Western Capitals comeback in home opener to beat Crushers 4-3

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. - The Summerside Western Capitals rallied back from a 3-1 second period deficit to beat the Pictou County Weeks Crushers 4-3 in a shootout Saturday night in the their home opener. 

Declan MacLauchlan scored the lone goal of the shootout to give the Western Capitals its third straight win of the season and improve to 3-2-0-0. The Crushers fall to 1-2-0-1 on the young season.

Matthew MacLean, Justin Ouellette and Lane Sim tallied goals in regulation time for the Capitals. Tanner Hayden scored twice for the Crushers as Ryan Walsh also tallied a goal for the visitors.

The Crushers opened the scoring at the 13:55 mark of the first period with Hayden’s first of the game and first of the season on a seeing eye wrist shot. Brennan O’Donnell and Rory Pilling drew assists. 

Summerside tied the game at 18:52 with MacLean’s second goal of the season. Maverick Hayes and Owen MacPherson drew assists. 

In the second period, Hayden added his second goal of the game at 11:23 on a (Caps goaltender) Max Picard and Hayes misplay in front of the Caps net. 

The Crushers took a 3-1 lead at 14:04 with Ryan Walsh scoring his third goal of the season. Quinn Price and Owen Bell drew assists. 

Summerside made it a 3-2 game at 17:22 with Ouellette’s fourth goal of the season. MacLauchlan drew the lone assist. 

In the third period, Sim tied the game at 10:53 with his third of the season after a little bit of chaos in front of the Crushers net. Ouellette and Lincoln Waugh drew assists. 

Regulation proved nothing and went into overtime. 

Picard made a big save on a penalty shot from Hayden with under a minute left in the extra frame to force the game to a shootout.

In the shootout, Crushers players Brody Ford, Hayden and Pilling were all stopped by Picard. Ouellette and Waugh couldn’t score before MacLauchlan shot last to seal the deal for the Western Capitals.

Picard made 24 saves in the win for Summerside. Jake Poirier made 43 saves in the loss for the Crushers but still earned third star honours.

Full game recap here.

The Western Capitals next game is Friday Oct. 2 in Campbellton against the Tigers for a 7 p.m. AST start.

Western Capitals take down Crushers 5-2

PICTOU COUNTY, N.S. - Declan MacLauchlan scored twice to help lead the Summerside Western Capitals to a 5-2 win over the Pictou County Weeks Crushers Thursday night at the Pictou County Wellness Centre. 

The Capitals win their second straight game and improve to 2-2-0-0 on the season, while the Crushers fall to 1-2-0-0. 

In additional to MacLauchlan’s two goals, Justin Ouellette (1-1), Owen MacPherson and Eli Swain tallied goals for the visiting Capitals. Brennan O’Donnell and Ryan Walsh scored for the Crushers. 

Summerside opened the scoring at 7:11 with Swain, who was called up for the game, scoring his first career MHL goal. Matthew MacLean drew the lone assist.  

Just 26 seconds later, the Crushers tied the game with O’Donnell’s second goal of the season. Rory Pilling drew the lone assist. 

MacLauchlan restored the lead for the Capitals at 17:40 with a power play goal for his second of the season. Aiden Diamond and Lane Sim drew assists. 

In the second period, MacPherson gave the Capitals a 3-1 lead with his third goal of the season at 1:06. Isaac Taweel drew the lone assist. 

Exactly 30 second later, MacLauchlan added his second of the contest to give the Western Capitals a 4-1 lead. Ouellette drew the lone assist. 

The Crushers cut the lead in half at 9:46 with Walsh scoring on the power play for his second goal of the season.  Braylan Fitzgerald and Owen Bell drew assists. 

Summerside took a 5-2 lead at 11:14 with Ouellette’s third goal of the season. Luke Inman and Sim drew assists. 

There was no scoring in the third period. 

Vincent Gladu made 19 saves to pick up his first win as a Western Capital. Former Capitals goaltender George Gallant made 26 saves in the loss for the Crushers. 

Full game recap can be found here. 

Both teams will battle again Saturday Sept. 26 in the Western Capitals' home opener at 7 p.m. AST.

MacLean handed suspension

Summerside Western Capitals forward Dylan MacLean has been handed a one-game suspension by the Maritime Hockey League (MHL) on Tuesday.

The suspension on the MHL website has been listed as a "blind side hit major" infraction. The incident occurred Sunday Sept. 21 in the Capitals' 7-2 win in Grand Falls against the Rapids.

MacLean, 18, was acquired by the Western Capitals earlier this month and has zero points in three games. He will miss the Capitals' game in Pictou County against the Crushers on Thursday Sept. 24. MacLean is eligible to return to the Capitals' line-up on Saturday Sept. 26 for its home opener against the Crushes at 7 p.m. AST.

In other Capitals' news, forward Justin Ouellette was named to the MHL Eastlink South Team of the Week for Week 2 after potting two goals and five points in two games.

Western Capitals dominate Rapids 7-2 for first win of season

GRAND FALLS, N.B. - Justin Ouellette picked up three points to lead the Summerside Western Capitals to its first win of the season Sunday afternoon at the E. & P. Senechal Centre.

The Western Capitals cruised to a 7-2 win over the Grand Falls Rapids to improve to 1-2-0-0 on the young season and wrap up its Northern New Brunswick road trip. The Rapids fall to 1-2-1-0 on the season.

Ouellette scored twice and added an assist as Owen MacPherson (1-1), Matthew MacLean, Declan MacLauchlan, Matthew Ferdinand and Isaac Taweel netted goals for the Western Capitals. Jordan Shaw and Maverick Hayes each chipped in with two assists.

The Capitals opened the scoring at the 7:23 mark of the first period with a power play goal from MacLean for his first goal of the season. Gavin Smith and MacPherson drew assists.

Just 2:10 later, the Capitals took a two-goal lead with MacLauchlan’s first career MHL goal. Shaw and Ouellette drew assists.

In the second period, the Capitals made it 3-0 at 7:37 with Ferdinand’s first goal as a Cap. Captain Hayes drew the lone assist.

Taweel made it 4-0 with his first goal of the season at 12:13 with an unassisted marker.

The Rapids got on the board at 17:12 with Jonah Leard’s second goal of the season. Zackarie Michaud and Kaden Bell drew assists. 

Grand Falls made it a 4-2 game just 1:42 later with Patrick Baxter netting his first goal of the season. Antoine L’Italien dew the lone assist.

In the third period, Ouellette restored the three-goal lead for the Capitals with his first goal of the season at 5:32 on the power play. Aiden Diamond and Cade Moser drew assists.

Exactly one minute later, MacPherson scored his second of the season to give the Capitals a 6-2 lead. Max Gamble and Hayes drew assists.

Summerside took a 7-2 lead at 12:24 with Ouellette’s second goal of the game. Shaw drew the lone assist. 

Maxence Picard earned the win in between the pipes for the Western Capitals with 22 saves. The win marks Picard's first career MHL win. For the Rapids, Dax Robichaud took the loss with 33 saves.

Full game recap can be found here.

Summerside returns to action Thursday Sept. 24 when they travel to Stellarton, N.S., for a road game against the Pictou County Crushers at 7 p.m. AST. The Capitals then finally return home for its home opener on Saturday Sept. 26, 2026 against the Crushers at 7 p.m. AST.

Other game notes:
-For the last two games, the Capitals dressed call-up player Dixon Beatty.
-Capitals forward Dylan MacLean was assessed a five-minute charging major followed by five-minute fighting major and a game misconduct. It will be interesting to see what type of suspension is handed down by the MHL.

Blizzard storms Capitals 7-2

EDMUNDSTON, N.B. - The Edmundston Blizzard scored early and never looked back in a 7-2 win over the Summerside Western Capitals Saturday night at Centre Jean Daigle. 

The Blizzard scored just 25 seconds into the contest and built an early 3-0 lead to take full control of the game.  

With the win, the Blizzard improves to 1-1-0-0 on the season.  Summerside drops to a 0-2-0-0 record to start the season. 

Michael Arsenault led the way for the Blizzard with four points (1-3), while

William Labranche (2-1), Justin Bouchard (1-1), Charles-Eric Tremblay (1-1), Noah Larochelle and François-Xavier Mercier netted goals for the Blizzard. 

Scoring for the Capitals were Lane Sim and Owen MacPherson. 

Labranche opened the scoring 25 seconds in with his first goal of the season. Alexis Chénard drew the lone assists. 

The Blizzard made it 2-0 at 2:54 with Tremblay’s first goal of the season. Arsenault and Labranche drew assists. 

At 14:59, Mercier gave the Blizzard a 3-0 lead with his first of the season. Darien Thomson drew the lone assist. 

The Capitals got on the board at 19:33 with a power play marker from Sim for his second of the season. Justin Ouellette and Jordan Shaw drew assists. 

In the second period, the Blizzard regained the three-goal lead at 11:08 with Bouchard’s first of the season. Arsenault drew the lone assist.

Edmundston made it 5-1 at 15:36 with Labranche’s second goal of the game. Bouchard and Arsenault drew assists.

In the third period, the Capitals cut the lead to 5-2 at 2:22 with MacPherson’s first goal of the season. Isaac Taweel drew the lone assist.

The Blizzard regained the four-goal lead at 9:13 with a power play goal from Larochelle for his second of the season. Tremblay and Chenard drew assists.

Arsenault capped off the scoring with a short-handed goal at 16:01 for his first of the season and fourth point of the night. Lucas Fortin drew the lone assist.

Former Capitals goaltender William Stonehouse made 15 saves in the win for the Blizzard.

Vincent Gladu took the loss for the Western Capitals stopping 15 of 20 shots faced through two periods of play. Maxence Picard made eight saves on 10 shots in relief in the third period.

Full game recap can be found here.
 

The Capitals are back in action Sunday afternoon in Grand Falls, N.B. against the Rapids at 3 p.m. AST.

Caps lose season opener to Bearcats

TRURO, N.S. - The Summerside Western Capitals fell 6-3 in its season opener to the Truro Bearcats Saturday night at Rath Eastlink Community Centre. 

With the loss, the Capitals start the young season with an 0-1-0-0 record while the Bearcats improve to 2-0-0-0. 

 

James Martin led the way for the Bearcats with a pair of goals including the eventual game winner in the second period. Callum Aucoin (1-1), Seth MacKenzie (1-1), Antoine Fontaine (1-1) and Ryan Sutherland also netted goals for the Bearcats. 

Lane Sim, Gavin Smith and Luke Inman scored goals for the Capitals as Cade Moser chipped in with two assists. 

The Capitals got on the board first at 5:09 of the first period with a power play goal from Sim. Moser and Aiden Diamond drew assists. 

Truro tied the game at 12:58 with Martin’s first of the game. Logan Quinn and MacKenzie drew assists. 

The Bearcats took a 2-1 lead at 14:28 with MacKenzie’s second goal of the season. Nathan Curson and Jace Evan’s drew assists. 

In the second period, the Bearcats took a 3-1 lead at 7:14 with Fontaine’s second goal of the season coming on the power play.  Aucoin and Caylen Blake drew assists. 

Truro made it 4-1 at the 8:00 mark of the second period with Martin’s second of the game. 

In the third period, the Bearcats took a 5-1 lead at 1:43 with a short-handed goal from Sutherland for his second of the season. Fontaine and Tristan St-Gelais drew assists. 

Just 1:14 later, the Capitals made it a 5-2 game with a power play goal from Smith for his first of the season and first as a Cap. Declan MacLauchlan and Matthew MacLean drew assists. 

Summerside got within two goals at 11:50 with Inman’s first career MHL goal. Moser and Isaac Taweel drew assists. 

The Bearcats wrapped up the scoring at 18:26 with an empty-net goal from Aucoin for his third of the season. Cedrik Laberge drew the lone assist. 

Louca Connolly made 25 saves to pick up the win for the Bearcats. As for the Capitals, Vincent Gladu recorded the loss with 15 saves. 

Full game summary can be found here. 

The Western Capitals’ next game is Saturday Sept. 19 in Edmundston against the Blizzard at 7:30 p.m. AST. 

Western Capitals name Hayes captain

 

 

The Summerside Western Capitals have named defenceman Maverick Hayes as its captain for the 2026-27 season. 

Hayes becomes the 41st captain in Capitals history. The Capitals announced the news via Facebook on Saturday ahead of its season opener in Truro. 

Hayes, 20, joined the Capitals last season in January after coming over from the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). In nine games with the Capitals last season, the Ottawa, Ont., native scored one goal and three points. In 14 playoff games, Hayes added a goal and three points. He also picked up three assists in seven game at the 2026 Centennial Cup in Summerside. 

Summerside also named five assistant captains for the upcoming season. 

Defenceman Andrew Thompson, 20, will be an assistant captain throughout the entire season. Thompson enters his fourth season with the Capitals. 

For games when the Capitals wear blue, forward Cade Moser, 20, and defenceman Aiden Diamond, 20, will join Thompson as assistant captains. 

For games when the Capitals wear white, overage defencemen Matthew MacLean and Lincoln Waugh will join Thompson as assistant captains. 

 

This is the second consecutive season that a defenceman will wear the 'C'.