Decade in Review: 2015-16
The London Knights ended the 2015-16 campaign like no other team in OHL history, winning 17 consecutive games capped by Matthew Tkachuk‘s overtime winner in Red Deer to capture the franchise’s second Memorial Cup title.
The Knights came through after coming up empty at tournament appearances in 2012, 2013 and 2014, rallying from a 2-1 deficit against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Christian Dvorak‘s tying goal with 4:11 remaining. Dvorak would later provide traffic in front of Huskies goaltender Chase Marchand for Tkachuk’s winning goal 7:49 into the extra frame.
After some trouble with the Owen Sound Attack in the first round, the Knights steamrolled through the 2016 OHL Playoffs, setting a record with 13 consecutive wins as they proceeded to eliminate Kitchener, Erie and Niagara in four-game sweeps. Mitch Marner earned Wayne Gretzky ’99’ Award honours after leading the postseason in scoring with 44 points (16-28–44) over 18 games.
In the Eastern Conference, the fourth-seeded Niagara IceDogs who featured mid-season additions in goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic and forward Stephen Harper among others, stunned the Conference-leading Kingston Frontenacs with a 4-0 sweep in the second round. They proceeded to sweep rival Barrie before running into London.
It was quite the year for Marner, who had been selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the fourth overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft. He won the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player with 116 points (39-77–116) and 2.04 points-per-game during the regular season.
The Knights had another big year at the NHL Draft in June as defenceman Olli Juolevi was chosen fifth overall by the Vancouver Canucks before Tkachuk went a pick later to the Calgary Flames. Power winger Max Jones would be selected 24th overall by the Anaheim Ducks.
Barrie Colts forward Kevin Labanc led the OHL in scoring with 127 points (39-88–127), part of a high-scoring Colts duo in tandem with Andrew Mangiapane (51-55–106). Erie’s Dylan Strome (37-74–111) and Alex DeBrincat (51-50–101) both recorded their second-straight 100 point seasons as the Otters won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy, edging out the Knights on the final day of the regular season.
Notable members of the OHL’s 2015-16 graduating class include Marner (London Knights/Toronto Maple Leafs), Dvorak (London Knights/Arizona Coyotes), Tkachuk (London Knights/Calgary Flames), Labanc (Barrie Colts/San Jose Sharks), Mangiapane (Barrie Colts/Calgary Flames), Travis Konecny (Sarnia Sting/Philadelphia Flyers), Mike Amadio (North Bay Battalion/Los Angeles Kings), Christian Fischer (Windsor Spitfires/Arizona Coyotes), Michael Dal Colle (Kingston Frontenacs/New York Islanders), Alexander Nylander (Mississauga Steelheads/Chicago Blackhawks), Brendan Lemieux (Windsor Spitfires/New York Rangers), Rasmus Andersson (Barrie Colts/Calgary Flames), Lawson Crouse (Kingston Frontenacs/Arizona Coyotes) and Mackenzie Blackwood (Barrie Colts/New Jersey Devils).
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