Charlottetown Islanders vs Moncton Wildcats

Charlottetown came flying out of the gates in their first pre-season game of 2026, building a multi-goal lead in the opening period that the Wildcats never seriously threatened. The Islanders' offence clicked across multiple lines, with the home side racking up eight goals by the final horn.

For Moncton, playing their second pre-season game in as many days after beating the Newfoundland Regiment 5-2 on Friday, Evan Foiles and Noah Survilas provided the only bright spots — each scoring for the Wildcats in a game where they were outplayed in every phase.

The 8-2 margin was the widest of any QMJHL pre-season fixture on Saturday.

The Islanders' fast start was decisive. Charlottetown's multi-goal first period put Moncton on the back foot before the Wildcats had settled into the game, and the visitors — who went the distance in net with Nathan Chénier on Friday — struggled to stem the flow. A short bench and the quick turnaround from Friday's contest likely contributed to the lopsided scoreline.

Charlottetown's goal-scoring was spread across multiple skaters, reflecting the kind of balanced attack Mitchell wants to build. For Moncton, Evan Foiles and Noah Survilas both found the net and were the Wildcats' most dangerous forwards. Full individual statistics for the Islanders' scorers were not published at time of writing, but the volume of chances created — eight goals — underscored the gap between the sides.

No official player of the match was announced for this pre-season fixture.

This was the Islanders' first competitive action under a radically new front office. President and general manager Scott Harris — appointed on 15 June — and head coach John Mitchell, who replaced the long-serving Jim Hulton (now at Saint John), are tasked with rebuilding a team that missed the QMJHL playoffs last season. An 8-2 pre-season win is a promising early sign of their vision taking shape.

The Wildcats, QMJHL champions in 2025, remain in evaluation mode. They split their opening pre-season weekend (1-1) and continue to assess their roster ahead of the regular-season opener in September.

Both teams continue their pre-season schedules on Sunday 23 August: the Islanders host the Newfoundland Regiment at Simmons Sports Centre (2:00 PM AT), while the Wildcats face the Saint John Sea Dogs on Monday.

Pre-season results should always carry a health warning, but an 8-2 home win against a traditional rival is the kind of statement every new coaching staff wants. Charlottetown set the tempo early, finished their chances and never allowed Moncton a foothold. For the Wildcats, a split weekend with an emphatic loss provides clear evidence of the work still to do before the regular season.