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Five Cape Breton West U18 Major Islanders selected at QMJHL draft

Ryan Hayes, of Port Hawkesbury, was one of five Cape Breton West U18 Major Islanders to be selected in the 2021 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft.


 

July 07, 2021

-by Bill Dunphy
 
   The Cape Breton West U18 Major Islanders set a team record when five of its players were selected in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, held virtually on June 25 and 26.
    Defencemen Leyton Stewart, Ryan Hayes, and Ray MacKinnon, forward Kevin Walker, and goaltender Jack Milner will all get the opportunity to show what they got at their respective teams’ rookie camps later this summer.
    Ryan Hayes, of Port Hawkesbury, said he is bilingual (French and English) and will be ready when he attends the Acadie-Bathurst Titans camp on August 19.


    The Titans selected him 17th in the eighth round.
    “I’ve been training with Stephen Graham (the Islanders conditioning coach) five to six times a week,” he said.
    A good baseball player as well growing up, the 16-year-old defenceman, who is six-feet-one, 171 lbs., said he won’t have time for it this summer.
    “Right now my training and hockey comes first. I’m hoping to make a good impression this year, and if I have to, come back to the Islanders for another year of U18.”
    Ryan played all 29 games of his first season with the Islanders, picking up three goals and three assists along with 34 penalty minutes and probably twice as many hits. He is the son of Kelly and Collie Hayes.
    Kevin Walker, who grew up in Inverness until his family moved to Antigonish a few years ago, was selected 18th in round nine of the draft by the Charlottetown Islanders.
    “We had the draft on tv, but it’s just starting to hit me now,” said Walker. “The head coach (Jim Hulton) called and welcomed me to the organization and told me to be ready for rookie camp in mid-August.”
    The rookie forward turned some heads this past season, collecting seven goals and three assists in all 29 regular season games. He also had a goal and an assist in four playoff games.
    Walker is five-feet-11 and weights 157 lbs.
    “I’m going to keep on training this summer, pushing myself to show up in the best shape possible,” he said.
    With the Islanders expected to make another run at the QMJHL championship, Walker said he’s realistic about his chances on making the team this year.
    “Cape Breton West will be good next season. We have a good 2005 group coming back next year and some ‘04s. But it’s definitely an honour to be drafted and I’m just as proud for my team mates who were drafted.”
    Kevin is the son of Mary Beth and Kevin Walker Sr.
    His other teammates to hear their names called at the draft all hail from Antigonish.
    Defenceman Leyton Stewart was selected 15th in round eight by the Quebec Remparts.
    Stewart, who is five-foot-four, 122 lbs, also played all 29 regular season games for Cape Breton West, scoring twice and adding five assists
    Leyton’s parents are Gail and Dave Stewart.
    Goaltender Jack Milner will get to show his stuff when he attends the Halifax Mooseheads camp later this summer.
    The Moose picked the five-foot-eight, 157 lbs goalie sixth in the ninth round. In 14 games played with the Islanders, he has a 3.40 goals-against average and an .888 save percentage.
    Jack is the son of Ellen and Billy Milner.
    And defenceman Ray MacKinnon earned a tryout with Blainville-Boisbriand after the Armada selected him 12th in round 10 of the draft.
    At six-feet-one, 170 lbs, MacKinnon played a full first season with the Islanders, collecting two goals and four assists with just two penalty minutes.
    Ray is the son of Michelle and Luke MacKinnon.
    “I’m excited for all of them,” said Islanders coach Nick MacNeil. “Each year you see some kids get picked that you didn’t expect and kids who you think will be picked and they’re not.
    Both defenceman Cody Van de Sande and forward Cory Wood were possible draft picks this year.
    “For those guys they will have to use that as motivation next season. And for the others, I’m glad to see them rewarded. But all of them will definitely benefit from another year of U18,” said MacNeil.
    Next up is the Maritime Junior A Hockey League draft, which will be held this weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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