Veteran Knights return to the lineup ahead of the first game of the Memorial Cup

Kaleb Lawrence has played just once in the last 11 games for the London Knights.

After serving a pair of five-game suspensions for head and neck checks, he is ready to return Saturday afternoon in the first game of the Memorial Cup tournament against Drummondville.

“It was definitely tough, but we kept winning games and I’m really happy we’re here,” said Lawrence, the senior forward who recently signed a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings. “I have something to prove that I’m here and I’m in line.”

Lawrence’s linemate Landon Sim also returns from a five-game suspension.

He watched his teammates celebrate a J. Ross Robertson Cup championship after they received a five-game suspension following two incidents.

He performed a body check on a Saginaw player during pregame warmups in the OHL Western Conference Finals and named a Spirit player.

“It was pretty hard to sit out and watch the final series,” said Sim, 19, a prospect from St. Louis Blues.

Kaleb Lawrence has missed 10 of the London Knights last 11 games due to suspension. He is set to return on May 25, 2024 in the first game of the Knights’ Memorial Cup in Saginaw, Mich. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)“I enjoyed being out there with the boys, but the boys were doing pretty well. I’m so excited because I’ve already come back from a few injuries this year and that’s been pretty good.”

The two were skating on a line in training with the Finnish sniper Kasper Halttunen.

“It helps a lot, they’re veteran guys,” Knights head coach Dale Hunter said of their return to the lineup. “One is 19 and the other is over 19. The young guys did a good job when they were away but now with them back we’ve added some dimension and they’re biting a bit.”

Lawrence also acknowledged the work of Will Nicholl and Henry Brzustewicz while he and Sim were outside the group.

“Nico and Henny have taken a big step,” Lawrence said. “We are very excited to be back. I think we bring a lot of grit and heart to this team and I think that’s what we’re looking to prove.”

Landon Sim missed the OHL Championship Series while serving a five-game suspension. He is set to return on May 25, 2024 in the first game of the Knights’ Memorial Cup in Saginaw, Mich. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

Both veteran forwards have been training on and off the ice to be ready for their suspensions to expire.

“A lot of bag skating and a lot of hard training,” Sim said of how he’s been kept busy while waiting to return. “I look at the guys and just try to hang around the room and around the guys.”

Hunter said trying to stay in shape during practice isn’t the same as simulating a game situation, but he thinks they did a good job with drills to get them ready for the tournament opener.

As for the opener, Sim believes his club will have an advantage over the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champions because of their familiarity with the Dow Events Centre.

“We spent some time and played there in the playoffs, obviously,” Sim said. “We know they have loud fans, so we know what to expect. It’s kind of like a little bit of a home game for the Ontario league because we’ve played here a lot of times.”