The London Knights have announced the signing of forward Max Mews to a standard OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
Mews becomes the second player from the 2024 OHL Priority Selection to join the Knights. London signed defenceman Caleb Mitchell in May.
Mews is following a similar path to the one his older brother Henry has taken, albeit at the other end of the province.
Henry Mews is heading into his third season with the Ottawa 67’s. He was just selected by the Calgary Flames in the third round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft that took place in Las Vegas in June.
Max was selected by the Knights in the third round after a difficult year for him personally.
“I went through a lot of adversity this (past) year due to injury,” he said. “I hurt my (lower back) at a tournament and that led to other problems as I tried to come back.”
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Mews was limited to just 10 games but put up 12 points in those games.
“I was able to return in time for the OHL Cup and was able to do pretty well there,” Mews said.
He had five points in four games at that tournament.
Mews grew up playing with Ottawa Myers Automotive, which was the same team London defenceman Oliver Bonk played his minor hockey with while he was growing up.
In Mews and Mitchell, the Knights have 2008-born prospects at forward and on defence.
Despite two trips to the OHL Championship Series the past two seasons and an appearance in the Memorial Cup final in 2024, London could still return a large core of players for 2024-25.
As many as 13 players who appeared in the Knights’ final game in Saginaw, Mich., could be back.
How many will depend on what National Hockey League teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks elect to do with prospects currently playing for London.
Easton Cowan had a strong development camp for the Maple Leafs.
The Flyers could take a long look at both Denver Barkey and Bonk and the Sharks will have to make decisions on Kasper Halttunen and Sam Dickinson.
The Sharks picked Dickinson 11th overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and Halttunen was a second-round pick of San Jose’s in 2023.
Halttunen could play for San Jose’s American Hockey League team as a 19-year-old because he was drafted by the Sharks before signing in London.
The Knights will open their training camp in late August.
They will play home pre-season games on Friday, Sept. 6 against the Erie Otters and Friday, Sept. 20 versus Sarnia.
London will raise its 2024 OHL championship banner and begin its regular season at Budweiser Gardens on Friday, Sept. 26 against the Flint Firebirds.