Two days ahead of the start of training camp the London Knights have made a major splash ahead of the 2022-23 season.
The Knights have acquired defenceman Sam Dickinson from the Niagara IceDogs for a package of draft picks. London sent 2nd round selections in 2024, 2025 and 2026 along with 3rd round picks in 2023, 2025 and 2026 and a fifth round choice in 2023 to the IceDogs in the trade.
Dickinson is 16-years old and was selected fourth overall in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection.
The Toronto, Ont., native spent last season playing with the U16 Toronto Marlboros and had five goals and 39 assists in 46 games.
Hockeyprospect.com describes Dickinson as, “an intelligent and tenacious defender with good six-foot-two-inch size… (who) never panics and always seems to be in the right spot to break up a play and plays with a strong compete level and desire to be a shutdown defender.”
Dickinson attended Hockey Canada’s Under-17 Development Camp this past summer. He played with Luca Testa and Sam O’Reilly at the camp. Testa and O’Reilly were London’s first two selections in 2022.
Dickinson joins a deep Knights blue line that already features National Hockey League draft picks Logan Mailloux, Isaiah George, Jackson Edward, and draft prospect Oliver Bonk, who is coming off a gold medal performance at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup this summer.
The Knights also have veterans Bryce Montgomery, Gerard Keane, Ethan MacKinnon and Connor Federkow, who were regulars in 2022-23.
Dickinson will be on the ice as training camp opens in London on Friday, September 2 at Budweiser Gardens.
The Knights will hold their Green vs Gold game on Sunday, September 4 from 2-4 pm.
London opens the pre-season against the Sarnia Sting on Friday, September 9 at 7 pm at Budweiser Gardens.