London Knights
Encyclopedia : L : LO : LON : London Knights
- ''This article is a text about the CHL London Knights. For the defunct ice hockey team based in London, UK, see London Knights (UK)
| London Knights | ||
| ||
| City: | London, Ontario | |
| League: | Ontario Hockey League | |
| Conference: | Western | |
| Division: | Midwest | |
| Founded: | 1968-1969 | |
| Home Arena: | John Labatt Centre | |
| Colours: | Green, Gold, Black, and White | |
| Head Coach: | Dale Hunter | |
| General Manager: | Mark Hunter | |
The London Knights are an ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.
Franchise Identities:
- London Nationals 1965-1968
- London Knights 1968-Present
- 1 History
- 1.1 Early days-1968
- 1.2 The Darwin Era, 1968-86
- 1.3 New Owners, New Dawn, 1986-94
- 1.4 Knightmare and Redemption 1994-2000
- 1.5 Glory, 2000-Present
- 2 Players
- 2.1 Current Squad
- 2.2 NHL/WHA Alumni
- 2.3 First Rounders in NHL/WHA Entry Draft
- 2.4 Retired numbers
- 2.5 300 Point Club
- 3 Team Records
- 4 Coaches
- 5 Season-by-season record
- 6 Silverware
- 7 Uniforms & Logos
- 8 Arenas
- 9 See also
History
Early days-1968
The team was founded as an Ontario Hockey Association junior A team in 1965 as the London Nationals (see article). Prior to 1965, the team's history dated back to the early 1950s, playing in the Western Junior B league out of the Ontario Arena at the Western Fairgrounds. They won the Western Junior B title in 1952 as the London Lou Ball Juniors, after sponsor Lou Ball's clothing store. In 1963 the Toronto Maple Leafs began sponsoring the team, by now called the Nationals after sponsor the Canadian National Recreation Association, an organization of Canadian National Railways employees. The Leafs traditionally had affiliations with the Toronto Marlboros and St. Michael's Majors, however with the withdrawal of the Majors from the OHA and the collapse of the Metro Junior A League, the Leafs were left with one team only. They decided to sponsor the junior team in London, which would play at the new London Gardens and be promoted to the OHA. The league initially balked at the proposition, however, and so the Nationals continued to play junior B, winning the London Free Press Trophy as league champions in 1964 and 1965. For the 1965-66 season the team was finally admitted to major junior hockey. The team's uniforms were copies of those of the Maple Leafs, coloured in blue and white and with a Leaf logo with "London Nationals" spelled out on the front.
The Darwin Era, 1968-86
In 1968, a businessman called Howard Darwin bought the London Nationals (he also owned the Ottawa 67's) as the era of NHL sponsorship of junior hockey ended. Darwin wanted to give a fresh look to the team, and so a "rename the team" contest was held. Londoner Brian Logie suggested the name Knights, and the team's colours were changed to green, white and gold. In 1970 the team also hired legendary trainer Don Brankley, who is still with the Knights as of 2006. The team grew from a chronic also-ran in the late 1960's and early 1970's to a contender near the end of the decade. The highlight of the Darwin era came in 1976-77, when a powerful Knights team led by future NHLers Rob Ramage, Brad Marsh and Dino Ciccarelli defeated the St. Catharines Fincups in the conference final on an overtime goal by Dan Eastman to advance to the OHL final against the 67's. However, the 67's were triumphant in six games in the league final. In the early 1980's the Knights descended to a nadir in franchise history, with low crowds and a poor record. However, a young phenom named Brendan Shanahan would soon rise to prominence and help to draw in new crowds.
New Owners, New Dawn, 1986-94
In 1986 Howard Darwin sold the Knights to a group of Paris, Ontario, businessmen named Jack Robillard, Al Martin and Bob Wilson. The trio also owned the Hamilton Steelhawks. The team was sold for a dollar but the London Gardens was sold at market value. The new ownership group updated the team's logo to a more modernized Knight and renovated the Gardens. Under their stewardship the Knights would go on a run of success. Between 1987 and 1993 the team would finish no lower than third in the Emms Division, including a division title in 1989-90. However, regular season success did not translate into playoff success, as the Knights would never make the league final in these years.
Knightmare and Redemption 1994-2000
In 1994 the Knights were sold to St. Thomas, Ontario real estate developer Doug Tarry, Sr. Unfortunately, Tarry would die before the team had played a game under his ownership, and the team was inherited by his son, Doug Tarry, Jr.. Upon taking command, Tarry carried out further renovations on the Gardens including a name change to the "London Ice House." He also alienated a fair portion of the team's fan base by changing the team's uniforms from traditional green and gold to eggplant and teal, and changing the logo to a cartoonish Spider-Man caricature, instantly and derisively nicknamed "Spiderknight" by the faithful. The 1995-96 OHL season went down in history as the worst in the history of the Canadian Hockey League. The Knights set a new record for futility by winning only three games all season in sixty-six tries, finishing with nine points and a 3-60-3 record. The years following the so-called "Knightmare" season were improved, but the team was still a long way from the league's upper echelon. Meanwhile, the Ice House was falling apart as the Tarry family had stopped putting money into it as a part of their lobbying the city of London for a new arena. In 1999, the Knights went on an unexpected playoff run, in which they defeated the number-one-in-the-CHL Plymouth Whalers in seven games in the quarterfinals and ultimately went all the way to the OHL championship, which they lost in seven games to the Belleville Bulls.Glory, 2000-Present
In 2000, former NHL players Dale Hunter and Mark Hunter bought the Knights and began a process of rebuilding. The Hunters rebuilt the Knights' scouting network and began lobbying the city of London for a new arena. The Ice House was scheduled to close at the conclusion of the 2001-02 hockey season, and as a treat for their fans, the Knights changed back to their 1986-94 green and gold uniforms in February of 2002. In October of that year the John Labatt Centre opened, and new, modernized versions of the old green and gold uniforms debuted. The 2003-04 OHL season would mark the beginning of a remarkable dynasty. The Knights had the best record in the CHL after the regular season, also setting an OHL record with 110 points, but they lost to the Guelph Storm in the OHL Western Conference final. In the 2004-05 season, the Knights broke an OHL record, going 31 games in a row without a loss (29-0-2). They broke the CHL record of 29 games (held by the 1978-79 Brandon Wheat Kings, who went 25-0-4 during their streak), with a 0-0 tie against the Guelph Storm on December 10, 2004. The streak ended at 31 games after a 5-2 loss to the Sudbury Wolves on December 17. The Knights finished the season with 120 points (59 wins, 7 losses, 2 ties), which broke the Canadian Hockey League record of 110 points that they set the previous year. In the playoffs, the Knights started by sweeping two best-of-seven series against the Guelph Storm and Windsor Spitfires. In the Western Conference final, the Knights defeated the Kitchener Rangers 4-1 to win the Wayne Gretzky Trophy. In the OHL finals against the Ottawa 67's, the Knights won the series 4-1 to win their first J. Ross Robertson Cup, and in so doing, ended the longest championship drought in the CHL. That same year, the London Knights and the John Labatt Centre were awarded the right to host 2005 Memorial Cup Tournament, which was played from May 21 to May 29. In the tournament, they defeated the Rimouski Océanic 4-3 on May 21, the Kelowna Rockets 4-2 on May 23, and the Ottawa 67's 5-2 on May 26. This earned the Knights a bye into the championship game. On May 29, the Knights defeated Rimouski 4-0 to win their first Memorial Cup. In 2005-06, the team won their third consecutive Hamilton Spectator Trophy for winning the regular season title, but their run into the playoffs ended with a loss to Peterborough in the OHL final.
Players
Current Squad
Playoffs
- 1965-66 Out of playoffs.
- 1966-67 Lost to Niagara Falls Flyers 8 points to 4 in quarterfinals.
- 1967-68 Lost to Hamilton Red Wings 8 points to 2 in quarterfinals.
- 1968-69 Lost to Peterborough Petes 8 points to 4 in quarterfinals.
- 1969-70 Defeated Peterborough Petes 8 points to 4 in quarterfinals.
Lost to Toronto Marlboros 9 points to 3 in semifinals. - 1970-71 Lost to Montreal Junior Canadiens 8 points to 0 in quarterfinals.
- 1971-72 Lost to Ottawa 67's 8 points to 6 in quarterfinals.
- 1972-73 Defeated Kitchener Rangers 8 points to 0 in quarterfinals.
Lost to Peterborough Petes 9 points to 5 in semifinals. - 1973-74 Lost to Toronto Marlboros 9 points to 1 in quarterfinals.
- 1974-75 Out of playoffs.
- 1975-76 Lost to Toronto Marlboros 8 points to 2 in quarterfinals.
- 1976-77 Defeated Toronto Marlboros 9 points to 3 in quarterfinals.
Defeated St. Catharines Fincups 9 points to 7 in semifinals.
Lost to Ottawa 67's 8 points to 4 in finals. - 1977-78 Defeated Kitchener Rangers 8 points to 0 in quarterfinals.
Lost to Hamilton Fincups 9 points to 5 in semifinals. - 1978-79 Defeated Windsor Spitfires in first round - series protested.
Lost to Niagara Falls Flyers in round-robin. - 1979-80 Lost to Niagara Falls Flyers 6 points to 4 in first round.
- 1980-81 Out of playoffs.
- 1981-82 Lost to Brantford Alexanders 6 points to 2 in first round.
- 1982-83 Lost to Brantford Alexanders 6 points to 0 in first round.
- 1983-84 Defeated North Bay Centennials 6 points to 2 in first round.
Lost to Kitchener Rangers 8 points to 0 in quarterfinals. - 1984-85 Defeated Windsor Spitfires 8 points to 0 in first round.
Lost to Hamilton Steelhawks 6 points to 2 in quarterfinals. - 1985-86 Lost to North Bay Centennials 9 points to 1 in first round.
- 1986-87 Out of playoffs.
- 1987-88 Defeated Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 2 in first round.
Lost to Hamilton Steelhawks 4 games to 2 in quarterfinals. - 1988-89 Defeated Guelph Platers 4 games to 3 in first round.
Defeated North Bay Centennials 4 games to 3 in quarterfinals.
Lost to Niagara Falls Thunder 4 games to 3 in semifinals. - 1989-90 Lost to Niagara Falls Thunder 4 games to 2 in first round.
- 1990-91 Lost to Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 3 in first round.
- 1991-92 Defeated Owen Sound Platers 4 games to 1 in first round.
Lost to Niagara Falls Thunder 4 games to 1 in quarterfinals. - 1992-93 Defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 3 in first round.
Lost to Detroit Jr. Red Wings 4 games to 1 in quarterfinals. - 1993-94 Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 1 in first round.
- 1994-95 Lost to Detroit Jr. Red Wings 4 games to 0 in first round.
- 1995-96 Out of playoffs.
- 1996-97 Out of playoffs.
- 1997-98 Defeated Erie Otters 4 games to 3 in first round.
Defeated Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to 1 in quarterfinals.
Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 0 in semifinals. - 1998-99 Defeated Sarnia Sting 4 games to 2 in first round.
Defeated Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 3 in quarterfinals.
Defeated Owen Sound Platers 4 games to 1 in semifinals.
Lost to Belleville Bulls 4 games to 3 in finals. - 1999-00 Out of playoffs.
- 2000-01 Lost to Erie Otters 4 games to 1 in first round.
- 2001-02 Defeated Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 2 in first round.
Lost to Erie Otters 4 games to 2 in quarterfinals. - 2002-03 Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 3 in first round.
Lost to Plymouth Whalers 4 games to 2 in quarterfinals. - 2003-04 Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 0 in first round.
Defeated Erie Otters 4 games to 0 in quarterfinals.
Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 3 in semifinals. - 2004-05 Defeated Guelph Storm 4 games to 0 in first round.
Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 0 in quarterfinals.
Defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 1 in semifinals.
Defeated Ottawa 67's 4 games to 1 in finals. OHL CHAMPIONS
Finished Memorial Cup round-robin in first place.
Defeated Rimouski Océanic 4-0 in the championship game. MEMORIAL CUP CHAMPIONS - 2005-06 Defeated Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 0 in first round.
Defeated Owen Sound Attack 4 games to 2 in quarterfinals.
Defeated Guelph Storm 4 games to 1 in semifinals.
Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 0 in finals.
Silverware
Team
|
Memorial Cup CHL Champions
OHL Champions'''
Most Points in Regular Season
|
Wayne Gretzky Trophy Western Conference Champions
Emms Division Champions
|
Bumbacco Trophy West Division Champions
Midwest Division Champions
|
Players/Staff - CHL
CHL Player of the Year
Outstanding Goaltender at the Memorial Cup
Most Valuable Player at the Memorial Cup
|
Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award
|
Players/Staff - OHL
|
Bobby Smith Trophy Scholastic Player of the Year
Humanitarian of the Year
Lowest Team G.A.A.
Top Scorer
Rookie of the Year
|
F.W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy Lowest G.A.A. among Rookie Goaltenders
Top Draft Pick
Highest Scoring Right Winger
Coach of the Year
|
Max Kaminsky Trophy Most Outstanding Defenseman
Most Outstanding Player
Playoffs MVP
Most Sportsmanlike Player
|
Uniforms & Logos
As the London Nationals, the Knights originally played in the blue and white of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team's logo was the same Leaf as used by the parent club at the time, except with the words "London Nationals" written out across the leaf instead of "Toronto Maple Leafs". After 1968, the colours changed to green, gold and white, and the logo to a classically-inspired Knight's head with an Olde English "K" on the helmet. In 1980 the striping changed slightly, from classical horizontal stripes around the sleeves and bottom of the sweater to large arm stripes and a bare sweater bottom. In 1985-86 the green on the uniforms was darkened and the arm stripes were deleted in favour of broad swathes of secondary colour across the shoulders and down the arms. 1986 saw a total re-design of sweater and logo. Black was added as a secondary colour and the striping returned to a more pedestrian design. The logo was also changed, from a classical Knight's head to a more modernized version on a gold circle with the letter "L". These uniforms were used until 1994. In 1994 the green and gold were disposed of completely in favour of the eggplant and teal used by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The logo was changed to "Spiderknight", with normal horizontal striping and pointed shouder stripes. There was also a teal shoulder patch bearing the word "London" and a hockey stick. In February 2002, the Knights reverted back to their 1986-94 uniforms as a commemoration of the closing of the London Gardens. The special uniforms were identical except for two shoulder patches, one bearing the 1968-86 logo and the other bearing the 1994-2002 logo. These uniforms were also used for the 2002-03 preseason. For the opening of the John Labatt Centre in October of 2002, the Knights debuted new uniforms with the 1986-94 logo, minus the "L" and the gold circle. These were drawn on a home white uniform and a road uniform that, for the first time in team history, bore black as its primary colour. Each uniform also bore a new "shield" shoulder patch. The team also debuted green third jerseys, which featured the word "KNIGHTS" printed diagonally across the front of the sweater.
Arenas
London Gardens/London Ice House, 1965-2002
- Built : 1963
- Capacity : 5,075 including standing room.
- Ice Size : 190' x 85'
[The OHL Arena & Travel Guide - London Gardens]
John Labatt Centre, 2002-Present
- Built : 2002
- Capacity : 9,090 including standing room.
- Ice Size : 200' x 85'
[The OHL Arena & Travel Guide - John Labatt Centre]
See also
- [www.londonknights.com] Official web site
- [Ontario Hockey League] Official web site
- [Canadian Hockey League] Official web site
- [www.knightsvideos.com] Knights Videos
- [www.knightshistory.com] Knights History
- [2006 Mayor's Honour's List recipients]
| Ontario Hockey League |
|---|
| Current Teams : Barrie Colts > Belleville Bulls | Brampton Battalion | Erie Otters | Guelph Storm | Kingston Frontenacs | Kitchener Rangers | London Knights | Mississauga IceDogs | Oshawa Generals | Ottawa 67's | Owen Sound Attack | Peterborough Petes | Plymouth Whalers | Saginaw Spirit | Sarnia Sting | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sudbury Wolves | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | Windsor Spitfires |
| Canadian Hockey League>CHL: | Memorial Cup | OHL | QMJHL | WHL |
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.