Contributions from all corners during win streak

Knight Watch: Van Gorp, Nicholl, Read shine in high-scoring affair in Guelph; Rematch vs. Storm on Saturday; Dickinson Player of the Week again; Montgomery another offensive weapon …

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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It was far from a defensive showdown, but the London Knights got by Guelph to extend their win streak to nine games.

The visitors held on to an 8-7 win Sunday afternoon at the Sleeman Centre, the highest scoring game in the OHL this season. The last time the Knights gave up seven goals in a win, most of the team’s current players were just entering elementary school. It was January of 2010 when London came away with an 8-7 shootout win over the Erie Otters, a team who was still two seasons away from drafting a prospect by the name of Connor McDavid.

It was a game to forget for the goaltenders, but it was one to remember for London’s line of Evan Van Gorp, William Nicholl and Noah Read, who combined for 12 points — including the first two goals of Read’s OHL career.

Van Gorp led the way with a goal and four assists. He had a tough time recalling his last five-point game.

“I don’t know, maybe in, like, Peewee or something. It’s definitely been awhile,” Van Gorp told Gameday London with a laugh. “It was a really good game for our line. It just all came together.”

Van Gorp has been playing consistently with Nicholl this season, but it was the first time Read was inserted onto the line. It’s safe to say it worked out alright.

“He fit in really well and he worked really hard. It was a lot of fun,” Van Gorp said.

Traditionally, the Knights’ coaching staff likes to juggle their lines to find the right chemistry and get their lineup comfortable playing in different situations with different teammates.

“They like to mix up the lines to see what works the best. It can be tough at first getting used to new linemates,” Van Gorp says, “but if you just keep at it and work hard, things usually come together.”

With an empty net goal in the final minute Sunday (which turned out to be the game winner), Easton Cowan extended his regular season point streak to 49 games. 

Sam Dickinson recorded his second hat trick of the season in Friday’s win over North Bay. He had four goals and eight points in three games last week, helping him earn the OHL Player of the Week honours for the second time in three weeks. He leads the Knights in points, making him one of four defenders to lead their teams in scoring (Sarnia, Guelph and Oshawa are also led in scoring by a defenceman). The Knights play both Sarnia and Guelph this weekend.

Noah Read joined a line with Evan Van Gorp and William Nicholl Sunday against Guelph and had a breakout game, scoring the first two goals of his OHL career. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

Blake Montgomery made his Knights debut in Guelph on Sunday. The Ottawa Senators prospect had been playing with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars and is set to join the University of Wisconsin next season. He is the younger brother of former Knight Bryce Montgomery.

He is one of several NCAA committed players to make the jump to the OHL since the NCAA agreed to make CHL players eligible for college hockey in the United States. 

The Knights will be without Landon Sim for a stretch, as the OHL suspended him for five games, stemming from an incident at the end of last Wednesday’s game in Sault Ste. Marie. The league says Sim violated its code of conduct by making ‘a remark intended to provoke an opposing player that was marginalizing on both religious and cultural grounds.’

Sim will be eligible to return Nov. 22 against Owen Sound.

Ryder Boulton is also serving a suspension. He will miss one more game as he serves a two-game ban, and he can return to the lineup Saturday in Guelph.

Logan Hawery and Caleb Mitchell are returning from the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge with some hardware. The pair secured a gold medal for Canada White with a 3-1 win over Canada Red in the finals. It’s the first time two Canadian teams have met in the gold medal game of the tournament since 2009.

Sam Dickinson has continued his hot play. He leads the Knights in scoring and was named OHL Player of the Week for the second time this season. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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UPCOMING GAMEDAYS

Friday (Nov. 15, 7:00pm) vs. Sarnia Sting (7-9-1-3, 4th in West)

The Sting come into the weekend having lost their last three games, but they’ll have their young guns back from the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge. Both Komoka’s Beckham Edwards and Alessandro Di Iorio have adjusted quite nicely to the league as 16-year-olds. Edwards has six goals and 11 points this season, while Di Iorio has nine points over his last eight games. The Sting have really missed captain Lukas Fisher, a St. Louis Blues draft pick who has been out since Oct. 20. He logs a lot of minutes on the backend and has nine points in 10 games this year. Defenseman Mitch Young leads the team in scoring with 15 points.

Saturday (Nov. 16, 4:07pm) @ Guelph Storm (5-10-1-1, 5th in Midwest)

Less than a week after the teams combined for 15 goals, the Storm and Knights will meet again. Max Namestnikov scored four times for Guelph last Sunday, while Londoner Jett Luchanko recorded four assists. Luchanko has two goals and eight points in six games since returning from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Storm do have a dangerous powerplay, especially with Luchanko back controlling the man advantage. One thing to look out for: Guelph’s penalty kill has struggled and London currently has the most efficient powerplay in the OHL. The Knights have won both meetings between the two teams so far this season.

Tuesday (Nov. 19, 7:00pm) @ Kitchener Rangers (13-3-2-1, 1st in Midwest)

This is the first meeting of the season between two of the top teams in the Western Conference. A loss in Oshawa on Sunday was Kitchener’s first regulation defeat since the second game of the season. They went on a 14-game stretch where they won 13 of those contests, losing just once in a shootout. Overage forward Adrian Misaljevic has been a nice surprise. He leads the team in scoring with 28 points. Trent Swick, another 20-year-old, has nine goals and 21 points through 14 games. The draft eligible pair of Lucan Romano and Cameron Reid have also had a strong start. Reid, who hails from nearby Aylmer, is fourth in OHL scoring among defensemen with 19 points.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

KNIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS

15 - London and Guelph combined for 15 goals on Sunday as the Knights got by the Storm 8-7. It was the highest scoring game in all of the OHL this season.

2 - Noah Read scored his first two OHL goals in Guelph on Sunday. It was his second multi-point effort in six games this season.

12 - The line of Evan Van Gorp (1G 4A), William Nicholl (1G 3A) and Noah Read (2G 1A) combined for 12 points in Sunday’s 8-7 win over Guelph. It was a career high effort for all three.

49 - With an empty net goal in Sunday’s win over Guelph, Easton Cowan extended his regular season point streak to 49 games.

A LOOK AT THE LOCALS

- Ryan Roobroeck of the Niagara IceDogs recorded his first career hat trick when he potted three goals in a 4-3 win over Sarnia last Thursday. That included the game winner with 48 seconds left. The second-year forward is now up to 13 goals through 18 games this season.

- Guelph Storm forward Parker Snelgrove has three goals over his last two games, giving him five on the season.

- Komoka’s Beckham Edwards (Sarnia Sting) won a gold medal with Canada White at the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge. Parker Vaughan (Barrie Colts) won a silver with Canada Red.

AROUND THE OHL

- A pair of OHL overagers have committed to NCAA programs for next season. Kitchener goalie Jackson Parsons is the first OHLer to officially commit to a scholarship in the NCAA. He will play for Clarkson University when he wraps up his OHL career at season’s end. Saginaw forward Caleb Mangone will be heading to Lake Superior State University.

- Saginaw forward Joey Willis scored five goals in a 7-5 win over Flint on Wednesday. The last OHLer to score five in a game was Windsor’s Matthew Maggio in a win over Erie in December of 2022.

- It’s certainly been a rough start to the season for the Peterborough Petes, but they do have their first victory now after recording a 2-1 win over Saginaw in what was their 16th game of the season. As many Knights fans know, and likely try to forget, London holds the record for fewest wins in a season with just three victories during the 1995-96 campaign. It’s a little early to think Peterborough will challenge for that record, but with one win through 18 games, they could very well challenge it.