Knights acquire former HEO U16 Player of the Year Max Crete
The London Knights and Niagara IceDogs exchanged a pair of promising young fowards on Thursday afternoon.
The defending Memorial Cup champions acquired former second round OHL Priority Selection choice Max Crete from Niagara, adding the 2024 HEO U16 AAA Player of the Year in exchange for the rights to 17-year-old forward Jacob Monks and a ninth round pick in 2028.
Crete had a productive first half of his rookie season in the OHL before trailing off down the stretch as a 16-year-old, finishing the year with 19 points (11-8–19) over 68 games. He’ll look to re-ignite his tenacious, high energy approach with the Knights next season while the IceDogs look to come to terms with Monks, who hails from Wyandotte, Michigan and put up 77 points (39-38–77) over 61 games with the Detroit Little Caesars 16U program.
Chosen by London in the fifth round of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, Monks also had a brief audition with the U.S. National Development Program last season. He also skated in one game with the USHL’s Fargo Force. Monks is committed to Merrimack College for 2027-28.
