Isaiah George is not the kind of person who lets things get to him.
as a 17-year-old defense personnel with london nights George, who entered the 2021–22 season after a year without playing much hockey, was immediately ranked in the top-four of the Knights. He didn’t win a single match.
When injuries propelled him to the top pair, George took up the challenge and looked great.
So with the National Hockey League Entry Draft coming up July 7-8 and the next leg of his future feeling like they’re in some sort of sealed container, George isn’t losing sleep until his name is called. Is. He can go or what NHL team can call his name.
“It’s an exciting time and one I’m working on,” admitted George. “But I’m still focused on the ice and the gym to be a better player.”
George’s name was ranked 35th in various possible rankings. He was enlisted in the second or third round by almost all Scouting services that issued the rankings.
Rankings can be something that players look at with an eye on where they can be listed. George says he didn’t feel like it at all.
“At this point in time, it’s a good feeling to have that recognition,” George said. “It’s a big goal of mine to be drafted and then it was great to see other people’s perspective on it. I really enjoy the game and even if it wasn’t (rankings) I would keep playing and work on getting better.
Handling the workload with the Knights was a good preparation for what was to come in George’s career. Going up against another team’s top line at various points during the season was something he welcomed.
“It was a lot of fun. I always tried to have a positive mindset and it helped me learn and adjust on the fly and it helped me succeed throughout the season,” George described.
A year later, he also saw his trainer and his parents design workouts that could be done by himself in the basement or on the driveway. The lock down during the COVID pandemic did not mean that workouts should be stopped in any way.
“I had a great support system for my family and my trainer’s terms. Basement workouts—shooting the puck and working on my hands—I was doing everything I could to improve.
This helped George shine during his rookie season and put himself in a great position to make it to the NHL Draft in Montreal, Ky.
George actually grew up on the side of the Canadiens’ biggest rival.
“I was a big Maple Leafs fan and still am, I would say,” laughed George.
Depending on who plays in the NHL draft, this may have to change.
Knights selected Halftunen in CHL import draft
London Knights selected 17-year-old Casper Halttunen in the first round of the 2022 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.
Hultunen is a right-wing player from Helsinki, Finland, who spent the previous season with Jokerit’s U20 team and had 24 goals and 38 points in 41 games. Hulttun also represented Finland in the Under-18 World Hockey Championship, where they recorded five points in six games.
Hltunen’s father Niko played professionally for 14 seasons in Finland, Sweden, Italy and the United States. Niko Halttunen also spent 28 games with the Pensacola Ice Pilots of the ECHL.
This year’s CHL Import Draft made things a little more challenging for Major Junior teams. This usually occurs after the NHL Entry Draft which gives teams the opportunity to talk to NHL clubs about where they want to develop their prospects. Some people are very interested in coming to North America to play those possibilities. That luxury didn’t exist this year.
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