UPEI Hockey Panthers land former Charlottetown Islander Patrick LeBlanc
The UPEI Men’s Hockey Panthers have secured a commitment from forward Patrick LeBlanc for the 2023–24 season.
Island hockey fans should be familiar with LeBlanc’s game, as he suited up for 152 games with the Charlottetown Islanders from 2019 to 2023 when he amassed 18 goals and 35 assists. Last season, the Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, New Brunswick native played five games with the club before he was traded to the Rimouski Océanic, where he added six points (3G, 3A) in 16 games.
LeBlanc finished the season with the Edmundston Blizzard of the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) and became a prolific scorer, tallying 18 goals and 26 assists in just 26 games. He also made his mark in the playoffs, leading the league in scoring with 21 points (4G, 17A) in 14 games.
He is already the fourth rookie forward to join the UPEI men’s hockey team since the season ended and the roster overhaul began. While there are sure to be growing pains during this rebuilding phase, the 21-year-old believes this team could surprise some people.
“We’re definitely one of the younger teams, but I’m excited to see what we can do, and I think we will exceed expectations,” said LeBlanc, who will study business at UPEI.
LeBlanc said he has fond memories of Prince Edward Island and its passionate hockey fans and was thrilled to join the Panthers when head coach Forbes MacPherson reached out to him with an opportunity to return.
“I’m excited to come back to the Island,” LeBlanc said. “I loved my time in Charlottetown with the Islanders and can’t wait to play in front of this awesome fanbase again.”
MacPherson describes his new recruit as a strong two-way player who can fill different roles asked of him. After watching him guide the Blizzard to the Metalfab MHL Cup final with his dominant play, the bench boss felt LeBlanc would be a good fit for a team in the early stages of a rebuild.
“We had the opportunity to watch Patrick quite a bit over the last few years. He’s a player who can move around the lineup and be effective,” MacPherson said. “Last year, we followed his playoff run, and he was a leading scorer and dominant in the faceoff circle. I know Patrick loved his time on PEI, and it’s exciting to know that he really wants to be a Panther.”
