Will Islanders finally reach QMJHL final?

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Is this the year the Charlottetown Islanders finally break through?

The Islanders have consistently been one of the best teams in the QMJHL over the past several seasons. This year the team will be making their fourth appearance in the league's semifinals since 2017 - but they've yet to reach a President Cup final.

The Charlottetown Islanders have now made it to the third round of the QMJHL playoffs in four of their past five playoff opportunities (not including the 19-20 season with no playoffs)

What an incredible run for the organization. Happy for everyone involved!

— Aidan Northcott (@AidanNorthcott) May 20, 2022

The Islanders appeared poised to reach the final last season in the Quebec City bubble but fell in the semis to the eventual champion Victoriaville Tigres. Standing in the Islanders' way this season in the Sherbrooke Phoenix, a team that defeated Charlottetown twice during the regular season.

The Phoenix, who have been around since 2012-13, will be making their first appearance in the semifinals. Sherbrooke had a 51-8-3-1 record in 2019-20 when the season was cancelled by COVID. It's good to see the franchise rebound quickly from that disappointment.

The other semifinal features the Quebec Remparts taking on the Shawinigan Cataractes. Despite having lots of star power over the years and winning the Memorial Cup in 2006, this version of the Remparts franchise has never won a President Cup. The Cataractes franchise, which has been around since 1969, has never won a league title either

Both semifinal series begin tonight (Wednesday).