Even when an end is expected, it still seems sudden: the Owen Sound Attack are out of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
Noah Read scored a hat trick, two of them during a five-goal second period for the London Knights in an 8-4 win over the Attack in Game 4 of their OHL Western Conference quarter-final series Thursday evening at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
London won the series 4-0, and advances to the OHL Western Conference semifinals.
Denver Barkey, Cam Allen, Easton Cowan, Kasper Halttunen and Sam Dickinson also scored for the Knights, which led 2-1 after the first period and then broke the game open with five in the second.
Masen Wray netted a hat trick for the Attack, and David Bedkowski added a goal.
The series ended up staying on script to what was largely expected heading into it: the No. 1 seed Knights move on without a blemish, while the Attack take notes to be better for another day — when their turn to compete arrives.
“We all knew we were up against a massive hockey team. Well coached, they’re very deep. We had as many 16-year-olds in our lineup as they had (World Junior Hockey Championship) players. Not too mention how many signed guys they have in the NHL,” Attack head coach Scott Wray says. “We knew what we were up against. But our kids … we scored 12 goals in the series. We showed a lot of resilience. We showed a lot of bite. A lot of the kids are going to learn from this.”
“And I think moving into next year it gave me as a coach, little things I think we need to work on more throughout the early parts of the year. Because of you watch them (the Knights), their elite players are so hungry on pucks,” Wray continues. “It’s what you want to be as a team. But it has to be instilled in you. And that’s their culture over there. And that’s what I want to build here.”
Building was what this season was about. The Attack featured a roster with nine rookies, three second-year players and by the end of it just one NHL-drafted prospect — their star goaltender Carter George. They set a goal of making the postseason, and went on a 13-8-2 run over the final two months to finish 26-35-4-3. That was good enough for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, confirmed on the final day of the OHL regular season.
The hope for the younger Bears is the experience of playing in meaningful games to navigate their way into the OHL playoffs — and the brief taste of postseason hockey against the defending J Ross Robertson Cup champion Knights will serve them well moving forward.
“They learn from that, right? If anything they should say ‘oh, this is what it takes,’” Wray says. “It will be one of our goals next year right off the hop: to understand what playoff hockey is and start playing it in September.”
Losing still stings though. It was the third straight season the Attack were swept out of the first round. As an organization, Owen Sound hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2021-22 campaign, and hasn’t won a playoff series since 2018.
But it stings most for the players who won’t get another shot at it. Thursday’s 8-4 series-ending loss to the London Knights brought an end to the OHL playing careers of the Attack overage group of Landen Hookey, Bruce McDonald and Alec Leonard.
McDonald and Leonard joined the Attack this season. Hookey’s journey was a longer one in Owen Sound: acquired in a trade during the 2022-23 campaign from the Soo Greyhounds, his size the most noticeable attribute on arrival. We watched as his game developed.
He leaves after an impressive overage season, which saw him become the team’s captain, while scoring 34 goals and reaching 70 points — all easily career bests for Hookey in the OHL. He was also the Attack nominee for the Red Tilson Trophy, given annually to the OHL’s most outstanding player. And in the annual coaches poll, he was one of three players recognized in the Western Conference as most improved.
“The last shifts, it’s heartbreaking because you put all of your time and your heart in this game. And your junior career is just over like that. It flies by,” Hookey says. “It sucks. But I’m grateful for everything, all the people I’ve met, the coaches and just everyone I’ve met along the way.”
“Right when I got here I think I clicked with the staff and all the guys … I feel like this year I had a breakout season,” Hookey continues. “I’m very grateful for that. I think I put the work in to get there. And I did everything in my power to do that. I had a great time. It was fun. I just took every game, one at a time, and tried to enjoy it as much as I could. Obviously, knowing it was my last year.”
Now, the attention for the Attack quickly turns to the 2025 OHL Priority Selection. It will be held next Friday and Saturday, April 11-12. Owen Sound selects fifth overall, and also holds a pair of second-round picks.
BAYSHORE, BUMPING
There were 3,070 fans on hand at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre Thursday evening to watch Game 4 between the Attack and Knights. Many stuck around after the game to applaud the players. Carter George got an ovation. Leonard, McDonald and Hookey — the graduating overagers — also took a spin on the ice.
The large crowd at the Bayshore Thursday was commonplace over the final months of the OHL regular season, as the fans embraced the Attack and supported them with energy and filling the seats in their dramatic push for the playoffs.
The captain noticed.
“It was unbelievable,” Hookey says. “I was pumped to come every game. It was (near) sold out the last three months almost every game … people came, they supported us and I think that’s really what brought us life and helped us get more wins.”
Some attendance-related numbers from the team: more than 98,000 fans in total came to Attack games during the 2024-25 season. There were 11 sellout crowds. It was also the best year for playoff attendance at the Bayshore since 2018.
Listen to Landen Hookey’s full post-game comments below:
You can hear Attack head coach Scott Wray’s full post-game comments below:
