In one of the most entertaining and fastest paces games we have viewed this season London came out on top 6-3. Kitchener and London came into the game as two of the hottest teams in the Ontario Hockey League and are both with a few points of the first place in the West Conference lead. The first period of the game was frantic action – end to end and high compete with very few whistles. A number of prospects played well in the high paced game. Write-ups on the 2020 draft eligible players from both teams can be found below.
London Knights Draft Eligible
14 Luke Evangelista (was a factor, see report)
16 Sean McGurn (played, was not a factor)
27 Kirill Steklov (was a factor, see report)
30 Brett Brochu (was a factor, see report)
40 Antonio Stranges (was a factor, see report)
45 Gerard Keane (was a factor, see report)
62 Sanhil Panwar (DNP)
74 Ben Roger (DNP)
Luke Evangelista (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B+) Forward
Evangelista continues to impress us with his consistent play this season. Evangelista is a high skilled, high IQ right winger Evangelista and operates very well on the wing on London’s top line. A defensively reliable player he is showing an ability to be a two way threat on the penalty kill. While on the PK he has patience and will hold pucks to find teammates moving with pace on the counter attack. We continue to like his body positioning in all 3 zones – his 200 foot game and ability to have his body in the right defensive situations offer him the opportunity to win pucks and transition up ice effectively. A skilled, high IQ forward who does many things well and plays a versatile role for the Knights. He can play in a top 6 forward role with his speed and slick stick handling and he can also play in 3rd line defensive situations in tight checking games. Evangelista, who scored 2 points in 27 games in his first year has blown last year’s totals out of the water with better than a point per game (57 points, in 55 games) so far this season. Game Grade: B
Antonio Stranges (4.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A-) Forward
Every shift we see this player he explodes on both sides of the puck with his pace and elite first step. He has excellent upside with his overall package of speed, skating, and offensive creativity. Stranges created in this game regularly – his speed and explosiveness make defenders take notice – but he did not finish. A player with all the tools and skill, he has not been able to translate his body of work into a blowout season – stats for Stranges are marginally better in his second year after 54 games. On a positive note, Stranges is committing to his overall two way game and is playing well on the 3rd line for the Knights. He is excellent in transition and is always moving and very difficult to hit with a full head of steam. A player who leaves us wanting more with his overall offensive package but in a fast paced game like this game this evening his pace was elite in spurts. Game Grade: B
Brett Brochu (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Goalie
Brochu is an undersized and underrated goaltender who is emerging as the starting goalie in his first season in the Ontario Hockey League. Entering the game Brochu was 13-1 in his last 14 games. Brochu got the win this evening and was not the busiest of the two netminders in the game but did make a handful of key saves at the right time. At 5’11”, Brochu does not fit the mold of the prototypical giraffe like tenders on our draft list, but he has by far the best stats of any 17 year old goalie in the OHL this season. He currently sits second in the league in GAA (2.46%), third in the league in save percentage (.919%), and fourth in the league in wins (26). While we are leary of his size and the tape measure requirements for goalies to play at the NHL level we continue to like his development in his rookie season with the Knights and have really enjoyed his compete level in the net to fight through checks. We have added him to our draft list as a C+ prospect with his consistent play and ability to get the job done effectively all season for his team. Game Grade: B
Kirill Steklov (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B+) Defense
We continue to see good development from this lanky defender as the season progresses. Steklov’s length and reach are real assets for him defensively as he is effective in taking away time and space from opposing players. At 6’4” and 185lbs Steklov is among the largest D available playing in the OHL this year. He gaps up well in the neutral zone to prevent zone entry. As the season progresses he is settling into a top 6 defender role and playing in key situations for the Knights. He is showing development in puck handling and seems to be a player who is not phased by mistakes. He is not afraid to jump in and support the rush and has decent speed for a big defender to get back in transition. He is not yet a two way threat but plays a steady, reliable game on the backend for the Knights. He kills penalties and pays attention to detail in his own zone. Game Grade: C+
Gerard Keane (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
Our first write-up on this second year right shot defender, Keane continues to win important minutes on a veteran Knights team with his steady play and high compete in his own zone. An undersized, mobile defender, Keane keeps the game simple and plays a solid role for the Knights on the team’s third pairing. Keane competes hard in his own zone, ties up sticks, defends the net well and is an excellent shot blocker. His reliable play and development defensively is offering him the opportunity to see more time on the penalty kill for the Knights in key game situations as the season progresses. Offensively, he keeps it simple and moves pucks well in transition. We do not see Keane as a two way threat at this point but do see him as a potential C+ prospect this year with improved play in his end and competitive defending. Game Grade: C+
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Game Evaluation: Paul O’Hagan