All of the OHL's top scorers play for the Kitchener Rangers

The Kitchener Rangers are off to a stellar start to their season.

Winning nine of their first 13 games, the team leads the Western Conference.

With nearly a quarter of the season played, their 65 goals are the most of any team – and it’s not just the rate they’re scoring at that’s impressive, it’s how they’re doing it.

Four Rangers sit atop of the OHL’s scoring race – no other player has more points.

“I think we had a really great start,” Rangers head coach Jussi Ahokas said. “Our offence has been really good.”

Hunter Brzustewicz leads the group with five goals and 20 assists for a total of 25 points. Carson Rehkopf – the league’s top goal scorer – has 23 points, with 14 goals and nine assists.

“I spent a lot of time in the off-season kind of watching all the leading goal scorers and how they score goals and I feel like I’ve been getting a lot more offensive chances,” said Rehkopf, who was named OHL player of the month. 

Brzustewicz, the OHL’s defenceman of the month, said his success partly comes down to “becoming more of a shooter mentality… and every time just trying to put it through the back of the net.”

Kitchener native Matthew Sop ranks third in the league.

“[I] just take all the learning from every single year,” Sop said. “As you grow in this league you find out new things about yourself and your style of play.”

Adrian Misaljevic, 19, rounds out the pack at fourth with 20 points. The winger has played most of his career in a depth role – until now.

“I think just confidence-wise and opportunity changed a lot,” Misaljevic said. “I think a lot of us are gelling together.”

Kitchener Rangers players: Matthew Sop (top left), Carson Rehkopf (top right), Hunter Brzustewicz (bottom left), and Adrian Misaljevic (bottom right). (Source: CHL.ca)

MORE GOOD NEWS FOR RANGERS

Last month, the team welcomed back the Montreal Canadiens first-round draft pick Filip Mešár.

The Slovak played at nearly a point-per-game pace with the Rangers last season.

His return was a welcome sight for the players.

“My eyes lit up,” Sop said. “I mean, I was pumped.”

“I live with him,” Rehkopf said. “He’s one of my best friends and I got super close with him last year. I was super happy and he’s obviously a great player so it’s great for us.”

The Rangers will next head to Windsor for a Thursday night matchup with the Spitfires, before returning to The Aud on Friday to host the North Bay Battalion.

Full schedule and ticket information is available here. https://chl.ca/ohl-rangers/test-ticketing-page/