OHL Kitchener Rangers

Player Profile: Ty Hollett

November 24, 2022 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Keep your head up. That's what any wise coach would advise their players when skating past six-foot-four and 205 pound, Ty Hollett. The Ranger Blueliner has become an important right-shot rear guard since his arrival last season, and he's hoping to be a key contributor in another bright season.

"Being solid defensively, as well as being reliable for the coaching staff to trust me at any moment are some goals I look to achieve every night," Hollett described. "Offence is not the huge part of my game, I like being a stay-at-home guy but obviously to put up more points would be nice."

As any stay-at-home defenseman would tell you, nothing makes their job easier than playing in front of a strong goaltender. With the Rangers recently acquiring goaltender Marco Costantini via trade, his ability to save and play the puck has impressed Ty in the early going.

"He's super quick, super agile, and he's even hard to score on in practice," Hollett joked. "He's a great puck handler too, which I think separates a lot of good goalies from great goalies. Definitely takes a lot of weight off my shoulders as a defenseman."

Costantini isn't the only new face that's impressed Hollett early this year, as newest Ranger Filip Mesar has already been impressive in practice. The Slovak forward makes his Ranger debut this Friday, with Hollett believing that he'll be one the most important pieces for the team this season.

"I was watching him play in Montreal and I was stunned by how good he was, " Hollett said. "He was dangling Morgan Rielly like it was nothing so hopefully he'll bring that to our team."

Before big Friday game's at the Aud, Hollett always finds himself in a similar routine. It is something he has followed since his arrival in Kitchener, and something he doesn't expect to change.

"I shut the lights off by 11 p.m. the night before, then have a small snack in the morning on the way to the rink, and make sure to really focus on the game," Hollett said. "I'm also a big napper, so I'll take at least a 2 hour nap and then have some chicken and rice as a pre-game meal"

Nobody sees the pre-game routine unfold more then Rangers forward Jesse Fishman, as the pair are billeting together for the season. Hollett says the two always get up to a good time.

"He's a great guy and well respected around the room, so he's definitely fun to live with. He recently brought up his Xbox too, so we'll get around to some NHL and Call of Duty."

Hollet often visits his favourite food spot in Kitchener with Fishman. The Kitchener restaurant, DT Shawarma, has become a classic spot for a good local meal.

"The hot sauce is homemade and they have solid shawarma, so we always find ourselves going back."

It wasn't always Kitchener for Hollett, as he was drafted by the North Bay Battalion before being traded to the Rangers at the beginning of last season. When Hollett arrived, he was taken back by the organization and fan base within Ranger nation.

"Everybody here knows it's show-time, all the way up from management to the players, " Hollett said. "Seeing thousands of people at our home games is fun to be a part of, as we really do rock the Aud."

Though coming to Kitchener was something different, Hollett reunited with a former minor hockey friend, Roman Schmidt. The pair played minor hockey together in Ottawa, where Ty once practised his craft as a forward. That all changed during his second year of AAA hockey.

"Having someone you grew up with on the team is great and Schmidt was good at taking care of me when I first got there," Hollett said. We played for a team called the Ottawa Jr. 67's, and once I made the switch to defence I never looked back.

Hollett still spends his summers skating in Ottawa, as this past summer he trained with newest Ottawa Senator, Claude Giroux. Watching the NHL veteran work everyday was something Hollett believed to be very beneficial.

"Seeing his work ethic and what he's achieved really puts things in perspective, " Hollett said. "I grew up a Senators fan living in Ottawa, so it's nice to see them find some success."

Though there have been a variety of successful moments for Hollett since his arrival in Kitchener, one event at a recent Rangers practice has become a standout memory. A battle drill between Hollett and teammate Matthew Sop, which Hollett believes he certainly got the better of.

"After I scored I celebrated pretty hard as it was the last rep of the practice and all the boys huddled around like we just won a game 7, " Hollett joked. "It was a wholesome moment for all of us, and to see my brothers supporting me is the best feeling."

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