There is hope that 2022 will be a better year for everyone.
The London Knights announced two moves on the final day of 2021 that will make them an even stronger team to start 2022.
With the cancellation of the world junior hockey championship tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., Kirill Steklov will not be heading back to Russia. He will be coming to London to finish out the season with the Knights.
London has also acquired overage forward Camaryn Baber from the Saginaw Spirit for a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025.
The move gives the Knights the full complement of three overage players after beginning the year with none as Baber joins Tye McSorley and Cody Morgan up front.
Steklov spent the 2019-20 season in London and showed off his great reach and mobility. He started this year in the KHL with Vityaz Podolsk, where he played in nine games. Steklov also spent time in the two Russian leagues below the KHL before being selected to play for Russia at the world juniors. The six-foot-four native of Estonia dressed for both of Russia’s games in Red Deer before the tournament was halted due to COVID-19 concerns.
Baber has spent his Ontario Hockey League career with the Spirit beginning in 2017-18 when he joined the club during the second half of the season. Baber has been wearing the “C” in Saginaw this year, something his father Brad did as a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the early to mid-1990s.
Baber is from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and has come to be known for his relentless work ethic and a fantastic shot. He has put up 26 goals and 69 points over his time in the OHL.
The Knights are due to play the Otters in Erie, Penn., on Saturday.
The game would mark the first for London since Dec. 17 when they began their holiday break.
Erie is coming off a 7-2 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs. Both teams were due to be in action on New Year’s Eve but COVID-19 protocols involving the Sarnia Sting postponed the game between London and Sarnia, while COVID-19 protocols for the Guelph Storm meant the rescheduling of the game between Guelph and Erie.
Six of the eight New Year’s Eve games in the OHL have been postponed.
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