Season Preview: London Knights

The London Knights came as close to the Memorial Cup as a team possibly could without winning it this past season, eventually dropping the championship to the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes. Now, they’re looking ahead as the team prepares the upcoming season, which begins September 21.

London finished first in the OHL last season, with 99 points and a 49-18-0-1 record. Only the Plymouth Whalers and Niagara Ice Dogs came close to the Knights, as each team had 97 points.

The Knights’ 178 goals allowed was the second lowest in the league, and 277 goals-for was third highest in the OHL.

Six players on London’s roster were selected in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, held at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The highest London selection was at #22, as the hometown Penguins took Olli Maatta.

Chris Tierney (55th, SJS), Josh Anderson (95th, CBJ), Andreas Anthanasiou (110th, DET), Seth Griffith (131st, BOS) and Ryan Rupert (157th, TOR) were the other Knights selected.

Griffith also led the Knights in scoring last season. In 68 games, he scored 45 goals and 40 assists, good for ninth in the league in points. Center Greg McKegg also made the top 20 leaguewide; in his split season between London and Erie, McKegg totaled 31 goals and 44 assists in 65 games.

Another Knight who had an impressive statistical season was center Vladislav Namestnikov. The 19-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning prospect scored 30 goals and 39 assists in 68 regular season games with London. He also added 18 points in 19 playoff games.

London begins the season at home against the Otters on September 21. They went undefeated (7-0) against Erie last season.

The remainder of the season goes as follows: the team will play four games in September, then hit the ice full-steam ahead with 10 games in October and 14 in November. Eleven games in December, 10 in February, and another eleven in March before the final (albeit short) month of the regular season wraps up with eight games in April.

The Knights will close the season with a six game road trip; the team’s final home regular season game will be March 3 against Kitchener before they visit Owen Sound,  Sarnia, Windsor, Erie and Saginaw.

Finally, they’ll cap off the season with a match-up in Sault Ste. Marie on March 17.

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