Charlottetown Islanders advance to second round of QMJHL playoffs

The Charlottetown Islanders will advance to the second round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs for the third time in franchise history after winning 4-2 in game 6 to the Rimouski Océanic Sunday night.

"It was definitely a pretty great feeling," said team captain Oliver Cooper. "It was kind of a little bit of a relief too, to be able to finish it off at home and not have to go back up there and play game seven."

The only other times the team has made it to the second round were in 2004 when they were ultimately defeated by the Moncton Wildcats, and in 2015 when they failed to make it past the Québec Remparts.

"I think we've got all the pieces," said Cooper.

"We've got a lot of high-end talent. We've got great goal-tending, good defense. We've got a little bit of everything, plus the group of guys in that dressing room is unbelievable. We're like a family and everybody's really close, so it's easy to get up and play for the guy sitting next to you."

Head coach Jim Hulton agreed it was a collective effort that has brought the team this far.

"This time of year, it's teams that succeed, not necessarily individuals," he said.

While there was a lot of excitement for this win, part of the celebration was being able to get some rest and focus on the next round.

"I think they're so exhausted it was more a quiet satisfaction. They were excited, but it's time to rest and recover," said Hulton.

'Still on the hunt for a championship'

Now, the team has its eye on the championship.

"Your ultimate goal in hockey in any capacity is to win the last game you played, and we're still on the hunt for a championship," said Hulton.

Cooper said he's preparing for the next round, getting lots of rest and eating right.

"We enjoyed it, but right now it's back to business, and hopefully we'll be able to celebrate a few more wins down the road," said Cooper.

The team will know by tomorrow who their next opponent will be — either the Saint John Sea Dogs or the Shawinigan Cataractes.

"We're looking at some more travel here, so I think the big thing now is to rest — mentally and physically — and get ready to prepare for a second round," said Hulton.

'The further we go, the more excited people get'

Hulton said making it to the next round also boosts the team's bottom line.

"It's a costly venture to run a junior hockey franchise these days," he said. "The more gates that you can get, the more people you can get in your building, it's going to help your bottom line at the end of the day."

The team's success also boosts the support of fans, he said. The Islanders reported 2,851 people in the stands at the EastLink Centre on Sunday — Hulton is hoping to get a full house with 3,717 people for each of the home games in the second round.

"Their enthusiasm and excitement was contagious and I know our group fed off of the adrenaline and emotion in the building," he said.

"I think the further we can go the more excited people get and obviously there's a bigger buzz in the community and our crowds are bigger. The two seem to fuel each other to bigger heights."