(4) London Knights (40-23-4-1) vs. (5) Soo Greyhounds (39-23-1-5)
The defending Memorial Cup champions are back. The London Knights return to the OHL Playoffs for the 25th consecutive year, but standing in their way in the first round are the Soo Greyhounds – a hungry, retooled club with championship aspirations of their own. These two teams are no strangers to tight hockey. In four regular-season meetings, three were decided by a single goal, and just one point separated them in the final standings. Home ice advantage wasn’t even settled until the final day of the regular season. Simply put, this is the kind of first-round matchup you couldn’t script any better.
London Knights
Don’t let the roster turnover fool you, you can never count out Dale Hunter and the London Knights. After losing the bulk of their championship core at the end of last season, London made some eyebrow-raising moves at the trade deadline, most notably shipping then-captain Sam O’Reilly and defenceman Jared Wooley off to Kitchener. Yet somehow, the Knights never flinched, remaining firmly in contention throughout the Western Conference all season long.
The offensive engine has been kept running by Ryan Brown, Jaxon Cover, and Braidy Wassilyn. On the blue line, veteran Henry Brzustewicz has been everything the Knights could ask for as a dependable two-way presence who set new career highs in both goals and assists this season.
Between the pipes, Aleksei Medvedev, who was one half of the Memorial Cup-winning goaltending tandem, has shared duties with Sebastian Gatto, though Gatto appears to have earned the starting nod down the stretch. Regardless of who gets the crease to start the series, both goaltenders seem to be ready for the challenge.
Soo Greyhounds
The Greyhounds were active at the deadline, and for good reason, as this team believes it can make a deep run. Their marquee acquisition came from the Owen Sound Attack in the form of goaltender Carter George, who wasted absolutely no time making his presence felt in the Soo. He opened his tenure with a 5-0 record and a pair of shutouts, and also etched his name in the record books by becoming the first netminder in OHL history to score two career goals. His second? Against the London Knights, back in late January. Needless to say, George arrives for the playoffs with plenty of momentum, and a little extra motivation against this particular opponent. Up front, 300-game veteran Marco Mignoso brings leadership and offensive reliability to the lineup, while Chase Reid has turned heads on the back end and is considered one of the more intriguing names heading into the upcoming NHL Draft. But perhaps the most important development for the Greyhounds is the anticipated return to full health of captain Brady Martin. Limited to just 24 games this season due to injury, Martin is ready to bring both offensive spark and a physical edge to a Soo lineup that will need every weapon available.
With just a single point separating these clubs in the standings, parity doesn’t begin to describe it. London carries the weight of a championship pedigree and the experience of deep playoff runs ingrained in their culture under Hunter. The Greyhounds, meanwhile, counter with a hot goaltender and a lineup quietly capable of matching the Knights stride for stride.
If Soo can stay healthy, get contributions up and down their roster, and ride Carter George’s momentum, they have every tool needed to pull off the series win. But London has been here before, many times, and that never counts for nothing.
Series Schedule:
* if needed
Game 1 – Friday, March 27 at London, 7:00pm
Game 2 – Sunday, March 29 at London, 6:00pm
Game 3 – Tuesday, March 31 at Sault Ste. Marie, 8:07pm
Game 4 – Wednesday, April 1 at Sault Ste. Marie, 7:07pm
Game 5 – Friday, April 3 at London, 7:00pm*
Game 6 – Sunday, April 5 at Sault Ste. Marie, 7:07pm*
Game 7 – Tuesday, April 7 at London, 7:00pm*
Season Series:
London wins 3-1
Nov. 16 – SOO 2 at LDN 3 – SO
Nov. 22 – LDN 4 at SOO 3
Jan. 21 – LDN 2 at SOO 5
Feb. 13 – SOO 3 at LDN 4 – SO
Playoff History:
This marks the fourth time that London and Soo have met in the OHL Playoffs.
2007 LDN def. SOO 4-0 – First Round, 2006 LDN def. SOO 4-0 – First Round, 1988 LDN def. SOO 4-2 – First Round.
