Knights eye encore — and more — during new season

Knight Watch: Can Knights repeat as OHL champs?; Roster questions remain around overage and import players; Who will break out in 2024-25? Knights open with home-and-home vs. Flint …

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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The reigning OHL champions will feature one of the league’s most talented teams in 2024-25, and they certainly have their sights set on another successful season, with expectations sky high from Knights fans in the Forest City.

London starts the year at No. 3 in the CHL Top Ten Rankings, and they bring back a ton of experience from last year’s team that made it to the Memorial Cup Final, coming up just short of winning a national junior hockey championship.

Seven of the Knights’ top scorers from last year are eligible to return, although there are lingering questions at the start of any junior hockey season about who will and who won’t be back (especially considering rules around import and overage players).

Rob Simpson, the Knights’ associate general manager, says the team will really start to take shape over the next couple of weeks as players return from NHL camps.

“Our younger guys have looked great at camp, especially with some older guys away at pro camps,” Simpson told Gameday London. “A lot of our players had good summers. You can tell they trained hard and are ready to go. That really showed in the preseason when we went 3-1 and really only had our veteran guys for one game.”

Easton Cowan, the reigning OHL MVP, has a real shot at sticking with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He had 96 points in 54 regular season games last year, and at the very least he’ll get a long look at Leafs camp. In other words, similar to last year, the Knights will have to start the season without one of their biggest offensive catalysts.

Kasper Halltunen could also return. One of four candidates for London’s two import positions, he has arguably one of the best shots in junior hockey. And although he is eligible to play in the AHL, the San Jose Sharks prospect could be back for another season in London.

Ruslan Gazizov, who had a breakout season for the Knights last year, could return as well, while the Knights have also signed New York Islanders prospect Jesse Nurmi, as well as Gleb Semenov from this year’s CHL Import Draft. 

“That decision will likely be made for us,” Simpson said, “depending on what San Jose decides to do with Halttunen — whether they feel he’s ready for the NHL or the AHL. That may have a bit of a domino effect on the rest of the guys.”

Previously, teams had to wait until Jan. 1 to trade their most recent import selections, but the OHL has made some changes that gives teams the freedom to move those players.

“It’s nice to have those options,” Simpson said. “We didn’t have that flexibility in the past with the league rules, so we know now that if it doesn’t work out for some of the guys with us, we know they can still play in this league and find a spot, which is great for the player.”

Ruslan Gazizov, an import player, had a team-best 36 goals last season, tallying 81 points in 63 games. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

Another roster battle to keep an eye on is London’s logjam of 20-year-olds.

The Knights have five players who would qualify as overage players, while the team can only dress three. There’s Owen Willmore in net, Alec Leonard on the blueline, and Landon Sim, Jacob Julien and Gazizov up front. Sim and Julien are likely to be locks. Gazizov has top-tier offensive skill, while Leonard provides some sandpaper on the back end that could be lacking.

The team has announced that Sim will miss the first couple weeks of the season with an upper body injury, and Simpson says that will give the other four a good opportunity to earn their spot.

“The overager role is such a specialty position, and it’s a tough one to crack with only having three openings,” London’s associate general manager said. “The next couple of weeks will really show where guys fit, and there’s going to be a real competition to see who’s the best fit for us.”

Willmore, on the other hand, will get an early season opportunity as he looks to establish himself as the go-to guy in net. He’s also a strong candidate for one of the three spots, and Simpson thinks the St. Thomas native could really step up.

“He's trying to showcase that he’s ready to be a number one guy in this league,” Simpson said. “He had a good summer and came into camp bigger, faster, and stronger.”

As the backup goaltender last year, Owen Willmore went 16-4 with a 2.96 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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London had the league’s best powerplay last season, and several major contributors are likely to be back in the green and gold. Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk are both expected back from Philadelphia Flyers camp, while the same can be said of Sam Dickinson, who was a first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks. Sam O’Reilly is a guy who could see more powerplay time this year once he’s returned from the Edmonton Oilers.

On the blue line, Jackson Edward and Isaiah George have both graduated to the professional ranks, so Bonk and Dickinson will be relied on to do most of the heavy lifting. Jared Woolley will also play a larger role. He joined the Knights midway through the 2023-24 season and impressed enough as a rookie to be selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the sixth round of the NHL Draft.

Henry Brzustewicz, who was the Knights’ first round pick in 2023, will also get more ice time on the back end this year. A defenseman by trade, he played a decent amount of forward last year when called upon, and even scored an overtime winner against Oshawa in the OHL finals. Noah Jenken and PJ Fagan will now both be regulars after getting a taste of the OHL last year while playing full time in the GOJHL. Liam Spencer, meanwhile, joined London via trade from the Brampton Steelheads, and he played a bulk of last year in the GOJHL as well.

“There’s something to be said about having a player from when you first drafted them,” said Simpson. “You’ve built that relationship with the player, you can be honest when they do well, and you can be honest when there’s something they need to work on. That relationship tends to build an environment where everyone is trying to get better and there’s a trust in each other and the coaching staff.”

O’Reilly seems poised for a big season after a tremendous rookie campaign that caught the eye of the Edmonton Oilers, who selected the Knights forward in the first round in last year’s draft. William Nicholl, another Oilers pick, could also benefit from added responsibility this year. And Evan Van Gorp, who scored a preseason hat trick against Sarnia, should be included in that group as well.

Now an overage player, Jacob Julien shined last year, posting 29 goals and 78 points in 67 regular season games. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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UPCOMING GAMEDAYS

Friday (Sept. 27, 7:00pm at home) and Saturday (Sept. 28, 7:00pm on road) vs. Flint Firebirds

The Firebirds had a busy offseason and could be a threat in the West Division this year. They added Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Nolan Collins and LA Kings pick Matthew Mania from Sudbury. Nathan Day, an Edmonton Oilers pick, is among the league’s top netminders.  Kaden Pitre (Tampa Bay), Connor Clattenburg (Edmonton) and Nathan Aspinall (New York Rangers) are other NHL draftees to keep an eye on. Former London Jr. Knight Matthew Wang, meanwhile, will get more opportunity to produce this year after picking up 11 points as a rookie last season.

A LOOK AT THE LOCALS

The London Knights will start the season with six London-area players on the team — Jacob Julien (London), Evan Van Gorp (Watford), Rene Van Bommel (Strathroy), Noah Jenken (Ilderton), Liam Spencer (London), and Owen Willmore (St. Thomas). Easton Cowan (Mt. Brydges) makes that seven if he is back in London this season.

“They have an understanding of what it means to be a London Knight because they grew up in the city, they tend to want to do everything to help the team win because they’ve grown up watching us win,” said associate GM Rob Simpson. “Having that core from London and the surrounding area, their heart is really in it, and when you get that type of a buy-in from your players, you’re going to win more than you don’t.”

KNIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS

8 - Despite Jacob Julien and William Nicholl returning to the club this week, the Knights still have eight players who remain at NHL camps, including Easton Cowan (Toronto), Kasper Halttunen (San Jose), Sam O’Reilly (Edmonton), Jesse Nurmi (New York Islanders), Denver Barkey (Philadelphia), Sam Dickinson (San Jose), Ruslan Gazizov (Anaheim), and Oliver Bonk (Philadelphia).

951 - With 951 career wins, Knights head coach Dale Hunter could this year become the second coach in OHL history to reach 1000 victories.

5 - The Knights have finished first in the Midwest Division each of the last five seasons.

6 - Edmonton Oilers first rounder Sam O’Reilly had six points in two preseason games.

2000 - The last time the Knights failed to make the playoffs was the year 2000. 

AROUND THE OHL

- The Barrie Colts acquired Ottawa Senators prospect Gabriel Eliasson from the Niagara IceDogs for two draft picks (third and 13th round).

- The Kitchener Rangers sent 50-goal scorer and Seattle Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf to the Brampton Steelheads, who are looking like early favourites in the Eastern Conference in their first season since moving from Mississauga.

- The London Knights sent 19-year-old forward Kaeden Johnston to the Sarnia Sting for a fourth-round draft pick.