On Saturday night, the London Knights faced off against the Windsor Spitfires in the second game of a home-and-home series that kicked off the 2026-27 Ontario Hockey League season for these long-standing rivals. Here’s how it unfolded.
Who scored, and what was the outcome?
The Knights triumphed with a score of 6-2 at Windsor’s WFCU Centre, following a close 3-2 overtime win just a day prior at Canada Life Place. With this victory, the Knights improved to 2-0 despite several key players being away at NHL camps.
Evan Van Gorp was a standout performer on Saturday, netting two goals including an empty-netter late in the game. He also provided an assist and finished with a plus-3 rating. Other scorers for London included Eioan Le Gallic, Cooper Mc Aslan, Jake Ritson, and Thomas Zocco.
Jonathan Kapageridis contributed with two assists, bringing his total to four points in his first two games as a Knight. Kane Barch, son of former London Knight Krys Barch, also recorded an assist and now has two points from his first two games after tallying six points during four preseason matches.
Evan Van Gorp of the London Knights carries the puck during their Ontario Hockey League game against the Windsor Spitfires at Canada Life Place in London on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (Geoff Robins/The )
Who was in goal for the win?
Brian Cooke made 28 saves to secure his first OHL victory. The Missouri native was selected by London in the third round of the 2026 OHL draft. Charlie Weiss earned the win for London on Friday night. Goalie Aleksei Medvedev, drafted by Vancouver in the second round, is still attending camp with them.
The Knights were outshot by Windsor on Saturday night with a count of 30-18. Spitfires goalie Michael Newlove gave up four goals on nine shots while Jake Windbiel allowed one goal on eight shots.
What lies ahead for the Knights?
The Knights are expected to be contenders near the top of the OHL standings this season alongside the Guelph Storm. With a strong start at 2-0, they are heading into a quieter stretch: Their next game is this Friday at home against Owen Sound followed by another home match against North Bay one week later on Friday, Oct. 2.
So far this season, they’ve scored nine goals-tying them with Brantford for most goals league-wide after opening weekend-while Guelph managed only one goal across their first two games while allowing eleven.
Patrick Maloney joined The as a reporter in 2003 and has been digital editor since 2017. A University of Waterloo graduate, he has been part of two newsroom teams that won National Newspaper Awards.
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