It’s on: Knights, Petes battle for OHL title

Knight Watch: And then there were two. It’s London and Peterborough — with a trip to the Memorial Cup on the line. Can the Knights solve Londoner Michael Simpson? What’s in store for the series? Columnist Jake Jeffrey has all the latest …

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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Nearly two decades after they last met in the OHL Final, the Peterborough Petes and London Knights will do battle this month for OHL supremacy.

Led by future NHL star Jordan Staal, the Petes won that last series (which capped off the 2005-06 OHL season) in a four-game sweep against the defending league champion Knights — a team led by Adam Dennis, Rob Schremp, David Bolland and Knights current assistant coach Dylan Hunter. It was the Petes’ ninth OHL championship (and first in 10 years). They haven’t been back to the big dance since, losing twice in the conference finals in 2014 and 2017. But they’re here now.

The Knights come in with a bit of a different story. They’ve won three OHL championships since these two teams last met in the Final, most recently in 2016, which gave the franchise its fourth championship banner.

Flash forward to 2022-23, these two teams split their regular season series (two games), with the home team coming out on top in both contests. The Knights were shut out on four occasions this season, and one of them came against Peterborough. The Petes’ Michael Simpson, a Londoner, made 35 saves in that win, which was one of five shutouts he posted this season.

Knights goaltender Brett Brochu is still listed as day-to-day due to his ‘lower body injury,’ so it looks like rookie netminder Zach Bowen will get another big opportunity in net. He stopped 53 of 56 shots in London’s Game 5 and 6 victories over Sarnia.

Both teams added championship experience during the season. The Knights’ Ryan Winterton, Ryan Humphrey and co-captain George Diaco all won an OHL title with the Hamilton Bulldogs last season. So, too, did Avery Hayes and Gavin White, who joined the Petes this season.

Winterton is tied for the Knights’ lead in playoff points, and he scored seven times in the Sarnia series, notching a goal in every game. Only North Bay’s Kyle McDonald has scored more playoff goals than Winterton’s 11. He's also the reigning OHL Player of the Week, the second Knight to receive the honour this postseason.

Zach Bowen, stepping in for the injured Brett Brochu, was fantastic in Games 5 and 6 to help London beat Sarnia in the conference final. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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London continues to get offensive support from all lines. Six players have at least six goals in the playoffs, and seven players have double digit points. With 22 points apiece, Winterton and Sean McGurn are the highest scorers left in the postseason.

The Petes have eight NHL prospects on their roster, led by first-round picks Owen Beck (Montreal) and Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers). The Knights boast six NHL picks, with Logan Mailloux (Montreal) as the lone first rounder.

Special teams are huge this time of year, and that will be the case in this OHL Final. The Petes have killed off 89 percent of their penalties this postseason, allowing five power play goals against. They’re also dangerous offensively with a man down, having scored three shorthanded goals during their playoff run. London has 19 powerplay goals in the playoffs, operating at 27 percent.

London had a better record away from home during the regular season, but they’re undefeated at Budweiser Gardens in the 2023 playoffs. That obviously bodes well for a team that has home ice advantage.

While most rinks are fairly cookie cutter these days (each facility may have its quirks, but the on-ice conditions are relatively standard), that is not the case for the Peterborough Memorial Centre, which has a very unique ice surface with square corners and lively end boards. London took advantage of similar bounces during their series against Owen Sound, where point shots just wide of the net usually find their way back into the slot area. Zach Bowen has never played in this rink as an OHLer, so that is something to keep in mind as this series plays out.

Similar to the Super Bowl, where brothers Jason and Travis Kelce faced off in the big game this past year, the McCue family will have one OHL champion when the series is all said and done. Max McCue has provided a physical presence for the Knights and chipped in with five points this postseason. His younger brother, Sam, is in his first full OHL season, but he has yet to play in the playoffs.

For a series that features 14 NHL prospects, this matchup may come down to players who have no affiliation with a big club — the goalies. Michael Simpson had a breakout year with the Petes, while Zach Bowen was instrumental in the conference final against Sarnia after taking over for the injured Brett Brochu.

After sweeping Sudbury in the first round, Peterborough knocked off the top two teams in the East en route to the finals, beating Ottawa in six games and North Bay in seven. Kitchener did some of the heavy lifting for London, as they knocked off Windsor. The Knights had their hands full with the No. 3 seeded Sarnia Sting, but prior to that they’d played Owen Sound (7th) and Kitchener (8th).

Peterborough finished the regular season with 74 points, far fewer than a team with their talent should have. They had trouble finding their footing during the season, though, and didn’t look like a team that would still be playing hockey in May. They added the pieces to be a contender, but their lack of consistency prevented them from being  grouped in with the OHL elite. However, skills-wise they were right there with the best.

Denver Barkey celebrates a goal against the Sarnia Sting in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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Looking at the regular season, the Knights were the better team on paper, but the same argument could have been made for both Ottawa and North Bay, and the Petes were able to dispose of them. Peterborough looks like a team that is getting hot at the right time. The same, of course, could be said about London, who are 12-3 in the playoffs entering OHL Finals action.

Whichever team is able to keep the good times rolling will find themselves at the Memorial Cup in Kamloops later this month.

SEASON SERIES: London vs. Peterborough

London 0 @ Peterborough 3 (Jan 26)
Peterborough 2 @ London 5 (Dec 10)

Playoff Leaders

Peterborough: Brennan Othmann (7-13--20), Owen Beck (6-7--13), Connor Lockhard (6-7--13)
London: Ryan Winterton (11-11--22), Sean McGurn (7-15-22), Denver Barkey (9-12--21)

And now …

OHL Playoffs (Championship Final) - London Knights (No. 2 in West) vs. Peterborough Petes (No. 4 in East) (best-of-seven series)
Game 1: Thurs. May 11 (7:00pm vs. Peterborough Petes)
Game 2: Sat. May 13 (7:00pm vs. Peterborough Petes)
Game 3: Mon. May 15 (7:00pm @ Peterborough Petes)
Game 4: Wed. May 17 (7:30pm @ Peterborough Petes)
Game 5: Fri. May 19 (7:30pm vs. Peterborough Petes) (if necessary)
Game 6: Sun. May 21 (7:00pm @ Peterborough Petes) (if necessary)
Game 7: Mon. May 22 (7:00pm vs. Peterborough Petes) (if necessary)

A LOOK AT THE LOCALS

Not including those playing for the Knights, Michael Simpson is the last local player standing. He’s been tremendous during Peterborough’s playoff run.

Aiden Young (Saginaw) and Dylan Roobroeck (Niagara) both signed OHL contracts with their respective clubs. Roobroeck was the second overall pick in the most recent draft, while Young went 16th overall.

AROUND THE OHL

The Ontario Hockey League announced some serious sanctions against the Niagara IceDogs last week, including their General Manager and two players.

After investigating allegations that some IceDogs players violated league policies, the OHL announced that GM Darren DeDobbelaer has been suspended for two seasons, and that the team has been fined $100,000 (and will be required to forfeit their first round pick for next season). Further to that, the league says players Joshua Rosenzweig and Landon Cato have permanently lost the privilege to play in the OHL. Both would have been eligible for overage seasons next year.