George impressing teammates — and scouts

Isaiah George has been crucial to the Knights defensive corps allowing the fewest goals in the Western Conference. He’s headed to the CHL’s Top Prospects Game and ranks high on draft lists.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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Isaiah George is getting noticed.

Perhaps that’s been the case throughout his hockey career, but when George was ranked No. 42 among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s Mid-Term rankings, it sent a clear message that the hockey world is paying attention to the Knights’ rookie defenseman.

He’s been getting better and better as the 2021-22 season has progressed, and the rankings have reflected that. In October, George, who was named one of 66 OHL ‘Players to Watch’ by the scouting bureau, had a ‘C’ rating. A month later, he’d earned a ‘B’ rating on that same list. By the new year, he was the top-ranked Knights player on the industry’s most respected draft list.

Not that he pays too much attention to the distinction. He’s honoured by the ranking, to be sure, but the 18-year-old says his focus is on the ice, where’s he continuing to develop his game.

“The biggest thing, obviously, is always helping the team win. Personally, I’m just looking to play my game, day in and day out, be confident, and improve everywhere,” said George, an Oakville, Ont. native. “I think a lot of those ‘trophy case’ kind of awards or achievements follow after. If we win, that other personal stuff will come.”

The Knights have done plenty of winning this year, and, yes, the accolades have followed for George. At 30-13-2-0 through 45 games, London enters a new week tied for second in the Western Conference, with games in hand on first-place Flint.

George has been a vital part of the Knights’ defensive corps while playing alongside veteran Gerard Keane and serving on London’s top penalty-killing unit. That makes his plus-29 ranking all the more impressive. That mark is tied for seventh best in the OHL (tied for 2nd among defensemen). On the team, he trails only scoring machine Luke Evangelista (+34).

“I think it just kind of shows my defensive responsibility. I’m not on for too many goals against, which is a good thing obviously,” said George. “I don’t look too much at stats, but I can feel if I’m having a good game. If I’m winning my battles – in the corners, in front of the net, one-on-one’s … those are the big things.”

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

As a unit, the Knights have allowed the fewest goals against in the Western Conference, both in terms of total goals (128) and goals per game (2.84). Only the Mississauga Steelheads in the East have bested the Knights defensively thus far (126 and 2.52, respectively). It certainly helps to have one of the top goaltenders in the league in Brett Brochu, but the Knights’ defensive corps has been impressive for the majority of the 2021-22 season.

It’s a group that features George, who has also played well in transition and evolved his offensive game as the season has progressed. Whether it’s making good outlet passes, creating plays in the offensive zone, or putting good shots on net from the point, George has been able to get involved on offense. It’s an area of his game he’s always looking to grow.

“I think it’s part of my game. Like, jumping in on odd-man rushes, getting shots through … I think the key is being able to read those opportunities where you can jump up, get the puck, and make a play.

“For me, it’s been about not second-guessing my decisions. If I’m thinking shoot, don’t pass last-minute, and if I’m thinking pass, don’t shoot it. I’m trying to play to my instincts.”

Those instincts have helped George tally 17 points (3 goals, 14 assists) in 44 games in his first OHL season. He notched his first point in his debut on opening night at home. His first multi-point game came Nov. 13 in a road win against Erie (he was a plus-5 for the game), and his first goal happened in early December. It was Teddy Bear Toss night at Budweiser Gardens, and George took a cross-ice pass from Evangelista and wired a wrist shot in the top-right shelf for a game-tying goal.

On Jan. 21, he notched his first game winner in an eventual 6-2 win over the Erie Otters. This time it was a nifty pass from Ruslan Gazizov that George wristed past goaltender Marshall Nicholls to put the Knights up 3-2 (they had trailed 2-0 but didn’t look back after George gave them the lead).

As the calendar flipped to February, George, who just turned 18 on Feb. 15, seemed to take an extra step offensively. In his last 10 games heading into March, he notched six points, including his third goal of the year Feb. 21 against Kitchener. His 17 points are second among defensemen on the Knights, with the 20-year-old Keane leading the way (24 points in 45 games).

Of course, even the most talented and promising players experience adversity, and for George it came pretty early in his OHL career – in just his 11th game in a Knights uniform. Playing against the Guelph Storm, he had a mishap in overtime which directly resulted in the Storm scoring the game winner.

The Knights had tied things up at three on an Antonio Stranges power play goal with 4:07 left in the third. But the extra frame was short-lived. Right after the faceoff, George was skating backwards with the puck in his own zone when he lost control of his footing – and then the puck – and turned it over to Danny Zhilkin, who scored just nine seconds into OT to give Guelph the win. Understandably, George was visibly upset on the ice.

“Obviously, it was unfortunate. But you have to forget it. If you don’t, it’s going to sit with you and that’s not going to be helpful,” the defenseman said. “So, you just have to have a short memory and you gotta look at the bigger picture. That was just a single play that you didn’t really have that much control over, so if you dwell on it, it won’t do any good for you.”

Tapping into the mental aspect of the game, which is something George specifically worked on during his training throughout the pandemic, certainly helped him overcome the miscue. What else helped? His teammates.

“We got a great group of guys in the room, and they made it so that I didn’t feel like it was all on me.”

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

It’s safe to say that play is well in the rear-view mirror for George, who has enjoyed quite the rookie season. The 18-year-old has been enjoying himself, too – on and off the ice, including his time in school and in a new city.

“Being back in school [after numerous months online] has been fun. Obviously, being with your teammates – and other students – is nice. And the city is great. There’s a lot to do, and we get a lot of support here. That definitely makes it more exciting to play. The fans can help with momentum swings. When you can hear the (loud) crowd, it makes a difference.”

On March 23, George will play in the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. It’s just the latest honour for the defenseman, who was chosen in mid-February as one of 40 players (including teammate Ruslan Gazizov) to participate in the showcase game that will feature the top 40 draft-eligible players currently in the CHL.

The honour, combined with his No. 42 ranking on NHL Central Scouting’s Mid-Term rankings (the No. 16 defenseman) has scouts predicting an NHL future for George (at the moment, he’s being pegged as a mid-second round draft pick this summer).

An NHL future is certainly the goal for George, but he says he’s taking the recent honours in stride. One thing at a time, the defenseman says. After all, he’s got work to do.

“At the end of the day, I want to be an NHL player. But I don’t have NHL-calibre skills yet. So, I’m focused on improving everything … improving overall as a hockey player.”