Danny Syvret looked surprised when he was told he'd played 36 minutes. "When you're involved, you don't really notice and you don't get tired until the game's over," he said.

Involved? Syvret was was dominant.

The London Knights defenceman and new captain used the team's opening night in this their most anticipated Ontario Hockey League season to emerge from beneath the shadow of Dennis Wideman.

It was a tour de force.

Syvret and goaltender Gerald Coleman led the Knights to a 4-3 win over the Kitchener Rangers last night. Syvret had a goal and an assist. The Knights were outshot 45-27.

"It's always nice to win, especially in your division," he said. "Even though it's the first game, they all count. We could have been a little more disciplined, but we came out on top and that's what matters."

Syvret is going to see as much ice time as Wideman did last season. He played almost every power play and penalty-killing situation as well as a regular shift. He will also be the focus of attention for the other teams in what promises to be another difficult season in a competitive Western Conference. He isn't the biggest guy around, but he didn't lose many battles.

How good was he? Very good. Very, very good. Then again, Syvret always has been. The Knights recognized that, but he wasn't as visible to others because of his higher-profile mates.

"We have a lot of leaders out there," Syvret said, as usual underplaying the significant role he will have on this team. "There are three or four veteran D out there who'll play a big part as well and who are leaders."

For a team ranked No. 1 in the country, the Knights were a team with a lot of questions that needed answering.

With Wideman and Danny Richmond gone and injuries to Ryan Pottruff and Frank Rediker, defence was a question mark. The Knights got Bryan Rodney from Kingston and Jeff Whitfield from Sarnia, but it's going to take time to see if the holes are patched up.

Rodney, always a skilled offensive player, is going to take time to adjust to his defensive partners and a more responsible defensive system. No question, though, he's good with the puck.

The other big issue dominating preseason headlines was the Knights goaltending situation. Coleman and Ryan MacDonald played as two No. 1s last season and the public picture being painted by the coaches is one of contentment with the status quo.

It was only one game, but Coleman made quite the statement last night.

Without Coleman, it would have been over early. He faced 17 shots in each of the first two periods as the Knights spent a lot of time in the penalty box.

Some of it had to do with a loss of discipline. But a great deal of it was thanks to an inadequate, inconsistent effort by referee Steve Webb. The teams had little idea from one whistle to the next what was going to be called.

There were times last season, especially later in the schedule, when Coleman looked like he had a grasp on the No. 1 job and the confidence to hold it. He just never maintained it for long.

Last night, however, he supplied the type of goaltending a Memorial Cup-bound team needs.