PEI Senators Alumni

Tony Cimellaro

"I loved PEI. You can't beat playing in a Canadian city with amazing people. Our home opener the first year was special because it was the first big league game on the Island. Also, I stay in touch with a couple of guys off that team so great friendship created."

Tony Cimellaro played 3 years of OHL hockey with his hometown Kingston Raiders/Frontenacs were he blossomed into a prominent scorer. In his final year of junior hockey, playing in Belleville, the undrafted prospect potted 39 goals and 83 points in only 48 games. His play garnered the attention of scouts and on July 30, 1992 he was signed as a free agent by the n

ewly iced Ottawa Senators hockey club.

Cimellaro spent the majority of the 92/93 season with Ottawa's AHL franchise, the New Haven Senators. He put up decent numbers and earned himself the thrill of a lifetime when he was called up for what would be the only 2 NHL games of

his career.

After putting up 34 pints for New Haven as a rookie, Cimellaro's sophomore year was a disappointment. In 19 games with the PEI Sens Tony only managed to squeak in

1 goal. When the opportunity for a fresh start arose he jumped at the chance. "I had been contacted by the team in Italy

a few years earlier and since I had my Italian passport and they were offering a decent contract and possibly playing for the National team I thought it would be a great opportunity." Cimellaro would spend the next 5 years circling around Europe with various clubs.

In 1998 he returned to North America as a player/coach for the Waco Wizards of the Western Professional Hockey League. He spent a year and a half with the club and when the league folded he was signed into the UHL. He finished the season, and ultimately his hockey career, with the Adirondack IceHawks.

In 2003 Tony was hired as Assistant Coach for his hometown Kingston Frontenacs. He remained in that position for 7 years and has just recently accepted a new post as Assistant Coach for the Queens University hockey team.

Guy Gadowsky

"I had a great time and really loved the area. Playing in the AHL in the maritimes was awesome. The people are very knowledgeable and appreciative of good hockey, and they treated all of the players very well."

When asked to describe what kind of player he was the Princeton Tigers hea

d coach replied, "one that was a better coach than a player."

Born in Edmonton, Guy elected to play college hockey in the United States. From 1985-89 he suited up for the Colorado College Tigers. He was a Western Collegiat Hockey Association All-Star 3 times and captained Colorado in his senior year, graduating with an economics degree.

Eager to keep playing hockey and explore the world, Gadowsky traveled to Sweden and played 3rd division hockey, scoring 32 goals in only 30 games. After a year in the Nordic country he returned to North America, making stops in San Diego, Richmond and St. John's. In 1993 Guy departed for Europe once again, this time playing in Austria.

During the 1994/95 season the PEI Senators were short of players due to numerous call ups from the Ottawa Senators. PEI head coach Dave Allison, who had coached Gadow

sky in Richmond, called Guy and asked if he would be willing to fill a spot on PEI roster. Gadowsky agreed and

arrived in Charlottetown just after Christmas. He finished the season in PEI, playing in 38 regular season games and 10 playoff contests. Guy went on to play one more season of pro hockey, in Fresno, before announcing his retirement.

Almost immediately after stepping off the ice as a player Gadowsky took his place behind the bench as a head coach. He coached the Fresno Falcons of the WCHL for 3 years and then moved to college hockey as bench boss of Alaska-Fairbanks. Both clubs saw overwhelming success under Gadowsky and he earned coach of the year honors in each league.

For the past 6 years Guy had been excelling in his biggest position yet, as head coach of the Princeton Tigers hockey team. In 2008 he lead the team to an Ivy League championship and won the league's coach of the year honors, giving him the award in every league he has coached in. The Princeton hockey program has flourished under Gadowsky and 21 of his players have gone onto play pro hockey, including 3 NHLers.

Carl Valimont

"I remember that my son, who is 15 now, was born in PEI in March of 1994. I remember getting stuck on the ferry and being iced in the harbor. It was a good team

although we missed the playoffs. Management was great. It was difficult to travel from PEI, so I was not surprised that the franchise did not last too long."

Carl Valimont was an incredible all around athlete. In high school he was named MVP of the soccer and hockey teams while also being and instrumental part of the lacrosse club. Every team finished with winning records, the hockey team going 22-2-2 and soccer team outscoring its opponents 44-15. His contributions didn't go unnoticed and he was recruited by the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. In the summer of 1985 he was drafted 193rd overall by

the Vancouver Canucks. Valimont decided to stay in University and patrolled the blue line for UML from 1984-88. In his final year with the club he captained the team to its first ever NCAA Division 1 tournament and was named a Hockey East All-Star. Valimont graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing to go along with his Most Valuable Defensive Player Award.

Carl entered the pro hockey scene with the Milwaukee Admirals and was a big presence on their blue line until 1993. he played in 393 games for the Admirals over his career, the fourth most in franchise history. Midway throug

h the 1993/94 season he was traded to the Senators. Carl played in 32 games for PEI and the following season he was signed away by the Houston Aeros. Valimont played 3 more pro seasons of hockey in North America before finishing his career in Germany. He never played an NHL game.

After his retirement Valimont took up coaching and has been a successful high school hockey head coach in Wisconsin for the past 8 years.

Islanders in the 'Q'

Over a dozen Islanders appeared in Quebec Major Junior Hockey action this season.
Brandon Gormley: The most publicized Islander in the QMJHL, Gormley had another solid season with the Moncton Wildcats. In his second season with the club his offensive numbers skyrocketed and he was an instrumental part of the Wildcats team who won the QMJHL title and participated in the Memorial Cup tournament. He won the Mike Bossy trophy as the league’s top professional prospect and was also named a QMJHL second team All-Star. Brandon entered the NHL draft as one of the top prospects and was drafted 13th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes. Unless he has an unbelievable training camp for the Coyotes Gormley is expected to return to the Wildcats next season. He is also expected to received strong consideration from the 2010 World Junior Hockey Team selection committee.

Randy Cameron: The 2010 QMJHL champion Moncton Wildcats had another Islander who was a vital part of their success. In his last QMJHL season Cameron was a point per game player in both the regular season and playoffs. In Moncton’s run to the league championship he potted 13 goals in only 21 games. To go along with his superb offensive skill Cameron is also a good two way player and is praised for his defensive efforts. A 2007 Detroit Red Wing draft pick, Cameron was not signed by the team and his future remains uncertain.

Cole MacMillan: Younger bother of Anaheim prospect Logan and son of NHLer Bob MacMillan, Cole spent the majority of the season with the Summerside Capitals of the MJAHL. He was recalled by the Moncton Wildcats for 7 regular season games and tallied no points. When he was recalled again mid way through QMJHL playoffs he did not disappoint. With 4 points in 9 games he contributed to the Wildcats President Cup winning season. He also played a regular shift when Moncton challenged for the Memorial Cup. Cole is also a star soccer player, Wildcat coach Danny Flynn commented on his future, “we're hopeful that he'll make a full-time commitment to the Wildcats next season because he brings a lot of good things to the table. He's certainly indicated he's leaning towards dedicating himself to hockey." (Full Story)

Will Johnston: The 6'3", 210 lb tough guy made his QMJHL debut this year when he was recalled on two separate occasions by the Saint John Sea Dogs, playing in a total of 5 regular season games. He scored one goal and engaged in a fight with Kalin Paul of the Screaming Eagles, a match he won unanimously. The former Shawinigan Cataractes draft pick was acquired by Saint John this summer. He lead the MJAHL in penalty minutes this season with 224. Johnston also appeared in additional 9 post season games for the Sea Dogs putting up no points. With teams only allowed a limited number of 20 year olds on their roster it is unlikely that Johnston will play in the Q next year.

Brendan Wright: The PEI Rocket tough guy and fan favorite played 50 games this year tallying 85 penalty minutes. Wright scored 1 goal and 3 points all year but wasn’t expected to contribute offensively. The 6.01, 210 lb right winger played with his body and fists. He will be remembered for his bone crunching body checks and exciting fights. The Rocket already have a slew of over agers so expect to see Wright pounding away in another league next year.

Chris Doyle: Although Doyle put up solid offensive numbers this year his season was riddled with controversy when he was charged with assault in late September (Full Story). The long time PEI Rocket was traded to the Victoriaville Tigres midway through the season and put up 36 points in 29 games with his new club. He also helped the Tigres reach the third round of the QMJHL playoffs. Although he is a New York Rangers prospect his future remains uncertain largely due to attitude problems.

Josh Currie: The PEI Rocket rookie had an exceptional season. Injuries limited him to 49 games but he still netted 9 goals and 15 points. At times he was the best player on the ice and he will undoubtedly be back in Charlottetown next year. He has a bright future ahead of him in the Q.

Brent Andrews: This season was largely a learning experience for the Halifax Mooseheads rookie. Brent contributed 16 points while playing on a weak Mooseheads team. The 16 year old forward was invited to Team Canada’s under 18 training camp this summer. His role is expected to get bigger for Halifax as he continues to develop.

Jordan Costello: Jordan made his QMJHL debut with Halifax and played a minor role on the team. He was a healthy scratch for much of the season and appeared in only 32 games as he also suffered from a broken thumb that required surgery. The hard working left winger scored one goal and two points. With Halifax expected to ice a young team next season it is unlikely that Costello will return.

Dylan McGuigan: After breaking his hand during training camp McGuigan finally made his QMJHL debut late into the season. Dylan was recalled from the Truro Bearcats in January and played so well that he was immediately put on the roster for the remainder of the season. He did not score any points in his 14 games with the Mooseheads but impressed coach Cam Russell with his physical play. McGuigan’s debut also marked an interesting moment for the 3 Islanders on the Halifax team. McGuigan, Jordan Costello and Brent Andrews were not only teammates before playing in Halifax but they were all linemates for the Conrwall Thunder major midget team. McGuigan is expected to suit up for Halifax again next season.

Morgan Ellis: In his second season with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Ellis won the team’s most improved player award. He was a solid presence on the blue line all year and also contributed 29 points to the team’s offense. He capped off a great year by being selected by the Montreal Canadiens in this years NHL draft. A born leader, Ellis was already named Cape Breton’s team captain for next season.

Jordan Moore: The defenseman made his Q debut this year when he played 45 games for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. He was a depth player for the Titan and tallied 3 points and 19 penalty minutes through his first major junior season. He was recently traded to the PEI Rocket were he will probably assume the same role as he did with the Titan, a depth player.

Matt Boyle: The 20 year old Defenseman played his final Q season for the Lewiston Maineiacs. The veteran of over a 100 games with the Moncton Wildcats was traded to Lewiston last August in order to make room for other overagers. In Lewiston he anchored the teams defense and also contributed 17 points through 62 regular season games. When the Maineiacs were eliminated from the QMJHL playoffs, Boyle was contacted by the Texas Brahmas of the Central Hockey League and played his made his professional hockey debut while he suited up in 6 playoff games for the club. His future remains uncertain but playing minor pro hockey is certainly an option.

Travis McIsaac: The centerman played his third season of hockey in Victoriaville. Since his rookie season with the club he has double his point production each season and this year he amassed an impressive 57 points in 68 games. He continued scoring into the post season and helped the Tigres make it all the way to the third round as he added 7 goals and 13 points in 16 games. McIsaac will be returning to PEI next year as he was recently traded to the Rocket. McIsaac will be expected to contribute leadership and put up strong offensive numbers next season.