Series HQ: London vs. Kitchener

Game 4: Julien doubles-up with second straight hat-trick as Knights advance
London 4 at Kitchener 3 – London leads series 4-0

• Winnipeg Jets prospect Jacob Julien recorded a second-straight hat-trick to fuel the London Knights to a 4-3 win in Game 4
• Julien becomes the first OHL player to record two hat-tricks in one playoff series since Barrie’s Justin Scott last did so in 2016
• Kasper Halttunen scored and added an assist for the Knights while Ruslan Gazizov had a pair of assists
• Kitchener trailed 4-1 before Trent Swick scored a pair of goals to make it a one-goal contest
• Carson Rehkopf accounted for Kitchener’s other goal while Hunter Brzustewicz drew a pair of assists
• Michael Simpson made 26 saves for the win opposite Jackson Parsons, who turned aside 25 shots
• Andrew MacNiel made his OHL playoff debut for Kitchener
• Simon Motew was out of the Kitchener lineup with an injury; overage forward Mitchell Martin left the game with an injury and didn’t return
• Overage Player of the Year Matthew Sop joined Martin in playing his final OHL contest
• The Rangers exit the OHL Playoffs in the second round, losing to the London Knights for a second straight spring
• A Thursday crowd of 7,258 took in Game 4 at the Aud

Game Centre & Highlights | Kitchener Post-Game

Congrats to the @LondonKnights, the best rivalry in the league continues🤝

Look forward to meeting you again soon.#OHLRangers | #Kitchener pic.twitter.com/HZJ8H9L26Y

— Kitchener Rangers (@OHLRangers) April 19, 2024

Game 3: Julien’s hat-trick fuels Knights to 3-0 series lead
London 6 at Kitchener 4 – London leads series 3-0

• Trailing 4-1, Kitchener battled back to tie the score at four before Winnipeg Jets prospect Jacob Julien completed a hat-trick with the game-winner midway through the third
• Sam Dickinson and Kasper Halttunen each had a goal and an assist for London while Denver Barkey gathered three assists
• Adrian Misaljevic had a goal and an assist for Kitchener while Carson Rehkopf and Filip Mesar each finished with two assists
• Kitchener went 3-for-6 on the power play to London’s 2-for-6 mark; the Knights outshot the Rangers 34-29
• Rangers forward Mitchell Martin returned to action for the first time since Mar. 9th
• Kitchener rookie Matheas Stark played on the blue line once again, recording an assist in the loss
• London’s Easton Cowan was held pointless, marking an end to his run of 42 consecutive games with a point that dates back to Nov. 25th
• A crowd of 6,714 took in Game 3 at the Aud on Tuesday

Game Centre & Highlights | Kitchener Post-Game

The @LondonKnights are victorious at The Aud and hold a commanding 3-0 series lead!#OHLPlayoffs | #LDNvsKIT pic.twitter.com/mVkihW7wg2

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 17, 2024

Game 2: London makes the most of their chances in Saturday victory
London 5 vs. Kitchener 1 – London leads series 2-0

• The Knights scored five goals on 25 shots to take a 2-0 series lead over the Rangers
• Kaleb Lawrence set the tone early for the Knights, scoring just 40 seconds into the game
• San Jose Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen earned first star honours with a goal and two assists
• Henry Brzustewicz, Jacob Julien and Jackson Edward rounded out the scoring for the Knights with their first of the playoffs
• Easton Cowan recorded an assist, giving him 42 consecutive games with a point
• Seattle Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf scored the lone Rangers goal
• Michael Simpson stopped 23-of-24 to earn the win; Simpson also picked up his first career OHL playoff point with a helper on Henry Brzustewicz’s goal
• Sam O’Reilly wasn’t in the lineup for London, sitting game one of a two game suspension
• Rookie winger Matheas Stark filled in on the blueline for Kitchener as Olivier Savard was sidelined with an injury

Game Centre & Highlights | Kitchener Post-Game

Bud's rockin today pic.twitter.com/z0SJnE63AA

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) April 13, 2024

Game 1: Knights pull ahead in third to take series opener
London 5 vs. Kitchener 3 – London leads series 1-0

• Tied 2-2 after two, third period goals from Denver Barkey, Oliver Bonk and Max McCue put the Knights in front for good in a Game 1 win
• Kaleb Lawrence was the game’s first star with a goal and an assist for London
• Isaiah George also scored for the Knights, while Jacob Julien and Jackson Edward each had two assists
• Easton Cowan had an assist to stretch his run of consecutive games with a point to 41
• Calgary Flames prospect Hunter Brzustewicz led Kitchener offensively with a goal and two helpers; Eduard Sale and Luke Ellinas also scored
• Rangers blueliner Olivier Savard left the game with an injury
• The Knights outshot the Rangers 31-25; Michael Simpson made 22 saves for the win
• London’s Sam O’Reilly was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding 4:54 into the third period

Game Centre & Highlights | Kitchener Post-Game

Another Bumper Bonk GWG 🦸‍♂️ #LetsGoFlyers | #OHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/a6oVvlvyTK

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) April 12, 2024

(1) London Knights (50-14-1-3) vs. (4) Kitchener Rangers (41-23-4-0)

Rangers Series Preview

In the ongoing saga of the 401 rivalry, the London Knights and Kitchener Rangers are set to return to battle in the OHL Playoffs as they prepare to face off tonight at Budweiser Gardens for Game 1 of their second round series.

This matchup holds special significance as both teams seek to break the deadlock. In 2022, Kitchener emerged victorious, eliminating London in a nail-biting seven-game series. However, the tables turned last season when London retaliated, saying goodbye to the Rangers in five.

“It’s 100 percent our top rivalry,” said Knights’ Landon Sim. “We watched every game pretty much they played against Erie. We know them, too. We’ve played them in the playoffs the last few years and a lot of good battles in the regular season. Most of those guys, I know their tendencies. We wanted to get them and we’re excited we’re playing them,” he told the London Free Press.

The London Knights enter tonight’s game riding the momentum of a commanding 4-0 first round series sweep of the Flint Firebirds. After a well-deserved break to recharge and refocus, they return to home ice with determination to continue their winning ways.

On the other hand, the Kitchener Rangers are coming off a hard-fought six-game series against the Erie Otters. The series went to overtime in three of the six games with the Rangers winning all three in extra time. The Rangers netted 24 goals while they allowed 23 in the first round.

Knights’ forward Easton Cowan has continued his impressive performance into the playoffs, tallying five points (2-3-5) in four playoff contests. Notching at least one point per game in his last 40 consecutive games played, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect’s consistent offensive contributions have been instrumental in the Knights’ success throughout the season. Cowan’s impressive regular season performance saw him accumulate 96 points (34-62-96) in 54 games played. Adding depth to the Knights’ lineup, Ruslan Gazizov made a triumphant return from injury in the final game of London’s first round series.

Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Mešár has emerged as a driving force for the Rangers in the playoffs, leading the team with one goal and nine assists for 10 points. Meanwhile, Luke Ellinas continues to showcase his development on the ice as a pivotal member of the Rangers’ offence. In his first OHL Playoffs, Ellinas has demonstrated consistency, recording four goals, three assists, and seven points. The 2024 NHL draft-eligible forward is on a three-game point streak.

The playoffs appear to have brought out the best of Seattle Kraken first round pick Eduard Sale as he registered eight points (3-5-8) in Kitchener’s first round series. He connected with fellow Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf in Kitchener’s series-clinching win over Erie on Tuesday night.

Tickets for one of the most highly anticipated matchups in junior hockey are expected to sell out fast! If you can’t make it to the rink, you can always catch the series streaming on OHL Live.

Buckle up, we’re doing this again!

The @LondonKnights and @OHLRangers meet in the playoffs for the third straight year.#OHLPlayoffs | #LDNvsKIT pic.twitter.com/bfAIKpzvqe

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 10, 2024

Series Schedule:
Game 1 – Thursday, April 11th at London, 7:00pm
Game 2 – Saturday, April 13th at London, 4:00pm
Game 3 – Tuesday, April 16th at Kitchener, 7:00pm
Game 4 – Thursday, April 18th at Kitchener, 7:00pm
Game 5 – Friday, April 19th at London, 7:00pm*
Game 6 – Sunday, April 21st at Kitchener, 2:00pm*
Game 7 – Tuesday, April 23rd at London, 7:00pm*

*- if necessary

Season Series:
London wins 4-2
Nov. 5 – KIT 4 at LDN 2
Jan. 19 – LDN 4 at KIT 2
Jan. 20 – KIT 3 at LDN 10
Jan. 30 – LDN 4 at KIT 0
Mar. 1 – LDN 3 at KIT 4 (OT)
Mar. 9 – KIT 1 at LDN 4

Playoff History:
This will be London and Kitchener’s 13th meeting in the OHL Playoffs.
2023 LDN def KIT 4-1– 2nd round / 2022 KIT def LDN 4-3– 1st round / 2016 LDN def KIT 4-0– 2nd round /2015 LDN def KIT 4-2– 1st round / 2013 LDN def. KIT 4-1 – 2nd round / 2012 LDN def. KIT 4-0 – Semi- Final / 2010 KIT def. LDN 4-3 – 2nd round / 2005 LDN def. KIT 4-1 – Semi-Final / 1993 LDN def. KIT 4-3 – 1st round / 1984 KIT def. LDN 8-0 – 1st round / 1978 LDN def. KIT 8-0  – 2nd round / 1973 LDN def. KIT 8-0 – 1st round