Luke Evangelista: 50-goal scorer
London’s captain has joined a prestigious list of Knights players to reach the milestone 50-goal mark in a season. He achieved the feat Sunday — in just his 55th game of the year.
(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).
* * *
Luke Evangelista scored zero goals in his first season with the London Knights.
Not one.
In 2018-19, Evangelista was just 16 years old to start the year and, as is usually the case in London, he played sparingly as a youngster on a team loaded with talent. In 27 games, he recorded two assists, had just 14 shots on net, and finished a minus-5.
How far he’s come.
On Sunday night, Evangelista scored his 50th goal of the 2021-22 OHL season.
The 20-year-old took a pass from Cody Morgan just past centre ice, streaked down the right side, and snapped a wrist shot past Guelph goalie Owen Bennett to give the Knights a 2-0 lead midway through the second period. His celebration? He took off his glove and shook hands with his linemate, Antonio Stranges.
“It’s a huge honour and a huge privilege, and I think the coolest thing about it is how far I’ve come from my rookie year,” Evangelista said after the game, a 4-0 Knights win. “To be in this kind of company, it’s really cool and really special.”
That company includes a prestigious list of 50-goal scorers in Knights franchise history. It’s a list that includes the likes of Dennis Maruk, Dave Simpson, Dino Ciccarelli, Jason Allison, Brad Smyth, Rob Schremp, Dave Bolland, and Patrick Kane. Christian Dvorak was the last to do it in 2015-16.
“This year I’m just not passing up any great chances. Every time I’m in a good scoring area, I’m not passing up any shots. That’s translating into more goals and more chances created.”
* * *
Back to the early days, Evangelista’s goal-less drought extended nine more games into the 2019-20 season before he finally found the back of the net – in his 36th game in the league. They came quickly after that – and that very night, as he notched a hat-trick in that game.
He felt like he’d arrived.
A breakout season followed. He tallied 61 points (23 goals) in 62 games before the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down shortly before playoffs. His successful sophomore season made him a second-round draft pick of the Nashville Predators, and he was primed for a big year in 2020-21 before the pandemic wiped out that entire season.
Cut to the 2021-22 season. Evangelista returned to the ice last fall primed for an amazing year after spending an offseason playing in 14 AHL games last spring and training with the likes of Shane Wright, this year’s consensus No. 1 pick.
“I want to be a guy who’s counted on to score goals,” the Knights captain told Gameday London about his final junior season. “I want to be a 100-point player.”
* * *
Goal 1 | at Owen Sound on Oct. 9, 2021
It wasn’t particularly pretty – but it was the first. In the opening period of their second game of the 2021-22 season, Evangelista managed to bat a puck past Owen Sound goaltender Mack Guzda. A Jackson Edward shot had gone off Guzda’s right shoulder. The rebound dropped in front of the net in the vicinity of six players.
Evangelista’s stick won out. The goal tied the game at one, just under four minutes into the contest.
That was number one.
Goal 2 | at Owen Sound on Oct. 9, 2021
Goal 3 | at Windsor on Oct. 11, 2021
Goal 4 | at Windsor on Oct. 11, 2021
Goal 5 | vs. Owen Sound on Oct. 22, 2021
Goal 6 | at Owen Sound on Oct. 27, 2021
Goal 7 | at Owen Sound on Oct. 27, 2021
Goal 8 | vs. Sarnia on Oct. 29, 2021
Goal 9 | vs. Sarnia on Oct. 29, 2021
Goal 10 | vs. Sarnia on Oct. 29, 2021
Goal 11 | vs. Owen Sound on Nov. 5, 2021
A quick start certainly helped. The Knights captain scored a second goal in that Oct. 9 road contest, and then two more the following night in Windsor. During London’s season-opening nine-game winning streak, Evangelista netted 11 goals (15 points).
The Knights were hot; Evangelista was the hottest of all.
Scoring binges at various times throughout the year also helped. For instance, he had seven goals (including two game winners) in a four-game stretch from Oct. 22-Nov. 5. And he capped off that streak in style.
Playing against the Attack, this time at home, Evangelista broke a 1-1 tie in overtime to give the Knights the win. Less than a minute in, he picked up the puck off a Brett Brochu save and took it the length of the ice, wiring a wrist shot in the top right corner past Nick Chenard.
In a season filled with fan restrictions due to COVID-19, this one came in front of nearly 8,000. And they were loud. Evangelista fell during his shooting motion, tried to get up to celebrate, fell again, and was then mobbed by his teammates as the crowd went into a frenzy.
(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).
* * *
The 20-year-old is what you’d call a student of scoring, and he credits a lot of his goal-scoring prowess to the work he’s done with shooting coach Josh Wrobel during his summers in Oakville.
“We watch a lot of film, and a big thing we work on is looking at, well, how are goals scored in the NHL and OHL?” said Evangelista. “Whether it’s where the shots are going in on goalies, or where the shots are coming from positionally (on the ice). I think that’s really helped me get to where I am now.”
Evangelista has been putting himself in positions to score all year. He says it’s about timing, being in the right spot, and going to the net often.
“And then also having that chemistry with your linemates to have that good timing and good positioning on rush chances or offensive zone cycles. Just showing up in the positions at the right times so that you’re open for the pass and can get shots off.”
Evangelista has made all of his teammates better this year, but he’s particularly clicked with his top-line partners of late, Antonio Stranges and Sean McGurn. The captain aside, they’re the only other Knights currently averaging more than a point per game. During a recent four-game stretch, the trio combined for a mind-boggling 33 points.
* * *
Goal 12 | at Erie on Nov. 13, 2021
Goal 13 | vs. Kitchener on Nov. 20, 2021
Goal 14 | vs. Kitchener on Nov. 20, 2021
Goal 15 | at Kitchener on Nov. 21, 2021
Goal 16 | at Windsor on Nov. 24, 2021
Goal 17 | at Guelph on Nov. 26, 2021
Goal 18 | at Guelph on Nov. 26, 2021
Goal 19 | at Owen Sound on Nov. 27, 2021
Goal 20 | at Owen Sound on Nov. 27, 2021
The captain went on another scoring binge to wrap up November, notching a goal in a season-best five straight games (Nov. 20-27), scoring eight times overall during that stretch. At that point, he had 20 goals in 18 games.
Goal 21 | at Guelph on Dec. 18, 2021
He missed two games in December while at Canada’s World Junior selection camp – where he was a surprise cut. (Canada went 2-0 in the tourney before it was shuttered for the pandemic.)
So, what happened when Evangelista returned to the Knights on Dec. 18? He scored.
Goal 22 | vs. Flint on Jan. 7, 2022
Goal 23 | vs. Flint on Jan. 7, 2022
Goal 24 | vs. Erie on Jan. 21, 2022
Goal 25 | vs. Erie on Jan. 21, 2022
Goal 26 | at Guelph on Jan. 22, 2022
Goal 27 | vs. Windsor on Feb. 4, 2022
Goal 28 | vs. Kitchener on Feb. 5, 2022
Goal 29 | vs. Kitchener on Feb. 5, 2022
Goal 30 | vs. Kitchener on Feb. 5, 2022
Goal 31 | at Owen Sound on Feb 6, 2022
Goal 32 | at Owen Sound on Feb 6, 2022
Goal 33 | at Saginaw on Feb 9, 2022
Goal 34 | at Saginaw on Feb 9, 2022
Goal 35 | vs. Soo on Feb. 18, 2022
Goal 36 | at Erie on Feb. 19, 2022
Goal 37 | at Owen Sound on Feb 23, 2022
Goal 38 | at Soo on Feb 25, 2022
Goal 39 | at Soo on Feb 26, 2022
Goal 40 | at Soo on Feb 26, 2022
Goal 41 | at Soo on Feb 26, 2022
(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).
* * *
In the New Year, Evangelista picked up right where he left off, tallying two goals in the Knights’ first game back after a lengthy delay (the team went 19 days between games, but their captain showed no rust).
A four-game scoring spree in early February (Feb. 4-9), during which Evangelista scored eight times, brought the forward back over the impressive goal-per-game pace (34 in 32 games). He regained that pace again after his 41st game of the year. The Knights won 3-0 on the road in Sault Ste. Marie Feb. 26. Evangelista scored all three goals – one in each period. A goal in his next game, March 2, gave him 42 in 42 games, the most recent he’s been at a goal per game.
Goal 42 | vs. Guelph on March 2, 2022
Goal 43 | at Windsor on March 6, 2022
Goal 44 | at Sarnia on March 9, 2022
Goal 45 | vs. Flint on March 11, 2022
Goal 46 | vs. Saginaw on March 14, 2022
Goal 47 | vs. Saginaw on March 14, 2022
Goal 48 | vs. Saginaw on March 18, 2022
Goal 49 | vs. Owen Sound on March 25, 2022
Goal 50 | at Guelph on March 27, 2022
Now, he’s at 50 goals in 55 games – and he’s part of a prestigious group of Knights players who have reached the 50-goal milestone.
His 100 points are third-most in the OHL. His 1.82 points per game is second. Consider these numbers: He tallied at least a point in 22 of his first 23 games this season. He had 26 points in a 10-game stretch from Nov. 20-Jan. 7. He had back-to-back 4-point games Nov. 20-21. He posted a season-best five points in a 6-3 win over Kitchener Feb. 5.
And there is still plenty of time to add to those numbers with nine games left to play in the regular season – especially for a guy who this year is “not passing up any great chances.”
* * *
By the numbers (through action March 27) …
6: Game-winning goals
8: Go-ahead goals
11: Game-tying goals
29: Goals at home
21: Goals on the road
291: Shots on goal (tops in OHL)
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 …