Islanders Prospect Report: May 28, 2024

GEORGE AND THE KNIGHTS START 2-0 AT MEMORIAL CUP 

Isaiah George and the London Knights are off to a great start in the 2024 Memorial Cup tournament, earning wins over the Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) and the Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) to go up 2-0 in the competition.  

After the Knights opened the tournament with a 4-0 shutout victory over Drummondville on Saturday, London pulled out a 5-4 against the Warriors in Monday night’s contest. George was utilized on the penalty kill and had a defensively sound performance, on the ice for all four penalties the Knights killed off. The 20-year-old defenseman recorded three shots in the game.  

The win guaranteed that London won’t be eliminated after the round robin competition, but they have a prime opportunity to bypass the semifinals if they win their third and final matchup. George and the Knights will take on the host Saginaw Spirit on Wednesday night and both teams are 2-0 in the tournament. The stakes are high, as Knights have the chance to avoid the semifinals and earn the bye to Sunday’s final.

While every other game in the tournament has been a cross-league matchup, these two OHL foes have seen plenty of each other this season. The Knights battled past the Spirit en route to the Memorial Cup, beating them in six games to advance to the OHL Finals. The Knights finished the regular season with 104 points, two points ahead of the Spirit (102 points).  

George, who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft (98th overall) is on a mission to cap off his junior hockey career with a Memorial Cup title in his first appearance in the tourna,ment. The most recent Islanders prospect to win the Memorial Cup is William Dufour with the Saint John Sea Dogs (2022).  

STATS 

CHL: 

Isaiah George | London (OHL) | 68GP, 6G, 24A, 30P, 54PIM 

Isaiah George | London (Playoffs) | 18GP, 4G, 8A, 12P, 2PIM 

Isaiah George | London (Memorial Cup) 2GP, 0G, 0A, 0P, 0PIM