Saginaw takes home Memorial Cup after last-second goal against London Knights

The overcast, rainy weather matched the mood of London Knights fans as they left the Memorial Cup watch party in London's downtown core late Sunday night.

Decked out in green and yellow with jerseys and flashing novelty glasses to match, Knights fans from across the London area piled onto Dundas Place outside of Budweiser Gardens, dubbed "Knights Court," to watch the team take home their third Memorial Cup.

But it wasn't to be.

Fans were left bitterly disappointed after host Saginaw Spirit broke a tie game with 21.7 seconds left in the third period, shutting out the Knights 4-3 to win their first ever Memorial Cup.

It capped off an evening that began with exuberance and optimism about the team's prospects.

London beat Saginaw in six games in the OHL's Western Conference championship series, and topped them 4-2 on Wednesday in the round-robin finale.

Karen Layton and her 10-year-old daughter, Ellis, were among the hundreds of Knights fans who ventured downtown to cheer them on.

"We've been fans for a very long time... I would say a lifetime. We spent her fourth birthday party at a Knights game here with her friends," Layton said, recalling when members of the team visited Ellis in the hospital over the holidays.

"The Knights team (were) doing rounds of the units, and they came and visited Ellis's room, and were able to just give them a bit of joy when times were a little bit more strained."

Support was also shown by London's mayor and deputy mayor, who watched the game at a table with Ward 5 Coun. Jerry Pribil and Ward 13 Coun. David Ferreira.

"They're playing well. I mean, obviously, the score isn't what we prefer, but this is how other games have started off," Morgan said midway through the first period, referring to Saginaw's one-point lead.

"They're a strong team. They're good. We got a great crowd cheering them on. I know there's a strong London presence there in Saginaw, as well."

Lewis said he remembered fondly the team's 2005 Memorial Cup win at home, their first, and their second cup victory in 2016.

"It's electric. I mean, this is a team that's a championship team, are in contention almost every season," he said.

"This is a team that's just been on fire in the second half of the season. And there's two full periods of hockey-plus to go."

Saginaw ended the first period with a 2-0 lead over the Knights thanks to a power-play goal, scored 45 seconds before the buzzer. London's Landon Sim had been given a major penalty and game misconduct for an elbow to the head of Saginaw defenseman Zayne Parekh.

"I think they're going to pull it off, and they're going to make sure that they show Saginaw what London hockey's about," said Annie Timmermans, a self-described fan of the team since their London Ice House days.

Asked whether she had a favourite player, Timmermans said she couldn't pick.

"I know them all, so I can't pick a favourite," she said with a laugh. "They're all really great, amazing guys."

Knights fans were left feeling deflated just under eight minutes into the second period after Saginaw's Joey Willis gave the team their third goal.

The feeling was short-lived, however, after Kasper Halttunen scored London's first goal about two minutes later to terrific celebration.

"They're a good comeback team, they'll come back in the third period. We've come back against greater odds before so I'm very confident," said Knights fan Lisa Thomas.

"If anybody can come back in the third period, the Knights can," said former Downtown London head Janette MacDonald, who was watching the game with Thomas and several others.

"Halttunen is definitely going to get another goal. He's my favourite."

While Halttunen may not have scored another goal, two of his teammates did.

Easton Cowan pocketed the team's second goal at 7:48 in the third period, followed by Sam Dickinson around 10:16, leaving the game tied 3-3 and the London crowd buzzing.

With less than 30 seconds on the clock, it looked as though the two teams would be heading to overtime. The Spirit's Josh Bloom ended London's hopes with the game-winning goal with seconds to spare.

"A tough loss, but at the end of the day, we knew that this was how it was going to finish, in terms of the best two teams in the CHL, going head-to-head," said Lewis after the game.

"It was a close, tough, hard-fought game. It's a game of inches, and a game of bounces, and tonight it just didn't go our way...for Knights fans, chin up, because a lot of these boys are coming back next year, and we're going to be just as competitive."