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The Ontario Hockey League’s best player is back for another year.
Easton Cowan, the 19-year-old London Knights forward who was named OHL MVP last season, was unable to crack the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup, with the NHL club sending its top prospect back to junior hockey on Monday.
“I feel very confident he understands and is humble enough (about playing in junior again),” Knights GM Mark Hunter said. “You have to (respect) the OHL because it’s a good league. You can’t take it for granted and I don’t think he will. He has a great attitude.”
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Toronto opens the regular season on Wednesday against Montreal. That same night, the Knights are in Owen Sound to face the Attack – and the return of Cowan turns them into a contender for a second straight league championship.
His 2023-24 achievements are well known: En route to league MVP honours, Cowan scored 96 points in 54 regular season games and added 34 more in 18 playoff games as the Knights won the OHL title before losing in the Memorial Cup final to Saginaw.
Cowan also collected a team-record 36-game point streak that ran from Nov. 25 to the season finale, March 24. The Mt. Brydges native earned 41 per cent of the MVP vote by the OHL’s accredited media, more than double runner-up Zayne Parekh of Saginaw (18 per cent).
“He’s a great player for us,” Hunter said. “He’s a local kid who leads the green-and-gold. He’s proud to be part of our organization and sometimes, things happen for a reason.”
Cowan and Oliver Bonk are expected to play Wednesday in Owen Sound. Denver Barkey, who missed London and Philadelphia training camp due to mononucleosis, is questionable for that game. Without some of their big guns the Knights are off to a 1-3 start.
“We have to get everybody back and figure our team out here and see where everyone stands,” Hunter said.
The last Knights player to win OHL MVP was forward Mitch Marner, with whom Cowan skated in NHL exhibition action this fall. Cowan earned some positive comments from Leafs coach Craig Berube after that game.
“I thought he had a really good game,” Berube said. “Did a lot of good things. Skated with the puck. Was strong on it, won some battles. He hounded like I expected. He is a good worker with skill. He had a lot of energy, was very noticeable.”
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