OHL Kitchener Rangers

Rangers Select Four Skaters on Day One Friday

April 22, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Kitchener, Ont. - The Kitchener Rangers added four players Friday on day one of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, presented Real Canadian Superstore. First, it was left-shot defenceman Cameron Reid with the 10th-overall pick, before selecting forward Luca Romano with the 11th-overall pick. Kitchener than added right-winger Tanner Lam in the second round, followed by centerman Matheas Stark in the third round.

"Overall, we're really happy with the guys we selected and we thought the day went really well," said Kitchener Rangers General Manager Mike McKenzie.

Cameron Reid, the Rangers first-round (10th overall) selection is a left-shot defenceman from Aylmer, Ont. He played his minor hockey with the Bishop Kearney Selects 15U AAA program in Rochester, N.Y. last season where he amassed an impressive 76 points (26G, 50A) in 83 games. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound blueliner was named the team's captain this year after earning 67 points (18G, 49A) in 93 games with Bishop Kearney the season prior.

"Getting Cameron Reid at pick 10 was something we were really happy about," added McKenzie. "We think he is going to be a real good defenceman in our league, a really high-end player."

"It's just excitement, a little nerves, I just can't wait to get there," said Reid. "It's an unreal experience just to hear your name called in the OHL Draft, let alone to a historic organization like Kitchener with the greatest fans in the OHL. I've been to games in Kitchener and what I felt there was like nothing I have ever experienced before."

The Rangers then selected Luca Romano with the very next pick in the first round, 11th overall. The forward racked up 46 points (15G, 31A) in 36 games with the Toronto Junior Canadiens U16 AAA hockey club in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). A 5-foot-11, 168-pound native of Toronto played in seven games at the 2023 OHL Cup and tallied eight points (5G, 3A), including a plus-nine rating in seven games. He played in one Tier II Junior A game with the Stouffville Spirit in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL).

"Getting Luca Romano at 11, to get a forward and a defenceman, it's a nice mix in the first round," added McKenzie. "Luca is a really skilled, slick player. So we were really happy with how the first round went."

"It's an honour to be drafted by an organization like this," said Romano. "Having been to Kitchener, the facilities are top notch, the passion the fanbase and city has is something special."

Tanner Lam was Kitchener's second-round pick, 41st overall. The right-winger spent last season with the Halton Hurricanes in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association-South Central Triple A league (OMHA-SCTA). Lam posted 71 points (38G, 33A) in 35 games with the Hurricanes, including 21 points (13G, 8A) in just eight playoff games. A native of Brampton, Ont., Lam is 5-foot-9, 140-pounds and shoots right. He had 52 points (31G, 21A) in 33 games with Halton during his U15 year.

"And with our second-round pick, getting Tanner Lam, he's a really skilled player," added McKenzie. "He's one of the most talented players in the draft. He can create a ton of offence, score goals and set up plays. He'll be a guy I think fans love watching how slick and skilled he is."

"I've been reading up on the Rangers and all the great players that have come from there makes it such an honour to be part of this organization now," said Lam. "From the change room, to the rink, to the fans, everything is high level. I cannot wait to be in that atmosphere one day."

The East Avenue Blue then selected Matheas Stark (pronounced muh-tay-iss) in the third round, 47th overall. Stark, is a native of Toronto, Ont. and spent last season with the Toronto Marlboros U16 AAA minor hockey club in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). He recorded 40 points (16G, 24A) in 30 games with the Marlboros last season. Stark is a 6-foot-1, 160-pound left-shot centerman.

"And then getting Matheas Stark where we did, we never thought he'd be available at that point in the draft," added McKenzie. "He plays really hard, he's a two-way player, really smart, can set guys up and put the puck in the net too. He played on one of the top teams in the GTHL. So we're really happy with how the first day went."

"It's pretty crazy an honour to get drafted to such a prestigious organization like Kitchener. I'm really excited," said Stark. "They're super professional, everything was amazing, top of the league in all categories. It's really a spectacular place and I cannot wait to get started."

Rounds 4-15 begins tomorrow at 9 a.m. ET. Fans can follow pick-by-pick results here or can watch the stream live on OHL Live.

For all the latest information on the Rangers at the 2023 OHL Draft, visit KitchenerRangers.com.

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