2023 Road to the Memorial Cup: OHL Championship Series preview
An OHL Championship Series that features the London Knights and Peterborough Petes may not have been a matchup many predicted, but it’s one both teams very much earned.
Two of the OHL’s most historic franchises will square off with the J. Ross Robertson Cup, and a berth at the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia, on the line.
London will look to claim its fourth OHL title since 2012 while the Petes aim for its first championship since 2006.
(2) London vs. (4) Peterborough
Never count out a Dale Hunter led London Knights.
While the Knights led the OHL’s Western Conference with 45 wins in the regular season, the threats of Windsor and Sarnia to many seemed destined to prevent London from playing for an OHL title. But here they are.
London reached the OHL Championship Series for the first time since 2016, when they last were crowned champions, after a six-game series win over the Sting. After each club won its first two home games, the Knights rattled after back-to-back wins to advance to the fourth round.
In London’s four wins, they limited Sarnia to just five goals while they themselves found the back of the net on 17 occasions. Ryan Winterton (SEA) was sensational in the series as he scored seven goals and tallied 11 points while 2023 NHL Draft prospect Denver Barkey chipped in with eight points. The Knights lost goaltender Brett Brochu in Game 2 through injury and while his current status is still up in the air, Zach Bowen took the reins to carry London to the finals.
The Knights, who reached 45 regular season wins for the 15th time in franchise history, had swept Owen Sound in the first round before they dispatched of Kitchener in five games. The club’s 66 goals are tied for the second most in the CHL this postseason as they average 4.40 goals per game. Sean McGurn and Winteron each have 22 points with Barkey one behind. Logan Mailloux’s (MTL) 17 points are the third most among OHL d-men.
Petes general manager Michael Oke loaded up ahead of the OHL trade deadline and his gamble has certainly paid off.
After the club acquired Brennan Othmann (NYR) in November, Oke also traded for Owen Beck (MTL), Avery Hayes and Gavin White (DAL) to add to an established nucleus.
This year marks just the fifth time since 1995 the Petes advanced past the second round of the OHL playoffs and they find themselves in the OHL Championship Series after a Game 7 victory over North Bay.
J.R. Avon (PHI) had the game-winner in Game 7 while in Game 6, it was Hayes who scored the overtime winner. In a tightly contested series, only one game was decided by more than two goals with four of the games being decided by a single goal.
Othmann had eight points in the series while Beck contributed six. Between the pipes, Michael Simpson posted a 3.37 GAA and .900 save percentage.
The Petes, who managed 35 wins for just the seventh time since 1996, swept Sudbury in the first round before they eliminated the top-ranked 67’s in six games. Of the remaining six clubs in the CHL, Peterborough’s 52 postseason goals are the fewest. Othmann leads the way with 20 points (seven goals) while Beck, Connor Lockhart (VAN) and Tucker Robertson (SEA) have each contributed 13. In goal, Simpson has registered a 2.79 GAA and .912 save percentage.
Season series: Series tied 1-1-0
Schedule:
Game 1 — May 11 — PBO @ LDN — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 2 — May 13 — PBO @ LDN — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 3 — May 15 — LDN @ PBO — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 4 — May 17 — LDN @ PBO — 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT
Game 5* — May 19 — PBO @ LDN — 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT
Game 6* — May 21 — LDN @ PBO — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Game 7* — May 22 — PBO @ LDN — 7pm ET / 4pm PT
*if necessary
TSN will air the OHL, QMJHL and WHL Championship Series from Game 3 onward while RDS will provide complete coverage of the QMJHL Championship Series from Game 1.
Furthermore, every game can be seen live on CHL TV.