Stars open season with shootout win
Goalie Dylan Durno makes 50 saves during regulation and overtime edging Strathroy, 2-1
ST. THOMAS - Rookie forward Graham Littlejohn and goalie Dylan Durno gave a near full house of St. Thomas Stars fans reason to celebrate on opening night.
Littlejohn scored the shootout winner, while Durno made 50 saves in regulation and overtime and two more in the shootout, lifting the Stars over the Strathroy Rockets, 2-1 in the Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL), Friday in front of 1,515 fans at the Joe.
"Definitely a lot of nerves going into it, but it felt really good once I saw the puck go in the net," said Littlejohn. "It was a very cool experience. A lot of my friends and family came to watch and I was definitely super pumped for that game to start."
Littlejohn, who doesn't turn 16 until December, hails from Wallacetown and was selected in the sixth round by the London Knights, in the 2026 OHL Draft. Last season with the London Jr. U16 AAA Knights, Littlejohn scored 20 goals and 21 assists in 28 games.
Reid Harper put the Stars on the board, scoring on the power play mid first period, with Darcy Dewachter and captain Owen Gray drawing assists.
Zachary LeBlanc tied the affair for Strathroy late in the second period.
The Stars led the shot clock, 12-7 after one period, but the Rockets finished the game out shooting the home side, 51-44.
On a late third period power play that stretched in to overtime, the Stars thought they scored on two occasions. The sound of puck hitting metal rang throughout the Joe with just under a minute remaining in regulation. Then Rockets defenceman Dylan Turner prevented a goal, sweeping the puck away at the goal line that eluded Rockets goalie Nikolai Felin-Henriksen.
The Stars have three players from the local area (Elgin County - Thames Centre), Gray, Littlejohn and 17-year old Will Burgess from Union.
Seven players, including Durno, are from London.
Khade Metatawabin, 18, has come a long ways south from home in Moose Factory, along James Bay in northern Ontario.
Travelling the farthest are Americans Cade Kinnear, from Matthews, North Carolina and Dylan Wilmott, from Seattle, Washington.
The Stars visit Listowel Sunday.