'It's tough to see it end': Rangers reflect on second round exit in OHL Playoffs
Friday was cleanout day for the Kitchener Rangers after their season came to an abrupt end the night before.
The team held its player exit meetings the day after their 4-3 loss to the London Knights. The four-game sweep in the second round of the OHL playoffs marked the second straight year the Rangers were eliminated by their rivals down Hwy 401.
“It’s sad obviously,” said Rangers forward Carson Rehkopf. “[We’re a] very close group so it’s tough to see it end.”
London took a 4-1 lead in the 2nd period after Kasper Halttunen tipped a point shot past netminder Jackson Parsons. The Rangers answered with back-to-back goals from Trent Swick, but ultimately time ran out on the comeback and their season.
“All of the games were tight,” Rangers head coach Jussi Ahokas told CTV News. “There were small things, errors, special teams where we should have been better.”
The Knights have yet to lose a game in these playoffs, going a perfect 8-0 through the first two rounds.
“We had an OK year. If we had [beaten] London we would have had a great year,” Ahokas said. “If you lose a series 4-0, you didn’t have a chance.”
General manager Mike McKenzie drew some positives from this season, citing the low expectations the team had coming into the year and their ability to exceed them. Despite advancing to the second round of the OHL Playoffs in each of the past three years, McKenzie said the way this season ended left a sour taste.
“Any time you get swept you’d like to give a little more of a fight,” McKenzie said. “Only one team can win in the end. 19 teams go home disappointed and we’re one of them.”
Thursday marked the final OHL game for Rangers over-agers Mitchell Martin, Simon Motew, and Matthew Sop, with each player’s OHL eligibility officially coming to an end.
“There was definitely a tear or two shed last night,” said Kitchener native Matthew Sop, who played his entire career with his hometown team. “It’s really sad, but moments like this I try to really appreciate everything Kitchener has done for me. I’m really grateful to be a Ranger my whole life.”
Teammates Carson Rehkopf and Hunter Brzustewicz are both coming off career seasons. Rehkopf became the first Ranger to score 50 goals in a season since 2019 en route to making Team Canada’s IIHF World Junior Championship team, while Brzustewicz’s 92 points tied him with Jason Gladney for the highest scoring single season by a defenceman in franchise history.
Both Rehkopf (Seattle Kraken) and Brzustewicz (Calgary Flames) are eligible to return to the Rangers this Fall, after getting an opportunity to crack an NHL roster next season.
“Just trying to do whatever I can in the summer and get myself ready for whatever happens,” Rehkopf said.”
Looking ahead to next season McKenzie hopes to see internal growth and improvement in order to succeed.
“We need a lot of those players to take steps, get stronger, and come back and take on bigger roles for us. That’s what junior hockey is all about,” McKenzie said.
The Rangers drafted 14 players in last week’s OHL Priority Selection:
- Round 1: Evan Headrick (C)
- Round 2: Alexander Bilecki (LD)
- Round 3: Weston Cameron (C)
- Round 4: Nathan Gaitens (RD)
- Round 5: Jason Schaubel (G)
- Round 6: Matt Souter (RW)
- Round 8: Jacob Xu (LD)
- Round 10: Jude Bray (LD)
- Round 11: Avry Anstis (RW)
- Round 12: Nolan Carriere (G)
- Round 12: Ryker Young (LD)
- Round 13: Jack Hextall (C)
- Round 14: Dylan Orr (RD)
- Round 15: Ryder Robertson
Heading into the summer, McKenzie says he’ll look at all options to improve the team ahead of next season.
“We’ll take a look at everything and leave no stone unturned in the offseason to help improve our team internally and externally,” McKenzie said.
Returning players are scheduled to report to training camp for the 2024-25 season in late August.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Eurovision Song Contest final kicks off after protests, backstage chaos and a contestant's expulsion
The final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest kicked off Saturday in the Swedish city of Malmo after days of protests and offstage drama that have tipped the feelgood musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.