The Guardian (Charlottetown)

Something to prove

Charlottet­own Islanders will show they’re the better club today

- Fred MacDonald Fred MacDonald’s column appears each Saturday in The Guardian. He can be reached at fiddlersfa­cts@hotmail.com.

The major junior Islanders meet the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada today at 4 p.m. at the Eastlink Centre and face major adversity for the first time since the final pieces of the Islanders hockey puzzle were put together back in January. In fact, the Islanders face eliminatio­n, down 3-1 in this series, but I’m convinced they can come back and it starts right here today.

The Islanders dominated the Armada Wednesday night in every aspect of the game except scoring and now trail in a series that many feel they can still win.

Discipline, or lack of it, has really hurt the Islanders and now they’ll play today without Daniel Sprong, their natural goalscorer who was suspended after a senseless elbowing penalty late in Wednesday’s game. The Islanders let a 4-2 Game 2 lead slip away here last week and they dominated and deserved a better fate in Wednesday night’s 4-2 loss in Quebec. I maintain they’re the better club and they’ll prove it today, even without Sprong.

The P.E.I. Exhibition Associatio­n is also in the spotlight but for all the wrong reasons.

This organizati­on is supposed to be in a partnershi­p with the province as well as Red Shores and the horse industry yet it continuall­y tries to dictate how everything should be run from its viewpoint only. With the 2017 Old Home Week harness racing agenda being expanded to include not just the usual week of racing but also the World Trotting Conference, so co-operation from all is required. Race fans will be coming to Charlottet­own not just from North America but from many of the European countries as well as New Zealand and Australia.

It is a great tourism opportunit­y for P.E.I. to step on the world stage if only for two weeks. Instead of pulling together as a team with its partners, the exhibition associatio­n has decided to push its own agenda. I am certain the vast majority that attend Old Home Week are here for the harness racing.

If there is ever an example of the tail wagging the horse, it’s the exhibition associatio­n’s relationsh­ip with Old Home Week.

On the ice

The fourth annual Vector Aerospace Face Off Against Cancer Charity Hockey tournament is all set for the weekend of May 26-28 at MacLauchla­n Arena.

All teams are guaranteed three games with the draft taking place on the Friday evening of that weekend with NHL stars like Stephen Richer, Bob Sweeney, Chris Nilan, Gary Leeman and Newfoundla­nd’s Darren Langdon in attendance. Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who has P.E.I. roots, is the honorary chairman of the tournament and will be appearing via video; he has donated an autographe­d jersey to help boost the silent auction items.

All of the money raised goes to help fight this terrible disease. There is still room for two or three more teams; the top fundraisin­g team gets to play against the NHL stars and celebritie­s team set for Sunday afternoon, May 28. Contact Margaret Wilton, mwilton@pei. cancer.ca or call 902-566-1713, extension 2223, for more informatio­n.

On the diamond

The Charlottet­own Islanders of the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League are training indoors at the complex in Stratford as are the Canada Games team and Dave McIsaac’s junior baseball club.

On the links

Golf fanatics got off to an early start but it’s still too cold for me. I walked the Avondale course with Wendell MacEachern last Wednesday and the course, especially the greens, are in exceptiona­l shape.

Tignish sports momma Sheila Gaudette sends along word that the Canada Games baseball team has a fundraisin­g golf tournament set for Don MacDougall’s Mill River course on Sunday, June 11. More details later.

On the track

Live harness racing continues this evening at the city track with a 12-dash card, post time 6 p.m. The $2,400 top class has Mr Irresistib­le, Adkins Hanaover, Junebugs Baby, Eagle Jolt and Sarcastic.

A couple of familiar faces won this week at Yonkers, New York. Santiago Style (by Shadow Play) handled the $22,000 class in 1:54.2 while the Whebby Stableowne­d Im Drinkin Doubles won in 1:55.1 for trainer Rene Allard. The Rev goes tonight at Yonkers as do Gold Cup faces Lucan Hanover and Hillbilly Hanover.

At the Meadowland­s tonight, Mark MacDonald who drives in the first six at Yonkers slips across the river into New Jersey and handles 2016 Jug heat winner Western Fame in his debut in the $18,000 class.

At Mohawk tonight, the top class goes for $27,000 with horses like Nickle Bag, Dinner at the Met, JJ Delivery (James MacDonald) and six others.

In the Maritimes, the annual awards night goes at Northside Downs, Sydney, tonight and the guest speaker is Anthony MacDonald who will be talking about The Stable.ca.

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