Sam Dickinson of the London Knights [Luke Durda/OHL Images].

Just days after winning the Max Kaminsky Trophy, San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson scored four points to help London overcome Kitchener 5-2 in game one of the Western Conference Finals.

"We came out strong, which was a focal point and something we talked about before the game," said Dickinson. "We were happy with that, and it carried throughout the entire game."

Will Michael Misa be a top-three pick at the 2025 NHL Draft?

The reigning J. Ross Robertson Cup winners dominated the Rangers in the opening 20 minutes of the game. They peppered Clarkson University commit Jackson Parsons, ultimately outshooting Kitchener 21-8 at the end of the first.

Along with the heavy shooting totals came goal after goal. Landon Sim scored the opening goal of the series just over two minutes into the game, followed by Dickinson's first goal of the night, a minute and seven seconds later.

The offensively gifted defender then assisted on fellow Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen's power-play goal before scoring his second goal of the night with 10 seconds remaining in the first.

San Jose Sharks Prospect Named OHL Defenseman Of The year Earlier today, the OHL announced that <a href="http://thn.com/sanjose">San Jose Sharks p</a>rospect Sam Dickinson is the 2024-25 winner of the Max Kaminsky Trophy, which is awarded to the OHL Defenseman of the Year. 

"We didn't play well," said Rangers' Head Coach Jussi Ahokas. "Two goals came on the first two chances and then we stopped playing for a while and didn't play Kitchener Rangers' hockey in the first."

The rest of the game looked much better from the point of view of a Rangers fan. The two teams exchanged goals in the second, and Kitchener scored the only goal in the third, leading to a final score of 5-2 in favour of London.

While Ahokas thought his team played better in the second and third, it ultimately wasn't enough.

Luca Romano, who is eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, scored both goals for Kitcher during the game, and Parsons looked much better in the second half of the game, making 19 saves on 20 shots.

"Defensively, we have to be harder on guys," said Romano. "We have to eliminate space, play hard and finish checks, and I think it'll turn around for us."

Colts Heading To Eastern Conference Finals After Game Seven Win The Barrie Colts beat the Kingston Frontenacs 6-4 in game seven to win the second-round series and remain undefeated on home ice during the postseason. 

During the post-game press conferences, both coaches expressed their dislike of hits thrown by the opposing side during the game.

London Head Coach Dale Hunter took issue with what he described as a late hit on Knights' Captain Denver Barkey late in the third period. The Flyers prospect struggled to get off the ice and did not return to the game.

Meanwhile, Ahokas said Kitchener would be submitting video of what he called a head shot delivered onto Christian Humphreys 39 seconds into the game. The Rangers forward missed the rest of the game following the hit.

"Those kinds of things we have to get out of the game, it's not hockey," said Ahokas. " [There are] too many concussions in this sport, so those we have to get out of the game."

Neither coach was able to provide an update on the status of Barkey or Humphreys during the press conferences.

The seeds have been planted for a hard-fought series between two historic adversaries. The public comments made by both coaches suggest bitterness on both sides after game one. Puck drop for game two will be at 4:00 p.m. inside Canada Life Place in London.

Dickinson Leads Knights To Victory In Game One