Knights secure third straight Midwest Division crown
It wasn’t the result they were hoping for on Sunday, but the London Knights managed to lock-in their spot in the Western Conference standings, securing their third straight Midwest Division title in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Guelph Storm.
Trailing 1-0 for most of the game, rookie forward Brody Crane broke London’s offensive silence with 54 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime and earn the Knights the point they needed to clinch the division. Guelph would go on to take the extra point in a shootout in front of 8,598 at Budweiser Gardens.
Now 37-21-5-2, the Knights will hold the second seed in the Western Conference standings entering the first round of the OHL Playoffs.
The Knights boast the OHL’s top goal-scorer in Nashville Predators prospect and captain Luke Evangelista who has lit the lamp 54 times. He’s one of 16 players in Knights history to score 50 goals and record 100 points in the same season. Dallas Stars prospect Antonio Stranges hit the 30-goal plateau this past week.
London has been without injured netminder Brett Brochu since early March as the Knights are hopeful for his return come playoff time. They’ve currently lost their last six outings, picking up a point in three of those games, with three more remaining on the regular season schedule.
Since joining the Midwest Division at the start of the 2002-03 season, the Knights have earned the Holody Trophy – named in honour of former owner and governor of the Guelph Platers and Owen Sound Platers Joe Holody – a total of 11 times. Prior to that, they clinched first in the West Division during the 1997-98 campaign, and finished atop the Emms Division in 1977-78 and 1989-90.
MIDWEST DIVISION CHAMPS ‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/TDaSDcxBuS
— London Knights (@LondonKnights) April 10, 2022