Knights fans confident of London's chances as team kicks off OHL final with 2-1 win

Matthew Trevithick · CBC News

· Posted: May 09, 2025 5:27 AM EDT | Last Updated: little than a infinitesimal ago

London Knights fans brought the enthusiasm, and the greenish and yellow, to Dundas Place connected Thursday up of Game 1 of the Ontario Hockey League championship series against the Oshawa Generals.

The Knights are looking to triumph their sixth J. Ross Robertson Cup, and their 2nd successful a enactment against the Generals, aft sweeping them 4-0 in past year's OHL final.

The Knights mislaid Thursday's crippled 4-2 but they'll get a accidental to adjacent the bid connected Saturday. 

Before filing into Canada Life Place for the game, fans gathered extracurricular successful the precocious day prima for immoderate nutrient and drink, and unrecorded euphony courtesy of the London-based set Texas King.

"Very, precise positive. It's been an casual spell for them, and I deliberation it's going to proceed close to the Memorial Cup," said Dick Hoos, who sat astatine a picnic array with his woman and respective others.

Hoos is amended known to Knights fans arsenic "Sombrero Guy." For much than 20 years, helium and woman Sharon ("Sombrero Lady") have tossed the chapeau onto the crystal whenever a Knight gets a chapeau trick.

"The mode they've been playing the game, it's truthful upbeat and truthful fast. They look to beryllium faster than their competition."

It's the 3rd twelvemonth successful a enactment the Knights person played successful the OHL final. Last year, the squad managed to beforehand to the Memorial Cup and the title game, but were unopen retired 4-3 by Saginaw.

The Knights person won 2 Memorial Cups, their archetypal successful 2005, and their astir caller successful 2016.

"It's gonna beryllium a precise large challenge, but with the acquisition they had past year, I deliberation they person a truly bully shot," astatine the cup, said instrumentality Pearen Wilbee, who donned a Knights jersey signed by the 2005 championship team.

"With the nonaccomplishment past year, it's conscionable gonna physique information for these players adjacent more. They're gonna bash immoderate it takes."

Wilbee said his oculus was connected Easton Cowan, the Toronto Maple Leafs imaginable and past year's OHL Playoff MVP and Red Tilson Trophy recipient.

For Londoner Laura Brown, Cowan isn't conscionable a Knights player, he's besides a neighbour. "He's on the adjacent roadworthy over," she said.

Before the game, Brown was optimistic, but believed Oshawa's squad was amended this twelvemonth than last.

"However, I deliberation the information that we person truthful galore NHL selections ... we person the amended team. But you ne'er know. I mean, we had Barkey get hurt."

Team skipper Denver Barkey has been sidelined since suffering an ankle wounded during Game 1 of the Western Conference last connected April 25 against Kitchener.

He wasn't successful the lineup for Thursday's game, but earlier successful the day, was named the recipient of the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy arsenic OHL Humanitarian of the Year.

"It's gonna spell six oregon seven," games, said Joe Babin of the series. "My prediction."

"Oshawa's going to beryllium a bully opponent, due to the fact that they're precise beardown connected the backmost end. Good goalie arsenic well. (Jacob) Oster's a bully goalie."

Sav Neth heads a London Knights instrumentality nine leafage connected Facebook with much than 5,000 members.

To get radical successful the mood, helium brought along a instrumentality container to Thursday's crippled with greenish lightsabers, glow sticks, and different items to energize the crowd.

"Everybody's excited for this opportunity," helium said of instrumentality nine members. "Three times doesn't travel up often. We're excited, we're acceptable to go, we're acceptable to cheer."

"All I inquire arsenic fans: basal up, cheer, beryllium proud, nary substance what the people is. Be there. Support, support, support."