KNIGHTS RECOGNIZE 3 OVERAGERS
Friday, March 14, 2014 marked a very special day for Alex Basso, Brady Austin and Zach Bell. The three graduating over-age defencemen were honoured in a pregame ceremony that celebrated their time in the OHL and with the London Knights. As is tradition with the London Knights, each player was presented with their framed jersey, followed by a brief speech where each player was given the opportunity to address the crowd and thank those who have made an impact on their careers.
The first of the three to join the Knights roster was Toronto native Alex Basso, who was acquired from the Sarnia Sting at the beginning of the regular season. The offensively gifted defenseman has been a big reason for the Knights’ success on the power-play, leading all Knights defencemen in scoring during the regular season with 10 goals and 30 assists for a total of 40 points.
The next big addition to the top six was towering defenseman Brady Austin, who was selected in the 7th round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres and makes him one of 10 NHL draft picks on the current London Knights roster. Since his arrival, Brady has had a positive impact both on the ice and in the dressing room. He led the Knights with a very impressive +49 rating while also being named one of the assistant captains of the team in January. Brady possesses a rare combination of leadership, skill and toughness, and will be heavily relied upon heading into the playoffs.
Last but not least, the Knights brought in the colourful, but experienced, Zach Bell to round out this year’s defence core. A comedian off the ice, Bell is no laughing matter on the ice with his rugged, in-your-face style of play. Zach began the season playing professionally with the Ontario Reign of the ECHL. After his rights were acquired by the Knights from the North Bay Battalion, Zach chose to return to the OHL with the hopes of lifting the Memorial Cup in his final year. Look for this fan favourite to ignite his teammates and the Knights faithful as the playoffs begin on Friday, March 21st.
All three of these players made an immediate impact within the Knights organization both on the ice and in the community. The loss of Scott Harrington and Olli Maatta to the Pittsburgh Penguins organization left many holes on defense heading into this season. To their credit, Alex, Brady and Zach have stepped in and filled those holes seamlessly. All three will look to finish off their OHL careers as both OHL and Memorial Cup Champions – let the final journey begin!
