NY Islanders Prospect Isaiah George and London Knights Begin Quest for Memorial Cup
It was an unprecedented run to the OHL Cup for NY Islanders prospect Isaiah George and the London Knights, dominating the competition from the start of the season.
The Knights finished the regular season with the best record in the league, finishing with 102 points in 68 games, scoring the most goals (322) and allowing the fewest (197).
Lining up on the Knights' top defensive pairing, George, a fourth-round pick in 2022, has been one of the team's most important players all season and through the playoffs.
George is known for his excellent skating and defensive prowess but has managed to step up his offensive output during the postseason, contributing 4 goals and 8 assists in 18 games. His biggest moment came during a 5-goal comeback in Game 3 of the OHL Finals, earning the primary assist on a 2OT game-winner.
Though George was returned to London early into training camp this season, he left a lasting impression on a lot of the players and staff within the Islanders organization.
“I’ve really liked him,” former Islanders head coach Lane Lambert said. “Even from rookie camp, he passes the puck hard, it’s on the tape, that’s the key to being a defenseman, a breakout defenseman. And he’s young, but he doesn’t necessarily play his age. He seems to be pretty seasoned.”
Now that the Knights have been crowned OHL champions, their next step is the Memorial Cup. The Memorial Cup consists of each league's champions that make up the CHL (OHL, QMJHL, WHL), and the host team. This year's edition will be held in Saginaw, Michigan, hosted by the Saginaw Spirit, while the Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) and Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) will represent their respective leagues.
The Knights will begin their quest for the Memorial Cup on Friday, May 25th at 4 o'cock EST, against Drummondville, followed by the Moose Jaw on the 27th, and Saginaw on the 29th, both at 7:30 EST.
Islanders' head coach, Patrick Roy, hoisted the Memorial Cup as the bench boss and GM with the Quebec Remparts last season before stepping down at the end of the season.