London Knights hit the road

The Knights are hitting the road The London Knights embark on a long road trip as the Brier takes over Budweiser Gardens. CTV London’s Brent Lale reports.

The Knights are about to get really comfortable with their team bus.

“We're going to be on the road for a little while here,” said Rob Simpson, London Knights associate general manager.

The Knights will spend the next three weeks on the road, with the Tim Hortons Brier coming to London, Ont.’s Budweiser Gardens this week.

“Our team has been pretty successful on the road so far this year, so we're looking forward to it,” said Knights goaltender Brett Brochu. “In the OHL [Ontario Hockey League], especially in London, we don't get much time on the road together, so we get to enjoy it.”

Of the Knights’ remaining 11 games in the regular season, eight of those will be away from the comforts of home, including six in a row.

Budweiser Gardens - London - Feb 2023 A Budweiser Gardens employee scrapes the ice in preparation for the Tim Hortons’ Brier in London, Ont. on Feb. 26, 2023. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

The good news — as they fight for first place in the Western Conference and top spot overall — they have the best road record in the league.

They can't quite put a finger on whey they've won 80 per cent of their games on the road, other than to say management assembled a good group of players and people.

“We're such a close team,” said Sean McGurn, the Knights co-captain. “We really get along on the bus rides there and we like winning, and the road back. So it's a lot of fun.”

Work has begun on transforming Budweiser Gardens for Canada's premier men’s curling event. The Plexiglas is down, the ice is being converted to a curling sheet, and tournament signage is up through the venue.

There are positives and negatives to playing in one of the top facilities in the OHL.

Budweiser Gardens - London - Feb 2023 The Plexiglass has been removed from the rink at Budweiser Gardens, as the conversion from hockey to curling begins ahead of the Tim Horton’s Brier (Source: Brent Lale/CTV London)

“We all enjoy playing here,” said Brochu. “But it's the one thing that's tough about playing in ‘the Bud’ is you get a lot of big events.”

But after more than 20 years in the building, the Knights organization is used to being displaced.

“Every year there's Disney on Ice or events like Brier,” said Simpson. “There's so many events here that we're used to kind of be in back and forth. Usually once in a year we have a stretch for a week or two out where we have to practice outside the building.

The Knights will have access to their dressing room, and will practice at Western Fair Sports Centre and the London Sports Park until their next home game on March 17.