Rangers Set to Host Flint Firebirds in Friday Night Showdown at the Aud

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OHL Kitchener Rangers

Rangers Set to Host Flint Firebirds in Friday Night Showdown at the Aud

October 4, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Kitchener, ON - The Kitchener Rangers host the Flint Firebirds for the first time this season on Oktoberfest Night at The Aud. A special pregame ceremony will occur before the 7:00 p.m. puck drop with the Rangers being joined by Onkel Hans, Tante Frieda, and the Oktoberfest team.

TV: Rogers Channel 20 (Kitchener)

Video Stream: OHL Live on CHL TV

Radio: 570 AM CKGL

TV: Super Sports Pack, cable 470 (Ontario)

PROMOTIONS

The Rangers are celebrating Oktoberfest this Friday, October 4th at The Aud! Ahead of their matchup against the Firebirds on Friday, Onkel Hans, Tante Frieda, and the Oktoberfest team will be guests to partake in the ceremonial puck drop. Additional Oktoberfest activities the Rangers will be participating in include the Thanksgiving Day Parade (Monday, October 14th), Stuff-a-bus for the Onkel Hans Food Drive (Friday, October 4th), and KIDtoberfest (Friday, October 11th to Sunday, October 13th).

More details can be found here.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Over the Years:

Friday's game marks the first of four matchups and the first of two meetings between the clubs within five days. After that, the teams won't meet again until January when they're scheduled to face off twice within two weeks. Since 2019, the Rangers and Firebirds have played one another 17 times, with Kitchener holding a 6-8-3-0 record and a 2-4-2-0 record at The Aud over the past five years. In the 2023-24 regular season, the Rangers were a commendable 3-1-0-0 against Flint.

SCOUTING THE RANGERS (0-2-0-0)

10th in the Western Conference, 20th in the OHL

The Rangers dropped their first road game of the regular season on Saturday, losing in a chippy contest 12-2 to the Windsor Spitfires at WFCU Centre. After conceding five goals in the first period, the Blueshirts struggled to regain momentum and chip away at the deficit. Goaltender Jason Schaubel made his OHL debut, coming in relief of Jackson Parsons after the opening frame - stopping 19 of 26 shots. There were 88 minutes in penalties between the two clubs, including 12 five-minute majors. Luke Ellinas (Ottawa Senators) scored in his second consecutive game as Andrew Vermeulen registered his first point as a Ranger. Sophomore Luca Romano scored his first goal of the 2024-25 regular season on the power play, the second game in a row the team has scored on the man advantage. Defenseman Cameron Reid and senior Adrian Misaljevic found their way on the scoresheet, adding assists on the power play strike.

The Blueshirts went one-for-six on the power play and five-for-six on the penalty kill, giving up a single goal on the man advantage and two short-handed goals to the Spitfires. Through two games in the 2024-25 regular season, the Rangers are converting on the power play at 22.2% while operating the penalty kill at a 72.7% success rate.

Friday's game against Flint will be the Rangers' first of three in a row, as Kitchener travels to Owen Sound on Saturday and host Guelph on Sunday.

Rangers to Watch:

Through two games in the 2024-25 season, Luke Ellinas (Ottawa Senators) has scored two goals and currently is tied for the lead in points on the Blueshirts (2). After a season that saw Ellinas taking plenty of leaps offensively, scoring 16 goals, 17 assists for 33 points in 67 games, the forward was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fourth round (104th overall) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. In the 2023-24 postseason, he was impressive, scoring five goals, three assists, and eight points in ten games. Against the Firebirds a season ago, Ellinas scored four goals and added an assist in four games, capped off by a hat trick in the final meeting between the two in March.

Cameron Reid is fresh off a stellar freshman season, scoring two goals and registering 21 assists for a 23-point total through 49 regular season games. After posting five assists in 10 postseason appearances in the 2023-24 season, Reid joined teammate Luca Romano at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning gold with Team Canada. Through two games in the 2024-25 campaign, Reid has recorded an assist on the power play in consecutive games leading all Rangers defensemen in points.

Justin Bottineau statistically had the best season of his young OHL career in the 2023-24 year, scoring five goals and tallying 14 assists for 19 total points in the regular season. He would score two big goals for the Rangers in the postseason, including an overtime winner against the Erie Otters in Game 3 of their opening-round series. Though he has yet to record a point in the 2024-25 regular season, Bottineau tied for fourth in points on the Rangers in the preseason (3) and earned two points (1G, 1A) in four matches against the Firebirds last season.

SCOUTING THE FIREBIRDS (1-1-0-0)

4th in the Western Conference, 10th in the OHL

After opening their 2024-25 regular season with a commanding 7-4 win at Budweiser Gardens against the London Knights, the Flint Firebirds dropped the second game of their home-and-home series, losing 5-2 to the Knights on Saturday. Still with a 1-1-0-0 record, the Firebirds sit fourth in the Western Conference and 10th in the OHL with an even 9-9 goal differential. Through two games, Nolan Collins (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Christopher Thibodeau lead the team in points (5), while Collins and Evan Konyen have scored the most goals (2), and Thibodeau has recorded a team-high five assists. Collectively, Flint is operating their power play at a 23.1% rate and holds a 61.5% penalty kill success rate. Over the last five years competing at The Aud, the Firebirds hold a winning record of 6-2-0-0 against the Rangers.

Friday's game against the Rangers will be their first of the weekend before heading back to Flint on Saturday to face off against the Sarnia Sting at the Dort Financial Center.

Firebirds to Watch:

Christopher Thibodeau's five assists rank third in the OHL, and he's tied for first with three power play assists. After high-scoring performances in the Firebirds' first two games, he'll aim to continue his strong start in Kitchener on Friday. The centerman spent the previous three seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs, where he had a career-best 2023-24 campaign, tallying 21 goals, 39 assists, and 60 points across 68 regular season games. His 39 assists ranked second on the team, while his 60 points were the third-most. Thibodeau opened the 2024-25 season with a three-assist game, followed by a two-assist effort the next day.

Nolan Collins opened the 2024-25 campaign with an impressive four-point night (2G, 2A), making a strong debut in a Firebirds uniform. Despite the club's 5-2 loss to the Knights on Saturday, Collins still made an impact by registering an assist on the game's opening goal. His five points rank as the second most in the OHL, trailing only Anthony Cristoforo of the Windsor Spitfires, who has seven points. Last season with the Sudbury Wolves, Collins tallied six goals and 20 assists for a total of 26 points, with his six goals being the second most by a Wolves defenseman and his 26 points ranking third on the team. Off to a hot start, he is certainly a player to watch on Friday.

Drafted Firebirds:

The Firebirds have six players who have been drafted to the NHL, three that were selected in 2024, two in 2023, and one that was picked in the 2022 NHL Entry draft. Kaden Pitre (Tampa Bay Lightning), Connor Clattenburg (Edmonton Oilers), and Nathan Aspinall (New York Rangers) were taken in the 2024 draft. Matthew Mania (Los Angeles Kings) and Nathan Day (Edmonton Oilers) were selected in 2023, while Nolan Collins was drafted in the 2022 draft.

RANGERS REACH

Support our community while cheering on your Rangers! Rangers Reach 50/50 and game-worn jersey Raffles take place at each Rangers home game and proceeds go to support our many community initiatives, including Scholarships, Community Impact Grants, in-kind donations, and more! Your 50/50 and jersey ticket purchases help to make a difference in our community! Tickets can be purchased online anywhere in Ontario at Rangers5050.com and rangersjersey.com.

BROADCAST COVERAGE

Friday's game vs the Flint Firebirds will be televised live throughout Kitchener and the Waterloo Region on Rogers TV, cable channel 20, and can be watched across the province of Ontario on the Super Sports Pak on channel 470 for cable subscribers. The game will be streamed live online on OHL Live on CHL TV. Additionally, fans can listen to Friday's action on the radio on CityNews 570 AM CKGL.

UP NEXT:

Following Friday's game against the Firebirds, the Rangers will continue their schedule with two more games in the coming days, facing the Owen Sound Attack on the road before returning home to take on the Guelph Storm on Sunday at 6pm to spark this season's edition of the Highway 7 rivalry.

Secure your tickets for all Kitchener Rangers games at The Aud Box Office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online.

Check out the Kitchener Rangers Statistics

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