Game Preview: Rangers Conclude Season Series Against Wolves in Sudbury to Open Three-Game Road Trip
Sudbury, ON – The Kitchener Rangers travel to Sudbury on Sunday, resuming game action after the holiday break. The meeting marks the only matchup at Sudbury Community Arena this season, wrapping up a two-game series with the Wolves. Puck drop is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.
- TV: Rogers Channel 20 (Kitchener)
- TV: Rogers Super Sports Pak Channel 468 (Ontario)
- Video Stream: OHL Live on CHL TV
- Radio: 570 AM CKGL
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Last Matchup:
Kitchener and Sudbury last met on the first day of November at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. The Rangers doubled up on the Wolves, winning dominantly, 8-4. Adrian Misaljevic recorded a season-high six points (3G, 3A) and a hat-trick while Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights) added a goal and three assists. Matthew Andonovksi (Ottawa Senators) also registered his first goal of the season and first as captain of the Blueshirts. In net, Jason Schaubel earned the victory, stopping 18 of 22 shots faced.
Over the Years:
The matinee matchup is the finale of the brief two-game series between Kitchener and Sudbury. The two clubs split the series in the 2023-24 campaign. Already emerging victorious against the Wolves this season, the Blueshirts have improved to a 4-2-0-1 record over the last five years against Sudbury. However, the club has struggled to earn a win at Sudbury Community Arena over that span, going 0-2-0-1. The Rangers will look to change that on Sunday.
SCOUTING THE RANGERS (23-7-2-1)
Third in the Western Conference, Third in the OHL
Ahead of their matchup with the Ottawa 67’s at The Aud, the Rangers were on a two-game losing skid. However, the club turned the tide and entered the holiday break with a bounce-back win, solidifying a 6-3 decision over the 67’s. Freshman Haeden Ellis found the back of the net for his first career OHL goal, earning the first star of the game. The Blueshirts jumped out to a 3-1 lead with the help of Ellis, who added an assist, with Ottawa tying the game late in the second period. It was Adrian Misaljevic’s team-leading 17th goal tally that got the ball rolling again to an eventual three-unanswered response. Tanner Lam and Luke Ellinas (Ottawa Senators) added the fifth and sixth Rangers goals for a 6-3 outcome. In the crease, Jackson Parsons turned aside 25 shots, earning his 19th win on the season – now boasting a 19-6-1 record.
Kitchener was given two power play opportunities, striking out and going 0-for-2. Coming out of the holiday break, the Rangers hold a 22% power play percentage. The 67’s also had two chances to score on the man advantage, going 1-for-2 and scoring on the power play in the second period. Through 33 games, the Rangers are operating the penalty kill at 84.6%.
Rangers to Watch:
Haeden Ellis is coming off a career milestone. The forward scored his first career OHL goal against the 67’s on Friday, December 20 while adding on an assist. Ellis has three points (1G, 2A) in 10 games for the Rangers this season. The Buffalo, NY, native spent part of the 2024-25 season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL, scoring two goals and an assist in 12 games. He’ll look to build off his strong performance against Ottawa in Sudbury.
In the last outing against Sudbury, veteran forward Adrian Misaljevic had a notable six-point performance with a hat-trick and three assists. Misaljevic has taken the league by storm in his fourth season with Kitchener, leading the team in goals (17) and points (37). The forward most recently scored against the 67’s and will be keen on repeating his stellar showing against the Wolves on Sunday.
Tanner Lam scored a goal and an assist for a two-point night against Ottawa in the Rangers’ last game. On the season, the second-year forward has six goals and a career-best 20 assists for 26 points in 32 games played. Against Sudbury this year, Lam had two assists in the lone meeting, making him a player to watch on Sunday.
SCOUTING THE WOLVES (17-10-4-0)
Sixth in the Eastern Conference, Ninth in the OHL
Heading into their final meeting with Kitchener in the 2024-25 campaign, the Wolves got back in the win column before the holiday break – beating the North Bay Battalion, 6-3. In a back-and-forth game that saw each team trade goals with the contest tied 3-3 after two periods, the Wolves would score four unanswered to earn a 6-3 win. Nathan Villeneuve (Seattle Kraken) stole the show, providing a hat-trick and an assist while Keiron Walton (Winnipeg Jets) continued his offensive dominance with a goal and a helper – lifting Sudbury past North Bay. In the Wolves net, Nate Krawchuk earned his 12th victory, improving to a 12-6-4 record after he stopped 32 of 35 shots for a .914 save percentage.
Sudbury had three power plays in the game, going 1-for-3 on their opportunities with an early strike in the first period. The club has a 25.4% power play success rate with 37 games remaining. Conversely, the Battalion found success on the man advantage, going 50% (2-for-4) on their power play chances – pushing the Wolves’ penalty kill to 81.7% on the season.
After concluding their four-game homestand against the Rangers, the Wolves will hit the road to face the Steelheads in Brampton on New Year’s Eve, marking their final game of 2024.
Wolves to Watch:
Keiron Walton (Winnipeg Jets) currently leads the Wolves in assists (34) and points (53) by a wide margin. In the previous meeting with Kitchener, Walton registered an assist. The sixth-round NHL draft pick has already surpassed his 2023-24 season total in half as many games. In the month of December, Walton has amassed three goals and 10 assists in just six games, recording at least a point in each contest. Entering Sunday, the Rangers will look to shut him down.
Nathan Villeneuve (Seattle Kraken) made a mark during the Wolves’ lone visit to The Aud, finding the back of the net in their last outing. Selected in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft by Seattle, Villeneuve has been a key contributor for the Wolves this season. The junior forward ranks third on the team in goals (13) and fourth in points (24). He enters Sunday’s game riding a three-game point streak, during which he’s tallied six points (4G, 2A). His hot streak includes a standout four-point performance against the Battalion, highlighted by a hat trick.
Kocha Delic has been on a roll offensively in his past three games. The senior forward has recorded seven points (4G, 3A) and is riding a three-game point streak. In two of those games, he earned the second star of the game after a three-point and two-goal nights. Delic did not record a point against the Rangers in their only meeting this season, but he’s a player to be on the lookout for given his recent surge. Delic has 34 points (9G, 25A) in 31 games in 2024.
Drafted Wolves:
The Wolves have four players that have been drafted to the NHL, two that were selected in 2023, and two that were picked from the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Alex Pharand (Chicago Blackhawks) and Quentin Musty (San Jose Sharks) were selected in the 2023 draft while Keiron Walton (Winnipeg Jets) and Nathan Villeneuve (Seattle Kraken) were taken in the 2024 draft.
BROADCAST COVERAGE:
Sunday’s game against the Sudbury Wolves will be televised on Eastlink 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:
Kitchener will compete in their final game of 2024 on New Year’s Eve against the Battalion in North Bay on Tuesday, December 31st at North Bay Memorial Gardens. The Rangers will then wrap up their current three-game road trip in Brantford when the club faces the Bulldogs at Brantford Civic Centre on Thursday, January 2nd. Puck drop against the Battalion is set for 1:00 p.m. The Rangers return to The Aud to host the Erie Otters on Friday, January 3rd.
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]
