Knights’ playoff run thrilled, provided fans glimpse into future
Knight Watch: It was an exciting postseason for the London Knights, who came oh-so-close to winning an OHL championship. It was also a season of adversity — and tragedy. Columnist Jake Jeffrey on a rollercoaster season …
(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).
* * *
Knights fans got a good glimpse of what’s to come during the team’s lengthy playoff run this spring that fell just short of an OHL championship and Memorial Cup appearance.
Although this year’s team was led by some older players who won’t be returning (including George Diaco, Sean McGurn, Ryan Winterton and Brett Brochu), there were several players who played prominent roles that will be back — and with a larger responsibility — next year.
This was a Knights team that faced adversity and came together through tough times that went far beyond what a normal junior hockey season entails.
It’s impossible to look back on the season and not honour a young life that was lost. The team rallied together following the tragic passing of teammate Abakar Kazbekov just prior to the Christmas break. The Knights returned to the ice a few weeks later and honoured his memory, with Abakar’s family on hand for a pregame ceremony to celebrate the young man’s life. His number 15 was painted on the ice and Knights players wore a sticker with his number on their helmets for the remainder of the season.
There was no shortage of adversity within the game, either. On the ice, the Knights fought valiantly after losing starting goaltender Brett Brochu to injury in the Western Conference final against Sarnia. They powered on with Zach Bowen, and eventually Owen Willmore, who came in for the final two games of the OHL championship series against Peterborough. This was just weeks, remember, after Willmore and his Stratford Warriors had battled for the Sutherland Cup in the GOJHL’s Junior B circuit.
Ryan Winterton and Sean McGurn had outstanding playoff runs, both recording 26 points (Winterton led the team with 13 goals). Both will be gone next season. Defenseman Logan Mailloux scored 33 goals between the playoffs and regular season. He’s in a unique situation. A first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, a player of his calibre typically wouldn’t return for an overage season. But his NHL future still remains unclear.
Mailloux is expected to meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman later this month to discuss his possible reinstatement. Although he has signed with the Canadiens, he has been deemed ineligible to play in the NHL since being accused of sexual misconduct while he was playing in Sweden during the OHL’s COVID-canceled season in 2020-21.
Ryan Humphrey, Max McCue, Ethan MacKinnon and Connor Federkow would also be entering their overage seasons next year if they return to the club.
Ryan Winterton, acquired before the trade deadline from the Hamilton Bulldogs, had a fantastic playoff run for London this spring. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).
* * *
The future is certainly bright for the green and gold. Rookie Easton Cowan followed up his 20-goal and 53-point season with 21 points in the playoffs. First-year blueliners Oliver Bonk and Sam Dickinson shined in the playoffs. Bonk had 11 points from the backend, while Dickinson showed his offensive flair with four postseason goals, three of which came on the powerplay.
And then there’s Denver Barkey, another player who has a bright future. The second-year forward notched 11 goals and 24 points in the playoffs after tallying 59 points in 61 games during the regular season (third-most on the team).
Dickinson was named to the OHL’s All-Rookie First Team, along with goaltender Zach Bowen. Cowan and Bonk were both named to the Second Team.
And there were other Knights recognized for their regular season achievements. Logan Mailloux and Brett Brochu were named to the OHL’s Second All-Star Team, as was Dale Hunter, who was named to an OHL all-star team for the seventh time.
Mark Hunter, meanwhile, was named the OHL’s top executive. He brought in Ryan Winterton and Ryan Humphrey at the deadline, both bringing OHL championship experience to the club. The Ryans combined for 21 goals and 41 points in the postseason. Hunter also acquired another former OHL champ near the start of the season when he brought hometown talent George Diaco to the team.
It will be interesting to see what Hunter and his scouting team do with the upcoming CHL Import Draft in early July. Ruslan Gazizov can return for a third season in London, which would leave the Knights with one open import spot on the roster. London has the 46th and 106th picks and could use one of those to bring over a European player who could make an impact next season.
London did draft Finnish forward Kasper Halttunen in last year’s draft, but he’s expected to go in the first two rounds of this year’s NHL draft. London hasn’t drafted a goaltender since taking Igor Bobkov in 2010, but with Brochu moving on, this could be the year to take a swing at a top import goalie.
Brochu leaves big skates to fill in net, as he departs London among the franchise’s elite. He is fourth all-time in games played (132), second in wins (89), fifth in shutouts (6). If it wasn’t for the lost season from COVID, he would likely be atop most goaltending categories. Brochu’s absence was felt when he went down with an injury in the playoffs, and that absence will likely be felt next season as well.
Jacob Julien sort of came out of nowhere and ended up playing a pretty big role down the stretch. He joined the Knights full-time in November after an impressive start to the season with the London Nationals. Julien finished the season with nine goals, and added seven more points in the playoffs. A bit of a late bloomer, he could take another big jump in his development heading into next season.
The Knights have also received a pair of commitments from top picks in the 2023 draft. Alexei Medvedev, the second goalie taken in this year’s draft, Blake Arrowsmith, and PJ Fagan have each signed with the hockey club.
Some others to keep an eye out for next year? Sam O’Reilly, William Nicholl and Michael Levin. All three had impressive seasons playing in the GOJHL, and they should make the full-time jump to the OHL in 2023-24.
* * *
A LOOK AT THE LOCALS
It was a storybook season for Londoner Michael Simpson, who helped lead the Peterborough Petes to an OHL Championship. He was awarded playoff MVP and was also named to the OHL’s Third All-Star Team for his work during the regular season. Simpson and the Petes made it all the way to the Memorial Cup semifinals before losing to the WHL champion Seattle Thunderbirds.
Knight Watch: London opens busy weekend on impressive 12-game win streak; Return of Halttunen gives Knights depth — and healthy competition; It’s Owen Sound, Saginaw and Ottawa this weekend …