The London Knights won their opening game at the Memorial Cup in overtime, beating the Moncton Wildcats 3-2 in overtime. Edmonton Oilers prospect Sam O'Reilly scored the game-winning goal in overtime.
While the Knights are widely considered the favorites at the tournament, this was a close game from beginning to end.
Moncton went blow for blow with London through the opening period. After 20 minutes the shots were 15-14 in favor of the Wildcats and the score was tied at one.
O'Reilly, who eventually scored the game winner, also scored London's opening goal of the match just a minute and a half into the game. He redirected Sam Dickinson's blast from the point past Mathis Rousseau to take the early lead.
Moncton stuck with it, avoided London's potent neutral-zone forecheck and gaining significant time in the offensive zone. with just over 13 minutes left in the first period, Etienne Morin fired a well placed shot past Austin Elliott to tie the game at one. It wouldn't be the last goal the London goaltender surrendered from the point.
CHL Hosts Meet The Coaches Press Conference Ahead of Memorial CupEarlier today, London Knights Head Coach Dale Hunter took
part in a pre-tournament press conference alongside the Head Coaches of the other
three participating teams. The panel consisted of Hunter, Willie Desjardins
(Medicine Hat), Gardiner MacDougall (Moncton) and Joël Perrault (Rimouski).
London took control of the game in the second, nearly doubling Moncton's shots on goal in the period. The teams once again exchanged goals, with San Jose Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen scoring for London while Dyllan Gill scored for Moncton.
Though there was no scoring in the third period, London dominated the final frame, outshooting the Wildcats 16-3. Rousseau had a fantastic game for Moncton, stopping multiple grade-A scoring chances for London.
You could feel London warming up into the game as time went on. Period by period they took over, eventually dominating the Wildcats in the third period, however, it was not enough to escape overtime.
The two teams exchanged chances in overtime before Sam O'Reilly, who started the scoring in this one, tipped home Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan's backhand pass in front of the net.
OHL Heavily Represented in Craig Button's Recent Mock DraftThe 2025 NHL Draft is just around the corner, and many pundits are starting to project what the first round will look like. Craig Buttons' recent mock draft projects the OHL to be well represented in the opening round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
O'Reilly had a fantastic season in the OHL after being selected at the end of the first round by Edmonton at the 2024 NHL Draft. In 62 games this season, he recorded 21 goals and 71 points with London.
The two goals he scored in game one at the Memorial Cup mark is progression as a player while simultaneously vindicating the Oilers' faith in the young prospect.
A win in their opening game of the tournament sets London up for success. They will move on to play their second game tonight against the hosting Rimouski Oceanic. Puck drop for that game is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
The 2025 NHL Draft is just around the corner, and many pundits are starting to project what the first round will look like. Craig Buttons' recent mock draft projects the OHL to be well represented in the opening round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
Historically, the OHL has always featured prominently in the opening round of NHL Drafts. Last season, nine of the players picked in round one played for OHL teams, meaning the league claimed 28 percent of the players picked. That was the highest percentage for any individual league.
Based on Buttons' projections, the OHL could receive an even larger share of this year's first-round picks.
Picks 1-5
1. New York Islanders - Matthew Schaefer
2. San Jose Sharks - Porter Martone
3. Chicago Blackhawks - Michael Misa
4. Utah Mammoth - James Hagens
5. Nashville Predators - Jake O'Brien
According to this mock draft four of the opening five picks could be OHL players. While Schaefer going first feels like a no brainer based on every projection seen since January, some people are asking whether the Islanders might take James Hagens instead seeing as he is a Long Island native.
Porter Martone going second is a bit of a surprise given that he has slipped down prospect lists in the second half of the season. The Steelheads forward fell from fourth to sixth in NHL Central Scouting's latest rankings.
Jake O'Brien has risen up draft boards in the second half of the year. He jumped up from eighth to fourth on NHL Central Scouting's rankings. Seeing him go fifth to Nashville would round out a dominant showing for the OHL in the first five picks.
The London Knights Hang On To Win OHL ChampionshipFor the second time since 2010, the London Knights are the winners of back-to-back OHL Championships. The Knights took game five of the OHL Final to hoist the J. Ross Robertson Cup on home ice.
Picks 6-10
6. Philadelphia Flyers - Brady Martin
7. Boston Bruins - Caleb Desnoyers
8. Seattle Kraken - Anton Frondell
9. Buffalo Sabres - Radim Mrtka
10. Anaheim Ducks - Lynden Lakovic
After dominating the top five picks, Button projects just Brady Martin being taken in this segment of the first round. Martin is a riser when it comes to prospect rankings having moved from 17th to 11th on NHL Central Scouting's rankings. His dominant performance at the U-18 Men's Championship will only have served to boost his stock higher. In seven games at the tournament he scored three goals and added eight assists while looking like a man playing amongst boys.
As a side note, when it comes to recent history, the Flyers have tended towards OHL players when they have a first round pick. Since 2020, they've drafted an OHL player three times in the first round. In 2021 they did not have a first-round pick and in 2022 they selected Cutter Gauthier of the USNDTP.
2025 NHL Draft Profile: Jacob CloutierWith the OHL season finished, and the London Knights crowned champions for the second consecutive season, many OHL fans are turning their attention towards the NHL Draft in June. Questions abound about where certain players will be picked and who will rise or fall on draft boards.
Picks 11-16
11. Pittsburgh Penguins - Roger McQueen
12. New York Rangers - Kashawn Aitcheson
13. Detroit Red Wings - Victor Englund
14. Columbus Blue Jackets - Jackson Smith
15. Vancouver Canucks - Cole Reschny
16. Montreal Canadiens - Justin Carbonneau
Again, the OHL becomes somewhat sparse in this segment of Buttons' mock draft, with just one pick predicted to come from the league. Kashawn Aitcheson is a hard-nosed defender who is gifted on both sides of the puck. He also rose up NHL Central Scouting's rankings, going from 15th to ninth.
It is possible we could see players like Malcolm Spence, Henry Brzustewicz and Jack Nesbitt creep into these picks as well. There is a fair amount of disagreement between pundits on this segment of the draft.
Based on Buttons' draft, six OHL players project to be picked in the first half of the draft. If the percentages pan out, that would mean a total of 12 OHL players get picked in the first round, which would be a 33 percent increase from last year.
This does seem a bit far-fetched, though. It seems much more likely that by the end of round one, the OHL will have around 10 players taken.
What is clear is that the OHL is very well represented at the top of this year's draft class, with pundits predicting a large number of OHL players being taken in the first 10 picks of the 2025 NHL Draft.
As always, the draft is unpredictable, and while it is fun to look at mock drafts and projections, we will never know how the chips will fall until teams start making picks.
The 2025 NHL Draft will take place on Friday, June 27th at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
With the OHL season finished, and the London Knights crowned champions for the second consecutive season, many OHL fans are turning their attention towards the NHL Draft in June. Questions abound about where certain players will be picked and who will rise or fall on draft boards.
Jacob Cloutier of the Saginaw Spirit is an interesting player to look at when it comes the the 2025 NHL Draft. The Spirit selected the 2007-born Cloutier with their second-round pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection.
While he made the team out of camp, he was shortly thereafter reassigned to the Chatham Maroons to play in the GOJHL. That year, Saginaw was hosting the Memorial Cup, and there wasn't a lot of room on a roster loaded with older talent.
"I was crushed to get sent down, it was really tough," said Cloutier. "I think I'm developing a lot more as a player now because of it though."
This past season, he made his OHL debut playing for Saginaw alongside fellow rookie Carson Harmer. The pair quickly stacked up the points and led all OHL rookies in scoring at the midway point of the season.
In the second half of the season, it was clear that Cloutier had adapted to the OHL and was ready to show what he could do. In January, he went on a seven-game point streak during which he scored seven goals and added four assists. As a result of this streak, he was named rookie of the week in early February.
Kasper Halttunen Wins Playoffs MVPLast night, at the conclusion of the OHL Playoffs, Kasper Halttunen was given the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award, which is given out to the OHL Playoffs MVP as voted by accredited members of the media. Halttunen is the first import player to be given the award.
NHL Central Scouting definitely took notice of Cloutier's performance in the second half of the year. In their early rankings, Central Scouting placed Cloutier 193rd amongst North American Skaters. In their most recent lists, he jumped up nearly 90 places to sit 108th, right behind Carson Harmer.
He finished the year fourth in rookie scoring with 23 goals and 47 points in 67 games. In the playoffs, he was a point-per-game player, with three points in the three games he played.
"I'm a two-way forward and playmaker," said Cloutier. "I find guys around the ice and make good plays. I pride myself on winning battles and backchecking."
Following in this vein, Cloutier looks up to Florida Panthers' forward Brad Marchand and does his best to model his game after the gritty, pesky style displayed by the skilled forward.
Cloutier is a cerebral player who consistently improves the position of the puck through smart passing. He routinely makes short passes that many other players ignore to make flashy moves. His individual chances come as a result of strong team play and puck support.
The London Knights Hang On To Win OHL ChampionshipFor the second time since 2010, the London Knights are the winners of back-to-back OHL Championships. The Knights took game five of the OHL Final to hoist the J. Ross Robertson Cup on home ice.
He has a good shot, though it isn't the hardest. He usually relies on accuracy rather than blowing the puck past the goaltender.
Most of all, he has a solid understanding of offensive concepts. Cloutier puts himself in positions where pucks find him, and he does a good job following pucks to the net for secondary and tertiary opportunities.
Defensively, he understands he tracks back to the slot and does a good job taking away opposing players.
At 5-foot-10, his height could be a limiting factor in terms of being drafted this year. While his offensive potential is very high, he does not necessarily project as an early pick. Any team taking him would be banking on his potential. They will also be getting a very determined individual.
"I'm going to be a hockey player," said Cloutier. "That's all I want to be in my life."
For the second time since 2010, the London Knights are the winners of back-to-back OHL Championships. The Knights took game five of the OHL Final to hoist the J. Ross Robertson Cup on home ice.
This year, the Knights took five games to defeat the Oshawa Generals, whom they swept in last year's finals.
In an immediate divergence from last year, the Generals took game one on the road and started the series confidently. From there, the Knights dominated the series, winning three games in convincing fashion.
While the Generals put up a fantastic fight in game five, they ultimately fell short, losing 5-2.
Nashville Predators prospect Andrew Gibson got the scoring started in game five, firing a puck past Austin Elliott from the point. The big blue-liner was one of Oshawa's best players throughout the series, tallying multiple goals at crucial moments.
London's Kasper Halttunen, who scored a pair of goals in the game, got the Knights on the board in the final minute of the period to take things to the intermission tied at one.
#Handshakes 🤝
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) May 16, 2025
The best tradition in hockey! The @LondonKnights and @Oshawa_Generals meet at centre ice after a hard-fought series!🥰#OHLChampionship | @CHLHockeypic.twitter.com/cqyzABpHxw
Halttunen was awarded the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award, which is given to the OHL Playoffs MVP. He scored eight goals in the last three games of the series, recording back-to-back hattricks. He is the first European to win the award.
As was the case in games two through four, London dominated the second period, scoring a pair of goals to take a 3-1 lead. Anaheim Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke found a big response at the end of the period to make it 3-2.
London locked things down in the third period, stifling the talented Oshawa offense, which got 18 shots in the final frame.
Halttunen Hattrick Highlights London's Game Four WinThe London Knights won game four of the OHL Final in dominant fashion, defeating the Oshawa Generals 6-2. A pair of San Jose Sharks prospects factored heavily into the Knights' victory.
Landon Sim scored a huge goal by following up on Ottawa Senators prospect Blake Montgomery's rush and batting the puck out of the air to make it 4-2. Easton Cowan scored an empty-net goal to make it 5-2.
The win gave Head Coach Dale Hunter his fifth OHL Championship, tying him for the most in OHL history.
The last time the Knights won back-to-back championships was during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. It takes a special set of players to win in two consecutive seasons. Notable members of the 2012/13 Knights included Islanders' star Bo Horvat, Leafs' forward Max Domi and Chris Tierney.
Just like those teams, the 2024/25 Knights were loaded with talent. It feels like it will only be a matter of time before we see these young stars start to step into the NHL.
While the Knights will assuredly take some time to celebrate their victory, they still have unfinished business to attend to. They made it to the Memorial Cup Final last year, where they lost to the Saginaw Spirit.
Sam Dickinson told The Hockey News earlier in the season that the Memorial Cup was the goal and the standard that this team held itself to. They want to return to that stage, and this time, potentially take home a trophy.
The London Knights won game four of the OHL Final in dominant fashion, defeating the Oshawa Generals 6-2. A pair of San Jose Sharks prospects factored heavily into the Knights' victory.
They say heavy is the head that wears the crown, and yet the reigning J. Ross Robertson Cup champions are cruising through the OHL Final.
After losing game one of the series to Oshawa, London has responded with three emphatic wins. In all three games, they've scored 5-plus goals while averaging 32 shots on goal.
"We played about as close to a perfect 60 as we could," said Sam Dickinson about game four. " We're happy to get the win."
While game three featured an intense pushback from the Generals in the third period, game four was an entirely different story.
London came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. They ended up outshooting the Generals 17-6 in the opening frame, though they were unable to register a goal.
The game went completely off the rails for the Generals in the second period as London scored five goals. The majority of the damage was done by San Jose Sharks prospects Dickinson and Kasper Halttunen, who each recorded a pair of goals during the period.
Halttunen picked up a third goal midway through the third period, giving hattricks in back-to-back games, and seven goals in the series.
"He [Halttunen] has got the best shot in the OHL, he's probably the best goal scorer in the OHL," said Dickinson. "It's a lot easier giving the puck to him knowing he's almost always going to have a good chance of putting it in the net."
Dickinson added a pair of assists to the goals he scored, giving him four points at the end of the night. In doing so, he set a franchise record for most playoff points scored by a defenseman with 50. He surpassed Dennis Wideman, who previously held the record with 46.
What's wild is this isn't even the first franchise record he set this year. By finishing the regular season with 91 points, he also set a franchise record for most points scored by a defender in a single season, beating out the previous record (87) held by Edmonton Oilers blue liner Evan Bouchard.
Between Dickinson and Halttunen, San Jose Sharks fans are sure to be the envy of many NHL franchises in the near future, and that doesn't even get into other prospects like Quentin Musty, who also spent the year in the OHL.
By winning games three and four in Oshawa, the Knights have taken a stranglehold on the series and put the Generals in a very awkward position. For Oshawa to mount a comeback, they would need to beat London three times in a row while winning a pair of games on the road.
For reference, London only lost back-to-back games once during the regular season and never dropped three games in a row. While this is junior hockey and anything can happen, it seems nearly impossible that Oshawa will beat this London team three times in a row.
In an interesting turn of events, London has the opportunity to win the championship on home ice. Last year, they swept the Generals and won the final game of the series on the road, something that has been a bit of a pattern for the Knights.
Game five will take place tomorrow evening with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Generals will be looking to force a game six back in Oshawa on Saturday.