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Owen Willmore will reunite with an old net mate as part of the Ottawa Senators rookie camp.
The London Knights over-age goaltender has joined the Sens for the six-team NHL prospects challenge, which started in Buffalo on Friday. The 19-year-old will share the crease with two-time OHL champ Michael Simpson, the Londoner who backstopped the Knights to the Memorial Cup final last spring, and Brantford Bulldogs netminder David Egorov.
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Simpson signed a pro contract with the American league’s Belleville Senators in the summer. The Belleville staff includes goaltending coach Paul Gibson, who has a long history with Willmore, and former Knights video coach Tom Black.
Willmore, a six-foot-three, 180-pounder, stopped 28 of 31 shots he faced over 59 minutes in two OHL exhibition games against Erie last weekend.
Knights winger Ryder Boulton is also with the Sens at the six-team showcase. Willmore’s arrival gives London an incredible 14 players currently at NHL rookie camps.
In addition to Willmore and Boulton, the other 12 are: Ruslan Gazizov (Ducks), Sam O’Reilly and Will Nicholl (Oilers), Jared Woolley (Kings), Landon Sim (Devils), Jesse Nurmi (Islanders), Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk (Flyers), Sam Dickinson and Kasper Halttunen (Sharks), Easton Cowan (Maple Leafs) and Jacob Julien (Jets).
The Sens faced the Devils Friday and will play Pittsburgh Saturday and Columbus Monday.
The Knights return to action for their final two preseason games next Friday against Sarnia (7 p.m. at Budweiser Gardens) and Saturday in a rematch at Sarnia. London opens its league title defence in a home-and-home against Flint starting Friday, Sept. 27 at the Bud.
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