Gameday in 5

A look to the week ahead — and a recap of the week that was (Dec. 12-18) — for London’s teams and athletes.

The entire London Knights organization — and the broader sports community — are grieving after Abakar Kazbekov tragically passed away last weekend. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

* * *

London Knights

It was an incredibly somber week for the London Knights, as the team lost a teammate to a tragic death. Hockey — and everything else — took a backseat when it was learned Saturday morning that Abakar Kazbekov had died tragically at just 18 years of age.

Police responded to the scene outside a downtown London condo building at 8:20am on a report that someone had fallen from the building. While the cause of the fall has not been officially determined, police have said that no foul play is suspected. The 18-year-old Russian import player had played in Friday night’s win over the Owen Sound Attack at Budweiser Gardens.

The entire Knights organization and its fans — as well as the larger sporting community — are mourning the sudden passing of Kazbekov, who joined the Knights in 2021 after being selected first overall in the U18 draft. A significant shoulder injury had limited the forward to 21 games over two seasons (12 contests this year).

Saturday’s Knights game was, of course, postponed due to the tragic circumstances. Three other OHL games were also postponed as a result of the shocking news. Knights players have been provided with grief support and counseling services as they process the death of their teammate.

Editor’s note: For anyone in need of talking to someone, or seeking mental health support, there are services available to help. In London, contact Reach Out at 519-433-2023 or 1-866-933-2023. There is also help available at Talk Suicide Canada (phone 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645) and Kids Help Phone (phone 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868).

The Knights did play on Friday, winning 5-2 over the Owen Sound Attack. The team got off to a strong start and put up four goals in the first period. Sean McGurn got things going with a short-handed marker at the 5:06 mark. After Landon Sim doubled the Lead, Ruslan Gazizov scored twice (his first holding up as the game-winner). Oliver Bonk then extended the team’s lead to 5-0 in the second period with the Knights’ second short-handed goal of the game. The Attack fought back in the third, scoring twice in a 13-second span, but it was far from enough to avoid the loss.

Up next:

The Knights (20-8-1-0) — and the rest of the OHL — have now entered the holiday break. London sits in second place in the Western Conference, trailing only the Windsor Spitfires by a single point. The Knights are scheduled to resume play the week of Dec. 26 …

Wed. Dec. 28 (7:00pm vs. Erie Otters)
Fri. Dec. 30 (7:05pm @ Sarnia Sting)
Sat. Dec. 31 (4:00pm vs. Sarnia Sting)

London Nationals

The Nationals split their two games last week — and both were ultimately one-sided contests. London opened the week with a 4-1 win over the St. Thomas Stars Wednesday at home. Down 1-0 after two periods of play, the Nationals’ offense exploded in the third, scoring four unanswered goals for the win. Dylan Dundas notched the equalizer just after the 2:30 mark, Owen McGowan scored a short-handed marker, and then Jaeden French and Brayden Thompson added goals to put the game out of reach for the Stars.

After a strong performance Wednesday, the Nationals put up only a single goal Thursday, losing 6-1 to the Leamington Flyers. Down 4-0 after the first period, London scored its lone goal in the second thanks to Bradyn Santavy’s short-handed marker. The Flyers’ offense added two more goals for the lopsided win.

Up next:

The Nationals (23-5-2-1), despite their loss to Leamington, remained in top spot in the Western Conference entering a new week — albeit by just two points over the Flyers. They’ll play one more before the holiday break …

Wed. Dec. 21 (7:00pm vs. St. Marys Lincolns)

London Devilettes Hockey

Jocelyn Amos and FOUR London Devilettes teammates are headed to the U18 Women’s World Hockey Championship. Amos, Emma Pais, Abby Stonehouse, Keira Hurry and Shelby Laidlaw were all named last week to the 23-woman Canadian roster that will look to defend its U18 World title from a year ago. The 2023 tournament will take place January 8-15 in Östersund, Sweden.

“It's always an honour representing our country, and I take a lot of pride in it,” Amos told Gameday London. “I'm super excited for the tournament. It's an amazing group of girls, and I can't wait to get together and play with them.”

The five Devilettes players are currently competing in the OWHA U22 Elite league. Through 20 games, the team has a 14-3-3 record, good for third place in the West Division. Amos leads the group in scoring with 34 points (21 G, 13 A), tied for second-most in the league. Pais has 15 goals and 25 points, while Stonehouse has 23 points, defender Hurry has 20 points, and Laidlaw has 12.