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After defeating the Sarnia Sting in six games, the London Knights, including Oakville's Isaiah George, will be playing the Peterborough Petes in the OHL league finals.
The Knights dismantled the Sudbury Wolves in four games in the first round, then dealt with their rival Kitchener Rangers in five games.
Their series against Sarnia was the toughest of the three they have had; Sarnia had a great roster and was able to tie the series 2-2 after game four.
But London won game five and a road game six to make them Western Conference Champions.
George was a big part of their run, though he did not show up on the stat sheet as much as other defenders; he logged big and important minutes for the Knights and was a key shutdown player for London.
George had to overcome much adversity this season: He started the season off with an injury that kept him out of the lineup for the first month of the season, and due to this injury, he played 13 fewer games than he did last season.
But once he came back, he was able to find his footing again. He scored 22 points in 54 games as a shutdown defender, along with playing top penalty-killing minutes.
Though George has the OHL championship on his mind, he also has NHL aspirations. Isaiah was drafted in the fourth round by the New York Islanders last year.
Though he currently is not on an NHL contract at this moment, his performance this season and these playoffs may be enough for Islanders General Manager Lou Lamoriello to offer him an entry-level deal.
Once he signs his entry-level deal, he can play in the NHL or AHL after the 2023-24 OHL season. But for right now, George’s main focus is to win an OHL title and, after that, win a Memorial Cup.
The OHL Finals begin on Thursday, May 11, with London hosting Peterborough in game one.
