Old goalie guru returns as London Knights eye net gains: ‘Part of the family’

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Dave Rook is back for a third round as London Knights goaltending coach.

The long-time professional and local net boss was with the team for its two Memorial Cup wins in 2005 and ‘16. He returns to the OHL club after a stint with the Anaheim Ducks.

“A lot of the success I had, I have to credit London and the Knights,” he said. “A lot of my coaching was established with the Hunters. It’s always nice to be part of the family again and to be local again, too.”

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Rook replaces his old pupil Daren Machesney, who was part of London’s runs to the OHL final in 2023 and last season’s league championship and Memorial Cup final appearance. The former pro goalie has a full-time job and a young family that will keep him busy.

“I would never have taken this job if Daren was still interested in doing it,” Rook said.

The 57-year-old Londoner was goaltending coach of the Junior B Nationals from 1995-2003 until he was hired by the Knights. He stayed until 2009 when he went to Columbus to work with his protege Steve Mason on the Blue Jackets.

Rook returned in 2015 for a couple of seasons and oversaw former Calgary prospect Tyler Parsons’ brilliant performance in the run to the 2016 Cup title in Red Deer. He has coached at the pro and NHL level with St. Louis, Columbus, Nashville and Anaheim.

“The junior game is very similar,” Rook said. “Everybody is so well-schooled in technique. The coaching is basically how you deal with people. I have a 25- and 22-year-old at home so you know what the kids are going through. It’s just a matter of handling personalities and you’re there to help them get where they want to be.”

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Rook is starting to get to know the three goaltenders still with the Knights – over-ager Owen Willmore, Alexei Medvedev and Finn Wilson. It hasn’t been a big adjustment for the players.

“A lot of the stuff Dave has been talking about is very similar to what Daren had been teaching us, too,” Willmore said. “So it’s really nice. Daren means a lot to me. I was with him 3-4 years. Mind you, Dave coached Daren so it’s a small world, right?

“It’s nice hearing his point of view and what it takes to get to the next level.”

The Knights also hired a new athletic therapist in Luca Paron, a graduate of Western University’s Master’s program through the Fowler Kennedy sports medicine clinic. He replaces Matt Bogart, who left the team for professional opportunities outside of hockey.

Former video coach Thomas Black, who also acted as the Knights’ assistant goalie coach, joined the American league’s Belleville Senators in the summer. William Pypka, an intern with the Knights last year while finishing his degree in sport management at Brock University, will take over the video duties.

rpyette@postmedia.com

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