The Six Minute Second

The 'second' the Knights became champions

The London Knights won their second straight OHL championship Monday night against the spirited Barrie Colts, 3-2.  The Knights won the series 4 games to 3.  

Playoff MVP Bo Horvat's 16th goal of the playoffs with one second left gave the Knights the win over the stubborn Colts, who played without the injured Mark Scheifele and the suspended Anthony Camara.
 
The Horvat goal review took about six minutes.  The replay had to show conclusively that the puck entered the net as referee Kendrick Nicholson waved the goal off, initially.  With time winding down, Alex Broadhurst tried a cross-ice pass to a streaking Seth Griffith.  Former Knight Andreas Athanasiou blocked the pass but the puck went to the stick of Horvat at the side of the net.  His shot from the doorstep hit the far post and trickled, on it's end, just across the goal line.  

The wait was agonizing for both teams but too much was at stake for Nicholson and the replay crew not to be sure.

Finally when Nicholson put his helmet on and pointed to centre ice Budweiser Gardens exploded into celebration.   The Colts gathered around their net for a different, but equally emotional moment.

Bo knows it's in!

Kendrick wasn't sure.

IT IS OVER

Bo with Robertson Cup

What does it take to win? 

Knights vs. Plymouth in Pictures

London coach Dale Hunter shakes hands with Plymouth forward Tom Wilson

Love this shot.  Minutes after Knights coach Dale Hunter was doing everything he could to stop Whalers forward Tom Wilson  -- and Wilson was doing everything in his power to beat Hunter's Knights, the two shake hands.  The picture is hockey's embodiment of tough competition but respect for the opponent.  That respect ensures that you are prepared knowing that the minute you let up, the other team will take advantage.  The stuff of great drama and sport. 

Seth is back.

Knights forward Seth Griffin lets out a scream after  a crucial empty net goal in game four in Plymouth (a 6-4 win for London).  Griffith's return to form with goals in games three and four sparked the Knights offense in the two games in Plymouth.  Griffith's return to form has returned the Knights power play to form, a crucial part of their win over the Whalers.  

Seth Griffith slides power play goal home late in first period of game four

Mr. Cool, Knights goalie Anthony Stolarz

Anthony Stolarz had certainly showed why the Flyers made him a second round draft pick before the conference championship even started.  Against the Whalers, though Stolarz faced an NHL-style challenge.  He face traffic from future NHL-sized forwards.  The Whalers made sure Stolarz had few easy saves in any of the five games.  Stolarz rarely retaliated and rarely lost his concentration.  

Stolarz saw the number 10 on the back of Tom Wilson's sweater a lot in the serires 

Anthony Stolarz has a 2.26 GAA and .935 save percentage in the playoffs

Alex Broadhurst (out of frame) scored in game four.

 This goal by Alex Broadhurst in game four (above) seemed to shake up Whalers goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.  While he played well in game five, he was never quite the same.  There is little doubt he'll be an all-star in the future.  Nedeljkovic lost only 2 games in the regular season after taking over the number one job.

Knights defenseman Ollie Maatta checked out by teammate Justin Sefton

Knights defenseman Ollie Maatta was a constant target of the Whalers huge forwards during the series.  The Knights  Finnish defenseman handled the punishment and stayed aggressive moving the puck.  "He's a horse," said Knights GM Mark Hunter.  "The only question is if he plays 12 or 14 years in the National Hockey League." 

Max Domi after scoring the series winner.

 The Ontario Hockey League has certainly come a long way.  When Max Domi's father played for Peterborough back in the day, national TV coverage for a conference final was only a dream for the league.  To say nothing of arena's with jumbo screens. 

Teammates and fans celebrate a goal with Max Domi in game 5 at Budweiser Gardens

The Ontario Hockey League wanted teams winning conference trophies to pose for pictures. 

Whalers Gain Split

The Plymouth Whalers celebrate double overtime win in game two of Western Conference Final

Few expected anything different in the playoff series between the London Knights and the Plymouth Whalers.  Every inch of ice comes with some pain.  The double overtime win by the Whalers in game two at Budweiser Gardens gives home ice advantage to Plymouth.  A power play goal by Rickard Rakell at 10:16 of the 2nd overtime ended a tough afternoon for all players.

Alex Nedeljkovic made 58 saves in game two

Tom Wilson gave the 9,016 fans at Budweiser Gardens a good look at an NHL top-six forward in the making.  He scored the first three Whaler goals including the tying goal with just 21 seconds left in regulation time.  The 6' 4" Wilson has improved his speed, mobility and puck handling since being taken in the 1st round of the NHL draft by the Washington Capitals (16th overall) last year.

What might be surprising about the Knights and Whalers is who is stopping the pucks.  At the start of the regular season few would have imagined the Whalers would be relying on Parma, Ohio native Alex Nedeljkovic in goal.  Nedeljkovic forced his way into a starting role with a 19-2-1 record, a 2.28 GAA and a .923 save percentage.  His numbers are even better in the playoffs.

Anthony Stolarz save percentage in the playoffs is .944

Anthony Stolarz of the London Knights was a 2nd round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2012. Few Knights fans had even heard of him at the start of the year.  His numbers are eye-popping in the playoffs (.944 save percentage) and he is playing like he relishes the challenge of backstopping a contending team.

Referee Sean Reid gets the word that Remi Elie scored the game one winner. 

Knights-Rangers Game 3 and 4

The Kitchener Auditorium before game four.

The London Knights are one win away from the Western Conference Final.   The Knights bounced back in game four with a 4-3 win in overtime vs. the Rangers after they lost 6-2 on Monday.

Chris Tierney watches Matt Rupert shot beat John Gibson

 I could watch these two teams play every night of the year.  The intensity of this rivalry is the best the Ontario Hockey League has to offer.  The full arenas, passionate fans and consistent quality of rosters are unmatched.  Both teams mean so much to their communities.

The Rangers won game 3 when there veteran talent took over.  The power play exploded for four goals and John Gibson was his usual rock in goal.

In game four, the Knights showed the mental toughness that has become the franchise trademark.  The Knights turned around a 3-1 first period deficit, eventually winning 4-3 in overtime.

Both games were highly entertaining, fast paced and full of tension.  There were the usual charges about bad calls, bad bounces and nasty behaviour.  I hope so.  There's a lot at stake and if there wasn't some wounded souls either playing or watching, it wouldn't be worth playing.  It's tough to win any playoff series in the Ontario Hockey League (ask the fans in Kingston).  Thanks are due to the Knights and Rangers regardless of the series outcome for putting on this kind of show.

Max Domi shot deflected wide by Ryan Murphy

OHL Priority Selection Interview

Mark Hunter news conference following 5th round of OHL priority selection on Saturday April 6, 2013.

Markhunt

Game Two - Knights vs. Rangers

Anthony Stolarz made 34 saves and stood tall for the Knights 

A scoreless game can be exciting when it features the goaltending provided by London's Anthony Stolarz and Kitchener's John Gibson on  Sunday afternoon.  

John Gibson stops Alex Broadhurst on a breakaway

Not only did the two second-round NHL draft choices make saves, they swallowed pucks.  The puck hit their pads with an audible 'thump'.   Despite being very tall, both darted through creases to make saves that frustrated shooters.   

Stolarz was the first start of the game with 34 saves. Gibson was second star with 29 saves.  They were easy selections.  

Anthony Stolarz 

Max Domi's goal with less than five minutes to play broke a scoreless tie.  Bo Horvat's determined individual effort with 1:33 to play made the final 2-0.  

Domi's goal was the product of a great play by Chris Tierney who was knocked down but while on the ice, swiped a pass to Domi in the right faceoff circle.  Domi evaded a check and slid one through goalie Gibson for the eventual game winner. 

The Rangers battled hard and could have easily tied the series, if not for the work of Stolarz. 

The Knights played without defenseman Nikita Zadorov (upper body) and Brett Welychka (upper body).  Game two is Monday night. 

Budweiser Gardens crew change form hockey to basketball

DRAFT DAY 2013

London Knights draft room 2013. Lindsay Hofford (standing to the left) is the Knights Director of Scouting

One London Knights scout, Craig Warwick, said he saw 354 midget games this season.
"I know the exact number because I had to write a report on each one," laughed the man they call Candyman.
OHL draft day belongs to the scouts of the 20 Ontario Hockey League teams.  The league's foot soldiers. They travel thousands of miles to get as many viewings as possible of the talent available.
  Lindsay Hofford, the Knights director of scouting figures the team got 'three players we had rated in the first round'.  The Knights selected centre Mitch Marner in round one (19th overall).  Marner was excited to be a Knight and said "even the animals were huddled around the computer. Our dog was getting excited right along with us," said Marner by telephone.  Marner had 86 points in 56 games for the Don Mills Flyers this season.  He has been heavily recruited by U.S. colleges including Michigan.
The Knights then picked a player many feel was one of the best players in the draft in Zach Werenski from Detroit Little Caesars, a 6 foot 2 inch defenseman who has committed the next two years to the U.S. Development program.  Werenski immediately tweeted he is "honored to be able to play for my country and be drafted by the London Knights".   The Knights also took American born Matthew Tkachuk, a winger and defenseman Christian Evers.  Tkachuk is the son of former NHL'er Keith Tkachuk and has made a verbal committment to Notre Dame.  Evers has said yes to the Unversity of North Dakota.
In between the Knights stayed domestic with defenseman Mitchell Kreis, from Halton and Toronto Marlboros assistant captain Joshua Defarias.  Defarias was rated early in the 2nd round on the Knights list.   Listen here to Lindsay Hofford on the Knights draft picks.