By Will MacLaren, Features writer
When London Knights captain Denver Barkey hoisted the Memorial Cup over his head in Rimouski, Que., the first thing he did, naturally, was deliver it to his teammates. The next thing he did was skate toward a few hundred rabid supporters in the corner of the building, many of whom made the nearly 13-hour drive to the south shore of the St. Lawrence to celebrate a story of redemption with their favorite sons.
It wasn’t just symbolic for Barkey; it was necessary. “They mean everything to us,” he said. “They’ve done so much for me. They always show up. It’s a great community that always rallies around us. I’m so happy for them.”
A left winger in his fourth OHL season, Barkey scored twice to help propel the Knights to a 4-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 105th Memorial Cup final. Easton Cowan – who took home the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the tournament’s MVP – and overager Jacob Julien also scored for the Knights, who have claimed three national titles over the past 20 years. This triumph comes on the heels of back-to-back OHL championships and three league final appearances in a row for the franchise considered by many to be the CHL’s crown jewel.
The fans who showed up for Barkey were merely repaying the favor. Since 2021, when he first put on the iconic green jersey, there’s been an attachment between player and city. This reached a new level this season with the establishment of Barkey’s Buds. The initiative provides tickets to Knights games to those impacted by financial barriers. The organization also acquired hockey equipment for those in London Community Housing through donations and the sale of Barkey’s Buds T-shirts.
The passion Barkey, a native of Newmarket, Ont., shows for his adopted hometown is just as intense as his admiration for his teammates and his desire to help the Knights overcome their experience from last year’s Memorial Cup final, which saw the club lose in the last minute of regulation to the host Saginaw Spirit. “That was the message since Day 1 of training camp: remember how that felt and express it to the guys who weren’t here for it last year,” Barkey said. “It’s been our fuel and motivation all year long.”
Though Barkey was the first to touch the trophy this year, his thoughts were with his teammates celebrating all around him. “These guys have taught me so much,” he said. “There are friendships out here that’ll last a lifetime. For me, it’s as simple as playing hockey with your friends and the guys you love. We wanted to do it for each other more than ourselves.”
One of those friendships is with Julien, who, in 2016, was watching as an 11-year-old on a big screen at London’s Western Fair District as his hometown Knights claimed their second Memorial Cup. Since then, Julien has gone from an undrafted under-16 prospect who was contemplating his future in the game to missing a season due to COVID-19 to a long-shot draftee of the Knights.
Where did Julien go from there? Well, there are the two Memorial Cups he played in for starters. Plus development camp with the Winnipeg Jets, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2023. It’s funny where determination can lead. “In the end, I decided I wanted to keep playing, whether it was Jr. B or another level,” Julien said. “I’m grateful to have actually done it and reached this moment.”
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With emotions coursing through him, Julien had to refocus to stay in the conversation, an understandable reaction given all that it took to get there. But when asked who he was thinking about as the final seconds ticked down, there was no hesitation. “Everyone,” he said. “The team, my family and all the supporters both here and back in London. I couldn’t be more grateful for them. It’s what every kid from London has ever dreamed of.”
Make no mistake; just because the Knights win a lot doesn’t mean it’s easy. If anything, having the target that comes with being that good on their backs made the group stay on their toes to an even greater degree.
The one constant has been the man behind the bench, Dale Hunter. Hunter has seen plenty of good teams pass through the Forest City, but this one came with something every coach dreams of: self-motivation. “They’re great players with great skill, but most importantly, great will,” Hunter said. “Last year, we came up short, but I could see from the start of this year, they were determined. The kids get all the credit. They’re the ones who go out there and fight on the ice.”
This article appeared in our 2025 Champions issue. Our cover story focuses on the 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, specifically the elite play of defenseman Seth Jones, along with a recap of each game of the Cup final. We also include features on Sharks center Will Smith and Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans. In addition, we give our list of the top 10 moments from the 2024-25 NHL season.
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