How The London Knights Became The CHL's Premier Franchise | Hometown Hockey

For over 50 years the London Knights have been a mainstay in the city of London, developing some of the NHL's biggest stars. Under the guidance of Mark and Dale Hunter they have become one of the CHL's premier franchises.

[@ryleesjustvibin4129]

I love living in this city, the knights are the talk of the town, the players are treated like legends, it’s just a great environment.

[@brandonlewis5135]

We should get a cfl franchise

[@Blazio]

@Max Marvin your mom

[@acanadianeh8344]

@@brandonlewis5135 honestly, as a ti-cats fan, i feel like a london - hamilton rivalry would be so much better than the argos-ti cats rivalry

[@AubreyChase7]

I’m a Spits fan, so I’m obviously more than a little salty, but I respect the hell out of the Knights dynasty

[@coastaku1954]

@@brandonlewis5135 Nah, I think an AHL Franchise would work much better

[@sethf8277]

Always loved taking the drive up the 401 from Windsor to see our two teams play. Budweiser Gardens is an awesome arena to watch hockey games in, and tickets are for the most part not too pricey. Go Spits! :)

[@coastaku1954]

Moved here recently and I love going to London Knights games, I've gone to two so far and it's always awesome! Went to the last regular season game of 2023 and went to game 5 of the second round when we won the Semi Final of the Western Conference! We have great players, great fans, a great arena, it really is The Mini NHL I now have a Season Tickets and have gone to every home game so far this season! The best fans in the OHL, it all feels so professional, all the games are hard fought and we look so strong out there every game, even games we lose! Edit: We're currently on a nine game win streak and we're close to edging out the Kitchener Rangers for most points in the OHL

[@johnk3734]

I’m sorry I’ve never had Giuseppe pizzeria but sounds really good

[@icebreaker1264]

I always hear it omg

[@jaygallant3274]

Caqaqqqqw

[@fredsystra7584]

London is one of the best hockey towns on planet earth. They could hold an NHL team easily

[@tommyhoch3573]

🤣

[@maxlee6739]

Money. If you spend a ton of money on your system then everyone will want to play for you. Draft the guys that fall in the draft cause they won’t sign with anyone but you. Get imports that wouldn’t play anywhere else. Now that you have a ton of good players, more good players will want to play for you. Etc, etc etc. Not calling out the Knights or anything. That’s just how it is

[@jamesconnell2654]

John Carlson said flat out of the SC podcast he only went there because of how much money they were going to pay him. There are better run programs in the league, but don't give duffle bags of 6 figures worth of $$$ in them to get players to sign

[@coastaku1954]

@@jamesconnell2654 Then how come there are SO many players from London who get drafted? If these programs are so much better, why don't we have more drafts from them? London had 4 players drafted in 2023 because they played well and are talented, not cause they're being paid, maybe they play better knowing they're being treated like professional athletes

[@TheHeston83]

My Favorite OHL team also love the Nickname after The Crusader Knights

[@ronaldchase7037]

I'm from Washington State, i live 40 miles south of Seattle, it's good to see stories like this of the other CHL Leagues, i have been a fan of the Western Hockey League team from Seattle, and every countless year i always hope that the Thunderbirds will have a great year, and every year i am disappointed, what do they have to do to recruit decent players so they can be competitive? In there almost 50 years of existence they have won the league title only 2 times, they have been to the Memorial Cup 3 times and one of those years they were the host, and they get their butts kicked out of the tournament, and I'm sure the other teams wonder "What are they doing here?" I would sure love to see in my lifetime to see them hoist the Cup above their heads proudly

[@ronaldchase7037]

I'm sorry, i have to correct myself, Seattle has been to the WHL championship 2 times, they won the league title once, they have been to the Memorial Cup twice and hosted once, so still it's worse than i remembered, but i am still lamenting about their lack of having a good team

[@dynasty1087]

Gotta start paying the players like in London

[@jediaaronsbc526]

Settle down, you guys had Shea Theodore and Mat Barzal. That’s more talent than most CHL teams will ever see

[@ronaldchase7037]

@@jediaaronsbc526 you are right, we had Theodore and Barzal, but we didn't have the right chemistry of defenceman, we have had great goalies also, Chris Osgood for one and we also had Patrick Marleau

[@CharlieND]

My family will settle the last slice with a battle royale

[@brandonlewis5135]

I played for the franchise

[@brettfavreify]

Wow, Christine Simpson had to go far and dig deep for this one.

[@steverogal7242]

May be filled up but is also one of the quietest building in hockey, you can literally hear the players fart on the bench it is so quiet, only time fand make noise is when there is a fight or a goal,other than that you could sleep through the whole game with no problem

[@steverogal7242]

@R M why is that? Is telling the truth that bad? you must be SJW

[@Jordan-vv5df]

I'll take " that didn't happen" for 500 Alex

[@tommclarty17]

steve rogal so it’s like every other arena in hockey then?

[@d-lky]

We've been spoiled with the last 15 years, unfortunately greatness is expected now by the fan base.

[@lynn-marieflechner5406]

Unlike in Kitchener when you can’t hear a damn thing over the fans.

[@jnknowak4723]

HHAHAHA THATS ME 2:18

[@robertfeinberg748]

#27.

[@tommclarty17]

Forget the under the table payoffs, the Hunters know how to run a hockey club.

[@jamesconnell2654]

Just ignore when they ran Sarnia, Petrolia, Quebec, Washington, etc. Literally failed everywhere else

[@tommclarty17]

@@jamesconnell2654 k.

[@jamesconnell2654]

@@tommclarty17 so if they don't pay under the table, they fail.

[@tommclarty17]

@@jamesconnell2654 Just like every other successful junior club, dummy.

[@jamesconnell2654]

@@tommclarty17 Yeah, not at all true. No other team gives 6 figure paydays to NCAA bound players. None. There is a reason Dale is regarded as the worst coach in NHL history, or why Mark got canned in favour of Dubas. Or why no one else has ever looked to hire either guy.

[@dallascook928]

Here's a question for Dale and Mark hunter that will never be answered ypic London obviously you've changed the franchise for the better

[@gervantesummers7135]

💰💰💰💰

[@rainwilson8210]

London has bribed more players than any other team. I believe nazem kadri got $200,000 for coming to play there. Patty kane got $300,000. Which is incredible considering that's all come out now, it's been admitted to, and still nothing happens. But Windsor gets caught once and loses its first round draft picks for the next 4 years as punishment. That's why London's the "premiere" team. (Btw, also a word that would never in a million years be used to describe a hockey team. Great reporting guys)

[@Jordan-vv5df]

Hahah. If that was the case the hunters would have been fined and probably lost draft picks. Give your head a shake, other ohl fans hate London because they have been the most successful franchise in the last 20 years. 6 Western confernce titles , 12 division titles ,4 championships and 2 memorial cups They have created more nhl players than any other junior club in the world who have played over 18,000 nhl games. THEY HATE US BECAUSE THE AIN'T US! GO KNIGHTS GO!

[@space_skeloton1862]

Rain Wilson in 1994-95 London went 3-60-3

[@Jordan-vv5df]

@@space_skeloton1862 it was actually 95/96 that happened.

[@space_skeloton1862]

Jordan87 I thought it was a 10 years apart

[@Jordan-vv5df]

@@space_skeloton1862 what was?

[@lynn-marieflechner5406]

Steve Mason wasn’t a Knight his entire career. He got traded in 08 to Kitchener for amazement Kadri. I’d know. Because Mason got the OHL Championship. And kadri got nothing

[@d-lky]

He also got blown out his first game back against the knights 5-1 by the end of the 1st and 9-3 as the final.

[@lamarmartin847]

Man that trade irritates me to this day as a Rangers fan

[@lynn-marieflechner5406]

Lamar Martin MY PEOPLE! And it does me too. But it’s not their fault London’s known for trading injured players

[@lamarmartin847]

Lynn-Marie Flechner kadri was involved in a later trade but Phil Varone and Steve Tarasuk were solid players for the rangers and then shipping out kadri yet really ruined their chances at going anywhere. Sometimes the best trade to make is to not make one at all as was the case there. But hindsight is 20/20. DeBoer gave us Kitchener fans a lot of good years of good hockey before he left

[@ChrisLamia]

Bribery

[@lynn-marieflechner5406]

THANK YOU!

[@StonedSpagooter]

Whit let the cat out of the bag that London plays its players under the table so it all makes sense 👀

[@patrickh799]

The answer is money

[@jakek.1028]

Only team I will respect in the CHL/OHL

[@jamesconnell2654]

So you like cheaters?

[@jakek.1028]

@@jamesconnell2654 how are the Knights cheaters? No other team deserves my respect 😂😂

[@jamesconnell2654]

@@jakek.1028 They literally pay players to play for them, which gives them talent in their line-up they should not have. There is a reason the two clown brothers have failed everywhere else

[@TheDetroitfan100]

@@jamesconnell2654you sound mad, you a windsor fan 🤣

[@coastaku1954]

@@TheDetroitfan100 Literally being mad that a team has good players... that's how you win...

[@aidenhillier153]

Well i wouldn't call it Premier more like Stress out the players

[@guyjeremschuk4142]

They pay off all the kids parents. Crooked as hell.

[@matthewarnold7946]

It’s simple... it’s called cheating.

[@HolyAd3pt]

Lol no

[@lynn-marieflechner5406]

Someone finally said it!

[@coastaku1954]

@@lynn-marieflechner5406 You said in another coment that you're a Rangers fan, I am therefore calling bias and bitterness towards an actually good team. How many Rangers got drafted in 2023?

[@jamesconnell2654]

Paying top dollar to get players and subvert the draft is the main reason. Both Dale & Mark have failed spectacularly at every other stop they have made, but you think there is some magic potion in London? Nah. It's all about the $$$$

[@connorkertland1296]

What am I looking at

[@AkquireCa]

@@connorkertland1296 A salty ass fan of another team.

[@coastaku1954]

@@connorkertland1296 A Sting or Rangers fan who's butthurt that the Knights are really good

[@connr8691]

Any Oakridge kids out here? Yeah y’all can’t play hockey

[@hockeylover1527]

I am north london

[@Helvigster]

cause they cheat

[@lynn-marieflechner5406]

Thank you!

[@Helvigster]

@TheBest HockeyMind they're better than me? yeah idk about that one. the knights got swept by OWEN SOUND of all teams and blew a 3-0 series lead and a 3-1 game 7 lead to Guelph last season. my team has had more success than the Knights have ever since the Knights last won the Memorial Cup. "Knights are the best" lmao get outta here, the Knights reign of dominance is over and they're not gonna win anything for at least a good 5-8 years. your time is over.

[@politicalbandwagon4989]

How?

[@Blazio]

​@@Helvigster winning it all every 5-8 years sounds like a pretty damn good team to me

[@coastaku1954]

@@Blazio Remember, OHL teams can only have players from ages 16 to 20, and players are drafted by the NHL every year, so the roster is ALWAYS changing, you could have a bad team on year, or you could have a GOAT team another year