‘Proud of the guys’: Kitchener Rangers season ends with silver linings, but no silverware
Posted May 1, 2025 07:19:42 AM.
Last Updated May 2, 2025 04:31:38 AM.
The Kitchener Rangers season came to an end without any trophies, but plenty of accolades for players and fans to hang their hats on.
The Blueshirts were swept by their bitter rivals, the London Knights, after a 4-2 loss on Wednesday night.
“As much as it hurts right now, and the game sucked, I’m just really proud of the guys,” said Rangers netminder Jackson Parsons post-game.
The Knights lifted the Wayne Gretzky Trophy as champions of the OHL’s Western Conference and move on to the next round.
As for the Rangers, they’ll get the summer off and a chance to look back on one of the most successful season in franchise history.
The East Avenue Blue recorded 47 wins this season, had their first 100-point season in nearly 20 years, Parsons was awarded the Goaltender and Overage Player of the Season awards, and Head Coach Jussi Ahokas was named Coach of the Year.
“I came here, and our whole coaching staff, we want to win,” said Ahokas. “We want to make Kitchener great again.”
Ahokas added that Kitchener will be able to hold onto most of their talented, young players heading into next season.
For some of the older players, Wednesday night was their farewell to the fans at The Aud.
Goaltender Parsons will move on from the team next season and is committed to Clarkson University in New York, finishing off his OHL career with a legacy-defining season in Kitchener.
Rangers top scorers Adrian Misaljevic and Trent Swick will also move on from the team. Swick will look to make an impact at the Los Vegas Golden Knight’s development camp this summer, the team that drafted him back in 2024. Misaljevic will head to Clarkson University alongside Parsons.
Opening day on the next season at The Aud is just five short months away.
