Kitchener Rangers Acquire Sam O'Reilly and Jared Woolley from the London Knights
OHL Kitchener Rangers

Kitchener Rangers Acquire Sam O'Reilly and Jared Woolley from the London Knights

Published on January 7, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Kitchener, ON - The Kitchener Rangers announced today that the hockey club has acquired centre Sam O'Reilly (Oh-ry-lee) and defenceman Jared Woolley (wool-lee) from the London Knights in exchange for defenceman Jacob Xu (zoo) and ten draft picks.

Draft Picks to London:

2nd Round 2026 (Guelph)

2nd Round 2029 (Kitchener)

3rd Round 2028 (Peterborough)

3rd Round 2028 (Brampton)

4th Round 2026 (Peterborough)

4th Round 2027 (Brampton)

5th Round 2028 (Kitchener)

5th Round 2029 (Kitchener)

6th Round 2028 (Kitchener)

6th Round 2029 (Kitchener)

"Making trades like this never guarantees anything, but we wanted to put ourselves in the best position this year," said Kitchener Rangers General Manager, Mike McKenzie. "We feel Sam and Jared were the two top players on the trade market this year. They both bring experience and a style of play that will help our group immensely."

"The last couple years we have had really good teams and added around the edges to try and improve our team at the deadline with the idea of saving our assets for 2027. With the Memorial Cup decision going the way it did it gave us flexibility to be more aggressive this year and target top players to try and put is over the top. We did so in a way we are still able to pick in the first three rounds at this years OHL priority selection which is very important to us too. We are excited to welcome Sam and Jared and wish Jacob the best in London."

O'Reilly, 19, who was named London Knights captain earlier this season brings a wealth of leadership and a winning pedigree to the Kitchener Rangers locker room. The two-time OHL Champion (2024 & 2025) and Memorial Cup Champion (2025) is a Tampa Bay Lighting prospect after being drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

The Toronto, Ontario native has been an extremely consistent performer in this league averaging just under a point-per-game (0.95 PTS/G) over 163 regular season games. In those games, O'Reilly has scored 60 goals and added 95 assists for 155 points. He was a top performer in the Knights run to through the Ontario Hockey League all the way to the Memorial Cup last season. In 17 playoff games, Sam recorded seven goals and fifteen assists for 22 points and recorded five points (2G, 3A) in five Memorial Cup games. This season, Sam has scored 12 goals and recorded 16 assists for 28 points in as many games.

Internationally, Sam is coming off a strong showing at the 2026 World Junior Championships in Minnesota, earning a Bronze Medal and being named one-of-three top performers for Team Canada. O'Reilly scored four times and added four helpers for eight points in seven tournament games - including a two-goal performance in the Bronze Medal game against Finland.

Sam will wear number 23 with the Rangers, last worn by Kitchener native, Kyle Morey during the 2023-24 season.

Woolley, 19, is a Los Angeles Kings prospect who was drafted in the sixth round (164th overall) in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The six-foot-five 215-pound defenceman will add size and strength to an already deep defensive core for the Rangers. Woolley is also a two-time OHL Champion (2024 & 2025) and Memorial Cup Champion (2025) with the London Knights.

The Port Hope, Ontario native has skated in 142 regular season games where he has recorded 58 points (22G, 36A) and a +66 plus/minus rating. He is having his best offensive season this year, reaching the double-digit goal mark for the first time in his career and adding 15 assists for 25 points in 37 games.

Jared Woolley will wear number 51 with the Rangers, last worn by Michael Vukojevic during the 2019-20 season.

The Kitchener Rangers would like to thank Jacob Xu for his contributions to the club on and off the ice and wish him the best in his continued hockey career.

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See the new Rangers in action this Friday, January 9th as we take on the Oshawa Generals. Friday night's game will also include a special pre-game ceremony as Brian Bellows becomes the second inductee to the Level of Legacy. Secure your tickets at The Aud Box Office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online!

Check out the Kitchener Rangers Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 7, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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