First place in OHL standings on the line as Knights wrap up regular season today

A London Knights practice from September 2023. The London Knights play their last game of the 2023/24 OHL regular season March 24, 2024 against the Guelph Storm. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

The London Knights haven’t won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the OHL’s number one seed since the 2012-2013 season.

A point Sunday against Guelph in the final game of the regular season or a loss Sunday by Saginaw gives them first place overall and home ice throughout the post-season.

“The Knights haven’t won it in ten years or so, so it’d be a cool accomplishment that shows how tight we've come as a group,” said Knights’ forward Denver Barkey. “We had a pretty rough start to the season, and we weren't in the position that we'd like to be. As the year went on, we grew tighter and [the] guys kind of fell in their roles and started chipping in and I think it'd be a cool accomplishment for all of us to achieve but do we all know that there's a lot more work to do.”

Barkey is having a career year, which saw him pick up his 100th point of the season Friday night in their 4-3 win over the Windsor Spitfires.

He assisted on Easton Cowan’s game winning goal to give him 34 goals, and 66 assists.

Who else would have scored for Barks 100th#LetsGoFlyers | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/HeheMnV6hD

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) March 23, 2024

“The team always comes first but I obviously wanted that,” said Barkey. “It was a big goal for Cowan to score there in a tie game and we went up a goal in the third period. We needed to win so I think it was a big moment for the team and it was a big moment for me as well.”

If the Knights finish first, they will open the playoffs against Flint at home on Good Friday, March 29, at 7 p.m. at Budweiser Gardens. Should they finish second, they will play Owen. 

Game two will follow two days later on Sunday, March 31, at 2 p.m.

Heading into the post-season, the Knights are the country’s second ranked team in the CHL Top-10. Only the Prince George Cougars are ahead of them.

The Knights have built a team they believe can contend for a Memorial Cup championship, and it all started with acquiring last year’s playoff MVP in goaltender Michael Simpson.

“Playoffs is like the most exciting time of the year,” said Barkey. “Everyone kind of gets up for it. It’s just the energy in the building which takes it to another level when playoffs hit. So the closer you get, the more excited we all get as a team and we still have a bitter taste in our mouth from last year, and we’re excited to get back to it, and hopefully we can go all the way.”