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Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Leafs prospect Easton Cowan isn't about to replace Mitch Marner, but he has the DNA the team is looking for
Easton Cowan has accomplished pretty much everything a player can in junior hockey. The top Maple Leafs prospect went out a champion, named the most valuable player in the Memorial Cup after leading the London Knights over the Medicine Hat Tigers in Sunday's final . The question for Cowan isn't so much what's next, but what's the limit? 'If he continues to play with the same tenacity and puck-hounding ability, mixed with his puck skills and playmaking ability, he will be a productive NHL player,' said Frankie Corrado, the former Leafs defenceman who is now an analyst with TSN. 'Will he make the team next year? Depends on his camp. 'If he doesn't make the team out of camp, it should not be seen as a failure in any way, shape or form. He's a really good player with a hunger on the ice. It's only a matter of time until he is there and playing well.' Cowan is the epitome of a late-blooming junior player , a tenacious skater who went under the radar as a second-round pick in the OHL draft in 2021 and who was an eyebrow-raising first-round selection in the NHL draft two years later. The pick may well pay off. Cowan, from Mount Brydges, Ont., has twice represented Canada at the world junior championship. He was the first OHL player with a point in 60 straight games, though it's not an official record because it was set over two seasons. Former Leafs star Doug Gilmour holds the single-season record at 55 games, set with the Cornwall Royals in 1982-83. Nicknamed Cowboy, Cowan finished his junior career in London with 220 points (84 goals, 136 assists) in 175 games. More importantly for a team looking for someone who can rise to the occasion, he had 32 goals and 64 assists in 60 playoff games. He led the OHL playoffs in points in each of the last two post-seasons. He led the Memorial Cup tournament in points last year, and was the co-leader this year. In doing so, he tied Mitch Marner's Knights record of 15 points in Memorial Cup play. Cowan will come to Leafs camp at an intriguing time. There could well be an opening at right wing. Marner might leave as a free agent. The Leafs might also decide to cut bait with Nick Robertson. So there may be an opportunity for a prospect to push through. Having traded Cowan's friend, Fraser Minten, the Leafs aren't particularly deep with prospects at forward. Alex Steeves is generally believed to be their top minor-league prospect, but he could leave as an unrestricted free agent. Jacob Quillan, who scored 18 goals as a rookie with the Marlies, might get a long look. Cowan invigorated Leafs camp in 2023 when he was the last cut. He was only so-so at the 2024 camp, though the team said at the time his overall game was better even if the eye-popping plays were fewer. Those that have watched Cowan play, and watched other junior stars try to make the leap to the NHL, offer some caution. 'He's not ready for prime time next year,' TSN junior hockey analyst Craig Button said. 'Might even need some time in the AHL. But he'll grow and get better with time.' It would be unfair to cast Cowan as a possible replacement for Marner, if the star winger indeed leaves. And he's got a different set of strengths. Cowan plays a bit more like Nazem Kadri, his favourite Leaf as a kid. He's more of a physical player and can be tenacious in pursuing the puck. He's a playmaker as well, with a decent shot. 'He's a great competitor, and edgy,' Button said. 'If (Leafs GM) Brad (Treliving) wants to change the DNA of the Leafs, get players like Easton.' Cowan was five-foot-11, 170 pounds when the Leafs drafted him. He has gained an inch and 15 pounds. 'The thing that will serve him well is that even if he's not necessarily putting up points, he will bring something else to the table,' Corrado said. 'He has a B game that will serve him well.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Knights Take Care Of Business At Memorial Cup
Two words followed the London Knights throughout the 2024-25 season: unfinished business. At first, those two words were whispered behind closed doors in conversations about how the Knights had come up short when they were the favourites to win the 2024 Memorial Cup. Advertisement "We went through the whole process last year and came up short with 20 seconds to go in a hockey game," said Flyers prospect Denver Barkey after the game. "We remembered that all summer and talked about it all year - that's been our motivator," Slowly, the drumbeat grew. First, it was announced that most of the team would return to London for the 2024-25 season. Next, the Knights dominated the OHL, losing only 13 games during the regular season to finish at the top of the OHL. London stomped their way through the playoffs not losing a single game until the OHL Playoff Finals. After dropping game one of the finals, London won four straight games to take down Oshawa and book their tickets to Rimouski for the 2025 Memorial Cup. Steelheads Sign 2025 First-Round Pick Steelheads Sign 2025 First-Round Pick Yesterday, the Brampton Steelheads announced the signing of 2025 OHL Priority Selection first-round pick Keaton Ardagh to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Advertisement At that point, the question was asked point blank. Is there unfinished business for this group? A resounding yes was the response. This season would not be complete without a Memorial Cup victory. On Sunday night, the London Knights took care of business, defeating the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1 to secure the Memorial Cup for the third time in franchise history. Make no mistake, this was a special group of players, the majority of whom came together two seasons ago. They won back-to-back OHL titles and set OHL and franchise records. To cap that off with a Memorial Cup victory must be perfection for a team that seems so close. "This is my family, these guys are my brothers," said San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson. "It feels like it's the perfect ending for this core ... it's how it should have gone out." Advertisement This time around, the Knights had to walk the hard road to the Memorial Cup Final after they lost their first encounter with the Tigers 3-1. Medicine Hat went down early in that game before scoring three unanswered goals to seal their place in the final. Knights Heading To Memorial Cup Semi-Finals Following Loss To Medicine Hat Knights Heading To Memorial Cup Semi-Finals Following Loss To Medicine Hat The London Knights missed out on the opportunity to go straight to the Memorial Cup Finals due to a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Medicine Hat Tigers on Tuesday night. London made it through the semi-final in dominant fashion beating Moncton 5-2 while outshooting their opponent 37-23. Advertisement In the rematch against Medicine Hat, it was once again the Knights who struck first. Winnipeg Jets prospect Jacob Julien scored halfway through the first to give London the early lead. The score would remain 1-0 heading into the second. As they did so often in the OHL Playoffs, the Knights took over in the second period, opening up a four-goal lead within the opening 12 minutes of the period thanks to a goal from Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan and a pair scored by Barkey. Former Colt To Take Up Head Coaching Reins In Barrie Former Colt To Take Up Head Coaching Reins In Barrie Earlier today, the Barrie Colts announced that Assistant Coach Dylan Smoskowitz will take over as Head Coach effective immediately. He replaces Marty Williamson, who will stay on with the club as Vice President and GM of Hockey Operations moving forward. Advertisement The Tigers pushed back in the third with star forward Gavin McKenna scoring a goal early in the period to give the team hope. With minutes to go McKenna put another puck into the net before the goal was called back upon review. The Knights fought the Tigers off for the rest of the period leading to the final score of 4-1. The win gave Head Coach Dale Hunter his third Memorial Cup trophy, tying him for the most ever won by single coach. Early in the tournament he took the title of most wins in Memorial Cup history. This London team will go down in the history books as one of the best rosters ever iced by an OHL team. Their accomplishments are impressive, and many of these players will make their way into the NHL in the very near future. While this team will never play together again, their names will sit next to each other on the Memorial Cup.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Maple Leafs need to keep Easton Cowan and give him a legitimate shot
If Brad Treliving feels the urge to include Easton Cowan in a trade this summer, the Maple Leafs general manager should resist it. Strongly. The Leafs have to have some sort of hope for the future in regard to their prospects at forward, don't they? The cold reality is that Cowan, fresh off being named the most valuable player in the 2025 Memorial Cup after the London Knights beat the Medicine Hat Tigers in the final in Rimouski, Que., on Sunday night, stands alone in Toronto's prospect pool. The date of March 7 was pivotal for the Leafs as it related to its group of youngsters who could one day play in the National Hockey League. At the trade deadline, Treliving included centre Fraser Minten in a swap with the Boston Bruins to get defenceman Brandon Carlo and, when he acquired forward Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers, winger Nikita Grebenkin was part of the package that went to Philly. With Minten and Grebenkin gone, there's quite a drop from Cowan to the next forwards who the Leafs might look to one day to make an impact. But as for the group that includes Jacob Quillan, Miroslav Holinka, Nick Moldenhauer, Joe Miller and Roni Hirvonen, it might be a stretch to assume that any of them will one day become full-time Leafs. It's too early to say what Luke Haymes and Ryan Kirwan, both signed out of college this past year, could eventually provide. Cowan easily is the best of the bunch. What kind of NHL player the 20-year-old eventually develops into is to be determined, yet how can there not be a solid foundation of optimism for someone who has been dominant in the past two Ontario Hockey League seasons? At his end-of-season media availability last week, Treliving made the comment that 'champions have the ability to be calm and at their very best when it matters the most.' It was in reference to the Florida Panthers and Treliving acknowledged that the Leafs have to find improvement in that regard (no kidding). The gap between major junior hockey to the NHL undoubtedly is significant. Still, the fact that Cowan, with the Knights, fits Treliving's champion thoughts to a T has to be a source of encouragement for the organization as a whole. A year ago, Cowan was named the OHL playoffs MVP and then led the Memorial Cup in scoring, though London lost in the Cup final against the host Saginaw Spirit. This year, Cowan led the OHL in playoff scoring, leading London to a five-game win against the Oshawa Generals in the final, and led the Memorial Cup in scoring on the way to being named tournament MVP. With what Cowan has accomplished, there has been a comparison made to what Mitch Marner did with the Knights in the mid-2010s. Nine years ago, Marner was named the Memorial Cup MVP after London won the 2016 event in Red Deer, Alta., with an overtime victory against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. That was after Marner led the OHL playoffs in scoring as London went 16-2 in the post-season, sweeping Niagara in the final. The difference — and it's not a small one — is that Marner did what he did a year ahead of Cowan. Marner turned 19 during the 2015 OHL playoffs. Cowan had his 20th birthday on May 20, three days before the Memorial Cup started. Marner's future isn't known, but that's only because no one can say with certainty where he will sign on July 1. What seems to be accepted, though we suppose that no door should be completely shut, is that it won't be with Toronto. As of now, the Leafs don't have a first-round pick in each of the next three years. It's true that to help fill the void that would result in Marner's departure, free agency alone won't get it done. Treliving is going to have to leave no stone unturned when investigating potential trades. And it's also true that, outside of Cowan and Matthew Knies, there aren't many young forwards (apologies to Nick Robertson) that other teams might insist to include in a trade. A look at Brad Treliving's work two years into his tenure as Maple Leafs GM London Knights redeem themselves with Memorial Cup crown Obviously, including Knies in a deal is not an option. Similar thinking should apply to Cowan. Once the Leafs get through training camp and the pre-season in September and October, they should have a firm idea of where Cowan slots into the lineup. He has the potential to one day be a difference-maker in the NHL. At the least, Cowan should get that opportunity with Toronto. Marner and Leafs captain Auston Matthews got some Selke Trophy love, following the pattern that has played out in the past several years. The Panthers' Aleksander Barkov was announced as the winner on Monday of the Selke, awarded to the best defensive forward in the NHL, finishing ahead of teammate Sam Reinhart and the Tampa Bay Lightning's Anthony Cirelli. Marner was seventh in voting by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, marking his third top-10 finish in five years. Marner came closest to winning the Selke in 2022-23 when he was third in voting. Matthews was 14th in voting, marking the fourth time in four years he has finished in the top 15. In 2023-24, Matthews was third in voting for his best placing to date. tkoshan@ X: @koshtorontosun
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Windsor's Evola leaves Spitfires to become GM of IceDogs
Article content The Windsor Spitfires are one of the most stable franchises in the Ontario Hockey League. Article content Article content It's probably why the Niagara IceDogs were drawn to Frank Evola, who was named the team's general manager on Monday after eight years as director of scouting and hockey operations with the Spitfires. Article content 'It's an opportunity to better my career and something I've strived for,' said the 52-year-old Evola, who is a Windsor native. 'It's the perfect time in my career and the opportunity in Niagara, with the market and the team, makes it a great destination.' Article content Article content The IceDogs have had issues in recent years. Owner Darren DeDobbelaer bought the team in 2022 and named himself general manager, but he was handed a two-year suspension by the OHL in May of 2023. Article content Article content His suspension from that post ended on Sunday, but another league investigation brought sweeping changes to the team last month. Article content The club announced DeDobbelaer would step back from day-to-day operations with general manager Wes Consorti moving into a new role as executive liaison between ownership and the club's operational leadership. Article content As well, head coach Ben Boudreau was let go along with assistants Dan Paille and Marc Slawson, who were not renewed. Evola will now be tasked with hiring the team's fourth head coach since DeDobbelaer purchased the team. Article content 'At the end of the day, I say this to people,' Evola said. 'I wouldn't be in this position if everything went right in Niagara. Sometimes. you take advantage of a situation and you run with it and try to do the best for the organization and the OHL.' Article content Article content Article content An Assumption high school product, Evola got his start in the OHL as a scout with the Oshawa Generals in 2007-08 and remained with the team through 2015-16 and its Memorial Cup run in 2015. He has been involved at the minor hockey level locally with Sun County and Windsor as well as Mississauga, Oshawa and Vaughan before joining the Spitfires prior to the 2017-18 season. Article content 'I've learned a ton from the ownership groups in Windsor and Oshawa and I've matured as a person and that's a testament to the organizations,' Evola said. 'Bill (Bowler, the Spitfires' general manager) has taught me a ton along with (former Spitfires' GM) Warren Rachel and (Generals' director of hockey operations) Mike Kelly and you take bits and pieces as you go along. I've learned a ton along the way and I've had a ton of support.' Article content Evola has helped build a Windsor team that has won three division titles in the past four seasons and oversaw two massively productive drafts for the club in 2022 and 2024.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2025 Memorial Cup: London Knights Capture Crown And Redemption With Win In Final
The London Knights are once again Memorial Cup champions. The OHL's most dominant franchise over the last quarter century has once again asserted itself as CHL royalty, and it was a long, winding road to get there. Almost three years ago, the London Knights began what was supposed to be a rebuild or retool, an unusual spot for the franchise. That year, they made it all the way to the OHL final with a new core of stars emerging along the way. Denver Barkey, Easton Cowan, Oliver Bonk and Sam Dickinson were the future of the franchise and their growth and improvement over the following two seasons would set the Knights up for a historic run. Advertisement Last year, they were looking to build off that relatively surprising season and they were dominant en route to an OHL championship before falling just short in the Memorial Cup final, losing on a last-second goal against Saginaw. They took a step – winning the OHL championship – but ultimately still finished their season with an agonizing loss in their final game. This year, they weren't going to let the heroics of an opposing player or anything else get in there way. After dismantling every opponent that they came up against in the OHL and cruising to a league title for a second straight year, along with gaining entrance into the Memorial Cup, they finished second in the round robin. This was because of a loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers in a very hard fought game, but they breezed by the Moncton Wildcats to reach the final and a rematch with those same Tigers. After Jacob Julien opened the scoring in the first period, the Knights' core began to take over in the second period. Cowan scored on a net drive play, tapping a pass from below the goal line in from the top of the crease. About a minute and a half later, Barkey picked up a puck in the neutral zone, burst up ice for a breakaway and scored a beauty to put the Knights up three goals early in the second period. After Barkey added another for his second of the night, the Knights were up 4-0 heading into the third period against a very strong Medicine Hat squad that hadn't lost a game to this point at the Memorial Cup tournament after ripping through the WHL for a league title. A team that strong wouldn't go down without a fight. Advertisement As London looked to park the bus a bit and lock down their big lead, Medicine Hat pushed back, and it was no shock that 2026 NHL draft phenom Gavin McKenna was at the center of it all. Under three minutes into the final frame, McKenna caught a pass on the half wall and cut to the middle quickly before firing a laser by the London netminder. The shiftiness of McKenna finally broke through the tight defense that London had played on him to that point. The Tigers continued to push, but the Knights continued to do their best not to break. With time winding down and their hopes beginning to be lost, McKenna found the back of the net once again, but the goal was reviewed and called back for a high stick earlier in the play by the Tigers. McKenna and the Tigers were understandably upset on the bench, but they kept pushing. Advertisement When the Tigers pulled their goalie, it was all of the Knights' core players who were leading shifts out on the ice. Barkey was blocking shots. Dickinson was clearing the slot. Bonk was making defensive stops. Cowan was winning puck races. The core four were doing what it took to win in the biggest game of the year. The London Knights were celebrating on the bench as the clock wound down and gloves went flying as the clock hit zero and the CHL finally crowned their kings. This was a team of destiny. They began a rebuild and immediately got to the league final before losing. They came back the next year to win the OHL final but lost the Memorial Cup. They followed that up with this year's Memorial Cup win. The progression of the core and the team around them was incredible. Advertisement Dale Hunter had a special tournament in his own right behind the bench. He became the winningest coach in Memorial Cup tournament history, finishing off with 17 wins after the championship game. He tied Don Hay for most Memorial Cup wins by a head coach as well. He didn't want any of the spotlight, though, making it very clear in the aftermath of the game that this was a special team that he had the opportunity to coach. 'Skill and will to win, that's always the key,' noted Hunter. 'We came up short last year, it hurt a lot, these boys were determined right from the get-go.' The stars were grateful for the opportunity that this team and the fans in London gave them over the years as they look to appreciate this championship before the large group of them look to move to pro hockey this year. 'We hung out every day. We'd get ice cream together and watch horror movies together, even though I'm not a big fan of the horror movies,' laughed Cowan, who won MVP and led the tournament in scoring. 'What a team we had.' Denver Barkey, Jared Woolley, Oliver Bonk, Easton Cowan and Sam O'Reilly (Vincent Ethier / CHL) The Knights were a deserved champion. They built this team up and developed all of the key players on this team. Advertisement 'We've kind of been working towards it for all four years here. To come up short last year and then get it done tonight, it's a surreal feeling,' Knights captain Barkey said, overjoyed. 'I'm so proud. I went down in the Kitchener series, and I didn't know if I'd play again this year, but these guys stepped up and made sure I played hockey again this year.' The London Knights are sitting atop the CHL throne, once again as Memorial Cup champions. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
