OHL Notebook: Former Knights goaltender Patterson to play in Chatham

Former London Knights goaltender, and Sault Ste. Marie native, Jake Patterson is back in hockey.

Patterson has joined the Chatham Maroons of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

Patterson announced in August that he did not plan to return to the Knights for an overage season and is rumoured to have had numerous offers from teams both at the Ontario Hockey League and tier II level since the decision.

In parts of three seasons with the Knights, Patterson played in 77 games, posting a 43-17-1-4 record along with a 2.86 goals against average and 0.905 save percentage.

In joining the Maroons, Patterson gives the team a pair of 20-year-old goaltenders as the former Knight will team up with Bo Bessette.

Bessette has a 15-6-0-0 record this season in 21 games with the Maroons along with a 2.65 GAA and 0.915 save percentage.

“It’ll be good competition for them,” Maroons Coach Mark Davis told the Chatham Daily News. “They’ll be challenging each other.”

The Maroons currently sit third in the GOJHL’s Western Conference with a 16-6-1 record.

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TO RETURN OR NOT TO RETURN

Vancouver Canucks forward Bo Horvat will not be returning to the London Knights for another season in the OHL.

The major question now is whether or not Horvat will be allowed by the Canucks to participate in the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championships, scheduled to begin on Boxing Day.

On Tuesday, Canucks coach Willie Desjardins gave Horvat the news that he would be sticking with the Canucks. General Manager Jim Benning said the team would consider allowing the 19-year-old to participate in the Canadian team camp.

Horvat has played eight games with the Canucks and has a goal and four points.

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TRADES APLENTY

After the Niagara IceDogs made a splash earlier this month by acquiring Josh Ho-Sang from the Windsor Spitfires, some other notable players have been moved since.

The Erie Otters made some noise as they acquired high-scoring forward Nick Baptiste from the Sudbury Wolves. The former 40-goal scorer was sent by the Wolves to the Otters in exchange for Travis Wood, Cole Mayo and four draft picks, including two second round picks and a pair of third rounders.

The Mississauga Steelheads added overage forward Jimmy Lodge from the Saginaw Spirit. The veteran forward was acquired by the Steelheads in exchange for Jesse Barwell, Greg DiTomasso and three draft picks, one of which is a conditional pick.

The Guelph Storm acquired overage forward Chris Marchese from the Windsor Spitfires while the Sarnia Sting added overage forward Stephen Pierog from Guelph the day before Guelph acquired Marchese.

Photo: Courtesy Aaron Bell/CHL Images