London Knights are back-to-back OHL champions

CBC

· Posted: May 16, 2025 9:23 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

The London Knights are back-to-back Ontario Hockey League champions.

Kasper Halttunen scored doubly arsenic London topped the Oshawa Generals 5-2 successful Game 5 of the title bid Thursday, helping the Knights seizure the J. Ross Robertson Cup and publication their summons to the Memorial Cup.

"I judge we're gonna instrumentality it each the way,"  London Knights Fan Club founder Sav Neth said, aft watching the last astatine Canada Life Place.

Nath was determination with his lad and said the fans brought the astir epic vigor helium had ever seen in the arena. He has been astatine each title crippled the Knights person won connected the road, but said helium was grateful to person the accidental to spot them triumph astatine home.

"We've dreamt of this since time one, and to bash it successful back-to-back years is simply a surreal feeling. It's adjacent amended to bash it connected location ice," said Knights skipper Denver Barkey, who returned to the lineup from wounded successful Game 5. "It's a large mode to headdress disconnected what we've built present successful London, and there's 1 much happening to spell triumph now."

Sam O'Reilly and Easton Cowan some scored a extremity and an assistance portion Landon Sim scored for London.

Sam Dickinson and Jacob Julien added 2 assists apiece. Knights goaltender Austin Elliott saved 32 of 34 shots.

Andrew Gibson and Beckett Sennecke replied for Oshawa Generals goaltender Jacob Oster, who saved 20 of 24 shots.

"We're a close-knit household here," said Knights caput manager Dale Hunter, who won his 5th J. Ross Robertson Cup to necktie him for the astir all-time with Leighton "Hap" Emms. "The kids bask playing, and it's casual to manager erstwhile they bask it. It's been a existent amusive mates years present with these kids."

Halttunen was named OHL playoff MVP aft producing 15 goals -- including 9 successful the title bid -- and six assists successful 17 games. The 19-year-old Finn became the archetypal import subordinate successful league past to gain the honour.

The Knights claimed their sixth OHL rubric aft besides winning successful 2024, 2016, 2013, 2012 and 2005.

London joins Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League finalists Moncton and Rimouski - this year's big - successful the Memorial Cup.

The Western Hockey League champion inactive needs to beryllium determined, with Medicine Hat starring Spokane 3-1 successful the final.
The Knights mislaid 4-3 to the Saginaw Spirit successful past year's Memorial Cup final.

Aside from the enactment successful the title game, Neth said the item was seeing Denver Barkey named OHL Humanitarian of the Year. Barkey's charity work helped London-area children with learning and societal disabilities registry for hockey while providing donated equipment. 

"Denver has been unthinkable helping marque our assemblage better," Neth said.