Charlottetown Islanders

The Charlottetown Islanders are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They are members of the Maritimes Division, and play their home games at the Eastlink Centre. The franchise was founded as the Montreal Rocket in 1999, then relocated to Charlottetown in 2003.

Originally located in Montreal, Quebec and known as the Montreal Rocket, the team relocated to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in 2003. They were named after Maurice "Rocket" Richard of the Montreal Canadiens, and their team crest depicted his number, 9.^[3]

In their first season on PEI, the Rocket won 40 regular season games and made it to the second round of the playoffs, where they lost in six games to the Moncton Wildcats led by future NHL star goaltender Corey Crawford.^[4]

Beginning in the 2013–14 season, the Rocket rebranded as the Charlottetown Islanders.^[5]

President and governor Serge Savard Jr. confirmed that the QMJHL offered to buy the struggling franchise. Savard said he intended to accept the offer, somewhere in the area of $3.5 million, unless he was able to find a local buyer or buyers for the team. Savard said league commissioner Gilles Corteau had given him until April 26 to secure a buyer. One interested group intended to relocate the team to Sorel, Quebec.^[6] An ownership group led by Geoff Boyle purchased the team in 2013, keeping it in Charlottetown. The new Islanders logo and colour scheme was unveiled on May 26.^[7]

In the 2014–15 season, for the first time since the franchise's inaugural season as the PEI Rocket, the Charlottetown Islanders advanced to the second round of the QMJHL playoffs, after defeating the Sherbrooke Phoenix 4–2 in the first round. However, in the second round, they were eliminated by the Quebec Remparts 4–0.^[8]

On June 29, 2015, the Islanders hired Jim Hulton as head coach after Gordie Dwyer was relieved of his duties as head coach.^[9]

El 29 de marzo de 2016, los Islanders establecieron un nuevo récord de la QMJHL de mayor cantidad de tiros a puerta en un período de un partido de playoffs con 32. El récord anterior era de 30, compartido por cuatro equipos. ^{[ 10 ]}

El 4 de junio de 2016, los Charlottetown Islanders fueron sede del Draft de la QMJHL de 2016, el primero para la franquicia desde 2006, cuando eran conocidos como los PEI Rocket. ^{[ 11 ]}

El 13 de abril de 2017, los Islanders avanzaron a la tercera ronda de los playoffs por primera vez en la historia de la franquicia, eliminando a los Cape Breton Screaming Eagles cuatro juegos a cero en la segunda ronda. ^{[ 4 ]}

El 14 de marzo de 2021, Kenzie Lalonde se convirtió en la primera mujer en narrar un partido de la QMJHL por televisión; el partido fue entre los Islanders y los Halifax Mooseheads , siendo estos últimos los locales. ^{[ 12 ]}

El 30 de mayo de 2022, los Islanders ganaron su serie de tercera ronda para llegar por primera vez a la final de la Copa Presidente . Esta fue también la cuarta vez en los últimos cinco playoffs que el equipo alcanzó la tercera ronda. ^{[ 13 ]}

• Montreal Rocket (1999–2003) ^{[ 19 ]}
• Cohete PEI (2003–2013) ^{[ 20 ]}
• Charlottetown Islanders (2013–presente) ^{[ 21 ]}

• Lista de equipos de hockey sobre hielo en la Isla del Príncipe Eduardo.

• Sitio web oficial
• Perfil de la Guía de Arenas de la QMJHL Archivado el 20/07/2006 en Wayback Machine