Let's not lie here, this is a question any fan of junior hockey should be asking. The London Knights seem to be on top of the world. That is, if the world consisted of junior hockey teams. They are presumably the most prestigious major junior hockey team, and arguably the 2nd most successful franchise in the Ontario Hockey League, just behind the classic Toronto Marlboros, currently the mediocre at best Guelph Storm. So therefore, the London Knights are the most successful active franchise in not just the OHL, but the entire CHL.
But how?
How could one franchise garner so much success and keep the pace? This is a question many people who understand junior hockey would ask. You see, a team in the CHL holds many prospects. If they have a roster full of prospects that are projected to be drafted in the first round, then they would be in the top of the world, just like the London Knights. However, when time comes for the draft, their players get drafted, then next season play for the NHL team. Let's duly note that overages would also become professional either waiting for some team to sign him, or they're playing in some weaker junior league for overagers. Then, that major junior team will have some players who are draft eligible this season and some new freshmen, as well as 1 or 2 players drafted last year but then didn't make the NHL roster. So we have some overagers in their third year of major junior. Let's note that they could be in their fourth if they have a late December birthday or received special Exceptional Player status and could play in the OHL a year earlier. This rule only happens in the OHL, and players like McDavid and Tavares received this honorable status.
So there you have it. The team went from having players who will forge hall of fame careers to a small group of freshmen, some overagers who are in their last year of Major Junior and only a little residue of the previous talent on last year's roster. They go from OHL, potentially CHL champions, to missing the playoffs as a whole.
Remember the Guelph Storm that we mentioned early on as the current form of the Toronto Marlboros. Well, they were actually once the OHL champions in 2013-14. They finished with 108 points, the top record in the entire league. Even though they failed to take home the Memorial Cup, you have to admit it was a pretty good run, considering they had 84 points in the previous season. Scott Kosmachuk, the team's leading scorer, had 100 points and finished 3rd in regular season points. In the playoffs, the top 4 leading scorers were all Storm players. The leading scorer in the playoffs was Kerby Rychel, with 32 points. That was 9 points short of how many points the Sarnia Sting had during the regular season, 41! Amazing right? Kosmachuk is currently trying to find the same clutch he had in that miracle season with Guelph, currently playing for the Winnipeg Jets franchise.
But how?
How could one franchise garner so much success and keep the pace? This is a question many people who understand junior hockey would ask. You see, a team in the CHL holds many prospects. If they have a roster full of prospects that are projected to be drafted in the first round, then they would be in the top of the world, just like the London Knights. However, when time comes for the draft, their players get drafted, then next season play for the NHL team. Let's duly note that overages would also become professional either waiting for some team to sign him, or they're playing in some weaker junior league for overagers. Then, that major junior team will have some players who are draft eligible this season and some new freshmen, as well as 1 or 2 players drafted last year but then didn't make the NHL roster. So we have some overagers in their third year of major junior. Let's note that they could be in their fourth if they have a late December birthday or received special Exceptional Player status and could play in the OHL a year earlier. This rule only happens in the OHL, and players like McDavid and Tavares received this honorable status.
So there you have it. The team went from having players who will forge hall of fame careers to a small group of freshmen, some overagers who are in their last year of Major Junior and only a little residue of the previous talent on last year's roster. They go from OHL, potentially CHL champions, to missing the playoffs as a whole.
Remember the Guelph Storm that we mentioned early on as the current form of the Toronto Marlboros. Well, they were actually once the OHL champions in 2013-14. They finished with 108 points, the top record in the entire league. Even though they failed to take home the Memorial Cup, you have to admit it was a pretty good run, considering they had 84 points in the previous season. Scott Kosmachuk, the team's leading scorer, had 100 points and finished 3rd in regular season points. In the playoffs, the top 4 leading scorers were all Storm players. The leading scorer in the playoffs was Kerby Rychel, with 32 points. That was 9 points short of how many points the Sarnia Sting had during the regular season, 41! Amazing right? Kosmachuk is currently trying to find the same clutch he had in that miracle season with Guelph, currently playing for the Winnipeg Jets franchise.
Rychel, a Blue Jackets draftee, is currently a prospect for the Toronto Maple Leafs, just like many young prospects who were OHL alumni.
Moving along, the following season, Kosmachuk and Rychel left to become professional players, making their debuts in the levels of the American Hockey League. The Storm was left with nothing very relevant from their previous season, and despite making the playoffs and winning a solid series against the Owen Sound Attack, they were swept in the second round by the Greyhounds. And so, the collapse happened.
The previous season, the Guelph Storm finished DEAD LAST in the OHL. DEAD.Last. This sums it up. In the span of not even 3 seasons, a team can go from champions to dead last.
So, how could the Knights still stay so stable in the league and hardly finish dead last? The Canadian Hockey League consists of the 3 leagues. 1 in the Western Canada to form the WHL, 1 in Central Canada (Ontario)to form the OHL and one in the East, or the Maritimes, to form the QMJHL. Teams playing in these leagues are not expected to stay in prime shape, as the idea for these teams is to develop players into high quality players, capable of making it into the NHL, not to keep them and form a dynasty.
The London Knights are the equivalent of the Chicago Blackhawks of the current 2010s. They've won 3 OHL titles in less then a decade, a feat only teams such as the Marlboros could accomplish. Ironically, Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane was a London Knight alumni, as well as John Tavares (Tavares was more of an alumni of Oshawa, however, he played for London in his draft year).
In a span of 2 to 3 seasons, a major junior team's roster can change drastically. The 2011-13 Roster of the Knights that won 2 consecutive OHL titles had current NHL powerhouse prospects, such as Domi, Horvat (A fellow Canuck), Griffith and Maata. The team saw the departure of Maata and Griffith in 2013-14 and Horvat in 2014-15, as well as Domi in 2015-16.
So, with the big names in their dynasty gone, the London Knights didn't get swept early in the playoffs, or miss it entirely or even go dead last! They won another championship, and they took home the big prize of the Memorial Cup! They had powerhouse names like Matthew Tkachuk, Marner, Christian Dvorak, and another fellow Canuck Olli Juolevi. All of them were top 5 picks in NHL drafts.
When their entire former roster was drained out, they came back with an even stronger roster? How could this happen? Well, that's a tough question. But the evidence is enough to convince you. The London Knights are truly the greatest amateur franchise of the decade.
So, with the big names in their dynasty gone, the London Knights didn't get swept early in the playoffs, or miss it entirely or even go dead last! They won another championship, and they took home the big prize of the Memorial Cup! They had powerhouse names like Matthew Tkachuk, Marner, Christian Dvorak, and another fellow Canuck Olli Juolevi. All of them were top 5 picks in NHL drafts.
When their entire former roster was drained out, they came back with an even stronger roster? How could this happen? Well, that's a tough question. But the evidence is enough to convince you. The London Knights are truly the greatest amateur franchise of the decade.
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