Canada Life Place - London Knights
- Dave Cottenie
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86
Canada Life Place 99 Dundas St London, ON N6A 6K1
Year Opened: 2002
Capacity: 9,036
These Knights Are Hunters
It is difficult to argue with the success that the London Knights have achieved on the ice. Since the Knights were purchased in 2000 by Mark and Dale Hunter and Basil McRae they have earned six J. Ross Robertson Cups as OHL Champions and three Memorial Cups and CHL champions. What is even more shocking is that not long before the Knights set the record for the greatest regular season in the entire Canadian Hockey League (59-7-2 in 2004-05, with a 31-game unbeaten streak), they set the record for the worst season in the league (3-60-3 in 1995-96).
The Knights play in one of the premier venues in the OHL. The second-largest venue in the league, Canada Life Place, was built in 2002 and was key to the turnaround of the team. Originally known as the John Labatt Centre, the facility replaced the venerable London Gardens. In 2024, Canada Life purchased the naming rights. Canada Life Place has hosted the Memorial Cup on two occasions, in 2005 and 2014.
Food & Beverage 3
Canada Life Place has taken the deep dive into self-serve technology. The vast majority of concession points are self-serve points. This is great for quick pickups like soda or beer. Unfortunately, other food options tend to sit under heat lamps for a while. The expected concession menu items are available including pizza, fries, chicken fingers, hot dogs, sausage and pretzels.
Pepsi products are the soft drink of choice and Starbucks coffee is also available. The beer selection is fairly average with Budweiser, Bud Light, Corona and Stella Artois headlining the options. A spot to consider stopping at for alcoholic beverages is the cheekily named Dale’s Finest Penalty Box Bar.
Atmosphere 4
The official address of Canada Life Place is on Dundas, however, the vast majority of people will enter the arena from Golden Jubilee Square on the King Street side. The facade on the Dundas side was built to maintain the classic Dundas cityscape, which is depicted in a stone inlay in Golden Jubilee Square. The exterior features light brick with a modern entrance on the south side, while the north side has classic peaked window outlets to maintain the cityscape.
Entering from the south, fans are brought immediately into the main concourse, which can get quite congested quickly. The Armoury team store is one of the first stops many fans will make. There is not much that catches the eye in the lower concourse, however, heading to the upper concourse will give fans the opportunity to check out the Don Brankley Knights Hall of Fame.
Banners of the honoured Knights hang on the wall, represented on smaller replicas of the banners that hang in the arena. Honoured Knights include Rob Ramage, Dino Ciccarelli, Darryl Sittler, Brendan Shanahan, Brad Marsh, Rick Nash, Patrick Kane, Dave Bolland, Corey Perry and writer Pete James and Trainer Don Brankley. There are also plaques for other Knights who are in the Knights Hall of Fame. Some members include Dennis Maruk, Marc Methot, Dan Maloney, Rob Schremp and Pat Riggin. Team photos of the championship Knights teams make shields as enshrined teams.
Inside the arena, fans will immediately be hit with the vast number of banners hanging above the ice surface. Those honoured Knights mentioned above all have banners, along with the division and conference championships, Hamilton Spectator Trophies for the best regular season record, six J. Ross Robertson Trophies as OHL Champions and the 2005, 2016 and 2025 Memorial Cups.
The ice surface is oriented from west to east and the best spot to get a picture of the centre ice logo is from the south. Hanging above centre ice is a state of the art, four-sided videoboard with an upper ring. Canada Life Place is one of the few OHL arenas with a full lower bowl, supplemented with an upper deck. The upper deck is a horseshoe with an open standing area at the west. The upper deck fascia is covered with a full 360-degree, LED ribbon. State of the art LED lights provide coloured illumination when needed.
The gameday production at a Knights game is fairly simple. The players enter the ice surface from the northwest corner, through an inflatable castle. A school often sings the national anthems and a minor hockey game takes place during the intermission. The 50/50 raffle is the main promotion. The Knights’ mascot, Scorzey, takes part in the player introductions and mingles with the fans.
Neighbourhood 4
Canada Life Place is located in Downtown London, right across the road from Covent Garden Market. There are a number of spots for pre or post-game food and drink just steps away from the arena. Some options include Bear & Frankies, Waldo’s on King, The Squire, Fitzroy’s, Thaifoon, The Chef’s Table, Milo’s Craft Beer Emporium, and Hunter & Co.
During the winter months, London Nationals and Western Mustangs also take the ice. Western also fields a full complement of university sports teams including basketball and football. The London Majors take to the diamond in the spring and play through the fall. Other tourist options in London include Museum London, Eldon House, Royal Canadian Regiment Museum and Fanshawe Pioneer Village. For fans wishing to stay in London the Doubletree and Delta are short walks from the arena.
Fans 5
The London Knights enjoy some of the strongest support in the entire Canadian Hockey League. At the time of writing, the 2025-26 season, the Knights averaged over 9,055 fans per game. They averaged similar numbers in the most recent previous seasons, consistently ranking number one in the Ontario Hockey League. They usually only trail the Quebec Remparts and Edmonton Oil Kings in the CHL, both who play in NHL sized arenas. Fans tend to be on the quieter side, not uncommon for Southern Ontario.
Access 4
Canada Life Place is located in Downtown London on the south side of Dundas, north of King, between Ridout and Talbot. It is 8 km north of Highway 401, so some traversing of the city will be necessary. There are a number of parking garages and surface lots Downtown, which come at a cost. For fans wishing to take public transit, there are buses that travel Ridaut. Fans should consult the London Transit website for fares, schedules and maps. The lower concourse can get a bit cramped and travelling during intermissions can be quite slow.
Return on Investment 3
It is a little shocking to see the price tag on London Knight tickets. Tickets for the upper bowl begin at $33. Lower bowl seats go for a mind blowing $55. It is a fair assessment that this is the most expensive ticket in the Canadian Hockey League. Tickets regularly make it to the secondary market and can be even more expensive. Concession prices are normal to the OHL and parking downtown will probably run $15. Although the Knights experience is a good one, it is difficult to get past the cost as compared to the rest of the Canadian Hockey League.
Extras 4
An extra mark for the return of the Spiderknight! The iconic comic book style logo, which was synonymous with the worst Knights teams, has been brought back as a third jersey for the Knights with an update to reflect the current colour scheme.
An extra mark for the unprecedented success the London Knights have enjoyed during the tenure of the Hunters.
An extra mark for the serious turnaround on the ice the Knights have enjoyed since the Knightmare season of 1995-96.
An extra mark for the London Knights as the gold standard of the Canadian Hockey League. They were awarded the Team of the Century award.
Final Thoughts
The London Knights are the gold standard of franchise in the Ontario Hockey League and greater Canadian Hockey League. Their home, Canada Life Place, is among the best in the league and taking in a Knights game will provide fans one of the best experiences in Junior Hockey.
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