'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
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From artificial intelligence running wild to collapsing ecosystems, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the near future.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Police in Ontario say suspects charged in armed home invasion near Toronto part of 'larger criminal network'
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Stolen septic truck swerves through traffic, spike belt needed to stop it: Manitoba RCMP
A 29-year-old woman has been charged after police say she stole a septic truck from a Manitoba community and drove erratically on the highway.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.