Austin Elliott made 30 saves in his Ontario Hockey League debut as the London Knights topped the Erie Otters 3-1 on Sunday, Oct. 20 at Canada Life Place.
The victory gave Elliott wins in two leagues in the Canadian Hockey League.
The Strathmore, Alta., native began his major junior career with the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League during the 2021-22 season and won 58 regular season games over his time in Saskatchewan.
Elliott was called on to make some big saves at times and lived up to his “Stone Cold” nickname that he was given with the Blades.
Otters goalie Noah Erliden was the story early in the game. He made 17 stops in the opening period to send the teams to their dressing rooms at 0-0 through 20 minutes.
London broke the ice twice in the second period.
Oliver Bonk put a puck into the Erie net but the play was reviewed and was ruled offside.
The Knights kept coming and got rewarded when London defenceman Jared Woolley got the puck to the slot and Rene Van Bommel put it into the net at the 9:39 mark to finally put a goal on what had been a lonely scoreboard.
That goal wasn’t alone for long.
Just 24 seconds after Van Bommel’s goal a loose puck in the Knights end was scooped up by Sam Alfano and he swooped to the net and deked a backhand shot past Austin Elliott who made his London debut.
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan put the Knights ahead again with a power play goal at 14:48 of the second period and then London’s William Nicholl jumped into a pile of people at his end of the ice and dislodged a puck that the Knights carried through centre ice and Nicholl and Henry Brzustewicz combined to set up Jesse Nurmi for his second goal of the season.
Brzustewicz now has seven assists in seven games played this year and London took a 3-1 lead over the Otters after 40 minutes.
Elliott made 13 saves in the final period for the Knights including a massive one on a cross-crease feed to Alfano as he helped carry London to their fourth win in five tries.
The Knights outshot Erie 37-31.
London was 1-for-3 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
Logan Mailloux scores his first NHL goal
On Friday, Oct. 18 the Montreal Canadiens recalled Logan Mailloux after his hot offensive start with the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League.
On Saturday, Oct. 19 the former London Knight and London Nationals defenceman scored his first goal in the National Hockey League against the New York Islanders.
After a could of chances around the Islanders net Mailloux found a soft spot at the top of the left circle in the New York zone and Jake Evans found him. Mailloux drilled a shot off the post and in to tie the game 2-2 at that point.
The Islanders would eventually win in a shootout.
Ruslan Gazizov rocks professional debut
Former London Knights forward Ruslan Gazizov scored twice and added an assist in his ECHL debut with the Tulsa Oilers. Gazizov and the Oilers took down the Rapid City Rush 7-1 on Oct. 19 in their season opener.
Gazizov signed a contract with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League after attending training camp with the Anaheim Ducks.
He was reassigned to Tulsa before the start of the ECHL season.
Up next
The Knights will play their first set of three games in three days beginning on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m., at home against the Brantford Bulldogs.
London will go to Saginaw to play the Spirit the next night and then finish up against the Sarnia Sting at 2 p.m., on Sunday, Oct. 27.
All games can be heard on 980 CFPL, at http://www.980cfpl.ca and on the iHeart Radio and Radioplayer Canada apps with the pregame show beginning 30 minutes before puck drop.
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