If this was Sam Dickinson’s last game in junior hockey, the San Jose Sharks prospect defenseman helped make sure he and his team went out on top.
Dickinson had three assists, including two in a dominant second period, to lead the London Knights to a 4-1 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers in the final of the Memorial Cup – major junior hockey’s championship tournament – on Sunday night in Rimouski, Quebec.
Dickinson, taken 11th overall by the Sharks in the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas, had six assists in five Memorial Cup games and was an all-tournament selection, as he and his teammates earned redemption after losing in the final by one goal a year ago.
Dickinson’s teammate and fellow Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen had two goals and two assists in five games at the Memorial Cup.
The Finnish-born forward, selected 36th overall by the Sharks in 2023, was named the Ontario Hockey League’s playoff MVP this year as he had 21 points, including 15 goals, in 17 postseason games to help London win the league title and advance to play in Rimouski.
Halttunen, who turns 20 on June 7, will no doubt be in San Jose next season, either with the Sharks or in the AHL with the Barracuda.
Dickinson, though, will play next season with the Sharks or return to London for another year in the OHL, as he turns 19 on June 7. Canadian or American-born players coming from major junior hockey need to be at least 20 years old by Dec. 31 in any given year to be eligible to play in the AHL.
Dickinson, though, showed he might be ready to begin his NHL career.
Dickinson, listed at a sturdy 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, played on London’s top defense pair and was used in all situations as the Knights tore through the OHL in the regular season and playoffs.
Dickinson is an elite skater with tremendous offensive skills, having recorded 91 points in 55 regular-season games and 31 points in 17 OHL playoff games with a deep London team that featured 12 NHL draft picks, went 55-11-2 in the regular season, and lost only once in the playoffs.
The Sharks have six defensemen signed to one-way contracts for next season, including Shakir Mukhamadullin, who was inked to a one-year, $1 million deal last week.
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Still, no one among the Sharks’ cadre of blueliners has the same combination of size and offensive skill as Dickinson, who probably needs to show he can be a capable defender to help stick on the NHL roster. The Sharks will likely start the season with seven or eight defensemen.
Although Dickinson has another year of eligibility left in junior hockey, TSN analyst Frankie Corrado, who had a seven-year professional career, said during the broadcast, “I’m not sure he’s going to need it. He’s going to look pretty good and teal and white next year in San Jose.”
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