With stars away, who will shine?

Knight Watch: London to play three-game weekend — against tough foes — down four players. Who will step up?; Andoni Fimis a big blueline add; It’s a home-and home vs. Windsor, then Kitchener Sunday …

Knights goalie Austin Elliott has allowed just three goals on 14 shootout attempts, going a perfect 3-0 in those contests. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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The London Knights are looking to kickstart another winning streak, and they’ll have a busy weekend to do so with three games in three days — against a pair of strong Western Conference foes.

They came up short last Friday, in a rematch of last year’s OHL Finals, losing 5-3 to Oshawa to bring an end to their 19-game winning streak.

Now, they face three tough tests this weekend — and without some of their top guns to rely on. Sam Dickinson, Oliver Bonk, Easton Cowan and Denver Barkey are all away at Canada’s World Junior Selection Camp. That’s four of London’s top six scorers out of the lineup — and for the foreseeable future.

Associate General Manager Rob Simpson says it’s a good opportunity for some other players to step up into larger roles.

“It’s going to give lots of playing time for our young players who have sort of been waiting in the wings a little bit,” Simpson told Gameday London. “They want to show they can play in this league and contribute.”

London has the OHL’s best record, with an .821 winning percentage (23-5-0-0), but they’ll play the two teams just behind them in the standings this weekend, starting with a home-and-home series with Windsor, and then a home contest against Kitchener Sunday. Along with the Knights, the Spitfires and Rangers were also featured in the latest CHL Top Ten Rankings.

Meanwhile, the Knights made an addition this week to help with their depth on the blueline, signing free agent Andoni Fimis from the BCHL.

Simpson says that Fimis, who has an NCAA commitment to the University of Vermont, was brought in to add some stability to the back end.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

“In practice this week, you can see he is a smart and heavy player,” Simpson said. “He has a good understanding for where pucks need to go, and he makes quick transitions, which really lends itself to the way we want to play.”

With defensemen Dickinson and Bonk both likely to make Canada’s World Junior roster, the timing of the signing could not have been better. But Simpson stressed that Fimis will be a staple in the lineup long after the international tournament ends.

“We brought him in for the long term. His NCAA commitment isn’t until another year and a half, so we’re looking to have him in our lineup next year as well,” Simpson said. “He’s an older defenseman who has played two years of junior.”

Fortunately, Kasper Halttunen and Jesse Nurmi are expected to be in the lineup for all three games this weekend before heading to Finland’s World Junior camp next week.

Kasper Halttunen will play this weekend, but then he’ll depart, along with fellow Knight Jesse Nurmi, for Finland’s World Junior Camp. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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UPCOMING GAMEDAYS

Friday (Dec. 13, 7:00pm at home) & Saturday (Dec. 14, 7:05pm on road) vs. Windsor Spitfires (20-6-2-1, 1st in West Division)

This is the first matchup of the season between the Knights and Spits, and it should be a dandy. London and Windsor are one-two in powerplay goals, with 35 and 33, respectively. Captain Liam Greentree leads the Spits in scoring again this year with 48 points through 28 games. The Los Angeles Kings prospect had 90 points last year, and he was one of the few bright spots on that last-place team. A much-improved squad this year includes sophomore forward Jack Nesbitt, who has 25 points so far as he looks ahead to the 2025 draft. Speaking of big forwards, 6-foot-5 rookie Etan Belchetz has nine goals and 18 points during his freshman campaign. Keep an eye out for London Junior Knight grad Carter Hicks.

Sunday (Dec. 15, 4:00pm) vs. Kitchener Rangers (21-5-2-1, 2nd in Midwest Division)

The Rangers have been much better than expected this year, and their 20-year-olds are a big reason why. Goaltender Jackson Parsons leads the league in every major goaltending category; wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts. Offensively, Kitchener is led by overagers Adrian Misaljevic and Trent Swick. The Rangers are also relying on draft-eligibles players Luca Romano and Cameron Reid, who hails from Aylmer. Jack Pridham has adjusted nicely to the OHL after the Chicago Blackhawks prospect came to the league from the BCHL. The Boston University commit was the only Ranger to score against London this season, when the Knights topped the Rangers 3-1 on Nov. 19.

A new record 15,926 teddy bears were collected after Landon Sim’s goal in this year’s Teddy Bear Toss Game last Wednesday against Owen Sound. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

KNIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS

127 - Sam Dickinson, Denver Barkey, Easton Cowan, and Oliver Bonk have combined for 127 points this season. That’s what the Knights will be missing this weekend as the quartet tries out for Canada’s World Junior team.

3 - With wins in all three of their shootouts this season, London is the only OHL team with a perfect 3-0 record. They’ve scored six goals on 13 shootout attempts, while Austin Elliott has allowed just three goals on 14 attempts.

1 - London’s loss to Oshawa last Friday not only ended their 19-game winning streak, but it was also the first time this season that the Knights lost a game where they led going into the third period. London was 41-1-1-1 in such games last season.

A LOOK AT THE LOCALS

- Komoka’s Matthew Koprowski (Owen Sound Attack) and Aylmer’s Cameron Reid (Kitchener Rangers) will both take part in the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game in January.

- Ryan Roobroeck (Niagara IceDogs) has points in 12 straight games, with 11 goals and 21 points during that stretch.

AROUND THE OHL

- The Niagara IceDogs traded forward Masen Wray to the Owen Sound Attack.

- Despite beating London last week, the Oshawa Generals have made a coaching change. Steve O’Rourke is out, and assistant coach Brad Malone has taken over the role on an interim basis. 

- In another coaching move, the Sarnia Sting have fired Assistant Coach Michael Haley.