'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
Quebec man, 81, gets prison sentence after admitting to killing wife with Alzheimer's disease
An 81-year-old Quebec man has been sentenced to prison after admitting to killing his wife with Alzheimer's disease.
Canada Post quarterly loss tops $300M as strike hits second week -- and rivals step in
Canada Post saw hundreds of millions of dollars drain out of its coffers last quarter, due largely to its dwindling share of the parcels market, while an ongoing strike continues to batter its bottom line.
Trump chooses Bessent to be treasury secretary, Vought as top budget official
President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday that he'll nominate former George Soros money manager Scott Bessent, an advocate for deficit reduction, to serve as his next treasury secretary.
'Immoral depravity': Two men convicted in case of frozen migrant family in Manitoba
A jury has found two men guilty on human smuggling charges in a case where a family from India froze to death in Manitoba while trying to walk across the Canada-U.S. border.
Pat King found guilty of mischief for role in 'Freedom Convoy'
Pat King, one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa, has been found guilty on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order.
Trump supporters review-bomb B.C. floral shop by accident
A small business owner from B.C.’s Fraser Valley is speaking out after being review-bombed by confused supporters of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump this week.
Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles recalled in Canada over potential power loss
Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are being recalled in Canada over a potential power loss issue that can increase the risk of a crash.
Canada's tax relief plan: Who gets a cheque?
The Canadian government has unveiled its plans for a sweeping GST/HST pause on select items during the holiday period. The day after the announcement, questions remain on how the whole thing will work.
Grey Cup streaker fined $10K, banned from BC Place
The woman who ran across the field wearing nothing but her shoes at last weekend’s Grey Cup has been given a fine and banned from BC Place.