On a frigid night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, the Kitchener Rangers hosted the Peterborough Petes for the first of two matchups this season against the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) second-most winning franchise.
The Rangers entered play with what felt like a much-needed win over the London Knights after losing back-to-back games where they fell behind by multiple goals early on home ice, while the Petes were coming in off two straight wins after outlasting the Flint Firebirds in a 3-2 contest on Thursday night.
Related: Kitchener Rangers Struggling to Regain Early Season Form
Before we get to the game, a 6-3 beatdown in favour of the East Avenue Blue, I want to discuss some exciting news that broke before the game, and then we’ll get to the takeaways from the on-ice action.
Christian Kirsch Will Represent Switzerland at World Juniors
Congratulations, Christian Kirsch.
Friday, before the game, Switzerland announced its preliminary roster for the 2026 World Junior Championship, and it included Rangers’ netminder Kirsch. He has been representing his country at various international events since 2021-22, and this will be his second time playing in the Under-20 World Juniors after playing four games for Switzerland in last year’s tournament.
After saving 33 of 36 shots on Friday night, Kirsch has a .902 save percentage, which ranks tied for ninth among qualified OHL goalies, and a 2.56 goals-against-average, which ranks fifth in the league.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, they will be without his services for some time as he attends the pre-tournament camp and shows off his talent on junior hockey’s biggest stage.
However, Jason Schaubel has been equally as good as Kirsch this season and will get the chance to shoulder the load for a while. This will likely be his best opportunity to gain more interest from scouts ahead of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Mason Hriczov, the 16-year-old, who the Rangers selected in the 13th round of the 2025 OHL Selection Priority, will re-join the team for the first time since backing up Schaubel while Kirsch was gone at San Jose Sharks training camp.
Josh Brown of the Waterloo Region Record reported that Kirsch will leave on Dec. 13 for pre-tournament training camp (from ‘Kitchener Rangers pounce on a depleted Petes squad, Waterloo Region Record’, The Record, Dec. 5, 2025). The tournament will run through Jan. 5.
If Switzerland makes it to the medal games, he will be out of town for at least seven games for the Rangers. Switzerland is in Group B with Canada, Sweden, Slovakia, and Germany.
Rangers Take Advantage of Patched-Together Petes
After falling behind by multiple goals early in the first period of back-to-back games, the Rangers got off to a little bit of a slow start against London on Wednesday. However, they fended off the Knights’ early momentum, netting the game’s first goal and unlocking the Rangers, who had been so successful earlier in the season.
The Rangers backed that strong start with another on Friday night against the Petes, with Jakub Chromiak ripping a one-timer through the opposition’s goaltender. Then Jack LaBrash finished off a rebound goal, giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.
The Rangers gave one back to the Petes later in the period. But after the game, Rangers head coach Jussi Ahokas said it was “a good start to the game” and added that he thought “there was no question at any point who was going to win the game.”
It was a much-needed strong start, which has eluded the Rangers at times this season. It was especially key against a Petes team playing two men short, even with the two defensemen playing up front as forwards, and Kieran Raynor, a call-up who the Petes took in the second round of the 2025 OHL Priority Selection, in the lineup, as the club battles a flu bug running rampant through its locker room.
This was all the Rangers needed to take control of this game. They went on to add three more goals in the second period, one from Cameron Weston, which we’ll talk about, another from Nashville Predators first-round pick Cameron Reid, and the other from New York Islanders prospect Luca Romano.
Avry Anstis notched the Rangers’ sixth goal, which we’ll also talk about more. The Petes did score two goals in the third, though. Both are definitely goals you couldn’t live with giving up in a close game, but by the time either went in the net, the intensity had left the building with a likely exhausted Petes team who gave up 41 shots chasing the Rangers around all night, undermanned, and the Rangers being well out in front.
Weston Cameron’s First Goal Since Returning From Hospital Scare
Weston Cameron returned to the lineup on Wednesday for the first time since the Rangers’ first win over the Knights earlier in October.
In his first game back, he didn’t get on the stat sheet. However, he was in the lineup again Friday night against the Petes, where he scored his second career OHL goal and first goal at the Aud off a creative pass from Anstis.
Postgame, with Sean Furfaro of Rogers TV, Cameron gave the credit to his teammate, saying, “Anstis was coming down the wall, he fanned on the shot, but made a nice play to me, and luckily I put it upstairs, great play by Avry.”
When asked about how hard it was to be out of the lineup with an injury, Cameron said, “It was really hard. You want to be out there with your team,” but added that he is “grateful for Nick Lichti [Rangers’ head athletic trainer] for helping me through the entire month and a half, the coaching staff and teammates for the support.”
Cameron was excellent again on Friday for the second straight game since returning, at risk of sounding like a broken record after Wednesday’s game. I love his energy and physicality, and with the offensive game only starting to emerge, the 17-year-old will only be more and more fun to watch.
Other Rangers’ Unsung Heroes Deserving of Praise
It would be impossible to talk about Cameron’s goal without talking about Anstis’s set-up pass. The goal came off the rush, with Anstis carrying the puck and looking to score. However, he fanned on the initial shot, but kept his composure to make the ‘where’d she go’ pass to set up the goal.
Then, in the third, off a nothing rush where Anstis was essentially attacking one on four, he pulled up from distance and rifled a long-range wrist shot over Pete’s goalie’s blocker for his fourth of the season and second point of the night, marking his first career multi-point night in the OHL.
Anstis did not get any recognition in the NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings. But he might start to if he keeps playing like this, being 2026 draft-eligible.
Postgame, when asked to break down his goal, he said, “It hit off their player’s stick and rainbowed post and in.” Initially, from the press box, I thought this was a rocket top cheddar, and if Anstis hadn’t mentioned it, I don’t think anyone would have known. Or maybe I need my eyes checked.
Regarding Cameron and Anstis hooking up twice for goals in the game, coach Ahokas said he is “happy for Anstis and Cameron, I thought those boys played really well,” and continued to say that “the fourth line was also good and working hard.”
LaBrash’s goal to extend the Rangers’ lead to two early in the game completely captured the momentum, and I agree with the coach; Matthew Hlacar and Evan Headrick were excellent again on the fourth line tonight.
Ahokas finished his glowing remarks about his young players, saying, “It was a good effort from the whole team.” Still, the other guy I wanted to mention was really good in this game, especially early, when the score was close: Andrew MacNiel, the Montreal Canadiens prospect.
Without focusing on him, you’ll rarely notice him on the ice. He’s a smooth skater and moves pucks cleanly. MacNiel is so good in battles along the boards, and if the opposition has the puck near him, it is never for very long. He excels at separating the puck from the carrier, which keeps the Rangers out of trouble when he is on the ice, which is precisely what he did again tonight.
He’s not talked about often, but he deserves a lot of credit for the strength of this blue line.
Rangers Building Momentum for Road Trip
After back-to-back losses, the Rangers have quickly strung together back-to-back wins. The Rangers will now head out on the road for a five-game trip, starting in Guelph against the Storm, a game riddled with storylines, from the Highway 7 rivalry to the controversy around the 2027 Memorial Cup decision.
