London Knights Win Second Straight J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL Champions
May 16, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release
London Knights with the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL Champions
(London Knights)
London, ON - The London Knights are OHL champions for a second straight year, winning the 113th J. Ross Robertson Cup following a 5-2 win over the Oshawa Generals in Game 5 at Canada Life Place.
OHL Playoff MVP Kasper Halttunen scored his eighth and ninth goals of the Championship Series while Sam O'Reilly and Easton Cowan each had a goal and an assist as London outlasted Oshawa for a second straight year, hoisting the J. Ross Robertson Cup before a capacity crowd of 9,061.
"We've dreamt of this since day one and to do it in back-to-back years is a surreal feeling. It's even better to do it on home ice," said Knights captain Denver Barkey, who returned to the lineup from injury in Game 5. "It's a great way to cap-off what we've built here in London and there's one more thing to go win now."
Landon Sim also scored for London while blueliner Sam Dickinson had a pair of primary assists and goaltender Austin Elliott stood tall in the crease, stopping 32-of-34.
"We're a close-knit family here," said Knights Head Coach Dale Hunter, who won his fifth J. Ross Robertson Cup to tie him for the most all-time with Leighton "Hap" Emms. "The kids enjoy playing and it's easy to coach when they enjoy it. It's been a real fun couple years here with these kids."
The victory marks London's sixth OHL championship in franchise history and the second instance in which they've won back-to-back following previous titles in 2024, 2016, 2013, 2012 and 2005.
The Knights finished the OHL Playoffs with a record of 16-1, becoming just the third team in league history to win the championship with one or fewer losses as they join the 1998 Guelph Storm (12-1) and 1988 Windsor Spitfires (12-0) in that department.
Easton Cowan finished as the top scorer of the 2025 OHL Playoffs, registering 39 points (13-26--39) over 17 games with a plus/minus rating of plus-25. Halttunen, who claimed the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as Playoff MVP, recorded 21 points (15-6--21), nine of which came in the Championship Series. Halttunen's nine Championship goals are the most since Belleville's Jonathan Cheechoo, another San Jose Sharks prospect, tallied nine in 1999.
Knights captain Denver Barkey received the J. Ross Robertson Cup from OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford as the Knights, who eliminated Owen Sound, Erie, Kitchener and now Oshawa, travel to Rimouski, Quebec for the 2025 Memorial Cup that begins Friday, May 23rd.
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 London Knights with the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL Champions |
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