London Knights 2024-25 Season Thread, Part I

[Fastpace]

Well that was a shit game! Sometimes we are going to lay an egg, kids need to gel an hit the practice pad.

Some upsides: Medvedev was solid in relief, Bidgood showed why he is on the roster and Arrowsmith full marks.

Brzustewicz also was solid.

Dickinson, O’Rielly, Julien dude…. Shake your heads and don’t do that again.

We all see the mistakes out there, we can pretty much all determine what is needing to be done, there is no need to shame individual team players on social media of our favorite team. Criticize the whole team on social media is fine, if we want to be critical of one individual player, let's take it up to privately massaging pages. I'm confident that the entire team would be grateful.

This is a team, all players are members of this team, they come with talents, and also they come with faults. They win, and they lose as a team, including the very least talented one on the team as is the most talented one. It's a team playing a team game with a team system, good or bad, not just one player or just a few, all of them makes mistakes regardless how many and all of them executes the team plays. Dale work with the players presented to him, and Mark will adjust and replace the players that are not cut out for the team. Cheers!

 

[LondonLocal]

On a positive note, former Knight Paul Cotter is leading the NHL in goals and points

 

[Knights Watcher]

It's frustrating to watch right now but, yes, as we all know and expect, this team under the Hunter tutelage should and will turn it around.
The last two games have been total team losses...can't blame just one guy. Very slow starts added to discipline issues, special teams, and team defense that have all been below average.
Some of the players we expected to be leaders have not stepped up... yet.
The youngsters are finding their way and learning on the job.
Overall the team is just flat. Blame it on not being able to practice together as a compete team because of NHL camp atendees and having to field a young team of call-ups to hold the fort for the first few games. It is what it is and they will work through it.
Can Willmore be better? Sure.
Can Julien be better? Absolutely.
But the whole team needs to step up, shake off the rust and play for each other.
This is Junior Hockey.

 

[LDN]

1-3 is an atrocious start. Need a winning streak to start now

 

[bearfan]

1-3 is an atrocious start. Need a winning streak to start now

Come on.... Who do you want to trade now? I have never seen anyone jump on and off a wagon so much in my life... Last year when London started their record was 6-5. Guys are just coming back and haven't had a week of practices yet. Teams they have played have had most of their team together for a bit. London had the most players at NHL camps.

 

[bearfan]

Two high rated teams in the CHL and this is the attendance in a 5000 seat arena. Here we go again for this community

 

[Finster8]

It's frustrating to watch right now but, yes, as we all know and expect, this team under the Hunter tutelage should and will turn it around.
The last two games have been total team losses...can't blame just one guy. Very slow starts added to discipline issues, special teams, and team defense that have all been below average.
Some of the players we expected to be leaders have not stepped up... yet.
The youngsters are finding their way and learning on the job.
Overall the team is just flat. Blame it on not being able to practice together as a compete team because of NHL camp atendees and having to field a young team of call-ups to hold the fort for the first few games. It is what it is and they will work through it.
Can Willmore be better? Sure.
Can Julien be better? Absolutely.
But the whole team needs to step up, shake off the rust and play for each other.
This is Junior Hockey.

Last year we had a slow start and then a thread starts up about should the Memorial Cup location be changed. That was BS seeing what the outcome was. If all your guys come back they still need to get acclimated and get some time in with their teammates. You will be back on track hopefully after we play you.

 

[mtshapcott]

View attachment 912911
Two high rated teams in the CHL and this is the attendance in a 5000 seat arena. Here we go again for this community

I missed the game due to a golf tournament otherwise attendance would have been 1,717

 

[KnightWatch]

Lol....here we go again with all the doomsdayers....

In a couple of weeks, the Knights roster could look very similar to the Mem Cup team from last season...

Barkey Julien Cowan
Nurmi O’Reilly Halttunen/Sim
Van Gorp Nicholl Bidgood
Boulton Hawery Arrowsmith
Van Bommel Aboflan

Dickinson Bonk
Woolley Brzustewicz
Fagan Leonard
Spencer Jenken

Medvedev
Wilson

......nothing to worry about!

 

[jamemcca]

What, you can't have two views. You need to relax.


He's not playing tonight either so....

I am quite relaxed thanks. Thank you for your concern

 

[Sane Knights Fan]

Hi New here. But have been reading the posts for a few years now Just wanted to agree with Knightswatcher they started out last season the same , they have a lot of pieces missing hopefully all back soon , these other teams are playing preseason and start to this season with there full roster , we’re playing rookies that are still figuring things out , trust the Hunters we will be fine !

 

[Knightsfan90]

Lol....here we go again with all the doomsdayers....

In a couple of weeks, the Knights roster could look very similar to the Mem Cup team from last season...

Barkey Julien Cowan
Nurmi O’Reilly Halttunen/Sim
Van Gorp Nicholl Bidgood
Boulton Hawery Arrowsmith
Van Bommel Aboflan

Dickinson Bonk
Woolley Brzustewicz
Fagan Leonard
Spencer Jenken

Medvedev
Wilson

......nothing to worry about!

Only thing I worry about ti why is Bidgood still wearing a cage?
That leads me to believe he's on the trading block like many other before him. If he wants ice and can't get it here Hunters will move him for an opportunity somewhere else

 

[uDunnoNEthing]

What a disaster of an organization, they can literally never get it right. Team has been in the dumps for years.

Should probably sell it and move it somewhere that would appreciate it.

Edit: Sorry I thought this was the Niagara thread with all the crying and we suck talk.

Carry on.

 

[Knights77]

I don’t understand why he is getting top 6 minutes and first unit PP time over players who are producing at this point in the season. He doesn’t look ready for that yet.

Being showcased for an upcoming trade.

 

[Fastpace]

Hi New here. But have been reading the posts for a few years now Just wanted to agree with Knightswatcher they started out last season the same , they have a lot of pieces missing hopefully all back soon , these other teams are playing preseason and start to this season with there full roster , we’re playing rookies that are still figuring things out , trust the Hunters we will be fine !

Welcome to Knights fans Board!

 

[Knights77]

The first goal on Willmore sums up where he’s at. Short side goal, never should have gone in. Quicker he’s moved out the better for the team. It’s deflating. Julien, will only be good if he has talent around him. I’m not a fan but willing to be patient with him. Dickinson has been poor since being returned. Lack of hustle at times, he needs to be a leader back there. I hope and pray this is the year he finally decides to be a physical defenceman. Otherwise it’s a big frame wasted. Need somebody to force him into a scrap, maybe he will like it! Even Cowan said he wants to scrap more (that’s captain material to me). As The Hockey News article suggested that the NHL was way too fast for Dickinson, he needs to take the opportunity to dominate in junior. Get confidence, stop icing the puck carelessly, be physical and live up to the hype. Remember this is a guy that was talked about as maybe being the first defenceman drafted, and he fell quite a bit. His lack of physicality was the reason. I also think the interview that he gave where he said “I’m the best defenceman in the draft” didn’t do him any favours. Didn’t see anyone else make that claim.
Medvedev will be the starter soon, Cowan, Barkey, Bonk, Sim and yes Halttunen will be back soon and this team will be a favourite for the West. A trade or two and they’ll be strong competition for the East - Oshawa hasn’t looked like world beaters so far and Brampton only won 6–3 while we had poor goaltending and were missing 5 key players. This team will be fine.

 

[Sane Knights Fan]

Welcome to Knights fans Board!

Thanks Knights 77

 

[Knights77]

We all see the mistakes out there, we can pretty much all determine what is needing to be done, there is no need to shame individual team players on social media of our favorite team. Criticize the whole team on social media is fine, if we want to be critical of one individual player, let's take it up to privately massaging pages. I'm confident that the entire team would be grateful.

This is a team, all players are members of this team, they come with talents, and also they come with faults. They win, and they lose as a team, including the very least talented one on the team as is the most talented one. It's a team playing a team game with a team system, good or bad, not just one player or just a few, all of them makes mistakes regardless how many and all of them executes the team plays. Dale work with the players presented to him, and Mark will adjust and replace the players that are not cut out for the team. Cheers!

It’s comical that you think players sit around and think “aw man, some bozo who I don’t know on a message board said I didn’t play well. This is really upsetting and will affect my play”. But yet saying the team didn’t play well is fine.
It’s the age we live in now, and guess what awaits them at the next level in the NHL, an even bigger stage, bigger microscope with even more opinions.
And that’s all they are is opinions, don’t take them so hard lol

 

[frontsfan67]

Lol....here we go again with all the doomsdayers....

In a couple of weeks, the Knights roster could look very similar to the Mem Cup team from last season...

Barkey Julien Cowan
Nurmi O’Reilly Halttunen/Sim
Van Gorp Nicholl Bidgood
Boulton Hawery Arrowsmith
Van Bommel Aboflan

Dickinson Bonk
Woolley Brzustewicz
Fagan Leonard
Spencer Jenken

Medvedev
Wilson

......nothing to worry about!

First couple weeks of any season means hardly anything. Anyone writing off the Knights 4 games in loses all credibility. There’s a reason why teams play 68 games.

Teams are just getting warmed up. Some big name players aren’t back on a few teams. Do we think Bidgood will be on the first line for 68 games? I’m sure he will be great in the future but he is not Easton Cowan right now.

 

[Fastpace]

It’s comical that you think players sit around and think “aw man, some bozo who I don’t know on a message board said I didn’t play well. This is really upsetting and will affect my play”. But yet saying the team didn’t play well is fine.
It’s the age we live in now, and guess what awaits them at the next level in the NHL, an even bigger stage, bigger microscope with even more opinions.
And that’s all they are is opinions, don’t take them so hard lol

Figure it out, young man, if you ever play this game at this level, you'd know what it means

 

[Knights77]

Figure it out, young man, if you ever play this game at this level, you'd know what it means

You literally didn’t address what I said. Nobody cares about your sad hockey career old fella. I’m sure if the internet was around when you played plenty of people would have had lots to say

First couple weeks of any season means hardly anything. Anyone writing off the Knights 4 games in loses all credibility. There’s a reason why teams play 68 games.

Teams are just getting warmed up. Some big name players aren’t back on a few teams. Do we think Bidgood will be on the first line for 68 games? I’m sure he will be great in the future but he is not Easton Cowan right now.

Happens every year. Perhaps a true rebuild would do a fanbase good every now and then.

 

[frontsfan67]

Happens every year. Perhaps a true rebuild would do a fanbase good every now and then.

The knights version of rebuilding is losing in the second round LOL. It is pretty unreal how some on here take the winning for granted.

 

[Knights77]

The knights version of rebuilding is losing in the second round LOL. It is pretty unreal how some on here take the winning for granted.

Couldn’t agree more.

 

[ArielNederland]

Edit : toronto over cap so they'd have to trade a player or 2. Toronto writers not sure what leafs will do with cowan. Would be nice to see cowan get a least a couple of reg season games with them for sure, but with them over the cap it would be difficult. Think cowan would be disappointed if he got reassigned to junior as he wanted to push for a spot on the leafs

 

[dino200022]

View attachment 912911
Two high rated teams in the CHL and this is the attendance in a 5000 seat arena. Here we go again for this community

To be fair, game 6 elimnation game London @ Saginaw only had an attendance of 3500 out of 5500, and close to 500 of those were from London.