Knights achieve 24th straight playoff berth, showcasing enduring organizational excellence. Their dynasty thrives on smart management and a winning culture.
Credit: Luke Durda/OHL ImagesThe OHL’s gold standard of consistency has done it again. The London Knights recently clinched a playoff berth for the 24th consecutive season, extending the longest active postseason streak in the league.
The milestone came following a decisive 6-2 victory over the Owen Sound Attack on Family Day, a win that officially secured London’s place in the 2026 playoffs and reinforced the franchise’s reputation as one of junior hockey’s most stable and successful organizations.
London’s impressive playoff streak dates back to the 2000-01 season. Fittingly, that is when Dale and Mark Hunter took over ownership of the franchise. Within this span, the London Knights have captured eight Western Conference championships, six OHL championships, and three Memorial Cups. Beyond championships, the Hunters have built a program known for preparing players for the professional level
Since taking over, the Hunter brothers have transformed the Knights organization into a perennial contender and one of the most attractive destinations in junior hockey across the globe. Their consistency and smart roster management have allowed London to avoid prolonged rebuilding phases, something rarely seen in major junior hockey, where roster turnover is constant.
Take this season, for example. After back-to-back OHL championships in 2024 and 2025, the Knights lost several star players: Easton Cowan, Denver Barkey, Oliver Bonk, and Kasper Halttunen. Many expected the Knights to fall into the middle of the pack, but they’ve stayed above the middle and could provide a tough first-round matchup for whoever gets them.
The Knights decided to sell at this year’s trade deadline, not something Mark Hunter is used to doing. He pulled off one of the biggest trades of the season, surprisingly with a rival organization, the Kitchener Rangers.
Sam O’Reilly and Jared Woolley were sent to the Rangers in exchange for an astonishing ten draft picks and NHL draft-eligible defenseman Jacob Xu. Those ten picks are the most a team has received in one trade this season.
They also recouped draft picks for forward Ben Wilmott and defenseman Julian Brown.
After winning on Family Day against Owen Sound, London improves to 32-18-4-1 on the season. What’s even more impressive is that despite selling off all of those players, London has a record of 10-4-1-1 since the trade deadline.
The “next-man-up” culture has been a defining characteristic of the franchise during the Hunter era. They have developed a sustainable development pipeline with some of the best junior hockey scouts, enabling them to consistently identify their next stars.
Look at a player like Jaxon Cover. The team drafted him in the fourth round in 2024. They let him develop at St. Andrew’s College last season. Now, he’s a pivotal top-six offensive contributor for the Knights and is likely to go within the first two rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft.
While London’s streak stands alone at the top, both the Oshawa Generals and Owen Sound Attack currently trail with impressive active playoff streaks of 13 seasons. Their sustained competitiveness highlights strong organizational structures as well, but neither has matched the remarkable two-decade run London continues to maintain, and Oshawa’s run appears to be reaching an end.
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