The Summerside Western Capitals have announced that defenseman Simon Mullen has committed to the UPEI Panthers for next season.
The 20-year-old from Truro, N.S. was a Territorial Draft Pick in the 2021 MHL Entry Draft by the Truro Bearcats. He played 30 games with the club in his rookie season of 2021-22, with one goal and three assists, where he was named once to the Eastlink South Team of the Week. Mullen had one goal and two assists in seventeen playoff games that season as Truro lost in the Final to Summerside. Mullen played all 52 regular season games with Truro in 2022-23, posting three goals and thirteen assists. He was again named once to the Eastlink South Team of the Week and added one assist in ten playoff games.
In 2023-24, Mullen had one goal and 20 assists in 25 games for Truro before being dealt just before the trade deadline to the Western Capitals. He played one game with the club before an injury wiped out the rest of the regular season, but returned in the Metalfab MHL Cup Playoffs and had two goals and seven assists in thirteen games as Summerside lost in the Final to Miramichi.
After spending the 2024-25 season with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats, Mullen returned to Summerside for 2025-26 and was named team captain. He held the MHL scoring lead up until New Year’s Eve and finished eighth with 68 points in 52 games. Mullen led all skaters in powerplay assists with 28 and powerplay points with 33. He was also second in assists with 54. Mullen led defensemen in points, assists (54), powerplay assists and points, and shorthanded points (4). He was tied for second among blueliners in powerplay goals (5), goals (14), and tied for second in shorthanded goals with two. Mullen averaged over 25 minutes of ice-time per game for Summerside.
He was the MHL’s Top Defenseman in October and November, was an Honourable Mention in September, and was named to the Eastlink South Team of the Week nine times. Mullen tallied seven assists in fourteen playoff games for Summerside and had one goal and two assists in seven games at the Centennial Cup as Summerside lost in the national final to Niverville of the MJHL. To top it all off, he was named the CJHL Defenseman of the Year.
The MHL congratulates Mullen on his post-secondary commitment.