Kitchener Rangers Showcase Weekend Preview

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Kitchener Rangers

Kitchener Rangers Showcase Weekend Preview

August 30, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Kitchener, ON - Following the conclusion of the Kitchener Rangers' two-day training camp on Tuesday, the Blueshirts are set to host a preseason showcase at The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on Labour Day weekend, from August 30th to September 1st. During this three-day event, the Rangers will face the Erie Otters (Friday), the Saginaw Spirit (Saturday), and the Brantford Bulldogs (Sunday). Each team will play against the other three teams once throughout the showcase.

SCHEDULE

Friday, August 30th

Brantford vs Saginaw - 2:00 p.m.

Erie vs Kitchener - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, August 31st

Erie vs Brantford - 2:00 p.m.

Saginaw vs Kitchener - 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 1st (FAN FEST)

Erie vs Saginaw - 11:00 a.m.

Brantford vs Kitchener - 2:30 p.m.

TICKETS

Tickets for each game are $5 with net proceeds going to support Make-A-Wish Canada and are available at the door.

KITCHENER RANGERS

The Rangers are coming off a season in which they finished with a 41-23-4 record in the regular season, placing second in the Midwest Division, fourth in the Western Conference, and sixth in the league with 86 points. The Rangers reached the postseason, defeating the Erie Otters in six games (4-2) in the first round before falling in the Western Conference Semifinals to the London Knights in four games.

With the departure of key players following the 2023-24 season, including Matthew Sop, Hunter Brzustewicz, Filip Mesar, Mitchell Martin, and Simon Motew, and the recent trade of forward Carson Rehkopf to the Brampton Steelheads, the organization is facing plenty of turnover and is poised to embrace a young team highlighted by newly selected OHL draftees for the 2024-25.

After quickly climbing up the leaderboard during the 2023-24 campaign despite having a youthful squad, the club will look to take another step forward with the help of veterans like Matthew Andonovski, Trent Swick, Adrian Misaljevic, Antonino Pugliese, and Jackson Parsons - all entering their fourth season in the blue, red, and white.

BRANTFORD BULLDOGS

The Bulldogs finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 37-20-9-2 record, securing second place in the East Division, third in the Eastern Conference, and seventh in the league with 85 points. In their first season transitioning from Hamilton to Brantford, the club reached the postseason but lost their opening-round series against the Ottawa 67's in six games (4-2).

The Rangers played the Bulldogs twice in the 2023-24 season on a back-to-back in early December, splitting the games 1-1, with each team winning once in overtime. The Rangers took the first game by a score of 6-5 in overtime on home ice, while the Bulldogs claimed the second game 5-4 at the Brantford Civic Centre the following night.

Like the Rangers, the Bulldogs are also embracing a young core at the helm in 2024-25. Jake O'Brien, who won OHL Rookie of the Year in 2023-24, aims to take another leap this season after finishing with 13 goals and 51 assists, breaking the Bulldogs' single-season rookie scoring record. Notably, Nick Lardis was among 52 attendees at the club's training camp this past week, eager to build on his 50-point (29G, 21A) 2023-24 season and take on a big role in his fourth season in the OHL.

Aside from these two standouts, the Bulldogs welcomed 2024 first-rounder Aidan O'Donnell, second-round pick Patrick Babin, and third-round pick Nikolas Rossetto to training camp, while hoping second-year players like Ben Radley, Briir Long, Niko Krmpotic, and Josh Avery can develop into full-time roles in 2024-25.

ERIE OTTERS

The Otters had a 2023-24 regular season record of 33-28-5-2, finishing third in the Midwest Division, fifth in the Western Conference, and 11th in the league with 73 points. Erie clinched a postseason berth, drawing a matchup against the Rangers in a best-of-seven first-round series. The Otters won two games against the Rangers, pushing the series to six games after tying it at 2-2, before ultimately dropping Games 5 and 6 in overtime, ending their 2023-24 season.

In the regular season, the two teams met six times, with the Rangers coming out on top in four of those matches. The Rangers secured two overtime victories, 5-4, and won two games in regulation, 10-3 and 6-2. The Otters won the final two matchups, with a 6-1 victory in early February and a 4-3 overtime win in the regular season series finale at Erie Insurance Arena. Over the six games, the Rangers outscored the Otters 30-23.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, the Otters have three overage players: Sam Alfano, Pano Fimis, and Martin Misiak. The club achieved a rapid turnaround following their second-to-last place in the 2022-23 regular season, thanks to the contributions of 2023 OHL draft first overall pick Matthew Schaefer, as well as career years from Fimis (25G, 51A - 76 PTS), Malcolm Spence (19G, 43A - 62 pts), and Alfano (27G, 33A - 60 PTS). The additions of 2024 first-round pick Tyler Challenger and second-round pick Lucas Ambrosio, both of whom have signed OHL Scholarship and Development Agreements with Erie, will be instrumental in continuing the team's upward trajectory for 2024-25.

SAGINAW SPIRIT

The Spirit finished first in the West Division with a 50-16-1-1 regular season record, placing second in the Western Conference and second in the league with a remarkable 102 points in 2023-24. The team earned a first-round matchup against the Owen Sound Attack, winning the series 4-0 before advancing past the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in a thrilling seven-game series, setting up an OHL Western Conference Finals clash against the London Knights. Although the Spirit lost to the Knights in the OHL playoffs, they avenged that defeat at the Memorial Cup, which Saginaw hosted, by defeating the Knights 4-3 in the Final with the game-winning goal scored with just 22 seconds remaining.

During the 2023-24 season, the Rangers went 1-3 against the Spirit in their four matchups. The East Avenue Blue won the 2023-24 season opener at home against the Spirit, 4-3, but Saginaw won the remaining three matchups, 8-2, 3-2 in regulation, and 5-2. Overall, the Spirit outscored the Rangers 19-10.

The reigning Memorial Cup Champions, headlined by Zayne Parekh (33G, 63A - 96 PTS) who led all CHL defencemen in points and goals during the 2023-24 regular season, along with Michael Misa (29G, 46A - 75 PTS), Calem Mangone (22G, 41A - 63 PTS), and Joey Willis (14G, 36A - 50 PTS), have several of their top players expected to return for the 2024-25 season. Despite losing key players like Owen Beck, Alex Christopoulos, Jorian Donovan, and Matyas Sapovaliv, the Spirit still have the talent to be strong contenders in 2024-25.

The club also added two NHL prospects in the 2024 Import Draft (Igor Chernyshov and Lucas Pettersson) and a noteworthy first-round pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, Dimian Zhilkin.

UP NEXT

Following the Rangers Showcase Weekend, the East Avenue Blue are scheduled for a Friday night exhibition game on September 6th at 7:00 p.m. at The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium against the Brampton Steelheads.

The Rangers' home opener for the 2024-25 season is set for Friday, September 27th at 7:00 p.m. as the Erie Otters come to town. It's a playoff rematch, adding an extra layer of excitement and anticipation to this early-season showdown.

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