Denver Barkey and Easton Cowan before a Knights game at Canada Life Place (Credit: Dan McCracken)
Easton Cowan will look to accomplish a point streak tonight that the CHL hasn’t seen in 20 years.
Dating back to last season with the Knights, Cowan has registered at least 1 point in 49 straight games.
“It’s amazing when you think about the length of time,” says Jim Van Horne, play-by-play announcer for the London Knights.
“It just indicates the consistency. The approach of every game, you want to be your best,” says Van Horne.
“In some games, it’s been tougher to get points than others, but he’s done it. It is pretty impressive when you think about it. Historic, really.”
Over that streak, he has scored 35 goals and tallied 50 assists for 85 points.
“It’s impressive from the standpoint of consistency of excellence. It’s exactly what you are asked to do in the NHL,” says Van Horne.
Van Horne has gotten to know Cowan well over the past four years with the London Knights. They ride the team bus together to and from road games across Ontario and Michigan.
The last player to record a 50-game point streak in the CHL was Alexander Radulov in 2005-2006 with the Quebec Ramparts.
The OHL record for longest point streak is held by a name that might be familiar to Leafs fans, Doug Gilmour. Gilmour was the captain of the Leafs from 1994-1997.
While Gilmour was playing for the OHL’s Cornwall Royals in 1982-1983, he set the record by registering a point in 55 straight games.
The London Knights have been a factory of creating NHL quality players. Patrick Kane, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Matthew Tkachuk, and Corey Perry are some of the former Knights that have gone on to find success in the NHL.
East Cowan scoring his first career goal in 2022 (Credit: Jim Van Horne)
“London players don’t play if they cheat on defence,” says Van Horne.
Cowan was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1st round of the 2023 NHL entry draft. He has played 7 preseason games for the Leafs over the last 2 seasons to try and crack the NHL roster.
“When you see how the professionals do it, which he has, going to camp a couple times and you see how hard those guys work, you bring some of that back.”
Cowan’s big-league dream did not come true as he was sent back to the London Knights just before the start of the NHL regular season.
Van Horne believes that the OHL is still a great spot for players to develop and learn how to become a mature player.
“Once the puck drops, you gotta be a professional. It doesn’t matter if you feel good, it doesn’t matter if you are having an off day,” says Van Horne.
“That’s what I think the OHL does to prepare you the best. Every night you have to go, and you have to be excellent.”
The London Knights will take on the Sarnia Sting on Nov. 15th at Canada Life Place as Cowan looks to extend his streak to 50 straight games with a point.
If he can keep the streak going, he will have a chance to tie Doug Gilmour’s record of 55 straight games on Sunday, Nov. 24th against the Ottawa 67’s.
