Liam Foudy got his first chance to step on meaningful NHL ice before COVID-19 paused the 2019-20 National Hockey League season.
Connor McMichael and Alec Regula of the Knights and Londoner Ryan Suzuki could have a shot at the very same thing this summer.
Knights teammates Foudy, McMichael and Regula have been named to NHL Return to Play rosters for training camps that opened on Monday in preparation for the NHL’s qualifying round that is due to start on Aug. 1.
Camps are scheduled to run until July 26 and then Eastern Conference teams will head for Toronto and teams from the Western Conference travel to Edmonton.
McMichael was selected 25th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
The Columbus Blue Jackets selected Foudy 18th overall in 2018.
Regula was drafted by Detroit in 2018 and his right were acquired by the Chicago Blackhawks in a trade this past season.
Carolina selected Suzuki 28th overall in 2019.
Foudy got a jump on his NHL career in February. He had scored a goal for the Columbus Blue Jackets in an exhibition game in 2018 but missed playing any pre-season games this past fall when he was injured in training camp. However a week in February made up for that and as the Jackets called on the Scarborough, Ont., native as an emergency call-up when they were hit by a deluge of injuries.
Foudy logged over 10 minutes in his professional debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 10 and then played again three nights later against the Sabres in Buffalo, N.Y. He assisted on a Boone Jenner goal for his first NHL point before being returned to the Knights for the rest of the Ontario Hockey League’s abbreviated season.
McMichael led London in scoring with 102 points in 52 games. Foudy had 68 points in 45 games.
The pair began 2020 by winning gold with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship in the Czech Republic.
Regula had one of the highest scoring season by a defenceman in Knights history when he collected 27 goals and had 60 points.
Suzuki split the 2019-20 season between the Barrie Colts and the Saginaw Spirit and had 58 points in 44 games.
Suzuki played in three pre-season games for Carolina last fall.
The Toronto Maple Leafs added forward Nick Robertson from the Peterborough Petes. Dallas has Flint forward Ty Dellandrea and Mississauga defenceman Thomas Harley on their roster.
Former Knights captain Evan Bouchard spent this past year in the American Hockey League with the Bakersfield Condors but will now get to be with the Oilers in Edmonton.
Sixteen teams will participate in best-of-5 series in the qualifying round while another eight teams have received byes through to the first round of the playoffs, which has been tentatively set for Aug. 11.
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