Training camps in the Ontario Hockey League are a lot like flashes of lightning.
Blink and you miss them. They don’t last long.
But the London Knights will continue on the tradition of their Green vs Gold game on Sunday afternoon as the remaining players in camp go head-to-head at 2 p.m. at Budweiser Gardens.
The game is free to attend. Fans are asked to enter through Gate 4 and concessions will be open.
Some players will be using the game as a final tune-up before they head off to NHL rookie camps while others are trying to show they belong on the Knights roster to start the 2022-23 season.
Goalies Brett Brochu, Owen Flores and Owen Willmore will not play in the game, giving other goaltenders in camp a chance to show their skills.
Here is a preview of the players who you will see on the ice:
Team Green
30 Zachary Bowen – The Knights 4th round selection in 2022 Bowen had a fantastic season as a 15-year-old playing in eastern Ontario. He split time between the Embrun Panthers of the EOJHL and the Ottawa Senators of the CCHL. His save percentage was over .930 for both teams.
31 Finn Wilson – A 15th round pick of London in 2022 Wilson was the number one goalie for the U16 Niagara North Stars last year where he was a teammate of Knights 1st round pick Luca Testa.
01 Max McCue – The 19-year-old San Jose Sharks prospect has a great edge and swagger to his game. He will be counted on for offence and leadership after the departures of Luke Evangelista and Tonio Stranges.
02 Abakar Kazbekov – Back after missing almost all of last season with a shoulder injury, Kazbekov has looked very good in training camp. Has an incredibly accurate shot.
03 Sam O’Reilly – The Knights 2nd round pick in 2022 brings offence and physicality to his game and hopes to model his game in the style of Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals.
04 Joshua Lepain – London’s 5th round pick in 2022 had a tremendous season with the Windsor Jr. Spitfires in 2021-22 with 31 points in 21 league games. Had good size and skill.
05 Denver Barkey – One of the most dynamic players in the OHL Barkey helped Team Canada to win Gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and was named Canada’s Player of the Game in the championship final.
06 Ben Bujold – London’s 1st round pick in 2021 Bujold brings a wide range of skills into his second full season with the Knights. Makes plays at full speed.
07 William Nicholl – The Knights’s 3rd round pick in 2022 Nicholl was a point-per-game player for the U18 Ottawa Senators last year. He took his game to a new level after being cut from his bantam team.
09 Owen Hey – A Mount Brydges, Ont., native who spent last season putting up solid numbers for the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs Hey has earned a spot in this game with his performance in camp as a free agent invite.
10 Brody Crane – Suffered a nasty cut to his face in training camp when he was hit by a puck. The skilled forward who goes hard to the net will attend Rookie Camp with the New Jersey Devils.
11 Mathieu Paris – A 3rd round pick by London in 2021 Paris is considered by some scouting services to be a true steal in that draft. He had 40 points in 39 games last season for the St. Thomas Stars and played four games for the Knights.
12 Kaeden Johnston – Another 5th round selection by London in 2021, Johnston could easily be another steal. He was second in scoring on the Komoka Kings last year as a 16-year-old and showed very well in two games with the Knights.
13 Charlie Fink – After spending last year with the Saginaw Spirit, Fink is looking to show off his rugged style and good shot in London, Ont.
14 Ethan MacKinnon – The Londoner just kept getting better and better and was put in bigger and bigger situations in 2021-22. The 19-year-old will look to pick up right where he left off moving into this season.
15 Jackson Edward – Selected by the Boston Bruins in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft Edward can play the game any way you want to and excel. The Newmarket, Ont., native was actually a Bruins fan growing up.
16 Jamieson Steele – The Knights’s 12th round pick in 2022 had a great season in 2021-22 with the U16 Don Mills Flyers. He has good size at six feet, two inches tall, and an excellent reach.
17 Gerard Keane – The longest-serving current Knight Keane is a master of the little things that help teams to win. He will attend Rookie Camp with the Arizona Coyotes.
18 Oliver Bonk – Bonk played a handful of games for the Knights last year. He won gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup as well and will now be a full-time OHLer who makes a big impact. Bonk is the son of former NHLer Radek Bonk.
19 Owen Brown – The Londoner spent last year with the U18 Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs and is slated to play with the St. Marys Lincolns in the GOJHL this year but gets a chance to impress the Knights first.
Team Gold
30 Aidan Berry – The 19-year-old had an excellent season last year with the London Nationals posting a .923 save percentage and even played a game in a Knights uniform.
31 Jaden Cholette – A 6th round pick of the Knights in 2022 from Gloucester, Ont., Cholette posted a 1.94 GAA and a .911 save percentage playing as a 15-year-old on the U18 Nepean Raiders last season.
29 Rylan Donovan – London’s 6th round pick in 2021 from Richmond, Ont., Donovan spent last year with the U18 Kemptville 73’s. He is the son of former NHLer Shean Donovan.
01 Liam Gilmartin – The big and versatile San Jose Sharks prospect is set for his second season in London, Ont. He played minor hockey in a Washington, MD., arena that had a Dale Hunter banner hanging in it.
02 Easton Cowan – The former Elgin-Middlesex Chief is poised for a breakout year after dazzling with the Komoka Kings last season. Cowan had 34 points in 24 games in the GOJHL and had a goal and an assist in seven games with the Knights.
03 Rodion Tatarenko – Drafted in the 9th round by North Bay in 2020, Tatarenko played in eight games for the Battalion in 2021-22. He also had a point per game for the Powassan VooDoos. Born in Stravopol, Rus.
04 Rene Van Bommel – The Strathroy, Ont., native has had a good camp. He was selected in the 11th round of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection and spent last season with the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs.
05 Sean McGurn – Entering his overage year in the OHL after finishing 3rd in Knights scoring with 73 points. McGurn will attend Rookie Camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
06 Luca Testa – The Knights 1st round pick in 2022, Testa helped the St. Catharines Falcons to win the Sutherland Cup as a 15-year-old. He has been putting up points in training camp scrimmages.
07 Jacob Julien – The former London Jr. Knight spent last season with the London Nationals where he was 4th in team scoring. Julien was selected in the 3rd round of the U18 OHL Priority Selection in 2021.
08 Anthony Giacalone – Selected in the 7th round in 2022 by the Knights, Giacalone will turn 16 on September 14. He was nearly a point-per-game player with the Markham Majors in 2021-22.
10 Landon Sim – Poised for a stellar second season after being selected in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, the Glasgow, N.S., native plays with an edge and a never stop attitude that stands out on the ice.
12 Ruslan Gazizov – Entering his second year in the OHL Gazizov can bring fans out of their seats with moves like the one in training camp that saw him deke his way past the net only to bank the puck in off the goalie’s glove.
13 Michael Levin – Born in Israel and the younger brother of former 1st overall OHL pick David Levin, Michael had a big offensive season for the Powassan VooDoos in 2021-22.
14 Gleb Akimov – A free agent invite to training camp, Akimov had been putting up points in the pre-season with the Oakville Blades. Born in Mytishchi, Rus.
15 Isaiah George – After an impressive rookie season in London, Ont., that saw him often paired against other teams’ top lines, the New York Islanders selected George in the 4th round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
16 Sam Dickinson – Acquired by the Knights from the Niagara Ice Dogs on August 31, Dickinson is considered one of the top defencemen in his age group. He brings high-end skill, size and poise to the position.
17 Carsen Lloyd – A third round pick of London’s in 2021, Lloyd appeared in six games with the Knights last year as a 16-year-old and also put up an excellent season with the Georgetown Raiders of the OJHL.
18 Bryce Montgomery – The Carolina Hurricanes prospect could win up in the pro ranks or back in the OHL as an overager. Montgomery’s grandmother marched with Martin Luther King.
20 Connor Federkow – One of the hardest hitters in major junior hockey, Federkow is entering his second full season with the Knights. The St. Catharines native has also played for Komoka and St. Thomas of the GOJHL.
21 Jared Wooley – A 6th round pick of London’s in 2022, the Port Hope, Ont., native had an excellent year with the U16 Quinte Red Devils in 2021-22.
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