London Knights goaltender Aleksei Medvedev loves everything about the playoffs: the atmosphere, the competition, and the big moments.
Having been part of the Memorial Cup-winning team last season, the 18-year-old enters the postseason with playoff and championship experience under his belt. He has been pulling from that experience to help his team as they prepare for the first round this week.
The Knights play at Canada Life Arena, which sells out at just over 9,000 seats each game. Fans take it to another level in the postseason, and Medvedev is looking forward to the playoff atmosphere.
“It's different in playoffs for sure; it's really special,” Medvedev said. “It’s my second time in the playoffs, so it's great to see and great to play in an arena like that.”
That energy will be on display as London (4) opens its first-round matchup against the Soo Greyhounds (5). The Knights finished the regular season with a 40-23-4-1 record and a slight edge in the season series – besting the Greyhounds three out of four meetings. The Knights know the margin is thin, and Medvedev knows exactly where their focus needs to be.
"It's a good matchup for us. It's a good amount of traveling, but we're ready for it, and we're really excited,” he said. “We're just really focused on this series and doing everything we can to prepare for it and focus on game one right now.”
Playing the Greyhounds from Sault Ste. Marie means both teams will have to make an eight-hour drive at least once each.
“It's probably like the furthest drive we could get,” Medvedev laughed.
He hasn’t perfected sleeping on the bus, but he’s good enough to get by and catch a few cat naps.
The mindset for Game 1 is reinforced by a locker room that still carries championship DNA. There’s a handful of returning players who understand the grind of a long playoff run, and Medvedev says that it adds confidence to the group.
“We have a few returning guys from last year, so that definitely helps,” Medvedev said. “That experience and leadership we have in our room to help our guys that are just coming into the league and going into their first playoff series is big. I feel like that experience helps our team a lot, and we will definitely use it to our advantage.”
For a young goaltender, handling pressure and getting the mindset right is important. Medvedev says that pressure is a privilege, and he’s focused on channelling it constructively by staying even-keel through the ups and downs of a series and taking one game at a time.
“My off-ice warm-ups, stuff like that, just trying to be as focused as I can on every task I do at the rink, so that carries over to the game. Hopefully, you get rid of the thoughts and are just present and enjoying the game,” he said.
Medvedev talked about the importance of starting the game on time and setting the tone. The first few minutes of Game 1 there’s usually some nerves before everyone settles in.
“You want to bring that energy right away, and set the tone, not just for the game, but for the whole series and take that momentum and use it for your advantage,” he said.
He reflected on his game heading into the playoffs, noting the area he’s taken the biggest step this season is the mental part of the game. He got out to a hot start this season, earning OHL Goaltender of the Week honours in November after posting a .970 save percentage, a 1.00 goals-against average, and two wins. It’s hard to sustain those numbers, but through the ebbs and flows of the season, he’s made it a point to focus on controlling the controllables.
“I feel like I've grown a lot as a person, as an athlete, and just my mindset and my mental side of the game has grown a lot,” Medvedev said. “I've learned a lot of things, I've learned a lot of lessons from playing and practicing, and it's been great.”
With the postseason about to get underway, Medvedev is calm in his approach and is ready for the moment.
