By Will MacLaren, Features writer
When London Knights captain
Denver Barkey hoisted the Memorial Cup over his head in Rimouski, Que.,
the first thing he did, naturally, was deliver it to his teammates. The
next thing he did was skate toward a few hundred rabid supporters in the
corner of the building, many of whom made the nearly 13-hour drive to
the south shore of the St. Lawrence to celebrate a story of redemption
with their favorite sons.
It wasn’t just symbolic for Barkey; it
was necessary. “They mean everything to us,” he said. “They’ve done so
much for me. They always show up. It’s a great community that always
rallies around us. I’m so happy for them.”
A left winger in his
fourth OHL season, Barkey scored twice to help propel the Knights to a
4-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 105th Memorial Cup
final. Easton Cowan – who took home the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy
as the tournament’s MVP – and overager Jacob Julien also scored for the
Knights, who have claimed three national titles over the past 20 years.
This triumph comes on the heels of back-to-back OHL championships and
three league final appearances in a row for the franchise considered by
many to be the CHL’s crown jewel.
The
fans who showed up for Barkey were merely repaying the favor. Since
2021, when he first put on the iconic green jersey, there’s been an
attachment between player and city. This reached a new level this season
with the establishment of Barkey’s Buds. The initiative provides
tickets to Knights games to those impacted by financial barriers. The
organization also acquired hockey equipment for those in London
Community Housing through donations and the sale of Barkey’s Buds
T-shirts.
The passion Barkey, a native of Newmarket, Ont., shows
for his adopted hometown is just as intense as his admiration for his
teammates and his desire to help the Knights overcome their experience
from last year’s Memorial Cup final, which saw the club lose in the last
minute of regulation to the host Saginaw Spirit. “That was the message
since Day 1 of training camp: remember how that felt and express it to
the guys who weren’t here for it last year,” Barkey said. “It’s been our
fuel and motivation all year long.”
Though Barkey was the first
to touch the trophy this year, his thoughts were with his teammates
celebrating all around him. “These guys have taught me so much,” he
said. “There are…