Knights welcome Windsor for post-deadline showdown

Knight Watch: The gang is back together; O’Reilly, Van Gorp step up with stars away; Will Windsor (Friday) be up to challenge?; Knights stand pat at deadline, but … Catch up on OHL trades …

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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The reinforcements have returned for the London Knights as they look to solidify themselves atop the OHL standings.

This weekend, Easton Cowan, Oliver Bonk, Sam Dickinson, Kasper Halttunen and Jesse Nurmi will all play their first games since returning from the World Junior tournament. Halttunen and Nurmi won a silver medal with Finland. 

Friday will mark the first game those five have played alongside Cam Allen, who joined the team in a trade with the Guelph Storm just before Christmas. Allen has nine points in six games since joining the Knights, and he’s played some heavy minutes on the back end with Bonk and Dickinson out of the lineup. Allen, a prospect of the Washington Capitals, gives London 13 NHL draft picks on their roster.

The rest of the group handled business quite nicely in the meantime, winning five of six games. The lone loss came against Sarnia in overtime on New Year’s Day. Sam O’Reilly and Evan Van Gorp both stepped up their production. O’Reilly has six goals and 13 points over his last seven games, while Van Gorp has nine points in his last six.

Denver Barkey is another who had a strong couple of weeks. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect has 22 points over his last 10 games, which puts him just one point back of Dickinson for the team lead. 

The Knights remained quiet at the deadline, electing to make their big addition just prior to Christmas (Cam Allen). It’s a similar approach to the 2023 deadline, which saw them add Ryan Winterton from Hamilton. Last year, London made a minor deal at the deadline, adding overage forward Kaleb Lawrence from Ottawa.

Friday’s matchup against the Windsor Spitfires at Canada Life Place will be a good test for the hometown Knights. The teams split a home-and-home just before Christmas — despite London being without Cowan, Bonk, Dickinson and Barkey, who were away at Canada camp. Both teams come into the game with a Western Conference best 61 points, although the Spits do hold the tiebreaker at the moment.

The Kitchener Rangers pose the biggest threat in the Midwest Division, as the Knights sit just two points up on their rivals. They will play each other four times before the end of the season, so that could help shake things out as the Knights chase their sixth straight division title.

London has been fairly consistent this season whether at Canada Life Place or elsewhere. They have 15 wins both at home and on the road. They’ll play three of their next four games on home ice before a four-game road trip brings them through northern Ontario.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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UPCOMING GAMEDAYS

Friday (Jan. 10, 7:00pm) vs. Windsor Spitfires (29-7-2-1, 1st in Western Conference)

Two top teams in the OHL, the Knights and Spits both enter the weekend with 61 points. Liam Greentree is the reigning OHL Player of the Week, posting five goals and a dozen points in four games last week. He leads the OHL with 68 points, a strong follow-up to his 90-point season last year. Washington Capitals prospect Ilya Protas has been great in his first OHL season with 25 goals and 60 points. First overall pick Ethan Belchetz was named the OHL’s Rookie of the Week for the second time this season. He has 26 points through 30 games in his freshman season. Goaltender Joey Costanzo is tied for the league lead in wins, and he’s among the leaders in goals-against average and shutouts. Each team has a win in the season series with the home team taking both games so far.

Saturday (Jan. 11, 7:00pm) @ Owen Sound Attack (11-22-2-3, 9th in Western Conference)

This is the final trip to the Bayshore this season for the Knights, and the rebuild has officially started in Owen Sound. The Attack have played the Knights tight all year, despite London winning all four games (three of them needed overtime). There’s a slightly different look to the Attack, who traded Sam McCue and Konnor Smith this week. Carter George is still in Owen Sound, and that’s enough to keep this close. Despite currently sitting five points back of the Soo for the final playoff spot, Owen Sound is coming off a big win over Barrie on Wednesday night. It’s still a competitive group, especially on home ice where seven of their 11 wins have come.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

KNIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS

16 - It’s been a perfect start to Austin Elliott’s London Knights career, as he’s won his first 16 starts with the club.

13 - Blake Montgomery has 13 goals and 13 assists in his last 16 games.

17 - Denver Barkey is third in the OHL with 17 powerplay assists.

30 - It took the Knights just 37 games to reach 30 wins, the quickest they’ve reached the benchmark since doing so in 37 games during the 2012-13 season.

A LOOK AT THE LOCALS

- A pair of locals were involved in a major trade between North Bay and Barrie. The Colts acquired Battalion captain and Ilderton native Owen Van Steensel, while Parker Vaughan from St. Thomas heads to North Bay in the deal.

- Two more locals are on the move. Former London Junior Knight Will Bishop was acquired by the Kingston Frontenacs. The big defenseman won a Memorial Cup with Saginaw last season. Ethan Weir, another LJK grad, is heading from Kingston to Saginaw in a separate deal.

- Saginaw Spirit forward Carson Harmer, from nearby Mitchell, leads all OHL rookies with 27 points. 

- Hayden Barch has signed with the Saginaw Spirit. The Grand Bend native is the son of former Knight Krys Barch.

AROUND THE OHL

- Barrie and North Bay completed another trade that will reunite Owen Van Steensel and Anthony Romani with former linemate Dalyn Wakely in Barrie.

- The Soo Greyhounds traded Nashville Predators prospect and Team Canada defenseman Andrew Gibson to Oshawa.

- Saginaw and Kingston made a pair of trades this week, sending Memorial Cup champions Joey Willis, Ethan Hay and Will Bishop to Kingston.

- Owen Sound traded overage captain Konnor Smith to Brampton, and Sam McCue was dealt to Flint.

- Blenheim’s Brady Stonehouse will wrap up his OHL career with the Peterborough Petes. The 20-year-old Edmonton Oilers prospect was dealt to the Petes from Ottawa on Thursday.

- Three OHLers won World Junior gold with Team USA: Sam Hillebrandt (Barrie), Joey Willis (Kingston), and Carey Terrance (Erie)