Knights ready for challenge
Charlottetown, Kensington begin major midget championship Saturday
Simon Hughes said it best.
“It’s Kensington versus Charlottetown for the Island championship. It doesn't get much better than that,” the 16-year-old Stratford native said before Tuesday’s practice at MacLauchlan Arena.
The next chapter in the major midget rivalry begins Saturday as the Charlottetown Bulk Carriers Knights visit the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Island championship. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at the Credit Union Centre in Kensington.
On the line is a provincial title, bragging rights and a berth in the Atlantic championship, which takes place April 2-5 in Corner Brook, N.L.
Hughes has seen both sides of the Island rivalry.
He was an underage player with the Wild a year ago and moved to the Knights this season. He is one of a few players who switched sides this year, only adding more fire to what is a heated rivalry between players who have competed together and against one another for years. Many also attend school together.
“I have lots of friends on the other team, but when the puck drops it’s all business,” said Hughes, a Grade 10 student at Charlottetown Rural High School. “Across the Maritimes, I don't think there’s a bigger rivalry than Charlottetown and K-town. It makes games extra special when you play them and it’s easy to get up for the games.”
The Wild has had the stronger program in recent years, winning the previous four provincial titles.
They have a more experienced group than the Knights this season, won all the headto-head meetings during the regular season and some critics have counted Charlottetown out for most of the season.
The Knights have heard the outside noise but aren’t letting it impact their preparation.
“Everyone on the team believes in ourselves and thinks we have a chance to win,” said Hughes, a six-foot-one, 168-pound left-winger who has played mostly on a line with captain Max Chisholm and Colby Huggan this season. “Everybody shows up to the rink and wants to be better. People kind of doubted us early on and I think we used those critics as motivation.”
The Knights had a good start to the season but dropped 10 straight league decisions during the regular season in late 2019.
“Full credit to our leadership group and the character of our kids,” Knights’ head coach Luke Beck said. “They didn’t let it defeat them.”
He said the young group grew and became closer during the stretch.
And while they weren’t being rewarded during the regular season games, they turned in a strong Monctonian with a 2-2 record in four one-goal games.
They have been better since the calendar flipped to 2020. They went 2-0-1 in round-robin play at The Chronicle Herald East Coast Ice Jam and won a pair of playoff games before losing in the semifinal.
Cameron MacLean returned from Stanstead College in Quebec for the second half of the season after playing with Charlottetown as an underage player in 2018-19. Beck said while he is only 15 years old, he has provided another veteran voice for the squad while boosting the team’s offence.
“He’s very gifted,” Beck said. “He gave us a little bit more depth up front and I think that took the pressure off maybe some guys thinking they had to carry all the load.”
The Knights are playing some of their best hockey of late, defeating and losing in overtime to first-place Moncton in two February games.
It has boosted the Knights’ confidence, Beck said.
“We are confident and we know when we play our game … we can compete with anyone, not only in P.E.I. but Atlantic Canada.”