Kitchener Rangers clinch playoff spot

The Kitchener Rangers are heading to the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.

On Friday, the Rangers faced off against the Owen Sound Attack, easily defeating the visiting team 8-3.

The win on home ice gave the Rangers their six-straight win, which ensured the team would be heading into the playoffs.

While the Rangers will advance, it is not clear yet where the Rangers will fall in the standings.

As of Saturday, the team was sitting in seventh place with eight games left in the season.

Kitchener has earned points in 11 of their past 13 games and is now only one point out of fifth place, and six points out of a fourth-place hosting seed, according to the Rangers.

The Owen Sound Attack are chomping at their heals in eighth place and only one point behind.

The Rangers’ general management said tickets will go on sale to the general public on March 20.

RANGERS PAST PLAYOFFS

Last season, the Rangers took on the London Knights in the first round, defeating them four games to three.

The Kitchener Rangers pulled off the upset after a 4-3 overtime win over the Knights in Game 7.

Rangers’ leading scorer Mike Petizian scored the overtime winner to hand Kitchener a berth to the second round.

In the second round, the Rangers lost their edge and fell four games to one against the Windsor Spitfires.

Since 2015, the Rangers have entered the playoffs every year, but have been unable to make it to the final round or hoist the **name of cup** cup.

In 2018, the Rangers advanced to the third round to face off against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, but ultimately fell behind and were knocked out in the run to the cup.

There were no playoffs in 2020 or 2021.

The last season the Kitchener Rangers hoisted the cup was in 2007-2008.

MID-SEASON MANAGEMENT CHANGE

In June of 2022, the Rangers announced they had hired Chris Dennis as the new head coach.

Dennis was named the new head coach a day after the Rangers announced that interim coach Mike Mckenzie would be stepping away from the bench to return as the team’s full-time general manager.

Midway through the season, the Rangers fired Dennis.

McKenzie served as the Rangers head coach on an interim basis from November 2019 until June 2022 when Dennis was brought on.

On Feb. 10, the organization said Dennis would be relieved of his duties immediately.

Assistant coaches Dennis Wideman, Brandon Merli and Brennan Menard remained on the coaching staff.

“We felt if there was a chance and an opportunity to be able to set things back on track and give us consistent play heading into a really important time of the season, the playoffs, now is the right time,” Kitchener Rangers Chief Operating Officer Joe Birch said on Feb. 10.