The Kitchener Rangers are off to a hot start. After the first week of Ontario Hockey League (OHL) action, they are 2-0-0-0 after beating the Brantford Bulldogs in overtime to open the season and the Erie Otters in the second game of the season.
Cameron Arquette, Matheas Stark, Haeden Ellis, and Tanner Lam led the way offensively. Jason Schaubel was a brick wall in the net, stopping 61 of 65 shots for a .938 save percentage.
Throughout the first weekend, the Rangers were missing several of their NHL-drafted players who were attending training camps. However, for their second week of games, the Rangers will be able to infuse a bunch of this talent back into their lineup.
This weekend, the Rangers will face off against the Otters again, this time on Friday night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, and then will play again on Saturday on the road against the Owen Sound Attack. First, let’s examine who the Rangers will be regaining from NHL training camps, and then we’ll preview each matchup this weekend.
Rangers Roster Announcements
On Tuesday, the Rangers announced that four players would be returning to their Junior A, Junior B, or Under-16 AAA teams. Alex Forrest, Tommy Kut, and Evan Nicholson all skated in both games for the Rangers last weekend. All three were selected within the first five rounds of the 2025 OHL Priority Selection and will likely make a larger impact in seasons to come. Still, along with goaltender Mason Hriczov, the four have been sent down to make room for seven veterans returning from NHL training camps.
Related: NHL Draft Picks to Watch at Kitchener Rangers Training Camp
Matthew Hlacar is returning from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Christian Humphreys from the Colorado Avalanche, Luca Romano from the New York Islanders, Christian Kirsch from the San Jose Sharks, Jack Pridham, and Max Dirracolo, who had an amateur tryout with the Detroit Red Wings.
While the Rangers could still be missing Cameron Reid and Luke Ellinas this weekend, this is a good injection of key offensive players back into the lineup.
Erie Otters vs. Kitchener Rangers
This will be the second-straight week these two teams will match up. Last weekend, the Rangers came away with a 3-1 victory on the road. The headline story going into this game, at least from my perspective, will be whether head coach Jussi Ahokas decides to give the Otters a different look and go with Kirsch in net to give him his first Rangers start on home ice. Or does Ahokas ride the hot hand in Schaubel?
The Rangers’ win over the Otters last weekend was their sixth-straight head-to-head dating back to last season, when the Rangers took the season series 5-1-0-0. Last season, the Otters finished with a 34-28-4-2 record. They are expected to be a middle-of-the-pack team again this season, with the OHL’s power rankings placing them 15th in their preseason edition and 16th after the first weekend.
The consistent theme for the Otters, including their five preseason games, is that they are struggling to generate offense, having scored only 10 goals in seven games. However, despite their struggles to find the back of the net, the Otters outshot the Rangers by 12 in the first matchup of the season.
While the Rangers did not struggle to find the back of the net in the first week, it will be interesting to see how much more they can generate with several of their best offensive players inserted back into the lineup.
Kitchener Rangers vs. Owen Sound Attack
The next day, the Rangers will square off with the Attack, who started their season off by beating the reigning Memorial Cup Champion London Knights in overtime.
Much like the Rangers, the Attack will be getting some help returning from NHL training camps. Harry Nansi is returning from the Maple Leafs, Matthew Koprowski is returning from a free agent invite with the St. Louis Blues, and Team Canada World Junior Championship goaltender Carter George is returning from the Los Angeles Kings camp.
In the OHL’s preseason power rankings, the Attack were ranked 16th, and after a win against the Knights, they moved up to 14th. Not only are the Rangers expected to be the better team, but they also had success in this head-to-head matchup last season, posting a 5-0-1-1 record against the attack.
Despite middling expectations, the Attack could be a tough team to play against. They boast sneaky good offensive talent and some of the best goaltending depth in the OHL. This will be another good test for the Rangers.
Keys to the Weekend
Puck Control – Even though the Rangers started the season 2-0-0-0, they were outshot in both games. Getting Pridham, Romano, and Humphreys will be a massive benefit, not only in scoring but also in controlling the puck in the offensive end. Neither of the teams the Rangers play this weekend are offensive powerhouses, and with the talent the Rangers have back, look for them to control the puck more this weekend.
Continue to Stay Disciplined – Through their first two games, the Rangers only had to kill three penalties. That is in comparison to the nine power-play opportunities. With their full complement of players, the Rangers should have two excellent power-play units. With their speed, size, and skill, they are likely to draw numerous penalties. The Rangers are one of the best teams top to bottom in the league, and if they stay out of the box and force teams to beat them at even strength, it doesn’t look like they will lose many games.
With all the additions coming back into the Rangers’ lineup, it will be interesting to see how everyone slots in, and it will be intriguing to see when Kirsch gets his first start in net. What will be most interesting is to see if the Rangers can extend their winning streak to three, then four.
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