London Knights 2024-25 Season Thread, Part I

[MikeBossy14]

Idk man they won’t be quick to relinquish his spot. He was a key cog on a championship team

He had 12 points all regular season . 1 point in the playoffs and none in the men cup . He looked awful at camp so yes he has regressed. His spot can be easily replaced while he is in Jr B figuring it out .

 

[imarriedawitch]

This is why they sign.

https://lfpress.com/sports/hockey/junior-hockey/2021-draft-pick-kaeden-johnston-off-to-flying-start-at-london-knights-camp

“The adversity is hard,” the six-foot-one, 175-pounder said. “You learn a lot through that. You learn Dale (Hunter’s) little things like defence and learn just by watching. They did it for a reason and I’m glad they did.

 

[LDN]

He had 12 points all regular season . 1 point in the playoffs and none in the men cup . He looked awful at camp so yes he has regressed. His spot can be easily replaced while he is in Jr B figuring it out .

4th line mins. He’s a hard worker and has a good story. He will be on the team. He is a good kid

Thoughts on the changes?

 

[NorthernBridge7]

I'm excited to see what kind of team the Knights put together this year. This has always been the year they've been building towards the past ~2 years, right? As good as the Knights were last year, they made very minimal changes at the trade deadline and I assume it's because they have been looking at this year as "the year."

Assuming Cowan and Dickinson are both back (I assume so), the loses of George, Gazizov, etc. are outweighed by the core of this team getting one year older. Nurmi replaces Halttunen. Add in the fact that London, I believe, has a stocked cupboard of draft picks.

Is it fair to say that this team has the potential to become one of the best OHL teams we've seen in the last decade?

Only question mark is goaltending - as of right now.

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

I just posted this in the predictions thread:

I absolutely know how crazy that sounds! And I stated that last years team was the best London team I saw since 2005… just 1 data point but last year we sent 11 players to NHL camp which was the most in the league, this year it’s 13!

We may lose Cowan and one of the imports but all other players step up and are a year older. The graduations from last year are replaced internally already.

We should get:
() designate NHL draft rd

(1)Bonk
(1)Dickinson
(6) Wooley
Leonard (OA)
Brzustewicz (should be top prospect)
Jenken (OJHL Rookie Allstar)
Fagan (OJHL Rookie Allstar, 3rd rnd OHL, 2025 NHL eligible)
Spenser
Mitchell (2nd rnd OHL, 2026 NHL eligible)

(1)O’Rielly
(1)Cowan
(2)Halttunen
(3)Barkey
(4)Nurmi
(5)Julien (OA)
(6)Nichol
(6)Sim (OA)
Johnston (clearly stepped up 19 year old)
Van Gorp
Van Bommel
Arrowsmith (2nd rnd OHL, 2025 NHL eligible)
Hawery (top prospect 2026)
Read
Boulton
Bidgood
Gerber
Mews (top prospect 2026)

If that is the roster that is 11 NHL prospects, and 6 world junior players (4 CAN, 2FIN)

This is a better team than last year.

Maybe Conwan sticks, Maybe Halttunen is gone…. They have the assets to get the next best available if required.

Goaltending should shake out Medvedev and Willmore are solid.

 

[Petes1987]

I'm excited to see what kind of team the Knights put together this year. This has always been the year they've been building towards the past ~2 years, right? As good as the Knights were last year, they made very minimal changes at the trade deadline and I assume it's because they have been looking at this year as "the year."

Assuming Cowan and Dickinson are both back (I assume so), the loses of George, Gazizov, etc. are outweighed by the core of this team getting one year older. Nurmi replaces Halttunen. Add in the fact that London, I believe, has a stocked cupboard of draft picks.

Is it fair to say that this team has the potential to become one of the best OHL teams we've seen in the last decade?

Only question mark is goaltending - as of right now.

London doesn’t exactly have a stocked draft cupboard. They have three, 2nds, five, 3rds and three, 4ths.

 

[NorthernBridge7]

London doesn’t exactly have a stocked draft cupboard. They have three, 2nds, five, 3rds and three, 4ths.

I see, then I'm off on this. My mistake.

 

[OnlyUpFromHere49]

I just posted this in the predictions thread:

I absolutely know how crazy that sounds! And I stated that last years team was the best London team I saw since 2005… just 1 data point but last year we sent 11 players to NHL camp which was the most in the league, this year it’s 13!

We may lose Cowan and one of the imports but all other players step up and are a year older. The graduations from last year are replaced internally already.

We should get:
() designate NHL draft rd

(1)Bonk
(1)Dickinson
(6) Wooley
Leonard (OA)
Brzustewicz (should be top prospect)
Jenken (OJHL Rookie Allstar)
Fagan (OJHL Rookie Allstar, 3rd rnd OHL, 2025 NHL eligible)
Spenser
Mitchell (2nd rnd OHL, 2026 NHL eligible)

(1)O’Rielly
(1)Cowan
(2)Halttunen
(3)Barkey
(4)Nurmi
(5)Julien (OA)
(6)Nichol
(6)Sim (OA)
Johnston (clearly stepped up 19 year old)
Van Gorp
Van Bommel
Arrowsmith (2nd rnd OHL, 2025 NHL eligible)
Hawery (top prospect 2026)
Read
Boulton
Bidgood
Gerber
Mews (top prospect 2026)

If that is the roster that is 11 NHL prospects, and 6 world junior players (4 CAN, 2FIN)

This is a better team than last year.

Maybe Conwan sticks, Maybe Halttunen is gone…. They have the assets to get the next best available if required.

Goaltending should shake out Medvedev and Willmore are solid.

Small point but saying Hawery and Mews (especially Mews) are considered top prospects for the 2026 draft is a bit rich imo

 

[Fergus31]

Small point but saying Hawery and Mews (especially Mews) are considered top prospects for the 2026 draft is a bit rich imo

Same with Brzustewicz for 2025.
Borderline embarrassing reading a lot of these posts. I like to just wait and see and not reach for every hyperbole out there.
A lot of people wrote the Knights off around November last year. Now they apparently aren’t going to be stopped. I don’t know why people don’t take a more balanced approach. As always, with a new season, there is a lot of work that needs to be done.

 

[LDN]

This year will be interesting. The knights have a long road to get there again this year. A lot has to go right. I’m excited as it should be a team that competes for the top spot in the league. No question expectations are always high in London as they should be.

Looking forward to seeing how everything shakes out!

 

[imarriedawitch]

This is the new name proposed for London's Budweiser Gardens

London could be losing a long-time Bud.

lfpress.com

Budweiser Gardens, the city’s landmark sports and entertainment venue, may be shedding its beer brand moniker to become Canada Life Place, as the insurance giant with a long legacy in the city snaps up the naming rights.

Canada Life’s proposed 10-year title sponsorship deal for the core arena will go to London city council for a vote later this month. If approved at its Sept. 24 meeting, the new name would be rolled out as soon as early October.

 

[OnlyUpFromHere49]

This is the new name proposed for London's Budweiser Gardens

London could be losing a long-time Bud.

lfpress.com

Budweiser Gardens, the city’s landmark sports and entertainment venue, may be shedding its beer brand moniker to become Canada Life Place, as the insurance giant with a long legacy in the city snaps up the naming rights.

Canada Life’s proposed 10-year title sponsorship deal for the core arena will go to London city council for a vote later this month. If approved at its Sept. 24 meeting, the new name would be rolled out as soon as early October.

John Labatt Centre for life!!!!

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

Same with Brzustewicz for 2025.
Borderline embarrassing reading a lot of these posts. I like to just wait and see and not reach for every hyperbole out there.
A lot of people wrote the Knights off around November last year. Now they apparently aren’t going to be stopped. I don’t know why people don’t take a more balanced approach. As always, with a new season, there is a lot of work that needs to be done.

I get what you’re saying, but in the last few years the knights scouting staff have been deadly accurate in the top 60 draft picks. Maybe they don’t all turn out, but more often then not they do.

Here is the list of second round picks:

Mitchell
Medvedev
O’Rielly (1)
Cowan (1)
Bonk (1)
Edward (7)
Smith
Mailloux (1)
McCue (5)
Stranges (4)
Panwar

I admit that Mews being a 3rd round pick puts that out of the above conversation, I thought he was a second. But all the above were solid players or elite players.

 

[rve24]

I get what you’re saying, but in the last few years the knights scouting staff have been deadly accurate in the top 60 draft picks. Maybe they don’t all turn out, but more often then not they do.

Here is the list of second round picks:

Mitchell
Medvedev
O’Rielly (1)
Cowan (1)
Bonk (1)
Edward (7)
Smith
Mailloux (1)
McCue (5)
Stranges (4)
Panwar

I admit that Mews being a 3rd round pick puts that out of the above conversation, I thought he was a second. But all the above were solid players or elite players.

That's a solid list for the 2nd rd (queue the player dropped to LK because... might be 2 kids on that list....maybe)

And better success than their 1st rd picks

I don't care how, "just do it" And they do bring in the talent n develop it, consistently

 

[Generalsupdates]

I don't care how, "just do it" And they do bring in the talent n develop it, consistently

No they send the talent to Jr B to develop for them (Cowan, Bonk, O'Reilly, Julien all did that). And it works. Hunter knows his strengths (drafting and convincing players to come) and his weaknesses (developing young players, as he refuses to play them most of the time. Nobody favours their veterans more than him). But being honest about his weaknesses and finding alternative ways to develop the young players for him and that makes them best organization in the league year in and year out

 

[rve24]

No they send the talent to Jr B to develop for them (Cowan, Bonk, O'Reilly, Julien all did that). And it works. Hunter knows his strengths (drafting and convincing players to come) and his weaknesses (developing young players, as he refuses to play them most of the time. Nobody favours their veterans more than him). But being honest about his weaknesses and finding alternative ways to develop the young players for him and that makes them best organization in the league year in and year out

You got it, they are done developing at 16/17 and he just rides the wave lol. Thanks for that. Here I thought the staffs on OHL teams actually worked developing players thru their careers.

Kids can still develop after OHL D+1, no?

Sample size matters, go back more than a couple years (and look at 16 yr olds that did make the squad....not cherry picked but a good sample size)

But I do like their philosophy in letting em play B. Wasn't always that way.

 

[LDN]

Bare bones lineup

Van Bommel-Hawery-Johnston
Aboflan-Van Gorp - Read
Gerber-Mews-Arrowsmith
Bidgood

Jenken-Brzustewicz
Fagen-Leonard
Spencer-Mitchell

Willmore
Medvedev/Wilson

Still an OHL team

 

[LDN]

According to the media day photos Sim will wear and A

 

[Ken Yates]

London's D will still be strong Wooley looks good and will take the next step. Impressed with Nurmi. Only question mark is in goal but Wilmore has given us no reason to doubt.

 

[LDN]

London's D will still be strong Wooley looks good and will take the next step. Impressed with Nurmi. Only question mark is in goal but Wilmore has given us no reason to doubt.

Looks like Woolley is ready to be mean

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

London has established itself as not just a great OHL market but an excellent place for player development with the knights connected to not only the u16 junior knights with Syvret but the Nationals with Prust and Drummond.

Parents have a solid understanding of what being drafted and playing for the knights means and there are tangible roadmaps for success ala Barkey, O’Rielly et al.

 

[TheOrangePylon]

Just a thought, I see a ton of people saying Cowan is all but gone from London.
Personally, I think his game has some maturing to be ready for the pro level, but that is a side point from my main argument here of why I think he will be back in London. My main argument is, I just don't see who he will surpass on the roster. The leafs have a bunch of NHL proven talent, that he would have to surpass.

Their current depth chart is something like this;

Marner - Matthew - Knies
Nylander - Tavares - Domi
Robertson - Kampf - Jarnkrok
Reaves - McMann - Dewar

Spares:
Holmberg
Lorentz
Pacioretty (PTO)

That is only current NHL talent as well, the leafs have AHL talent further advanced in development then Cowan as well such as Minten, Voit, Grebyonkin, Hirvonen. Not saying all these guys are better, they are just further into development then Cowan is.

For Cowan's development, if he is in the NHL he needs to be at absolute minimum be playing 3rd line minutes, if you bury him on the 4th line with Reaves. You are just hurting him, when he could be playing 30 minutes a night in London.

Anyway, long story short. I think what is best for his development, is to be back in London dominating and learning from Dale for one more year, because I don't see a clear path to top line minutes in the NHL for him. Look at a guy like Robertson, he put up 55 in the O and has struggled to find ice time in Toronto, which hasn't been good for his development.

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

Just a thought, I see a ton of people saying Cowan is all but gone from London.
Personally, I think his game has some maturing to be ready for the pro level, but that is a side point from my main argument here of why I think he will be back in London. My main argument is, I just don't see who he will surpass on the roster. The leafs have a bunch of NHL proven talent, that he would have to surpass.

Their current depth chart is something like this;

Marner - Matthew - Knies
Nylander - Tavares - Domi
Robertson - Kampf - Jarnkrok
Reaves - McMann - Dewar

Spares:
Holmberg
Lorentz
Pacioretty (PTO)

That is only current NHL talent as well, the leafs have AHL talent further advanced in development then Cowan as well such as Minten, Voit, Grebyonkin, Hirvonen. Not saying all these guys are better, they are just further into development then Cowan is.

For Cowan's development, if he is in the NHL he needs to be at absolute minimum be playing 3rd line minutes, if you bury him on the 4th line with Reaves. You are just hurting him, when he could be playing 30 minutes a night in London.

Anyway, long story short. I think what is best for his development, is to be back in London dominating and learning from Dale for one more year, because I don't see a clear path to top line minutes in the NHL for him. Look at a guy like Robertson, he put up 55 in the O and has struggled to find ice time in Toronto, which hasn't been good for his development.

I agree with your post and the experts that have wadded in.

He will get limited time in the top 6 in Toronto, if he produces he sticks, if not he gets the long look, goes to juniors then ends up in London for the second half.

Seems like the plan.

 

[frontsfan67]

Just a thought, I see a ton of people saying Cowan is all but gone from London.
Personally, I think his game has some maturing to be ready for the pro level, but that is a side point from my main argument here of why I think he will be back in London. My main argument is, I just don't see who he will surpass on the roster. The leafs have a bunch of NHL proven talent, that he would have to surpass.

Never say never. Look at poitras last year. Johnson the year before. It happens. Could see him on the third line for sure and he would be a cheaper option for them on the ELC.

Their current depth chart is something like this;

Marner - Matthew - Knies
Nylander - Tavares - Domi
Robertson - Kampf - Jarnkrok
Reaves - McMann - Dewar

That is only current NHL talent as well, the leafs have AHL talent further advanced in development then Cowan as well such as Minten, Voit, Grebyonkin, Hirvonen. Not saying all these guys are better, they are just further into development than Cowan is.

Cowan is better than all these prospects

Anyway, long story short. I think what is best for his development, is to be back in London dominating and learning from Dale for one more year, because I don't see a clear path to top line minutes in the NHL for him. Look at a guy like Robertson, he put up 55 in the O and has struggled to find ice time in Toronto, which hasn't been good for his development.

Robertson dealt with injuries and the COVID year in the ‘O. Completely different story from Cowan. Now that Robertson is healthy it’s no surprise he had a career year last year.

 

[Kingpin794]

Cap relief is cap relief. Teams rely on some players being on ELC's to be in their lineups to make them feasible when you have half the cap spent on 3 or 4 players. Cowan is cheap and better than that entire bottom six that was posted. They don't really care if he develops because by the time he peaks, their window will be shut. If he's useful NOW, they'll use him.