Red-hot London Knights face stiff test to keep win streak going

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The London Knights will face the biggest stress test to their 15-game winning streak this week.

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Captain Denver Barkey worked out Wednesday in a non-contact jersey while Maple Leafs first-rounder Easton Cowan didn’t take part in practice for a second straight day while recovering from a lower-body injury.

“Barkey is probable to play in games this weekend,” London associate GM Rob Simpson said. “How many, we’re not sure yet but he’s a little further ahead than where Cowan is at this point.”

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The Knights start the eastern Ontario road swing Thursday in Peterborough against the last-place Petes. Cowan needs a goal or assist in his next game to match Doug Gilmour’s OHL record of 55 straight regular-season contests with at least a point.

This is the latest wrinkle in the Knights forward’s incredible streak. No one knows when that next game will happen.

NAME-CALLING POLICY: The OHL’s board of governors voted in a recent meeting to provide the league with additional flexibility in reviewing and determining sanctions related to conduct in breach of the OHL diversity policy.

This goes back to the fiery debate over whether or not Knights forward Landon Sim should have received a blanket five-game suspension for calling an opposing player a “Mennonite,” which is the same number of games doled out for racial and sexual taunts.

“Any time you have clarity within rules or suspensions, I think it’s a good thing,” Rob Simpson said. “The more the players understand where the line is and not to cross it in a clear and concise manner helps the league overall and the players understand where they need to be.”

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The league made clear that the policy itself remains unchanged, but the “resulting disciplinary process is less prescriptive and provides the disciplinary panel with more latitude to account for a variety of factors such as context and severity of the breach under investigation.”

Every situation is different and this is a good way to approach it without having to venture into the hazardous area of ranking insults.

ROOKIE PERSPECTIVE: Logan Hawery scored in consecutive home games last weekend and the Knights 2024 first-round pick is looking to build off that momentum.

But the 16-year-old from Barrie isn’t concerned with personal glory. That was a trait that served him well with a winning minor hockey program in the Jr. Colts and he realized it early in his first few months with the Knights.

“It’s about playing as a team and defence first,” he said. “If you play selfish and try to get points yourself, you’re not going to win as a team. I think that’s why we win here in London and why we’re No. 1 in Canada.”

His role has expanded since his return from a gold medal at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sarnia. He will be counted on more if Cowan can’t play this weekend and in the coming weeks during world junior camps.

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“If you play Dale’s system right, you gain trust,” Hawery said. “It’s different than minor hockey in that there is more intensity and you have to be dialled in every day, especially doing the systems. It’s also fun to practise with guys like Cowan, Barkey, (Oliver) Bonk and (Sam) Dickinson.”

AROUND THE RINK: London is still waiting for a ruling on Ryder Boulton’s suspension for a slashing major against Saginaw’s Zayne Parekh . . . The Knights have won 88 games, including playoffs and Memorial Cup contests, since losing to Peterborough in the 2023 OHL final. The Petes have won 24 over that same stretch and appear destined to miss the post-season for a second straight year . . . Jr. Knights grad Aiden Young leads the Petes with seven goals and 11 points in 20 games. The 17-year-old, who was picked by Saginaw in the 2023 first round, was moved to Peterborough last January in a package for eventual Memorial Cup MVP Owen Beck . . . Sudbury star forward Quentin Musty suffered a broken hand in a recent game with Oshawa and there is no immediate timeline for his return. The 2021 first overall pick’s world junior participation with the United States is in jeopardy . . . Kelowna, B.C. was selected the host for the 2026 Memorial Cup. The Rockets also held it – and won – in 2004 . . . The Knights have already surpassed their longest winning streak last year. Back then, they won 14 in a row but also recorded points in 23 straight games on their way to a 50-win season . . . London defenceman Noah Jenken is on the best team in the league. His older brother Matthew, a Petes defenceman, is on a struggling outfit. “We support and encourage each other,” Noah Jenken said. “He’s getting some freedom to play in Peterborough and we hope it turns around for them and they get a few more wins.” Just not on Thursday, of course.

rpyette@postmedia.com

KNIGHTSWATCH

Thursday: at Peterborough, 7 p.m. Petes beat North Bay for 2nd win of season at home Saturday.

Friday: at Kingston, 7 p.m. Frontenacs lead the Eastern Conference with 105 goals.

Sunday: at Ottawa, 2 p.m. Expect another tight defensive battle.

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