The London Knights have won their fifth OHL Championship in franchise history, their first since the 2016-2017 season. The Knights completed the series sweep of the Oshawa Generals on Wednesday night in Oshawa. With that victory, they now advance to the Memorial Cup, which will be played in Saginaw from May 24th to June 2nd.
ON TOP!!!!! pic.twitter.com/KJ3c4hgAvK
— London Knights (@LondonKnights) May 16, 2024
In a season where the Knights finished with the best record in the OHL during the regular season, they went a remarkable 16 wins and only 2 losses in the playoffs. They recorded three series sweeps while outscoring their opponents 88-46.
During the playoffs, the Knights powerplay couldn’t be stopped, scoring 26 times on 68 opportunities and 12 for 21 in the championship series against Oshawa.
Easton Cowan and Kasper Halttunen celebrate scoring a goal in the championship clinching game for the London Knights
Easton Cowan led a trio of players on the Knights who put up remarkable playoff numbers. Cowan, Toronto Maple Leafs second-round draft pick during last year’s NHL entry draft, registered at least 3 points in all 4 championship series games, finishing with 15 points (3 goals, 12 assists). Cowan won the OHL regular season MVP, as well as the OHL Playoffs MVP award, leading the playoffs in scoring with 34 points.
Kasper Halttunen also dominated during the playoffs, leading the league with 17 goals. Halttunen, San Jose Sharks second-round draft pick during last year’s NHL entry draft, became the first player in league history to score back-to-back hat tricks during the OHL Championship series. He was the main threat on the Knights powerplay, scoring 8 goals with the man advantage.
Denver Barkey was equally impressive for the Knights. Barkey, Philadelphia Flyers third-round draft pick during last year’s NHL entry draft, tallied 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) during the series against Oshawa. He finished the playoffs tied for third in league scoring with 27 points.
The London Knights will begin play in the Memorial cup starting on May 24th. Saginaw will be playing in the tournament as the host city, and it is still to be determined who will qualify from the WHL and QMJHL.
