Men’s hockey Panthers hope for explosive second half push toward playoffs

By Reegan MacAulay

A new year brings a fresh opportunity for the still-young UPEI Panthers men's hockey team (6-11-0-1) to turn the tide and make the 2024-25 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) season one to remember rather than forget.

Reviewing the season up to this point the squad's second year of rebuilding hasn't, on paper, exactly fulfilled expectations thus far. From losing streaks and consistent injury bugs to some extremely unlucky moments, it's not exactly where the Panthers want to be in the standings; sixth out of seven teams, seven points ahead of last place, and nine points back of a three-way tie for second.

Despite the facts, it's not always a team's record and position in the standings that tell the full story. After a lengthy and well-deserved holiday break, UPEI has 12 games across five weeks to build a groundbreaking run toward the playoffs and, regardless of statistics, continue to prove they can beat any team on any given night and adapt to any challenge. 

Remember, last year, a team with 16 rookies improved from 7-10-1-0 in the first half to 5-4-0-3 in the second half, and nobody expected them to come up a few points short of gaining home-ice advantage in the playoffs. They even gave the Saint Mary's Huskies a solid run for their money in the quarterfinals, losing by just one goal in both losses and pushing a do-or-die game on home ice to overtime.

UPEI will begin the second half with a Wednesday-night showdown on Jan. 8 at the MacLauchlan Arena, as the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus (10-6-2-0) will face the Panthers for the fourth time this season. UPEI has yet to solve their woes against the Aigles Bleus, having lost all three of their previous games against them. There's hope for the fourth attempt, however, as a Moncton squad who started the season strong with six wins in their first eight games has won just four of their last 10 games.

A team filled with former Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League players, they have been led by veteran forwards Jeremy Michel and Michael Cyr and veteran defenseman Jacob Dion so far, with rookie forward Michael Horth and the goaltender duo of Nathan Darveau and Olivier Adam also impressing.

The Panthers will continue to be led by veteran forward Kaleb Pearson and veteran defenseman and captain Kurtis Henry, who, to nobody's surprise, are at the top of nearly all team statistics. It should be noted that they will be absent for several games in January due to their commitments to the FISU Winter Games in Torino, Italy between Jan. 13 and 23. For each player, the opportunity to represent their country on an international stage alongside some of the best U SPORTS players in Canada will be huge for their confidence, especially when they return to the lineup; plus, the rest of the Panthers squad will have a golden window to step up in their absence, take advantage of more ice time, and gain some spotlight.

Next in line to show the way would be sophomore forward Ben McFarlane whose 10 goals across 16 games beat his eight-goal campaign last season. Fellow sophomores like Josh Currie, Patrick LeBlanc, and Noah Sedore are not too far behind, with Currie and LeBlanc in particular on the brink of career-best seasons. While Sedore has struggled to contribute offensively in the first half, fans might remember that he has a hot streak in him, as he exploded for nine goals and 14 points in 12 games between January and February last season.

Keep an eye on other second-year standouts Elias Cohen and Keiran Gallant, both poised for offensive breakthroughs, along with rookie forward Brett Bressette, who, despite having just one goal on the season, has consistently impressed with his physical play, strong two-way game, and noticeable improvement with each outing. Rookie forward Robert "Bobby" Orr looks to end a six-game pointless skid and return to his early-season form when he recorded four goals and eight points in his first seven games.

On the backend, freshman Cameron Morton has easily been one of the most improved players within the squad. He has immensely strengthened his shot, grit, and tenacity and scored his first AUS goal in November. The goaltending duo of Joe Ranger and Jakob Robillard hope for a redemption arc as the pair will continue to be relied on since the departure of all-star Jonah Capriotti. Robillard has steadily shown promise in his first full-time campaign after being injured for most of last year, notably achieving three consecutive wins against Saint Mary's, Dalhousie, and StFX in late October.

The puck drops on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Buy tickets now at panthertickets.ca.