KNIGHTS & GENERALS PREPARE TO BATTLE IN OHL FINALS

Knights and Generals Prepared to Battle in OHL Championship Series
By Yannis Economopoulos

LONDON, Ont. – After sweeping the Flint Firebirds in round one, the Kitchener Rangers in round two, and eliminating the Saginaw Spirit in six games in the Western Conference Final, the London Knights will battle with the Oshawa Generals for the J. Ross Robertson Cup in the 2024 Ontario Hockey League Championship Series.

Scouting the Knights (12-2-0)
The Green and Gold went into the playoffs on a seven-game win streak and a 16-3-1-0 record in their last 20 contests. They went a perfect 10-0-0 before losing their first game to Saginaw in the West Final.

Last week, the OHL awarded Easton Cowan the Red Tilson Trophy as the league’s Most Outstanding Player. In his 54-game regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect’s sophomore campaign consisted of 34 goals, 62 assists, 96 points, and a point-per-game average of 1.78. He also caught the eyes of hockey fans worldwide with his 36-game, 68-point streak from November 25th to March 24th. Heading into the Championship Series, Cowan possesses a three-game, seven-point streak and leads the Knights with 19 playoff points.

Overage forward Max McCue had a career-high 61 points in the regular season and has shown his determination to go out with a championship. The Sudbury, Ont. native, who has spent his entire junior hockey tenure in London, has a team-leading 15 assists and sits second with 17 points this postseason. McCue enters the Championship Series on a five-game, eight-point streak.

Denver Barkey had an exceptional breakout year for the Knights this season, potting 35 goals, 67 assists, and 102 points, good for fourth league-wide. When the postseason began, Barkey carried a nine-game, 16-point streak and found the back of the net in three consecutive contests. In 14 playoff appearances, the Newmarket, Ont. native has 16 points on three goals and 13 assists.

After completing his first OHL season with 32 goals and 61 points, Kasper Halttunen has remained dominant throughout the playoffs. The 6-foot-3 sniper has 15 points through 14 appearances, five multi-point outings, and a team-leading nine goals.

Special Teams
Regular Season

• Power Play: 32.6% (1st)
• Penalty Kill: 85% (1st)

Playoffs

• Power Play: 27.3%
• Penalty Kill: 80.3%

Know the Foe – Oshawa Generals (12-3-2)
In the first round, the Oshawa Generals defeated the Barrie Colts in six games, swept the Ottawa 67’s in round two, and then defeated the North Bay Battalion in seven games to advance to the OHL Championship.

Calum Ritchie, the second overall selection by Oshawa in the 2021 OHL draft, broke out this season with a team-leading 80 points and 52 assists through 50 appearances. This postseason, the Colorado Avalanche prospect leads the league with 19 assists, while his 25 points are good for second. Out of Ritchie’s 17 postseason games, 10 have been multi-point outings.

Beckett Sennecke had a career-high 68-point campaign, and in 16 playoff games, his 22 points are fourth league-wide, while his 10 goals are tied for second. In his last 11 contests, the Toronto, Ont. product has seven goals and 16 points. Sennecke, a 6-foot-3 winger, is eligible for the 2024 NHL draft.

Dylan Roobroeck, a London native, also had a career year with 72 points on 26 goals and 46 assists. His 21 playoff points are fifth league-wide, while his 10 goals are tied for second. Roobroeck, a 6-foot-7 forward, was a sixth-round selection to the New York Rangers in the 2023 NHL draft.

Special Teams
Regular Season

• Power Play: 21.5% (9th)
• Penalty Kill: 83.2% (2nd)

Playoffs

• Power Play: 21.9%
• Penalty Kill: 82.7%

Between the Pipes
London: Michael Simpson was outstanding in net for the Knights this year. The overage netminder had a 34-10-1-1 record, a .905 save percentage (T-3rd), 2.61 goals against average (1st), and four shutouts (T-1st). Last season, he led the Peterborough Petes to an OHL championship and was named the playoff MVP. Through 14 postseason starts, Simpson has registered a .911 save percentage, 2.59 goals against average, and a shutout.

Oshawa: After a fantastic regular season, the OHL awarded Jacob Oster the Jim Rutherford Trophy as the league’s Goaltender of the Year. The Ottawa, Ont. native had a 35-16-7-1 record, a .905 save percentage (T-3rd), 2.82 goals against average (2nd), and three shutouts (T-2nd). Through 17 playoff starts, Oster owns a .923 save percentage, 2.29 goals against average, and two shutouts.

Championship History
The London Knights are playing in their ninth Championship Series and second consecutive. They have won four league titles and two Memorial Cups, most recently in 2016. Meanwhile, the Oshawa Generals, participating in their 17th Championship Series, have 13 league titles and six Memorial Cups, previously winning in 2015.

Game 1 of the OHL Championship Series goes on Thursday night from Budweiser Gardens. The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. EST.