If you attended Game 2 of the OHL Championship Series on Saturday, there is a good chance you walked by someone in Budweiser Gardens that knew the Petes goaltender, Michael Simpson.
The former Jr. Knight was born in London and grew up there until he moved to Peterborough at age 16. When Simpson backstopped the Petes to a 5-3 win to tie the series in Game 2, there was a substantial turnout of fans to cheer him on.
“Family-wise, I think there was probably 20 or so,” said the 20-year-old.
“But I had a lot of friends scattered throughout the building – I’d say close to 50.”
Born in 2003, Simpson was around when the London Knights won their first OHL Championship under the tutelage of Dale and Mark Hunter in 2005. However, his earliest memories at Budweiser Gardens surround the teams between 2011 and 2013 that won the J. Ross Robertson Cup in consecutive years.
“Growing up I remember watching Michael Houser and wanting to be the Knights goalies – Stolarz and Parsons, those guys,” explained the reigning OHL Goaltender of the Week.
After London took Game 1 at home, with Knights goaltender Zach Bowen picking up a shutout, Simpson produced a 51-save performance that holds a candle to any of the spectacular performances seen at Budweiser Gardens over the years. The Petes evened the series in Game 2 with a 5-3 victory on the back of a trio of third-period goals.
The win has proven to be a turning point in the series, with Peterborough going on to win both Games 3 and 4 at home. Simpson and the Petes return to London for Game 5 with a commanding 3-1 series lead. Following another 50-save performance in Game 4, the netminder now has a chance to win an OHL Championship in the arena where he found his love for the sport.
Simpson’s performances for the Petes in the run-in are all the more impressive when you consider the route he has taken to get this far. The 20-year-old was somewhat of a late bloomer: when all his friends were trying out for competitive teams, he joined the West London Hawks organization, playing for one of their house league teams. Within two seasons, he was starting for the London Jr. Knights AAA ’03s.
By the time he turned 16 and entered the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Simpson was hardly a top prospect. After being selected by the Petes in the 10th round, he played a year with the Jr. Petes U18 AAA team before finally taking over the starting role in Peterborough last season. The 6-foot-1 netminder has steadily improved each passing year since being drafted, but there’s no doubt he is enjoying a breakout campaign.
“A lot of the work I put in the summer is really starting to pay off now,” explained Simpson.
“I’m surprised at how I’ve been able to stay conditioned. Last year, I had to deal with little tears and pulls and this year I feel pretty good.”
The London native surely holds some sentimental feelings towards his hometown. He may even be friends with some of the Knights: he spends his offseasons helping local goaltending coach Chris Billingsley, alongside Brett Brochu and went to high school with defenceman Ethan MacKinnon.
“We were talking before [the series],” said Simpson.
“Either way, one of us gets a ring – it’s pretty cool.”
The past four games have shown, though, that the former Knights fan isn’t holding anything back against his childhood team. He is holding back playing against his friends either:
“Obviously, I want the ring at the end of it.”
