London Knights 2023-24 Season Thread (Part One)

[Fergus31]

Agreed! I’d be interested to hear more peoples thoughts.

IMO this was exactly what you’d want from an opening weekend. Close games that we won and 4/4 points. I know the team will gel, Cowan will come back and likely Mark will make a few additions up front. The D will tighten up, Simpson is fantastic. Really so nice to have him in net. He’s going to be a workhorse and play a ton!

Definitely would take the 2-0 opening weekend and run with it. Niagara played London tough but ran out of steam late in the games.

It is early, but London needs more out of their 04 forwards this year if they’re pushing for a championship.

Dickinson is the true #1 D on this club in spite of three NHL picks already on it. Not a knock on those players at all.

Ryder Boulton brings it every shift. Fan favourite looming.

I really wanted to see Bowen develop in London but I get the move. Simpson is a rock back there. Gives stability and relief to the team.

Still think 5 vs 5 offence will be the achilles heel for this club, at least for a while. Practice, chemistry and incremental improvements needed. Onward and upward.

 

[Fergus31]

Understand your frustration, but frustration is nothing to what a player experience in the middle of criticized words. We pay to come and see a hockey "team" the Knights and/or we sit down in front of a tv to watch an unit of 20 junior hockey players playing the game of hockey. And yet we don't criticize a team we criticize one player out of 20 who is a small piece of the team that we came to watch. There are enough around that player that are directly involve who can do all the criticism and work with him to help his improvement. If we want to criticize lets criticize the whole team (the unit) after all it is who we came to see, unless we only came to watch one player out of twenty on the team.

All for one or one for all, when we criticize one player we are also hurting all 20 players on the team, they all feel for that one player being publicly humiliated. These kids are here to learn they want to progress and advance in their careers, they are students to become pros, they are not there yet.

Let's criticize the 20 player team, that is okey, they can all take it as a whole, after all they are the unit we came to see. IMHO Cheers!

Not frustrated. Just trying to be mindful of those who may read this forum. Want to choose my words carefully.

 

[Fastpace]

Definitely would take the 2-0 opening weekend and run with it. Niagara played London tough but ran out of steam late in the games.

It is early, but London needs more out of their 04 forwards this year if they’re pushing for a championship.

Dickinson is the true #1 D on this club in spite of three NHL picks already on it. Not a knock on those players at all.

Ryder Boulton brings it every shift. Fan favourite looming.

I really wanted to see Bowen develop in London but I get the move. Simpson is a rock back there. Gives stability and relief to the team.

Still think 5 vs 5 offence will be the achilles heel for this club, at least for a while. Practice, chemistry and incremental improvements needed. Onward and upward.

In total agreement here, great post BBKC31 !

 

[sbpointer]

Definitely would take the 2-0 opening weekend and run with it. Niagara played London tough but ran out of steam late in the games.

It is early, but London needs more out of their 04 forwards this year if they’re pushing for a championship.

Dickinson is the true #1 D on this club in spite of three NHL picks already on it. Not a knock on those players at all.

Ryder Boulton brings it every shift. Fan favourite looming.

I really wanted to see Bowen develop in London but I get the move. Simpson is a rock back there. Gives stability and relief to the team.

Still think 5 vs 5 offence will be the achilles heel for this club, at least for a while. Practice, chemistry and incremental improvements needed. Onward and upward.

I think the thing with Dickinson is he is and came as the most complete D.
The others are like Steamwhistle they do one thing really really well..
One great thing is when all are healthy it's hard to choose a D not to dress for this team they can all be relied on. I think HB will be the odd man out due to age half the time and the other half they are going to have to dress 7 I guess...

 

[LDN]

I think the thing with Dickinson is he is and came as the most complete D.
The others are like Steamwhistle they do one thing really really well..
One great thing is when all are healthy it's hard to choose a D not to dress for this team they can all be relied on. I think HB will be the odd man out due to age half the time and the other half they are going to have to dress 7 I guess...

We are lucky to have so many guys who could be a #1, but already Dickinson has separated himself. He is extremely talented. Might be our true centrepiece this year.

I also agree 5v5 offender needs time. With that being said if the boys can draw penalties our PP looks like it could develop into something quite lethal with Halttunnen the trigger man

 

[superdee]

I went to both games and think the boys were gripping the sticks a little tight the first 5 periods. McCue seemed to settle them down with a big hit causing a turnover which they capitalized on. Everyone of them seemed to be digging in and buying in especially in the third at St Kitties. They looked looser in the third and more determined.

 

[SSMHoundsFan]

Is Niagara a noticeably better team this year or did the Knights just play down to their level this weekend? Curious what sort of team we can expect on Wednesday..

 

[nelli27]

Is Niagara a noticeably better team this year or did the Knights just play down to their level this weekend? Curious what sort of team we can expect on Wednesday..

A bit of both. Niagara has improved, but the Knights did not play well in their first two games. We're hoping Cowan returns for the Soo game, but that's up in the air. Simpson, Dickinson, and Haltunnen have been our best players in the early going. PP has looked good. Team will need time to develop chemistry.

 

[LDN]

I went to both games and think the boys were gripping the sticks a little tight the first 5 periods. McCue seemed to settle them down with a big hit causing a turnover which they capitalized on. Everyone of them seemed to be digging in and buying in especially in the third at St Kitties. They looked looser in the third and more determined.

McCue proved his leadership and what he brings to the table with that hit

 

[Fergus31]

Cowan not in the Leaves’ lineup tonight.

 

[ArielNederland]

Cowan won't be back, at least not for the next few days since he was not assigned back

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

You can be critical just don't demean the player or full on bash. Constructive criticism is okay

Unfortunately most who slight players on this forum border on slander

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

If anyone is looking for tickets for Friday or Saturday (October 6 & 7) message me.
Great seats upper bowl row A at the blue line. 40 for the pair

I will confirm tomorrow through DM but Saturday should work

 

[LDN]

Noah Halttunnen? Future Knight?

 

[LDN]

https://x.com/dalter/status/1709025722759537049?s=46&t=Xn96b9FkgwRvd20dx_7rpA

 

[OHL4Life]

Unfortunately most who slight players on this forum border on slander

you realize that you contribute to that just as everyone else does right?

 

[LDN]

Imagine this team with Nazar lol what could have been

Is there absolutely no chance?

 

[LDN]

So what’s Sims timeline to come back? How’s his rehab? Anyone hear?

 

[ArielNederland]

So what’s Sims timeline to come back? How’s his rehab? Anyone hear?

Pyette said december

 

[LDN]

Pyette said december

Yikes so that’s a good chunk of the season for him. It’s like an early deadline addition for us though so that’s nice.

We do have some nice grit up front with Boulton and McCue. We need to have them continue to bring it physically as that creates plays.

 

[LDN]

https://x.com/stubbs980/status/1708966232274141611?s=46&t=Xn96b9FkgwRvd20dx_7rpA

 

[Knightsfan90]

Is there absolutely no chance?

Unless he gets signed at Christmas and assigned by Chicago then yes, that ship has sailed

 

[tjziel]

Unless he gets signed at Christmas and assigned by Chicago then yes, that ship has sailed

Frank Nazar would need to sign an NHL contract first and then he can be assigned by the Blackhawks. The NHL contract voids his eligibility to continue playing college hockey (scholarship), then he can be assigned to the OHL/AHL/NHL.

 

[OHL4Life]

Frank Nazar would need to sign an NHL contract first and then he can be assigned by the Blackhawks. The NHL contract voids his eligibility to continue playing college hockey (scholarship), then he can be assigned to the OHL/AHL/NHL.

all of that would have happened by now

 

[LDN]

So this week we face SSM, NB and Guelph. All upper end teams. What are your thoughts on how we will do/expectations? I feel like if we can get 4 points I would consider that a successful week.