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New York Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How much better does the Senators' pipeline look after the 2025 NHL draft?
OTTAWA — The younger (and smaller) Logan Hensler was given the task of covering forward Blake Montgomery at the Ottawa Senators' development camp during one-on-one drills last Thursday. Montgomery's size — 6-foot-4 — should have given him the advantage. But Hensler — a 6-foot-2 defenceman — showed why he was rated so highly in the 2025 NHL Draft, consistently maintaining his position and winning puck battles. When Hensler got the puck, he nearly finished a deke past Montgomery. But the puck slid too far out of his reach, allowing goalie prospect Vladimir Nikitin to clear the puck out of harm's way. Advertisement At the other end, Hensler's defensive compatriot Carter Yakemchuk flashed the offensive talent that made Sens fans dizzy last fall. Yes, Yakemchuk is still working on his defence — using his stick and keeping opposing players in front of him, for example. But Yakemchuk is far and away the most skilled player at the Senators' development camp. And he's comfortable in his offensive game. To cap off a mini-scrimmage at the end of Day 2, Yakemchuk confidently carried the puck toward the goal and went between the legs before scoring. 'It's obvious, the reason why those guys were in the first round,' Montgomery told the media after Thursday's session. 'It's not easy to defend those guys, just a bunch of skill, and you can tell it's fun what they do, and just having fun doing it.' A total of 29 prospects were at the Bell Sensplex for drills and workouts last week. Hensler and Yakemchuk were the two biggest standouts at camp and rightfully are the team's top prospects in their system, last ranked 27th in the league by The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. 'I was a little nervous at the start, but I kind of settled in there,' Hensler said. 'It's fun, though. You're living your dream, so you've got to enjoy it, right?' But that ranking was before Ottawa's recent draft class, which netted them Hensler at No. 23. Ottawa's prospect pool has dropped in quality because past jewels such as Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, Drake Batherson, Ridly Greig and Tyler Kleven have all graduated and are featuring prominently in the NHL lineup. Barring a change of heart from the NHL or some shrewd dealing by the Senators, Hensler will be the team's last first-round draft choice until 2027. And if there truly is no first-round pick next season, Ottawa's prospect pool risks remaining in the bottom tier of the league. Advertisement 'I read things too, and I'm familiar with our prospect pool and others' prospect pools,' head scout Don Boyd told The Athletic in May. 'The good thing is our prospects have arrived. And the bad thing is our prospects have arrived.' So, how do the Senators improve their prospect pipeline in the meantime? Yakemchuk and Hensler are at the forefront of that, as the team has emphasized having bigger bodies on defence. Ottawa was happy with Hensler at No. 23, especially after trading down. But the team was also interested in defencemen such as Radim Mrtka and Kashawn Aitcheson, two sizeable bodies who were gone before Ottawa's turn. The Sens also had 10 defencemen at development camp, with none of them below six feet. 'If you want to compete with the teams like Florida, Vegas and Colorado, the teams that have been winning lately,' amateur scout Andrew Gordon said, 'those are the teams that have the big back ends.' For Yakemchuk, it's continuing to progress with his defensive game. One part of Yakemchuk's training regimen will be summer skates with pro players to fine-tune details. 'It's a chance for me to work on my stick, work on my feet, body position,' Yakemchuk said. 'Playing against really elite guys, it helps me get better.' Hensler likens himself to a 'two-way, smooth-skating defenceman' who can join the rush and contribute offensively — even if his collegiate statistics at Wisconsin don't scream that. The next step in his game is to tap into more of that offensive potential. 'I think the potential is there, the skill set's there,' Gordon said. 'It's a matter of being able to unlock a little bit more mentally, making sure he's able to make mistakes offensively and get back on the ice again, and that's the kind of situation we're seeing him in now.' The Senators also actively improved their goaltending depth by drafting two goalies last month, including Lucas Beckman. The Montreal native isn't the tallest goalie at 6-foot-2, but he's still achieved a decent amount of success at 17 years of age: he won gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and the U-18s for Canada, and was named to the CHL All-Rookie team after a 31-18-2 record with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the QMJHL. Advertisement 'I think I'm a decent skater,' Beckman said. 'But to dominate even more in the (QMJHL), or be ready for the next level, I need to be an elite skater.' Ottawa also signed undrafted Jackson Parsons, the reigning CHL goalie of the year, who impressed during his time on the ice at camp. 'The goal is to play pro hockey and play at a high level,' Parsons said. 'I'm looking to make a name for myself in the AHL and go from there. 'I think I'm a very calm goalie, but I'm very athletic. I'm able to make the desperation saves. But I'm also a cool, calm presence in the net for the team to rely on.' At forward, the Sens could use more talent. Ottawa hasn't selected a forward with a first-round pick since 2021. That pick was Tyler Boucher, and injuries have derailed the start of his pro career. This year, Ottawa added Blake Vanek, Dmitri Isayev and Bruno Idzan, three players who will need time before they're ready to play pro. Isayev wasn't present at camp, but Idzan and Vanek were. Idzan will be among a quartet of Sens prospects suiting up for the University of Wisconsin alongside Hensler, Montgomery and Tyson Dyck. Vanek, meanwhile, will continue his journey with the Wenatchee Wild of the Western Hockey League. Blake Montgomery performs a drill at #Sens dev camp. Forwards are on one sheet of ice at Sensplex. While Carter Yakemchuk, Logan Hensler and the rest of the defence are on the other. Defence was doing some skating drills earlier. — Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) July 2, 2025 Montgomery is a 2024 fourth-rounder whose stock has risen in recent months after scoring 50 points in 51 games with the Memorial Cup champion London Knights. One skill he'd like to improve on? Using his speed to his advantage, considering his large size. It might even help him with those one-on-one battles he had in camp with Hensler, his future teammate at Wisconsin. Advertisement 'I could skate around fast, but feel like I'm not using my frame as much as I can,' Montgomery said. 'So just filling out and being better at that.' Time will tell how much the Senators have truly improved for next year's prospect rankings list. But there's reason to believe the team took strides to improve its pool of players after last month's draft. Even Wheeler had the Senators among this year's 'overtime winners' for their selections. 'The addition of Logan Hensler definitely makes their pool stronger. He immediately becomes their clear No. 2 prospect behind Carter Yakemchuk and, with Jake Sanderson, gives them three young D to really build around,' Wheeler said. 'Their pool is still quite light up front, but Lucas Beckman also adds a strong goalie prospect to their pool (I'm a believer in Beckman). I think the rest of their 2025 selections are long shots but Hensler and Beckman are definite additions.' 'I think we brought hockey skill, puck skill and hockey sense into the fold,' Boyd said last Wednesday. 'We're built on character and competitiveness. We never want to shy away from that. I think we've managed to fill a lot of those boxes.' (Top photo of Logan Hensler and Gary Bettman: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boston Bruins Look To 'Evolve Offensively' With New Coach Marco Sturm
Ottawa Senators 2024 Draft Sleepers: Luke Ellinas Signs Entry Level Deal; Blake Montgomery Ready For Memorial Cup The Ottawa Senators may have struck gold in the fourth round of last summer's NHL Draft. With three picks in that round, the Senators uncovered a trio of prospects who already look like potential steals. 1:34 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Ottawa Citizen
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Wildcats eliminated from Memorial Cup after 5-2 loss to Knights
The dream season for the Moncton Wildcats, one of promise and outstanding achievement, came to an emotional end after a 5-2 semifinal loss to the London Knights Friday at the Memorial Cup in Rimouski. Article content Article content London's Blake Montgomery and Jessi Nurmi scored 10 minutes apart in the final period to snap a 2-2 tie and the Knights' star forward Easton Cowan clinched the win with an empty net goal late as London advances to the championship Sunday against the Medicine Hat Tigers. Article content Article content For the Wildcats, it was oh so close. Article content Article content 'I am super proud of everyone on our team, the coaches down to the Black Aces who didn't play,' said Wildcats captain Markus Vidicek. 'We knew it was going to be a battle all night long. We threw punches, they threw punches but, in the end, they won a third period, and we didn't.' Article content The Cats set franchise records in many areas, including best winning percentage with a 53-11-2-0 mark in the regular season and captured their third QMJHL title with a victory over Rimouski to claim the Gilles Courteau Trophy on May 19. Article content The 16-3 playoff record was also a franchise best, exceeding the 16-5 slates the team recorded in winning the 2006 and 2010 QMJHL titles. Article content This season proved to be a mammoth improvement from the previous campaign in which lofty expectations were met with a devastating turn in a four-game opening-round playoff sweep to Chicoutimi. Article content Article content But this year was different, with new head coach Gardiner MacDougall behind the bench and new general manager Taylor MacDougall, his son, pulling the strings on numerous high quality player acquisitions to form a lineup that gelled almost from the get-go. Article content They were ranked No. 1 in the Canadian Hockey League many times during the year and after clinching the regular season title in March, they were even better in the post-season to earn a berth to their third Memorial Cup tournament. Article content 'It is gut wrenching because of the faith Mr. (Robert) Irving put in us,' said Wildcats head coach Gardiner MacDougall after Friday's loss. Article content 'When you don't win your last game, you are very disappointed as a coach, but the group came so far. You are representing a city, you are representing a province, you are representing our league. There is certainly disappointed feelings but the other part of it is you see the growth of the group and what a difference they made. They set new standards, and we just came a little short.'
CTV News
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Moncton Wildcats eliminated from Memorial Cup
Moncton Wildcats goaltender Mathis Rousseau (60) makes a save on London Knights' Sam O'Reilly (23) during first period semifinal Memorial Cup action, in Rimouski, Que., on Friday, May 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov RIMOUSKI — The London Knights are going back to the Memorial Cup final and they're determined to redeem last year's devastating defeat. Blake Montgomery scored the winner 3:35 into the third period to lift the Knights past the Moncton Wildcats 5-2 in the tournament's semifinal Friday. London will take on the Medicine Hat Tigers in Sunday's battle for the top prize in Canadian major junior hockey. It's also a chance for players from last season's Knights team to redeem themselves after a 4-3 loss to the Saginaw Spirit in the 2024 final. 'We were playing for this all year to get back in that game,' said forward Landon Sim. 'It was the worst day of all of our lives last year, losing that final game. 'To finally get back — super, super happy.' Denver Barkey — with an assist — Sim and Jesse Nurmi also scored, while Austin Elliott made 21 saves for the Knights. Easton Cowan had an empty-net goal and added an assist, and Jacob Julien provided two helpers. 'I thought that was our best game of the tournament so far,' Cowan said. 'Had a really good first, kind of laid back in the second. Then our third was definitely the best period of the tournament. 'We had everyone scoring today, lots of depth and a huge win for us.' It's a fifth Memorial Cup final appearance for London, the Ontario Hockey League champions. Only the Peterborough Petes and Kitchener Rangers have more with six apiece. The Knights fell short of clinching a spot in this year's championship game earlier in the tournament with a 3-1 loss to the Tigers in their round-robin finale. London has lost consecutive games only once in its past 120 games — including playoffs and Memorial Cups — dating back to March 1, 2024. 'It comes out of the consistency that we play with,' Dickinson said. 'Losing one game, it's going to happen. But something we say a lot is good teams don't lose two in a row. We live by that.' Caleb Desnoyers, a projected top-10 pick in this June's draft, had a goal and an assist while Dyllan Gill also scored for Moncton. Mathis Rousseau stopped 32 shots. The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League champions, who also fell 3-2 in overtime to London in their tournament opener, beat the host Rimouski Oceanic 6-2 in the final-round robin game Wednesday to reach the semifinal. The Knights — a powerhouse team that boasts 12 NHL draft picks, including four first-rounders — were too much to handle. 'We know we had a tough opponent on the other side, national championship semifinal,' Gill said. 'It's heartbreaking, and I think every guy in our room is going to have a little bit of regret and what if in their head, but ultimately super proud of the group.' Montgomery gave London a 3-2 lead early in the third when Sam Dickinson beat Moncton's Etienne Morin wide and set up the Ottawa Senators prospect, who'd snuck in behind Gill to score his first of the tournament. 'Amazing play. He's one hell of a player,' Montgomery said of Dickinson. 'Once I saw him going down the wall, I knew all I do was get to the net, he would find me, and sure enough, he did. 'Right in the wheelhouse.' Nurmi converted a centring feed from Julien to double the lead with 6:49 remaining. The Wildcats jumped on a power play with 4:36 left — and eventually pulled the goalie for an extra attacker — but couldn't cut into the lead before Cowan made it 5-2 with 1:49 remaining. While several players from last year's team returned this season, Sim said Montgomery and Nurmi are new additions who've matched the group's hunger for a Memorial Cup title. 'We got a group that's been here for a while,' Sim said. 'The last dance for a lot of us.' 'Those guys that are new come in and see that, how bad we want it, and I think there's no other option but to want it as badly as we do.' The Knights swarmed the Wildcats in the first period and dominated the shot count 18-5 after 20 minutes, but London struggled to hold the lead — and stay out of the penalty box. Sim opened the scoring with a wraparound 4:07 into the game. Desnoyers later equalized on the man-advantage, ripping a wrist shot from the left circle through Elliott at 18:20. The Knights went ahead again 5:24 into the second period when Barkey hammered a slick feed from Cowan into a gaping net. Nurmi, however, took a slashing penalty 22 seconds later, leading to Gill's third goal of the tournament. Moncton almost took its first lead late in the period when Gill's point shot deflected twice before bouncing off the post. 'You need a little lady luck,' Wildcats head coach Gardiner MacDougall said. 'There's a couple of shots from the point that, an inch this way and we have a lead. Our goal for this game was to get the lead. We played this team twice. We never had the lead. 'We showed some resilience. We've come back four different times on them, and that's not easy to do.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
CTV News
31-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
PLAYOFF TRACKER: London Knights beat Moncton, advance to Memorial Cup Final
The London Knights will have a chance at Memorial Cup redemption on Sunday after beating the Moncton Wildcats The London Knights will have a chance at Memorial Cup redemption on Sunday after beating the Moncton Wildcats The London Knights will have a chance at Memorial Cup redemption on Sunday after beating the Moncton Wildcats in the tournament's semi-final Friday night in Rimouski, QC. Knights forward Blake Montgomery broke a 2-2 tie early in the third period before Jesse Nurmi added an insurance goal midway through the frame, and Easton Cowan sealed it with an empty-netter, helping London to a 5-2 win over the QMJHL champions. 'All around, I thought that was our best game of the tournament so far,' Cowan said. 'We had a really good first, kind of laid back in the second, but our third was probably our best period of the tournament so far. We had everyone scoring today, got lots of depth, and it was a huge win for us.' The victory sets up a rematch of the Knights' final group stage game against the WHL champions, the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Tigers went undefeated in the opening round, earning a bye to Sunday's final. 'We know we had a tough opponent on the other side, national championship semifinal,' shared Moncton goalie Dyllan Gill post-game. 'It's heartbreaking, and I think every guy in our room is going to have a little bit of regret and what if in their head, but ultimately super proud of the group.' London became the first CHL team since the 2010 Windsor Spitfires to qualify for back-to-back Memorial Cup Finals. They lost the 2024 championship game to last year's tournaments hosts, the Saginaw Spirit. 'It means everything,' the Knights' Landon Sim said. 'We were playing for this all year to get back in that game.' Round 1 Game 1 – March 28, Attack 1, Knights 6 Game 2 – March 30, Attack 3, Knights 6 Game 3 – April 1, Knights 7, Attack 4 Game 4 – April 3, Knights 8, Attack 4 Round 2 Game 1 - April 10, Knights 6, Otters 3 Game 2 - April 12, Knights 7, Otters 2 Game 3 - April 15, Knights 4, Erie 0 Game 4 - April 17, Knights 4, Erie 3 Western Conference Championship Series Game 1 - April 25, Knights 5, Rangers 2 Game 2 - April 27, Knights 6, Rangers 2 Game 3 - April 28, Knights 3, Rangers 2 Game 4 - April 30, Knights 4, Rangers 2 OHL Finals Game 1 - May 8, Generals 4, Knights 2 Game 2 - May 10, Knights 5, Generals 2 Game 3 - May 12, Knights 7, Generals 5 Game 4 - May 13, Knights 5, Generals 2 Game 5 - May 15, Knights 5, Generals 2 Memorial Cup Game 1 - May 24, Moncton Wildcats 2, London Knights 3 Game 2 - May 25, Rimouski Oceanic 1, London Knights 3 Game 3 - May 27, London Knights 3, Medicine Hat Tigers 1 Game 4 - May 30, London Knights 5, Moncton Wildcats 2
