With his hometown team, Michael Simpson getting second chance at Memorial Cup

They say never to waste an opportunity because you might not get a second one.

Last year in Kamloops, Michael Simpson came up just short of winning the Memorial Cup after a great run with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes. They ultimately lost to the eventual runner-ups, the Seattle Thunderbirds. He said the experience was unforgettable and is ready for another shot at the Memorial Cup.

“Last year’s pretty heartbreaking,” Simpson said. “I think it just gives such a motivation to try and get there this year. Obviously, just a lot of excitement. It’s a pretty prestigious tournament…it’s a lot of fun playing in it.”

Simpson was outstanding during the 2023 postseason, earning OHL Playoff MVP honors. BUt the Petes began shopping the overage goaltender during the summer, looking for Simpson to find a home with the best chance to win in his final year of junior hockey.

It only made sense for Petes’ general manager, Michael Oke, to send Simpson to his hometown London Knights.

In late September, Simpson was traded for goaltender Zach Bowen and Kingston’s 2025 third-round pick. This is ironic because the Petes ousted the Knights in the OHL final on their way to the Memorial Cup last year.

The move paid off for both Simpson. The 21-year-old posted a 34-10-1-1 record during the regular season, finishing second in the OHL in wins behind Jacob Oster of the Oshawa Generals. He posted a league-leading 2.61 goals-against average, with a .905 save percentage that was tied for third. Simpson also registered four shutouts, tied for the most in the OHL.

The 6-foot-1 backstop was exceptional in the playoffs, as London lost just twice on their way to the franchise’s fifth J. Ross Robertson Cup, the first since the team last won the Memorial Cup in 2016.

“A lot of the guys who were on the team last year…they had that bitter taste in their mouth throughout the year,” Simpson said about his London teammates that lost to the Petes. “It really felt like they were motivated to make it to the OHL final, and win this time. I think that was kind of mindset the whole way, it was like, ‘Win the league or bust.'”

He admits that having this incredible run with the team he grew up cheering for is surreal.

“It’s definitely a dream come true, seeing so many OHL Championships, teams that won over my childhood,” he said. “To be put in a place with them in Knights history, being on a championship team, it really brings a smile to my face.”

Simpson came up through the Knights system, playing on London Jr. Knights AAA teams before jumping to the ‘O’.

“I spent a lot of time at [Budweiser Gardens] just watching games, watching the goalies,” Simpson said. “I think every kid wants to go to the NHL, it just felt like the London Knights was the NHL for me…having them right in the backyard, being able to watch them every Friday night, listening to [broadcaster Mike] Stubbs for road games. It’s quite the organization.”

In preparation for the Memorial Cup, Simpson is planning on experiencing a couple of aspects of the event again in Saginaw.

“It’s a pretty quick turnaround (from the OHL championship),” he said. “You kind of need to have that simple mindset of just worrying about one day at a time, one game at a time. You can’t really focus on the whole…you run in circles a bit with that mindset. That’s kind of what we caught up with a bit last year. As soon as you can stay in the moment, and take everything for what it’s worth, just have as much fun as you can, that’s when you start playing good.”

Simpson said London having a full bill of health is a big bonus heading into the tournament.

“With Peterborough last year, we had a lot of firepower…we were dealing with bumps and bruises, guys banged up and playing through some pretty tough injuries. Whereas [in London], we’re kind of just hitting our stride at the right time. Beating Oshawa, we got a pretty good break to recharge, have a bit of fun and celebrate the trophy.”

The Knights have had a little time off since sweeping the Oshawa Generals in the OHL final over a week ago. Fortunately, with just a handful of losses all playoffs, it wasn’t as big of a grind as it could have been, game-wise.

“We’re getting some good practice time in,” Simpson said. “Last year in Peterborough, we won, we had a day to skate, then we flew right out [to Kamloops]. It’s good to get the off time, and I think that’s going to help a lot in this tournament. It feels like there’s something a little bit different in London this year…we feel like we have a really good chance of winning the Memorial Cup this year.”

The Knights begin tournament play on Saturday night, taking on the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League champions, the Drummondville Voltigeurs.