Game Preview: Kitchener Head to London for First Road Battle with Knights
London, ON – The Kitchener Rangers kick off a two-game road trip against the London Knights on Sunday afternoon, their first visit to Canada Life Place this season. The Rangers are looking to secure their first win of the season against the Knights and jump back into the first seed in the Western Conference. Puck drop is slated for a 4:00 p.m. start.
- TV: Rogers Super Sports Pak Channel 470
- TV: Rogers Channel 20 (Kitchener)
- Video Stream: OHL Live on CHL TV
- Radio: 570 AM CKGL
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Last Matchup:
In the first meeting, the Blueshirts hosted the Knights at The Aud on Tuesday, November 19. New enforcement Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks) scored the opening and lone goal for Kitchener in the game, with the Knights proceeding to bury three unanswered, claiming a 3-1 victory. Cameron Reid and Adrian Misaljevic recorded assists on the goal tally. Despite the loss, Rangers netminder Jackson Parsons earned the first star of the game after he turned aside 35 of 37 shots, posting an impressive .945 save percentage.
Over the Years:
Sunday’s game is the second of six matchups in the year between Kitchener and London. Over each of the coming months until the end of the regular season, the two will face off at least once. In the 2023-24 regular season, Kitchener was 2-4-0-0 against London, winning one game at home and another on the road. Since 2019, the Rangers are 9-19-1-0 against the Knights, posting a 5-9-0-0 record in London over that stretch. Kitchener will be eager to turn the tide on Sunday.
SCOUTING THE RANGERS (22-5-2-1)
Third in the Western Conference, Second in the OHL
Hosting the Kingston Frontenacs for the first and only time this season, the Kitchener Rangers pulled out a come-from-behind victory at The Aud on Friday. Trailing 2-0 early into the second period, Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks) gave the Blueshirts life, striking twice to push the game into overtime at a 2-2 score. In the extra frame, captain Matthew Andonoski came to the rescue, scoring his third goal of the 2024-25 campaign, giving the Rangers their seventh straight win. Andrew Vermeulen, Cameron Reid, and Luke Ellinas all recorded assists in the game. Taking the crease, Jackson Parsons earned yet another victory, securing his 18th of the season. The goaltender stopped 26 of 28 shots faced.
Kitchener had six power play opportunities but failed to convert with the man advantage. After 30 games, the club’s power play has operated at 21.6% heading into Sunday’s matinee matchup with the Knights. On the penalty kill, the Frontenacs had only three chances to strike on the power play, succeeding once in the first period. The Rangers’ penalty-killing units are succeeding at 84.5%.
Rangers to Watch:
Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks) has been a reliable offensive producer for the Rangers since his arrival to the OHL. Through 11 games with the organization, Pridham has seven goals, seven assists, and 14 points. Most recently, he fueled a Kitchener comeback with a two-goal performance against the Frontenacs, earning the first star. The forward has three goals in his past two games. In the only meeting with London this season, Pridham scored the lone goal for the Blueshirts – making him a player to watch on Sunday.
Cameron Reid has appeared in all 30 of the Rangers’ games this season, becoming a dependable defenceman and offensive contributor. Reid sits fourth on the Rangers in points (26) while he leads the organization this season in assists (21). Reid added to that department in Friday’s win over Kingston and provided a primary assist on a power play goal in the loss to London back in November. He’ll look to get on the scoresheet again on Sunday.
Andrew Vermeulen has been making plenty of noise on offence in his first season with Kitchener. Vermeulen has registered two goals, five assists, and seven points over his past six games – including a three-point night (1G, 2A) against the Owen Sound Attack at the end of November. On the season, he has 15 points (7G, 8A). The veteran forward recorded another assist on Friday, he’ll be in search of continuing his recent success against London on Sunday.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS (24-6-0-0)
First in the Western Conference, First in the OHL
Heading into Sunday’s matinee with the Kitchener Rangers, the London Knights are fresh off a home-and-home with the Windsor Spitfires. Winning the first game on Friday, 4-2, the Knights dropped a close game on Saturday, 3-2. Henry Brzustewicz opened the scoring in the game with his fifth of the season before Windsor would tie up the game in the opening 20 minutes. Blake Montgomery (Ottawa Senators) gave the Knights a 2-1 lead in the second, but it was the Spitfires who would score two unanswered to redeem themselves from the night prior – winning 3-2. Knights netminder Aleksei Medvedev had a standout performance, stopping 39 of 42 shots (.928 save percentage) and earning the first star of the game.
The Knights only had one power play opportunity, going 0-for-1. After 30 games, London boasts a 30.5% power play percentage. However, when playing down a man, the Knights stopped all four Windsor chances, bringing their penalty kill success rate to 82.2%.
Sunday’s contest is the third straight day with a game for the Knights. Following their matchup with the Rangers, the club will resume play on Wednesday as they travel to Erie Insurance Arena to take on the Erie Otters.
Knights to Watch:
One forward to be on the lookout for is Landon Sim (St. Louis Blues) who is playing in his fourth season with London. In 19 games played, Sim has nine goals and eight assists for 17 points. In his last five games, Sim has found the back of the net three times and tacked on two assists for a five-point total. Sim leads the Knights in first goals and sits tied for third in power play markers.
Sam O’Reilly (Edmonton Oilers) ranks fifth on the Knights in total scoring, accumulating 24 points in 27 games played this season. His 10 goals are the fourth most on London, while his 14 assists also classify a fifth spot ranking. The forward is coming off a career year, securing 56 points (20G, 36A) in 68 regular season games, prompting the Edmonton Oilers to select him 32nd overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Over the last five games, O’Reilly has two goals, four assists, and six points – posing as an offensive threat against Kitchener on Sunday.
In 12 appearances this season, goaltender Austin Elliott is a perfect 12-0-0. The netminder has yet to record a loss in any of his 12 starts in 2024. Competing in his first season with London, Elliott holds a 2.21 goals-against average (second in the OHL) and a .915 save percentage (fourth in the OHL). Yet to record a loss, Elliott also has two shutouts, tied for the second most in the league. Elliott poses a significant challenge for a Rangers team riding a seven-game winning streak.
Drafted Knights:
The Knights have 12 players who have been drafted to the NHL, one who was taken in the 2022 draft, six who were selected in the 2023 draft, and five who were picked in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
Landon Sim (St. Louis Blues) was taken in 2022. Easton Cowan (Toronto Maple Leafs), Kasper Halttunen (San Jose Sharks), Jacob Julien (Winnipeg Jets), Jesse Nurmi (New York Islanders), Denver Barkey (Philadelphia Flyers), and Oliver Bonk (Philadelphia Flyers) were selected in the 2023 draft. Sam O’Reilly (Edmonton Oilers), Blake Montgomery (Ottawa Senators), William Nicholl (Edmonton Oilers), Sam Dickinson (San Jose Sharks), and Jared Woolley (Los Angeles Kings) were picked in the 2024 draft.
BROADCAST COVERAGE:
Sunday’s game against the London Knights will be televised live throughout Kitchener and the Waterloo Region on Rogers TV, cable channel 20. It can also be watched across the province of Ontario on the Super Sports Pak on channel 470 for cable subscribers. The game will be streamed live online on OHL Live on CHL TV. Additionally, fans can listen to Saturday’s action on the radio on CityNews 570 AM CKGL.
UP NEXT:
Kitchener will embark on a trip to Sarnia to wrap up their two-game road swing on Wednesday, December 18th at Progressive Auto Sales Arena. The club will then return home to the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium for a matchup with the Ottawa 67’s on home ice next Friday, December 20th for the annual Holiday Game. Puck drop against the Sting is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Secure your tickets for all Kitchener Rangers games at The Aud Box Office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online here.
Graphics: Hailey Tripodi / Kitchener Rangers
For inquiries, contact:
Luca Lombardi
Communications Coordinator
Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
416-885-4510
[email protected]
