‘Speechless’: Kitchener Rangers claim OHL Championship

The Kitchener Rangers are Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Champions.

A 4-2 win against the Barrie Colts Tuesday night saw the Rangers complete the sweep and hoist the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the fifth time in franchise history.

The last OHL Championship wins were back in 1981, 1982, 2003, and most recently, 18 years ago, 2008. This playoff run, they did it with a 16-2 record.

“You’re speechless,” said Captain Cameron Reid. “It’s everything. That’s what you work for.”

OHL Playoff MVP Sam O’Reilly put the final nail in the coffin with an empty net goal late in the third.

“I’m just extremely grateful for the opportunities I’ve been able to have over the last three years,” said O’Reilly.

O’Reilly and Jared Woolley become the second and third players in OHL history to win three consecutive OHL championships.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Rangers Head Coach Jussi Ahokas. “They wanna play for each other, they wanna commit to playing the right way … you need good players, we have a heck of a team.”

One of those good players, Matthew Andonovski, who was named teammate of the year by the OHL.

He spoke with 570 NewsRadio postgame on this being his last year with the Rangers.

“Pretty emotional. My time here is coming to an end but we’ve got Kelowna now so, I am happy that I can end it on my own terms and not getting knocked out by another team,” said Andonovski. “We are a true brotherhood in here, we’re the most connected group in this league and it shows on the ice.”

The Kelowna Rockets will host the Kitchener Rangers for the 2026 Memorial Cup in British Columbia next week.

The Canadian Hockey League crown will be played for May 22-31.

“I had no doubt in this group, I knew we we’re going to get here. Now we have an opportunity right in front of us to go to Kelowna and bring back the Memorial Cup … we are going to work really hard for it,” said Reid.

The first game is Friday, May 22, against the Rockets.

---