Ottawa West Golden Knights Looking to Take That Next Step

Last season was an exciting time for the Ottawa West Golden Knights.

The West Golden Knights provided lots of excitement as they rebounded from a 50-point season two years ago to finish first in the Martin Division last year. The team finished the season with 73 points before eventually experiencing playoff heartbreak against their divisional rivals, the Casselman Vikings.

Following an exciting 36-7-0-0 regular season, the Ottawa West Golden Knight’s quest for an Eastern Junior Hockey League championship began in fine fashion as they needed only five games to finish off the Embrun Panthers in their best of seven divisional semi-finals before losing in six to the defending champions Casselman Vikings in the finals.

“Our arch rivals,” West Golden Knights head coach, GM and team owner Steve Sundin said. “The games were so close. There were three that went into overtime. We got some bad bounces. They were all 1 goal games.”

Sundin, who has coached minor and junior hockey for years before jumping at the chance to own the West Golden Knights, has seen his team this year jump out to an early 15-7-2-1 start, which, as of December 2nd has them holding down second place seven points behind Casselman in the Martin Division.

Heading into this season, the West Golden Knights lost eight players who aged out, including Nepean Ontario resident and last year’s league MVP forward Jack Parker, who last year, in 42 regular season games, scored 41 goals along with 76 points and 45 PIMs.

“We always have a camp in June, and we found a couple of guys like Tyson MacCoubrey. We try to build the best team we can,” Sundin said.

MacCoubrey, who was only one of a handful of players Sundin mentioned, is a highly skilled 18-year-old 6’0” centerman from Whitby, Ontario, who, in his rookie season, has scored five goals along with eight points and 20 penalty minutes in 17 games.

Two veterans who are off to solid starts are forwards Connor Dickey, who in 25 games leads the team with 20 goals and 35 points, along with Justin Murdoch, who so far this year has produced 16 goals and 30 points in 24 games.

“Justin and Connor are really special players,” Sundin said.

Also having a strong season for Ottawa is rookie defenceman Carter Pilon, who, with 11 assists and 29 PIMs in his first 21 games, has impressed Sundin.

“He’s really special,” Sundin said. “He’s built like Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins forward). He hits like him, and he can really skate.”

Another positive storyline coming from the West Golden Knight’s season has been the play of forward Jacob Perreault, who has produced eight goals and 32 points in his first 23 games.

In early November, Perreault won Week 7 Source for Sports Player of the Week, which came on the strength of producing two goals and seven points in two games played. “He has played really well for us,” Sundin said.

Meanwhile, Sundin also couldn’t say enough about rookie forward Cooper Moore, who, with 15 goals along with 25 points in 24 games, has made an immediate impression.

“Cooper Moore played for Hearst (Lumberjacks) last year, and he has been a really nice surprise,” Sundin said. “He has soft hands and is a big boy who scored in bunches. He is 19 years old, so we have to do it in the next two years.”

When asked what it would mean for his West Golden Knights team to win the championship, Sundin responded, “It would be so special to me. We’ve been close every year, but Casselman has found a way to win. We have a shot every year; we just have to clean some stuff up.”

Time will tell if this is the year Ottawa gets to lift the prestigious championship trophy.

Photo: Ethan van Diepen