Game Preview: Kitchener Wraps Up Three-In-Three Against Saginaw at The Aud
Kitchener, ON – The Kitchener Rangers host the Saginaw Spirit for the second time this season as the club concludes a three-in-three weekend at The Aud on Sunday. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
- TV: Rogers Channel 20 (Kitchener)
- Rogers Super Sports Pak Channel 468 (Ontario)
- Video Stream: OHL Live on CHL TV
- Radio: 570 AM CKGL
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Last Meeting:
On November 3rd, 2024, the Rangers and Spirit met for the second time this season, with Kitchener earning a 4-2 victory at The Aud. Sophomore forward Luca Romano had a strong outing, earning the first star of the game with a three-point (2G, 1A) performance. Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights) also pulled a heavy weight, scoring a goal and adding two assists for a three-point night of his own. Andrew Vermeulen added the Rangers’ final marker, his fourth of the season. In goal, Jackson Parsons was outstanding, turning aside 39 of 41 shots and posting a remarkable .951 save percentage in the win.
Over the Years:
Sunday’s game is the third of four meetings between Kitchener and Saginaw this season, with the Rangers winning the previous two matchups (7-4, 4-2). The final battle between the two sides is scheduled for Saturday, February 1st. Last season, Kitchener managed to win one game, going 1-3-0-0 in four matchups. Over the last five years, however, the Rangers have held the upper hand, going 10-7-1-0 and 6-2-1-0 at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
SCOUTING THE RANGERS (29-8-2-1)
Third in the Western Conference, Third in the OHL
The Rangers got back in the win column on Saturday night, defeating the Barrie Colts 4-1 in their lone trip to Sadlon Arena this season. Christian Humphreys recorded his first career OHL goal in his second game for the Blueshirts to open the scoring. Cameron Reid and Luca Romano followed up with goals of their own, while Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks) tallied his 12th of the season to round out the offence. The Colts found one goal marker late in the second period, but two third-period tallies from Kitchener sealed the victory and ensured a strong finish for the Rangers. Goaltender Jackson Parsons was solid between the pipes, turning aside 22 of 23 shots to earn his 24th win of the season.
Kitchener had two power play chances against Barrie, going 1-for-2 on the man advantage with an empty net goal from Pridham. On the season, the team boasts a power play efficiency of 21.8%. Barrie was granted three opportunities on the power play but found no success, going 0-for-3 on the night – improving Kitchener’s penalty kill operation to an impressive 85%.
Rangers to Watch
Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights) had six points (2G, 4A) in two games against the defending Memorial Cup champions in 2024, including two separate three-point nights. Competing in 35 games for the Blueshirts this season, Swick is third on the team in goals (17) and second in points (36), producing at a point-per-game pace in his fourth OHL campaign with Kitchener. Swick will be in search of adding to his recent production streak in 2025 against Saginaw on Sunday.
Another forward who has had success against the Spirit this season is Luca Romano, who has five points (3G, 2A) in two games versus Saginaw. In a 4-2 win on home ice against the Spirit in November, Romano was lights out, scoring two goals and adding an assist for a three-point night. Romano was recently named to the 2024 Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game, set to take place on Wednesday. After burying his 16th goal of the year on Saturday, the sophomore has posted a 16-17-33 stat line through 39 games.
Christian Humphreys registered his first career OHL goal in Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Colts. Humphreys appeared in his second game with the Blueshirts after starting the 2024-25 campaign with the University of Michigan in the Big-10, tallying an assist in 10 games. Last season, Humphreys had 24 points (7G, 17A) in 23 games with the U.S. National Development Team. He’ll look to build off his performance on Saturday and carry it over to Sunday’s game.
SCOUTING THE SPIRIT (20-18-1-0)
Fifth in the Western Conference, 12th in the OHL
Following a dominant 6-2 win over the Erie Otters on Friday, the Spirit have won four of their last five games. Saginaw set the tone early, jumping out to a 3-1 lead after the first period. Erie managed to score once in the first and again in the second, but the Spirit’s relentless attack, backed by newly named captain Michael Misa’s two-point night (1G, 1A) added two more goals in the second period and capped off the night with an empty-netter in the third to secure the win. Saginaw netminder Kaleb Papineau made 25 saves, earning the third star of the night with a .925 save percentage and improving his 2024-25 season record to 4-2-0.
The Spirit’s penalty kill was crucial to the team’s win, stopping all seven power play opportunities the Otters had in the contest. With the performance, the team’s penalty kill operation moved to an impressive 81.9%. On the power play, Saginaw had two chances with the man advantage but did not convert on either try, dropping their power play percentage to 22.5% through 39 games. Following Sunday’s meeting with Kitchener, the Spirit will return home to the Dow Event Center to host the Guelph Storm on Saturday, January 18th.
Spirit to Watch:
Michael Misa was recently named the 26th captain in Spirit franchise history. The junior forward has had a sensational season offensively, already surpassing the 70-point plateau (34G, 36A) through just 36 games – six points shy of a new career-high. Misa has had two different point streaks of 14 games this season where he has scored a combined 61 points (30G, 31A). Against the Rangers this season, he has one assist, and the club will need to contain him again on Sunday.
Jacob Cloutier has registered at least a point in each of his two appearances against Kitchener this season. The sophomore, who has nine goals, 17 assists, and 26 points this season, had a goal and two assists against the Rangers in 2024. More recently, Cloutier has been on a notable stretch offensively, scoring six points (3G, 3A) in his last six games. Cloutier picked up a helper in Friday’s win over Erie and he’ll look to contribute for a third straight game against Kitchener on Sunday.
A player to watch on Sunday is Kristian Epperson, who has an astonishing nine points (4G, 5A) in his last four games. In his first year with Saginaw, Epperson so far has 17 goals, 34 assists, and 51 points in 35 games – ranking second on the Spirit in all categories. Against the Rangers this season, Epperson has a goal and an assist in two appearances, looking to channel that success again this weekend.
Drafted Spirit:
The Spirit have two players who have been drafted to the NHL, Igor Chernyshov (San Jose Sharks, currently with AHL affiliate – San Jose Barracuda) and Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames), both of whom were selected in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
RANGERS REACH
Support our community while cheering on your Rangers! Rangers Reach 50/50 and game-worn jersey Raffles take place at each Rangers home game and proceeds go to support our many community initiatives, including Scholarships, Community Impact Grants, in-kind donations, and more! Your 50/50 and jersey ticket purchases help to make a difference in our community! Tickets can be purchased online anywhere in Ontario at Rangers5050.com and rangersjersey.com.
BROADCAST COVERAGE
Sunday’s game against the Saginaw Spirit will be televised on Rogers TV (Channel 20) and can be watched across the province of Ontario on the Super Sports Pak on channel 468 for cable subscribers. The game will be streamed live online on OHL Live on CHL TV. Additionally, fans can listen to Sunday’s action on the radio on CityNews 570 AM CKGL.
UP NEXT:
Following Sunday’s matchup with Saginaw, the Blueshirts wrap up a two-game homestand against the Flint Firebirds on Friday, January 17th at The Aud. The East Avenue Blue will then head to Brampton the next day for their final installment against the Steelheads in the 2024-25 campaign on Saturday, January 18th. Puck drop against the Firebirds is slated for 7:00 p.m.
Secure your tickets for all Kitchener Rangers games at The Aud Box Office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online here.
Photo Credit: Hailey Tripodi / Kitchener Rangers
For inquiries, contact:
Luca Lombardi
Communications Coordinator
Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
416-885-4510