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“It’s a particular group,” basic supervisor Mark Hunter stated
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RIMOUSKI, QUE. – You possibly can discuss concerning the motivation from final 12 months’s heartbreak.
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You possibly can chalk it as much as the insane depth of getting 13 NHL-drafted gamers and extra on the way in which later this month.
However the London Knights are celebrating a Memorial Cup championship as a result of they mixed their ability and expertise with a burning need to win, a capability to study from their errors and a relentless perception of their teaching.
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“We misplaced to Medication Hat (final Tuesday) and it solely made them extra indignant and extra decided,” London GM Mark Hunter stated on the ice after the historic victory. “They performed their finest hockey after they misplaced. We wouldn’t let it slip away.
“It was nice stuff.”
Now, the Knights have three all-time groups.
The 2005 squad – which supplied an inspirational speech courtesy of captain Danny Syvret to the present roster earlier this 12 months – might by no means be equalled. Nevertheless it says one thing when the brand new version is so good that it deserves to be talked about in the identical sentence.
No one in junior hockey historical past ever completed a season the way in which the 2016 Knights did with 17 straight playoff and Cup victories. However this group was shut and their 16-1 playoff run – which jumps to 20-2 together with the video games in Rimouski – is second to none.
“It’s a particular group,” Mark Hunter stated. “It was a sequence of steps. We went to the OHL remaining (in 2023), then gained that and misplaced within the Memorial Cup remaining final 12 months. They wouldn’t take no for a solution this 12 months. We had quite a lot of help from final 12 months’s group and the group earlier than they usually advised them to go and win it.
Ryan “Pucks” Pyette on the OHL
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“They weren’t going to be denied.”
The power to deal with adversity, even in massive moments, separated them from the pack.
Easton Cowan was so sick within the round-robin loss to the Tigers, he may barely eat or keep awake. He bounced again to change into event MVP.
“He pushed by means of it,” Mark Hunter stated. “He wasn’t proper and it’s one thing particular to try this. That’s why he’s a winner. He shall be one. He’ll do effectively within the playoffs within the Nationwide Hockey League and we’ll be watching him rating massive objectives in massive moments.
“Identical for (captain Denver) Barkey, (Oliver) Bonk and (Sam) Dickinson.”
Barkey’s ankle was nonetheless bothering him. He needed to transfer heaven and earth to get again in time and he acquired higher each sport.
He and Cowan tied for the lead in a really low-scoring event with seven factors in 5 video games.
The Knights at all times believed that they had the offence. It simply took them some time to determine the goaltenders right here.
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They picked aside Moncton’s Mathis Rousseau and Medication Hat’s Harrison Meneghin when it mattered.
Austin Elliott proved his mettle with a 1.59 objectives towards common and .943 save proportion on the Cup.
That commerce for Elliott after Barrie’s waiver declare was the most effective acquisition wherever in junior hockey this 12 months and he deserves to be remembered as one in all London’s all-time goalies.
“He performed effectively,” Mark Hunter stated. “It was a distinction maker. (Goalie coach) Dave Rook did a heck of a job. He groomed each Austin and Aleksei Medvedev to deal with all conditions and a goalie has to take care of lots.
“Dave is 3-0 with us at three Memorial Cups. It’s fairly particular what he has performed right here.”
The Knights introduced in Senators prospect Blake Montgomery and that gave them much more pace up entrance. The entire Hunters’ nice groups have excellent blue traces and this group was no totally different.
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The foursome of Dickinson, Bonk, Jared Woolley and Henry Brzustewicz was so good that former Guelph star Cam Allen and newcomer Andoni Fimis wanted to – and have been keen to – settle for extra compact roles.
“I used to be glad I used to be in a position to are available in and assist,” Allen stated. “It was a hungry and deep group. Everyone is raring to be on the market and make a distinction. I don’t suppose you see that usually in junior hockey.”
The Hunters, in fact, set the tone. Mark Hunter finds the gamers and Dale Hunter infuses these many years of data to construct the correct mix.
“They’re geniuses with regards to the sport,” Allen stated. “I’m actually simply impressed by all of it. You must be right here to see it and the way they work the programs and the whole lot.
“I’m so grateful for them.”
Dickinson known as this a final dance for the group’s core constructed during the last three years.
“It’s unbelievable to complete with a win,” the Sharks first-rounder stated.
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Barkey was most happy with how the Knights caught collectively by means of some robust occasions and pushed their method again to the highest.
“I’ll bear in mind this for all times,” he stated.
The Memorial Cup is the toughest trophy in hockey to win. You solely have a restricted window to get it performed earlier than that elite expertise heads to the professionals.
The Knights franchise is fairly constant at profitable the Cup each 10 years or so.
So long as the blokes in cost maintain latching on to this stage of expertise and can, there shall be extra supremacy in retailer.
MEMORIAL CUP ALL-STARS
F-Easton Cowan, LondonF-Gavin McKenna, Medication HatF-Denver Barkey, LondonD-Sam Dickinson, LondonD-Tanner Molendyk, Medication HatG-Austin Elliott, London
Stafford Smythe event MVP: Easton Cowan, London
Hap Emms Memorial Trophy (excellent goaltender)-Austin Elliott, London
George Parsons Trophy (sportsmanship)-Alex Mercier, Moncton
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