Rangers First Half in Review
The Rangers head on Christmas vacation with a 22-10-1-0 record and plenty to celebrate. The team sits second in the division and third in the Western Conference, just two points behind the Plymouth Whalers.
Before the team gets back to business, let’s look back at a few of the highlights from the first 33 games.
Opening Night featured the debut of the new lights at The Aud, the warmly-received return of Ben Fanelli and a few new faces in the roster. Rookie Brent Pedersen, the team’s first round pick in this summer’s Priority Selection scored his first career goal on his first shift, showing the offensive talent that earned him a spot on Team Ontario at this month’s Under-17 World Hockey Challenge.
First year Ranger Curtis Meighan had a two-point night, as did veteran winger Ben Thomson. For Thomson it was the best start he could hope for – the power forward come into this season determined to score more points and has bettered his career-high already, with six goals and 15 assists through the first half.
It was also the first win for new Kitchener netminder John Gibson, but certainly not the last.
Gibson will spend his Christmas break in Alberta, stopping pucks for Team USA at the World Junior Hockey Championship. The Pittsburgh-native has been a rock for the Rangers, with a top-five save percentage all season and 14 wins to his credit. Gibson, who was a second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in last summer’s draft has posted a .933 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.52 in 20 appearances with his new team.
Fellow new face Franky Palazzese has been stellar since picking up his first win on November 11. He put together a streak of seven straight victories and boosted his save percentage to .936, the second best in the OHL. Palazzese, who joined the Rangers via trade this summer, says he’s happy in his new surroundings and with numbers like his, Kitchener fans are happy to have him.
Tobias Rieder returned to Germany for Christmas, but not just for the home cooking. The high-flying winger led his national team to a gold medal at the IIHF U20 Division Championship on home ice, ensuring the team a spot at next year’s World Juniors in Russia. Rieder had 13 points in just five games, including a four-goal effort early in the Round Robin – a reflection of the offensive production Rangers fans are used to. The sophomore import leads team scoring with 35 points, including two hat tricks and has tremendous chemistry on the top line with captain Michael Catenacci.
Fellow import Radek Faksa has been dynamite for the Rangers since arriving from the Czech Republic. He leads all OHL freshmen with 16 goals and 17 helpers this season and was named the league’s Rookie of the Month in November. It’s not just the crowd in Kitchener taking notice – Faksa was ranked fourth among North American draft prospects by NHL Central Scouting, received an invite from the Czech Ice Hockey Association to attend World Junior camp and will play in the CHL Top Prospects game with teammate Matia Marcantuoni. Always battling hard on the ice and smiling off of it, the charismatic centre is making his mark with the Rangers.
Home town talent Zach Lorentz got his team on the board first in the 17th Annual Teddy Bear Toss game and Rangers Nation responded by launching a record 7,762 stuffed animals onto the ice.
That 4-2 victory over division rivals the London Knights was a big home win for the Rangers, who were 14-5 at The Aud through the first half, winning every home game in the month of November. Catenacci calls the fans ‘the best in the CHL’ and every player in the room will tell you that game nights at The Aud are something special.
There is more to being a Ranger than contributing on the ice, though. The team and its fans are in the community, doing their best to make a difference. From school visits to raising funds for Special Olympics Ontario, there’s always an opportunity to lend a hand.
This year, we asked Rangers fans to be Head Strong champions – to vote and promote the cause in the Aviva Community Fund Challenge. Fanelli’s program for Brain Injury Awareness collected enough of your votes to advance to the final round this week, one step closer to a $35,000 prize that will help the Brain Injury Association of Canada create educational bursaries for deserving students.
With the festive season upon us, the Kitchener Rangers want to wish you a safe and happy holiday. We hope to see you all at The Aud in the New Year for even more exciting hockey action!
The Rangers return to home ice on Friday, December 30 when they host the Owen Sound Attack at 7:30pm. Tickets may be purchased by phone at 519-578-1570 or 1-800-265-8977, via the internet or in person at The Aud Box Office or Centre in the Square Box Office.