Need to know

Carson MacKinnon

Who – An 18-year-old Summerside native who plays for the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Size – Six foot, 172 pounds.

Drafted – The Oceanic selected MacKinnon in the fourth round (61st overall) in the 2015 draft.

Family connection – MacKinnon’s older brother, UPEI Panthers defenceman Ryan MacKinnon, played three seasons with the Oceanic from 2011-12 to 2013-14 and is a former team captain.

Statistics

Season GP

2017-18 36

2016-17 65

2015-16 65 G 6 13 7 A 9 14 7 Pts. 15 27 14

The Saint John Sea Dogs traded Dove-McFalls to the Rimouski Oceanic during the offseason. The Oceanic also added his teammate Chase Stewart and drafted Alexis Lafreniere first overall.

The trio has helped turn the Oceanic into a contender this season. They fortified their roster by adding guys like forward Mathieu Nadeau and defenceman Tyler Higgins from Val-d’Or, and blue-liner Jordan Lepage from Halifax in separate deals during the trade period.

The Oceanic entered Wednesday’s game in Saint John, N.B., with a 23-10-4-0 record and was leading the East Division.

Rimouski finished 16th last season and was swept in the first round by the Sea Dogs. Two years ago, in MacKinnon’s rookie season, the Oceanic finished the regular season eighth and lost in six games to the Islanders.

“At the start of the year nobody really expected us to be in the spot we are right now,” MacKinnon said.

“But every guy in the room believed, including the coaching staff, right from the get-go.”

Lafreniere hit the

ground running in his rookie campaign, scoring 19 goals and

setting up 19 more for 38 points in his first 31 games.

“Lafreniere has been nothing but great for us,” MacKinnon