beaulieu and the Wild return to Credit Union Centre in Kensington on Saturday, when the Saint John Vitos visit for a 7:30 p.m. start. The Wild, who is 19-5-1 (won-lost-overtime losses), will look to avenge a disappointing 6-2 loss to the Vitos (13-9-1) in Kensington on Wednesday night.
Beaulieu will be one of the veterans the coaching staff will look to for a big game as Kensington looks to get back on the winning track. The Wild has lost three of the last four games, after reeling off 13 straight league wins.
“I like to bring a physical game to get the boys going,” said the soft-spoken 17-year-old Beaulieu, who has recorded 15 points in 23 regular-season games this year. Beaulieu, who made his MHL debut with the Wildcats after being called up for a New Year’s Eve game against the Western Capitals in Summerside, added he looks to contribute at both ends. “When I’m in the offensive zone I try to do as much as I can, and when I’m in the defensive zone stick with my guy and try not to let them score,” said Beaulieu, who is well-known for dishing out
hard, clean open-ice hits. Beaulieu also knows a thing or two about what it takes to win championships. He and teammate Colby MacArthur of Summerside have been members of provincial championship teams the last six years. That, along with having 100 regular-season and provincial playoff games to his credit with the Wild, has resulted in raised expectations for Beaulieu.
“We are on him all the time, game in, game out, shift in, shift out and holding him accountable,” said Dunn. “He takes it all in stride, and keeps these guys accountable in our dressing room. He’s a competitor, he’s won his whole life.”