Showcasing their games
Junior teams’ scouts in Charlottetown this weekend for major under-18 event
Luke Coughlin will lean on his past as he prepares for the biggest weekend of the young hockey season.
The 15-year-old defenceman and his Charlottetown Bulk Carriers Knights’ teammates will host the New Brunswick/Prince Edward Island Major Under-18 AAA Hockey League showcase this weekend at MacLauchlan Arena.
“It’s obviously a great opportunity,” the Charlottetown native said Wednesday. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Coughlin is one of five first-year players who made the Knights this season along with Central Attack major under-15 teammate Brett Arsenault and a trio from the Eastern Express (Harry Clements, Jude Campbell and Caleb MacDonald).
They will all be eligible for junior drafts at year’s end, and
many of those teams will have eyes in the stands this weekend. The tournament provides scouts a chance to catch three games on Saturday and three more on Sunday under one roof.
“I believe there’s a bit of pressure, but I think I am pretty good with dealing with that. I will kind of push it to the side and just go out there and play hockey,” said Coughlin, a five-foot-nine, 165pound left-shot defenceman.
“I don't think I change
my game at all. … I am just going to keep doing what I am doing and keep my game pretty simple.”
He has played in a number of big tournaments in the past, including the bantam Atlantics two years ago, the Monctonian, the Chronicle Herald East Coast IceJam and the Spud. He said past experiences are important in preparing for competitions like this weekend.
“I have been fortunate enough to play in some big games over the years, so I think that does come into play.”
The six-team league hosted its first showcase in February in Kensington. It plans on hosting two this season with the second coming in February in New Brunswick.
“We thought it would be kind of cool for the scouts to see the players early in the season and then again later in the season,” said league president Barry Thompson.
While it is an opportunity for scouts to get a good look at players eligible for the draft for the first time, they will also be keeping an eye on secondand third-year players.
Head coach Luke Beck noted 10 of his Knights have already been drafted by major junior clubs and a handful more with junior A squads.
“It’s an opportunity for (the players) to showcase themselves to the teams that drafted them (and show) where they’re at,” he said.
While it is a showcase weekend, the games all count in the standings and Beck isn’t expecting a skills competition.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only 100 spectators are allowed into MacLauchlan Arena, located at the Bell Aliant Centre on the UPEI campus, and half of the spots were reserved by scouts.