The London Knights came into existence in 1964 as the London Nationals.
The Peterborough Petes were born eight years before that in 1956.
They are two of the oldest franchises in the Ontario Hockey League.
They have combined to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup 13 times (Petes – 9; Knights – 4).
Together they have been to 14 Memorial Cup tournaments and they have three Memorial Cup championships between them (Knights – 2; Petes – 1)
As London and Peterborough get set to meet in the 2023 OHL Championship Series, at least a couple of those numbers are guaranteed to go up.
The clubs will open their best-of-seven series on Thursday at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ont.
The teams will be meeting in the final for the second time in history and there is no shortage of storylines.
The galvanizations
London Knights
The Knights had their fans wondering about them early. They began the year without a win in their first four games. They were 0-3 and goals were coming easily. General manager Mark Hunter made a move for George Diaco and he brought his championship resume home and the Knights went 4-1-1 in their next six games. They began to come together and they began to win regularly.
The team had to come together off the ice two months later with the death of teammate Abakar Kazbekov. People in the organization had to be there for each other. They had to support each other as they tried to deal with something that most teams never have to.
On the ice, London began to challenge for the Western Conference lead as they posted eight- and nine-game winning streaks. Hunter added two more players with championships as the Knights acquired Ryan Winterton and Ryan Humphrey from Hamilton.
Like their opponent in the championship series, London didn’t end the regular season on fire. The Knights went 5-6-1 in their last 12 games — an identical record to the Petes over the same span of time.
But the Knights swept Owen Sound and then avenged a 2022 first-round loss to the Kitchener Rangers in the second round. London then overcame an injury to Brett Brochu, who would have been an easy pick for playoff MVP through two rounds and one game.
The Knights eliminated the powerhouse Sarnia Sting in six games. They did it with their depth and by playing for each other. It is something that has been so important for London this season.
Peterborough Petes
The Petes ended up with 73 points in 2022-23. They hit a rough patch or two along the way. The largest occurred starting at the end of November, when Peterborough lost six out of eight games and five games in a row. But this team added at the deadline after acquiring Brennan Othmann well before the deadline and they marched forward but never really caught fire. The Petes ended the regular season by going 5-6-1.
However, in the playoffs, a team that was built to succeed in the post-season began to do exactly that. Grit and defence and goaltending finally meshed with its scary scoring potential from Othmann and Avery Hayes and Owen Beck and the speed of J.R. Avon and they began to come together.
The Petes sliced through Sudbury in four straight games and then ousted Ottawa, which had been the top team in the 2022-23 regular season. Finally, Peterborough was pushed to the edge by the North Bay Battalion but rallied from down three games to two and won Game 7 in North Bay, Ont. They have proven themselves worthy of being a team playing for a title.
The Bulldog factor
The 2021-22 Hamilton Bulldogs deserved a better fate at the 2022 Memorial Cup in Saint John, N.B. By the time they reached the ultimate tournament in major junior hockey, they were a battered team. Key players had major injuries that they were playing through and Hamilton ultimately lost to a well-rested Sea Dogs team that had been bounced in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs.
Every player on that Bulldogs team wanted another chance.
For five of them, the possibility is still alive.
Diaco, Humphrey and Winterton of the Knights will be facing former teammates Hayes and Gavin White of the Petes and the winning trio or duo will return to the Memorial Cup tournament.
Londoner against the Knights
Michael Simpson used to wear the Knights logo as a member of the London Jr. Knights. Simpson is the number one goalie for the Petes. He is coming off a tremendous season in which he was third overall among OHL goalies who played at least 25 games in both save percentage and goals-against average. Simpson will have lots of local support for the games in London.
Injury issues
Make it to a championship series and no team will be completely healthy. Given what it takes to advance through three rounds, it is virtually impossible.
London’s key injury happened in Game 2 of the Western Conference final when Brochu left with 3:35 remaining in the second period. He was replaced by Zach Bowen, who came in with the confidence of his teammates after a sensational season in which the just turned 18-year-old won 15 consecutive games as a rookie. That was one shy of the OHL record. Bowen also made eight straight saves in Game 5 against the Sting to weather a storm and give his team a chance to compete. Bowen turned a big loss in the Knights lineup into a major reason London has made it to the final.
The Petes also suffered a significant loss in the third round of the playoffs when their captain Shawn Spearing suffered a broken jaw blocking a shot against the Battalion. His availability in the championship series is unknown at this point. Second-year forward Jonathan Melee went feet-first into the boards against North Bay and has also missed time.
Peterborough is also missing defenceman Cam Gauvreau, who has been given an indefinite suspension for a hit on Battalion forward Pasquale Zito.
The series
Championships are always a battle of wills and timing. Both the Knights and the Petes are incredibly strong-willed. To win you will need to fight right to the end. Give London the edge in depth and give Peterborough the edge in star power and drop the puck. Enjoy.
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