'Bad blood there': Saginaw gets added to list of London Knights rivals
When you live at the top of the mountain, you build up a number of rivalries over the years.
Teams that would consider London a main foe include Windsor, Sarnia and Kitchener — but now, you can add the Saginaw Spirit to the mix.
“Of course there's some bad, bad blood there,” said Spirit defenceman Zayne Parekh. “It's two highly skilled teams that are very competitive and both want to win.”
This is the first season the Spirit posed a threat to London. They battled all year for the top seed in the Western Conference, and met in the conference final.
"Any time you play a team in the playoffs, especially the conference final point, I think the rivalry is born,” said Chris Lazary, Spirit head coach. “There's some good animosity, some good compete, there's some good games like it is hockey. I think rivalries in hockey are what makes it fun.”
Things heated up during the playoffs when Kaleb Lawrence and Landon Sim both were suspended while playing the Spirit.
Lawrence was given five games for a cross check to the neck of Parekh, while Sim was handed five games for what the league deemed to be offensive language toward a Spirit player.
During this tournament, Spirit fans have booed every time the Knights are brought up in the arena.
“You’ve kind of got to lean into the storyline if it's presented,” said Knights assistant coach Dylan Hunter. “It is fun that we're coming out of the same conference. It is a rivalry all year. Now you get a chance to play 60 minutes for the finals. I mean, it is what you work for.”
The Dow Event Center has been packed during this tournament, with both Knights and Spirit fans represented.
“A lot of noise from the crowd I think is good on both sides,” said Lazary. “London fans, they do travel well, and they do have good fans. We have better fans.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadians prefer Trudeau work with Harris, Poilievre with Trump: Angus Reid
As Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, new data from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians hold differing views as to which federal party leaders would be best suited to deal with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
Elections BC says box of 861 votes uncounted, others votes unreported
Elections BC says it has discovered that a ballot box containing 861 votes wasn't counted in the recent provincial election, as well as other mistakes including 14 votes going unreported in a crucial riding narrowly won by the NDP.
Months after VRBO booking, Taylor Swift fan told home 'not available' during Vancouver concert
A frustrated Taylor Swift fan is speaking out after being pushed from a short-term rental she booked for the upcoming Vancouver leg of the superstar’s Eras Tour.
Felonies, assassination attempts and a last-minute change on the ticket leads voters to Tuesday's U.S. election
A campaign that has careened through a felony trial, incumbent being pushed off the ticket and assassination attempts comes down to Election Day on Tuesday.
Surprise swing state? Iowa poll has Harris suddenly leading
Based on victories in the past two elections and polls leading up to Tuesday’s election, Donald Trump had seemed almost certain to win Iowa, but a new poll has Kamala Harris with a sudden three-point lead.
Russia suspected of sending incendiary devices on US- and Canada-bound planes, Wall Street Journal reports
Incendiary devices that ignited in Germany and the United Kingdom in July were part of a covert Russian operation that aimed to start fires aboard cargo and passenger flights heading to the U.S. and Canada, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday, citing Western security officials.
Peel police officer suspended after video appeared to show him at protest while off duty
Peel police say four people were arrested and an officer was injured following several protests in Mississauga and Brampton Sunday afternoon, including one at a Hindu temple that turned violent.
3 arrested as protesters clash outside Hindu temple in Surrey, B.C.
Three people were arrested after duelling protests erupted into violence outside a Hindu temple in Surrey, B.C., over the weekend, according to the RCMP.
Musk PAC tells Philadelphia judge the US$1M sweepstakes winners are not chosen by chance
A lawyer for Elon Musk 's political action committee told a judge in Philadelphia on Monday that so-called 'winners' of his US$1 million-a-day voter sweepstakes in swing states are not chosen by chance but are instead chosen to be paid 'spokespeople' for the group.