QMJHL: Biakabutuka welcomes alternative to mentor younger Charlottetown Islanders
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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Jérémie Biakabutuka’s worth to the Charlottetown Islanders for the 2022-23 season extends far past the stat sheet.
The 21-year-old defenceman from Longueuil, Que., has drawn on his experiences to play an necessary mentorship position in his remaining yr of eligibility within the Quebec Main Junior Hockey League.
“It was a rebuilding yr clearly with plenty of younger gamers,” Biakabutuka informed SaltWire Community in an interview following a latest observe at Eastlink Centre. “I used to be a veteran and tried to assist the youthful gamers get adjusted to the league and provides them my recommendation. … We now have an excellent group with plenty of younger expertise. It was enjoyable being round and serving to them.”
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One participant Biakabutuka has mentored is rookie defenceman Marcus Kearsey. The Islanders, who open the playoffs with back-to-back street video games towards the Quebec Remparts on March 31 and April 1, traded as much as draft Kearsey within the second spherical, thirty second general, of the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft. Kearsey has not disillusioned, recording 29 factors in 68 video games in his rookie 16-year-old season – he simply turned 17 on March 17.
“I used to be a veteran and tried to assist the youthful gamers get adjusted to the league and provides them my recommendation. … We now have an excellent group with plenty of younger expertise. It was enjoyable being round and assist them.” – Jérémie Biakabutuka
Biakabutuka’s affect on Kearsey has not gone unnoticed.
“We glance again to when Lukas Cormier first joined the group; he had three or 4 months enjoying beneath P.O. Joseph’s steering, and that labored out fairly properly,” stated Islanders normal supervisor and head coach Jim Hulton. “Jérémie has had the same sort of mentorship with Kearsey. They performed lots (collectively) this yr.
“You could possibly see a change in Marcus’ sport dramatically, I assumed, when Jérémie got here again from professional. It’s form of solidified issues again there. It let Marcus be Marcus and have somebody cowl up for the inevitable overlooks {that a} younger participant goes to have.”
Biakabutuka described Kearsey as an excellent younger participant and predicted the defenceman from Deer Lake, N.L., will go on to have an extended profession.
The best-handed-shooting Biakabutuka, who has performed 296 regular-season and playoff video games over 5 seasons within the QMJHL, added he enjoys working intently with the younger gamers.
“It’s very nice to assist folks, and serving to them helps the group to get higher,” stated Biakabutuka. “I at all times attempt to win and (Kearsey is) lots higher than he was originally of the yr.
“I’m actually proud of how he grew as a participant.”
At a look
Jérémie Biakabutuka’s QMJHL statistics:
Common Season
- Yr Group G A Pts PIM
- 2018-19 Val-d’Or 65 3 11 14 28
- 2019-20 Val-d’Or 47 5 13 18 38
- 2020-21 Val-d’Or 15 3 3 6 6
- 2020-21 Rimouski 23 2 10 12 25
- 2021-22 Rimouski 23 5 7 12 33
- 2021-22 Charlottetown 37 5 9 14 16
- 2022-23 Charlottetown 56 17 25 42 53
Numbers
In 56 regular-season video games with the Islanders, the six-foot-four and 215-pound Biakabutuka registered 42 factors – 17 objectives and 25 assists – together with 53 penalty minutes.
Hulton stated Biakabutuka has had a beautiful season and has not disillusioned because the Islanders acquired him on the commerce deadline final yr so as to add measurement and expertise for a playoff run that ended with a runner-up end to Shawinigan within the league remaining.
“He performed a giant position in a group that went to the ultimate and picked up (this yr) the place he left off,” stated Hulton. “He’s been an actual stable addition in each ends of the rink right here, and we hope it’s a springboard into a professional profession for him.”
Biakabutuka stated his position modified this yr going from a veteran-laden roster with championship aspirations to a youthful rebuilding group.
“Final yr, they had been all older, mature gamers,” stated Biakabutuka. “I used to be simply doing my factor, minding my very own enterprise as a result of no person wanted my assist.
“This yr, we would have liked somebody to tackle the management within the room, and we now have good leaders to assist the youthful gamers.”
Biakabutuka stated he has nothing however good issues to say about his yr and a half enjoying with the Islanders and residing in P.E.I.
“I’ve had good billets, good coaches, good teammates and an excellent run final yr with an excellent group,” stated Biakabutuka. “I’ve actually loved my time right here.”
Playoffs
Right here’s the schedule for QMJHL playoff sequence between Charlottetown and Quebec (best-of-seven):
(All Occasions Atlantic)
- Sport 1: March 31 – Charlottetown at Quebec, 8 p.m.
- Sport 2: April 1 – Charlottetown at Quebec, 5 p.m.
- Sport 3: April 4 – Quebec at Charlottetown, 7 p.m.
- Sport 4: April 5 – Quebec at Charlottetown, 7 p.m.
- Sport 5, if obligatory: April 7 – Quebec at Charlottetown, 7:30 p.m.
- Sport 6, if obligatory: April 10 – Charlottetown at Quebec, 8 p.m.
- Sport 7, if obligatory: April 11 – Charlottetown at Quebec, 8 p.m.
Jason Simmonds is a sports activities editor with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He will be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @JpsportsJason.
